West Haven Police Department / Contributed photo WEST HAVEN Police said they have arrested a New Haven man in connection with a months-long investigation of narcotic sales. Trea Fraser, 26, has been charged with three counts of narcotics sales and three counts of possessing a controlled substance, West Haven police said. The chairman of XPrize - who also founded a vaccine firm - hosted a 100-strong 'superspreader' conference with global business executives in breach of a stay-home order in place at the time - before failing to report a string of positive cases. Peter Diamandis held the indoor, mostly maskless gathering in Calver City, California with business leaders from as far away as Israel, Hawaii and Vancouver on January 24 - when local IC units were running at full capacity. The 59-year-old, a co-founder and board member of the COVID vaccine developer Covaxx, admitted to MIT Technology Review that at around 21 to 24 people tested positive for the virus after the event, including himself. Diamandis, founder of the XPrize Foundation, hosts the annual Abundance 360 Summit or 'A360' for wealthy 'patrons' paying $30,000 subscriptions to hear him discuss a series of his favorite topics, including AI, longevity, exponential growth, synthetic biology and the 'abundance mindset'. Peter Diamandis held the indoor, mostly maskless gathering in Calver City, California with business leaders from as far away as Israel, Hawaii and Vancouver Guests were ferried by shuttle bus from the luxury Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, which charges around $550 for a standard room, to the office of the XPrize Foundation in Culver City. Speakers at the event - some of whom appeared over video link - included Starlink SpaceX vice-president Jonathan Hofeller and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. The first employee tested positive for COVID by a PCR test on January 28, leading to the A360 team sending out an email urging guests to 're-test'. Seven days later, at least five staff members, two speakers, and one family member who did not attend the conference tested positive, while a further three people began displaying symptoms, according to internal communications. Diamandis co-founded COVID vaccine developer Covaxx On February 12, Diamandis wrote in a blog entitled 'a false sense of security' that 12 guests had tested positive. 'I thought creating a COVID ''Immunity Bubble'' for a small group in a TV studio setting was possible. I was wrong. 'Despite a total of 452 (PCR & Rapid Antigen) tests and four physicians on-staff during a highly contained small gathering, 24 people in our ''Immunity Bubble'' (~ 25%) tested positive for the coronavirus - including me. 'Im humbled and pained by what I learned.' He confirmed 30 guests had attended in-person, 12 of whom caught COVID, as well as four speakers and five out of the 10 support staff, although none of the 35-strong production team fell ill. They were all wearing masks. The exclusive event took place at the office of the XPrize Foundation in Culver City, California Asked by MIT Technology Review for the estimated total number of positive cases to include family members, he said this was likely upwards of 32. Diamandis, who has an MD from Harvard Medical School and degrees from MIT, was initially skeptical when COVID first hit the US in mid-March. He tweeted: 'We are witnessing the viral spread of fear that is definitively damaging both national economies and global markets' and, later, 'The level of panic is doing as much damage.' He went to found vaccine development company Covaxx later that year, and a jab produced by the firm has already gone through early trials. Guests were ferried by shuttle bus from the luxury Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, which charges around $550 for a standard room Asked why he had decided to hold the event in person, Diamandis said: 'A360 is an event I've committed to run for 25 years. That's sort of an important hallmark of an event. 'We're in year nine, and it has always been an in-person event.' He added that one day, 'eventually A360 will be fully virtualized.' But he added: 'Listen, I screwed up here.' Asked why no one had reported the cluster of cases to county public health authorities, as required by several California state laws, he said that he and his staff had been in bed 'for days' so had not been able to 'take a full accounting of where we are'. California lifted regional coronavirus stay-at-home orders across the state last month, in a move that could allow restaurants and businesses in many counties to reopen outdoor dining and other services. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! This is an opinion column. Im looking through my old files, and there it is my column from last year on why Alabama should expand Medicaid. I wrote two, actually. And theres my column from the year before that. And another the year before that. Dont harbor any hope of an epiphany or some sort of about-face, I said of Gov. Kay Iveys refusal to expand the federal program ahead of her reelection. The road to Damascus, this aint. I knew better than to expect more from Ivey. So why do I feel so disappointed now? Weve ridden this road to Damascus every year for a decade, but our officials are still blind. Blind to the billions our state has turned away out of their stubbornness and spite. Blind to the more than 300,000 working people who cant afford health insurance because. Blind to rural communities that lack doctors and health care workers. Blind to the rural hospitals that have closed. Blind to the families that have gone bankrupt. Blind to the people who have died. Blind not because of some biblical affliction, cursed with scales like the Apostle Paul, but rather, blind by their own choosing, because they just wont open their eyes. Ivey and our lawmakers dont want to see it. And like a toddler playing peekaboo, they assume as long as they keep their eyes closed, you cant see them, either. But this year, the truth by the roadside is brighter and bolder than ever. Everyone can see it who wants to. Alabama officials, including the governor, have said the reason the state wont expand Medicaid is we dont have the money for the 10 percent match. Of course, in the last decade, weve found money for all sorts of other things like state docks, highway improvements, a new lodge and conference center at the Gulf State Park, and soon three new megaprisons and maybe rural broadband but nothing for a federal program that pumps a dollar into the state for every dime we spend. Somehow, though, other states have found money for the federal match. Not just rich states, like New York or California, but states closer to or worse off than Alabama, states including Arkansas, Louisiana and West Virginia. Curiously, most of the holdouts were either in the Confederacy or might have been if they had the opportunity. But are we to believe West Virginia can find the match but Alabama cant? Or are our public officials making excuses? Or just lying? But lets assume for a second that Ivey and her ilk are telling the truth. In that case, I have good news. Medicaid expansion is about to get cheaper. Democrats new stimulus package, making its way through the U.S. House, currently includes new sweeteners to entice the holdout states to join Medicaid expansion. Instead of paying 90 percent of the costs, the federal government would pay 95 percent for the first two years. The problem here, as always, will be which party is making this happen. Lets face it. The only real reason Alabama hasnt expanded Medicaid is that it was part of the Affordable Care Act Obama-care. Had this been a Republican program like the Mitt Romney Massachusetts health care plan it was copied from Alabama would have jumped on board a long time ago. But heres the thing: While Alabama Republican officials oppose Medicaid expansion, Alabama Republicans generally support expansion. A poll by Auburn University Montgomery taken last year showed 52.2 percent of Alabama Republicans either strongly supported or somewhat supported Medicaid expansion. Only 22.2 percent opposed it. As with the lottery and medical marijuana, Alabamas elected Republicans have drifted away from their constituents. Its time for Alabama officials to acknowledge this fight has been lost. If Donald Trump, a Republican Congress and a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court couldnt kill Obamacare in the last four years, its not going anywhere. Now that Democrats have taken back Congress and the White House, this obstinacy is either stupid or purposefully malicious. How much longer can Ivey carry on like this before we can assume she wants to bankrupt families? How many years more must we ride this road again, before we can confidently say those lawmakers in Montgomery actually want the working poor to get sick and die? Theyre not making any point now. Theyre just killing people and wasting money. Everyone can see you, governor. We can see the Legislature, too. We can see what youve done and what you havent. Now open your eyes. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. You can follow his work on his Facebook page, The War on Dumb. And on Twitter. And on Instagram. More columns by Kyle Whitmire Just keep talking, Tommy Tuberville Richard Shelby, Mo Brooks and the death of Alabama pork politics Alabama lawmaker has a health care plan for lawmakers, not you Alabama prison plan went from $900 million to $3.7 billion. How? Thats still a secret. What have you done now, Tommy Tuberville? Heres the scariest thing about Mo Brooks Want healing, Kay Ivey? Repeal the monuments law. Alabamas Three Stooges. And Shemp. Alabama owes Richard Shelby a big thank you. Doug Jones, too. Mo Brooks knows hes lying. Just ask Mo Brooks. Mo Brooks didnt shout fire. He started it. Why is this taking so long? Failure and a big, big number The Coast Guard is searching for 16 people in two missing persons rescue attempts off Florida waters. According to the Coast Guard, 10 people are missing after they left Havana, Cuba, on board a 6-foot makeshift vessel bound for Florida. On Saturday, the Coast Guard said it was still searching for the group off Key West waters. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. They left Cuba for the U.S. in November. No one has seen them since. Good Samaritan aids rescue The other search is for six people not far from the Fort Piece area. Though adept at ocean rescues, occasionally the Coast Guard touts the aid of a good Samaritan who helps with a rescue. Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders got a call from a good Samaritan who rescued one man they have identified as a Jamaican national. He was pulled from the water about 23 miles east of Fort Pierce. A Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce 45-foot Response Boat took the survivor to the shore and had him transferred to a local hospital. But before he got there, the man told the Coast Guard that there were six other people who were in the water after their boat capsized Wednesday on their way from Bimini. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. In November 2019, a good Samaritan turned a snorkelers severed arm over to a Coast Guard rescue crew on Thanksgiving off the coast of Palm Beach. The snorkeler was Carter Viss, a marine biologist who told the Palm Beach Post his tale of survival one year later. Now Ive got a lot of potential to make an impact on ocean conservation and boating safety. Thats what I want to do. Im going to use this to its fullest, he told the Palm Beach Post in October. Three new deaths have been reported among area care facilities, according to the latest numbers provided by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, which reflect data reported through Jan. 28. Lockney Health and Rehabilitation Center reported two additional deaths among residents for a total of 10. One case was still active and 50 have recovered of the 62 resident cases that have been reported to date. One active employee case remained of its three total. Cambridge LTC Partners Inc. in Dimmitt also reported a new resident death for a total of seven. A total of 54 residents (47 recoveries) and 56 employee cases have been reported. Castro County nursing homes both located in Dimmitt had just one active case as of the latest report, which was among employees at Country View Living. The facility has reported 33 total employee cases and 28 resident cases (three deaths and 25 recoveries). Prairie House Living Center in Plainview had two total active cases, one each among residents and employees. Twenty-three deaths have been reported among the 86 resident cases with 59 recoveries. Another 48 cases have been reported among employees. The Plainview Healthcare Center has reported 34 total cases 18 employee, 16 resident with two resident deaths. Park View Nursing Care Center in Muleshoe reported no active cases and just six total cases all among employees. The Tulia Health and Rehabilitation Center remained at no active cases with 23 total cases to date 13 among employees, 10 among residents. Neither Plainview assisted living facility had an active case as of Jan. 28. Beehive Homes of Plainview has reported 11 total cases six among employees, five among residents. Santa Fe Place has reported one resident death, one resident recoveries, two total resident cases and three total employee cases. Beehive Homes at Shepherds Meadow in Floydada had no active cases, six total resident cases and one resident death. Conner Place in Canyon had one active resident case of its four total cases. Two employee cases have been reported to date. Swisher Memorial Hospital Resident Living Center in Tulia had no active cases, four total resident cases with three recoveries and three total employee cases. Vodafone Idea on Saturday reported a consolidated net loss of 4,532.4 crore for the quarter ended on 31 December. The telecom giant posted net loss of 7,218.5 crore in the previous quarter. The quarterly losses narrowed on the back of a one-time gain of 2,118.9 crore, on account of the sale of its 11.5% stake Indus Towers to the merged Bharti Infratel-Indus Towers entity. During Q3FY21, the average revenue per user (ARPU) rose to 121 from 109 in the September quarter. The consolidated operating profit or Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter rose 3.2% on a quarter-on-quarter basis to 4,286.2 crore. The operating margin expanded 80 basis points from the previous quarter to 39.3%." "EBITDA improvement was driven by higher revenue as well as incremental opex savings from our cost optimization initiatives," the telecom service provider said in a statement. Revenue grew 1% quarter-on-quarter to 10,894 crore on the back of higher 4G additions and improved service quality during Q3FY21. Vodafone Idea said that "it is in active discussions with potential investors to raise capital." The company's board had approved fund raising of 25,000 crore through a mix of debt and equity. In Q3FY21, we improved subscriber retention and operating performance, supported by Vi GIGAnet, which remains the fastest 4G network in India, as per Ookla as well the network with highest rated voice quality as per TRAI - a testimony to our superior network," said Ravinder Takkar, managing director and chief executive officer, Vodafone Idea Limited, said. "We remain focused on executing our strategy, and our cost optimization plan remains on track to deliver the targeted savings. The Board has approved funds raising to support our strategic intent and we are in active discussions with potential investors." Vodafone India earlier revealed cost savings target of 4,000 crore by December 2021. The telecom operator said it has achieved 50% of the targeted annualised savings on a run-rate basis during the December quarter. India's third largest telecom operators' subscriber base declined 2 million in the December quarter from 269.8 million in the previous quarter. Vodafone Ideas 4G subscriber base stood at 109.7 million during the quarter under review, against 3.6 million in the September quarter. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said he worked hard not to become bitter after his father was killed by the IRA. The senior officers father Alwyn, a Superintendent in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), died in a car bomb attack in 1989. Mr Harris had also been an officer in the RUC at the time. He remained in the force when it became the Police Service of Northern Ireland and rose to the rank of Deputy Chief Constable before taking on the top job at the Garda in 2018. It takes a long time to come to terms with something as difficult, as traumatic and as awful in your life, and you carry it with you every day, he told RTEs The Late Late Show. Every day I would think about my father, but in terms of me as a police officer and now the Garda Commissioner, what it means to me is I think I have an empathy for those who have been the victim of serious crime. In lots of ways it has had a profound effect on my outlook at to what policing should be and what we should do for those who are without a voice or might be marginalised in society. He said he has worked hard at not being bitter. In these things you have perhaps a choice, I was married to Jane, we had our first son and then we had another three children after that, and you have a choice in terms of the household your children are going to grow up into, and so I worked hard at not being bitter, he said. I dont mean to be smart or clever, or shine a halo when I say that, because it was very difficult and it took a long time to get to that point, but at the same time you have your own life to live and nobody would be more upset than my father if he though I was just living an embittered life. Asked if he felt the need to forgive the killers, Mr Harris said he was neutral on that. They have never sought atonement, and forgiveness is a two-way street, he said. The PSNI has launched an investigation after it handed over blank interview tapes to arrested Loughinisland journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey. Last year police agreed in the High Court to provide the recordings of officers from the PSNI and Durham Constabulary interviewing the two reporters at Musgrave Street Police Station in August 2018. However, last week the mens respective legal representatives both received tapes which were blank apart from opening introductions made by the detectives who were in charge of the interviews. Mr Birneys solicitor Niall Murphy told The Detail that the disclosure of the tape recordings of the police interviews was an explicit term of the settlement agreement signed last November following his clients successful judicial review of the PSNIs decision to arrest him and his colleague, and to raid their homes and office. On Thursday the PSNI told The Detail it arranged for full recordings of Mr Birneys interviews to be made available immediately after the service became aware that tapes did not contain the full recordings. A week earlier the day when the first batch of tapes were received Mr Murphy reviewed them and found all four recordings to be blank. He informed the Crown Solicitors Office, which handled the PSNI and Durham Constabulary legal response to the judicial review, that the tapes were part of a High Court agreement. It is a source of great distress for my client that a constituent part of the agreement has not been honoured by your clients. I look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency, wrote Mr. Murphy. The tapes, with Mr Birneys interviews, were received on Friday afternoon at Mr Murphys office. In addition, Mr McCaffreys solicitor John Finucane confirmed to The Detail that his client also received blank tapes. No further ones have been delivered to the solicitor. Despite being asked, the PSNI did not inform The Detail who was responsible for the handling and original release of the tapes. However, the PSNI said: The reason why material did not transfer onto the tapes provided and why this was not identified in advance are being investigated. The provision of tapes without recorded content was an error, and certainly not intentional. Mr Birney welcomed the PSNI investigation, but queried how police could make a pre-determination that this was not intentional prior to the outcome of their probe. He added: There is very damning material on those tapes and the initial decision to release them blank only raises further questions about the senior management within the PSNI and their attitude towards the courts and, indeed, their commitments to truth and transparency. Once again, the PSNI is launching another investigation in relation to Loughinisland. When are they going to get around to investigating the actual massacre of six innocent men? Mr McCaffrey said the matter was of deep concern and added: You have to ask why this was done and what they are trying to hide. Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey were arrested following the release of the film, No Stone Unturned, which examined claims of state collusion in the 1994 UVF massacre at The Heights Bar in Loughinisland, County Down in which six men died. Last December, both men and the company, Fine Point Films, were awarded over 800,000 in damages after bringing a judicial review to the High Court in Belfast. The government said a total 80,52,454 vaccinations have been carried out till Saturday 6 pm. The second dose of vaccination started on Saturday for those beneficiaries who had completed 28 days since receiving their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The Union Health Ministry said that 27 people had died post receiving the vaccination so far, with three deaths reported in the last 24 hours. However, no case if serious or severe adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) or death has been attributable to the vaccination till now, it added. ALSO READ | Second Covid Vaccine Dose Today For Those Who Took First Shot 28 Days Ago It said 80,52,454 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,69,215 sessions, according to the provisional report till Saturday 6 pm. These include 59,35,275 healthcare workers and 21,17,179 frontline workers. "The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from today for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose. As many as 7,668 healthcare workers received the second dose of vaccine today," the ministry said. On Saturday, 84,807 beneficiaries were inoculated till 6 pm, the 29th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination as per provisional data. As many as 4,434 sessions were organised on Saturday till 6 pm, the ministry said. Thirty-four states and Union Territories conducted COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday. Twelve states UTs have vaccinated more than 70 per cent of the registered heathcare workers. These are -- Bihar, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Sikkim. On the other hand, seven states and UTs have reported less than 40 per cent coverage of registered healthcare workers. These are Meghalaya, Punjab, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Puducherry. Ten states that recorded the highest number of vaccinations are Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Delhi. Total 34 people have so far been hospitalised after being administered COVID-19 vaccine. It comprises 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these cases of hospitalization, 21 were discharged after treatment, while 11 died and two are under treatment, the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, no person has been hospitalized, it stated. "Total 27 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0003 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these, 11 died in the hospital while 16 fatalities were recorded outside the hospital. "No case of serious/severe adverse effect after immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination till date," the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported. A 38-year-old person of Harda in Madhya Pradesh died due to myocardial infarction nine days after vaccination. Another is a 35-year-old resident of Panipat in Haryana who suffered from pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and died eight days after vaccination. A 58-year-old resident of Dausa in Rajasthan, who had received vaccine, collapsed on duty and was brought dead to a hospital. Post-mortem details of all are awaited. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed in detail the status and progress of COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged all states and Union Territories to adhere to timelines for covering all healthcare and frontline workers with first dose of vaccines and schedule their mop-up rounds. The standard operating procedure for second dose scheduling on Co-WIN software have been shared with states and Union Territories. In a letter to all states and UTs, Bhushan pointed out that according to the rapid assessment system only 88.9 per cent beneficiaries have indicated that they were provided information regarding adverse event following immunization (AEFI) at the session site. The states and UTs have been advised to ensure that all vaccination officers are trained and informed regarding AEFI and they should provide such information to all beneficiaries. In order to strengthen surveillance following COVID-19 vaccination, the Union health secretary has also urged states and UTs to ensure that AEFI committees at the state and district levels meet regularly to oversee the overall performance of AEFI Surveillance System. Editors note: This is the second in a two-part series that examines the impact on criminal defendants, victims, their advocates and the criminal justice system itself of the ongoing hold on state jury trials because of the pandemic. BENNINGTON The woman says she still has nightmares about that night, three Decembers ago, when she thought her boyfriend would kill her. She told police he repeatedly squeezed her neck, until she almost blacked out. At one point, he apparently tried to strangle her in the bathroom, using a shower curtain rod. Police reported finding what they suspected to be blood on the couples bedsheets, bathtub and shower curtain. The woman said she started bleeding when the man pushed her into shards of glass, pieces of a storm window that shattered when he shoved her against it. She also spoke about being grabbed by her hair, thrown on the ground and punched in the face, before being kicked in her ribs. I still have those days where I am scared and I want to cry, she said in an interview after the New Year. Ive had PTSD and quite a bit of it. As a victim of domestic violence, she asked that her name be withheld. The woman, now 27, said she has moved on considerably since that December 2018 night in Arlington. She is in a new relationship and has become a first-time mom. But theres one thing keeping her tied to the past: the unresolved criminal case against her ex-boyfriend. Troy Thompson, 25, is facing over a dozen misdemeanor and felony charges, including attempted second-degree murder. He is waiting for a jury trial his constitutional right under the Sixth Amendment but state jury trials have been on hold for nearly a year because of the pandemic. State court officials are hoping jury trials can resume next month, but the schedule has been a moving target. The Vermont Supreme Court suspended jury trials on March 17, 2020, to maintain social distancing and limit the spread of the coronavirus. Such efforts to protect public health have helped Vermont achieve one of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates in the country, but theyve also had unintended consequences for parties in criminal cases. The months or years of waiting have taken an emotional, physical and mental toll not just on defendants, but also on people who are considered victims to begin with. There are thousands of people whose lives are currently in limbo as they wait for state jury trials to resume. In 2020 alone, based on the Vermont judiciarys latest statistical report, around a thousand new criminal cases were filed each month. CHILDREN STRESSED AND CONFUSED Advocates say that child victims are getting stressed and frustrated with the constant change in the trial restart schedule. So far, court officials have changed the target restart date four times since last April. Bikers Against Child Abuse, a motorcycle organization that aims to empower child victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, said the starts and stops have been tough on the young ones. BACAs work includes accompanying kids in court when they testify; sometimes group members stand out in their biker attire, other times they appear just like another friend or family member. Testifying in court is often daunting for kids, but they muster the courage to do so only to get deflated when the plans are postponed. If you think about what theyre preparing for, theyre preparing to go into a roomful of strangers and tell them about the most horrible thing that has ever happened to them, said the president of BACAs Vermont chapter, a woman who goes by the biker name Irish. Imagine the anxiety all that buildup, she said, and then it gets pushed back. Amid this turbulence, Irish said, the children cant even seek comfort in previously mundane activities, such as going to school and spending time with friends. Children have mostly been home during the pandemic after schools went fully or partially remote, and theyve been told to socially distance from people outside their household. Irish said some child victims are also confused why trials cant just be held online. If I can go to school over the internet, why cant we just do this? Irish quotes some of the children as saying. The Vermont judiciary said its been looking at the experience of other states that have held trials online, such as Washington. The challenge with remote criminal trials, said Chief Superior Judge Brian Grearson, is to hold them in such a way that does not compromise defendants fundamental rights to due process. Since Vermont courts began holding hearings remotely during the pandemic, some defense attorneys have argued that these online proceedings violate due process rights. These include defendants right to personally confront their accusers and the right to have a public trial. Public access to remote hearings right now is by request; ordinarily, anyone can enter a courtroom to watch a non-confidential hearing. Grearson said the judiciary is considering holding remote trials in civil cases, which dont have the same due process issues as criminal cases. NEW CHARGES, SAME VICTIM Since the pandemic began, no victims have come closer to seeing their case go to trial than two women who experienced domestic violence in 2011. The man accused of attacking them, Clayton Turner, had been scheduled to go on trial at the Windham County Superior Court in December. His trial was supposed to pave the way for the resumption of jury trials statewide, including providing important insights on how trials could be conducted safely during the coronavirus outbreak. The court said summons had gone out to around 300 potential jurors. And about a third had already been excused from the Dec. 7 draw when COVID-19 cases spiked after Halloween. The Turner trial was put on hold in November, with no new trial date given. Its not clear how the postponement affected the victims, who had been waiting a decade for the trial; the women, now both age 36, declined an interview. Then on Jan. 20, Turner, 38, decided to plead guilty to assault charges under a deal with the state. He was sentenced to 26 months of time served and extradited to New Hampshire, where he has pending charges, said Windham County Deputy States Attorney Dana Nevins. Nevins, who prosecuted the case, said the current wait for jury trials to restart has revealed a troubling trend that affects domestic violence victims. Because pretrial inmates who arent facing life sentences can normally be held without bail for only 60 days, some inmates accused of felony domestic assault have been able to get out of jail since no trials are being held. The 60-day detention period has still given victims time to plan how to keep themselves safe before their alleged attackers could be released. But, Nevins said, he has noticed an increase in the number of cases where a domestic assault defendant is released from jail on conditions and then charged with another assault against the same victim. I cannot say that this increase is related to the pandemic or the suspension of jury trials, but it certainly is a troubling trend from a victim safety standpoint, he said. PERSONAL PROTECTION STRATEGIES For months, Heidi Stratton has been thinking about leaving Bennington. The 39-year-old wants to get away from an ex-boyfriend who is charged with stalking her and, in doing so, violating an abuse prevention order. This criminal case against Bruce King, 72, has been pending in Bennington Superior Court since August. Last month, he asked to be added to the growing list of state defendants waiting to go on trial. He is free from jail on conditions, which include not to harass Stratton. Despite the court order, Stratton, who asked that her name be used in this story, said King continues to follow her around and watch her from outside her apartment. She said his behavior, coupled with the months-long wait for a case resolution, has stretched her to her breaking point. She talked about not being able to sleep or eat properly for days, losing 100 pounds in the past six months and holing up in her apartment. I have deteriorated so bad, she said, its gotten to a point where sometimes I dont know if Im alive or dead. Family and friends are encouraging her to move away, but Stratton said doing so would show King he has beaten her. I gotta stay in here and stand my ground with him, she said. Kings attorney declined to comment on Strattons allegations. Project Against Violent Encounters, a Bennington nonprofit group that is assisting Stratton, said its been helping domestic violence survivors feel safe while waiting for their alleged attackers to be tried. This involves discussing measures that would safeguard survivors not just physically but also emotionally and mentally, said Lauren Wilcox, a case manager at PAVE. For instance, some survivors reportedly install security cameras at home, carry personal alarms or take self-defenses courses. Others make friends with their neighbors, who can call the police on their behalf, while others feel safer staying in touch with the defendant and knowing what they were up to. I think the slowdown of judiciary processes in these unprecedented times has highlighted the importance of survivors planning for their safety outside of the criminal justice system, Wilcox said. Support without judgment is essential. LOOKING FOR RESOLUTION State court officials are now making plans to resume jury trials on the week of March 22, through at least one criminal case in Windham County. Whether the restart will finally push through depends on the status of coronavirus infections at that time and the advice of health experts, said Chief Judge Grearson. Once Windham County is greenlighted, more courthouses are expected to follow suit. Which ones would go next has not yet been determined. Grearson said the judiciary is still waiting for the results of airflow evaluations on courthouses, which were conducted by a separate state agency. Right now, to help criminal cases move along while trials are on hold, Bennington County is offering mediation sessions between defense attorneys and prosecutors. These discussions, which are voluntary and closed to the public, offer the parties a chance to reach a resolution with the help of a retired judge. Bennington County States Attorney Erica Marthage describes the meetings as the closest thing the state courts currently have to a jury draw which prompts both the defense and prosecution to decide for the final time whether to settle or go to trial. The mediation, she said, allows each side to frankly discuss its current situation with a judge who wont be presiding over the case if it does go to trial. I find that thats been really helpful, Marthage said. Its like a reality check for all of us. Thats kind of making it feel like a jury draw day. Since the process was introduced in November, she said dozens of participating cases have been settled. So far, only Bennington County has utilized this process. Rutland County is making plans to be next, Grearson said. If the mediation sessions are found to be successful over time, he said they will be expanded to other counties. Meanwhile, the woman who thought shed die at the hands of Troy Thompson cant wait for his trial to start. Ive finally healed to a point where Im not afraid to take the stand, she said. Im not afraid to look at him and say, You tried to kill me. She also cant wait for his trial to end and for this part of her life to finally be over. Read Part 1 of the series: Rep. Diego Hernandez, a Portland Democrat who faces an expulsion vote after lawmakers determined he sexually harassed three women, filed a $1 million lawsuit Friday against the Oregon Legislature, House Speaker Tina Kotek and others. In his 105-page filing, Hernandez counters the narrative laid out by the two outside investigators who spent months looking into complaints that he sexually harassed or created a hostile workplace for five women whose work brought them to the Capitol at times. Jackie Sandmeyer, the legislatures acting equity officer who oversaw the process, and the Republican and Democratic House members who co-chaired the Conduct Committee charged with deciding the investigation outcome are also named in the lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in non-economic damages as well as money to cover any legal fees. Sandmeyer and the two investigators presented findings of the investigation to the committee during four nights of hearings in early February. Two of the women, who were not named in legislative proceedings, said they feared Hernandez might use his political position to hurt their careers if they rebuffed his unwanted advances. The committee concluded Hernandez pressured them to restart romantic relationships and subjected a long-term partner to controlling and abusive treatment. Hernandez, who was elected in 2018, argues in the lawsuit that the legislatures conduct committee process was flawed in numerous ways, including that deadlines were extended to benefit the women, he was not informed of most of the womens complaints in a timely fashion and he did not receive a copy of the investigators report in the appropriate time period. He raises questions about various conflicts of interest and challenges how Sandmeyer handled his original response to the allegations. Hernandez contends that Conduct Committee members, who voted to recommend the House expel him, never saw his most important evidence, captured in contemporaneous emails, texts and Facebook posts: that the women in question reached out to him and actively pursued relationships with him. Sandmeyer, in preparing Hernandezs statement for committee members to review, entirely blacked out all texts, emails and social media exchanges between Hernandez and the women. Many of those exchanges are dated well after the time that the women told investigators they had made it clear to Hernandez they wanted only a professional relationship, according to screenshots and other records in the lawsuit. Sandmeyer excessively and needlessly redacted Plaintiffs response to the point that none of his evidence was ever seen by the Conduct Committee, the lawsuit contends. Sandmeyer redacted dates, how Plaintiff knew the subjects, multiple pages of text message threads and Facebook posts, any reference to the fact that two of the subjects were sisters, any reference to the fact that the subjects wanted to rekindle a romantic relationship with Plaintiff, and any reference to Kotek. Last Friday, the four-person conduct committee unanimously determined that Hernandez took 18 specific actions that constituted sexual harassment or created a hostile workplace. The full House is now expected to vote as early as Feb. 16 on Hernandezs case. It would take a two-thirds vote, or 40 House lawmakers, to expel a member. Danny Moran, spokesman for House Speaker Tina Kotek, would not comment on the lawsuit. The story is breaking and will be updated. WASHINGTON, D. C. - After five days of arguments on whether former President Donald Trump should be impeached for his role in a Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol where five people including a police officer died, Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman voted to acquit Trump, while Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown voted to convict him. All the Senates Democrats voted to convict Trump for inciting an insurrection, along with 7 Republicans: North Carolinas Richard Burr, Utahs Mitt Romney, Maines Susan Collins, Nebraskas Ben Sasse, Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, Pennsylvanias Pat Toomey and Louisianas Bill Cassidy. Because a two-thirds majority of the Senate was required to convict Trump, he was acquitted of the charge. Heres Portmans statement on the vote: The siege of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was an attack on democracy itself. That night, shortly after the rioters had been cleared from the Senate floor, I spoke to urge my colleagues to support the state certifications of the election results as our constitutional duty, and as a signal that we will not be intimidated and that mob rule is not going to prevail here. I have said that what President Trump did that day was inexcusable because in his speech he encouraged the mob, and that he bears some responsibility for the tragic violence that occurred. I have also criticized his slow response as the mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, putting at risk the safety of Vice President Pence, law enforcement officers, and others who work in the Capitol. Even after the attack, some of the language in his tweets and in a video showed sympathy for the violent mob. In response, I called on President Trump to explicitly urge his supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence. But the question I must answer is not whether President Trump said and did things that were reckless and encouraged the mob. I believe that happened. The threshold question I must answer is whether a former president can be convicted by the Senate in the context of an impeachment. This would be unprecedented. Consistent with the two votes I have already taken in this process, I believe the Constitution reserves the narrow tool of impeachment and conviction for removal of current officeholders and current presidents, and does not apply to former officeholders or former presidents. Impeachment in the Constitution is fundamentally about removing someone from office. I think the Framers of the Constitution understood that it would be inappropriate to allow Congress an inherently political body to convict former presidents. Instead, the appropriate place to address former officials conduct is the criminal justice system. In fact, the Constitution makes clear that former presidents are subject to the criminal justice system. That is where the issues raised by the presidents inexcusable actions and words must be addressed. I have a duty to uphold my oath to the Constitution and thats why I voted as I did, on the state certifications of the election on January 6, on the jurisdictional issue earlier this week, and on the final vote on conviction today. My decision today in no way condones the presidents conduct. On the contrary, it is keeping an oath to the Constitution, that I believe the president did not keep on January 6. Our country is already deeply divided. My decision was based on my reading of the Constitution, but I believe the Framers understood that convicting a former president and disqualifying him or her from running again pulls people further apart. Instead, our task should be to help bridge the growing gaps that separate us. President Biden said in his inaugural address, This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward. I agree, and will continue to do my part to try to find that common ground to bring our country together to address the many challenges we face. Heres Browns statement: This was the most bipartisan presidential impeachment vote in American history because the managers presented undeniable evidence that the former President of the United States incited a violent insurrection on January 6th, aimed at throwing out Americans votes. Those who voted to acquit sent a message to our country and the world that violent attacks on our citizens, our democracy, and the will of the people have no consequences. We must now show the American people that our democracy works and their votes matter by delivering real results for Ohioans and the change they voted for. Read more: Ohios U.S. Senators speak out on Donald Trumps impeachment trial Ohios Rob Portman backs argument that its not constitutional to impeach a former president, votes with most GOP senators Senate banking chair Sherrod Brown would like to couple bank access for cannabis businesses with drug sentencing reforms Ohios Sen. Sherrod Brown chides Sen. Rand Paul for not wearing a mask on the Senate floor Ohio Republicans vote against removing former QAnon adherent Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments Senate Banking Committee approves Rep. Marcia Fudges nomination to be Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ohios Jim Jordan endorsed QAnon-linked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and continues to defend her Rep. Jim Jordan will cheer on former President Trump from the sidelines during his Senate impeachment trial Rep. Bob Gibbs gives thumbs up to border fence, thumbs down to Capitol Hill security fence Rocky River Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez gets flak for voting to impeach President Donald Trump but doesnt regret taking a stand ' Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) Some Metro Manila mayors have reservations about the national governments decision to allow the reopening of cinemas and other businesses in areas under general community quarantine, such as the capital region. At the moment theres still some discussion among the mayors of the Metro Manila Council pertaining to some of these establishments specifically movie theaters and cinemas, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte told CNN Philippines on Saturday. There are reservations about the safety of opening these up at this time. Quezon City is the biggest city in the National Capital Region and is home to several shopping malls. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said he prefers to keep movie theaters closed to prevent further transmission of COVID-19. You are going to allow people to be confined in an air-conditioned facility for almost two hours and I believe that this poses high risk in terms of infection, Zamora said. Belmonte and Zamora said the Metro Manila Council, composed of 17 local chief executives, is likely to convene on Sunday to arrive at a consensus. The council usually makes recommendations to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the policy-making body in governments pandemic response, but the national government still has the final say. On Friday, the IATF announced that the following businesses and industries can resume operations: 1. Driving schools 2. Traditional cinemas, and video- and interactive- game arcades 3. Libraries, archives, museums, and cultural centers 4. Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, and limited social events at accredited establishments of the department of tourism 5. Limited tourist attractions (e.g. parks, theme parks, natural sites, and historical landmarks) Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who also speaks for the IATF, said the new rules could take effect on Monday, February 15, once the implementing guidelines on operating capacity and regulation are released. Starting Monday, churches are also allowed to accommodate more attendees up to 50% of the venue capacity, compared to the current 30%. The country has recorded over 547,000 cases of the coronavirus disease wherein 11,507 died while more than 500,000 have recovered. It is also facing the threat of a more transmissible variant first discovered in the United Kingdom which has been detected in at least 44 patients. CNN Philippines' Lois Calderon contributed to this report. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Advertisement At least 11 people have been arrested after a Black Lives Matter protest turned violent in Manhattan on Friday night. Around 100 people assembled in Times Square in the early evening for a 'F**k 12' anti-police march, according to local news outlets. Authorities reported that the initial demonstration was peaceful, with video shared to Twitter showing several activists burning a 'Thin Blue Line' flag as cops watched on passively. However, the situation soon escalated after a protester was reportedly arrested on nearby Sixth Avenue, appearing to anger other members of the crowd. At least 11 people have been arrested after a Black Lives Matter protest turned violent in Manhattan on Friday night. A protester is seen facing off with a line of NYPD officers Authorities reported that the initial demonstration was peaceful, with video shared to Twitter showing several activists burning a 'Thin Blue Line' flag as cops watched on passively The NYPD were well prepared for the protest - which consisted of around 100 demonstrators One woman is seen being put into the back of a police van after being arrested during the fracas on Friday night The New York Post reports that a violent altercation ensued leaving two officers injured. According to the publication, a photojournalist who works for The New York Daily News was also assaulted after being mistaken for a police officer. 'He's a cop,' one protester reportedly yelled, as several protesters surrounded the snapper. Sources say the photojournalist was shoved and beaten, before being left with a bloodied nose. The New York Daily News said their employee was 'jumped by 10 or 15 protesters' during the incident. Video being shared on social media shows the NYPD declaring an unlawful assembly, ordering protesters to disperse. Many are seen scuffling and screaming at officers. Photos later show several being placed in NYPD vans in handcuffs after they were arrested. An officer appears to have a stern word with a maskless demonstrator following the event Dozens of cops clad in helmets and shields were on hand during the 'F**k 12' anti-police protest As Margaret Thatcher famously said: If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. Away from the politics, the infighting and the competitive glory, women have been the quietly effective heroines of the pandemic. Prime among them is Dr Sarah Gilbert, who first cracked the Oxford vaccine. Typically, she seems totally uninterested in a lap of honour. Instead, she is now concentrating on adapting the vaccine to outwit mutant variants. Oxfords Professor of Vaccinology picks up the phone to me and says briskly that she can spare only a few minutes. I am not going to argue. No wonder Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said that Gilbert is the kick-butt role model for his daughters. Women have been the quietly effective heroines of the pandemic - prime among them is Dr Sarah Gilbert, who first cracked the Oxford vaccine While so-called social-media influencers of young women have made fools of themselves by showing off in Dubai and Barbados, those who have true power to influence for the good of society are the countrys scientists. Indeed, the knock-on effect could happily recalibrate cultural role models a little. Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, says we have made monumental progress in understanding, treating and protecting people against the virus much of which would not have been possible without all the women involved in pandemic research. She hopes the visibility of our female scientists will inspire a future generation of women and girls to consider and follow exciting careers in science, technology engineering and mathematics. In 2019, women represented only 26 per cent of those working in such areas. Dr Gilbert, 58, is pleased by this surge of enthusiasm. One of the best things is hearing from schoolchildren that science is cool. The kids are really interested girls and boys. She sounds frustrated that in the 21st Century it should still be necessary for young girls to have scientific female role models, but adds: It is great if I can be an inspiration. As the mother of triplets, she offers very wise advice that she says women with small babies may find resonant: Keep on going. It is about persistence. Whenever shes asked about the moment of breakthrough with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, she always answers dryly that it had been about 25 years in the making. Other heroine of the vaccine is Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at Public Health England. UK Vaccines Taskforce Chair Kate Bingham, who oversaw the stunningly successful procurement of vaccines The result of experience and judgment. And, above all, patience, a quality that is sadly rare in contemporary culture but which women tend to possess more often than men. And Dr Gilbert whose hobby is knitting is the personification. Her teams revolutionary vaccine was based on scientific know-know and then developed through sheer toil. Progress is incremental and best achieved without hoopla. Usually science is a confirmation of a hypothesis. There were no eureka moments, Dr Gilbert explains. Other heroines of the vaccine are Dr Nikki Kanani, Medical Director of Primary Care for NHS England, and Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at Public Health England. Dr Ramsay agrees there is something unshowy about this branch of medicine which seems to suit female characteristics. In essence, public health is all about protection another primeval female attribute. Forget flashy technical wizardry thats associated with men. As soon as the first vaccine was given to people in December, the start of the greatest inoculation programme in this countrys history, the image that captured these life-saving moments was, in the main, of a female nurse a profound and symbolic visual expression of caring for the vulnerable. Dr Nikki Kanani, Medical Director of Primary Care for NHS England Dr Ramsay says: Much of the vaccination programme is mundane. It is sticking injections into people. Significantly, she adds: Some male professors consider immunology beneath them but I find it very satisfying because it is about protecting people. It is all quite low-tech: checking the temperature of fridges and supplies. You are rolling up your sleeves and getting on with it. Although Dr Ramsay is a professor, she does not use the title in her work. This is much less about status than job satisfaction. It is odd that although every survey of the public shows that nurses are the most trusted professionals, politicians (male) have seemingly never thought it a good idea to invite them to share the daily ministerial and scientific adviser pandemic briefings. The truth is that heroines of the pandemic are both pastoral and modest. When Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor, saw her first Covid patient last spring, her response was a fleeting doubt that she would be a good enough doctor to manage the severity of the situation. She was struck by impostor syndrome another peculiarly female trait. Then she scolded herself: For Christ sake, just get on with it! Momentary self-doubt was also experienced by UK Vaccines Taskforce Chair Kate Bingham, who oversaw the stunningly successful procurement of vaccines. When the Prime Minister invited her to take on the role, she hesitated for 24 hours. She, too, suffered impostor syndrome, wondering if she was capable of doing the job. It was her daughter who gave her a pep talk about the stupidity of talking herself down. Kates ability to anticipate which vaccines would get approved first and then place bulk orders for Britain was a total triumph. It means this country is so far ahead of every other European nation. What links these women is clarity of focus. At a time of global crisis, when it came to the crunch and the nation needed protecting, you could say that it was men who pontificated and women who delivered. Moreover, as well as delivering the goods, women have a heroism of common sense and kindness. Rachel Clarke is married to a former RAF pilot, but this has been her battle. She says that for too long, caring has been seen as a feminine virtue and associated with fluffiness and weakness. In fact, it has required steel to comfort the afflicted. A cruel effect of the virus is that so many people have died alone. Rachel has written movingly in her book, Breathtaking: Inside The NHS In A Time Of Pandemic, about the appalling inhumanity of Covid patients dying without seeing their families for a last time. From the moment they entered hospital, they never saw a human, unmasked face again. This was a typically empathetic observation of a woman on the front line. She remembers how she needed to be as hard as nails to face a child whose parent was dying. To crouch down and tell a child that their parent isnt well, or to support a spouse seeing their partner for the last time is the hardest thing. You cannot give any thought to your own distress. You just have to put that other human being first and do whatever you can to give them comfort. Rachel says that while she may be seen as representing female values comforting the sick she could do so only if her family life operated on a reverse of traditional stereotypes. Her husband kept the family together. She says: I am so grateful to him because I didnt have the emotional strength to support the children. He had to be the 1950s housewife during the pandemic. Dr Gilberts husband, too, sacrificed his own career as a scientist to look after their children. She has said that, during the pandemic, he has taken on all the shopping and cooking responsibilities. I just go home and sit down and theres food there. I wouldnt have the energy to cook anything myself. In our war against Covid-19, bluster and bellicosity have not worked. Only patience, realistic determination and community kindness is managing to stop its trail of devastation. When I put this to Rachel, she hesitates before she answers (another female trait). I dont know if this is a female quality, but in times of crisis some people have a clarity of focus. They just put one foot in front of the other and do the right thing. Action is of the essence, you cant just wring your hands. A female adviser in Downing Street has told me that she has noticed women naturally assuming pastoral roles during the pandemic. Women have tended to be those who check in on colleagues and notice who needs a sympathetic word. In sum, it is women who show the human touch. This happened despite the fact that the crisis began with politics and logistics at the core. It was a sign of things to come when the first batches of PPE arrived that they were designed for men and did not fit female health workers. Above all, the heroines of the pandemic share a common trait of being uninterested in political glory. Bingham was irritated by claims that she got the job of head of the UK Vaccine Taskforce only because her husband is a Government Minister. In fact, she has a First in biochemistry from Oxford, worked with a US biotech firm while studying for an MBA at Harvard Business School and then built from scratch a venture capital group that managed funds worth 730 million. In her vaccine job, she worked flat out for the year with no financial reward. Furthermore, Bingham, Gilbert and Clarke all cavil at the idea of being seen as heroines. Clarke says she would be mortified at being described as one because she is simply doing the same as all her NHS colleagues. Bingham said it was the combined strengths of the whole vaccine-deployment team that made it so successful. Gilbert said there would be no vaccine without collaboration. In the manner of heroines of the Second World War, there is something noble about the self-effacement of these women. This has been a time for usefulness rather than showboating. Discreetly, too, the work of two other women has stood out. Her mother having been a visible symbol of constancy during the Blitz, the Queen has read the national mood. The other trouper royal has been the Duchess of Cambridge. No showy Hollywood gestures from her about how much she cared. She has calmly shared experiences with the public on Zoom and home-schooled her children. Dr Yvonne Doyle, Director of Health Protection for Public Health England, describes what she sees as the key qualities of those tackling the pandemic: resilience and compassion. She says in her soft Dublin accent: We have had to keep going in the face of uncertainty. Sometimes women think they cant be the ones to lead for this is, indeed, like a war but they can. It requires a deep self-belief and compassion. The worst of times; the best of women. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville stood by his story that he informed then-President Trump that then-Vice President Mike Pence was being escorted out of the Capitol as rioters stormed the building on Jan. 6 after one of Trumps impeachment lawyers Friday characterized the phone call as hearsay. The phone conversation between Tuberville and Trump has become a key part of the timeline of the former presidents behavior during the riot as senators continued to hold the Trumps impeachment trial on Friday. House managers claimed the Tuberville-Trump phone call began around 2 p.m. Jan. 6 and that Trump tweeted 24 minutes later that Pence did not have the courage to delay certification of the 2020 election. Pence was evacuated around 2:15 p.m., and Tuberville said he relayed that development to the president. The House managers, serving as the prosecutors in Trumps Senate trial, said the former presidents phone call with Tuberville and subsequent tweet showed that he did not try to stop the violent mob despite knowing how dire the situation was for his vice president. But Michael van der Veen, one of Trumps attorneys, dismissed the phone call, which Tuberville confirmed to Politico late Wednesday, as hearsay despite one of the participants of the call vouching that it had occurred. I dispute the premise of your facts, I dispute the facts that are laid out in that question, and unfortunately were not going to know the answer to those facts in these proceedings because the House did nothing to investigate what went on on Jan. 6, van der Veen said in response to a question from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., about whether Trump was tolerant of the intimidation against Pence. Were trying to get hearsay from Mr. Tuberville. Tuberville told Manu Raju of CNN that he stood by his version of events, although he said he was not sure exactly when the phone call took place. Sen. Tuberville just told me he stands by his account that he told Trump that Pence had been evacuated. He said a few things I said: Mr President, they've taken the vice president out. They want me to get off the phone, I gotta go. He said he doesnt recall the time. Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 12, 2021 Meanwhile, Rep. Jamie Gaskin, D-Md., one of the house managers, said van der Veen should have had Trump testify at the trial instead of blaming Democrats for not having all the facts. Rather than yelling at us and screaming about how we didnt have time to get all of the facts about what your client did, Raskin said, bring your client up here and testify under oath about why he was sending out tweets denouncing the vice president of the United States while the vice president was being hunted down by a mob that wanted to hang him and was chanting in this building, hang mike pence! hang mike pence! traitor! traitor! traitor! The Kwara State government says 56,924 persons have applied for employment as teachers in its ongoing recruitment exercise. According to the spokesperson of the education ministry, Yakub Aliagan, the government intends to recruit only 4,701 teachers. While announcing that over 21,000 of the applicants have been screened out, Mr Aliagan disclosed the date for the Computer Based Tests to be taken by others. While a total of 22,953 applied for the Teaching Service Commission vacancies, 33,971 put in for the State Universal Basic Education jobs. The government plans to recruit a total of 4,701 teachers for the two categories, the statement read. Of the 56,924 total applicants, 35,709 have/are been/being invited for the examination after thorough online verification. This examination will be the Computer Based Test (CBT). The remaining 21,215 applicants were not shortlisted for examination either for incomplete applications, incomplete results (not having credit passes in 5 subjects including English and Mathematics), or they applied for subject areas not advertised. All applicants are advised to visit the portals to know their status from tomorrow Friday 12th February 2021. The examination for applicants has been scheduled for between Monday 22 February, 2021 and Thursday 25 February, 2021. Those who succeed in the examination are to have their interviews between March 8 and March 20, 2021. Each applicant will get a text message to know the specifics of their examination and interview. The government urges all applicants to constantly visit the portals for updates on the process. Applicants invited for the examination are to print their examination slips which will contain their passport photograph, registration number, local government, barcode and other details for biometric exercise that will admit them into the examination hall. The CBT examination will take place in Sixteen (16) JAMB Accredited Centres across the three senatorial districts of the state. The CBT centres are spread across four examination towns: Ilorin, Lafiagi, Offa, and Malete. Background The recruitment process is part of efforts to replace over 2,000 teachers sacked by the state government last December. The affected teachers, 2, 414 of them, were employed in the last weeks of the administration of former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in 2019. The state Ministry of Education said the Sunset teachers were laid off because their employment contravened due process and advised those qualified among them to reapply during the new recruitment exercise. The decision to lay them off was criticised by labour leaders and opposition politicians. This newspaper also reported how some of the teachers stormed the governors office in Ilorin on Thursday to protest the recruitment of new teachers to fill their positions. One of the protesters, Abubakar Salahudeen, said the new recruitment exercise was needless. The population of the people in Kwara State is not 1000. It is not 2000. The number of those that have registered for the recruitment is over 80, 000. Now, tell me what is the assurance that we sunset teachers, that 90 per cent of us is going to be re-engaged? ADVERTISEMENT Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. They had suffered three years of disease and death. They would not tolerate a fourth year. They simply had to do something about it. A fever spread through Harrisburg in the fall of 1792. It struck again the following year, more severe and deadly. Alexander Graydon, Dauphin Countys prothonotary at the time, described the symptoms in his memoirs: nausea, violent retching, yellow skin, black vomit, illness lasting a week or longer, with some people dying in two or three days. At the same time in 1793, a yellow fever epidemic plagued Philadelphia, raising fears among other towns in Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg, that the disease would spread, Graydon wrote. In his Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania, historian Sherman Day wrote that Harrisburg established a patrol to prevent infected people from Philadelphia from entering town. Harrisburg had faced other diseases before the 1790s and many since, including the current pandemic. But none has been as perplexing as that which struck at the end of the 18th century. And as we will see, while some have generated controversy akin to that associated with COVID-19, none produced the level of civil unrest that morphed into vigilantism as Harrisburg experienced in 1795. The exact type of that disease in Harrisburg, however, was a mystery. As for the perceived cause? A culprit, or scapegoat, emerged: a mill dam east of todays intersection of Front and Paxton streets. The dam turned the sluggish Paxton Creek into a pond spread over several acres, Graydon wrote. Residents believed miasma noxious air from decaying matter from the stagnant creek caused the fever. Miasma theory was a popular explanation for disease until it was replaced by germ theory after 1880. As infections continued in 1794, residents decided it was time to act. Offers refused Residents appointed a committee to propose buying the mill from property owners Peter and Abraham Landis. Most of the 2,500 pounds would be raised by subscriptions from inhabitants, according to William Henry Egle in his History of the Counties of Dauphin and Lebanon. But the Landises refused to sell. In early 1795, residents increased the offer to 2,600 pounds and added a threat: If the Landises again refused, residents would destroy the dam. But the owners rejected the offer, demanding more than 4,112 pounds. This outraged lawyer Galbraith Patterson. Writing in the Oracle of Dauphin newspaper, Patterson accused the mill-dam owners of gouging desperate residents in a health crisis. Pattersons concerns werent limited to the fevers physical effects. The disease was also bad for business. Harrisburg was prospering before the dam was built, Patterson wrote: (E)very industrious man had materially bettered his situation during the health of the place. Patterson also accused the Landises of hiring workers who did not contribute to the subscription to buy the mill. The residents had acted patiently and fairly, according to Patterson. If the owners stuck to their unreasonable demands, then, he wrote in all caps, residents must TEAR DOWN THE MILL-DAM!! Dam destroyed So they did. In April, the committee and a number of residents headed for the dam. The committee hired four people to dig a 12-foot-wide hole in the dam, according to Egle. According to Day, the owners, with several armed employees, watched the destruction of the dam. The Landises threatened to sue, but they ultimately took the money that the committee had offered them. With the dam destroyed, it is now hoped that, under the blessing of Divine Providence, this once flourishing place may be restored to its former state of healthiness and prosperity, the Oracle of Dauphin said. Those who didnt contribute money to the effort to buy the Landises property ended up paying a different kind of price. They couldnt find employment in Harrisburg, Day wrote, so they left. What was the mystery disease? Unfortunately, an account from the Landises perspective doesnt seem to exist. Its unclear whether their dam caused the fever or even what the disease actually was. In a 2011 article in the journal Pennsylvania History, Suzanne M. Shultz and Arthur E. Crist Jr. of York Hospital concluded that the malady Graydon described was probably yellow fever because of the symptoms and the time of year in which it occurred. They added, though, that malaria shouldnt be ruled out. Yellow fever and malaria are spread through mosquito bites, not noxious air. The subsequent repossession of the land and destruction of the dam was one of those happy circumstances where the right action was undertaken for the wrong reason, they wrote. Joe McClure is a news editor for The Patriot-News. Follow him on Twitter: @jmcclure59. More from Joe McClure: Prescription for tuberculosis a century ago? A shot of Harrisburgs fresh air Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 took a deadly toll on central Pennsylvania A 32-year-old south Alabama man has been arrested on child sex charges. The Dale County Sheriffs Office on Friday announced felony warrants against Joseph Edward Cross. The Skipperville man is charged with two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of sex abuse of a child under the age of 12, said Chief Deputy Mason Bynum. All of the charges so far pertain to one victim. Authorities said they arent releasing details of the alleged crimes because of the age of the victims, but Bynum said the abuse took place over a period of several years. He said they do anticipate additional charges. Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow and Orange weather warnings for wind as storm-force winds are set to strike Ireland on Sunday. A Status Orange wind warning for Donegal, Galway and Mayo has will see mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h with severe gusts in excess of 110km/h in the west. Where winds are onshore, there is a risk of coastal flooding. It is valid from 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday to February 14. A Status Yellow warning will apply to Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford. Very windy with southerly winds reaching mean speeds of 50 to 65km/h and gusts of 90 to 110km/h will hit these counties. Onshore could cause coastal flooding at high tide. The warning is valid from 5 am to 5 pm on Sunday. The forecaster has also issued a Status Yellow warning for Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon and Tipperary. Met Eireann says it will be very windy with southerly winds reaching mean speeds of 50 to 60km/h and gusts of 80 to 90km/h. The warning is valid from 6 am to 4 pm on Sunday. On the forecast front, Met Eireann says Sunday will be mild alongside the strong to gale force and gusty southerly winds The rain will be heavy at times with a risk of flooding, especially across southern counties, but drier and brighter conditions will start to extend from the west by the afternoon. Winds will moderate later in the day. Highs of 10 to 13 degrees. The national weather outlook says it will be a lot less cold but it is expected to be unsettled and wet with breezy spells. MORE BELOW TWEET. A lot less cold with some mild days and nights ahead. Unsettled though with wet and breezy spells. Here is our 10 day Atlantic Chart, showing the pressure and precipitation forecast in 6 hours intervals. https://t.co/9Giuj4CR5m https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/gDpMD8154K Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 13, 2021 Met Eireann NATIONAL FORECAST issued at 7.54 pm on February 13. MONDAY: Scattered outbreaks of early morning rain will give way to largely dry conditions with sunny spells. Some showery rain will persist though across southern counties. Later in the evening a spell of rain will move into the western half of Ireland. Mild with highest temperatures of 11 to 13 degrees Celsius, in moderate occasionally fresh south to southeast breezes. Wet and breezy conditions will extend countrywide by midnight with showery conditions following later - most of these across Atlantic counties. Frost-free with lowest temperatures of 6 to 8 degrees Celsius, in moderate to fresh southerly winds. TUESDAY: A breezy day with scattered outbreaks of showery rain (heaviest in the west and northwest), though drying up for a time into the afternoon with some bright or sunny spells breaking through. Highest temperatures of 9 to 11 degrees Celsius, in mostly moderate southwest breezes. Wet and breezy weather following overnight, in freshening southerly winds. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees Celsius. WEDNESDAY: Breezy with showery outbreaks of rain, again heaviest in the west and northwest. Highest temperatures will typically come in at 8 or 9 degrees Celsius, in moderate to fresh south to southwest winds. Matt Hancock has suggested that the UK will be dealing with coronavirus long term after revealing how he hopes vaccines and other treatments will mean we can 'live with' the virus like the flu. The Health Secretary's comments suggest that the government does not believe it can eradicate the virus completely, with it instead becoming a regular part of life. Mr Hancock also revealed that he was confident the UK could offer the vaccine to all adults by September. It comes as it was revealed that the NHS is on course to reach its target of vaccinating 15million Britons tomorrow. In a major step forward in the battle against coronavirus, 14,012,224 first doses of the Pfizer and Oxford jabs have been administered. The total includes more than 500,000 from Thursday, meaning the 15million target should be hit today 48 hours ahead of schedule. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has revealed the UK will learn to 'live with' coronavirus like the flu Speaking in an interview with the Telegraph, Mr Hancock said new drugs designed to tackle the virus should arrive this year. This means that, combined with the vaccine rollout, Covid should become a 'treatable disease'. On Saturday the government will announce that the world's most innovative Covid treatments will be fast-tracked through the UK's clinical trial system. It would add to the treatments available to NHS patients in months rather than years. Britain has already approved dexamethasone and tocilizumab to help battle against the virus. And Mr Hancock added: 'I hope that Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year. 'If Covid-19 ends up like flu, so we live our normal lives and we mitigate through vaccines and treatments, then we can get on with everything again. 'I'm confident we can offer the vaccine to all adults by September' He also shared his optimism about the vaccine rollout helping to beat the virus and raise summer holiday hopes. However, he declined to reveal or suggest when the lockdown could be lifted, while warning that it might take until 2024 for the nation to recover economically. The Health Secretary also said he 'loves' his job and hopes to retain it if a rumoured Cabinet shuffle goes ahead in the summer. Covid cases and deaths are continuing to plummet across Britain, official data revealed yesterday as Number 10's top scientists claimed the R rate has fallen below the crucial level of one for the first time since July and admitted they believe this could be the final lockdown. Department of Health bosses declared another 15,144 cases, down 21 per cent in a week. It means 4million Britons have tested positive since the pandemic began but the true toll is millions more. Another 758 fatalities were also added to the official toll, with the figure having fallen by a quarter on last Friday. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. California and other states urged a federal appeals court Friday to allow women to obtain abortion pills from their doctors by telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging the Trump administrations rules that required them to pick up the drug in person rules left unchanged so far by the Biden administration. Telehealth, including ordering medication by phone or video and receiving it by mail or courier, has proven to be a safe and effective method for the delivery of healthcare including essential reproductive care during the current public health crisis, California and 22 other states said in a filing with the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. Requiring in-person pickup, the states said, will force patients to engage in unnecessary travel and in-person contacts to access essential reproductive care, risking their exposure to and spread of COVID-19 and thwarting (states) efforts to manage the crisis. Under President Donald Trump, the Food and Drug Administration allowed some prescribed drugs to be obtained by telemedicine during the pandemic but refused to do so for mifepristone, a pill that, in combination with a drug taken later, causes abortion during the first nine weeks of pregnancy. According to studies, it is used in nearly 40% of all abortions in the United States. In a lawsuit by medical groups led by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang of Maryland issued an injunction in July allowing the pill to be obtained remotely. Rejecting the FDAs argument that in-person prescriptions were essential for patient counseling, Chuang said the FDAs rules were a substantial obstacle to the right to abortion and could endanger womens health. But on Jan. 12, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump administrations request to stay Chuangs order and leave the FDAs rules in place while the case proceeds in court. The 6-3 majority vote included a statement by Chief Justice John Roberts that courts should defer to politically accountable entities like the FDA in public health disputes. There was also a dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor that urged the incoming Biden administration to change course. One can only hope that the government will reconsider and exhibit greater care and empathy for women seeking some measure of control over their health and reproductive lives in these unsettling times, said Sotomayor, joined by Justice Elena Kagan. While President Biden has promised to support abortion rights, his administration has not yet withdrawn the previous FDAs rules on medication abortions or changed position in the pending court case. Biden has nominated California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to head the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA. Becerra has not been confirmed yet. The FDA did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko KYODO NEWS - Feb 14, 2021 - 03:47 | All, disasteralert, Japan TOKYO - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 struck off Japan's northeastern region late Saturday, injuring more than 50 people and causing widespread blackouts, but there are no tsunami threats or abnormalities at nuclear plants. The quake occurred at 11:07 p.m. with the focus about 55 kilometers below the sea surface off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The temblor was also felt in Tokyo. It registered upper 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, which were devastated by a catastrophic quake and tsunami nearly 10 years ago that subsequently triggered nuclear meltdowns. Related coverage: IN PHOTOS: Damage from major earthquake in northeastern Japan The agency said the quake is the strongest to happen off the country's northeastern coast since April 7, 2011, and believed to be an aftershock of the massive one that occurred on March 11 of that year. Following the latest quake, the Japanese government set up a task force and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga headed into his office around 11:28 p.m. Suga told reporters in the early hours of Sunday no major casualties have been reported, adding that Cabinet members will hold a meeting at 9 a.m. to be briefed on the newest information. Following the latest quake, the Japanese government set up a task force and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga headed into his office around 11:28 p.m. Suga told reporters in the early hours of Sunday no major casualties have been reported, adding that Cabinet members will hold a meeting at 9 a.m. to be briefed on the newest information. Top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato warned that quakes of upper 6 on the seismic intensity scale could happen over the next seven days or so. Several cases of fire were reported in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, local authorities said. Kato told a press conference that at one point some 950,000 homes were without electricity, as some thermal power plants went offline. As of 11:30 p.m. the blackout had affected 860,000 homes under the area covered by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. and 90,000 homes under Tohoku Electric Power Co., according to the chief Cabinet secretary. Suga instructed officials to quickly survey the damage from the quake, conduct rescue efforts where necessary, and to relay information to the public in a timely manner. Horizontal shaking lasted for a few minutes inside a traditional Japanese inn in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, with plates for food scattered in its dining room. "The initial jolt felt more powerful than the one I experienced in the Great East Japan Earthquake (in 2011)," said 68-year-old Tomoko Kobayashi, who works at the inn. "I wondered if it would end." Many residents fled to higher ground for safety in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, fearing that a tsunami may come. "Even if people say we don't need to worry about a tsunami, I won't buy it," said a 50-year-old male worker. "I learned from my bitter experience 10 years ago and that's why I evacuated." No irregularities have been found at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants, according to Tokyo Electric Power. The situation is the same at Japan Atomic Power Co.'s inactive Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in the village of Tokai in Ibaraki Prefecture and Tohoku Electric Power's Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture, according to their operators. Some expressways in the northeastern region were partially closed and shinkansen bullet train services were canceled. A resident of Shiogama in Miyagi Prefecture, 76-year-old Mariko Yoshida, said the quake hit just after she went to bed. "I'm scared of aftershocks," she said, adding, "I live by myself and what am I supposed to do?" Related coverage: M7.3 Fukushima quake likely aftershock of 2011 killer quake: expert Ex-Tokyo fire chief recalls tense days of Fukushima disaster response FEATURE: Car submerged by massive 2011 tsunami nurturing new lives Visakhapatnam: AP health minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani) and tourism minister Muttamsetti Srinvasa Rao called on the survivors of Fridays mishap at the Araku Ghat road at the King George Hospital along with collector V Vinay Chand and assured them of all the help and good medical treatment. Later, the health minister held a review meeting with district health officials and superintendent of King George Hospital Dr P. Mythili. The superintendent told the minister that 23 persons injured in the accident were undergoing treatment and five of them had serious injuries. Dr Mythili said two patients needed urgent surgery for head injuries, one of them identified as Chandrakala. The minister also announced a committee headed by collector Vinay Chand to study the condition of the ghat roads in the Visakhapatnam Agency area. The minister told the doctors that the survivors they were guests from Hyderabad and needed the best of treatment. He suggested the officials provide good facilities for the stay of relatives of the survivors who came from Hyderabad. Minister Srinivasa Rao asked the officials to extend all facilities and send the survivors to Hyderabad after complete recovery. Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) had already approved three other Corornavirus vaccines for use in Pakistan, China's Sinopharm, Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine and Russia's Sputnik-V. Recently, China has given approval to the CanSinoBio coronavirus vaccine, making it the second Chinese vaccine to receive approval by the CCP. The Pakistani Health Minister Faisal Sultan reported yesterday i.e. February 12 reported that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has also given its approval for the vaccine. The Chinese developed Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine, having been tested for effectiveness and safety, had also been approved by Pakistan in January for emergency use. Pakistan just recently begun its vaccination programme on February 3, having received vaccines free of cost from China. Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) had already approved three other Corornavirus vaccines for use in Pakistan, Chinas Sinopharm, Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine and Russias Sputnik-V. Also read: Atmanirbhar Bharat: ISRO and MapmyIndia partner to bring India made alternative to Google Maps Also read: China tightens grip on Myanmar, might debt trap as it sees Myanmar as a land bridge to Indian Ocean Although Covid-19 vaccines from Chinese developers have shown lower protection rates than some Western ones, and no detailed study results are publicly available yet, they have already been approved in several developing countries battling a surge in coronavirus infections. Also read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch Press Release February 12, 2021 De Lima in good spirits during general medical exam Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima underwent a routine general medical examination at the Manila Doctors Hospital where she was confined for roughly 24 hours, from Feb. 11 to Feb. 12, to finish several tests recommended by her physician. De Lima, with positive spirit and undaunted resolve, entered and left the hospital premises wearing her Personal Protective Equipment, face mask and face shield in the morning of Feb. 11 and 12, respectively. De Lima finished several tests including CT-Scan of the whole abdomen, digital mammography and colonoscopy, among others. In an effort to show their support and love for her, De Lima's supporters, including Nanette Castillo and Wilfredo Villanueva, flocked near the hospital to wait for her arrival in the morning of Feb. 11. The Stand Up for Rosary Group, led by Villanueva, prayed the Rosary as the police caravan bearing the lady Senator rolled into the hospital's gated driveway. One of its members likewise waved a Philippine flag upon her arrival. "We stand up for Senator Leila. We continue to pray novenas and the rosary for her nightly in live broadcast in social media. God's intervention and our unwavering faith will free her," said Villanueva, the servant-leader of the group. Castillo, a mother of a drug war victim, said she will continue to condemn the political persecution of De Lima, who will be marking her fourth year in detention on Feb. 24. "Taos-puso akong sumusuporta at naniniwala kay Sen. Leila. Wala siyang kasalanan at puro peke ang mga kasong ibinibintang sa kanya. Pawang panggigipit lamang ng gobyernong ito," Castillo said. "At bilang Ina na tulad ni Sen. Leila ay ramdam ko ang kanyang sakripisyo at pangungulila na mawalay sa kanyang mga anak at pamilya ng halos 4 na taon na nang dahil sa kawalang katarungan ng gobyerno ni Duterte," she added. In her Very Urgent Medical Furlough filed by her lawyers before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branches 205 and 256 last Feb. 1, it was stated that De Lima should undergo a general medical examination "to ensure that every aspect of her health is well" and to guarantee that "she does not suffer any illness," especially so that she is already in her senior years. Upon her doctor's advice, De Lima said she pondered on filing what she called an "overdue Medical Furlough" as early as Aug. 2020, and then in November of the same year, but kept on deferring it because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is Julie Havlak Carolina Journal is taking a brief look at each new member of the General Assembly 10 in the Senate and 11 in the House. We look at where they've been, what they're doing now, and what we might expect them to do as lawmakers.The 2021-22 session began in late January. Expect COVID-19 and the ongoing fallout from the pandemic to be top priorities for lawmakers, who are crafting a new budget for the biennium. They'll also draw new legislative and congressional maps for the next decade based on fresh census data. Each legislator, too, has their own priorities.Today, we look at the N.C. Senate:Ernestine (Byrd) Bazemore, a Democrat from rural eastern North Carolina, worked for 28 years in the Bertie County School System, her campaign website says. She was elected to the county's Board of Commissioners in 2014 and became board chairman four years later. She got 52% of the vote against Thomas Hester Jr., a Vance County commissioner.Bazemore in August did an interview with WIZS in Henderson. She made her priorities clear and offered insights into how she'll serve:she told the station.Bazemore doesn't appear especially active on social media, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. She raised about $20,000 for her campaign, according to Ballotpedia, but spent about just $500. A good chunk of the money, $5,400, came from the National Democratic Redistricting PAC, which, the 2019-20 election cycle, its website says, "targeted "13 ... including 3 gubernatorial races, 17 state legislative chambers, and one down-ballot race. She'll serve on the Senate's Pensions and State, Appropriations on General Government, and Local Government committees.Republican Michael A. Lazzara, who was born in Palermo, Sicily, is a Marine Corps vet who served at Camp Lejeune. A restaurant owner, he was elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 2005 and served as the Mayor Pro Tem. Lazarro donated more than $24,000 to his own campaign, which raised close to $75,000. He beat Democrat Ike Johnson in a landslide Nov. 3. Lazarra represents Onslow County, home to Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River. The military is a priority for him.Lazzara, who replaces longtime Republican Sen. Harry Brown, bills himself on his website as a "conservative Republican." He boasts support of agriculture, the military, and schools, among other priorities, such as economic development. N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, has appointed him to the following legislative committees: Appropriations on General Government, State and Local Government, Education, and Judiciary.It's clear Lazarra is staunchly conservative and is likely to side with Republicans on key issues and votes. In response to a question What is your favorite book? Why? in a Ballotpedia candidate survey, Lazarra, who chose The Nails by Max Lucado, said this:Republican Michael Lee, a lawyer, returns to the General Assembly for a third time after losing re-election in 2018. Lee was first elected in 2014, but lost by just 231 votes to Democrat Harper Peterson in 2018. Buoyed by a campaign chest close to $1 million, and strong backing from the N.C. Senate Majority Fund some $450,000 Lee returned the favor to Peterson, beating him by about 1,200 votes. He represents coastal New Hanover County, which includes the city of Wilmington and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.Lee will co-chair the General Assembly's Education/Higher Education and also serve on the base budget committee, as well as Finance, Health Care, and Judiciary. He is a proponent of tax relief and balanced budgets and in 2018 co-sponsored the Hurricane Florence Act after Hurricane Matthew, which began as a Category 5 storm struck the Carolinas in October 2016. Matthew caused nearly $5 billion in damage and decimated communities throughout North Carolina.Expect Lee to vote mostly along conservative lines, although he will veer toward the left in supporting state money for film tax grants. During his previous tenure in the General Assembly Lee was a champion for school choice, recodification of the state's criminal code, restrained spending, and limited taxation.Republican Lisa Stones Barnes was first elected to the General Assembly in 2018, when she won a seat in N.C. House District 7, which encompasses an area about 50 miles northeast of Raleigh. Barnes, who has served on numerous boards in and around Nash County, soundly beat Democrat Allen Wellons in the right-leaning district. The seat in the rural eastern North Carolina district came open when Republican Rick Horner decided against seeking re-election. Wellons previously served in the Senate beginning in the late 1990s. She's big on issues related to agriculture and is married to a long-time sweet potato farmer. She served on the Agriculture Committee in the House.Barnes will vote along conservative lines and lists education, health care, the economy, and dealing with the pandemic as key issues. She'll also serve on the Agriculture Committee in the Senate, in addition to Education/Higher Education, Appropriations on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources, and Health Care. Barnes is strong on issues such as separation of powers, including holding the governor in check, and active on social media, applauding a decision in December confirming the legislature as North Carolina's constitutional authority on policy issues and distribution of money.she posted.Barnes is endorsed by the NRA, and says on her website she has a concealed-carry permit and encourages responsible gun ownership. She'll remain a strong advocate of the Second Amendment, as well as agriculture, which is North Carolina's No. 1 industry, contributing $92.7 billion to the state's economy. North Carolina, the state agriculture department says, is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the country; accounting for about 54% of those grown in the U.S. She gained the endorsement of N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.Sydney Batch, a Wake County Democrat, in January was chosen by Wake County democrats and confirmed by the governor to fill a seat in the N.C. Senate. The seat came open when Sam Searcy resigned. Batch, elected to the N.C. House in 2018, in November lost her seat to Republican Erin Pare, who got 50% of the vote to Batch's 47%. Searcy had won a second term to the Senate in District 17, defeating Republican Mark Cavaliero. In the House, Batch was a primary sponsor of a bill to expand Medicaid , a move Republicans have consistently resisted but Gov. Roy Cooper will continue to push.Batch, in her latest run for office, got endorsements from several unions and other left-leaning groups, such as Democracy for America and the Sierra Club. She'll likely side with Democrats on most issues, including those supporting more money for public schools and environmental regulations. In May, Batch was a primary sponsor of a bill limiting toxins in drinking water.she says on her website.Batch is a proponent of the Second Amendment and, she says on her website,A lawyer, Batch says she will support small businesses, particularly as that relates to loans and other money distributed through COVID-19 relief. However, Batch as a member of the state House, voted four times against safely reopening gyms, while also sending a campaign piece touting her support of small businesses. On the mailer, she's seen apparently standing in a gym. This didn't get past gym owners, who blasted Batch on social media.Democrat Sarah Crawford earned a seat in the General Assembly after she failed to get in 2014, when she lost to Republican incumbent Sen. Chad Barefoot by about 6% of the vote. In November, she handily beat Republican Larry Norman for a seat in the district, which spans Franklin and Wake Counties. Crawford has worked with several nonprofits, and she was recently named CEO of Tammy Lynn Center, which offers community-based programs that help children and families. Education will be a key issue for Crawford, whose mother, she says, was a teacher.Expect Crawford, who leans left on many issues, to often side with Democrats, including on things such as raising teacher pay, expanding Medicaid, and "clean energy" initiatives. In an interview with Indy Week in October, Crawford spoke in favor ofShe told the newspaper she supports raising the minimum wage and raising the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard percentage to 70% renewable energy by 2030. She serves on the board of directors at Safe Space in Louisburg, working to reduce relationship violence and sexual assault in Franklin County, her campaign website says.Crawford, who will serve on the Health Care committee, may break with Democrats on some issues, however, including redistricting and gun laws. Crawford told IW she supports the creation of a non-partisan commission to determine state and congressional lines, an idea that came before lawmakers last year but failed to gain traction.She said she's a gun owner and competitive shooter, andRepublican Amy S. Galey represents Alamance County, situated between Greensboro and the Triangle. She won with about 52% of the vote against Democrat J.D. Wooten in an election tainted with controversy and an ethics complaint over where Wooten actually lived. Wooten filed a defamation lawsuit against Galey over campaign ads. Galey, a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and NRA member, her website says, had served on the Alamance County Board of Commissioners, becoming chair in 2017. Of the about $1.3 million in campaign funds raised, according to Ballotpedia, more than $1 million came from the N.C. Senate Majority Fund.Galey will serve on several Senate committees, including Education/Higher Education, Judiciary, State and Local Government, and Appropriations on Justice, and Public Safety. Galey, a lawyer, will support Republicans on most key issues, some of which she lists on her website, including the Second Amendment, jobs and recovery, agriculture, and education. She may veer from the party line on education, however, as she pushed to increase funding for Alamance schools and supported a school bond referendum in 2018 and for increasing teacher pay. She supports reforms to clarify the governor's authority under the Emergency Management Act and has filed a bill to tighten up the law around collusive lawsuits.Galey replaces longtime Alamance senator Rick Gunn, a staunch proponent of state alcohol reform and author of several bills that aimed to loosen stringent and archaic rules on liquor maintained for decades by a state-run monopoly. It's not clear how Galey will vote should similar legislation come up, though as a commissioner in 2017 she voted in favor of the so-called "Brunch Bill," which would allow bars and restaurants to begin serving cocktails at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The move in Alamance failed at the time. She told the Times News,Galey said.Republican Steve Jarvis, with some 74% of the vote, breezed to victory Nov. 3 against Democrat Duskin Lassiter. Jarvis raised about $133,000 for his campaign, including $80,000 of his own money. Jarvis served a term in the N.C. House before running for Senate and served on the Davidson County Board of Commissioners. He was one of six state lawmakers who visited to White House in July to discuss deregulation with the president.Jarvis on his website lists regulatory reform as a key issue. Expect this to be a point of emphasis for Jarvis as he starts his Senate term. Critics of regulations in North Carolina say they overburden business and stunt economic growth.he says on his campaign website.Jarvis, who owns a construction company, was appointed to the Senate's committees on Agriculture, Energy, and Environment, Health Care, State and Local Government, and Appropriations on Health and Human Services. Expect votes along conservative lines, including on issues in addition to regulatory reform regarding lower taxes, job growth, and education. Jarvis told WXII in an interview in March that he supports gun owners and, in the House, sponsored a bill to help school children with epilepsy.Democrat DeAndrea Salvador, along with Sen. Sarah Crawford, turned their large districts blue. (D-Mecklenburg), both operate non-profit organizations. Dan Bishop, a Republican, had held the District 39 seat before being elected to Congress. Salvador, her website says, founded RETI Renewable Energy Transition Initiative a nonprofit focused on helping families sustainably reduce energy costs using smart technology, solar energy, efficiency, and education. She also serves on the boards of Clean Air Carolina and Youth Empowered Solutions, the site says. She served, too, on the Mecklenburg County Air Quality Commission.She'll serve on the Senate's Agriculture, Energy, and Environment; and Appropriations on Agriculture Environment, and Natural Resources committees. She becomes the youngest black woman to serve in the N.C. Senate and the youngest senator in the upcoming biennium, The Charlotte Weekly reported.she told the newspaper.Salvador says on her website she'll work to rebuild the economy, including a push to raise the minimum wage, an idea Republicans oppose and Democrats embrace. She also lists advancing "sustainable" infrastructure projects and transportation initiatives; investing in education, to include vocational training and college prep; and increasing access to health care. That includes support for expanding Medicaid, which is high on the governor's agenda, so much so that he vetoed the latest budget because it wasn't included. She'll likely vote for Democratic priorities, and her endorsements included Planned Parenthood, and the N.C. Association of Educators.Democrat Julie Mayfield, an Atlanta native and "proven progressive," says her campaign website, soundly defeated her Republican challenger, Bob Penland 63% to 37% in November. It's not surprising, considering her decidedly liberal district that includes Asheville, where she served on the City Council. The website mountaintrue lists her as its co-director, and she started with the nonprofit in 2018. The group, its site says,Gov. Beverly Perdue, the site says, in 2011 appointed Mayfield to the Mountain Resources Commission, which dissolved in 2013.Mayfield on her Facebook page wrote this about the mask mandate, saying the Republican leadership isn't adhering to a rule from the governor that masks be worn in legislative buildings.Mayfield will serve on the committees for State and Local Government; Transportation; and Appropriations on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources.Mayfield supports the Green New Deal and, on her website, says sheShe wants to expand Medicaid, and expect Mayfield to side with Democrats on most "progressive" priorities. She received endorsement, for example, from the Sierra Club, Equality N.C., and several labor unions, including the N.C. Association of Educators.Republican Kevin Corbin got almost 67% of the vote in beating Democrat challenger Victoria Fox in November. He's a familiar face, having served two terms in the N.C. House, beginning with the 2016 election. He served four years on the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees and is a past Chairman of the Macon County School Board, his campaign website says. He served six years on the Macon County Board of Commissioners, elected chairman his final four years on the board. He sponsored a slew of bills in this past legislative session, including a move to expedite occupational licenses for military spouses.Corbin lists individual liberty as a core issue, saying on his website:He's fiscally conservative, running along N.C. Republican party lines. He'll serve on the Senate's committees for Commerce and Insurance, Education/Higher Education, and Appropriations on Education. Corbins owns two insurance agencies, the Corbin Agency is in Franklin and the Blue Ridge Insurance Group is in Seneca, South Carolina, his campaign website says. He's also a founding member of the gospel group Blue Ridge.Corbin, a native of Macon County in the western mountains, will continue to be a strong advocate for the western part of the state, including Western Carolina University. He says, according to his website, that he'll work to help residents there on issues such as broadband expansion and school safety. A primary focus, for Corbin and all lawmakers, really, is helping the state recover from the pandemic. Local newspaper The Franklin Press wrote of Corbin: Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 15:52:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DALIAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's CRRC Dalian Co., Ltd. has exported a batch of locomotives to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for local railway projects, the company said. The internal combustion locomotives have been built based on the company's existing models and adjusted to adapt to the local environment with its high heat, strong winds and sandy air, the company noted. Optimizations were made to increase the heat dissipation capacity of the microcomputer and the air filter, air conditioning and air cooling systems as well as other components to ensure normal operations at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. The company has also sent a professional maintenance and support team to the UAE for the locomotive's field tests and further usage. CRRC Dalian is an affiliated company under China's top train manufacturer CRRC Corporation. It develops, produces and exports diesel and electric locomotives as well as urban rail cars. Enditem Former President Donald Trump's defense team used just a few of the 16 hours they were allotted to make their case for his acquittal on Friday, and encouraged senators to use the rest of the time on Covid relief. It was simple and it was quick. Here's what they argued: The political speech defense. Their basic thrust was that Trump was totally misconstrued. He didn't mean tell his supporters to literally go "fight" on Capitol Hill before they turned into a riotous mob that sacked the Senate. He meant they should be fighters in the political sense of the word and find primary challengers to Republicans. (Don't think the Republican senators in the chamber didn't hear that word -- primary -- and shudder.) The free speech defense. They detailed the importance of freedom of expression and argued that Trump's words should be protected. They cited multiple court cases, including Brandenburg v. Ohio, to argue Trump did not meet the legal threshold of incitement, although this is not a legal proceeding. The Trump didn't have anything to do with the violence defense. They argued, like the Democrats, that the march was preplanned. But they argued it was preplanned as an attack and by criminals, not by Trump, citing evidence that a pipe bomb on Capitol Hill was planted before January 6. The they-do-it-too defense. The defense team focused in depth on Democratic senators in the chamber and representatives who argued the impeachment case, playing video of them using the word "fight" in political speech. But rioters didn't attack the Capitol after Democrats used the word. The political grudge defense. Trump's lawyers argued the Democrats weren't trying to protect the Constitution but to rob American voters of a choice in future elections. (This argument has always confused me since Trump, by rejecting the election results, has been trying to rob a larger number of Americans of their voices in opposing him.) The what-about-them defense. Without defending the rioters, the defense team argued the riot at the Capitol was not unlike violence that broke out after rallies for racial justice over the summer. Trump was forceful in rejecting that violence. The out-of-context defense. They played longer portions of Trump comments and speeches and argued that impeachment managers had mangled his words. This was a somewhat effective line until the defense team played video of Trump defending protesters in Charlottesville who wanted to keep a statue of Robert E. Lee. People died in that event too. They said he had amplified a tweet that the calvary -- a religious word -- was coming, not that the cavalry -- a military term -- was coming. Similarly, the defense efforts to distance Trump from the mob and focus on the moments where he halfheartedly asked them to be peaceful ignored the literal love and thanks he showed them as they were rampaging through the Capitol complex. They also tried to defend Trump's phone call with Georgia's Republican secretary of state, arguing that he hadn't been asking the official, Brad Raffensperger, to find votes, but rather to do more signature verification, which Trump believed would result in more votes for him. Constitutional cancel culture. Here's the defense in one passage from attorney Bruce Castor: This trial is about far more than President Trump. It is about silencing and banning the speech the majority does not agree with. It is about canceling 75 million Trump voters and criminalizing political viewpoints. That is what this trial is really about. It's the only existential issue before us. It asks for constitutional cancel culture to take over in the United States Senate. Are we going to allow canceling and banning and silencing to be sanctioned in this body? Will this defense work? Yes, in that Trump will likely be acquitted. "What they are looking for, so many of these Republican senators, most of them, I would even say, is a way out and a way to vote to acquit," said Dana Bash on CNN after the defense ended its case. But it may be a harder sell among a larger body of Americans expected to suspend common sense to agree with the Trump defenses. Read a fact check of the defense from CNN's Daniel Dale, Tara Subramaniam and Holmes Lybrand. Can one branch of government go to war with another? My editor Allison Hoffman had the single most important takeaway I've seen: The good news is, Trump and his lawyers have to throw the rioters under the bus to make his defense work. The bad news is, it's either with a wink, or it's license for these violent, subversive and anti-democratic elements to go even further, without Trump at the helm. They will just corrode the system -- in state capitols, on state and local election boards, on school boards. And in that sense it doesn't matter whether Trump is convicted or acquitted. This movement -- whatever you want to call the stew of Q and Proud Boys and Oath Keepers and others -- is now abroad everywhere in the country, and it needs to be met at every level up and down the government. Question time Ahead of schedule, senators moved straight to question time Friday night. They could ask questions, in writing, and they're usually more important as leading indicators of where different groups of senators are leaning. There were interesting questions from Sens. Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski -- Republicans who seem likely to vote to convict -- about when Trump knew the Capitol was in danger, what exactly he did to protect it, and whether he knew about the danger faced by Vice President Mike Pence. There were not good answers to those, since impeachment managers relied mostly on the public record to put forward their case. Trump's defense team has argued the lack of a thorough investigation is a problem with the case against the former President. Where is the wind blowing? Ask Nikki Haley. Keep an eye on Republicans who seem likely to run for president in 2024. Haley, a former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the UN, would top anyone's list. She gave a series of interviews to Politico that were published Friday and CNN's Chris Cillizza picked out these two most eye-opening quotes. First, about Trump: "We need to acknowledge he let us down. He went down a path he shouldn't have, and we shouldn't have followed him, and we shouldn't have listened to him. And we can't let that ever happen again." And this one about Trump's political future: "He's not going to run for federal office again. ... I don't think he's going to be in the picture. I don't think he can. He's fallen so far." Writes Cillizza: That this interview comes out just after the House impeachment managers concluded their case in the Senate impeachment trial -- laying out a damning presentation detailing Trump's long stoking of the resentment, victimhood and hate that bubbled over on January 6 -- seems like more than a coincidence. (My general rule is that there are no coincidences in politics at this level.) This is the moment where Trump is, arguably, as low as he has ever been politically. He's not out. But he's definitely down. And Haley is making her move to knock him out once and for all. (The student has become the master -- and all that.) Haley knows that, within the Republican Party Trump created, she is one of the very few who could deliver that sort of knockout blow. Contradictory hot take. I agree with Cillizza that this is Haley putting space between herself and Trump. I don't think she has the ability to do much more than ride the wave here, however. She's a good politician. But she does not lead a base movement of Republicans. Trump does. Houston Health Department re-opens COVID-19 vaccine waitlist for older adults The Houston Health Department re-opened its COVID-19 vaccine waitlist today for people age 65 and older, people age 60 and older with chronic health conditions, and people with disabilities. Those who qualify may call the departments Area Agency on Aging at 832-393-4301 to leave a voicemail with their name and phone number. Calls will be returned for screening and scheduling as supply is available. People only need to leave one message. The department paused adding people to the waitlist on January 29 after receiving approximately 70,000 calls. There are currently about 10,000 people on the list. An additional 9,000 first doses of vaccine arrived at the department on Friday and another 1,900 is anticipated early next week. Of the new allotment, 6,729 are for the departments Area Agency on Aging, 3,974 for providers in underserved communities, and 197 for previously scheduled appointments during the week of February 15, 2021. The departments vaccination sites are closed Monday and Tuesday due to inclement weather. People with appointments on those days will be contacted to reschedule. People can register for the HoustonRecovers subscription of AlertHouston to learn about new appointment opportunities through email, text message, voice call, or mobile app push notification. Second Doses The department will schedule 4,784 second doses next week by reaching out via text message and email with links to self-register. People with internet or technology challenges and those who dont receive a message should contact the COVID-19 call center 24 to 48 hours before Modernas recommended 28-day due date. If contact information changed since a person received the first dose from the health department, please alert the call center at 832-393-4220. People who received their first dose on January 16 at Minute Maid Park are receiving second doses by appointment February 12-13 at Delmar Stadium or Minute Maid Park. People vaccinated by health department during the week of January 18-23 will be scheduled for second doses from February 17-20. The department currently provides the Moderna vaccine, with the second dose recommended 28 days after the first dose. Updated guidance from CDC says it should be administered as close as possible to 28 days but can be scheduled up to 42 days after the first dose. The department provides second doses only to people who it provided a first dose. Houston Health Department Doses Administered As of the end of the day on February 11, the Houston Health Department received a total of 53,150 first doses, administered 37,912 first doses, and transferred 14,690 to other providers. The department received a total of 27,300 second doses, administered 15,740 second does, and transferred 4,260 to other providers. Visit the vaccine page of HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 for the latest information about COVID-19 vaccinations through the Houston Health Department. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 11:06:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Friday condemned the attack on Wednesday against the UN mission in Mali, the MINUSMA. The attack killed one peacekeeper from Togo and injured 27 others. In a press statement, the UNSC members expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim, as well as to Togo and to the MINUSMA. They wished a speedy and full recovery to the injured peacekeepers and paid tribute to the peacekeepers who risk their lives. Underlining that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law, the UNSC called on the transitional Government of Mali to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. The UNSC members expressed their concern about the security situation in Mali and stressed that these heinous acts will not undermine their determination to continue to support the peace and reconciliation process in Mali. The attack was launched against the MINUSMA's base near the town of Douentza around 0700 GMT Wednesday, according to a MINUSMA statement. Enditem Ukraine mulls launching new Sich satellite using SpaceX vehicle Ukraine lost contact with its small Sich-2 remote sensing satellite in December 2012. Reporting by UNIAN If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter A first-year college student was "abducted and later gang-raped" in Karachi, police said on Friday, reported Geo News. The victim was a resident of the Gulshan-e-Hadeed area and the complaint was filed by her father as per the details mentioned in the FIR filed with Malir Police. Earlier, the victim's father reported to the police that his daughter went to college on February 9 and she didn't return home by 1 pm (local time). "Yesterday, I received a call from a Defence Housing Authority (DHA) police station that my daughter had been found in DHA," the victim's father said, according to police. The Malir Police reported that she was rushed to the hospital where she narrated her ordeals, saying that "three men abducted her and later gang-raped her". Malir Police told Geo News that the main suspect, along with three of his accomplices, has been arrested in connection with the case. According to a 2020 report, at least 11 rape incidents are reported in Pakistan every day, with over 22,000 cases filed across the country in the last six years. However, only 77 -- or 0.03 per cent -- of the accused have been convicted. A total of 22,037 cases of sexual abuse have been registered since 2015, of which 4,060 cases are pending in the courts. Unfortunately, only 18 per cent have reached the prosecution stage, reported Geo News. (ANI) When Erin Lang attended the Russell Health Centre on January 17, she expected help. Advertisement Advertise With Us When Erin Lang attended the Russell Health Centre on January 17, she expected help. What the Oakburn resident received instead, she told The Brandon Sun, was the assumption she was a methamphetamine addict seeking drugs. Erin Lang with two of her three sons Ethan and Damon, twin of Cameron, 10. (Submitted) Now, she is at the end of her rope she is feeling hopeless and scared. Lang said, since moving to the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead eight years ago, the health-care system there has created issue after issue for herself and her family of five, including her eldest child Ethan, her twins Damon and Cameron, and her husband. Prior treatment in Winnipeg was excellent, as was treatment in New Brunswick, where she lived before moving to Manitoba. "Ever since Ive moved out here its been one thing after the other with the medical system and it just gets progressively worse," she said, adding she thinks its because they arent rich and seem different from the locals. Yet, when she was rushed to Brandon the next day for two surgeries over two days, she said the treatment was fantastic. Lang has life-long illnesses specifically, Crohns disease and colitis. To access life-saving medication, she has a port in her chest area. Ports are used for long-term delivery of IV medications. Lang doesnt have vein access due to many years of illness. The skin and muscle around her port was darkening and hurting, which is why she presented at the Russell facility. "My port had a failure. My body was rejecting it," said Lang. "The nurses started poking at my tattoos and poking at weird things. Ive got cats, and had a few cat scratches on my hands. And theyre going, Where did these come from? Where did these come from? Then they said theyre suspecting me of doing meth, a drug I have never done in my life. Im a mother of three children, with disabilities. They basically kicked me out of the hospital," said Lang. Additionally, the hospital ran a toxicology test without her consent, she said. That came back clean. Yet, hospital staff continued to treat her in the same way, as a drug addict. They sent her away, she said. "Then I had to run back to that same hospital," said Lang. "They had a drug specialist come in and see me. A doctor that specializes in seeking out people with addictive behaviors. And he comes in and he said, Its very odd, in your report, theres nothing in your system." Allegedly, Langs report stated she was drug-seeking, coming off of methamphetamine even as her toxicology report indicated no such drug use. Thats when, at 5 a.m., she was rushed to Brandon to receive the care she required because her port had completely failed by that point. She had two surgeries over two days at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, which then sent Lang back to the Russell facility to recuperate for a week. She was told shed be able to go home after that week of rest. "Which wasnt the case," said Lang. "I got sent back to Russell, and they threw a few Tylenol at me and basically kicked me out the next morning without discharge papers or information about stitch removal." Lang came to the Sun because shes scared. She isnt receiving the care she requires. She is also worried about her husband and children, who receive similar negative treatment. Another of several health-care-related incidents in the area involved her son. Langs husband, Jason, brought him to a doctor at Shoal Lake because his ears were bothering him. They called Child and Family Services. "They made it out like our son was so disgusting," Lang said, adding that Child and Family Services found nothing of concern. "Its sickening. Its horrible. I cant trust taking my kids to the doctor because I dont know what doctor I can trust out here. I feel like I cant trust anybody," she said. "I feel kind of hopeless. Ive had to deal with a few health-care systems. Never have I experienced what Ive experienced out here." The Sun asked Prairie Mountain Health a series of questions related specifically to Langs experience, including: Under what circumstances would health centre staff consider it necessary to test someone presenting at hospital; what is the protocol for running toxicology tests on patients and does a patients consent need to be secured; and under what conditions would a PMH health centre call CFS. "Prairie Mountain Health will not discuss any specific personal health information specific to any individual," stated chief executive officer Penny Gilson by email. "In regards to your general questions, the clinical presentation of any client/patient will determine what the plan of care will be. This plan of care may involve diagnostic testing and a treatment plan. The plan of care is discussed with the client prior to diagnostic testing or treatment." Gilson additionally stated Prairie Mountain Health works with health-care centres, clinics and partners across the region to ensure the provision of safe, quality care. She suggested Lang should contact Prairie Mountain Health directly to discuss concerns. Langs husband, Jason, said he did file a complaint related to their sons treatment. It was disregarded, he said, adding he still doesnt understand what happened in that situation with his son. The Sun learned from Jason late Friday afternoon that Lang is back in hospital in Brandon. Her new port is failing, he said. As he tells it, theirs is a story of two people who complement each other, who built a life together, after years of difficulty. "We kind of created our little family from there," said Jason. Watching his wife suffer over the past few weeks has left him worried and distressed. mletourneau@brandonsun.com Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism. Waves of spite, resentment and pointless revenge radiate from the EU headquarters in Brussels. The mandarins in the Berlaymont building were already infuriated that any major European nation should actively pursue independence, take its own risks and sign its own treaties and trade deals with the rest of the globe. Then in one of the first expressions of that freedom, a newly liberated Britain effortlessly outpaced the EU in the development, testing and launch of Covid vaccinations. MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Waves of spite, resentment and pointless revenge radiate from the EU headquarters in Brussels. Pictured: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen The response was not pleasure at a major success against the virus, let alone a desire to learn from it by making the EU less centralised and bureaucratic. It was sulky resentment. The European superstate and its supporters in this country like to pose as the sophisticated adults in their relationship with the UK, which they increasingly dismiss as a noisy, raucous, ill-behaved troublemaker. Yet the blocs behaviour since our departure in January has been anything but grown-up, and many Remainers have now begun to see the true face of an organisation they once admired. First, there was the ridiculous suggestion of a hard border on the island of Ireland, to make it more difficult for us to import vaccines made in the EU, which we had contracted for in timely and honourable agreements. That blew up in the faces of the EUs leadership, alienating even the normally keenly pro-Brussels Dublin government, and nationalists in Northern Ireland. But far from learning from this lesson, the EU apparatus is now making new difficulties for Britain. The attitude is typified by the famous snatching of ham sandwiches from British lorry drivers by Dutch customs officials, an absurd abuse of power to make a petty point. But such things are not always petty. The EUs treatment of our shellfish industry, which The Mail on Sunday describes in grim detail today, is especially damaging. Officials are subjecting suppliers, who have for years sold their goods to eager customers in the EU, to regulations designed to protect against unscrupulous or unhygienic traders. The result is either heavy new equipment costs, which may put such firms out of business, or needless delays which prevent the goods reaching their buyers on time. The mandarins in the Berlaymont building were already infuriated that any major European nation should actively pursue independence, take its own risks and sign its own treaties and trade deals with the rest of the globe Britain insists such problems were foreseen and avoided in the detailed negotiations which led to our final deal, and can produce documents to prove it. And it has to be asked, what the point of such obstructions to trade could possibly be, except retaliation and deterrence against any other nation which might be thinking of taking the route of independence and sovereignty. These actions hurt businesses and consumers in the EU, as well as in Britain. As for the imposition of a trade border between Northern Ireland and the British mainland, this was plainly intended to preserve Irelands relations with the Single Market, and prevent a border in Ireland itself. It was not meant to open a breach between two parts of the UK. But it appears it is now being interpreted in that way. Our Government is far too sensible to retaliate in kind to this small-minded harassment. Boris Johnson knows well what the spirit of the Brexit agreement was, and he will do all he can to prevent the outbreak of a pointless trade war between us and our friends and neighbours. But the new team of Michael Gove and David Frost, now in charge of overcoming this, must insist that the EU returns to common sense and civility and stops playing these foolish, damaging games. What makes for a better SEO (Search Engine Optimization) ranking on Google? Many eCommerce websites or businesses who advertise digitally have been working around on all the ways to rank better on Google's search engine. One of these is to have a shorter domain name for websites. However, Google's search advocate John Mueller comes out online to debunk the myth. URL/Domain Length Not A Factor in Google SEO Ranking As reported by SeRoundtable, John Mueller has expressed his sentiments on Twitter by saying that contrary to popular belief, having a short and sweet domain is not going to rank you high on Google's search engine. Moreover, it does not have any added SEO benefit for your website. He highlighted that a domain name or the length of your URL is not a determining factor in your SEO success. He added in his tweet that "shorter is not better for SEO." Domain name or URL length is not a factor. Shorter is not better for SEO. Maybe better or easier for marketing, which is separate. We do use length lightly for canonicalization, but that's choosing between 2 versions of the same thing (eg, /home/ vs /home/index.html). John (@JohnMu) February 9, 2021 By bringing this conversation publicly online, he has raised conversations about how the myth has long been practiced and usually leads to a misguided expectation in SEO ranking results. He also mentioned how he is aware of the reason why people like making short domains. Besides, they seem to be more customized and easy to remember for users. But when it comes to its ranking in SEO, that factor has no bearing."I can see how people might like short & sweet domain names, but there's definitely no SEO bonus attached to them like that.", he further said in his Tweet. I totally disagree from an SEO point of view. I can see how people might like short & sweet domain names, but there's definitely no SEO bonus attached to them like that. John (@JohnMu) February 9, 2021 Read Also: Google One Membership Benefits Include Pixel-Exclusive Photo and Video Editing Features Google Admits to Using 'Length Lightly for Canonicalization' According to Search Engine Land, despite Google's stand on the issue of URL length, the web giant has made it a point that Google prefers to use a shorter URL because of canonicalization. In an interview with Seroundtable, Muller says precisely that Google uses "length lightly for canonicalization, but that's choosing between 2 versions of the same thing (eg, /home/ vs /home/index.html)." Although not for SEO or ranking purposes, Google prefers a lighter URL to benefit them in terms of convenience since they are just about choosing almost two very similar things- the one being longer. However, although Google has said that URL length is not a determining factor in your Google rank, they suggested to their users to keep their URL characters under 2,000 characters. In an ideal world, a short domain name or a URL could bypass Google's algorithms and skyrocket you into high ranks. But in the end, there is no shortcut to success. Whether that's building your first business or ranking high on Google- one needs to go through the process. When it comes to ranking high on Google, nothing beats doing best SEO practices on a consistent basis. Related Article: Apple's iOs 14.5 Beta Directs 'Safe Browsing' Traffic Control Through Own Server Instead of Google, Why? This article is owned by Techtimes Written by Nikki D 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Imperial Valley News Center California State Assemblyman and Former Attorney Sentenced To Prison For Money Laundering In Fraud Scheme Involving Bart Coffee Shops Oakland, California - Terrence Patrick Goggin was sentenced Wednesday to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $685,000 in restitution for money laundering, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Daniels. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable James Donato, United States District Judge. Goggin, 79, of Dunsmuir, California, who is a former California State Assemblyman as well as a California-licensed attorney, pleaded guilty to the federal charge of money laundering on December 4, 2019. According to the plea agreement, Goggin admitted that he was the founder and CEO of Metropolitan Coffee and Concession Company, LLC (MC2). From July 2007 to February 26, 2014, Goggin solicited investor money for MC2 to build Peets Coffee retail centers, including two centers to be built at the Civic Center and Balboa Park BART stations. Among other investors in the MC2 projects, a group of four private equity investors invested $585,000 in the Civic Center project in September 2013, and an individual investor invested $100,000 in the Balboa Park project, also in September 2013. Goggin admitted that he falsely represented to those investors that their money would be used to build out those specific future Peets Coffee retail centers when, in truth, he planned to use the funds otherwise. He also failed to provide the investors with accurate information about the strained relationship between MC2 and BART and about the state of MC2s finances. Goggin further admitted as part of his guilty plea that in September 2013 he diverted and directed his employees to divert nearly all of the $685,000 in investment funds to other bank accounts associated with other business ventures into which the investors had neither agreed nor intended to invest. For one example, on September 12, 2013, the same day MC2 received $585,000 from the private equity investors, Goggin directed the transfer of $15,000 from the MC2 bank account to the business bank account of Aegis Atlantic LLC, a Delaware company of which Goggin was also the CEO. That money was never used for the agreed-upon BART projects and was instead spent for other purposes. A Superseding Indictment returned by the grand jury on September 13, 2018, charged Goggin with four counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, and nine counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1957. Under the plea agreement, Goggin pled guilty to one count of money laundering. United States District Judge James Donato also sentenced Goggin to a three-year period of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. The defendant is presently out of custody and is ordered to surrender on June 28, 2021, to begin serving his sentence. Katherine Lloyd-Lovett and Katie Medearis are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. A recent study published by preprint server medRxiv, entitled Excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among Californians 1865 years of age, by occupational sector and occupation: March through October 2020, provides further evidence that closing non-essential businesses with full compensation and providing protection for essential workers are necessary to reduce the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Workers at an apple orchard in Yakima, Washington, June 16, 2020 (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) The paper is an initial effort to determine the dangers of working in different workplaces, those considered both essential and non-essential. The authors, who include Dr. Yea-Hung Chen and his team at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that Despite the inherent risks that essential workers face, no study to date has examined differences in excess mortality across occupation, a gap this research seeks to correct. As the title suggests, the authors focused their research on deaths among working-age Californians during the initial lockdown and the first phase of reopening last fall. Overall, they found that essential workers, whom they defined as those in the food/agriculture, transportation/logistics, facilities, and manufacturing sectors, experienced a 22 percent higher mortality rate than they did in the four years before the pandemic. This excess mortality increased to more than 40 percent during the first two months of Californias reopening. The authors also did a detailed analysis of the risks associated with nine different types of work. Relative to pre-pandemic time, they wrote, mortality increased during the pandemic by 39% among food/agriculture workers, 28% among transportation/logistics workers, 27% among facilities workers, and 23% among manufacturing workers. Unemployed workers also had a 23 percent increase in their mortality, which includes the hundreds of thousands thrown out of work during the pandemic in California, and millions nationally. Further into the study, the authors take a more granular look at the dangers posed to workers, observing the increased risk of dying among different occupations. They define a risk ratio, which is the number of observed deaths in a given type of job divided by the expected deaths. This value is then interpreted as the increased risk of dying during the pandemic from ones job. The most at-risk job was line cook, which had a calculated risk ratio of 1.60. This was followed by packaging and filling machine operators and tenders (RR=1.59), miscellaneous agricultural workers (RR=1.55), bakers (RR=1.50), and construction laborers (RR=1.49). Nurses had a risk ratio of 1.34, truck drivers were at 1.32, and other production workers stood at 1.46. The research also listed how many deaths occurred during the pandemic among these occupations. Among the most lethal jobs were hand laborers (2,550 deaths), truck drivers (1,962 deaths) and construction laborers (1,587 deaths). At least 1,360 line cooks and head cooks lost their lives during this time, as did 562 customer service representatives and 378 house cleaners. Even jobs one might consider less dangerous because workers are often outside, such as grounds maintenance workers, suffered 712 deaths, 40 percent more than average. These data are invaluable for understanding the extent and breadth of the pandemic, as well as providing a scientific appraisal for what workplaces are truly safe to open. That line cooks are the most directly threatened, for example, suggests that even take-out dining, much less in-person dining, should be restricted to protect the lives of those workers. It should be noted that these data do not include a great deal of information on teachers, which is because during the time analyzed by this study (MarchOctober 2020), schools in California were all remote. Even then, 183 teacher assistants died, of which at least 40 deaths were directly attributable to COVID-19. The paper also cut through the racial narrative being pushed by institutions like the Atlantic and its COVID Racial Data Tracker, which claim that people of color are affected more than whites by the pandemic. In fact, the real disparities are by class, with workers dying far more often than those in the upper 10 percent of income earners, much less the top 1 percent or more. What racial disparities do exist, the research notes, are caused because certain occupations require in-person work, such as agricultural labor, and that those jobs are largely held by Californias Hispanic population, many of whom are immigrants. The data further shows that Though non-occupational risk factors may be relevant, it is clear that eliminating COVID-19 will require addressing occupational risks. Many of these occupational risks can be eliminated through the closure of schools and non-essential businesses, as recommended by those such as US President Joe Bidens former advisor, Dr. Michael Osterholm. This would minimize both the exposure of those workers, including the aforementioned line cooks and manufacturing workers, to the virus, as well as greatly reduce the paths of transmission and mutation. At the same time, the study notes that In-person essential workers are unique in that they are not protected by shelter-in-place policies. This includes those in the food and agricultural sector, where excess mortality rose sharplyduring [Californias] first shelter-in-place period, from late March through May; these increases were not seen among those working in non-essential sectors. It then stresses the need for complementary policies for those who cannot work from home. For all workers, the authors list the bare minimum requirements for safe work, including free personal protective equipment, clearly defined and strongly enforced safety protocols, easily accessible testing, generous sick policies, and appropriate responses to workplace safety violations. They explain that vaccination programs prioritizing workers in sectors such as food/agriculture are likely to have disproportionately large benefits for reducing COVID-19 mortality. The paper ends with the following point, one that directly contradicts the openly pursued policy of herd immunity by the ruling elite: If indeed these workers are essential, we must be swift and decisive in enacting measures that will treat their lives as such. But such actions must be taken by the workers themselves. As the recent struggle by Chicago teachers against in-person learning demonstrates, the entire political apparatusthe Democrats, the unions, the mediais arrayed against them in an effort to fully reopen factories and workplaces, no matter the death toll. There is no section of the existing social system that genuinely listens to the very clear science, that schools and nonessential business must be closed during the pandemic to preserve human lives. It is only the working class, through an understanding of the science involved and the formation of rank-and-file safety committees in their workplaces and neighborhoods, that can carry out such lifesaving action. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The fact that the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump of inciting insurrection is a stain on Americas most prestigious legislative body. The facts were plain. But more than a stain, the Senate has a sickness as well. Of the 100 jurors who heard Trumps impeachment case, at least 16 were more co-conspirators in Trumps efforts to overturn a free and fair election than they were independent judges. Eight voted last month to overturn Joe Bidens election victory the precise outcome the Trump-inspired insurrectionists sought when they left his rally and marched to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, John Neely Kennedy of Louisiana, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama attempted to derail Americas centuries-old experiment in democracy. Violating constitutional oaths Five of the same members and six more signed onto Cruzs letter urging an emergency investigation of Trumps false allegations, after which states would be allowed to change their Electoral College votes, a move that would have discarded the views of millions of Americans. Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Steve Daines of Montana, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana and Bill Hagerty, also of Tennessee, were fine with stripping millions of Americans of the right to vote based on false allegations that had already been dismissed in more than 60 court rulings, many of which came from judges whom Trump himself had appointed. Others spread Trumps Big Lie that the election was stolen through their actions or words. Senate votes 57-43 to acquit former President Donald Trump on Feb. 13, 2021. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said plainly in a congressional hearing that the election in many ways was stolen. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and pressured him to change votes in the state that Biden narrowly won a call state officials now are looking into. They helped build the delusional belief among the insurrectionists that Trump was the legitimate winner, a cause for which they were willing to assault lines of police and threaten the lives of congressmembers and then-Vice President Mike Pence. Story continues These 16 jurors, who were not impartial, are guilty of violating their constitutional oaths and attempting to take the nation down a dictatorial path with an unelected president. All of them voted to acquit Trump of attempting to derail a peaceful transfer of power, an act in which they all played a role. The Senates authoritarian caucus While Saturdays disappointing 57-43 vote on impeachment leaves Trump free to play a part in America's politics in the future, he is out of office and silenced on social media, so his opportunities for perfidy are limited. Thats not true for the Senates authoritarian caucus and for a similar group of more than 100 members in the House of Representatives. Both maintain significant power in a closely divided Congress as President Biden works to restore constitutional guardrails dismantled during the Trump administration. An authoritarian sickness remains at the center of the nation's politics even in Trumps elective absence. The fact that such a large share of the legislative branch is opposed to America's democratic form of government is a shocking disgrace, but it is also a threat. Trump is out of office, but as the vote shows, the United States is not free of Trumpism. Our View was written by deputy editorial page editor David Mastio, on behalf of the Editorial Board. USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff and the USA TODAY Network. Most editorials are coupled with an Opposing View, a unique USA TODAY feature. To read more editorials, go to the Opinion front page or sign up for the daily Opinion email newsletter. To respond to this editorial, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate acquits Donald Trump: Vote shows depth of Trumpism pandemic School Board to Discuss Class Scheduling Options By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The school board for Paducah Public Schools intends to discuss the pros and cons of their current class schedule and any alternative options.In a message to families on Thursday, Superintendent Donald Shively said he's heard from parents about, "the toll that virtual learning is taking on your children." He acknowledged that safety during the pandemic is important, but also listed undesired side effects of virtual learning on students, such as learning loss, fatigue, stress and emotional issues.With teachers and staff getting their second dose of the vaccine on February 24, Shively said the board can now discuss ways to allow more kids to attend in-person classes.He said, "This doesn't necessarily mean that action will be taken, but we will begin to examine our options going forward."Shively assured everyone that regardless of any potential changes, virtual learning will continue to be an option for any student.Anyone can watch or participate in the meeting, which will be live streamed on the district's Youtube channel (see link below) at https://www.youtube.com/c/PaducahPublicSchools and the PTHS web page at https://www.paducah.kyschools.us/PTHS.aspx.Here is Shively's complete message:On the Net: Andrew Heard (pictured), 69, disappeared on Thursday afternoon after he went fishing A missing fisherman suspected to have been killed by a crocodile after human remains and marks on his dinghy were found has been remembered as a 'fine man' by loved ones. Andrew Heard, 69, went fishing in Gayundah Creek near Hinchinbrook Island, northern Queensland, at 3pm on Thursday but failed to return to his wife Erica. Investigators say it's 'highly likely' a crocodile killed Mr Heard after his damaged boat and human remains were found in the creek on Friday. They also located a four-metre long crocodile next to Mr Heard's dinghy, which has been captured and killed. Mr Heard's friends gathered to mourn the fisherman in Cairns on Saturday, including mates John Stewart and Andy Murray. 'Everyone's just feeling numb and lost that such a fine man has gone,' Mr Stewart told 9News. Investigators say it's 'highly likely' a crocodile killed Mr Heard after his damaged boat and human remains were found on Friday Meanwhile, Mr Murray said Mr Heard was 'one of the best' people he has ever met. 'He'd been through a lot and he was living the life that he absolutely needed and wanted to live,' he told the broadcaster. 'What he's left behind is a magnificent legacy.' Mr Heard's friends also revealed the fisherman had fought cancer. Mr Heard was only supposed to be gone for an hour when he went fishing in Gayundah Creek on Thursday. When he did not return, his worried wife Erica called police, prompting them to attempt to radio him to no response, which in turn sparked a desperate search. Mr Heard's boat was found on Friday morning damaged and upside down in Gayundah Creek on the southwestern side of the island, located between Cairns and Townsville. Pictures seen by The Townsville Bulletin reportedly show a large chunk of the dinghy bitten off. Mr Heard's friend John Stewart said: 'Everyone's just feeling numb and lost that such a fine man has gone' Human remains were found in the area by wildlife officers on Friday night, the DES and Queensland Police confirmed in a statement. 'At this stage, police believe the remains are those of the missing man, however forensic testing will be required to confirm this,' it read. A four-metre long crocodile that was located next to Mr Heard's dinghy has since been 'humanely euthanised'. 'We have euthanised a four-metre crocodile that wildlife officers located near where the damaged vessel of a man missing near Hinchinbrook Island was found,' the Queensland Department of Environment and Science confirmed on Saturuday. 'The animal has been transported to the mainland where a necropsy will be conducted.' Mr Heard (right) with his wife Erica (middle) in the boat he reportedly took fishing on Thursday Mr Heard is a lifelong member of the Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron, who are devastated about his disappearance. 'The club is truly gutted. Everyone will be here for Erica when she gets back,' member Dayna Russell said. 'He loved his fishing and he had been battling cancer. He was an amazing person. 'He is very capable, so (whatever) happened, it must have been pretty big croc.' Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto also offered his condolences in a Facebook post on Saturday. 'I would like to offer our deepest condolences to Erica Lang and Andrew Heard (Andy)'s family and friends during this devastating time,' he wrote. 'We were all praying for a miracle as Queensland Water Queensland Police Service, divers, QPWS, local boaties/fishermen and others joined in the search. 'It saddens me to learn this [Saturday] morning that remains were found last night. 'Andy will be dearly missed and will be remembered as a top bloke, God bless.' Protesters flashing three fingered salutes and holding an image with an X mark on a photo of Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing face rows of riot police in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Feb. 8, after last week's military coup. AP The UN's top rights body demanded Friday that Myanmar's military restore civilian rule and release Aung San Suu Kyi, echoing the calls of hundreds of thousands thronging cities nationwide in a seventh straight day of protests. During a rare special session requested by Britain and the European Union, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution calling for all persons "arbitrarily detained" to be released and the "restoration of the elected government." "The world is watching," UN deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif said at the start of the session. Besides Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, more than 350 others have been detained since the Feb. 1 putsch, including activists, journalists, students and monks, al-Nashif said. In addition, "draconian orders have been issued this week to prevent peaceful assembly and free expression," she said, decrying the "indiscriminate use of lethal or less-than-lethal weapons". But traditional allies of Myanmar's military, including Russia and China, slammed the emergency session as interference in "Myanmar's internal affairs." Police officers arrest a protester during a demonstration against the military coup outside Mawlamyine University in the southwestern town of Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar, Feb. 12. EPA In 1872, the King of Carnival announced the Rex Organization's first Mardi Gras parade in a medieval-looking document. New Orleans civic leaders wanted to attract more visitors at the time, said Rex historian Stephen Hales. In flowery language and even more flowery calligraphy, Rex's edict, or royal message, invited the world to the New Orleans celebration. The Mardi Gras monarch issued other edicts as well, including one that established the official colors of Carnival: purple, green and gold. "In a royal edict, Rex encouraged citizens along the parade route to hang banners in these colors from their balconies," wrote Carnival expert Arthur Hardy in a 2017 article for this newspaper. Edicts announcing Mardi Gras were posted in newspapers and train depots around the country, and Mardi Gras in New Orleans became a major tourist destination. "From the time they invented the king of Carnival, the edicts started to fly," Hales said. Early messages were written by E.C. Hancock, an associate editor of The New Orleans Times newspaper, using the pen name Bathurst a signature that still appears beneath the messages. Nowadays, an annual edict commanding Rex's subjects to enjoy the Mardi Gras season is usually read by Rex in person at the Lundi Gras celebration on the riverfront. Rex arrives at Spanish Plaza by train and is joined by the monarchs of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club. This year, of course, Lundi Gras festivities were canceled. After the coronavirus pandemic made public gatherings impossible, the King of Carnival greeted his subjects with a more somber message, urging a safe celebration and promising to return next year. "We shifted and made an entirely new document," Hales said. Rexs 2021 edict was created by artist Matthew Hales, the historian's son, incorporating finely detailed, traditional imagery. One of the figures decorating the edict wears an old, beak-nosed "plague doctor" mask; also represented is the Caduceus, or doctor's symbol, a tribute to heroic health care workers. In this year's message, a sorrowful monarch sends his regrets. "Rex, the King of Carnival, sends Greetings, and regrets that the Pandemic that has Afflicted His Beloved Capital City will not allow Him to make His Annual Visit to celebrate the Joyful Carnival Season with His Faithful Subjects," the edict begins. "We are Saddened, and send our Deepest Condolences to All who have suffered Loss, and encourage All to follow the Guidance of Those who seek to keep Our Subjects Safe, that We might Celebrate Again Together." The edict goes on to say that Rex looks forward to celebrating Carnival next year, when the krewe marks its 150th anniversary, and urges citizens to observe the holiday safely in 2021. The refrain of Rex's anthem is echoed in the edict's closing salutation. "We Will Never, Ever Cease to Love," the document concludes. Embattled Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been accused of throwing the hotel quarantine chief under the bus by refusing to answer questions about the state's latest outbreak, forcing her to take the stand and be grilled by reporters. Emma Cassar, who runs Victoria's hotel quarantine program, fielded questions on the premier's behalf at a later press conference, after Mr Andrews refused to say whether a 38-year-old father was given permission to use a nebuliser linked to the Holiday Inn cluster. The father, who is now in ICU with his partner and young daughter also testing positive to Covid, claims he twice told staff he had the device which vaporises medicine into a fine mist - and they allowed him to keep it. Chief of CQV Emma Cassar (pictured) was grilled by media over whether a 38-year-old father was given permission to use a nebuliser linked to Holiday Inn outbreak A deserted Melbourne CBD on Saturday (pictured) as the city begins a five day Stage Four lockdown to allow contact tracers to get ahead of a cluster stemming from the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport 'I've seen those reports. That's not consistent with the normal practice that's followed but I can confirm the head of CQV will be out later today ... she'll be able to answer any of those questions,' Mr Andrews said on Saturday. Ms Cassar had previously said the man did not report the nebuliser to the hotel and that Mr Andrews himself suggested the man might not have been aware the nebuliser wasn't allowed. Speaking on Saturday afternoon Ms Cassar said protocols had been reviewed to make it clearer that these devices are not allowed in hotel quarantine. 'There is no evidence he has raised this with our health team or our operational team,' Ms Cassar said. 'We don't check bags but that is not our recollection [that he had permission].' Dan Andrews (pictured) refused to answer questions on Saturday surrounding the 38-year-old man who used the nebuliser to treat his asthma Gabriella Power, a reporter for Sky News, is pictured at Saturday's media conference Ms Cassar said hotel quarantine guests were thoroughly questioned upon arrival. 'When someone arrives in the first 12 hours they are questioned about medical history and devices they may use... all bags are scanned through Melbourne airport.' When asked if she felt like she had been put on the spot by Daniel Andrews, Ms Cassar said she took responsibility for her team. 'This is my agency. I don't feel like I've been thrown under the bus,' she said. 'We have done our audits and reviews. I can't explain the difference in information ... this was not anyone's fault, noone did this maliciosuly or deliberately. 'The first time we heard about this was notification from the Alfred Hospital.' Ms Cassar has restated her agency has not accused the man of anything and said she is deeply sorry for the man's treatment and the way information regarding the nebuliser surfaced. From his hospital bed, the man at the centre of the controversy said he's been painted as a 'criminal' even though he followed all the directions he was given. 'If I was told that I couldn't use it [the nebuliser], I never would have used it,' the man told The Age. 'The way it has all come out in the news and through the government has made it sound like I was using it illegally or that I have snuck it in or something like that. It's been very distressing. 'You are left feeling like a criminal or that you've done the wrong thing. That has been the hardest thing in all this.' The entire state of Victoria was plunged into lockdown from 11.59pm on Friday in response to an outbreak at Melbourne Airport's Holiday Inn, which has grown to 14 cases. One new case linked to the cluster was recorded on Saturday which now brings the total active in the state to 20. The Australian Open (pictured) has been given the greenlight to continue under Melbourne's Stage Four lockdown, however, crowds are barred from the event A cafe remains open on Saturday morning in Melbourne (pictured) but sits empty as city residents adhere to stay-at-home orders Five new cases were recorded in Victoria on Friday - an assistant manager at the quarantine hotel and four close contacts of people who earlier tested positive. Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed earlier today that the latest case detected late on Friday is a friend of a Holiday Inn worker - with 38 of the man's close contacts having been notified and are now isolating. Officially, the lockdown is due to end at 11.59pm on Wednesday, but a clause in the health directive states the 'stay safe period' will end at 11.59pm on February 26 - two weeks away. When asked about the issue on Saturday afternoon health officials insisted the lockdown would end in five days, subject to the Chief Health Officer's advice. The rules are largely in line with Stage Four restrictions imposed last year when Melburnians suffered through one of the world's toughest lockdowns for a total of 111 consecutive days between July and November. Another case was reported on Saturday linked to the Holiday Inn (pictured) cluster bringing the number of confirmed cases to 14 There is 5km travel limit, compulsory face masks indoors and outdoors and no visitors allowed at homes. Residents are only permitted to leave their home for work, medical appointments, essential shopping and one hour of exercise per day. Panic buyers hit the supermarkets ahead of the five-day shutdown, while Uber prices surged as people rushed to escape the state. Tennis fans were also ejected from the Australian Open at 11.30pm, half an hour before the lockdown came into effect. There were also chaotic scenes in Melbourne on Friday night as anti-lockdown protesters vented their anger outside of Melbourne Park, where the Australian Open is being held. The latest Tier 1 exposure sites listed by the Victorian department of health include Alberton Cafe, Albert Park, The Coffeeologist cafe, Point Cook, Coates Hire Werribee, Caltex Woolworths in Hoppers Crossing as well as the Craigieburn train line, the 513 Eltham to Glenroy bus route and the 901 Frankston to Melbourne Airport bus route. Melbourne residents are subject to Stage Four lockdowns until Wednesday night, only being allowed to leave their houses for essential reasons (pictured: two women skateboard at Port Melbourne Beach on Saturday) Melbourne residents are under stay-at-home orders but venturing outside for exercise is allowed (pictured: Melburnians at Albert Park Lake on Saturday) The case relates to the attack on the CRPF convoy at Tethar in Banihal area of Ramban district by a terrorist who had exploded a car laden with explosives on 30 March, 2019, Jammu: The NIA on Saturday filed a supplementary chargesheet against a former Jammu and Kashmir policeman, who deserted the force and joined the Pakistan-based terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen, for his alleged involvement in attacking a CRPF convoy in 2019, an official said. Naveed Mushtaq Shah, an ex-constable of Jammu and Kashmir police, had decamped with arms and ammunition in 2017 when he was posted as a guard at the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Budgam, an official of the premier investigation agency said. After deserting the force, he joined the outlawed Pakistan-based and Kashmir-focused Hizbul-Mujahideen terror group and became an active terrorist, according to the NIA official. The chargesheet was filed against Shah before a special NIA court in Jammu under sections of the Remote Procedure Call (RPC), the Explosive Substances Act, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Property (Prevention of Damage) Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA. The case relates to the attack on the CRPF convoy at Tethar in Banihal area of Ramban district by a terrorist who had exploded a car laden with explosives on 30 March, 2019, with the intention of killing security personnel and waging a war against the government of India. A case was registered on 30 March, 2019, in Ramban. The NIA re-registered the case on 15 April, 2019, and took over the investigation. The NIA had earlier filed a chargesheet against six Hizbul-Mujahideen terrorists for their role in the attack. The special NIA court has framed charges against the six accused. Shah was actively involved in the planning and execution of the attack on the CRPF convoy in Banihal along with other terrorists Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, Rayees Ahmed Khan, and Dr Saifullah Mir, who were subsequently killed in encounters with security forces, according to the NIA official. The deceased terrorists Sahil Abdullah Bhat, Adil Bashir Sheikh and Zubair Ahmed Wani were actively involved in the preparation of the explosives that went into the making of the improvised explosive device (IED), the official said. Charges have been abated against the deceased terrorists involved in the conspiracy, the NIA official said, adding that further trial in the case continues. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Amanda Holden has been reported to police after breaking lockdown rules in a 215-mile trip from London to Cornwall. The Britain's Got Talent judge went to see her parents after she got a 'distressing phone call' from her stepfather Les Collister. The 49-year-old took a black Mercedes from Richmond to a small hamlet near Bude to see the 75-year-old and her 71-year-old mother Judith on Friday. Locals were up in arms at her arrival, said she was putting residents at risk and reported her to the police. She was spotted by a neighbour thought to be a police officer who is understood to have reported her for breaching Covid travel restrictions. It is understood the star stayed overnight on Friday before making the return journey to her house in south west London yesterday. The Britain's Got Talent judge (pictured yesterday) went to see her parents after she got a 'distressing phone call' from her father Leslie The 49-year-old took a black Mercedes from Richmond to a small hamlet near Bude to see the 75-year-old and her 71-year-old mother Judith (pictured) on Friday She was spotted by a neighbour thought to be a police officer who is understood to have reported her for breaching Covid travel restrictions. Pictured: Bude - a town in Cornwall near to where the parents of the Britain's Got Talent star live One local told the Sun: 'I was really shocked when I saw it and then felt quite angry. A man unloaded quite a lot of luggage from the boot and then the car sped off. 'There are a lot of key workers and vulnerable people around here, and we need to keep them safe.' They added: 'They also know she had travelled miles from Surrey to get down here and she dashed into the house. She must have known what she was doing was wrong.' Ms Holden is a well-known figure in the area after visiting her parents before the pandemic but residents were still furious. Friends of Ms Holden said although she knew she should not have made the journey, she was so concerned about her parents' welfare she felt she had no option. One said: 'Amanda got a call on Friday afternoon and felt she had no other choice but to get down there as quickly as she could. The 49-year-old took a black Mercedes from Richmond to a small hamlet near Bude to see the 75-year-old and her 71-year-old mother Judith on Friday. Pictured: Yesterday 'Because of the issues involved with their health, she knew she had to go there was no way she couldn't. 'She knows she has done something wrong and she is regretful but until you are in that moment, how can you judge? 'In order to ensure she posed as little risk as possible, she drove alone, leaving her husband and daughters at home. 'She did not come into contact with anyone else.' It was claimed Ms Holden arrived after dark, but her spokesman said she got there at 4pm and had just one bag. He said she was aware of the rules but was 'devastated she had to break them'. He told MailOnline: 'Amanda is aware that all families are going through difficulty during these turbulent times but received a distressing telephone call from her elderly father on Friday afternoon. 'On balance Amanda felt the round-trip to Cornwall was necessary to contain the matter at her family home. 'The very personal situation has now been aided and Amanda is back in London. 'Amanda did not act on a whim and has adhered to Covid rules every step of the way in all three lockdowns. 'Amanda is aware of the travel rules and is devastated she had to break them on this one occasion. 'Her parents are vaccinated and with Amanda testing for Covid weekly (and is negative), she felt she was not putting her parents at risk. She did not come in contact with any member of the public.' Devon and Cornwall Police refused to comment. Today, in a social media post which made no reference to the star's visit, Cornwall Council posted a video urging 'everyone to stick to the rules this half-term'. The video, which was accompanied by the caption 'We know it's tough. But this won't last forever', featured members of the council's public health team speaking about how they would be staying at home next week. It comes as Ms Holden approaches her 50th birthday on Tuesday and said she felt 'so grateful and overwhelmed at the thought and love' her Heart Radio colleagues put into her celebrations. She was surprised with 50 presents by her radio colleagues to mark the occasion. They included a massage chair, flowers, prosecco, a margarita cocktail, a roast dinner and a cake. Ms Holden approaches her 50th birthday on Tuesday and said she felt 'so grateful and overwhelmed at the thought and love' her Heart Radio colleagues put into her celebrations Her co-host Jamie Theakston told listeners: 'Our very own Amanda Holden is celebrating her birthday - as a gentleman I wouldn't say how old - but what we thought we would do is pull together 50 of her favourite things.' An advertising board outside the radio studio also displayed a birthday message to Holden. She wrote on Instagram: 'So grateful and overwhelmed at the thought and love they've put into it.' Holden shared the message alongside a photo of her drinking prosecco, which she said was taken at 6.30am. A number of her friends also sent her birthday messages. Her fellow Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon said: 'Happy 50th birthday to my amazing TV wife. 'I love you very, very much and I'm absolutely gutted that we cannot celebrate today and celebrate with you, as you deserve to be celebrated, on this incredibly momentous occasion. 'Your 50th birthday! You still look 25, woman!' Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan called in to the show to wish Holden a happy birthday. 'I've actually got out of bed on my day off just to pay homage to the queen, Amanda Holden,' he said. 'You know what, I just think, seeing pictures of you drinking prosecco at 6.30am in the morning, it brings back such fond memories of working with you on Britain's Got Talent.' Those stakes are high enough. But experts, politicians and EU officials say the future of the bloc as a more integrated fiscal union is also riding on Draghis success in managing the hundreds of billions of euros from Brussels. They think they are in good hands. The fact that Draghi will lead the country in this particular moment was very, very big news here, Paolo Gentiloni, the European Unions economy commissioner and a former Italian prime minister, said from Brussels. And very, very good news. He said Draghis arrival after the collapse of the Italian government reassured European leaders, especially because of his reputation for caring about execution. Others said Draghis status as a proven senior statesman was critical, with the union on the cusp of a potential leadership vacuum. Britain has left, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is set to step down, and President Emmanuel Macron of France is facing tough elections. For avid supporters of a more robust EU and Italys leadership in it, Draghis arrival comes just in time. Last year, Merkel and Macron overcame entrenched opposition to win approval of a 750 billion ($1.1 trillion) stimulus agreement to save the economies of member states walloped by the coronavirus. Supporters of an ever-closer EU, who dream of debt and asset-sharing similar to that of the United States, considered the fund a major step. Then president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, left, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, then treasurer, chat during the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in Chengdu, China, in 2016. Credit:AP For the first time, countries raised money by collectively selling bonds on the open market and then distributing much of the money as grants, rather than loans, that do not have to be repaid to other countries in the union. This marked a critical departure from bloc rules to keep national debts in check. Italy received the largest share, roughly 209 billion, of a pot likened to a modern-day Marshall Plan. This time, the plan is to invest in digital competitiveness, education, the green economy and big public works projects. But the windfall has also triggered consternation. Northern European countries already resistant to the idea of their taxpayers carrying the burden of the debt-laden European south are worried about Romes ability to absorb and effectively spend the money. After saving the euro by pledging to sure it up, introducing a massive bond-buying program, and testing the limits of the European Central Banks scope in 2012, Draghi now has to safeguard the dream of an ever closer, and more fiscally integrated, union. If this succeeds this is a pillar for a European success, said Gentiloni, who said that while the relief fund was conceived as a one-off operation in an extraordinary year, the history of the union has shown that it sticks with what works. It could be a precedent. Soldiers march in the courtyard of the Quirinale presidential palace prior to the arrival of Mario Draghi, in Rome, on Friday. Credit:AP Others put Draghis task, and its bearing on Europes future, in even more historic terms, referring to Alexander Hamilton in the United States. If its a success, this will ignite essentially a Hamiltonian process, said Nathalie Tocci, director of Italys Institute of International Affairs and an adviser to the European Unions foreign policy chief. If its a failure, she said, it would amount to a nail in the coffin in those who believe in a fiscal union. Typically understated, Gentiloni agreed, saying failure would make it for a few years very, very difficult to relaunch this idea. Doubts about the ability of the previous government, led by Giuseppe Conte, to effectively spend the money led to the collapse of his government more than any other factor. After Contes failed attempt to form a new coalition, President Sergio Mattarella summoned Draghi to put together a government. Loading Draghis credibility from his leadership of the European Central Bank during the debt crisis, his deep professional connections to top players on the European stage and his granular understanding of Italys economy uniquely prepared him for this moment. His gravity has proved to be a nearly irresistible influence on warring political parties that want a role in spending Europes billions and a share in his potential success. Matteo Salvini, Italys leading nationalist, who once wore Enough Euro T-shirts, has moderated to please his pro-business base and get a spot in the government of a banker who is the Italian personification of the euro. The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, whose founder campaigned to leave the euro, has essentially split apart, with the majority backing Draghi and hoping to rebrand themselves as a small green party. They spent years calling Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi a psycho dwarf, but will now be in the same government as his supporters. So will the center-left Democratic Party, which has been mocked for years by all of the above. Loading Lawmakers expressed hope that the broad support could allow Draghi to enact emergency legislation to clear administrative hurdles and a baroque bureaucracy that have slowed Italy for decades. For example, there is a hope among many that Draghi will be able to address the slow pace of the Italian judiciary, as international investors often steer clear to avoid frivolous lawsuits that can freeze business for years. Im sure that Draghi is well equipped, is experienced, to address these famous bottlenecks, said Gentiloni, who also cautioned, We should not raise expectations that these can be solved in a sudden breakthrough. An illustration file photograph shows the logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft displayed on a mobile phone and a laptop screen. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) Maryland Becomes 1st State to Tax Big Techs Ad Revenue Maryland has become the first state in the nation to approve legislation taxing Big Techs advertisement revenue, as the Democratic-controlled Legislature overrode Gov. Larry Hogans veto on the measure. Following an 8832 vote in the House of Delegates, the state Senate overrode the veto on Feb. 12 by a margin of 2917. The bill has two components: increasing taxes on tobacco products and implementing a brand new tax on revenues of digital advertising. The bill imposes a tax on the annual gross revenues derived from digital advertising services in the State, a summary from the House says. The amount of taxes will depend on global annual gross revenues; people or companies with higher revenues will be ordered to surrender higher percentages of what they make through digital ads. Companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google have seen their profits drastically increase during the COVID-19 pandemic while our Main Street businesses are struggling to keep up, Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat who spearheaded the legislation, said in a social media post shortly before the vote. This targeted tax on companies that make over $100,000,000 a year ONLY from digital advertising is a vital mechanism to make sure big tech pays taxes in Maryland, just like our small businesses. At a time when Marylands budget is being impacted in unforeseen and astronomical ways due to COVID-19, Maryland families and businesses can foot the bill, or big tech can start paying their fair share. One analysis pegs the annual collection from the new tax at $250 million. The bill is one of a number of efforts around the nation to rein in Big Techmajor technology firms like Facebookas the companies amass more money and flex their power with bans of people such as former President Donald Trump. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan talks to reporters during a news briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic in front of the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md., on April 17, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Hogan, a Republican, vetoed the bill because he believed it would raise taxes and fees on Marylanders at a time when many are already out of work and financially struggling, he said in a letter to Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones last year. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, a Democrat, reviewed the bill and said it was constitutional. Some provisions may raise concerns if the legislation is challenged in court, he told Hogan in a letter in April 2020, but it is our view that these provisions are not clearly unconstitutional. Further, if these provisions were challenged and a court were to find any of them unconstitutional, it is our view that each of the provisions would be severable from the remainder of the bill, he said. Some groups had fought the bills passage, including the Association of National Advertisers, the Internet Association, and Marylanders for Tax Fairness, a coalition that brought in ex-Hogan aide Doug Mayer as a spokesman. The group called the legislation unworkably vague and asserted it would guarantee tax increases on small businesses. This tax increase was historically shortsighted, foolish, and harmful to countless small businesses and employees, and Marylanders will remember it that way, Mayer said in a statement on Feb. 12. The Tax Foundation, a tax policy nonprofit, said the bill likely runs afoul of the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, a federal law that bars discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The bill doesnt clearly state which party or parties may be subject to the tax, the foundation said. The Internet Foundation, a coalition that represents companies like those targeted by lawmakers, suggested that the law would be challenged in court. At least Maryland businesses and consumers can rest easier knowing that the courts will have the last say on this matter, and that the law, not politics, will decide the outcome, Robert Callahan, the coalitions senior vice president of state government affairs, said. New Delhi: The defence ministry said on Friday that India had not conceded any territory to China in the disengagement agreement on Pangong Tso and that the next military-level talks will take up the outstanding issues at Hot Springs, Gogra and the Depsang plains in eastern Ladakh. The MoD statement also said India has persistently maintained the right to patrol till Finger 8 in Pangong Tso, including in the current pact with China. India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for the LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo, the MoD said. The defence ministry said it had taken note of some misinformed and misleading comments on the disengagement underway at Pangong Tso. This comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving away sacred Indian territory to China. Mr Gandhi said the Indian Army held the Finger 4 area in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control, but now it will move back to its permanent base near Finger 3. As per the agreement, the Chinese troops will move east of Finger 8 on the north bank of Pangong Tso and the Indian troops will move to their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. The area between Finger 4 and Finger 8 will be no go zone for some time for both the armies. The ministry said the assertion that Indian territory is upto Finger 4 is categorically false. Even the Line of Actual Control, as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China, the MoD said. It said the permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8, it said. The current agreement provides for the cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts, it said. The MoD also said that defence minister Rajnath Singhs statement in Parliament on Thursday had also made clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hours of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement, said the statement. It noted that effective safeguarding of our national interest and territory in eastern Ladakh sector has taken place as the government had reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them, it added. ROCHESTER, Minn. - A proposal to change the way sexual education is taught in public schools is rising through the Minnesota State House of Representatives. The Minnesota House Education Policy Committee approved a comprehensive sexual education bill in an 11-8 vote, dividing members along party lines. The bill would place the responsibility of creating a sexual health education model on the state's department of education, rather than leaving it up to individual districts, as it's handled right now. Proponents of the bill, introduced by State Representative Sydney Jordan, say Minnesota's current sexual education standards are lacking, and don't include information on consent, sexual health, and relationships involving diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. While the text of the proposal calls for instruction that is "age and developmentally appropriate," opponents of the bill say the state should stay out of the matter. One of those opponents is State Representative Peggy Bennett of Albert Lea, who says lessons on this sensitive topic should reflect each individual community's values. "This is a power grab by the state, by government, taking over parental authority on a subject matter that they want to retain authority on," State Representative Bennett told KIMT News 3. "That's why it belongs at the local level, decided by local schools and parents, on how to teach a very sensitive and important subject." Rep. Bennett, a former teacher of over three decades, says many components of the bill sound reasonable at first glance, but is concerned about certain details in the proposal. Bennett tells KIMT she has research curriculums in states that have passed similar bills, and is worried about possible explicit instruction of many different types of sexual acts. The representative says she respects those who want their children to learn more about sex, but not everyone shares the same idea on what is appropriate. "It doesn't mean local school districts can't choose to do comprehensive sex education. They can choose that right now if they so desire and their parents want that. When it comes to the state level though, and mandating it, then suddenly it's no longer a choice," Rep. Bennett said. Rep. Bennett adds she and other colleagues have received thousands of emails from parents concerned about the bill, more than she has ever received on any other subject. "I've received almost 3,000 emails in just the last 48 hours on this subject from concerned parents throughout the entire state, saying 'we do not want the state to mandate these things in our local districts. We want to maintain local control on this." On Friday, Donald Trumps second impeachment trial headed toward its close with a perfunctory defense case, followed by questions and answers from Senators for the House managers and defense counsel. The defense team focused its presentation mostly on claiming Trumps fight language was protected First Amendment speech and playing rapid-cut, repetitive videos of Democrats using similarly aggressive political language. The videos, though, of course did not show the Democrats lying incessantly for two months that an election was stolen, assembling a mob within miles of the Capitol to stop the steal of that election, and then directing that roused mob straight at the Capitol, which they subsequently invaded. Advertisement That was not the point of this defense, though. Rather, it was to give Republican senators a plausible path towards exonerating Trump by being able to point at the other side and grunt Democrats bad too, see. It seemed to work out, with multiple Republican senators firming in their position to acquit Trump. Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, for instance, praised the defense counsel presentation as the best of what Ive heard so far because it was succinct and demonstrated that House managers had showed edited clips of Trump rather than his whole speech (which of course would have harmed the succinctness of their own presentation). Even Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has repeatedly signaled that she might vote to convict the former president, lauded the defense counsels performance as very organized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Olympic-level exhibition of whataboutism had its intended effect as the question-and-answer session got underway, with most Republican senators asking red-blue questions defending Trump and attacking the House impeachment managers and various Democrats, such as Vice President Kamala Harris. One moment cut through the noise, though, and it came from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who asked the most simple and critical question of the day: Prosecutors have stated over and over again that President Trump was perpetrating a big lie when he repeatedly claimed that the election was stolen from him and that he actually won the election by a landslide. Are the prosecutors right when they claim that Trump was telling a big lie, or in your judgment did Trump actually win the election? Advertisement After a day of Trumps attorneys pandering to the ex-president with belligerent and self-pitying messaging on his behalf, Sanders was pointing at his sorest spot. Would Trumps team endorse the ex-presidents message that led to the violent storming of the Capitol, the deaths of four participants, the killing of a police officer, the suicide of two other officers, and the injuries of more than 100 others, and which nearly led to a bloodbath of elected officials and journalists? Trump attorney Michael van der Veen reacted by indignantly wondering who had asked the question, getting into a back-and-forth with Sanders, and refusing to answer. Heres video of the Senate clerk asking Sanders question and van der Veen confronting Sanders: Advertisement Bernie Sanders asks if Trump's lawyers actually believe the election was stolen from him. van der Veen answers by heaping scorn on Bernie Sanders and dodging the question. pic.twitter.com/8ZQmMvrSSB Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 12, 2021 My judgment here is irrelevant to this proceeding, van der Veen said, refusing to acknowledge Trumps defeat. After an uproar in the Senate gallery over van der Veens non-answer, Sen. Pat Leahy, the presiding officer, restored order and allowed the defense counsel to continue. Advertisement Advertisement Van der Veen went on to again state that his opinion of whether or not Trumps repeated lie about the stolen election was true or not was irrelevant. van der Veen refuses to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the election legitimately pic.twitter.com/OScB9BQthk Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 12, 2021 Advertisement In my judgment its irrelevant to the question before this body, Van der Veen repeated. Whats relevant in this impeachment article is: Were Mr. Trumps words inciteful to the point of violence and riot. Thats the charge, thats the question, and the answer is no, he did not have speech that was inciteful to violence and riot. Trumps big liea claim that he had won the election in a landslide, and the Republic was going to be stolen from his followers unless they actedis directly relevant to whether or not he incited the attack on the Capitol. Stacey Plaskett, the House manager and delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, made this precise point near the end of the proceedings. As she said: This is all connected. Were talking about free speech? This was a pattern and practice of months of activity. That is the incitement. That is the incitement. The activity he was engaged in for months before Jan. 6, not just the speech he gave on Jan. 6. All of it in its totality is a dereliction of duty of the president of the United States against the people who elected him. All of the people of this country. Trumps attorneys insisted on focusing on the question of whether the text of his remarks the day of the attackto the mob he had recruited and invitedcan be proven to have incited them. They refused to answer for the months of lies and exhortations to supporters to stop the steal that culminated in the violent invasion of the Capitol. Trump refused to show up to testify in his own defense of those months of repeating the big lie. And Republican senators remain on course to ensure that Trump is exonerated for the violence he caused. French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen looked bewildered during a debate this week as she was accused by a Macron ally of being 'too soft' on Islam. Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said her efforts to rebrand the National Rally party had led to a watering down of her hardline position that would 'disappoint' her base. Le Pen responded by defending the rights of Muslims to practice and confirmed she 'does not intend to attack Islam, which is a religion like any other'. That the far-right candidate was facing accusations of being too liberal left even Le Pen visibly stunned. French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen looked bewildered during a debate this week as she was accused by a Macron ally of being 'too soft' on Islam The debate broadcast on French TV saw the opening salvos fired in a hotly contested election to be fought next year. Le Pen and incumbent President Macron are expected to face off in the final round of voting and have been trading the lead in polls, which put them miles ahead of their nearest rivals. Tackling extremism is seen as a touchstone issue in the election and comes as ministers plan tougher measures over religious associations and homeschooling. During Thursday's debate, Darmanin said: In her attempts to rehabilitate [her party], Ms Le Pen has gone a bit soft... you need to take some vitamins, you're not tough enough here.' He added: 'If I understand you right, you're prepared to not even legislate on religion, and you say that Islam is not even a problem. 'You've gone quite far, it's going to disappoint quite a lot of your voters I imagine. Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said her efforts to rebrand the National Rally party had led to a watering down of her hardline position that would 'disappoint' her base Le Pen responded by defending the rights of Muslims to practice and confirmed she 'does not intend to attack Islam, which is a religion like any other' Le Pen responded: Yes I can confirm that I don't intend to attack Islam, which is a religion like any other. 'And, because I am strongly attached to our French values, I want to conserve total freedom of religion. That's my opinion.' She hit out at the government's plan to crack down on homeschooling - which ministers point to as a breeding ground for extremism - and instead pointed to her own proposals such as banning headscarfs for all in public and tighter migration controls. Le Pen has led France's most prominent far-right party since 2011, when she took the reins from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. After losing the presidential run-off in 2017 to Macron and his newly formed En Marche! party, Le Pen changed the name of National Front to National Rally. Her anti-EU and anti-immigration firebrand populism now could finally see her win the race for the Elysee Palace. This week she was in court facing allegations of spreading hate by publicising the images of James Foley, an American journalist who was murdered by the terrorist group in 2014. She denied breaking hate speech laws by tweeting 'monstrous' pictures of the ISIS atrocities in a trial she slammed as a politically motivated attempt to silence her. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Law enforcers detained several people in the Makhachkala village of Tarki who were trying to initiate riots. According to the representative of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs, earlier in the settlement, within the framework of operational and preventive measures, police officers arrived, and a group of local residents came to meet them. "After the explanatory conversation, all those present dispersed," TASS quotes the official as saying. Earlier it was reported that in January, as a result of a mass brawl, a resident of Dagestan was killed in the village. A criminal case was initiated on the fact. A suspect has been arrested. Former First Minister Peter Robinson has told unionists calling for the scrapping of Protocol 16 to either "suck it up" or resist and bring down Stormont. He also took aim at the DUP's five-point plan suggesting, a tougher approach was needed. "One lesson learned after decades of dealing with governments is that they dont yield unless life has become uncomfortable," he wrote. "Statements and speeches will not turn them nor, frankly, will petitions and debates (though I do not dismiss their worth as part of a campaign.) "But if this is all that is on offer, then unionists should sue for the best improvements they can get." Read More The ex-DUP leader hit out at the Irish government and EU's insistence that no changes will be made to the protocol, telling unionists they could not oppose it at the same time as being part of an administration that implements it. The UK Government has also reiterated its commitment to the protocol. In an article for the News Letter on Friday, Mr Robinson said only decisive action by unionists was likely to extract any significant changes to the protocol. He set out that unionists effectively face two options: learning to live with the new arrangements or collapsing Stormont's power-sharing institutions. His comments have been welcomed by TUV leader Jim Allister who said the DUP needs to heed Mr Robinson's advice, adding that "destabilising Stormont and its north/south institutions is a necessary and legitimate tactic." Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and the European Commission's vice president have reiterated their "full commitment" to the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol following crisis talks in London on Thursday evening. The protocol requires regulatory and customs checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but it has caused disruption to trade since it came into force on January 1, with various grace periods in operation. Unionist have called on the UK to trigger a mechanism within the protocol - Article 16 - which enables the Government to unilaterally suspend aspects it deems are causing economic, societal or environmental problems. First Minister Arlene Foster restated her demand for the instrument to be ditched after the UK and EU reiterated their "full commitment" to the new arrangements. "Northern Ireland needs freed from the protocol," she tweeted. "We must have unfettered trade between GB & NI. It's time for the Government to step up & protect this part of the United Kingdom with permanent solutions, not sticking plasters. EU must recognise the absence of unionist support." Unionist demands for Article 16 to be activated intensified since the EU indicated it was to trigger the mechanism - though it swiftly backtracked - amid its efforts to restrict the export of Covid vaccines out of the bloc. Mr Robinson said it was "becoming obvious to those who are trying to operate within the new Brexit arrangement is that they are not working and are not satisfactory. Change for operational reasons alone is needed." "Yet, for unionists it is the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol on our constitutional position that cries out for change," he added. Highlighting the problems on trade between GB and Northern Ireland, he said "we are increasingly being treated as separate and distinct from the rest of the kingdom, the more unionist discontent will grow". "At present only the pandemic is suppressing the outpouring of frustration and the protests that accompany that dissatisfaction," he added. "How infuriating it is to hear people, some of whom should know better, recite the mantra that a land border on the island of Ireland would have been a breach of the Belfast Agreement. "While they struggle to show where in the agreement such a stipulation exists, they, at most, rely on the scrawny defence that it is contrary to the spirit of the agreement." He added: "Naturally they ignore the equally valid truth that a border in the Irish Sea is contrary to the spirit of the agreement." Referring to emergency powers granted to Garda which enables Irish police officers to fine motorists crossing the border in breach of Covid restrictions, Mr Robinson insisted it was "laughable" about all the "faux-anxiety and posturing about not having a border on the island now appears". Outlining the options open to unionists, he continued: "Its quite simple really either suck it up in its present or minimally changed form or resist it". Insisting a "longer grace period" will not "soothe the tension within unionism", he added: "If there is the stomach for defiance then, in truth, you cannot try to ditch the protocol and administer it at the same time. "How comfortable are unionists with that and the consequences that may flow from it? Pointing out the potential consequences of bringing down power sharing, which he said, is a "choice [that] may have to be made", he asked: "Is the scrapping of the protocol more important than the continued operation of the Assembly? "How would the collapse of the Executive impact on the fight against Covid and its plethora of variants and mutations? "Alternatively, can those opposed to the Northern Ireland Protocol gain a majority in the Assembly and withhold the democratic consent required under Article 18? Acknowledging that an outbreak of violence linked to a campaign to ditch the protocol "would be hugely damaging", he insisted what is needed is a "pan-unionist response that all unionist parties can support. The inclination to out-do or criticise others who have the same objective must be overcome". "But the greatest danger is allowing drift and dither to become the strategy," he added. On Thursday, Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin said both sides "need to dial down the rhetoric" on the protocol and said there were bound to be teething issues. However, Mr Allister said in a statement that the protocol "still remains a direct assault on our position in the UK", stressing that those with the "position of governmental power in unionism have, sadly, been administrating the protocol while claiming it oppose it". "That is an untenable position which cannot be taken remotely seriously... As Peter Robinson said you cannot credibly urge the ditching of the Protocol while administering it at the same time. A choice must be made." He added: "Our East/West relations have been trashed by a calculated assault on our constitutional position as part of the United Kingdom. 60pc of the laws governing our economy are made not in London or Belfast but in Brussels. This transfer of sovereignty is a constitutional issue of immense significance. This is an intolerable situation but Unionist concerns will only ever be taken seriously if there is a threat to something which matters more to London than the Protocol. What is that, if it is not Stormont? So destabilising Stormont and its north/south institutions is a necessary and legitimate tactic. The TUV leader continued: Yes, it may well be a choice between Stormont and the Protocol, as Peter Robison has put it. We must make the PM face that choice. I believe many grassroots Unionists have recognised the threat which the creation of an all-Ireland economy and the sea border between us and the rest of the nation is to our position in the United Kingdom. "Preserving our Britishness and the integrity of the UK should matter more to Unionist politicians than Stormont, if operating the Protocol is its price. Now, is the time to act in defence of the Union. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena corporators have demanded that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) file a defamation suit against a popular radio jockey and a local FM channel for allegedly making fun of the civic body in a video over the bad condition of city roads. The BMC has also issued a notice to RJ Malishka, working with a private FM channel in Mumbai, after mosquitoes were found breeding at her house in suburban Bandra. Yuva Sena members and corporators Sadanand Sarvankar and Amey Ghole, in a joint letter to the BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta yesterday, demanded that a Rs 500 crore defamation suit be filed against the channel. The radio channel and its RJ Malishka have knowingly targeted the BMC to tarnish its image for problems that are not under its jurisdiction, Sarvankar alleged while talking to PTI. Everyone knows that the maintenance and supervision of the big roads like Eastern Express Highway and Western Express Highway is the responsibility of the state government agencies. But the RJ, in her video, has portrayed that the BMC is responsible for all the potholes (on the citys roads), he said. He alleged that the video has not only maligned the image of Mumbai and the BMC, but has also shaken the confidence of thousands of BMC employees who work hard to keep the city free from water-logging during the rains. Another corporator, Amey Ghole, said the BMC chief has assured them of appropriate steps over the issue. We hope that the BMCs legal department will swing into action, Ghole said. RJ Malishka was featured in a 1.23-minute-long video footage, titled Mumbai tula BMC var bharosa nai ka (Mumbai, dont you have faith in BMC) in Marathi and uploaded on YouTube. In the footage, she purportedly poked fun at the bad state of roads filled with potholes in the city as well as the delays in suburban train schedules. She is purportedly seen taking a dig at the BMC and other authorities over the issues related to the problems of traffic jams during the rains. The BMC, meanwhile, has served a notice to the RJ alleging that mosquitoes were found to be breeding at her flat in Pali Hill area of Bandra. We have served a notice to RJ Malishka under section 381-B of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act for the mosquito breeding at her house on the 6th floor of a building at Pali Naka in Bandra, a BMC official said. During a routine inspection, our team found Aedes mosquitoes breeding in a clay bowl kept under a pot as well as indoor breeding in the pots of plants, he said. The notice has been served to the RJs mother. The RJ could not be reached for her comments on the issue. Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, however, termed the civic bodys action to serve notice to the RJ as unfair. Completely unfair that authorities turn up at @mymalishkas house and find faults. Spoke to BMC Commissioner & ward officers to bring peace, Shelar tweeted. Congress MLA Nitesh Rane said he stands behind the RJ, who is like a sister to him. For all the Latest Viral News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. L.A. Vaccination Sites To Close Friday, Saturday Due To Exhausted Supply The Dodger Stadium mass vaccination site and Los Angeles four other city-run sites will be closed Friday and Saturday because the city will have exhausted its supply of first-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, Mayor Eric Garcetti said today. The sites will reopen when the city receives more vaccines, possibly Tuesday or Wednesday, Garcetti said. The city has administered 293,252 doses, 98% of its supply, Garcetti said during his COVID-19 briefing Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT Were vaccinating people faster than new vials are arriving here in Los Angeles, and Im very concerned right now, Garcetti said. The city received 16,000 new doses of vaccines this week, while it is administering an average of 13,051 doses per day. By tomorrow, this city will have exhausted its current supply of the Moderna vaccine for first-dose appointments, Garcetti said. Garcetti urged federal and state agencies to send vaccines to Los Angeles, and said if the city has the supply, it will be able to complete 5 million vaccinations by July. Im hoping that theres some federal official out there, some state official who tonight got the good news that some more doses are on their way someplace and tell us `Hey, you dont have to go dark on Friday, you dont have to go dark on Saturday, Garcetti said. Because if we get that news tomorrow, well have that rocking and rolling at Dodger Stadium and the four other sites for the rest of the week. ADVERTISEMENT Garcetti said the citys successes setting up the nations largest vaccination site and administering 98% of its vaccine supply should be reason for more vaccines to be sent. Garcetti also said it wasnt clear why the city received so few doses this week. Doesnt mean we havent asked, doesnt mean the state isnt trying. But you know the federal government is saying 11 million doses are going out there, theres something screwed up in the system, Garcetti said. Im not pointing fingers, Im here to help, but I need everybody to help me too so that we arent put in that position of suddenly going dark on the biggest vaccination center in the world. While the citys five sites will be closed, the new mobile vaccination clinics will continue to administer first doses on Friday and Saturday. The mobile vaccination pilot program begin in Council District 8 last week and administered more than 1,700 shots, over two-thirds of which went to Black Angelenos, Garcetti said. The programs capacity was doubled this week as it was expanded into Council District 9, and Garcetti expects the capacity to triple next week with the addition of the citys third mobile unit in the eastside of Los Angeles in Council District 14. Even with fewer vaccines and having to shut down Dodger Stadium, we will keep those going this week because we cant afford to see the outbreaks and quite frankly the unequal deaths that were seeing in communities of color, Garcetti said. Planned Parenthood worker warns kids claiming trans identity are being used as cash cows Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Planned Parenthood employee is speaking out against the organization's practices of dispensing cross-sex hormones to trans-identifying teenagers, particularly distressed girls. The staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recounted in an interview with journalist Abigail Shrier how she felt morally conflicted about the volume of young people coming into the clinic claiming a transgender identity and yet showed signs of emotional and mental health issues. She also expressed great concern over the speed at which they were being prescribed cross-sex hormones, such as testosterone. The young clients were prescribed hormones with almost no examination of their underlying problems, and medical oversight was practically nonexistent, the staffer alleged. The Planned Parenthood employee, who said she's fully supportive of abortion rights, noted that abortions were the bread and butter" for clinics. But now, she said, trans-identifying kids are cash cows, and they are kept on the hook for the foreseeable future in terms of follow-up appointments, bloodwork, meetings, etc., whereas abortions are (hopefully) a one-and-done situation. Shrier is a Wall Street Journal op-ed contributor and author of the book, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, an investigative work released last year that examines why, for the first time in approximately 100 years of diagnostic history, the vast majority of young people diagnosed with gender dysphoria are teenage girls. Until recently, this extremely rare condition was almost exclusively seen in young boys. That an abortion provider is now in the business of dispensing cross-sex hormones to teens is not a surprise to right-to-life advocates who attribute the development to a broader destructive agenda. "The culture of deaths chief proponent, Planned Parenthood, has no problem putting profits over people," said Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, in an email to the Christian Post. "For years, they have exploited women and killed unborn babies for the sake of making money. They have denied the scientific fact that abortion takes the life of an unborn child. And so, it shouldnt shock anyone that once again, Planned Parenthood is willing to put profits over people." The abortion giant has recognized that if they can get a teenager to start hormones, they will keep coming back to their clinic, and with each visit, the profits will grow, she added. "Once again, Planned Parenthood is willing to deny scientific facts only this time, they are denying that a child with XX chromosomes is a girl, and a child with XY chromosomes is a boy. This isnt much of a stretch for an organization that profits off denying a human being is a person who inherently has the right to life," Szoch said. "Planned Parenthood began as a eugenic, profits-driven organization that exploited the vulnerable. Their current status as one of the largest providers of cross-sex hormones to females seeking medical gender transition is simply proof that their mission to spread the culture of death hasnt changed," she reiterated. While Shrier was unable to obtain the figures as to how much money Planned Parenthood is making from selling cross-sex hormones, the drugs linked to the medicalization of gender are nevertheless contributing to their bottom line, she stressed. The organization hasn't hidden its advocacy for "gender-affirming" care and boasts in its public messaging of being a leading provider of such services. The Planned Parenthood employee added that, based on her recollection, many girls went in with their peer groups, and one to two girls went to the clinic each day to pick up cross-sex hormones. With one exception, she reported never seeing anyone being denied access to cross-sex hormones. One of the boys who did confess that he smoked so much weed that he was doubling up on his estrogen We did end up ceasing his therapy until he saw I think it was like a substance abuse counselor or something like that. But other than that, we never turned away anybody," she told Shrier. When asked if the clinic staff ever expressed reservations about the manner in which hormones were being prescribed to girls and whether it was the best course of treatment for their issues, the Planned Parenthood staffer replied: "Yeah. Every day. She added: I mean, it would be one of those things that would be a conversation among professionals. You know, were nodding our heads, were doing this thing. And then we clock out at the end of the day because we cannot bring it up in discussion with management or the clinic directors or anything because they have these directives from administrators upstate. Her account of the relative ease with which young people are able to acquire cross-sex hormones dovetails with previous CP reporting wherein a 57-year-old mother went undercover into a Planned Parenthood clinic in Washington state, claimed to be transgender, and was given a prescription for testosterone with few questions asked. Weeks before this mother went undercover by posing as a gender dysphoric person seeking cross-sex hormones, the woman's 18-year-old daughter, who has a developmental delay, was also prescribed testosterone by Planned Parenthood. "I was pretty sure her doctors wouldn't do this given her mental health and physical health challenges and her mild learning disability," the mother said to CP. Under Planned Parenthood's informed consent model, all that is required for patients who come into their locations is for them to sign a document saying that they understand the risks. Planned Parenthood is thus not considered legally liable for any harmful and lasting effects. In 2015, the FDA released a safety announcement that warned: "Prescription testosterone products are approved only for men who have low testosterone levels caused by certain medical conditions. The benefit and safety of these medications have not been established for the treatment of low testosterone levels due to aging, even if a mans symptoms seem related to low testosterone." "FDA has concluded that there is a possible increased cardiovascular risk associated with testosterone use. ... Some studies reported an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or death associated with testosterone treatment, while others did not." Federal regulations additionally require manufacturers of approved testosterone products to conduct clinical trials to address whether an increased risk of heart attack or stroke exists among users of those products. The mother told CP that she was prescribed the same dose of testosterone as her daughter. "This whole thing is maddening, and I don't know what can be done about it," she said, adding that she had written to five different organizations to alert them about what Planned Parenthood is doing. CP called the regional Planned Parenthood in the Pacific Northwest at the time and inquired about the side effects of cross-sex hormones, especially given scientific literature showing that the prefrontal cortex of the brain isn't fully developed until around age 25. The Planned Parenthood representative said that sounded like "smoke coming out of nowhere," and brain development was inconsequential to starting gender transition hormones. South Carolina has the lowest number in the nation of coronavirus vaccines delivered to its residents, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers, which the CDC updated Friday afternoon, show the Palmetto State with 16,061 doses delivered for every 100,000 residents. No other state or territory has such a low rate. The state fares slightly better in administration rates. Six states Rhode Island, Kansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri and Alabama have delivered more vaccines than S.C. but have lower administration numbers. State Department of Health and Environmental Control spokewsoman Laura Renwick said the state's plan to vaccinate long-term care facility residents and staff has impacted the numbers. "South Carolina dedicated the full amount of doses needed up-front, sort of in a savings bank, for Walgreens and CVS to draw from as they vaccinate our long-term care facility residents and staff," Renwick told The Post and Courier. "Those roughly 120,000 doses in the state's LTC savings bank haven't physically entered the state yet and therefore aren't reflected in this "doses delivered" metric. Statewide numbers New cases reported: 1,561 confirmed, 402 probable. Total cases in S.C.: 423,711 confirmed, 59,429 probable. Percent positive: 6.4 percent. New deaths reported: 13 confirmed, 5 probable. Total deaths in S.C.: 7,072 confirmed, 839 probable. Percent of ICU beds filled: 78.7 percent. How does S.C. rank in vaccines administered per 100,000 people? 44th as of Feb. 12, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! Hardest-hit areas In the total number of newly confirmed cases, Greenville, Richland and Spartanburg counties saw the highest totals. What about the tri-county? Charleston County had 106 new cases on Feb. 13, while Berkeley counted 51 and Dorchester saw 35. Deaths One of the new confirmed deaths reported was a patient aged 35 to 64, with the remainder of the patients age 65 and older. Hospitalizations Of the 1,302 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Feb. 13, 301 were in the ICU and 174 were using ventilators. What do experts say? The CDC encourages folks to continue to wear a mask, avoid crowds, stay 6 feet from others and avoid poorly ventilated spaces. Dr. Linda Bell, DHEC's chief epidemiologist, said now is not the time to relax these prevention measures. The CDC released guidance recommending that wearing two well-fitting masks on top of each other enhances their effectiveness. People who are out and about in the community are recommended to be tested for COVID-19 once a month or sooner if they develop symptoms or have been around someone who has tested positive for the virus. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Restrictive measures applied to hospitality and other business sectors vary according to the region of Spain, as also does the level of financial aid. The spokesperson for a nationwide restaurant group says that there is confusion and that the situation is "baffling" for consumers. The different restrictions have an impact on a variety of issues, such as supplies and advertising. Hosteleria de Espana, the national confederation of bars, restaurants, cafes and pubs, estimates that the crisis will lead to a loss of a third of all establishments - from some 300,000 to 200,000. It is calling for a package of direct aid amounting to 8,500 million euros to support a sector which before the crisis contributed 6.2% of national GDP and employed 1.7 million people. The different approaches to aid given by regional governments, as opposed to the Spanish government, mean that this aid ranges from 500 euros to 25,000 euros. Cantabria is making 500 or 1,000 euros available per establishment, while in Navarre there is a maximum limit of 25,000. In Asturias, Catalonia and Galicia, the aid ranges between 1,500 and 9,000 euros. In the Basque Country it is 3,000 to 4,000; Murcia 3,000 to 10,000. The Balearic government has so far committed to 1,500 euros per month until March. Aragon provides 1,000 euros for bars and 3,000 euros for nightlife. For the self-employed, Andalusia has a single payment of 1,000 euros, whereas La Rioja has a range of aid between 2,000 and 24,000 euros, which also includes small to medium-sized businesses. Castile-La Mancha has set aside 60 million euros, the Canaries 165 million, Valencia 160 million. The Proud Boys are having a rough time. The self-described "Western chauvinist" drinking club has long been a refuge for white supremacists, anti-Semites and assorted extremists seeking a veneer of legitimacy. But in the wake of the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last month, the group is in some disarray, as state chapters disavow the group's chairman and leaders bicker in public and in private about what direction to take the Proud Boys in. Proud Boys chairman Henry Tarrio, who goes by Enrique, was arrested days before the Capitol riot and charged with two federal weapons charges. Three weeks later, Tarrio was outed as a longtime FBI informant, a role he has now admitted to. The news about the Proud Boys leader came as other members of the group were arrested for their involvement in the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Then, on Feb. 3, Canada designated the Proud Boys as a domestic terrorist group. More: 5 charged with conspiracy in Capitol riots; at least 2 associated with Proud Boys leaders The barrage of controversy, discord and betrayal seems to have been too much for at least three state chapters of the Proud Boys, who used the messaging app Telegram to denounce Tarrio and proclaim their independence from central Proud Boy leadership. That raises questions about the future of the group, and also has experts concerned about more radical factions of the Proud Boys, or a newly-branded gang, emerging. "We do not recognize the assumed authority of any national Proud Boy leadership including the Chairman, the Elders, or any subsequent governing body that is formed to replace them until such a time we may choose to consent to join those bodies of government," read an announcement on a website connected to the Alabama chapter of the Proud Boys. The same sentiment was shared on Telegram by Proud Boys chapters in Indiana and Oklahoma. "They're radioactive now," said Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the One People's Project, who has been exposing far-right extremists for three decades. "Any air of respectability is gone. They can no longer say that they were being misrepresented by the liberal media as extremists, because people are now looking at them and just saying, 'You're dirty.'" Story continues Jared Holt, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab who studies extremism, agreed. He noted that the most popular Telegram channel used by members of the Proud Boys was recently renamed, removing the Proud Boys moniker altogether. "The Telegram channel dropping the name, different chapters breaking off from the national leadership, it all speaks to a rift thats occurring in the Proud Boys," Holt said. "That brand has become too toxic." Tarrio did not respond to calls for comment. More: Proud Boys suspects face most serious capitol charges Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right group, is seen at a "Stop the Steal" rally against the results of the U.S. Presidential election outside the Georgia State Capitol on Nov. 18, 2020, in Atlanta. Where will departing Proud Boys go? Experts who monitor the Proud Boys agreed the group is undergoing the sort of transition that happens to most hate groups at some point. "Extremist groups very frequently split, or people will abandon these groups when the leadership behaves in ways that aren't in keeping with the stated values of the organization," said Brian Hughes, associate director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University. "Those splits are inevitable because exploitation, abuse and informing to law enforcement just go with the territory." The question now is where members of the Proud Boys will go. Proud Boys chapters that have so far denounced Tarrio have not completely turned away from the group. They say they will operate as independent Proud Boys organizations that won't take orders from a central leadership. But different personalities within those chapters represent radically different versions of how the Proud Boys brand might survive and morph into the future. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the leader of the breakaway Proud Boys chapter in Indiana, William Brien James, is a longtime violent white supremacist who co-founded a neo-Nazi drinking club in 2003. In an interview, James claimed he left the white supremacist movement 10 years ago, but Jenkins and other experts doubt his sincerity. "I'm watching that guy really closely," Jenkins said. 'We are coming for them': Feds charge West Coast Proud Boys leader in Capitol riot The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally Aug. 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. In St, Louis, the Proud Boys chapter leader Michael Lasater said his group wants to get back what he said were the founding principles of the Proud Boys: "brotherhood and beer." The St. Louis Proud Boys are still figuring out where they stand vis-a-vis Tarrio and central leadership, Lasater said, but they want to get away from the "political stuff" rallies and street brawls with Black Lives Matter and anti-fascist activists. Jenkins, who has watched extremist groups fragment and reform many times over the years, said he expects more radicalized groups to emerge from the breakup of the Proud Boys. While some people will leave the movement, he predicted the core members will keep reinventing themselves into ever-more-nuanced versions of the same fundamental concept. "The critical mass will stay the same," Jenkins said. "Its still the same people with the same motivations and same agenda, and thats why we will continue to follow them." Whitewashing their past The schism within the Proud Boys likely doesn't just represent a lack of faith in Tarrio or a desire to change the group's direction, said Amarnath Amarasingam, associate fellow at the Global Network on Extremism and Technology. He believes it also reveals a sense of fear within the organization. "Jan. 6 was a major turning point," Amarasingam said. "Seeing their friends getting arrested will have been a major shock to the system for people who just wanted to go out and get drunk and brawl." In the wake of the clampdown on the Proud Boys, its members have a vested interest in whitewashing their past, Jenkins said. The last few months have revealed the Proud Boys for what they really are, Jenkins said: a dangerous, largely racist domestic hate group masquerading as a bunch of guys who just want to get drunk, say edgy things and have fun. The concept of "Western chauvinism" is really just code a dog whistle to other white supremacists, he said. "They werent really ever fooling anyone, but now everybody sees what weve been talking about," Jenkins said. The Proud Boys were seen wearing kilts made by LGBTQ-owned clothing company Verillas. Here's how the company responded. So, when members of the Proud Boys post messages denouncing Tarrio or the direction the gang has taken, that likely also represents an effort to distance themselves from an organization that is now squarely in the sights of law enforcement and anti-fascist activists. Chapter presidents can argue they want to break away to return to their original mission as a drinking club, but experts on extremism aren't buying it. Hughes said there's only one true exit strategy for Proud Boys who find themselves in an organization whose values they don't endorse: Leave the movement entirely, just as thousands of neo-Nazis, skinheads and assorted extremists have done for decades before them. "These groups are chock-a-block full of power struggles, petty tyrants and snitches," Hughes said. "That said, there's always hope for people. When you look around yourself and you see that you're surrounded by these would-be fuhrers, who don't actually have any principles beyond their own aggrandizement, well maybe that's an opportunity for people to start checking themselves." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Proud Boys splinter after Capitol riot, Enrique Tarrio revelations Italys Draghi Takes Office, Faces Daunting Challenges ROMEMario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, was sworn in as prime minister on Saturday to lead a unity government that has to steer Italy out of the coronavirus crisis and an economic slump. All but one of Italys major parties have rallied to his side and his cabinet includes lawmakers from across the political spectrum, as well as technocrats in key posts, including the finance ministry and a new green transition portfolio. Much now rests on Draghis shoulders. He is tasked with plotting Italys recovery from the pandemic and must immediately set to work on plans for how to spend more than 200 billion euros ($240 billion) in European Union funding aimed at rebuilding the recession-bound economy. Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi stand with the governments new cabinet ministers after their swearing-in ceremony, at the Quirinale Presidential Palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 13, 2021. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters, Pool) If he prevails, Draghi will likely bolster the entire eurozone, which has long fretted over Italys perennial problems. Success would also prove to Romes skeptical northern allies that by offering funds to the poorer south, the entire bloc can be fortified. Your experience will be an exceptional asset for Italy and Europe as a whole, especially in these difficult times, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter, one of numerous leaders to send their best wishes. Italy is mired in its worst downturn since World War Two, hundreds of people are still dying of COVID-19 each day, the vaccination campaign is going slowly and he only has limited time to sort things out. Italy is due to return to the polls in two years time, but it is far from certain that Draghi will be able to survive that long at the head of a coalition that includes parties with radically opposing views on issues such as immigration, justice, infrastructure development, and welfare. Highlighting the political instability, Draghis government is the 67th to take office since 1946 and the seventh in the last decade alone. Cabinet Mix Italys President Sergio Mattarella asked him to take over after the previous coalition collapsed amid party infighting. Draghi has spent the past 10 days drawing up his plans and unveiled on Friday his 23-strong cabinet, which included eight women. The ministers, all wearing face masks, were sworn in one-by-one in a frescoed room in the Quirinal Palace before heading over to government headquarters for their first cabinet meeting. Draghi told them their priority was to safeguard the country and urged them to lay aside their rivalries and work as one, ANSA news agency reported. Eight of the ministries went to technocrats, with the rest split amongst the six main parties that back the governmentfour for the 5-Star Movement, the largest group in parliament, three each for the Democratic Party, the League, and Forza Italia, and one apiece for Italia Viva and LEU. As finance minister, Draghi called on an old colleague, Daniele Franco, the deputy governor of the Bank of Italy, while the sensitive job of justice minister was handed to the former head of the constitutional court, Marta Cartabia. He also looked outside the political sphere for two new rolestechnological innovation, which was entrusted to the former head of telecoms firm Vodafone, Vittorio Colao, and ecological transition, given to physicist Roberto Cingolani. These twin positions play into demands by the EU that a sizeable chunk of its recovery fund should be used to promote the digitalization of the continent and to shift away from a dependence on fossil fuels. Draghi, a reserved figure who has no profile on social media platforms, will unveil his program in the upper house of parliament on Wednesday and the lower house on Thursday. Confidence votes will be held in both chambers and with just the far-right Brothers of Italy outside the cabinet, he looks likely to win the biggest majority in Italian history. However, some members of the 5-Star Movement, which was created in 2009 as an anti-system, anti-euro protest group, have said they might vote against Draghi, threatening a party schism. By Crispian Balmer When Hurricane Katrina pushed more than 14 feet of storm surge across Lake Pontchartrain, John Lopez and his wife lost everything in their north shore home. Literally, our house was gone, he said. Yet he still had his copy of what would eventually be the roadmap for Louisiana's first comprehensive plan to save its coastline, a 50-year, $50 billion effort now underway to keep the southern third of the state from washing into the Gulf of Mexico. In the months just before Katrina devastated southeast Louisiana in 2005, Lopez, a longtime coastal scientist, had finalized a simple but visionary approach to protecting the coastal communities from storms. His Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy was the culmination of years of data collection and fine-tuning on his own time, partially born of frustration from his time with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lopez joined the Corps in 2001 while pursuing his doctorate. Before that, he spent 20 years as a geologist in the oil and gas industry. Over time, he had observed that construction of marshes, navigation channels and levees took place in separate worlds, siloed from one another. Engineers didn't see how the disconnected implementation of projects could lead to one undermining the benefit of another, he said. +2 State, Nicholls to build coastal center aimed at studying land loss in southeast Louisiana Plans to build a coastal center at the Louisiana university closest to the state's disappearing shoreline will move forward by the end of this year. His seminal work laid out the need for human-made infrastructure to work in concert with southeast Louisianas natural marshes, trees and ridges. He showed, in simple terms, that the pieces must compliment one another to lower the risk that storm surge posed to a community. By the early 2000s, the New Orleans native had already begun presenting the integrated strategy to public officials - but without much success. Katrina served as a wake-up call, forcing federal and state agencies to reckon with the dire need to change their approach. Now widely accepted, Lopezs strategy underpins the states coastal master plan to restore and protect as much of its sinking shoreline as possible using a mix of green and gray infrastructure. Natalie Snider, who first worked with Lopez when developing a coast-wide version of the Multiple Lines of Defense report, said his tireless pushes for policy change have always been based in facts. "He always follows the science," said Snider, now leading the Environmental Defense Fund's coastal resilience program. "He's educated people, he's changed their minds and he's actually resulted in on-the-ground restoration across the Pontchartrain Basin and even further." The Lopez-led research teams of the 1990s and early 2000s created a "paradigm shift," said former Pontchartrain Conservancy director Carlton Dufrechou. Lopez was hired by the Pontchartrain Conservancy, formerly the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, in 2005, after years of volunteering for the nonprofit. "Hes the Einstein of our coast when it comes to coastal restoration," Dufrechou said. Where researchers such as Sherwood "Woody" Gagliano and Bill Good first documented the state's rapid land loss, it was Lopez's work that sought to provide solutions. "I look at myself as kind of a second-generation scientist in the coastal restoration effort," Lopez said. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Early on, much of what Lopez voiced wasn't popular. He stressed that levees and floodgates weren't enough to block storm surge. While the land loss crisis facing Louisiana was acknowledged, some officials were still ignoring the stakes and the reality that some of the coast couldn't be saved. "That's where it really took courage," Dufrechou said. "He had the guts to stand behind it when we were in front of many folks of influence and power." +2 $3 billion Morganza to the Gulf levee to get first $12.5 million from federal government On its way out the door, President Donald Trump's administration has finally turned on a long-awaited spigot of federal dollars to begin payin Lopez recalled a conversation with Scott Angelle, secretary of Natural Resources during Gov. Kathleen Blanco's administration, after one of the first post-Katrina coastal meetings. Angelle asked how Louisiana could implement his strategy. "I said we've got to merge together coastal restoration and flood protection into one office," Lopez said. "We now take it for granted, but that was not the world before Katrina." Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority formed in December that year. To Lopez, its creation was "an essential change." He also worked with other advocates for years to force the closure of the controversial Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. That navigation channel, dammed in 2009, had funneled a wall of Katrina water into New Orleans East and St. Bernard Parish, where many of the storm's 1,833 dead were found. Mentor to others Beyond discovering active fault lines running through Lake Pontchartrain and planting the first cypress tree on land built by the Caenarvon freshwater diversion, Lopez has served as a mentor to many in the coastal and geological field. Though, he said he wasn't trying to be. Nevertheless, former Pontchartrain Conservancy colleagues such as Executive Director Kristi Trail and Michael Hopkins, assistant director for coast and community, said the depths of Lopez's knowledge and abundance of patience made him an ideal teacher. "His extensive knowledge and passion for the area is not replaceable," Trail said. Hopkins pointed to his mentor's willingness to "weave the threads" of the coast's story and contextualize the problems at hand. Lopez resigned his position at the Pontchartrain Conservancy in January, however. He said he is stepping back to breathe and focus on the big picture. While he plans to continue pursuing coastal interests and possibly do some consulting, his main goal is to give himself space to do what he does best think differently. "A lot of work has been done, and I've been engaged with it continuously," he said. "I'm trying to get my head around where I think we are now and maybe that will lead to some new ideas." CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Lopez has retired. Kourtney Kardashian is one of the worlds most famous reality stars, a woman who has been in the spotlight since 2007. The eldest sibling in the large, rambunctious Kardashian-Jenner clan, Kourtney Kardashian is often referred to by fans as the most natural sister, or the one who is the most invested in living in a healthy lifestyle. With the recent announcement that Keeping Up with the Kardashians will be going off the air, fans are looking to Kourtney Kardashians story and the unique way that she managed her upbringing including how she might view her parents divorce differently than her siblings do. Kourtney Kardashian is the only sister to go to college Kourtney Kardashian in 2011 | Johnny Nunez/WireImage RELATED: How did Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick Meet? Kourtney Kardashian was born in California in 1979. Raised by Robert Kardashian, a prominent lawyer who became famous for his role in the OJ Simpson criminal trial, and Kris Jenner (then Kris Kardashian), young Kourtney Kardashian had the best of everything as a child. Her father was very successful in his chosen profession, and Kourtney Kardashian and her sisters were exposed to fabulous wealth. Kourtney Kardashian attended high school in California, but after she graduated, she decided to move to Dallas, Texas, in order to enroll in Southern Methodist University. She went to that university for two years but ultimately transferred to the University of Arizona, which is where she earned her bachelors degree in Theatre Arts. Kourtney Kardashian also received a minor in Spanish, making her the only one of her siblings to graduate from college. Kourtney Kardashians parents divorced in 1991 Check out the items our Poosh team is loving this monthhttps://t.co/3U1u9t4uoG Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) February 3, 2021 RELATED: The Surprising Foods Kourtney Kardashian Allows Her Kids to Eat Although Kourtney Kardashian seemingly had a charmed early life, she experienced some trauma early on when her parents, Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner, decided to divorce in 1991. That same year, Kourtney Kardashians mother married Caitlyn Jenner (then known as Bruce Jenner) a former Olympic champion and motivational speaker. Caitlyn Jenner had several children of her own, and the family formed a large, blended group. Kourtney Kardashian remained out of the spotlight until the early 2000s when she began working in reality television. She also opened a series of clothing boutiques, along with her mother and sisters. She was shot to fame in 2007 when Keeping Up with the Kardashians debuted on the E! Network. Kourtney Kardashians life would change forever, and while she has shared a lot about her personal history over the years, fans have had to fill in a lot of gaps especially when it comes to how she feels about the circumstances of her parents 1991 divorce. Fans discussed Kourtney Kardashians perception of her parents divorce Tips for feeling more joy, love, and wonder.https://t.co/RnP0FiKfSb Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) January 30, 2021 RELATED: Heres Exactly What Kourtney Kardashian Eats for Breakfast In a recent Reddit thread, fans discussed how Kourtney Kardashian was affected by the divorce of Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Why do I feel like Kourtney knows or saw something that no one else does. Something about her vibe and resentment toward Kris has always been completely different to Kim, Khloe and Robs, one fan posted. The way she is with Kris compared to the way she talks about her Dad who she seems to have a lot more respect for is telling. Also shes the eldest so I feel like she saw a lot when it comes to her parents relationship and she knows something that everyone else doesnt remember or know about but just keeps it to herself instead of bringing up old drama. Another fan posted: I agree but Kourtney is the eldest, so naturally she probably wouldve seen and heard more negativity in the house? Several posters stated that Kardashian could have seen her mother being intimate with other men, which could have changed her perception of her mother. Shes the oldest and was the most aware of things not being right. Its easier for the younger siblings to not remember, a fan stated. Ultimately, no one besides the family knows what went down in the divorce and with the new, lower-key lifestyle that Kourtney Kardashian is turning to, it seems likely that she wont be opening up about it anytime soon. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN Tracy Rayburn, owner of the Crossroads Inn, said it has been difficult to think about reopening her restaurant after the death of her husband and business partner, Thomas Rayburn. I dont even know if I could open without him, Rayburn said. I just feel like half of me is gone. Tom Rayburn, 64, died on Christmas night after being diagnosed with lung cancer three weeks earlier. His wife said he was in good condition until he started radiation, and on Christmas, his tumor ruptured. We were open right until Christmas Eve, and he kept going no matter how crappy he felt, Rayburn said. He cooked us dinner, and he was feeling fine, and then just like that. The restaurant has been closed since his death. Rayburn said her husband did almost everything for the restaurant, and with other challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult to find someone to hire. He did the cooking, he did the ordering, he did the shopping, Rayburn said. He did every single thing for the restaurant, so Im kind of stuck because its hard to find somebody to do all that stuff at a reasonable pay rate. Rayburn has been looking to hire a cook, but she said she has also put the restaurant up for sale in case she cannot find someone. However, it is hard to imagine working with someone else. Thirteen years, we spent 24/7 together, which I never thought wed be able to do, but we did, and we didnt fight, Rayburn said. He was just a great husband and a great father. They had been married since Sept. 8, 1984, and met five years earlier. Tom had been a mechanic for 30 years. He served in the Army as a helicopter mechanic and crew chief in 1974. He could fix anything, Rayburn said. Anything broke, he could fix it. Rayburn said they had both worked in restaurants before, and it was their lifelong dream to own their own place. In 2007, they bought the Crossroads Inn, where they live upstairs. We always wanted to buy a restaurant, Rayburn said. We were living in Jersey, and he found this one up here. We came in and we fell in love with it, so we bought it. Rayburn said she got to know a lot of the customers, who have been very supportive. Most of our customers became friends, because everybody around here is so nice, Rayburn said. Its really sad not seeing them. I worked on the floor every night, so I was always around all the people. Tom, on the other hand, was known to be quiet at first, but he would sometimes talk to customers when he left the kitchen. Everybody knew him for being quiet, but then he would start talking to people, and hed go back in the kitchen, and theyd be like, I didnt know he could talk so much, Rayburn said. They have a son, Thomas TJ Rayburn Jr., 26, and daughter-in-law, Samantha Rayburn, who spent Christmas with them. Rayburn said her son had cooked at the restaurant before and offered to help now, but she did not want him to jeopardize his current job and overwork himself. Other business owners in the community have been organizing a fundraiser, the Winter Wine and Shine Walk on Feb. 27, to promote small businesses and make a donation to Rayburn. Its absolutely overwhelming that they want to do such a nice thing for me, Rayburn said. I have no words for how grateful I am to them to try to help me. The World Health Organization -led team probing the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic was put in a spot after China refused to give raw patient data of early cases of the virus. The team had requested data on 174 cases of Covid-19 that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, one of team's investigator Dominic Dwyer was quoted as saying by Reuters. Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert, said that such data is known as "line listings" and would typically be anonymised but contain details such as what questions were asked of individual patients, their responses and how their responses were analysed. "That's standard practice for an outbreak investigation," he said, adding that gaining access to the raw data was especially important since only half of the 174 cases had exposure to the Huanan market, the now-shuttered wholesale seafood centre in Wuhan where the virus was initially detected. "That's why we've persisted to ask for that," he said. "Why that doesn't happen, I couldn't comment. Whether it's political or time or it's difficult ... But whether there are any other reasons why the data isn't available, I don't know. One would only speculate." While the Chinese authorities provided a lot of material, he said the issue of access to the raw patient data would be mentioned in the team's final report. "The WHO people certainly felt that they had received much much more data than they had ever received in the previous year. So that in itself is an advance." A summary of the team's findings could be released as early as next week, the WHO said on Friday. The WHO-led probe had been plagued by delay, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and criticised the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research. The team, which arrived in China in January and spent four weeks looking into the origins of the Covid-19 outbreak, was limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts and prevented from contact with community members, due to health restrictions. The first two weeks were spent in hotel quarantine. China's refusal to hand over raw data on the early COVID-19 cases was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal on Friday. The WHO did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment but Beijing has previously defended its transparency in handling the outbreak and its cooperation with the WHO mission. HARMONIOUS, WITH ARGUMENTS Dwyer said the work within the WHO team was harmonious but that there were "arguments" at times with their Chinese counterparts over the interpretation and significance of the data, which he described as "natural" in such probes. "We might be having a talk about cold chain and they might be more firm about what the data shows than what we might have been, but that's natural. Whether there's political pressure to have different opinions, I don't know. There may well be, but it's hard to know." Cold chain refers to the transport and trade of frozen food. Beijing has sought to cast doubt on the notion that the coronavirus originated in China, pointing to imported frozen food as a conduit. On Tuesday, Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation, told a news conference that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility, but pointed to market vendors selling frozen animal products including farmed wild animals as a potential pathway that warrants further study. Embarek also said that the team was not looking further into the theory that the virus escaped from a lab, which it considered highly unlikely. The previous U.S. administration of President Donald Trump had said it suspected the virus may have escaped from a Wuhan lab, which Beijing strongly denies. "It was an unanimous feeling," Dwyer said. "It wasn't a political sop whatsoever." With inputs from agencies. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Samsung introduced Single Shot with the Galaxy S20 series, this year it cranked up the AI smarts for a much-improved version for the new Galaxy S21 phones. Heres a quick explanation of whats going on behind the scenes. The upgraded Single Shot takes up to 10 photos per second while recording video for 15 seconds (up from 5 seconds on the S20). The video and photos are then analyzed by AI, which picks out the best moments and comes up with ways to improve the captured content. For photos of people or pets, it can apply Portrait mode and blur the background (you can read how AI creates accurate bokeh effects here). The Aesthetic Engine looks at facial expressions to drop photos where someone blinked or is looking down. This engine is trained on a database of 300,000 photos that were selected by professionals. Another AI engine kicks to eliminate photos with poor framing. This was trained on an even larger database of 100 million shots. If its a landscape shot instead, Smart Crop keeps only the interesting part and calls up a variety of AI filters to tweak the colors and lighting. Next up, the video. If its a slow-paced scene, the phone will apply a 3x fast forward effect. If, instead, theres fast-moving action, it will use Dynamic Slow motion. The S21 phones also have Boomerang, Reverse and Highlight video modes in their arsenal. Highlight video automatically builds a slideshow out of the best photos and most interesting moments in videos. Another neat trick is called Scene Relighting. It uses a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) to dream up a 24-hour time-lapse video out of a single photo. It picks out the sky, clouds, trees, water, buildings and so on, then animates the scene from morning to sunset and even nighttime. Source (in Italian) WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate voted Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump, ending a five-day impeachment trial by ruling that he could not or should not be held responsible for the Jan. 6 insurrection, when supporters fueled by his lies of a stolen election stormed the Capitol to keep him in power. A majority of the Senate voted to convict Trump of inciting the attack, 57-43, with seven Republicans voting to convict, including Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey the most bipartisan vote to convict in any presidential impeachment trial. But 67 votes were required for conviction. The acquittal was long expected: Few believed 17 Republicans would join the Senates 50 Democrats. But Democrats hope the trial will leave a historical stain on the Trump presidency, with its meticulous re-creation of his long string of false election claims and his cheering, at times, of violence. The trial featured visceral videos of his supporters brutally attacking police, officers screaming in pain, lawmakers running for their lives, and aides barricading themselves inside offices while a mob ransacked a symbol of American democracy all in the name of subverting the will of American voters. The vote served as a coda, at least for now, to Trumps tumultuous four years in office, which ended with one of the darkest days in American history. It also showed that Trump, despite the riot and his electoral defeat, retains a powerful grip on the Republican Party. And it underscored the searing anger and division that have come to define American politics. READ MORE: Trumps Philly lawyers won the impeachment trial. But theyre facing a backlash at home. The failure to convict Donald Trump will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said after the vote. But Schumer held out hope that Trump would be convicted in the court of public opinion and that he would suffer an unambiguous objection by the American people if he ever seeks office again. In a statement after the vote, Trump made no mention of the insurrection. This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country, Trump said. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago. (74.2 million people voted for Trump.) His defense team argued that nothing Trump said could possibly be construed as inciting insurrection, though even many Republicans who voted to acquit disagreed. Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) was among them. After voting to acquit, the most powerful Republican in Washington delivered a speech supporting the arguments laid out by the Democrats who prosecuted the case, repudiating the defense by Trumps lawyers, and excoriating Trump for what McConnell described as a disgraceful dereliction of duty. Theres no question none that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day, McConnell said. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president. Still, McConnell said the trial wasnt constitutional once Trump left office one month to the day after McConnell rejected Democratic calls to bring the Senate back into session so a trial could begin sooner. And he raised the unlikely prospect that Trump could still be criminally prosecuted. President Trump is still liable for everything he did while hes in office, McConnell said in remarks that seemed aimed at trying to undercut Trumps powerful influence on the GOP. He didnt get away with anything yet. Democrats focused much of their closing arguments on evidence that Trump did little to stop the insurrection, even as it unfolded on live television and as his close allies called desperately seeking help. They said that showed he supported and even reveled in the violence that threatened his own vice president, Mike Pence. The moment we most needed a president to preserve, protect, and defend us, President Trump instead willfully betrayed us, said Rep. David Cicilline (D., R.I.), one of the impeachment managers who prosecuted the case. Democrats emphasized a new statement from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R., Wash.), who on Friday recounted Trump scoffing at pleas for aid from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) during the heat of the insurrection. Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are, Trump told McCarthy, according to Herrera Beutler. Senate Democrats won a vote to call her as a witness, briefly adding a dramatic twist that would have prolonged the trial. But they backed off in exchange for having her statement read into the record. Both parties appeared eager to wrap up the trial: Democrats hoped to move to advancing President Joe Bidens agenda, while Republicans were glad to put questions about Trumps conduct behind them. READ MORE: What our reporter saw inside the House chamber as the insurrection at the Capitol closed in Democrats argued Trumps actions were an egregious violation of his oath of office including months of false election claims, many targeting Pennsylvania, calling his supporters to Washington on the day Congress would certify the results, and urging them to fight like hell or risk losing the country. Though he already lost reelection, Democrats said Trump needed to be forever barred from public office, lest he threaten democracy again. I fear like many of you do that the violence we saw on that terrible day may be just the beginning, said Rep. Joe Neguse (D., Colo.), one of the impeachment managers. Senators, this cannot be the beginning, it cant be the new normal. It has to be the end. Trumps defense, led by a team of lawyers from the Philadelphia region, countered that the trial was based on sheer personal and political animus and rushed with only limited investigation. And they pointed to examples of Democrats urging their supporters to fight for various political or policy causes. None incited violence or tried to undo an election result. At no point did you ever hear anything that could possibly be construed as Mr. Trump encouraging or sanctioning an insurrection, said Trump attorney Mike van der Veen, a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer. Channeling Trump, van der Veen turned the accusations on Democrats and the news media, comparing the riot at the Capitol to the sporadic violence that followed some summer protests against racism and arguing that those scenes, Democrats, and the media set the stage for the insurrection. He called the impeachment an attempt by Democrats to satisfy their impeachment lust and to shame, demean, silence, and demonize [Trumps] supporters. Trumps defense team also contended that trying a former president was unconstitutional. Numerous legal scholars from the right and left disagreed, but many Republicans pointed to that in voting to acquit. Few defended his conduct. Democrats said such reasoning opens the door to a January exception allowing presidents to use their final weeks in office to cling to power by any means. The weeks before the riot, as well as Trumps impeachment defense itself, put many of the former presidents most inflammatory characteristics on display: an indifference to truth, disregard for the boundaries of democracy, an eagerness to stoke fury, and a rebuttal that hinged not on justifying his actions, but on turning the accusations back on his critics. The trial was woven with Pennsylvania threads: The state was one where Trump had most ferociously attacked the election results, and much of his defense team came from suburban Philadelphia. One of the House impeachment managers, Rep. Madeleine Dean, represents a district based in Montgomery County. READ MORE: Bruce Castor and Madeleine Dean traveled very different paths from Montco to Trumps impeachment trial Ten House Republicans, out of 211, voted to impeach Trump, making him the only president to ever be impeached twice. The trial was the first ever of a former president and unfolded with historic speed, drawing criticism from defense lawyers who argued House Democrats had moved without a thorough investigation or allowing due process. At the same time, they effectively said Democrats had also been too slow, arguing they couldnt try Trump after his term ended. Unlike Trumps first impeachment, which hinged on private discussions and an alleged scheme to pressure Ukrainian officials to smear Biden, this one centered on a deadly event that played out on live television. Five people died, including a Capitol Police officer, and more than 100 other officers suffered injuries. The floors of the Capitol were bloodied and windows smashed. A Trump supporter was shot and killed a short walk from fleeing lawmakers. Democrats pointed to the attack as not just a single day of unpredictable violence, but the culmination of months of Trumps election lies, and years of his winking at and even celebrating violence. He had triumphantly tweeted a video of supporters in Texas nearly running a Biden campaign bus off the road, and joked at a rally about a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. They noted that there were already warnings of potential violence by Jan. 6, and that Trump went ahead with his incendiary speech anyway using the word peacefully once in a nearly 11,000-word address while telling supporters to fight and urging them to march on the Capitol. Dean said the fact that some supporters planned the attack, as the defense stressed, only proved the prosecutions case, arguing that the rioters took their cues from Trumps long-standing false claims. Details in the indictments of numerous Capitol attackers have supported that. Donald Trump invited them, he incited them, and he directed them, Dean said. This was months of cultivating a base of people who were violent, praising that violence and then leading them, leading that violence, that rage, straight to a joint session of Congress. The most damning indication of his state of mind, they argued, was that Trump said little while the riot unfolded, other than issuing two mild tweets while also sending one missive blasting Pence even as Pence had been evacuated from the Senate and the mob hunted for the vice president. When Trump finally released a video, hours after the carnage began, he repeated his false election claims and seemed to revel in the carnage, telling his supporters, We love you, youre very special. Trumps defense argued that many politicians use the word fight and that his words were protected by the First Amendment. Before the final vote, Democratic impeachment managers appealed to senators to consider their place in history, and the lasting impact of their votes. This is almost certainly how you will be remembered, said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D., Md.), the lead impeachment manager. What kind of America will we be? Its now literally in your hands. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-14 02:33:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BLANTYRE, Malawi, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Steve Malinje wipes his merchandise clean at Blantyre Curios Market, in southern Malawi, he is hoping for a good day of sales. The 37-year-old man says cleaning curios has turned into a routine for him and other vendors for the past three years. Mr. Malinje, who is also skilled at carving curios, told Xinhua that curio sales have drastically dropped due to COVID-19 restrictions that have kept many tourists, who are their main buyers, to stop visiting Malawi. He says due to lock-downs in Europe and the travel restrictions in Malawi, tourists from countries like the Netherlands, Germany, England, and Iceland among others, have not been traveling to Malawi where they also purchase the curios, they take home on their way back. Mr. Malinje says the situation has taken away the livelihoods of many curio vendors to the extent that they are failing to help their families. "Before COVID-19, the business was going on very well, but thereafter things were not as good. 2019 was an election year and in the two years that followed, we have been hit by COVID-19. No tourists are coming, we usually depend on selling these merchandise to tourists and this means that if the tourists are not coming we are out of business. For now, it has been almost three years without a successful business, we are starving," said Malinje. Mr. Malinje is among curio vendors, about 50 in total, in Blantyre that have hung on to their businesses for the past three years with the hope of an improvement in the near future. Malawi has revised COVID-19 measures restricting country entry and exit through land border points but leaving out airports. This has resulted in the weakening of the local currency leading to dwindling standards and business for the arts. "What we need are policies that allow visitors that test COVID-19 negative to enter the country and buy from us. This will help this hand to mouth business to at least go on," said Malinje. For his part, a member of the curios committee in Blantyre Wasili Chitumba says the country needs structures that can support artists. He says other than restricting travel in its entirety, the country should at least allow those with COVID-19 negative certificates coming from other countries to visit. Enditem No ceasefire violations have been recorded since day-start on Saturday so far. Ukraine's military command on February 12 recorded seven ceasefire violations on the part of Russian proxy forces in Donbas. That's according to a morning update by the Joint Forces Operation HQ. Russian invaders opened fire on Ukraine's positions near Vodiane, having employed a grenade launcher, a large-caliber machine gun, and small arms. Read alsoZelensky: Enemy seeks to disrupt ceasefireNear Pavlopil, a military serviceman was injured after an unidentified explosive device set off. The soldier was rushed to a medical facility, where he is now undergoing treatment. The enemy dropped to VOG-17 grenades from an unmanned aerial vehicle they flew over positions near the village of Zolote-4. Outside Novoluhanske, Ukrainian defenders intercepted, using electronic warfare capabilities, another enemy UAV that has crossed the line of demarcation. "The facts of ceasefire breaches were reported to the OSCE through the Ukrainian members of the Joint Ceasefire Control and Coordination Center," the statement said. Since day-start on Saturday, no truce violations have been recorded so far. Donbas: Other reports Reporting by UNIAN The Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated near Tehran in November 2020 was killed by a one-ton gun smuggled into Iran in pieces by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, reported The Jewish Chronicle on Wednesday. The media outlet cited its intelligence sources to claim that over 20 agents including Israeli and Irani nationals, carried out the ambush on scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh nearly after eight months of surveillance. Fakhrizadeh was killed in November last year in an armed attack that according to an Associated Press report, bore the fears of military-style ambush, likes of which Israel has been accused of carrying out in the past. The November 27, 2020 incident in Iran not only ignited tensions in the region but Tehran also placed the blame for the murder on Israel and Irans supreme leader Ali Khamenei demanding definitive punishment. Iranian media, at the time, had said that the nuclear scientist, that led Tehrans disbanded military program, died in hospital after armed assassins gunned him down in his car. Shortly after Fakhrizadehs death, Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had started blaming Israel over serious indications. As per reports, the Israel government did not comment in November last year but recently noted that Jerusalem never comments on such matters. The nuclear scientist whose unprecedented assassination took the Islamic Republic by storm was reportedly long suspected by the West of masterminding a secret nuclear bomb programme. Read - Hassan Rouhani Slams Biden Admin's Iran Policy; 'No Different From Trump's' Read - Iran's Guard Begins Ground Forces Drill Near Iraqi Border Iran to take six years to replace Fakhrizadeh As per the Jewish Chronicle report, Iran has secretly assessed that it will take six years before a replacement for him is fully operational and added that Fakhrizadehs death had extended the period of time it would take Iran to achieve a bomb from about three-and-a-half months to two years. However, the worlds oldest Jewish newspaper did not give further details of its sourcing. But it reported that Israeli intelligence agency Mossad mounted the automated gun on a Nissan pickup and the the bespoke weapon, operated remotely by agents on the ground as they observed the target, was so heavy because it included a bomb that destroyed the evidence after the killing. It also noted that the attack was orchestrated by Israel alone, without American involvement but American officials were notified in some form beforehand. Read - Iran Produces Uranium Metal In Latest Breach Of 2015 Nuclear Deal: IAEA Read - EAM Jaishankar Greets Iran's Zarif, Citizens On The Eve Of Islamic Revolution Anniversary It is put to most use when Prince Charles visits the Castle of Mey every August 5ft 8in tall Frigidaire has been in service at castle for nearly all of Queens reign But it seems Royal model, bought by Queen Mother in 1954, is few months older Even by the standards of the Royal Family it has been a loyal servant, supporting first the Queen Mother and then Prince Charles for 67 years. Indeed, the Frigidaire fridge, still going strong at the Castle of Mey in Scotland, may be the oldest in the realm. After The Mail on Sunday reported how Edmund Garrods fridge has served him faithfully for 56 years, readers inundated us with stories of long-lasting appliances. Mr Garrod, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was thought to be the owner of Britains oldest fridge a 1954 General Electric Company DE30 but it appears that the Royal model is a few months older. Prince Charles, known as the Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland, pictured during a visit to the Castle of Mey in Caithness, where he officially opened the Granary Accommodation Loyal: Prince Charless Frigidaire at the Castle of Mey. It is believed the Queen Mother personally selected the fridge and approved its purchase from a supplier in nearby Wick The 5ft 8in tall Frigidaire has been in service at the castle in Caithness for nearly all of the Queens reign it was made the year after her 1953 Coronation and it is even a feature of interest for tours. The fridge was bought by the late Queen Mother in 1954, two years after she purchased the Castle of Mey. It is put to most use when her grandson Prince Charles visits every August. The only known blip in its service was when modern technology was introduced at the castle. Underfloor heating installed in 2000 appeared to upset its temperature control. It was then put on blocks and has worked perfectly since. Shirley Farquhar, the castles managing director, said the fridge was an essential part of the kitchen. It was certainly built to last. It is believed the Queen Mother personally selected the fridge and approved its purchase from a supplier in nearby Wick, despite her reputation for frugality. The Queen Mother, who died in 2002 at the age of 101, rented a TV set and video recorder for her annual stay at the remote castle, which was the only home she ever owned. The fridge at the Castle of Mey which was bought in 1954 and is still working today. It is put to most use when the Queen Mother's grandson, Prince Charles, visits every August She first saw what was then Barrogill Castle in 1952 while mourning the death of her husband, King George VI. Falling for its ruined, isolated charm, and hearing it was to be abandoned, she declared: Never! Its part of Scotlands heritage. Ill save it. The Mail on Sunday revealed last month how fridges, washing machines and TVs will in future have to be guaranteed to last longer amid concern over environmental damage. Plans include a legal requirement to stock spare parts for seven years after devices are sold, labelling to set out an appliances expected lifespan, and a new Union Flag kitemark to uphold a world-beating standard. Meanwhile, Mail on Sunday readers continue to send it stories of their hero appliances. Retired hairdresser Allan Newing has a Vesta hairdryer in its original packaging from the 1930s. Mr Newing, who ran a chain of salons in Kent and had finalists in the Royal Albert Halls annual hairdresser competitions, said it was still as new. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 11:57:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- A gas cylinder blast has killed three people and injured seven others in Pakistan's northwest North Waziristan tribal district, rescue officials in the area said on Saturday. The blast occurred at a house in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan Friday night, the rescue department said. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital by a rescue team that arrived at the scene. Malik Habibullah, a local journalist in North Waziristan, told Xinhua by the phone on Saturday that two children were among the dead, adding that the blast had also caused damage to the house. Enditem 565K displaced, 2,500 killed amid rise of Islamic extremism in Mozambique since 2017 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Violent extremist attacks that have led to the displacement of over half-a-million people and more than 1,300 civilian deaths in northern Mozambique in recent years decreased in January as government forces try to expel Islamic rebels from the Cabo Delgado province. Reports have indicated a lull in violent extremist events reported from the troubled province where hundreds of terror attacks have been carried out since 2017 by local extremists thought to be aligned with Ahlu Sunnah wa-l-Jamaah, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the Cabo Delgado province has suffered from 776 organized violence events since 2017, 2,578 "fatalities from organized violence" and 1,305 fatalities from civilian targeting. The United Nations estimates that 565,000 people fled their homes and villages due to attacks by non-state groups. ACLED data indicates that there were 10 militant strikes in January. AFP reports that the total is down from the 30 militant strikes recorded in December. As government forces have engaged in efforts to defeat the terrorists, some reports have given credit for the decline in attacks to the rise of government land and airstrikes. However, ACLED has warned against giving the government forces too much credit for the January decline. The rainy season decline in insurgent attacks in Cabo Delgado has led to speculation that the government has made significant military gains against the insurgency in recent weeks, a narrative that has also appeared in pro-government propaganda, a weekly ACLED update posted during the first week of February states. There are encouraging signs for the government on the security front, and last weeks offensive in Mocimboa da Praia has the potential to bring more. However, the lack of insurgent activity in January is not necessarily indicative of government success. The international violence data collective notes in its analysis that rain and the lack of agricultural production present problems annually around this time of year. The result is a restrain on insurgent action no matter what government gains there are. As an example, in January 2020, ACLED records 25 total events involving insurgents resulting in 50 fatalities in Cabo Delgado, the database explains. This January, there were a comparable 22 total events involving insurgents, resulting in 47 fatalities. Far from predicting the decline of the insurgency, the conflicts slow pace in January 2020 preceded the insurgents most successful year by far. ACLED gave the government credit for making conditions safe enough for Doctors Without Borders to return to the Macomia district, where the humanitarian group can help 100 patients per day. The organization suspended its program in the region last June after insurgents attacked a health center there. That MSF is now able to return to Macomia suggests a major improvement in the prospects for security there, ACLED reports. It also represents a major quality of life improvement for civilians in the district. Calton Cadeado, a security researcher at the Joaquim Chissano University in Maputo, told AFP that he sees the success of the government forces' offensive strategy. As the outlet reports, government troops last month launched a series of airstrikes on the Palma district, the land hub for a gas project in the province. Forces were also said to have killed several insurgents hiding in a mosque. The military offensive to eliminate the terror group, known locally as Al-Shabaab but not connected to the Somalia-based group with the same name, has come under scrutiny. Activists have accused the military of indiscriminately killing anyone accused of working with the terror group. However, Cadeado told AFP that the relationship between the military and local residents has "improved a lot" recently. Mozambique and Portugal are preparing a bilateral security cooperation program that is to be finalized in February. According to ACLED, the agreement will replace an existing deal. The new deal will include the training of Mozambican military forces by Portuguese counterparts. A new report from the Mozambican Bar Association accuses the government of failing to protect human rights in the province. The association accused the government of not having a strategy for preventing and combating terrorism. "[T]he government has wasted opportunities for international cooperation in preventing and combating terrorism, within the scope of the country's adhesion to international conventions, the report reads. In January, Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister Augusto Santos Silva told the media that he expects a deal to provide European Union assistance to Mozambique to be completed in the coming weeks. Mozambique ranks as the 45th worst country for Christians on Open Doors USAs 2021 World Watch List. This years report is the first time the country is listed on Open Doors annual list. Extremist attacks have killed many Christians and terrorists have burned down churches and schools. A paramedic couple returning to the UK with their five-week-old daughter after four years living in Abu Dhabi have said travellers should not be used as 'guinea pigs'. From Monday, UK nationals or residents returning to England from 33 countries will be required to spend 10 days in Government-designated quarantine hotel at a cost of 1,750 for an individual. The regulations have been published just days before the scheme becomes law. But border guards and Heathrow airport have spoken today of how they feel under-prepared for the new rules, with officials saying earlier today that they feel powerless to stop travellers who may 'leg it' from airports to avoid quarantining. A Heathrow spokesman said on Saturday that the government's plan has 'significant gaps', while border officials said they did not feel adequately prepared, saying they have had little guidance on what to do if people refuse to comply. Parents living abroad whose unaccompanied minors travelling back to school in the UK have also pleaded with the Government to rethink hotel quarantine rules. And families returning to live in the UK have been left exasperated by the lack of clarity around childcare. Beckie Morris, 30, planned to repatriate to the UK from the United Arab Emirates with husband Matthew and their daughter, but they now face a quarantine bill of thousands of pounds if they do. Beckie Morris, 30, planned to repatriate to the UK with husband Matthew and their five-week-old daughter, but they now face a quarantine bill of thousands of pounds if they do The new mother said there was 'no information' on the Government website about what to do with young children. She said: 'We'd have to arrange all the formula. I don't know what we do about sterilising bottles, or nappies or washing their clothes - there's all this unknown. 'I tried to reach out, and I know it's still really early days, but there's just no information. Beckie said there was 'no information' on the Government website about what to do with young children 'They haven't really laid out what actually happens when you get to that hotel and I don't think that's going to be known until the first person goes in there. 'People shouldn't be used as guinea pigs - especially not paying that amount, that is an extortionate amount of money.' The couple, who are both paramedics, planned to return to Kent where Mr Morris has been offered a job. Mrs Morris said the hotel quarantine announcement had left her in 'tears most nights'. She said the family would be 'stranded' in the United Arab Emirates if they do not return, as both have given up their jobs, but delays in getting their daughter a passport meant they had not been able to come home sooner. Mr Morris has been vaccinated against Covid-19 and she said the area where they live is 'safe and secure'. 'It feels like we are being punished,' she added. Due to the expense, the family considered travelling to a non-red list country for 10 days before returning to the UK: 'That's what it is forcing people to do. Parents of children returning to the UK alone face 'stressful' quarantine dilemma Parents of unaccompanied minors travelling back to school in the UK have pleaded with the Government to rethink hotel quarantine rules, with one father demanding: 'Don't lock my children up.' Hundreds of children whose parents live and work overseas but who attend boarding schools in the UK are keen to return when the Government allows educational establishments to reopen. But those arriving from countries on the Government's red list will be required to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days once new rules are introduced on Monday and, with no date set for schools to reopen, parents have been left with a difficult choice. Karl Feilder, who lives in the United Arab Emirates, has three daughters, two of whom, aged 15 and 17, attend a boarding school near Reading and are hoping to be back in the country once it reopens for on-site learning. But Mr Feilder, the CEO of a biofuel company, said he would not allow his children to return if it meant quarantining in a hotel alone. He said: 'To be perfectly honest, I think anyone in their right mind would not do that with their children and indeed it's completely mad, completely unnecessary. 'The fact that they haven't told us when schools are going back means we can't take the decision now to put them on a plane today or tomorrow to beat the Monday morning deadline. 'They've got nowhere to stay in the UK - are they going back to an empty school, or a school that's closed, or is the school going to be open? We don't know.' Priya Mitchell, a school counsellor who lives in Abu Dhabi, decided on Friday to book her 16-year-old daughter on to a flight on Sunday so she could be back in the country ahead of the new rules being brought in. Ms Mitchell's daughter, who attends a state boarding school in Gloucester, will have to isolate at her 21-year-old brother's university accommodation, a studio flat. 'It's totally ridiculous to put families under this much stress trying to work out what is the best thing for their children,' Ms Mitchell said. Ms Mitchell, 49, a social worker in Hillingdon, where Heathrow is situated, said part of her role was dealing with unaccompanied minors arriving at the airport. She said she was 'astounded' the Government had not given sufficient thought to 'vulnerable children' like her daughter. 'What has been published recently by the Government is that if an unaccompanied minor comes back through then a parent in the UK can join that child in a hotel,' she said. 'Well that's just ridiculous, because all of those children who are returning to school are not returning to parents, they're returning to schools.' Ms Mitchell said having a security guard on each hotel floor was insufficient. 'Someone could just turn up to her door and barge in and she could be assaulted,' she said. 'Having worked in child protection and knowing statutory guidelines I'm really disappointed that yet again that's a gap that is not being filled.' Mr Feilder, 55, said his daughters - one of whom is scheduled to take GCSEs this year and one of whom is in her first year of A-levels - are finding the uncertainty extremely stressful. 'We try not to talk about it too much because it normally ends in tears,' he said. 'As a parent I feel like I'm completely at sea - I can't give my children decent answers because I don't understand the policy of the Government.' Mr Feilder, who said his whole family has been vaccinated, believes the Government should have introduced mandatory Covid tests for travellers last March and added: 'The UK's policy on this has been pathetic.' He suggested children returning to the country should be allowed to quarantine at school, adding: 'The schools are perfectly well able to look after the kids and make sure they're staying put.' Mr Feilder, originally from Newport Pagnell, said that with 'fantastic' vaccination programmes in the UK and the UAE it should be possible to have 'nice and straightforward travel'. He added: 'We're quite happy to do the Covid tests, we're quite happy to do the home quarantine, whatever - just don't lock my children up.' The Department for Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment. Advertisement 'But we've looked online and there are hardly any countries open anywhere. So realistically we are looking at having to spend this money. '(The Government) hasn't included places like America where the case numbers are ridiculous. 'Here we have access to four vaccines, we have Covid tests that cost approximately 15 and you can go and get one anywhere. People have to be tested every week here. 'They are doing national drives again, going around people's houses by blocks of apartments, knocking on their door, and everyone having tests so they can find all the asymptomatic cases, and they can sort it all out.' Not everyone returning has been abroad on holiday, she added. 'They seem to be penalising us, forgetting there is a really big ex-pat community that has really struggled.' A spokesperson for the Home Office said: 'We are taking decisive action at the borders. The new measures strengthen a regime that already includes a number of stringent rules: it is illegal to travel abroad for holidays and other leisure purposes, people need negative Covid tests before arriving in the UK, and we have strict travel bans in place for countries where there is a risk from known variants. 'Border Force officers have the necessary powers to keep our border secure, including the ability to process passengers and direct them to quarantine, and operational guidance is constantly updated to reflect the ever changing environment.' Meanwhile, parents of unaccompanied minors travelling back to school in the UK have pleaded with the Government to rethink the hotel quarantine rules, with one father demanding: 'Don't lock my children up.' Hundreds of children whose parents live and work overseas but who attend boarding schools in the UK are keen to return when the Government allows educational establishments to reopen. But those arriving from countries on the Government's red list will be required to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days once new rules are introduced on Monday and, with no date set for schools to reopen, parents have been left with a difficult choice. Karl Feilder, who lives in the United Arab Emirates, has three daughters, two of whom, aged 15 and 17, attend a boarding school near Reading and are hoping to be back in the country once it reopens for on-site learning. But Mr Feilder, the CEO of a biofuel company, said he would not allow his children to return if it meant quarantining in a hotel alone. He said: 'To be perfectly honest, I think anyone in their right mind would not do that with their children and indeed it's completely mad, completely unnecessary. 'The fact that they haven't told us when schools are going back means we can't take the decision now to put them on a plane today or tomorrow to beat the Monday morning deadline. 'They've got nowhere to stay in the UK - are they going back to an empty school, or a school that's closed, or is the school going to be open? We don't know.' Priya Mitchell, a school counsellor who lives in Abu Dhabi, decided on Friday to book her 16-year-old daughter on to a flight on Sunday so she could be back in the country ahead of the new rules being brought in. Ms Mitchell's daughter, who attends a state boarding school in Gloucester, will have to isolate at her 21-year-old brother's university accommodation, a studio flat. 'It's totally ridiculous to put families under this much stress trying to work out what is the best thing for their children,' Ms Mitchell said. Ms Mitchell, 49, a social worker in Hillingdon, where Heathrow is situated, said part of her role was dealing with unaccompanied minors arriving at the airport. She said she was 'astounded' the Government had not given sufficient thought to 'vulnerable children' like her daughter. 'What has been published recently by the Government is that if an unaccompanied minor comes back through then a parent in the UK can join that child in a hotel,' she said. 'Well that's just ridiculous, because all of those children who are returning to school are not returning to parents, they're returning to schools.' Ms Mitchell said having a security guard on each hotel floor was insufficient. 'Someone could just turn up to her door and barge in and she could be assaulted,' she said. 'Having worked in child protection and knowing statutory guidelines I'm really disappointed that yet again that's a gap that is not being filled.' Mr Feilder, 55, said his daughters - one of whom is scheduled to take GCSEs this year and one of whom is in her first year of A-levels - are finding the uncertainty extremely stressful. 'We try not to talk about it too much because it normally ends in tears,' he said. 'As a parent I feel like I'm completely at sea - I can't give my children decent answers because I don't understand the policy of the Government.' Mr Feilder, who said his whole family has been vaccinated, believes the Government should have introduced mandatory Covid tests for travellers last March and added: 'The UK's policy on this has been pathetic.' He suggested children returning to the country should be allowed to quarantine at school, adding: 'The schools are perfectly well able to look after the kids and make sure they're staying put.' Mr Feilder, originally from Newport Pagnell, said that with 'fantastic' vaccination programmes in the UK and the UAE it should be possible to have 'nice and straightforward travel'. He added: 'We're quite happy to do the Covid tests, we're quite happy to do the home quarantine, whatever - just don't lock my children up.' The Department for Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment. Border officials have have warned that they are powerless to stop people dodging quarantine, and have criticised the government's 'shambolic' policy. Pictured: People queue to enter the UK at Heathrow airport Meanwhile, Britain's hotel quarantine plan that comes into force on Monday has 'significant gaps', Heathrow Airport said on Saturday. Government ministers needed to ensure appropriate measures were in place to avoid putting the safety of airport staff and passengers at risk, a spokesman said. The government said it is working closely with airports and hotels to manage and issues that may arise. A Heathrow spokesman said: 'We have been working hard with the government to try to ensure the successful implementation of the policy from Monday, but some significant gaps remain. 'Ministers must ensure there is adequate resource and appropriate protocols in place for each step of the full end-to-end process from aircraft to hotel to avoid compromising the safety of passengers and those working at the airport.' Border officials have warned that they are powerless to stop people dodging quarantine, and have criticised the government's 'shambolic' border policy. Britain risks becoming a 'super-spreader' because of how relaxed the rules are, they said, adding that they are unable to stop people from 'legging it' from airport terminals to avoid having to quarantine upon their arrival. Border staff told The Times that they have been given limited power to detain people at the border, and have been given no guidance on where to direct individuals after they have entered the country, risking people spreading virus variants further. Scientists have also said the rules for those quarantined in hotels are also too lax. On Friday night - barely 48 hours before new rules come into effect on Monday - the government finally published the new quarantine rules for people arriving from 33 'red list' countries. Lucy Moreton, a professional officer at the Immigration Services Union, told The Times that the quarantine policy was 'chaotic, shambolic and risks turning into a superspreader.' 'We've got no information on what we do if someone doesn't fill out their passenger location forms,' she said, or what to do 'if they turn up at an airport which is not a designated airport.' She added that once border staff are satisfied an individual qualifies for entry into the country, 'the only provision we've got is the Coronavirus Act, which requires that you obey a reasonable instruction from a border officer. 'But what happens if they leg it?' she asked. 'Are we supposed to chase?' Pictured: People wait and check the screens at Heathrow Airport, London On Friday, a government source told the newspaper that Border Force will have the power to detain and search individuals that are suspected of lying on their forms for up to three hours. The regulation allows police to break into homes of people they suspect of breaking the hotel quarantine rooms. UK nationals or residents returning to England from 33 countries will be forced to spend 10 days in Government-designated accommodation from Monday. The law sets out new requirements for people to book their 'managed self-isolation package' which includes a hotel, transport and testing. People must quarantine in the room but exceptions allowing them to leave include the need for urgent medical assistance, to exercise or attend the funeral of a close family member. They will also be allowed outside to get fresh air or have a cigarette break - and will only need to get hotel staff permission. Although the government hasn't revealed which hotels will house the quarantine passengers, Novotel on Bath Road near Heathrow is thought to be one of them The regulations state that leaving for these exceptional reasons should only happen if the person 'has been given prior permission by a person authorised by the secretary of state for this purpose'. People may only arrive into Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport, Farnborough Airport or any military airfield or port, the legislation states. Travellers are required to have booked a 'testing package', which includes provision for a test on days two and eight of their quarantine. The accompanying explanatory memorandum to the legislation says travellers 'can only leave managed quarantine or self-isolation once they have received a negative result from their day eight test and quarantined until the end of the 10-day period'. Passengers arriving into England face fines of up to 10,000 for failing to quarantine, and those who lie on their passenger locator forms face up to 10 years in jail, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced earlier this week. The cost for a quarantine hotel stay is 1,750 for a single adult. The Thistle Hotel, by Heathrow Terminal, is another thought to have been approached by the government The regulations say the secretary of state or a person designated by him 'may impose a charge in relation to the accommodation, transport and testing package' and that the secretary of state 'may recover any sum owed by P (the traveller) pursuant to such a charge as a debt'. Guidance published by the Government on Thursday said people on income-related benefits can apply for a deferred repayment plan when making their quarantine package booking and repay the cost in 12 monthly instalments. But the country risks running out of hotel rooms by Thursday, with just 4,600 rooms available to the quarantine scheme - despite a government estimation that 1,400 people a day could arrive in Britain from high-risk countries. But on Friday, a Number 10 spokesperson insisted that to service can be expanded 'as needed, adding hotels and rooms as required.' A three-star Ibis will be among the hotels welcoming Heathrow arrivals as part of the government's travel quarantine programme, the MailOnline revealed on Thursday. A three-star Ibis will be among the hotels welcoming Heathrow arrivals as part of the government's travel quarantine programme, MailOnline can reveal. Pictured is one of the twin bedrooms The three-star Ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel opened in December 2019 and features brightly-coloured 1920s 'Art Deco-inspired' interiors behind a geometric red brick On Thursday, 12 medical bins were seen being assembled outside the hotel to taste waste produced by guests during quarantine Guests at the 125-room hotel will have to change their own sheets and towels and be accompanied by security if they want fresh air or a cigarette outside. Arrivals will have to pay 1,750 per person - a rate set by the government. The hotel usually charges around 60 for a standard room including breakfast, which would normally work out at 660 for 11 nights the length of the quarantine stay. The Ibis, which has 125 rooms and is a 12-minute drive from Terminals 2 and 3 - is expected to be closed to ordinary guests over the length of the scheme. While a spokesperson for Ibis told MailOnline the hotel is 'not planned for quarantine use', medical waste wheelie bins were seen outside the hotel on Thursday. Human rights barrister Adam Wagner, who studies coronavirus rules and tries to simplify them for the public, had led an outpouring of anger against the government over the timing of the legislation's publication so close to the rules becoming law. He tweeted: 'Inexcusable that these have been published *zero* working days before they come into force and will not be scrutinised by Parliament at all before they do.' Writer and filmmaker Laura Dodsworth added: 'The new detention, I mean 'hotel quarantine', regulations have just been published, ZERO working days before they come into force. 'MPs should be UP IN ARMS. No Parliamentary debate or vote. 'People will be put in detention for being *potentially infectious* & have to pay for it!' The legislation, called the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 7) Regulations 2021, comes into force at 4am on Monday. Newport Beach Mayor Calls Homeless Shelter Phenomenally Expensive, but Necessary Newport Beach is finalizing a deal with Costa Mesa for 29 beds in a homeless shelter that will cost the city $2.6 million for the first year, and $1 million each following year. Its phenomenally expensive, and something we have to do, Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery said during a Feb. 10 public Zoom meeting. I say to people, what is the alternative? This [managing homelessness] is our mission the next 10 years. Newport Beach city council entered a five-year agreement last Nov. 24 to contribute $1.6 million for construction of the shelter, and an additional $1 million annually for operating costs. Two optional five-year extensions are included in the agreement. Newport Beach will gain access to 29 of the 70 beds at the shelter, located at an existing industrial warehouse on Airway Avenue in Costa Mesa, near John Wayne Airport. [The] Costa Mesa shelter was a big win for us, Avery said. Were very appreciative of Costa Mesa for joining with us, for having us join them for the 20 beds, but this is just the start. The shelter cost Costa Mesa nearly $7 million to develop, and an additional estimated $4.5 million for further construction and equipment. Hoag Hospital is funding the shelters services at $300,000 a year for 10 years. Its expensive its an important part of the future solution, or at least management, of our homeless situation, Avery said. Features of the building include a full-service kitchen, living quarters, an office, and a lobby. The shelter will be operated by the nonprofit Mercy House, and offer holistic services, such as mental health and employment assistance to help people find permanent housing. What were doing is humane, is the right thing to do to take care of people who are in this situation, Avery said. The Costa Mesa shelter will be a temporary spot for the homeless. Avery said the city needs to work on building a more permanent facility. Ultimately, the goal is we need to build a permanent home facility for people who are experiencing homelessness, and maybe, eventually, more of them, he said. Ultimately, we need to provide permanent supportive housing for these individuals all of Orange County. All the cities need to partner in this, and maybe two cities go in on a permanent supportive housing facility. Thats the real solution to this, and its going to be really expensive, and theres a number of [nongovernmental organizations] that this is what they do. And so we have to partner with them. And we still need to partner with our houses of worship. The shelter is under construction and is expected to open in April. It goes down as an acquittal -- the second one for the first president ever to be impeached twice, though also the only one to have members of his own party support conviction, twice. While seven Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in voting for former President Donald Trump's conviction, the Senate fell 10 votes short of conviction. Trump was spared the ultimate punishment Congress could wield by powerful and familiar forces he has long understood, though those forces showed strain this time around. Despite incendiary lies about election results, despite outrage over his actions and inaction during a horrifying attack on the Capitol that interrupted the counting of electoral votes and threatened the life of his own vice president, and despite a sometimes bumbling impeachment defense, Trump's Republican Party showed enough unity and loyalty to stave off conviction. It happened without Trump admitting he did anything wrong. He did not even concede, directly or through his lawyers, that he lost the election fair and square. MORE: Former President Donald Trump acquitted again Partisanship still held, just as it did so often during Trump's tumultuous time in office. The outcome was so little in doubt that Democrats backed off efforts to call witnesses even after winning a vote to do so Saturday morning -- preferring a quick wrap to a longer accounting that could consume days or weeks. The accounting of Trump's words and deeds was thorough without witnesses, of course. House managers used videos, tweets and detailed timelines to make both specific and broad arguments that Trump's actions constituted incitement of violence and a dereliction of duty -- with senators themselves among those whose lives were in danger. "The president knew this was happening he didn't do anything to help his vice president or any of you," House manager Rep. David Cicciline, D-R.I., said in his closing argument Saturday. "His sole focus was stealing the election for himself." Story continues PHOTO: House lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin answers a question submitted by senators to the impeachment managers during the fourth day of the impeachment trial of the former President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill, Feb. 12, 2021. (U.S. Senate TV via Reuters) "President Trump must be convicted for the safety and security of our democracy," said lead manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. "None of us can escape the demands of history and destiny right now." But in the telling of Trump and his team, the former president did nothing to incite his crowd of supporters to riot and threaten members of Congress and his own vice president. A lawyer for the president who made "alternative facts" famous at one point told a Republican senator during the trial, "I dispute the premise of your facts." "No matter how much truly horrifying footage that we see of the rioters, and how much emotion has been injected into this trial, that does not change the fact that Mr. Trump is innocent," Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said. "The act of incitement never happened." MORE: Trump impeachment trial live updates: Trump acquitted in 2nd impeachment The defense was Trumpian -- combative, defiant, rambling at times and filled with contradictions and what-aboutism. It clearly frustrated House impeachment managers, whose meticulous and emotional case consumed far more time and covered far more factual ground. "Get real. We know that this is what happened," Raskin told senators Friday, when pressed about whether Trump's actions contributed to the riot. "C'mon, how gullible do you think we are?" "It wasn't just one speech or one thing. He was trying everything!" said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas. "For us to believe otherwise is to think a rabbit came out of a hat." PHOTO: Michael van der Veen, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, answers a question from Sen. Bill Cassidy, during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol Feb. 12, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) Trump's legal team chose not to hew to a narrow case about whether it's constitutional to put a former president on trial for impeachment. That made the case into something of a referendum on Trumpism, with the former president's outrages left open for interpretation. His attorneys chose to defend Trump's falsehoods about election results in Georgia, and suggested that left-wing activists fomented the rioting of Jan. 6. They spliced misleading video to showcase prominent Democrats unfavorably and at one point even sought to defend Trump's infamous response to the 2017 Charlottesville white supremacist rally. The lawyers sparred with senators and House managers over the propriety of the proceedings and the evidence they brought forward. They also made vague references to what might happen if tens of millions of Trump supporters feel disenfranchised by seeing their favored candidate disqualified from future pursuits of office. MORE: Trump impeachment: Here's how the process works Trump attorney David Schoen warned that even holding the trial "will tear this country apart, perhaps like we have only seen once before in our history." Van der Veen said in his close that impeachment was part of a long-running effort to "shame, demean, silence and demonize" Trump supporters. "I urge the Senate to acquit and vindicate the Constitution," van der Veen said. Trump allies claimed immediate vindication, as expected. The flip side is that the vote leaves 43 Republican senators owning Trump; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that fact would weigh on their consciences going forward. PHOTO: In this file photo, former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after participating in a Thanksgiving teleconference with members of the United States military, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26, 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) Democrats and historians will note the most bipartisan vote ever at a presidential impeachment trial. Still, the seven Republicans to vote "guilty" were a blend of retiring battleground-state senators, committed moderates and those whose independence from Trump is well-documented. One possible winner in the swift dispatch of impeachment proceedings is Trump's successor. President Joe Biden has sought to put distance between himself and the charges and trial, with his White House putting far more focus on the enormous challenges posed by COVID-19, racial inequalities and broader political polarization. MORE: Read Democrat Jamie Raskin's closing argument in impeachment trial of Donald Trump Still, Trump and his political movement emerge battered but by no means chastened by the post-election period. The former president issued a statement calling the acquittal "another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country," adding that he will have more to say soon on "continuing our incredible journey together." Barely a year ago, the lead House manager in the first Trump impeachment implored Republican senators to remove him from office. "You will not change him. You cannot constrain him. He is who he is," warned Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Trump indeed remains who he is. But it's what he knew about the Republican Party he took over, and what he recognized and exploited about the lure of partisanship, that allowed him to escape congressional accountability -- twice. Pull of partisanship helps Trump escape impeachment conviction: ANALYSIS originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. There are early signs of a new wave of investment in liquefied natural gas, oils cleaner cousin. The industry is trumpeting a new capital discipline, but it might not be enough to stop another glut. This week, Qatar signed off on a 40% expansion of its LNG production capacity. The petrostates North Field East project, due to complete in 2026, ranks as the single largest investment in the fuel ever approved. Even after a traumatic 2020, the wider industry may find it hard to resist competitive responses. LNGthe liquefied, shippable version of the gas that heats homes and generates power across the worldplays a key role in the strategies of all big five oil-and-gas supermajors." It has better growth prospects and emits fewer greenhouse gases than oil, yet offers a more familiar business model than renewable energy. LNG projects often take four to five years to build and need buyer commitments covering 80% to 90% of production to get funding. Until recently, gas customers had moved away from contracts, instead preferring to buy on the spot market at persistently low prices, but a recent spike in the Asian LNG benchmark reminded buyers of the risks of that approach. Customers increasingly want long-term supply contracts, creating an opportunity to fund new projects. The risk is that everyone moves at once. Capital spending cuts following last years plunge in commodity prices put many LNG plans on hold. Reviving them all would result in about a billion extra metric tons of the fuel a year, according to consulting firm Rystad Energy. Thats nearly 10 times the amount it expects to be required by 2030. Even now, global gas supply exceeds demand. The Asian benchmark jumped nearly 10-fold in the second half of last year, but mainly due to four temporary factors: a cold winter, traffic jams in the Panama canal, an LNG ship shortage and Beijings ban on Australian coal imports. Prices have already fallen back. New LNG ships and Chinese plans to build more local gas-storage capacity will ease the pressure longer term. Over the coming years, demand for gas is likely to grow globally. Emerging markets will need more as their economies develop. So will utilities as they switch from coal to gas. Still, there is significant uncertainty about the trajectory, and the clampdown on greenhouse-gas emissions will eventually cut gas usage too. All told, by 2030 the world will need another 104 million metric tons of new LNG supply, according to Sindre Knutsson, an analyst at Rystad Energy. Qatars new project will provide nearly a third of that amount. In addition to the supermajors, other LNG producers in Russia, Australia and the U.S. are all eager to supply more. The space could get very crowded. Requiring sufficient supply contracts is a good hurdle for any new LNG investment, but even that is no guarantee of good returns. Subsequent Qatari expansion could undercut other projects: Qatars break-even costs on LNG delivered to Asia are $4 per million British thermal units, compared with around $7 for U.S. producers. The supermajors wrote off about $70 billion in oil-and-gas assets last year. That serves as a reminder of the big risk in fossil-fuel investing: The returns on these multiyear LNG projects wont become apparent for years. Gas might seem a safer bet than oil for a decarbonizing world, but it comes with many of the same challenges. Write to Rochelle Toplensky at rochelle.toplensky@wsj.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 4:04 pm The St. Helens Club of Chehalis is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a female applicant who has completed two years of college and intends to continue working toward a higher academic degree at a four-year institution either as a junior or senior. The applicant must be a Lewis County resident prior to attending college Applications are available by emailing st.helensclub@gmail.com and requesting an application, or by texting scholarship chair June Cleaveland at 360-701-2104. Deadline for submission of applications is April 15. The announcement of the scholarship award will be made by May 15. The St. Helens Club, founded in 1895, is one of Washington states first womens clubs. Its purpose is to promote interest in literature, the arts, science and the vital issues of the day. Myanmar's stateless, conflict-scarred Rohingya community are on edge with the return of military rule, fearing further violence in a restive part of the country where others have shown support for the new regime. Much of the long-persecuted Muslim minority have spent years in cramped displacement camps, with no freedom of movement or access to healthcare, living in what rights groups call "apartheid" conditions. They are still reeling from a 2017 military crackdown that razed entire villages and sent around 750,000 Rohingya fleeing across the border into Bangladesh carrying accounts of rape and extrajudicial killings. "Under a democratic government, we had a little hope we could go back to our old home," said a 27-year-old, who asked not to be named, from a camp near the city of Sittwe. "But now it is certain we will not be able to return." Myanmar and its generals are on trial in a UN court for charges of genocide from the 2017 violence in northern Rakhine state, where the majority of the country's Rohingya population lived before their exodus. Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who now heads the country's new junta, repeatedly claimed the crackdown was necessary to root out insurgents in northern Rakhine state. "There is a real risk that (this regime) can lead to new violence in Rakhine," said Tun Khin, president of the Burma Rohingya Organisation UK lobby group. Shortly after seizing power, the junta promised to abide by plans to repatriate the refugees from Bangladesh -- a scheme that has been in limbo for years. But "no one believes a word they say," Tun Khin said. Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader ousted and detained by the generals last week, had travelled to The Hague to defend them from genocide charges while in office. But across the border in Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees have sent messages of support to anti-coup protesters calling for her return. Some have posted photos of themselves on social media while flashing the three-finger salute that has come to signify opposition to army rule. Story continues - 'This time will be different' - Rakhine state, home to both the Rohingya and a largely Buddhist ethnic Rakhine majority, has been a tinderbox of conflict for decades. In recent years the military has battled the Arakan Army, which is fighting for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine population. But days after its coup, the junta ended a 19-month internet shutdown and reaffirmed a commitment to a ceasefire with the militant group. The regime also announced a member of a local Rakhine nationalist party would be joining its cabinet. It released from prison former party leader Aye Maung -- jailed by Suu Kyi's government in 2019 over a speech the powerful orator gave in Rakhine state a day before deadly riots -- as part of a mass amnesty. Some in the state believe joining with the military regime will allow them better opportunities to pursue greater autonomy from the rest of the country. "This time a military administration will be different," said Minbya resident Myo Kyaw Aung, adding that the strength of the Arakan National Party (ANP) and the Arakan Army gave the ethnic Rakhine community greater leverage at the negotiating table. But others share the apprehension of the Rohingya at the thought of a return to army rule, even if the country's decade-long democratic experiment and life under Suu Kyi's leadership saw little improvement to local conditions. Tun Maung, who lives in the temple-strewn heart of what was centuries earlier a kingdom ruled by Rakhine monarchs, still remembers hiding in a well to escape gunfire during Myanmar's last junta. "I've lived through both the military dictatorship and the civilian government... I know the difference," said the 60-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym. "We cannot accept our life to be under military rule again." He recounted how people in his village were forced by soldiers to labour for free, paving roads and building army barracks. Ethnic Rakhine families who refused faced intimidation -- and were sometimes even fined. "I utterly despise them," he told AFP. "I will choose someone who beats me two times over someone who beats me five times." bur-dhc/gle/rma Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. WASHINGTON - A Republican senator who expressed doubts about former president Donald Trump's impeachment defense team and suggested he might ultimately vote to convict him was seen in the Capitol on Friday holding the draft of a statement indicating he planned to acquit Trump. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told reporters Tuesday that "one side is doing a great job and the other side is doing a terrible job," just moments after breaking with most Republicans to confirm the constitutionality of trying an ex-president on impeachment charges - buoying hopes of House managers that at least some GOP votes could be shifted. On Friday, however, Cassidy held a document in public view that appeared to indicate he is ready to acquit Trump. "The events of January 6 are a stain on our country. President Trump and many others certainly contributed to the environment. The former president did engage in excessive and unnecessary rhetoric before and after the election," the draft statement said in part. "However, the House Managers did not connect the dots to show President Trump knew that the attack on the Capitol was going to be violent and result in the loss of life." But Cassidy told reporters he remained undecided and said the draft statement was not indicative of any final decision: "If I flipped the page, you would have had the one going the other way," he said. 3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Leaving the Senate Friday evening, Cassidy said he planned to review his three legal pads' worth of notes and write out his thoughts before making a final decision. "I find when you write your thoughts out, you establish clarity," he said. A Washington Post photographer captured the image of the notes as Cassidy and aides huddled in the Senate Reception Room, an ornate public space just off the Senate floor where journalists are staged to capture the action surrounding the trial. Should Cassidy vote against convicting Trump, it would mean only a small handful of Republican votes were ever in play for the Democratic impeachment managers. Cassidy was the only one of six Republicans who upheld the constitutionality of the trial who switched their votes from a test vote on impeachment in late January. Cassidy's vote on Tuesday earned him a rebuke from the Louisiana Republican Party and piqued the interest of political observers who have eyed Cassidy as an emerging bipartisan dealmaker after winning a new six-year term in November. But the draft statement seen Friday could indicate that Cassidy's willingness to cross party lines has limits. "Evidence presented during the trial [was] powerful and showed irresponsible judgment by a lot of people, but did [not] prove the charge that President Trump was directly responsible for the people who broke into our Capitol," the notes said. Later Friday, Cassidy signaled he still had serious misgivings about Trump's conduct. In a question to the House managers and Trump's defense team, he noted that Trump tweeted during the Jan. 6 riot that then-Vice President Mike Pence lacked courage after apparently being told in a phone call with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., that Pence had been evacuated under threat. "Does this show that President Trump was tolerant of the intimidation of Vice President Pence?" Cassidy asked. Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen did not dispute the statement, only that the managers had not established what they claimed except through hearsay: "Unfortunately, we're not going to know the answer to the facts in this proceeding because the House did nothing to investigate what went on. . . . I'm sure Mr. Trump very much is concerned and was concerned for the safety and well-being of Mr. Pence and everybody." Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead manager, shot back: "Rather than yelling at us and screaming about how we didn't have time to get all of the facts about what your client did, bring your client up here and have him testify under oath about why he was sending out tweets denouncing the vice president of the United States while the vice president was being hunted down by a mob that wanted to hang him." Cassidy watched intently from his desk in the back of the chamber, and later told reporters he was not pleased with the response from van der Veen. "I didn't think it was a very good answer," he said. "The real issue is, what was the president's intent, right? Only the president could answer that, and the president chose not to testify." The Senate is on track to vote on Trump's conviction at some point Saturday, and Cassidy said he would not announce his decision in advance. "I'll announce it when I make my vote," he said, adding, "It's about our country, our constitution, our future. After serving in various roles at Bertelsmann, including a stint at Penguin Random House US, Carsten Coesfeld was named CEO of DK, PRHs global division headquartered in London, on March 9, less than a week after the cancellation of the London Book Fair due to the spread of Covid-19. The pandemic would soon cause widespread disruption around the world, bringing fresh challenges to a publishing company with offices in 10 countries. In a Zoom interview just before the holiday break from his home office in Germany, Coesfeld acknowledged that his start at DK was not what he expected. But he said his familiarity with the way Bertelsmann/PRH works, including its supply chain (immediately before being tapped to head DK, Coesfeld was president of telecommunications at Bertelsmanns Arvato Supply Chain Solutions business), was a big help in getting a handle on all the unexpected developments caused by the virus. As DKs roughly 800 employees headed home to work, shipping computers to much of the staff was a priority, so that DK could continue to create new titles. Coesfeld himself returned to Germany where he turned to online meetings to connect with his new team and began a virtual listening tour. Virtual staff meetings are now regular events. Its been quite a ride, he said. Coesfelds boss, PRH worldwide CEO Markus Dohle, appreciates what the DK CEO has accomplished under difficult conditions. Despite facing so many challenges immediately upon his arrival at DK last March, Carsten has quickly adapted and implemented thoughtful changes that have already yielded positive results for our company, Dohle told PW. Ive also personally enjoyed collaborating with him closely on a variety of key global priorities for Penguin Random House and look forward to doing more so in the future. While Coesfeld dealt with the disruptions to work routines caused by Covid-19, he remained focused on keeping the momentum going for DKs rebranding campaign, which was launched at the beginning of 2020 and implemented throughout the year. He said that, despite the pandemic, the rollout went as planned and that he has been very encouraged by the reaction from both the book trade and from readers. The next step for us is to double down on using the new brand and our mission to inspire curiosity across all our marketing channels and to increase reach and engagement, he added. The rebranding is not only about bringing a fresh look to DKs worksits about making the company more flexible in terms of developing products and entering new categories. In an odd way, Coesfeld said, the pandemic accelerated some of DKs efforts. A priority has been to increase the publishers education business, and it was able to use its deep backlist to meet the surge in demand from parents seeking materials to teach and educate their children at home. Coesfeld said DKs childrens and educational titles had a great year, led by its various workbook series, which saw sales double over 2019. Standouts included My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things and Merriam-Webster Childrens Dictionary. The performance of DKs educational books has further convinced Coesfeld that the educational market, including in the U.S., is a big opportunity. Like publishers everywhere, DK saw an abrupt shift in sales across its different channels last year. In its core marketsthe U.S., U.K., and Germanyonline sales had high double-digit gains over 2019, Coesfeld said, making it imperative that the company continue to find ways to help customers discover its titles online, whether through the use of keywords or by investing more in search engine optimization. Coesfeld said he is proud of the way DK employees were able to not only meet a jump in demand for existing titles but also to keep developing new titles for 2021, which he called the first full year of a broadly overhauled and reimagined list. Part of the effort is to create more content that will engage children and adults in interesting and fun ways, he noted. He is also looking to further diversify DKs author and contributor talent pool to spur the creation of content that will provide a fuller picture of history and todays society. DKs new approach also includes expansion into more nonfiction areas, and to do that the company is working with an array of partners. One partnership that has Coesfeld particularly excited is with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This year will see the release of three projects: My Met Sticker Collection, The Met Lost in the Museum, and the What the Artist Saw series, which will show children the world through the eyes of famous artists. The newest title in DKs Timelines series, Timelines from Black History, was released in late January. With nearly a years experience under his belt, Coesfeld sees more growth ahead for the publisher. This is an incredibly exciting time for DK, he said. 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. Oxford Covid vaccine to be tested on children for first time India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 13: In a first, the University of Oxford along with AstraZeneca Plc has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the COVID-19 vaccine among the children. This is seen as a potential step in ending the global pandemic. The new trial will determine whether the vaccine is effective on people between the ages of 6 and 17, according to an emailed statement from the university. The trial announced Saturday seeks to recruit 300 volunteers between the ages of 6 and 17, with up to 240 receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and the remainder a control meningitis vaccine. Andrew Pollard, chief researcher on the Oxford vaccine trial, says that while most children don't get severely ill from COVID-19, "it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people as some children may benefit from vaccination." Regulators in more than 50 countries have authorised widespread use of the Oxford vaccine, which is being produced and distributed by AstraZeneca, for use in people over the age of 18. Other drug companies are also testing the COVID-19 vaccines in children. Pfizer, whose vaccine has already been authorized for use in people 16 and older, began testing its shot in children as young as 12 in October. Moderna in December began testing its vaccine on children as young as 12. Pollard said the Oxford trial should help policymakers decide whether at some point in the future they want to extend mass vaccination programs to children as they seek to ensure schools are safe and combat the spread of the virus in the wider population. "For most children, for themselves, COVID is really not a big problem," Pollard told The Associated Press. "However, it is certainly possible that wider use to try and curb the progress of the pandemic might be considered in the future, so here we're just trying to establish the data that would support that if indeed policymakers wanted to go in that direction." I worked for a major music company in Australia during my time at this company I was bullied, belittled, sexually harassed and objectified by my direct manager. Friends Id made were also subject to intense bullying, sexual harassment, assault and rape by the men who head up the executive team within this company. This company is widely known for being one of the most toxic workplaces in the industry. And so goes one of dozens of accounts of inappropriate behaviour, bullying, rape, assault and more that are rightly sending shivers through the Australian music industry. An Instagram account called Beneath The Glass Ceiling has quietly been posting anonymous and harrowing accounts from women who say they have been subjected to horrific behaviour from men within one of Australias most celebrated, but also most cloistered, industries. Lordes former manager Scott Maclachlan has been sacked by Warner over inappropriate behaviour. Credit: Chris McKeen Inappropriate behaviour within the music industry has been an open secret for decades. During my 15 years covering the industry I have heard countless tales that start with oh I make sure Im not alone in a room with him or I make sure I leave the party before he does, you dont want to be the last one there with him. Andhra Pradesh on Saturday began administering the second dose of vaccine to frontline workers. Healthcare and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workers are taking the second vaccine shot at the same place they were inoculated for the first time. "Frontline workers should get inoculated with the same company's vaccine as their first jab," said Health Commissioner Katamneni Bhaskar. Like most places in India, Andhra Pradesh is using 'Covishield' produced by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) and 'Covaxin' made by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. Following the completion of 28 days, the state government has begun the second phase of vaccination lining up 19,108 workers on Saturday. Bhaskar directed all healthcare workers and ICDS personnel to finish taking their first vaccine dose before February 25. "After February 25, health workers would not be inoculated with the first vaccine dose," said Bhaskar. However, he allowed them to take the first vaccine shot anywhere in the state. Likewise, he directed employees from all other departments to complete vaccination by March 5, clarifying that there would be no vaccination for them after this date. --IANS sth/khz/bg (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An employee of Kadima Rehabilitation and Nursing in Drums said workers have been threatened with prosecution if they speak to media about conditions at the facility. We know they cant do much because what we stated was honestly what was on those reports from the state, the employee said, referring to Department of Health investigations. Two residents died from COVID-19, which recently infected 31 residents and 20 staffers, according to a Feb. 4 statement issued by administrator Tiffany Perna through a New Jersey public relations firm. The most recently published investigation revealed that a licensed practical nurse was allowed to work at the facility even though she tested positive for COVID-19. Perna refuted that and other observations in a statement issued Saturday. The employee who spoke to the Standard-Speaker called the threats from company officials a form of intimidation. The first was a text, the employee said, was sent to department heads Jan. 28 by Perna. Questioning later ensued, the employee claimed. We are aware of all recent media reports and corporate is drafting their own press release in response, the text reads. We all know the truth. There are lawyers and private investigators researching where these completely false allegations are coming from. It goes on to say, All those responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and asks workers to focus on their job duties and continuing to provide quality care to our residents. A message left for Perna at Kadima Thursday afternoon was not returned. The facilitys public relations firm confirmed receipt of an email from the Standard-Speaker but issued no comment on the text. In addition to the text, the employee added that workers are being questioned by management. Some, they said, are afraid to say anything negative because they fear it could cost them their jobs. They are ready to take anyone down instead of admitting where they failed these residents, according to the employee. State reports from December and September also note dirty conditions, a lack of staffing and other deficiencies. The employee said that conditions had improved a bit when the department was in for a recent visit. As soon as the state left the place is dirty again. It is not as bad because they just cleaned before the state came but its back to the same stuff, the employee said. Kadima issued several plans of correction. Over the past few days, the employee said some family members have removed their loved ones. ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Less than 12 hours before polls were set to open in much of the province, Newfoundland and Labrador's chief electoral officer on Friday called off all in-person voting in response to a COVID-19 outbreak. Liberal Leader Andrew Furey, left to right, Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie and NDP Leader Alison Coffin sit prior to a TV debate from the floor of the House of Assembly in St. John's, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Newfoundland and Labrador will be be run by a so-called "caretaker government" for at least another two weeks after voting in Saturday's provincial election was delayed for nearly half the districts in the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Less than 12 hours before polls were set to open in much of the province, Newfoundland and Labrador's chief electoral officer on Friday called off all in-person voting in response to a COVID-19 outbreak. Bruce Chaulk announced voting in the provincial election set for Saturday will now be exclusively by mail, and ballots must be received by March 1. "I urge anyone interested in voting in this election to apply for a special ballot to ensure your democratic participation," he said in a news release. His announcement came shortly after health officials announced that they had confirmed the United Kingdom variant was behind the COVID-19 outbreak that hit the St. Johns region this week. Voters in 22 of the province's 40 ridings were set to head to the polls Saturday after Chaulk on Thursday suspended voting across the Avalon Peninsula, which includes St. Johns. Under the Alert Level 5 imposed Friday by chief medical officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, gatherings of more than 5 people are prohibited. An Elections NL spokeswoman said earlier Friday that many poll workers in the ridings where the election was set to proceed were quitting over fears of contracting and spreading COVID-19. Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie had called for the election to be delayed across the province, and on Friday one of his candidates echoed that plea. "I never thought in a million years that everything would be so unorganized and confusing and unsafe," Rhonda Simms said in an interview. "Everything is a mess." Shortly before the delay was announced, Progressive Conservative candidate Damian Follett, who is running in the St. John's riding of Mount Scio, confirmed that he'd been diagnosed with COVID-19. Throughout the day, confusion about the election's status reigned, and the party leaders were largely absent from view, apart from an appearance by Liberal Party Leader and Premier Andrew Furey at a public health briefing on the outbreak. Simms suspended her in-person campaign Friday in the Lewisporte-Twillingate district when she found out someone who had visited her campaign office had recently tested positive for the disease. Noting that Fitzgerald has said the outbreak would likely spread beyond the St. John's region, Simms said delaying the election in the rest of the province was the only safe and fair thing to do. "This past week ... we have had three major snowstorms," she said. "Because of that, there are people in this community that I fear have not gone to get tested." The closest spot they could get swabbed for COVID-19 is more than 45 minutes away, she added. As the number of cases shot up, Chaulk initially said Thursday that the power to delay an election lay with the chief medical officer. But later that day Fitzgerald said she had sought legal advice and been told it wasn't her call to make, and it was Chaulk who announced the partial delay. A news release from the chief electoral officer Friday afternoon said parties could continue campaigning in ridings where the vote was delayed until the day of the rescheduled vote. During a virtual news conference Thursday evening, Furey said his caretaker government, which by convention exercises limited power, will remain in place until the election can be fully held. On Friday night, shortly after Chaulk suspended all in-person voting, Crosbie issued a statement, expressing his concern about the COVID-19 situation. "Our province deserves a thoughtful conversation about why it took so long for us to reach the right decision in postponing this election and how we hold our political leaders accountable," he wrote. "But that discussion must wait for another day." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2021. Bamako,Mali (PANA) - Heads of state gathering in Chad should commit to protecting the rights of civilians and detainees during counterterrorism operations in the Sahel region, a rights body said here Saturday Hydroxychloroquine does not reduce deaths from COVID-19, and probably does not reduce the number of people needing mechanical ventilation, state the authors of a new Cochrane Review. In addition, they note that no new trials of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for treating COVID-19 should be started. Authors based in India, South Africa, and the UK (LSTM, the University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University Hospital Liverpool) undertook this systematic review of studies that used chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for treating or preventing COVID-19 disease. They searched for studies that examined giving chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to people with COVID-19; people at risk of being exposed to the virus; and people who had been exposed to the virus. The public demand for a COVID-19 cure fuelled speculation that the drug might be effective, but this was based on unreliable research that did not meet the inclusion criteria of this review. The then US President Trump declared chloroquine a "game-changer" about a year ago, leading to global demand and confusion. The research community rapidly organized large trials which demonstrated no evidence of effect, and these trials are summarized in this review. The review authors included 14 relevant studies: 12 studies of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine used to treat COVID-19 in 8569 adults; and two studies of hydroxychloroquine to stop COVID-19 in 3346 adults who had been exposed to the virus but had no symptoms of infection. Included studies were from China (4); Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Spain, Taiwan, the UK, and North America (each 1 study); and a global study in 30 countries (1 study). Some studies were partly funded by pharmaceutical companies that manufacture hydroxychloroquine. This review certainly should put a line under using this drug to treat COVID-19, but some countries and health providers are still caught up in the earlier hype and prescribing the drug. We hope this review will help these practices end soon". Dr Tom Fletcher, Senior Author Emergency medical workers are seen unloading a patient outside a nursing home in Brooklyn, New York, on April 18, 2020. (Justin Heiman/Getty Images) Updates on CCP Virus: New Zealand Reports 3 New Locally Acquired COVID-19 Cases In a significant setback for New Zealand, health officials reported on Sunday three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in a family of threethe isolated countrys first since late January. Health authorities are still working to find out how the couple and their daughter in Auckland contracted the virus and whether COVID-19 could be out there in the community or whether this is the start of what could be a chain of transmission. The mother works for an airline catering company, LSG Sky Chefs, where she mostly works in the laundry facilities. Genomic testing is underway to see if the familys infection is linked to any variants. Gov. Cuomo Panned on Nursing Homes New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrote a book on managing the CCP virus crisis. Now he faces intensifying accusations that he covered up the true death toll of the pandemic on nursing home residents, attacks that challenge his reputation for straight-shooting competency and could cloud his political future. The Cuomo administration for months dramatically underreported the statewide number of COVID-19 deaths among long-term care residents. It is now nearly 15,000, up from the 8,500 previously disclosed. Iran Sees Risk of Fourth Wave Fed by Mutant Irans health minister warned on Saturday of a fourth CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus surge with the possible spread of a mutated virus in the worst-hit country in the Middle East. Hard days are beginning for us and you must prepare to fight the most uncontrollable mutated virus which is unfortunately infecting the country, health minister Saeed Namaki told heads of medical colleges in a meeting carried live on state TV. France Reports 21,231 New Cases Over 24 Hours France reported 21,231 new confirmed CCP virus cases on Saturday, slightly up from 20,701 on Friday. The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections rose by 199 to 81,647the seventh-highest death toll globallyversus 320 on Friday. Biden: Need to Move Fast to Reopen Schools Members of Congress and other officials need to move fast to reopen schools, President Joe Biden said Friday. In a statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released official reopening guidance, Biden said his goal of reopening most K-8 schools by the end of his first 100 days in office can only be done if Congress approves his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. China Refused to Provide Raw Data on Early Cases China refused to give raw data on early CCP virus cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the teams investigators said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began. The team had requested raw patient data on 174 cases that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, said Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert who is a member of the team. In-person Schooling Can Be Done Safely: CDC The nations top public health agency said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing, and other strategies, adding that vaccinating teachers is not a prerequisite for reopening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its long-awaited road map for getting students back to classrooms. But the agencys guidance is just thatit cannot force schools to reopen, and CDC officials were careful to say they are not calling for a mandate that all U.S. schools be reopened. Governors, Mayors Need $350 Billion: Biden President Joe Biden met with a bipartisan group of governors and mayors at the White House on Friday as part of his push to give financial relief from the CCP virus pandemic to state and local governmentsa clear source of division with Republican lawmakers who view the spending as wasteful. As part of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package, Biden wants to send $350 billion to state and local governments and tribal governments. Republicans in Congress have largely objected to this initiative and stressed that some past aid to state and local governments remains unspent and revenues have rebounded after slumping when the CCP virus first hit. Vaccine to Be Tested in Children as Young as Six Children as young as six will be part of a new COVID-19 vaccine trial, the University of Oxford announced Saturday. Building on previous trials of the vaccine, which have shown that it is safe, produces strong immune system responses and has high efficacy in all adults, this trial will assess if children and young adults aged 617 years make a good immune response with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, the university said in a statement. Englands Infection Rate Continues to Drop The reproduction (R) number of the CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, in the UK has fallen below 1.0 for the first time since last July, and the infection rate in England continues to drop, according to official figures. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) on Friday revised the UKs R number to between 0.7 and 0.9, the same level in June and July. It means on average every 10 people infected with the CCP virus will infect between 7 and 9 other people. Lilly Zhou, Zachary Stieber, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. As President Joe Biden strives to take the opposite approach of former President Donald Trump on the coronavirus response, he's leaving most of the details to the scientists -- including the tough talk about what Americans may have to brace for in the coming months. Biden has opted for a more measured approach than his predecessor, showing up to promote vaccine announcements and appearing at a vaccine site or a laboratory, but mainly saving the hard questions for his closed-door daily briefing on the pandemic. That has left a gap in the messaging about how and when America might pull out of the crisis -- and glosses over the challenge and exhortation that a president can uniquely deliver in times of national calamity. Even one senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to be more candid, acknowledged in an interview with CNN that the public may not yet understand that the variants will require 'more public involvement and sacrifice than people probably have registered in their own mind.' Experts are also noticing missed opportunities for Biden to help the country rise to the challenge. 'This country's really been in an abyss, and we're trying to climb our way out,' said Laura Kahn, a Princeton University expert in leadership during epidemics. 'A little bit more public communication would be helpful.' Said another health expert, who is close to the White House: 'They're painting way too rosy of a picture.' The source, who requested anonymity to speak more frankly, added that the administration isn't doing enough to sound the alarm about the threat of variants and the challenges that could lie ahead. Administration officials have chafed at that criticism, insisting they are taking the variants seriously without inciting public panic. Should officials 'get up every morning and hold a press conference and say, 'I'm absolutely terrified'?' said one senior administration official not authorized to speak on the record about the matter. 'Do you want to sound the alarm and get everybody upset? Or do you want to do your job?' Biden obliquely acknowledged the tragedy at hand this week in a visit to the National Institutes of Health. 'We're in the middle of the war with this virus,' Biden said in that visit. 'It's going to take time to fix, to be blunt with you.' But just how much time? It's a question the Biden team doesn't appear keen to tackle too directly. Even the administration's health experts, tucked into their Zoom boxes for thrice-weekly updates, deliver scholarly assessments of where the US stands, offering little on the existential question of when life might return to normal. There is no shortage of reasons why a leader might want to keep his or her distance from the details right now, given how volatile the situation is. 'As the President told the nation Thursday after visiting the vaccination center at the National Institute of Health, and as he says internally regularly, we are driving a whole-of-government response to the pandemic -- guided by the science, by ambitious goals, and with clear public communication,' Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House Covid-19 Response Team, said in a statement to CNN Friday. 'This is a national emergency. Our focus is on vaccinating people quickly and equitably, increasing testing, and opening schools and businesses. We will be transparent with the American people about our progress. It won't be easy and we will face setbacks. However, we continue to make real progress every day until Americans feel safe once again.' Covid-19 by the numbers For the science-driven administration, forecasting the future is particularly challenging because the current picture is a muddle. Coronavirus cases are trending down, and vaccinations are ticking up. But the US is struggling to get a handle on the threat posed by new variants. Experts -- both inside and outside the White House -- are still far from certain that America is finally clawing its way out of the pandemic. 'This is a race to get the vaccine out there broadly enough and fast enough that it eliminates the chance of spread of even more strains,' said Dr. Bala Hota, an infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. 'We're not out of the woods yet.' One thing is certain: over the last two weeks, the US has seen a huge improvement across all major metrics experts have used to track the pandemic. As of Friday, the seven-day average of daily cases is down more than 22% from the previous week, and average deaths are down more than 15%, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Hospitalizations have declined nearly 13% and the percent positivity rate at 6.19%, according to the Covid Tracking Project. As of Friday, only one state -- Alaska -- was showing an upward trend in Covid-19 cases. While the Biden administration has made a major push to reduce the spread of disease by launching mass vaccination sites, taking strides to ramp up vaccine production and promoting safety measures, such as mask wearing, many experts said it's still too soon to say that those actions are driving the improving trends. 'Any kind of policy that is implemented at the beginning of January, you wouldn't probably see anything that quickly,' said Nandita Mitra, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Health experts said the trends were likely improving for reasons unrelated to Biden's policy initiatives. Cases are leveling off after holiday-related spikes and it's too soon to see fallout from new potential super spreader events, such as Super Bowl parties. 'We're now a month past the holiday and everybody has gone back to their bubble,' Hota said. Vaccines are also making their way to more Americans. More than 48 million shots have been administered so far, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The pace of vaccinations has been picking up steadily from week to week, which experts attributed partly to vaccine makers growing more adept at vaccine production and partly to states streamlining their distribution efforts. But it's hardly time to celebrate. Case numbers have been so high in these last two months that if you take just the first 10 days of February, the US has had more new cases than it had for the entire month of March, or April, or May, or even June of 2020. 'Now is not the time to look at those curves, in my view, and breathe a sigh of relief. We have a ways to go,' Slavitt said on CNN this week. 'We know that this thing has been unpredictable for the last year. I think it's still going to be unpredictable.' Unpredictable variants The unpredictability ahead has already led to some careful hedging from the White House. Biden announced Thursday that the US will have purchased enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of July. White House aides quickly followed up with a clarification: vaccines aren't vaccinations. Even though the doses will be available by July, it's unclear when nearly all Americans will actually be vaccinated. The administration didn't offer details about how thorny challenges like vaccine hesitancy and variants swirling in the US could impact America's path to normality or when the end of this pandemic may be in sight. 'The Biden administration is going to have to address this issue and we've got to stop basically telling people we've turned the corner,' said Michael Osterholm, who advised Biden's team during the transition and is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. 'At the rate we're at right now, this is going to be a huge challenge.' Digging out While then-President Trump was keen to take center stage in the coronavirus response, it often ended in disaster. He undercut scientists, peddled unproven miracle cures and even appeared to suggest injecting disinfectants might ward off the virus. Biden advisers are now facing a beleaguered American public, suffering whiplash after Trump-era promises that things were just on the brink of getting better. 'I think the country has lived through a long period of over-promises, false deadlines, dates that have no basis in science, and I don't think you're going to hear that from this White House,' Slavitt said on CNN this week. 'We don't want to try to forecast the future.' An administration official insisted Biden has been forthright with Americans, pointing to the President's previous comments, including a line in his inaugural address in which he said, 'We are entering what may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus.' Since then, Biden and his team have continued churning out policy initiatives aimed at pulling America out of the crisis. Their signature effort remains a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that awaits approval from Congress. Even with those interventions, experts said it's difficult to predict the next turn the virus will take. A year into the pandemic, the nation has a higher level of immunity than it did last year, which could help slow -- but not stop -- the infection rate, some health experts said. 'We certainly have not reached herd immunity, but we probably have at least somewhere around a third of the population that's been exposed that might have some short-term immunity,' said Dr. Amanda Castel, a professor in the department of epidemiology at George Washington University. But the variants -- along with human behavior -- could easily send cases climbing again. 'I worry that people have a false sense of reassurance because things are trending down and then all of the sudden you see people loosening restrictions in certain areas and people relax a little more,' Castel said Some states and cities have begun to relax Covid restrictions, even though caseloads remain high. North Dakota and Iowa have both rolled back their statewide masks mandates. New Jersey and New York City are loosening restrictions on indoor dining. New York state is planning to reopen arenas and stadiums this month, at limited capacities. And Ohio announced it is bringing back self-service buffets. 'I understand why there's this unbridled enthusiasm to get back to some semblance of a new normal,' Osterholm said. But 'people do not realize what a curve ball the variants have thrown us.' New Delhi: Veteran actor Randhir Kapoor remembered his late brother Rajiv Kapoor, who breathed his last on February 9, and said after his youngest brothers death he is left alone in the house. Randhir Kapoor has lost the fourth member of his family in a span of three years, since his mother Krishna Kapoors death in October 2018. In an interview with ET Times, Kapoor opened up about losing his brother and said, "I don't know what's happening. I was equally close to Rishi and Rajiv. I have lost four people from my family--my mother Krishna Kapoor (October 2018), eldest sister Ritu (January 14, 2020), Rishi and now Rajiv. These four were my central core, with whom I did most of my talking." Actor Rishi Kapoor died in April, 2020 after a prolonged battle with cancer. The Kapoors including Randhir Kapoors wife Babita, his daughter Karisma and a few other relatives performed a small puja for the chautha of Rajiv Kapoor. The 73-year-old actor recalled the events of the day he lost his youngest brother and told ET Times, "Well, I have a 24-hour nurse since I have a bit of problem in walking due to a nerve related issue. The nurse went to wake him up in the morning at about 7:30 am and he did not respond. She detected that his pulse was very low and dropping further. We rushed him to the hospital but all efforts to save him failed. 58-year-old Rajiv Kapoor died following a cardiac arrest. He added, "And, now I am left alone in this house". Legendary actor Raj Kapoor's youngest son Rajiv resided with his brother Randhir and his family at the Kapoor residence in Chembur. Kareena Kapoors father Randhir also revealed that Rajiv was excited about his upcoming film 'Toolsidas Junior', produced by Ashutosh and Sunita Gowariker. Rajiv was making a Bollywood comeback with the Ashutosh Gowariker film. Washington: Democrats have backed down on calling witnesses to appear at Donald Trumps impeachment trial, paving the way for a speedy final vote on whether the former president was guilty of inciting the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. A surprise move by the Democratic impeachment managers to call witnesses to testify threw the trial into disarray for several hours and threatened to extend the process for weeks longer than expected. The Democrats secured the votes required to call witnesses but later abandoned that plan and agreed to move on to concluding arguments and a final vote. House impeachment manager Jamie Raskin surprised the Senate by requesting that witnesses appear at the trial. Credit:Senate Television The witness debate blindsided both Democratic and Republican senators, who had expected the trial to move towards a speedy conclusion on Sunday (AEDT). Those stakes are high enough. But experts, politicians and EU officials say the future of the bloc as a more integrated fiscal union is also riding on Draghis success in managing the hundreds of billions of euros from Brussels. They think they are in good hands. The fact that Draghi will lead the country in this particular moment was very, very big news here, Paolo Gentiloni, the European Unions economy commissioner and a former Italian prime minister, said from Brussels. And very, very good news. He said Draghis arrival after the collapse of the Italian government reassured European leaders, especially because of his reputation for caring about execution. Others said Draghis status as a proven senior statesman was critical, with the union on the cusp of a potential leadership vacuum. Britain has left, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is set to step down, and President Emmanuel Macron of France is facing tough elections. For avid supporters of a more robust EU and Italys leadership in it, Draghis arrival comes just in time. Last year, Merkel and Macron overcame entrenched opposition to win approval of a 750 billion ($1.1 trillion) stimulus agreement to save the economies of member states walloped by the coronavirus. Supporters of an ever-closer EU, who dream of debt and asset-sharing similar to that of the United States, considered the fund a major step. Then president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, left, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, then treasurer, chat during the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in Chengdu, China, in 2016. Credit:AP For the first time, countries raised money by collectively selling bonds on the open market and then distributing much of the money as grants, rather than loans, that do not have to be repaid to other countries in the union. This marked a critical departure from bloc rules to keep national debts in check. Italy received the largest share, roughly 209 billion, of a pot likened to a modern-day Marshall Plan. This time, the plan is to invest in digital competitiveness, education, the green economy and big public works projects. But the windfall has also triggered consternation. Northern European countries already resistant to the idea of their taxpayers carrying the burden of the debt-laden European south are worried about Romes ability to absorb and effectively spend the money. After saving the euro by pledging to sure it up, introducing a massive bond-buying program, and testing the limits of the European Central Banks scope in 2012, Draghi now has to safeguard the dream of an ever closer, and more fiscally integrated, union. If this succeeds this is a pillar for a European success, said Gentiloni, who said that while the relief fund was conceived as a one-off operation in an extraordinary year, the history of the union has shown that it sticks with what works. It could be a precedent. Soldiers march in the courtyard of the Quirinale presidential palace prior to the arrival of Mario Draghi, in Rome, on Friday. Credit:AP Others put Draghis task, and its bearing on Europes future, in even more historic terms, referring to Alexander Hamilton in the United States. If its a success, this will ignite essentially a Hamiltonian process, said Nathalie Tocci, director of Italys Institute of International Affairs and an adviser to the European Unions foreign policy chief. If its a failure, she said, it would amount to a nail in the coffin in those who believe in a fiscal union. Typically understated, Gentiloni agreed, saying failure would make it for a few years very, very difficult to relaunch this idea. Doubts about the ability of the previous government, led by Giuseppe Conte, to effectively spend the money led to the collapse of his government more than any other factor. After Contes failed attempt to form a new coalition, President Sergio Mattarella summoned Draghi to put together a government. Loading Draghis credibility from his leadership of the European Central Bank during the debt crisis, his deep professional connections to top players on the European stage and his granular understanding of Italys economy uniquely prepared him for this moment. His gravity has proved to be a nearly irresistible influence on warring political parties that want a role in spending Europes billions and a share in his potential success. Matteo Salvini, Italys leading nationalist, who once wore Enough Euro T-shirts, has moderated to please his pro-business base and get a spot in the government of a banker who is the Italian personification of the euro. The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, whose founder campaigned to leave the euro, has essentially split apart, with the majority backing Draghi and hoping to rebrand themselves as a small green party. They spent years calling Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi a psycho dwarf, but will now be in the same government as his supporters. So will the center-left Democratic Party, which has been mocked for years by all of the above. Loading Lawmakers expressed hope that the broad support could allow Draghi to enact emergency legislation to clear administrative hurdles and a baroque bureaucracy that have slowed Italy for decades. For example, there is a hope among many that Draghi will be able to address the slow pace of the Italian judiciary, as international investors often steer clear to avoid frivolous lawsuits that can freeze business for years. Im sure that Draghi is well equipped, is experienced, to address these famous bottlenecks, said Gentiloni, who also cautioned, We should not raise expectations that these can be solved in a sudden breakthrough. As the bitter three-month-long strike by over 3,000 Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) workers at two plants in the southern state of Karnataka enters the fourth month, company management, with support from the stridently pro-business Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government, is pushing ahead with what the company calls an enquiry against workers. Striking Toyota Workers in Bidadi, Karnataka After a meeting TKM management held with the state Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar and Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar on February 8, the company made it clear that it will not drop its investigation against the alleged misconduct of workers. Such a statement coming soon after the meeting with state government officials demonstrates that the BJP government is closely cooperating with Toyota to victimize the workers whose only sin has been to oppose the back breaking production speed-up management has been imposing upon the workers. Hebbar had previously said that it is the companys prerogative to hold inquiries about worker misconduct. The TKM plant is located about 30 km from the Karnataka state capital Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) and manufactures vans, SUVs and cars for the Indian market. Bidadi is also home to various other multinational companies including Bosch and Coca-Cola. TKM workers mounted a sit-in protest November 9 in front of the factory after the company summarily suspended a leader of the TKM Employees Union (TKMEU), Umesh Gowda Alur. Umesh had gone to speak to the workers inside the plant about their various grievances, including the unbearable speedup regime of producing one vehicle about every 2.5 minutes as against the current average of 3 minutes. A day later, the company locked out the workers claiming that the strike was illegal and since then lifted and reimposed new lockouts over the following months. Subsequently, the company suspended over 70 workers for serious misconduct. Management now insists that workers will only be taken back if they accept in writing the new 20 percent increase in production speed designed to produce 360 vehicles a day, up from 300, and also promise to not engage in any union activities that would disrupt production. While the BJP state government has openly displayed its hostility toward the workers by conspiring with the management, leaders of the opposition parties, including the Congress Party and the Janata Dal (Secular), are now trying to posture as friends of the workers despite their strident pro-business orientation when they ruled the state. Siddaramaiah, the leader of the opposition Congress Party and the state chief minister from 2013 to 2018, visited the workers in Bidadi Sunday, January 31, to declare his support for the striking workers. He postured as a friend of the workers by saying: It is our state that has given land, water and electricity to Japans Toyota company to start their manufacturing facility. It is wrong to impose Japans labour laws on the employees in our state. He added, We don't have any objection if a foreign company wants to invest and start its manufacturing facility. But it has to follow the laws of our land and treat its employees in a fair manner. It was during his tenure as chief minister in 2014 that Siddaramaiah unleashed the police, who mounted an unprovoked attack against the TKM workers engaged in a hunger strike against the companys three-week lockout of over 4,000 workers. So violent was the police attack that two of the workers, already weak from hunger, were severely injured and hospitalised. Workers at that time told the World Socialist Web Site that the police attack was completely unprovoked . The TKMEU vice president, Pradeep Kumar, subsequently tried to sow illusions in this ruthless anti-worker politician. He said, Siddaramaiah has assured to take up the matter with the government. The management refuses to talk to us and continues to demand an undertaking which is illegal and hasnt been mandated by the labour department. All of the successive Karnataka state governments over the past decades, whether led by the Congress party, Janata Dal (Secular) or the BJP, have amended labour laws that permit hiring contract workers, increased overtime and to lay off workers at will. It was also under the Congress Party-led state government in the northern state of Haryana that 13 Maruti Suzuki auto workers were monstrously framed in consort with the management on fraudulent murder charges and were given life sentences. Last December, workers at the Wistron corporations iPhone manufacturing plant at Narasapura, about 55 km from Bengaluru, vandalized management offices and overturned the cars of senior executives after the Taiwan-based contract manufacturer refused to pay them back wages of three months or more. The state factory inspectors found rampant abuse of workers at this facility. The only concern of every political party in Karnataka is the reputation of the state as a cheap labour haven for multinational corporations. This is in line with the BJP-Modi governments Make in India policy under which it has dismantled all labour laws that provided a modicum of protection to Indian workers. Big corporations are now allowed nationally to hire workers for a fixed-term and also as contract workers who are then made to work long hours at miserable wages. Despite the bravery and militancy of the workers, the strike nevertheless is at a crossroads. The Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) aligned with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the union federations affiliated to two main Stalinist parliamentary parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM and the Communist Party of India (CPI) respectively, have refused to mobilise other workers in Bidadi, despite the immense support the TKM workers enjoy. The TKM workers strike could act as the spearhead of a counteroffensive against the anti-worker conspiracy of the Karnataka BJP government and the company. The striking Toyota workers should have no illusions about the pro-worker posturing of the opposition parties promoted by the TKMEU. Both the ruling BJP and the opposition parties in the state want to bring the months-long agitation to an end under the companys terms. The only way forward is for the TKM workers to expand the strike by appealing to their class brothers and sisters in Bidadi itself, throughout India and internationally. TKM strikers must establish their own independent organisations, rank-and-file action committees, to take control of the strike into their own hands. These committees should establish links with workers at all other industrial facilities in the region, issue appeals for solidarity strike action and call for a general strike to oppose the bullying threats against the strikers. Google is all over the internet. Almost every person in the world uses one or the other service from the Mountain View, California-based giant, which means that Google also holds the most amount of data on its users, especially those who use Android. Now, with data privacy concerns at an all-time high, many people will be looking to deactivate their Google account - a procedure that takes a certain amount of time and effort. In this article, we will tell you how to back up all your data on Google and delete your Google account once and for all. The first step here is to take the time to download a copy of all your data. Another important step is to make sure that none of your online accounts are linked to the Google account you're about to close. Here are the steps you need to follow in order to back up your Google account data and then proceed to close your Google account: In order to back up all of your data, Google's Takeout service makes it easy to download all the data linked to your Google account with just a few clicks. Users can go to Google Takeout website (takeout.google.com) and sign into the account they want to download the backup for. The website provides a list of the various services and apps that are linked to your Google account. Uncheck the box next to anything you don't want to have a backup of. Once done, click Next Steps in order to proceed. The next section will ask you how you want your data to be delivered. You can ask Google to transfer it directly to another cloud storage, or have Google email you a link to download all the data once its ready. Next, you need to select your export preferences. It is recommended that users stick with the default option or select Export Once. Select the type and size of the files you want to receive. Lastly, click Create Export and wait for Google to gather all your daya and make it ready for download. This process can take hours, or even days, depending on the amount of data. Users will receive an email once Google is done preparing the files. Now, with the data successfully backed up, you can go ahead with the process of deleting the account. Here are the steps: 1. Go to the Google Account Website (myaccount.google.com) 2. Sign in to the account you're closing 3. Select Data and Personalisation 4. Find the section named Download and Delete Your Data 5. Click on Delete a service or your account. 6. Click Delete your account, which will prompt you to log in to your account again. Google will again give you the option to back up all of your data and show you a list of all the services that will no longer be accessible. 7. Once verified, scroll to the bottom of the page and check the two boxes to confirm you want to delete your account 8. Click Delete Account. LONDON British government scientists are increasingly finding the coronavirus variant first detected in Britain to be linked to a higher risk of death than other versions of the virus, a devastating trend that highlights the serious risks and considerable uncertainties of this new phase of the pandemic. The scientists said last month that there was a realistic possibility that the variant was not only more contagious than others, but also more lethal. Now, they say in a new document that it is likely that the variant is linked to an increased risk of hospitalization and death. The British government did not publicly announce the updated findings, which are based on roughly twice as many studies as its earlier assessment and include more deaths from Covid-19 cases caused by the new variant, known as B.1.1.7. It posted the document on a government website on Friday. The reasons for an elevated death rate are not entirely clear. Some evidence suggests that people infected with the variant may have higher viral loads, a feature that could not only make the virus more contagious but also potentially undermine the effectiveness of certain treatments. Mumbai, Feb 13 : The dull season 14 of Bigg Boss 14 seems finally set for some genuine drama, with contestant Rahul Vaidya and his girlfriend Disha Parmar adding a romantic twist in the house over the weekend, to bring Valentines Day vibes alive. When Disha enters the Bigg Boss house to meet Rahul, he proposes her on national television. She accepts. When Disha enters the house, Rahul is naturally surprised and ecstatic. In sync with February 14 hues, Disha wears a red sari, and her hair gently falls over her shoulders. A new promo shows Rahul gets to meet her from the other side of a glass wall, due to the pandemic and safety protocol. Then, Rahul goes down on his knees and proposes marriage. Disha says yes, literally putting up the writing on the wall! She shows a huge placard that says: "Yes, I will marry you." At one point, Rahul gets emotional when Disha tells him: "This is such a good occasion for me to be here." She is referring to Valentine's Day. The promo ends with both saying "I love you" to each other and sealing the bond with a kiss, though with the glass divider in between. Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 14 -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Britains largest airport has sounded the alarm on the governments hotel quarantine policy and warned it is not ready to launch with less than 48 hours to go. Ministers have promised hotel quarantine will start on Monday, but in a statement issued on Saturday morning Heathrow airport said significant gaps still remain. The airport said it had not received the necessary reassurances that problems will be resolved, after it emerged border officials had not even been told how the system would work. MPs have warned of chaotic scenes at airports, while the union representing border force workers says staff are going on shift for the weekend unaware of what rules they will be enforcing come Monday. When the government announced its hotel quarantine plan, we immediately offered our help to make this successful in a complex airport environment, a Heathrow spokesperson said. We have been working hard with the government to try to ensure the successful implementation of the policy from Monday, but some significant gaps remain and we are yet to receive the necessary reassurances. We will continue to work collaboratively with government over the weekend but ministers must ensure there is adequate resource and appropriate protocols in place for each step of the full end-to-end process from aircraft to hotel to avoid compromising the safety of passengers and those working at the airport. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care, which is administering the policy, said: We are taking decisive action at the borders and every essential check from pre-departure testing to the Passenger Locator Form will help prevent the importing of new coronavirus variants into the UK. We are working closely with airports and hotels to manage any issues that arise and ensure the new process runs as smoothly as possible, and we are clear the safety of all staff and passengers is a priority. Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, warned on Friday: Chaotic long queues with no social distancing in place have the potential to be super-spreading events that will undermine the very measures being introduced. Under the plans, travellers from 33 Covid hotspot countries will have to isolate in hotels for 10 days. The policy was announced by Boris Johnson on 27 January in response to the emergence of concerning variants of the disease in Brazil and South Africa. But it was not until Tuesday this week that the first contracts with airport hotels were sealed, backed up by the threat of a 10-year sentence in jail for anyone caught lying in an attempt to avoid having to isolate. Legislation setting out the full basis for the new rules was only published on Friday evening. Preparations were hampered by technical issues that crashed the internet portal on which travellers from red-list countries including Portugal and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Brazil and South Africa, are supposed to book their 1,750 quarantine package. Meanwhile, trade unions have called for workers in quarantine hotels to be given adequate protection against coronavirus as people start arriving from overseas next week. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures Buildbase FA Vase Trophy Gary Kenny lifts the Buildbase FA Vase Trophy after Warrington Rylands won the FA Vase Final against Binfield at Wembley Stadium Getty UK news in pictures 21st May 2021 A family buffeted by the wind whilst crossing the the Millennium Bridge in London, with wind and rain forecast to ravage the UK on the first Friday that people have been allowed to meet in large groups outside in England PA UK news in pictures 20 May 2021 Devon And Cornwall Police Demonstrate Their Skills For Policing The G7 Summit Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 May 2021 An employee stands before a costume for the Queen of Hearts by Bob Crowley on display at the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London PA UK news in pictures 17 May 2021 Passengers prepare to board an easyJet flight to Faro, Portugal, at Gatwick Airport after the ban on international leisure travel for people in England was lifted following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 16 May 2021 Emergency workers at the scene of a suspected gas explosion, in which a young child was killed and two people were seriously injured, on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which caused 2 houses to collapse and badly damaged another PA UK news in pictures 15 May 2021 Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters let off smoke flares, wave flags and carry placards during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause as violence escalates in the ongoing conflict with Israel, in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 14 May 2021 Member of staffs tighten screws and paint a Marlin skeleton, before it goes on display at the Natural History Museum in London, as the museum prepares to reopen to the public on 17 May, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 13 May 2021 A worshipper at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Mordon, south London, ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The celebration marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. PA UK news in pictures 12 May 2021 A couple have wedding photos taken in Westminster, London Getty UK news in pictures 11 May 2021 The sun rises on Coquet Island, off Amble on the Northumberland coast, where as many as 35000 seabirds cram onto this tiny island to breed PA UK news in pictures 10 May 2021 Newly elected for a second term Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during his signing in ceremony at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Londons Southbank PA UK news in pictures 9 May 2021 People mill around St. Michael's tower on top of Glastonbury Tor as it is seen through blooming yellow rapeseed on a day of mixed weather in Glastonbury, Somerset PA UK news in pictures 8 May 2021 Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford elbow bumps newly elected MS Labour candidates Elizabeth Buffy Williams, Rhondda, left, and Sarah Murphy, Bridgend & Porthcawl Labour, right, as they meet in Porthcawl, Wales PA UK news in pictures 6 May 2021 A group of five Sisters from Carmelite Monastery in Dysart cast their vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election at Dysart Community Hall, West Port, Dysart PA UK news in pictures 5 May 2021 Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne (far right) and Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner (far left) during a visit to Birmingham, whilst on the election campaign trail PA UK news in pictures 4 May 2021 Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey stand within 100 oak saplings which form part of a living art installation entitled Beuys' Acorns by the UK-based artist duo, outside the Tate Modern in London PA UK news in pictures 3 May 2021 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie feeds the Gentoo penguins during a visit to Edinburgh Zoo on the campaign trail for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary Election on May 6 PA UK news in pictures 2 May 2021 Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal during the Womens Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, at Kingsmeadow Stadium in south west London. The Blues won the game 4-1, (and the tie 5-3 on aggregate) sending them through to their first Champions League final AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters UK news in pictures 19 April 2021 Women enjoy sunny weather in Greenwich, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, Reuters UK news in pictures 18 April 2021 Stephen Maguire (right) of Scotland interacts with Jamie Jones of Wales during day 2 of the Betfred World Snooker Championships 2021 at The Crucible, Sheffield PA UK news in pictures 17 April 2021 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghs coffin, covered with His Royal Highnesss Personal Standard arrives by Landrover Defender at St Georges Chapel carried by a bearer party found by the Royal Marines during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle Getty Images UK news in pictures 16 April 2021 Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, checks the teeth of "Dentosaurus" during a visit to the Thornliebank Dental Care centre in Glasgow, as she campaigns ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 April 2021 Myanmar's former ambassador to the UK, Kyaw Zwar Minn, outside his residence in north west London. The ambassador has been barred from entering the Myanmar embassy in Mayfair after he was removed from office PA UK news in pictures 14 April 2021 People take part in coronavirus surge testing on Clapham Common, south London. Thousands of residents have queued up to take coronavirus tests at additional facilities set up after new cases of the South African variant were found in two south London boroughs. 44 confirmed cases of the variant have been found in Lambeth and Wandsworth, with a further 30 probable cases identified PA UK news in pictures 13 April 2021 The core of the Milky Way becomes visible in the early hours of Tuesday morning as it moves over Bamburgh Lighthouse at stag Rock in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 12 April 2021 Rebecca Richardson (left) and Genevieve Florence, members of the Aquabatix synchronised swimming team, during a practice session in the swimming pool at Clissold Leisure Centre in north London, which has reopened to the public. Many facilities have reopened in the latest easing of lockdown include pubs and restaurants who can serve outside, non-essential shops, indoor gyms and swimming pools, nail salons and hairdressers, outdoor amusements and zoos PA UK news in pictures 11 April 2021 A pub staff pins up a sign announcing the reopening of the Fox on the Hill pub on Denmark Hill in London EPA UK news in pictures 10 April 2021 The Death Gun Salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company to mark the passing of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the The Tower of London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 9 April 2021 A man arrives to lay a bunch of flowers outside Buckingham Palace in central London after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. - Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, who recently spent more than a month in hospital and underwent a heart procedure, died on April 9, Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 8 April 2021 Cousin Pascal ridden by James King clears the chair on their way to winning the 4:05 Pool via REUTERS UK news in pictures 7 April 2021 Deliveroo riders from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain outside Deliveroo headquarters in London, as they go on strike in a dispute for fair pay, safety protections and basic workers rights PA UK news in pictures 6 April 2021 Waves crash over the walls next to Seaham Lighthouse in Durham PA UK news in pictures 5 April 2021 Lusamba Katalay (third from left), the husband of Belly Mujinga joins activists at a vigil at Victoria station in London to mark the first anniversary of the death of railway worker Belly Mujinga who died with Covid-19 following reports she had been coughed on by a customer at London's Victoria station PA UK news in pictures 4 April 2021 People spend Easter Sunday at Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth Jake McPherson/SWNS UK news in pictures 3 April 2021 A woman looks into the camera as she attends a 'Kill the Bill' protest in London EPA UK news in pictures 2 April 2021 Members of the Bamburgh Croquet club play a game following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Northumberland, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 1 April 2021 A family walks in St Nicholas' Park in Warwick, the hot weather which baked much of the UK this week is set to give way to a chilly Easter weekend. PA The GMB warned that rushed government plans could put people such as security guards at risk. In yet another cobbled together plan, the government have left it too late in the day to make sure workers on the front line in quarantine hotels are adequately protected, said Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer. Staff need thorough risk assessments, full PPE, a knowledge of the ventilation system in each hotel and a much clearer understanding of what roles security workers are expected to play. Its vital that we get round the table urgently with employers so that we can work together to make sure security staff are safe at quarantine hotels. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. With another anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting upon us, let us remember the 14 students and three staff members who died in Parkland, in Broward County, on Valentine's Day 2018. It is also a time to remember that the mass murderer was a Democrat-created and Democrat-inspired killer, and a time to remember that Democrats continue to hysterically lie, prevaricate, and conspiracy-theorize. Democrats have effectively exploited the survivors' grief for their nefarious political gain. Especially loathsome and sinister has been the thrusting of traumatized children into the roles of activists, having force-fed them the usual Democrat and DMIC (Democrat Media Industrial Complex) propaganda of the People's Templeesque anti-gun cult. We shouldn't be angry at the kids who have been initiated into the anti-gun cult, via a Clockwork Orangetype Ludovico technique; they've been duped into believing that they're gun policy and Bill of Rights experts, who really know what James Madison meant when he penned the Second Amendment. Recall when then-17-year-old Douglas student David Hogg a real-life Jack Merridew, the Lord of the Flies antagonist asked on CNN: "If you can't get elected without taking money from child murderers, why are you running?" Normal question from one barely old enough to legally drive, right? At the CNN town hall a week after the shooting, Douglas student Cameron Kasky said to Republican U.S. senator Marco Rubio, of Florida: "It's hard to look at you and not look down the barrel of an AR-15." We all know that Kasky didn't come up with that on his own. The loved ones of the deceased and injured will always mourn. Their ire and anger, though, are ignorantly directed at the wrong organizations and individuals. Malignant Democrat Majorities Show me who's in charge, and I'll show you the likely outcomes. In 2018 and presently: Who lives in Broward? Majority Democrats. Who lives in Parkland? Majority Democrats. Who's on the Broward school board? Majority Democrats. Who works in the district? Majority Democrats. What was the background of Robert Runcie, superintendent of the Broward County Public Schools? Chicago Democrat. Broward's PROMISE policy of lax disciplinary standards for troubled students which the murderer was, for years was from Barack Obama, a Democrat. Who runs the Broward County Sheriff's Office? Democrats. Who's Parkland's state senator? A Democrat. Who's Parkland's state House rep? A Democrat. Who's Parkland's U.S. rep.? A Democrat. Who received a majority of the vote Trump or Clinton in Parkland in 2016? The Democrat. Who received a majority of the vote for U.S. Senate in Parkland in 2018? The Democrat. Who received a majority of the vote for governor in Parkland in 2018? The Democrat. Who received a majority of the vote Trump or Biden in Parkland? The Democrat. All Democrat majorities are malignant no exceptions and produce kids who kill other kids. Starting in middle school, the murderer was suspended at least 67 days in 18 months. He was then sent to another district school, and then to Stoneman Douglas; in 2015, while at Douglas, a district assessment claimed that the murderer could be a future "model student." In January 2016, the Broward Sheriff's Office got a tip that the killer then in 10th grade had posted on Instagram that he planned to shoot up a school. By the end of the next month, the murderer was suspended after he carved swastikas into a lunch table and scrawled "I hate n------" on his backpack. In 2017 (about a year before the mass murders), the district was again made aware of the murderer's desire to commit a school mass shooting. There are many, many more published reports about his obsessively violent mental state and academic struggles. Parkland was a perfect storm of collective failure: the FBI admitted it failed to investigate the murderer; Obama educational standards (entitled PROMISE: Preventing Recidivism through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education), enacted without Congress's approval and designed to reduce minorities' encounters with law enforcement, peddled lax disciplinary standards for troubled students (the killer, at one time, had been in the PROMISE program); and not only did the Broward sheriff's deputies fail to act on several tips about the killer's violent tendencies, but they also failed to act on the day of the massacre. Terrorism of "It Takes a Village" The Parkland school shooting was many years in the making a horrific example of the myth of "equal outcomes": the PROMISE program, in which the killer was enrolled, was designed to achieve "equal outcomes" between whites and minorities and was early adopted by the Obama sycophant Runcie. The killer was frisked daily in school and was always accompanied by security. Democrats go to extraordinarily great lengths to protect each other: "vote blue, no matter who, no matter what." What does any of the above have to do with the type of firearm the murderer used, or how many rounds of ammunition fit into the magazine? Spoiler alert: nothing, and nothing. A gun has never killed anyone, ever, intentionally, or accidentally. Wherever the voters of Biden and Harris are the majority of the populace, however, the highest rates of gun-related violence and murder almost always follow. What should keep every adult-minded American up at night this: how many more Democrat-created and Democrat-inspired mass murderers are there among us? Frighteningly, I believe there are many more than we realize; and for those in red/purple states, such as Florida and Texas, and blue/purple states, such as Arizona and Georgia, you'd better stop living in denial about the migration of Democrats to your states. The more Democrats there are, the likelier a killer kid will be born. I recommend the book authored by Andrew Pollock, whose daughter, Meadow, died in the Parkland shooting: Why Meadow Died: The People and Policies That Created The Parkland Shooter and Endanger America's Students. Post-Parkland, perhaps most farcical of all is this: all those who spectacularly failed now expect you and me to live under their so-called red flag laws, which potentially infringe upon and abridge our First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights one half of our Bill of Rights, and one quarter of our entire Constitution. Red flag legislation is fancied after Minority Reporttype guilty-before-proven-innocent laws, which have been bipartisan and enacted in dozens of states, to allow for law enforcement and the State to confiscate the firearms of allegedly dangerous individuals. These laws are a quintessential example of why bipartisanship is oftentimes the gateway drug to tyranny; when an unconstitutional, bipartisan law is passed, it just means that both parties were wrong. Earlier this week, a Broward judge ruled that the school district was not liable for failing to warn parents of the killer before he went on his cold-blooded rampage, because he was no longer a student in Broward at the time of the shooting. Probably unwittingly, this judge showed why red flag laws are, at worst, unconstitutional and, at best, futile. Said the judge: "... the district [did not[ have pre-knowledge of a definitive threat by [the killer]." The Parkland murderer was singularly perhaps the most obvious red flagtype case in American history, and Democrats still didn't get it right. Rest in peace to the 17 deceased; you should be alive. Rich Logis is author of the upcoming book 10 Warning Signs Your Child Is Becoming a Democrat: How to Make America Grown-Up Again. He can be reached at OpinionsAreWorthless.com and Twitter at @RichLogis. Image via Pexels. Road Crews Readying for Snow Sunday Night By West Kentucky Star Staff WESTERN KENTUCKY - Crews from KYTC and the region's city and county crews are preparing for another round of winter precipitation starting Sunday night.Supervisors are attempting to give area snow-fighters some time off Saturday and Sunday while small teams continue working in many counties to replace worn plow blades and perform maintenance on trucks and other equipment. The goal is to have all equipment functioning at 100 percent by Sunday night.No pre-treating activities will be required this weekend. The heavy application of salt and other ice-fighting chemicals over the last few days has left a residue on roads that will be activated by new winter weather.Snow is predicted to start Sunday afternoon or evening with a break on Monday morning, then another round that afternoon and evening. Estimates on Saturday indicated western Kentucky could get between 3-9 inches of snow.Engineers remind everyone that the extreme cold adds a degree of difficulty and danger to the prospect of traveling over the next few days. Something as simple as a dead battery can become life-threatening if a driver becomes stranded. The three BJP MPs in Lok Sabha said that the Congress leader directed his party members to observe silence without taking permission from the Speaker New Delhi: Three BJP members in Lok Sabha on Friday moved a breach of privilege notice against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying by asking members to observe silence to mourn death of farmers during agitation without the permission of the Chair was a contempt of the House. Rahul on Thursday led his party members and those from the TMC and the DMK to observe a two-minute silence by standing to mourn the death of farmers during the ongoing agitation. Claiming that "200 farmers" have died during protests, he had said he was doing this as the government has not paid tributes to them. This was perhaps for the first time in recent history that some members stood in silence to mourn deaths without being asked to do so by the Chair. BJP MPs Sanjay Jaiswal, Rakesh Singh and PP Chaudhary moved notice against Rahul. Jaiswal said that the Congress leader directed his party members to observe silence without taking permission from the Speaker. "The House should take action against him," he said. Singh alleged that Rahul has shown an unparliamentary behaviour and that has impacted the dignity of Parliament. He alleged that the former president works against the rules of Parliament. Sharing similar views, Chaudhary said that: "It is gross misconduct and it is a serious breach of privilege". Police in Derry are appealing for help to catch those responsible for what they have described as a 'incident of criminal damage' in the Waterside area of the city. The incident occurred on Friday last, February 5, in the Ivy Mead area. Appealing for information, a PSNI spokesperson said: If you were in the area around half seven/eight oclock in the evening did you see anything? Do you live in the area and have CCTV which may have recorded the culprits or were you driving in the area and have dash cam footage? If so, please contact police either by ringing 101 or messaging our page quoting reference number 1707, 05/02/21. A young family returning to the UK after four years living in Abu Dhabi have said travellers should not be used as guinea pigs, amid confusion over hotel quarantine rules. From Monday, UK nationals or residents returning to England from 33 countries will be required to spend 10 days in Government-designated accommodation at a cost of 1,750 for an individual. The regulations have been published just days before the scheme becomes law. Beckie Morris, 30, planned to repatriate to the UK with husband Matthew and their five-week-old daughter, but they now face a quarantine bill of thousands of pounds if they do. The new mother told the PA news agency there was no information on the Government website about what to do with young children. (Beckie Morris/PA) She said: Wed have to arrange all the formula. I dont know what we do about sterilising bottles, or nappies or washing their clothes theres all this unknown. I tried to reach out, and I know its still really early days, but theres just no information. They havent really laid out what actually happens when you get to that hotel and I dont think thats going to be known until the first person goes in there. People shouldnt be used as guinea pigs especially not paying that amount, that is an extortionate amount of money. The couple, who are both paramedics, planned to return to Kent where Mr Morris has been offered a job. Mrs Morris said the hotel quarantine announcement had left her in tears most nights. She said the family would be stranded in the United Arab Emirates if they do not return, as both have given up their jobs, but delays in getting their daughter a passport meant they had not been able to come home sooner. Mr Morris has been vaccinated against Covid-19 and she said the area where they live is safe and secure. It feels like we are being punished, she added. Due to the expense, the family considered travelling to a non-red list country for 10 days before returning to the UK: Thats what it is forcing people to do. But weve looked online and there are hardly any countries open anywhere. So realistically we are looking at having to spend this money. (Beckie Morris/PA) (The Government) hasnt included places like America where the case numbers are ridiculous. Here we have access to four vaccines, we have Covid tests that cost approximately 15 and you can go and get one anywhere. People have to be tested every week here. They are doing national drives again, going around peoples houses by blocks of apartments, knocking on their door, and everyone having tests so they can find all the asymptomatic cases, and they can sort it all out. Not everyone returning has been abroad on holiday, she added. They seem to be penalising us, forgetting there is a really big ex-pat community that has really struggled. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 11:03:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QUITO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's National Electoral Council (CNE) on Friday agreed to a recount of votes in 17 of the country's 24 provinces in presidential elections held on Feb. 7, said Diana Atamaint, president of the election body. As part of an agreement reached with two candidates technically tied for the second place, she said an instruction manual will be prepared on the recount procedure. "Once the review process is finished, the final announcement of the results will be made and the entire process will be broadcast live through the official CNE channels continuously," said Atamaint. Ecuador's presidential race is heading to a runoff on April 11 after the first round of voting saw Andres Arauz, of the left-leaning Union for Hope Alliance, lead with 32.70 percent of the votes, while the runner-up has yet to be decided. With 100 percent of the electoral records processed as of 6:40 p.m. local time (2340 GMT), indigenous activist Yaku Perez trailed slightly behind former banker and three-time presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso, with 19.38 percent of the votes versus 19.74 percent for Lasso, according to the CNE. Perez demanded a recount, leading to a meeting with Lasso, CNE officials and the election observer mission of the Organization of American States, where all sides reached the agreement on the recount. "In Ecuador, democracy wins, dialogue wins, and we are firmly defending the electoral process with transparency," added Atamaint. Enditem We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The National Union of Journalists has called on the PSNI to take action against those who threaten members of the media. It follows a renewed threat against the Sunday World journalist Patricia Devlin. The reporters name was sprayed onto walls in at least two locations in East Belfast, accompanied by the image of a crosshair of a gun. #NUJ members offer support & solidarity with @trishdevlin The authorities must identify & prosecute the perpetrators to the full extent of the law - there should be no impunity for death threats against journalists in Northern Ireland https://t.co/geJCJsg6en #Belfast #news pic.twitter.com/t8k6dssRoz NUJ (@NUJofficial) February 13, 2021 The NUJ says repeated death threats targeting journalists alludes to a dangerously hostile climate in Northern Ireland for the media. The union warns it also implies that previous action taken by the police has been insufficient in deterring the perpetrators. NUJ Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said: This menacing and cowardly graffiti is the behaviour of thugs who are trying to target and intimidate a specific journalist, but they are also trying to send a warning message to other media workers. The NUJ calls on the PSNI as well as Northern Irelands political and community leaders to do all they can to support independent, quality journalism. The authorities must now identify and prosecute the perpetrators to the full extent of the law. This latest threat is an attempt to stop journalists from reporting on current turbulent events in Northern Ireland. It is also part of a wider trend of increasing threats since the first lockdown. Those behind threats need to feel the full force of the law, this is the most effective way to defend and protect media freedom and public interest journalism in Northern Ireland. Mr Dooley also called on social media organisations to ensure their platforms are not abused to target journalists. He said: Women journalists, in particular, are regularly targeted on social media and this is an added dimension to the current toxic atmosphere endured by many journalists. Addressing the threats on Twitter on Friday, Ms Devlin said: Thank you to the many people in east Belfast who made me aware of this sinister graffiti today. I think its clear to everyone who and what is behind it, and why. I will continue to report on the thugs and bullies terrorising their own communities. Justice Minister Naomi Long said: This is a chilling sight. In Northern Ireland in 2021, no reporter should be the target of such a sinister threat simply for doing their job. Intimidation of journalists of anyone must end. The threats come just a week after two BBC journalists were targeted after being involved in the making of a Panorama documentary about Dublin crime boss Daniel Kinahan. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. 3 1 of 3 Shelton Police Department / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Shelton Police Department / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 SHELTON Police are searching for the individual who robbed Chase Bank, 675 Bridgeport Ave., Friday. Detective Richard Bango said the bank was robbed at 9:40 a.m. No weapon was displayed, according to Bango, and the suspect fled on foot toward Commerce Drive. In this Dec. 22, 2020 file photo, people wait in line at a Delta Air Lines gate at San Francisco International Airport during the coronavirus pandemic in San Francisco. U.S. airlines are pressing their case against requiring coronavirus testing of passengers on domestic flights. The CEOs of several major airlines met Friday, Feb. 12, 2021 with the White House's coronavirus-response coordinator to lobby against a testing requirement. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file) Leaders of several major U.S. airlines met online Friday with White House officials to press their case against requiring coronavirus tests for passengers on domestic flights, saying it would undermine the already fragile industry. White House press secretary Jen Psaki downplayed speculation that the Biden administration could soon impose a requirement that passengers on domestic flights first pass a COVID-19 test. But she stopped short of taking the idea off the table. "Reports that there is an intention to put in place new requirements such as testing are not accurate," Psaki said. She described the meeting with CEOs as "brief." A person familiar with the discussions said the airline CEOs talked with White House coronavirus-response coordinator Jeff Zients, according to the person, who spoke anonymously to discuss a private meeting. The CEOs of American, United, Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue all took part in the meeting, according to industry officials. The meeting was arranged after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that a testing requirement before domestic flights was under consideration. "We had a very positive, constructive conversation focused on our shared commitment to science-based policies as we work together to end the pandemic, restore air travel and lead our nation toward recovery," Nick Calio, head of the trade group Airlines for America, said in a statement. In this Feb. 2, ,2021 file photo, a traveler walks through Terminal B of LaGuardia Airport in New York. U.S. airlines are pressing their case against requiring coronavirus testing of passengers on domestic flights. The CEOs of several major airlines met Friday, Feb. 12, with the White House's coronavirus-response coordinator to lobby against a testing requirement. They say it would further undermine air travel, which is still running at less than half its pre-pandemic level. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) Since late January, the CDC has required that international travelers show a negative COVID-19 test or recovery from the virus before they board a flight to the U.S. The airline industry generally supports that rule, believing that testing could eventually replace tougher international travel restrictions, such as quarantines. Airlines reacted with alarm, however, when CDC officials raised the possibility of testing the much larger number of passengers on domestic flights. Airlines officials say that would further devastate air travel, which has still not returned even to half its pre-pandemic level. They worry that the additional cost of a test would discourage people from taking shorter trips. The airlines also argue that there isn't enough testing capacity to test every passenger. More than 1 million people went through checkpoints at U.S. airports on Thursday, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration. They also say that requiring people to take a coronavirus test before flights would cause more people to drivemerely shifting the risk of spreading the virus from planes to cars. Airline unions have joined the push against testing domestic passengers. On Friday, the Southwest Airlines pilots' union said a testing mandate "would decimate domestic air travel demand, put aviation jobs at risk, and create serious unintended consequences." Explore further Delta Air Lines to leave middle seats empty through April 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Loading Separately, a senior federal government source said the view was other states had managed to clamp down on quarantine outbreaks, including outbreaks of the UK variant in Perth and Brisbane, and that this isnt a problem in quarantine, this is about problems in contact tracing. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed on Saturday that Victorian contact tracers had taken too long to get in touch with people exposed to the latest outbreak of the coronavirus. During two meetings of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, Victorias Chief Health Officer came under pressure to explain why almost half of the close contacts from the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel cluster were not contacted within the benchmark 48 hours on Tuesday. Mr Andrews has attributed to COVID-19 outbreak that caused Victoria to enter lockdown on Friday night to a returned traveller using a nebuliser in a quarantine hotel. The traveller, who has asked not to be named, said he was granted permission to do so twice but Mr Andrews and COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria commissioner Emma Cassar on Saturday said the passenger did not declare the medical device, which can help aerosolise the virus, to staff at the hotel. The European Union says it will ensure a smooth process for the delivery of Pfizer vaccines to Australia. Credit:AP Mr Andrews said on Saturday that just five more planes already en route to Melbourne would be permitted to land and that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had agreed to the request to suspend flights. Therell be five more flights arrive between now and midnight. And we think theres about 100 passengers on those, therell be appropriately taken care of. But theres no further flights beyond those five until, at the earliest, next Thursday, he said. Just in terms of the broader issue of hotel quarantine, Ive asked our experts to look at a risk assessment in terms of these issues, in light of this rapidly, infectious, fast moving and very, very infectious UK strain. Loading In the interview, Mr Hunt also welcomed a fatwa, or religious ruling, by Australias peak Muslim body that supported the vaccine rollout as the government ramps up a $31 million information campaign targeting 3.7 million Australians who speak languages other than English. He was cautious about saying on what day this week the Pfizer vaccine would arrive in Australia because of concerns over potential last-minute delays. But in a sign of the federal governments growing confidence about its vaccine rollout, Mr Hunt said he had spoken to Pfizer Australia again on Friday and the vaccine was on schedule. We are on track for three things. [First], the vaccine commencement at the start of the last week in February with Pfizer, he said. Second, subject to TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] approval, the commencement of the international AstraZeneca vaccine in early March which will deliver approximately 1.2 million doses across the month. And then third, we are on track for CSL to deliver one million doses [of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine] per week from late March, with two million doses to be delivered by the end of March. That will then continue at approximately a million [doses] per week. Once the Pfizer vaccine arrives in Australia the shipment will be physically checked by the Therapeutic Goods Administration before distribution to vaccine hubs around the country, where the doses will be stored at ultra-low temperatures. The vaccine rollout has been described by the government as the most complex logistical exercise in Australian history. Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits the CSL vaccine manufacturing facility on Friday. Credit:Getty Images Labor Health spokesman Mark Butler criticised the federal government on Saturday for ducking its responsibilities on borders and quarantine and demanded to know when the vaccine rollout would start. So much for Scott Morrisons guarantee that Australians would be in the front of the queue. Its time for Scott Morrison to definitively say when the vaccinations start and is he going to deliver his promise to vaccinate 4 million Australians by the end of March? National cabinet agreed on February 5 to increase the international arrival cap with NSW taking 3010 per week, Queensland taking 1000, Western Australia taking 512, South Australia taking 530 and Victoria agreeing to raise its cap from 1120 to 1310 per week. The governments $31 million information campaign is targeting culturally and linguistically diverse communities with information about the vaccine and Mr Hunt said the federal government had worked closely with cultural communities on it. We do know from the UK that vaccine hesitancy has been higher among many people of culturally and linguistically diverse origins, he said. The Islamic community went away, did their research, and of their own volition issued this statement. Religious rulings are entirely a matter for that community, but the confidence it provides to that particular community is important and valuable. A new fatwa from the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Sharia Board stated we, the Muslim community must not promote or disseminate unsupported conspiracy theories in relation to any matter and must stick to proven facts. Loading We, the Muslim community must consider the matter of vaccination rationally. Once the medical professionals consent to a vaccination program, we advise that believing Muslims should...take the means of healing (including vaccination if deemed necessary) and rely on Allah to heal us. In a message to fellow Victorians caught up in another lockdown, Mr Hunt acknowledged this is immensely hard for so many people. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Mark Winema / Getty Images/Mark Wineman / Getty Images A man was found dead from a gunshot wound around noon Saturday near Katy, officials said. Precinct 5 constable deputies were dispatched to a reported solo-vehicle crash on the 21300 block of Cimarron Parkway in the Memorial Parkway neighborhood where they found the gunshot victim, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. DUP MLAs have said collapsing Stormont must be on the table in response to growing frustration over the Northern Ireland Protocol. Assembly members spoke out after comments by the former DUP leader Peter Robinson. Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley branded the protocol an "unmitigated disaster", warning that "everything is on the table". Mr Robinson, who served as First Minister from 2008 to 2016, wrote in his News Letter column that in response to the protocol, unionism must be prepared to either "suck it up" or resist and bring down Stormont. The DUP's Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson did not directly say collapsing Stormont was needed, but agreed that unionism could soon be faced with "a stark choice". DUP leader Arlene Foster also declined to state if she was prepared to withdraw from Stormont in protest, but said her predecessor's comments highlighted the urgent need for the UK Government to act. The protocol was the resolution to the main sticking point in the Brexit divorce talks: the Irish border. To avoid disrupting cross-border trade and a return of checkpoints along the border, the EU and UK essentially agreed to move new regulatory and customs processes to the Irish Sea, creating a de facto GB-NI trade border and angering unionists. A call by the DUP to trigger Article 16 - an emergency handbrake allowing either side to unilaterally suspend operations of the deal if it is causing major problems - is to be debated at Westminster later this month. More than 100,000 people signed a petition calling for the emergency move by the party within 24 hours. Mrs Foster received notice that the petition will be debated in the House of Commons on February 22. Mr Robinson had said unionists could not oppose the protocol at the same time as being part of an administration that implements it, warning that only extreme action by unionists was likely to extract any significant changes to the mechanism. He indicated that unionists effectively face a choice of learning to live with the new arrangements or collapsing the powersharing institutions. Newry and Armagh MLA William Irwin told the Belfast Telegraph that it was right for unionists to use every option at their disposal. He cited a call from one haulier transporting cargo from Wales to Lurgan via Dublin port, who was forced to take a detour to Belfast to complete paperwork. "What's happening is way beyond anything that's reasonable, it has to go and I don't think there's any other way around it," he said. Asked how voters could possibly tolerate Stormont being collapsed again, he said: "I don't think anyone wants a move like that but we're talking about a last resort situation. "We need an Assembly but the protocol is beyond the pale for many. This is not working, it's absolutely crazy. There should be unfettered access to goods coming into Northern Ireland." Mr Buckley, meanwhile, added: "Everything is on the table, the protocol is an unmitigated disaster and we must strive towards its replacement." Sir Jeffrey said Mr Robinson's comments reflected the "depth of opposition" within unionism "to this unnecessary and harmful protocol". "He poses questions that present big challenges for unionism collectively and whilst we want a stable Northern Ireland, we cannot sit back and watch as a huge wedge is driven by the EU between us and the rest of the United Kingdom in clear contravention of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the principle of consent," he said. "If this is not addressed urgently by the UK Government then, as Peter Robinson says, the current situation may present unionists with a stark choice. In the context of this protocol, the question is whether the Agreement and its institutions are now capable of protecting the rights of unionists as well as nationalists. That is not just a question that unionists will need to address." In an interview with the BBC, DUP leader Arlene Foster said she hoped the UK Government had read Mr Robinson's article, and said those in Northern Ireland must retain the same rights to goods and services as elsewhere in the UK. She said there "has to be a recognition in London, Dublin and Brussels that damage has been done by this protocol and therefore we have to deal with it". She said there must be unfettered trade and urged the UK Government to step up and protect Northern Ireland with "permanent solutions, not sticking plasters". On the petition, she added: "I think it was an indication of how strongly so many people right across the United Kingdom felt about the issue that that petition took off in the way that it did." Late on Thursday night, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and the European Commission's vice president stated their "full commitment" to the protocol following crisis talks in London. A joint statement issued at the conclusion said Mr Gove and Mr Sefcovic had a "frank but constructive discussion" in which they agreed to "spare no effort" in implementing solutions. The two politicians agreed to convene the joint committee tasked with implementation of the protocol no later than February 24 to provide "the necessary political steer". Following the meeting, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney described it as a "good day's work" and said the focus was now on co-operation between the EU and UK to implement the protocol. While a handful of Republicans are signaling they think Trump is guilty, the Springfield Democrat said he wasnt confident the chamber could get to 67. Some Republicans may be thinking a guilty vote on their part will end their political career. But Durbin also wondered aloud about how Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the powerful GOP leader, might land. During the trial, prosecutors presented statements from Trump cabinet members and other staffers who quit in the aftermath of the insurgency. That includes then Treasury Secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to McConnell. Queensland health authorities have detected no new cases of locally transmitted COVID-19 from more than 7000 tests, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed, as the state closes its border to travellers from greater Melbourne. But two people who had recently returned from overseas and were staying in hotel quarantine were discovered to have the virus, as the states latest hotspot declaration in response to the growing Holiday Inn cluster took effect from 1am. In an update posted to social media on Saturday morning, Ms Palaszczuk said 7597 tests had been carried out in the past 24 hours as contact tracers worked to reach some 1500 people who had travelled into the state through Melbournes Tullamarine airport. Acting Chief Health Officer Sonya Bennett said on Friday the decision to close the border for at least 14 days to greater Melbourne was to allow contact tracers to get started on working through those people. All hypotheses are still open in the World Health Organization's search for the origins of COVID-19, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Friday, February 13. A WHO-led mission in China said this week that it was not looking further into the question of whether the virus escaped from a lab, which it considered highly unlikely. The United States has said it will review the mission's findings. "Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded. Having spoken with some members of the team, I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and study," Tedros said. Also Read: COVID-19 impact: UK economy suffers 9.9% slump in 2020 "Some of that work may lie outside the remit and scope of this mission. We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the Covid-19 virus," he said. The mission has said its main hypotheses are that the virus originated in a bat, although there are several possible scenarios for how it passed to humans, possibly first by infecting another species of animal. The former administration of US President Donald Trump, which left office last month, said it believed the virus may have escaped from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. China has strongly denied this and says the Wuhan Institute of Virology was not studying related viruses. The Centre has blocked a fake website, impersonating as the official website of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The Union Ministry of Health from its official Twitter handle informed that a fake website called " mohfw.xyz" has been blocked. The health ministry has also registered a case against the website. The fake website claimed to provide COVID-19 vaccines for Rs 4,000-6,000. The Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan tweeted, "Appreciate PIB Fact Check and MoHFW for their swift response to bust a fake website collecting money on the pretext of registration for COVID-19 vaccination". The minister also urged people to remain cautious and verify the accuracy of the information on various official channels of government communication. Previously, fraudsters impersonated the government's Co-WIN ap--much before its official launch. At that time also, the health ministry cautioned people not to download or register on the fraudulent apps named Co-WIN, "created by unscrupulous elements". Separately, India's active caseload of coronavirus has fallen to 1.35 lakh comprising only 1.25 per cent of the total infections. The ministry said while 9,309 new confirmed cases were recorded in a span of 24 hours in the country, 15,858 new recoveries were registered in the same period. Till 8 AM on February 12, over 75 lakh (75,05,010) beneficiaries have received vaccination under the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination exercise. The total cumulative vaccination coverage of 75,05,010 includes 58,14,976 healthcare workers (HCW) and 16,90,034 frontline workers. A total of 1,54,370 sessions have been conducted so far. India is the fastest country to cross the 70 lakh (7 million) vaccination mark, the health ministry informed. Also read: Vodafone Idea Q3 results: Loss narrows to Rs 4,532 crore, revenue down 2% Also read: Will passenger train operations resume from April 1? Here is what railway ministry has to say Karntaka CM BS Yediyurappa (Image: Twitter @BSYBJP) Electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla would set up its electronic car manufacturing unit in Karnataka, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on February 13. The announcement was part of a release listing benefits for the state under the Union Budget. "American firm Tesla will open a electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka," Deccan Herald quoted Yediyurappa as saying. The confirmation comes a month after the Elon Musk-led company registered its subsidiary Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited in Bengaluru. The entity was listed with three directors - Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein. Taneja is also the Chief Accounting Officer of Tesla. Yediyurappa had tweeted on January 13, welcoming Tesla in India shortly after the subsidiary was registered in Bengaluru. However, the he ended up deleting the tweet within hours. The entry of Tesla in India comes at a time when the government is increasing its focus on the use of EVs. The choice of Bengaluru as the location to set-up the manufacturing firm is also considered to be strategic. With more than half a dozen automotive companies, Bengaluru houses one of the biggest clusters of technical and R&D centres in the country. Mercedes-Benz, Great Wall Motors, General Motors, Continental, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bosch, Delphi and Volvo have operational R&D units in the city. The Karnataka government claims that more than 45 EV startups are based in Bengaluru, including Mahindra Electric, Ather Energy and Ultraviolette Automotive. Many of these are focused on two-wheelers. Setting up an R&D unit in India signals Teslas intention of benefiting from the extensive IT and engineering talent pool generated by the country. Auto companies have used the India R&D centre to work on projects not only destined for India, but even those projected for the US, Europe and China. Amazon is waging a legal battle with New York's attorney general over the company's Covid-19 protections for workers, filing a federal lawsuit to preempt the state's demands for more safety measures. In a complaint Friday, Amazon rejected an earlier conclusion by New York Attorney General Letitia James finding that the company had fallen short of health and safety standards at the company's warehouses and calling for additional redress. The complaint asks a judge to block James from using state law to enforce her requests, which include calls for Amazon to subsidize public transit and hire a health and safety consultant. Describing James's requests as "exorbitant demands," Amazon argued in the filing that its existing protections for workers "far exceed what is required under the law" and "go well beyond measures that the Office of the New York Attorney General (OAG') has deemed comprehensive." Amazon cited the company's temperature screening policy, signs advising social distancing, and staggering employee shifts at its Staten Island facility as some examples of how it has gone above and beyond. An inspection by the city's own sheriff's office, Amazon said, found "absolutely no areas of concern." Critics of the company, including a number of its own employees, have said Amazon was slow to address the risks the coronavirus posed to frontline workers. Amazon did not announce temperature screenings, for example, until after numerous reports of illnesses and outbreaks at Amazon facilities nationwide. Amazon has faced several employee lawsuits over its Covid response. Christian Smalls, an employee at the Staten Island facility who was fired after organizing a protest over the plant's Covid-19 response, has worked with James on her investigation, and filed his own lawsuit against the company last year. (Amazon has said Smalls was fired for violating the terms of a Covid quarantine.) Another suit on similar issues has been tossed out by a judge. Now, Amazon's lawsuit reflects how the company is going on the offensive. "The OAG has now threatened to sue Amazon if it does not immediately agree to a list of demands, many of which have no connection to health and safety and have no factual or legal basis," Friday's complaint said. "Among other things, the OAG has demanded that Amazon 'disgorge' profits, subsidize public bus service, reduce its production speeds and performance requirements, reinstate Mr. Smalls and pay large sums to Mr. Smalls and Mr. Palmer for 'emotional distress,' retain a health and safety consultant to oversee safety and production, and adopt safety-related policies it already implemented." Amazon also alleged that federal workplace safety law should preempt James's invocation of state law. In response to the lawsuit on Friday, James accused Amazon of making "a sad attempt to distract from the facts and shirk accountability for its failures to protect hardworking employees from a deadly virus." "We will not be intimidated by anyone, especially corporate bullies that put profits over the health and safety of working people," she said in a statement. "We remain undeterred in our efforts to protect workers from exploitation and will continue to review all of our legal options." CALGARY, AB, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that access to affordable housing and supports is key to Canada's recovery, as Canadians across the country are dealing with the devastating impacts of rising levels of homelessness and housing need. That is why the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced $2.5 million in funding over three years to support HelpSeeker, a digital application that matches Canadians in need with essential social services and supports in their local community. This partnership with HelpSeeker is a result of CMHC's work to incubate new, innovative ideas, and accelerate or scale solutions that address our country's most pressing housing issues. Launched in 2018, HelpSeeker currently serves over 200 municipalities in Western Canada and the Greater Toronto Area, connecting Canadians experiencing or at risk of homelessness with more than 200,000 local social services. With funding support from CMHC, HelpSeeker will scale from over 200 communities it currently serves to 5,000 nationally. Quotes: "Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through our government's National Housing Strategy, we are investing in innovative approaches to housing that will help Canadians get the support they need. We are proud to support startups like HelpSeeker, who provide innovative solutions as we work to provide safe and affordable housing for all Canadians." The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation "Innovation is a key pillar of our government's National Housing Strategy. The work HelpSeeker is doing in making housing and other social supports easier to access for those who are the most at risk is incredibly important. Our government is committed to finding unique and new solutions to the housing challenges that we face." Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (Housing) "Canada's complex social issues require innovative approaches leveraging new thinking and new technologies. This federal investment will help us solve the key challenge that people looking for support don't have an easy way of finding and connecting to help, which is essential to preventing homelessness in the first place. Canada's rich social safety net encompasses over 250,000 diverse services; our role is to maximize access to the right service, at the right time, in every community." Alina and Travis Turner, Co-Founders of HelpSeeker Quick facts: HelpSeeker has previously received funding support from a National Housing Strategy Solutions Lab to implement and improve the services it provides. The goal of the National Housing Strategy's Solution Labs Initiative is to develop world-leading solutions to housing problems. Employment and Social Development Canada provided over $100,000 in funding to HelpSeeker in 2019 to pilot a Systems Planning Intelligence Tool, including testing with communities. in funding to HelpSeeker in 2019 to pilot a Systems Planning Intelligence Tool, including testing with communities. Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $70+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call homethis includes more than $12 billion committed through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement. Associated links: As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca. HelpSeeker is a Canadian social technology and innovation startup focused on accelerating the digital transformation of the social safety net to maximize its equitable outcomes. To learn more, please visit our corporate website www.HelpSeeker.co , our online directory of social services at www.HelpSeeker.org . Follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , and Instagram . Download our service navigation app on Google Play Store or Apple . SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation For further information: Media contacts: Mikaela Harrison, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, [email protected]; Brie Martin, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]; Valerie Sergienko, HelpSeeker, [email protected] Related Links www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca New Delhi: A government official informed on Wednesday that a joint team of the ED and the CBI had arrived in London to brief UK prosecution in connection with the extradition of fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya. The team would also submit fresh proof in the case, he said. The visiting officials of the two central probe agencies will also submit the charge-sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the case last month in Mumbai, said a senior official in the Mallya probe team. The Indian investigators will also brief Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) officials about the contents of the ED charge-sheet and the evidence produced in it. Some other legal issues will also be discussed, the official said. The CPS will argue the case in the court on behalf of the Indian government. The official added that the EDs legal advisor will explain in detail the charges made out against Mallya, some more evidence, attachments made by it and other legal points mentioned in the charge-sheet filed under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED will also seek cooperation from countries like France, Singapore, Mauritius, Ireland, the US and the UAE to probe certain transactions and the shell companies involved. Nine accused have been named in the charge-sheet filed by the ED. The list includes Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), United Breweries (Holding) Limited and senior employees and executives of the now-defunct airline and the IDBI (Industrial Development Bank of India) bank. Also Read: Vijay Mallya appears before court in extradition case; next hearing on September 14 The agency has called Mallya prime mover of the entire plot in the charge-sheet and described how funds obtained from the bank loan were allegedly routed illegally, including substantial payments being diverted to the Formula-1 car racing event abroad. Mallya, who is wanted in India for Kingfisher Airlines default on loans worth nearly Rs 9,000 crore, has been in the UK since March 2016 and was arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant on April 18. A United Kingdom court recently rejected Mallyas request to shift the final hearing date in his extradition case to next year and fixed it for December 4. Also Read: Vijay Mallya hits out at Indian media over 'hate campaign' against him Both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are probing Mallya and others for alleged charges of corruption and money laundering. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. After spending almost three years behind bars, prominent women's rights activist from Saudi Loujain al-Hathloul was released, her family confirmed earlier this week. Hathloul received international recognition and charges against her were widely criticised by human rights organisations, members of the US Congress and European Union lawmakers. Hathloul had been detained back in May 2018 and was sentenced to nearly six years in prison last year in December by a Saudi Specialised Criminal Court. She was charged under the states broad counter-terrorism laws for undermining national security and trying to change the political system of the country. Also Read: Saudi Women's Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Freed From Jail After Almost 3 Years Hathloul was found guilty of charges including agitating for change, pursuing a foreign agenda and using the internet to harm public order. She was among a handful of Saudi women who had openly called for the right to drive before it was granted in 2018 and for the removal of male guardianship laws that had long stifled women's freedom of movement and ability to travel abroad. Hathloul has been at the forefront of the movement that demands for women's right to drive and also opposing the 'Wilayah' Saudi male guardianship system. In December of 2014, she was held and detained for 73 days for attempting to cross the border in her car from the UAE to Saudi Arabia, despite her having an UAE license. The first vote in Saudi's local elections to include women in 2015 saw Hathloul applying to contest, but Amnesty International said Hathloul's name was barred. In May of 2018, Hathloul was detained on grounds of national security along with several other activists. For at least 10 months after being detained, Hathloul was not charged with anything and there was no trial but Amnesty International said she and the other women activists were tortured. They were waterboarded, given electric shocks, sexually harassed and were even threatened with rape and murder during this time. The trial against her started in March 2019 but charges against her were not specified and media persons and diplomats were not allowed to attend the same. In April 2019 a hearing in her case was deferred without giving any reason and more than a year later in May 2020, again her trial was postponed due to the pandemic. In October last year, Hathloul started a hunger strike in the prison demanding regular communication with her family members. Under pressure from rights activists and other international dignitaries, Saudi Arabia said it might release Hathloul and others soon. In December 2020, Hathloul was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison but on February 10 this year, al-Hathloul's sister announced on Twitter that she had been released from prison. Her two years and 10 months of sentence was suspended by the court, most of which she had already served. Hathloul's family has said US President Joe Biden's election win helped secure her release after nearly three years' imprisonment, but cautioned she was still far from free. "I would say thank you Mr President that you helped my sister to be released," Alia al-Hathloul told a virtual press conference. "It's a fact that Loujain was imprisoned during the previous administration, and she was released a few days after Biden's arrival to power. Also Read: Saudi Woman Activist Loujain al-Hathloul's Family Credits Joe Biden For Her Release Saudi Arabi in recent days abruptly accelerated some political trials including that of Hathloul after Joe Biden's election win late last year. Biden had pledged to intensify scrutiny of powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's human rights record. Hathloul's release came after her siblings launched a massive campaign overseas that caused the Saudi kingdom much embarrassment in the global diplomatic community. However, Hathloul is on probation for three years and stares at a five-year travel ban. The siblings posted pictures on Twitter of the smiling activist, who appeared physically weaker and had streaks of grey hair. When asked what was the first thing her sister did upon her release, her sister Alia said she "bought an ice-cream", a joy denied to her in detention. (With inputs from agencies) Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 11:43:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The United States and China should work together for a better shared future in the spirit of the Ox, a zodiac animal which symbolizes stamina, energy and dedication in Chinese culture, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said Thursday. Cui made the remarks at the 2021 Chinese New Year Online Reception and Symphony Concert streamed online on Thursday evening local time. Produced by Xinhua Global Service CVS Pharmacy CVS is providing COVID-19 vaccines in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia by appointment only. Additional information on its vaccine distribution can be found here. Walk-ins are welcomed, subject to availability. CVS also owns: H-E-B H-E-B is providing vaccines to those 16 and older across Texas. Walk-ins are accepted Monday through Friday only, from 3 to 5 p.m. Hy-Vee Sign up for COVID-19 news and obtain updates on Hy-Vees vaccination distribution in eight states. Appointments may be scheduled but are not required at all of its pharmacy locations. Kroger Kroger and its subsidiary pharmacy stores are administering COVID-19 vaccines across 36 states. Visit its COVID-19 page to see if you are eligible and where shots are being provided near you. Kroger owns: Meijer Customers may register online to get their COVID-19 vaccine or call their local pharmacy or text "COVID" to 75049 or try walking in to receive a shot. When a vaccine becomes available, Meijer will text or call you with a clinic date and time. You will then have 24 hours to accept, defer or be removed from the list. Vaccinations are available at all of its stores. Publix Super Markets Publix is offering vaccines in seven states through its COVID page. Before your appointment, the company may ask for state-specific requirements that indicate proof of residency. Walk-ins are accepted in Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee. Retail Business Services Stores in at least 10 states and Washington, D.C., are providing vaccines. Visit your preferred grocer's COVID-19 information page below for more information. Retail Business Services, part of Ahold Delhaize USA, services these stores: Rite Aid Rite Aid is currently distributing vaccines at all of its locations. Shots can be scheduled through its website or by walk-in, as supplies are available. Walgreens COVID-19 vaccines are available in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Customers should create a Walgreens pharmacy account, complete a screening and then choose a location and time for a vaccination. To find an appointment or sign up for updates, visit this page. Otherwise, walk-ins are subject to availability. Walgreens also owns: Walmart Walmart is providing vaccines across the country. Use the map on its COVID-19 page to be routed to your health departments website, or schedule a vaccine through walmart.com. All Walmart and Sams Club locations are accepting walk-in appointments as supply allows. Walmart also owns: Winn-Dixie Stores Shots are being provided at participating stores across five states. General information is listed on its COVID-19 page. Walk-ins are also welcomed. Winn-Dixie also owns: Pharmacy Network Administrators CPESN USA The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network of community-based pharmacies offers the vaccine across the country within its 50 local networks in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Patients can receive updates directly from their local pharmacy, according to a spokesperson. CPESN pharmacies can be located through this finder tool. GeriMed Retail and long-term care pharmacies are being supplied with vaccines in six states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Good Neighbor Pharmacy and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. pharmacy services administrative organization (PSAO), Elevate Provider AmerisourceBergen says it will place orders with the CDC for its eligible Good Neighbor Pharmacies and Elevate Provider Network members. Good Neighbor Pharmacy echoed that vaccines will be coming soon to its participating locations. Health Mart Pharmacy Health Mart Pharmacy independent pharmacies are administering COVID-19 vaccines. Appointments can be scheduled here. Innovatix (long-term care pharmacies) LeaderNET and the Medicine Shoppe, Cardinal Health's PSAOs Cardinal Health is working with the CDC to administer vaccines to its over 4,300 independent retail, small-chain and long-term care pharmacies. Check with your local Medicine Shoppe to see if you can sign up for a vaccine. Managed Health Care Associates MHA is assisting its retail and long-term care pharmacies in ordering COVID-19 vaccines. However, it could not comment on its participating locations. Topco Associates (supplier) Editor's Note: This story, originally published on Feb. 11, 2021, has been updated to reflect new information. Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency's Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for USA Today and Al Jazeera English. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington while addressing the Republican National Convention on August 24, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Nikki Haley Breaks From Trump in Interview About a Potential Run for President Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in a recent interview broke from Trump, criticizing his actions in relation to the Jan. 6 incident at the Capitol. Haley, in a lengthy profile interview with Politico focused on her former boss and a possible run for the presidency in 2024, said that she does not believe Trump will run for federal office again in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, telling Politico, I dont think he can. Hes fallen so far. Haley has all but confirmed a run for presidential office in 2024. In the profile by Politicos Tim Alberta, she was repeatedly questioned about Trumps role in what happened on Jan. 6 and if she agreed with what her former boss did after the November election. Democrats, legacy media, and some Republicans have criticized the former president for not conceding on Nov. 4 after mainstream media outlets called the election for Biden, and instead opposing the numerous irregularities on election night and later filing legal actions against a handful of key states. Trumps legal team said these states changed elections laws without the approval of their states legislature or had other legal issues that were documented via the testimony of numerous people who signed sworn affidavits saying they had witnessed voter fraud. Many of the legal cases were dismissed by courts on procedural grounds without the evidence being heard and ruled on. In the interview, Haley reluctantly supported Trumps challenging the election results. I understand the president. I understand that genuinely, to his core, he believes he was wronged, Haley told Politico. This is not him making it up. She equated his belief about the election results to a person who is color blind. Theres nothing that youre ever going to do thats going to make him feel like he legitimately lost the election. Hes got a big bully pulpit. He should be responsible with it, she added. On policy, Haley aligns with her former boss, as she has been an advocate for Trumps America First agenda and believes in being hard on the Chinese Communist Party. But Haley said she was angered after the Jan. 6 protests and Trumps call for Vice President Mike Pence to object to the electors of the states that were in question during the joint session of Congress. I am so disappointed in the fact that [despite] the loyalty and friendship he had with Mike Pence, that he would do that to him, Haley continued. Like, Im disgusted by it. He went down a path he shouldnt have, and we shouldnt have followed him, and we shouldnt have listened to him, she said. And we cant let that ever happen again. Haley also acknowledged that the former president still has the love and support of many in the GOP, and that impeaching him is a futile effort. In January Haley launched the Stand For America PAC, named after her website with the same name, where she is raising money for the 2022 midterms and electing a conservative force to the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to counter the liberal agenda of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi. Trumps Save America PAC did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. For anyone in New York City jonesing to eat inside a restaurant again, theyve finally got the chance. Indoor dining in the Big Apple officially reopened to hungry patrons on Friday at 25% capacity. Just in time for lovebirds to cozy up to each other and remain at least 6 feet away from everyone else at a romantic bistro on Valentines Day. And as an extra added bonus, bars and restaurants can remain open a whole extra hour until 11 p.m. So happy pandemic Valentines Day to everyone who wants to risk it? Well, everyone except Cuomo. Keep reading to find out why the guvs probably not feeling the love right now. Cuomo admins nursing home deaths coverup A week full of updates about the true toll that COVID-19 has had on nursing home residents was capped with a shocking admission from Gov. Andrew Cuomos top aide: the administration intentionally stonewalled state lawmakers over the true tally of nursing home deaths from the pandemic. First reported by the New York Post, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa privately apologized to Democratic legislators for withholding those numbers, saying the state was afraid that they would be used against us in a federal probe. The reporting came out after state legislative leaders released a letter from the Cuomo administration that finally provided nursing home information that lawmakers had sought for months. It revealed that a total of 15,049 nursing home and other adult-care facility residents had died of confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. The number followed data released by the Empire Center for Public Policy, which came from a lawsuit against the state, that included slightly under 15,000 total nursing home and other adult-care facility deaths. Both numbers are a significant increase from the less than 9,000 nursing home residents the state reported had died before releasing information on those who died after being transferred to a hospital. The letter from the administration also revealed that the state had quietly opened coronavirus-only nursing homes to accept residents from hospitals who had tested positive for the virus. The same evening of the Posts reporting on DeRosas comments, The Associated Press reported that more than 9,000 COVID-19 patients had been transferred from hospitals to nursing homes, significantly higher than what the state had previously reported. Especially with the new nursing home revelations, calls to rescind Cuomos emergency executive powers are growing. Republican lawmakers have led the charge for some time, but many Democrats are now lending their voice as well. Fourteen Democratic state senators released a statement calling for the repeal of Cuomos unilateral powers. Both the Democratic conferences in the state Senate and the Assembly have reportedly discussed the prospect, and are leaning toward a repeal. More vaccines coming to New York As many New Yorkers still struggle to sign up for COVID-19 vaccines, Cuomo announced some changes that should help alleviate some of the stress. In addition to another slight uptick in vaccines coming from the federal government, Cuomo announced two new mass vaccination sites set up in partnership with the Biden administration, with more on the way. And these sites will get their own dedicated supply of vaccines, independent of the states allocation. In New York City, many pharmacies will be allowed to begin vaccinating seniors over 65, which is part of a federal program that sends vaccines directly to participating pharmacies, also independent of the states allocation. Cuomo also announced that any unused second doses for example, in cases where someone doesnt show up for their appointment can be shifted to be used as first doses. That follows up on the previous weeks announcement that unused doses originally allocated to hospitals to inoculate their staffers would be reallocated to counties to help immunize people with preexisting conditions. At the same time, Cuomo also said large arenas and stadiums can reopen on Feb. 23, with testing requirements for attendees and limited capacity. The wisdom of the move has been questioned by public health experts. Tenney going back to Congress It took many months in court, but the state has finally certified Rep.-elect Claudia Tenney as the winner in the 22nd Congressional District. By a margin of 109 votes, she bested former Rep. Anthony Brindisi to recapture the seat he won from her in 2018. The certification comes after months of legal uncertainty and revelations of mismanagement from county election officials in the district. The judge in the case issued a scathing rebuke of those officials at the close of the trial, inviting other authorities to investigate the many missteps, mishaps and breaking of election laws that the judge was unable to address. In particular, the Oneida County Board of Elections drew particular condemnation because the board failed to process 2,418 voter registration applications that had been submitted on time, meaning those people were prevented from voting despite doing everything right. There were several other ways that election officials failed in this race. Calls are growing for the Oneida County commissioners to resign, or for the governor to use his executive authority to fire them. Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. sent a letter to Cuomo asking him to fire the countys commissioners. Such a move would not be unprecedented, but it is rare for a governor to remove elected or appointed officials in this manner. Mumbai, Feb 13 : Actor Pulkit Samrat finds Isabelle Kaif, his co-star in Suswagatam Khushaamadeed, to be a motivating influence thanks to her hardworking nature. Katrina Kaif's younger sister Isabelle and Pulkit co-star in the Dhiraj Kumar directorial that is scripted by Manish Kishore. The film has an underlying message of social harmony. Pulkit plays a Delhi boy named Aman while Isabelle is Noor, a girl from Agra. "Isabelle is really talented and hardworking. We have just started shooting for the film. She is very motivating because she does so much of hard work that sometimes I feel that what I am doing in the film?!" Pulkit told IANS. "I am very excited to pair with her because I am getting a chance to work with fresh talent. I hope we make a good film," he added. Talking about his other upcoming projects, Pulkit said: 'Haathi Mere Saathi' is due for release this Holi in the theatres. It will be released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. Then, there is 'Fukrey 3', which is going on floor very soon." She's been keeping up with her fitness regime, and has been sharing her healthy meals with fans on social media. And Michelle Keegan since treated herself to a much-deserved cheat day after sharing a snap of her enjoying chips to Instagram Stories on Friday. The actress, 33, was seen sitting on the floor as she scoffed a set of takeaway chips, which could be seen inside a paper bag. Indulge: Michelle Keegan, 33, since treated herself to a much-deserved cheat day after sharing a snap of her enjoying chips to Instagram Stories on Friday Michelle looked casual as she sported a white t-shirt with grey jogging bottoms and black boots, while letting her hair down in waves. She let fans know that this is what she had eaten for lunch the previous day, as she headed straight back into healthy eating for the current day ahead. 'Yesterday's lunch,' she captioned the post. 'All about the balance people.' Workout: The former Coronation Street star has also been keeping on top of her exercising, and has been showcasing the results of her workouts with followers from her home gym The former Coronation Street star has also been keeping on top of her exercising, and has been showcasing the results of her workouts with followers from her home gym. Michelle recently took a mirror selfie in the gym, and looked incredible as she showed off her toned abs in a black crop top and shorts. She had her long brunette locks tied in a high pony as she sat on a pink yoga mat while she got to work while the gyms are closed in lockdown. Gorgeous: Michelle has also given fans a glimpse of what to expect from her affordable clothing range with Very as it goes on sale to the general public Michelle went make-up free for the snap, as she wrote: 'Getting it in before the nightshoot begins again.' The TV star has also given fans a glimpse of what to expect from her affordable clothing range with Very as it goes on sale to the general public. Taking to Instagram as it officially launched on Thursday, Michelle showed off the new autumnal range in a series of short videos and photos. In the first she wears casual tan brown loungewear while relaxing at home with her pet chihuahua Pip, one of the two dogs owned by her and husband Mark Wright. Another image from the shoot sees Michelle wearing a comfortable cream sweater with contrasting sleeves as she sits in the passenger seat of her car. In an accompanying short video, Michelle gives viewers a quick demonstration of each piece and its potential to be mixed and matched with other items from the collection. Michelle is currently back at work in Manchester on the set of the Sky One series Brassic, but she was forced to stop filming last year after she was exposed to COVID-19. While she had not come into contact with the virus, she had not contracted it. A source told MailOnline at the time: 'Michelle had to take time away from the Brassic set once again and has been laying low in Essex with her husband Mark Wright. 'She only missed one day of filming. But she needed to isolate after she came into contact with someone in Manchester who had it. 'Luckily it all happened very quickly and Michelle did not return to the Brassic set before isolating. So it didn't affect filming too much. 'She has spent last two weeks in total isolation. She will go back to filming at the end of this week.' Tuolumne County Tuolumne Public Health reports eleven new community cases that are isolating and 15 new Sierra Conservation Center inmate cases. An individual was released from the hospital, a total of three COVID-19 positive individuals are in the hospital. Active community cases increased to 66, 17 individuals were released from isolation. The new community cases are 2 females and 1 male under 17, 1 female and 1 male age 18-29, 1 female age 40-49, 1 female and 1 male age 50-59, 1 female age 60-69 and 2 males 80-89. Tuolumne County has a total of 3,800 cases split between 2,459 community cases and 1,341 inmate cases. Total community cases released from isolation are listed as 2,341. The total tested number is 68,421. Tuolumne has been given 8,590 vaccine doses total as detailed on our page here. Calaveras County Calaveras public healths report has 3 new COVID-19 cases with the countys active cases increasing by 1 to 78. Recoveries increased by 2 to 1,722. The report notes four current COVID-19 hospitalizations. Total cases are 1,825 with 838 men, 969 women, and 18 with no gender reported. The three new cases are all over the age of 65. Calaveras public health reports it has 6,043 vaccinations, 475 more than yesterday. Vaccines: The CDC updated its guidance on quarantine for those who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Vaccinated persons with exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria: More than two weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series or more than two weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine AND less than three months following the last dose in the series AND have no symptoms since the current COVID-19 exposure. More information can be found on the CDCs Website here. Tuolumne Public health says they continue vaccinations within Phase 1A and 1B Tier1 of the state COVID Vaccine Distribution Plan including those 70 and older and moving down to 65 and older, the education, childcare, and emergency services sectors, and beginning the food and agriculture sector. The vaccine information page is here. Those who want to volunteer for the COVID response, specifically at vaccine clinics and the community COVID information line will find more information here: www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/volunteer In Calaveras persons 65 and older interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine, please call Mark Twain Medical Center to schedule an appointment at (209) 754-2536 and provide your full name, date of birth, and a phone number to best reach you. Testing: A mobile COVID-19 testing team is shared between Tuolumne, Mariposa and Calaveras Counties, and Yosemite National Park. The traveling sites, which will be open at the Groveland Community Hall on Mondays and Tuolumne Memorial Hall on Thursdays from 7 AM to 7 PM. Schedule an appointment up to one week ahead of time at the same LHI website as for the Mother Lode Fairgrounds testing site which is open 7 days a week: www.lhi.care/covidtesting. More details, including Calaveras testing dates, are in our events calendar here. Calaveras and Tuolumne remain in the purple tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy color Tier System. Test positivity for Tuolumne excluding prisons with a 7-day lag is 5.5% down from 6%. The 7-day average case rate is 15 compared to 21.6 last week. For Calaveras, it is 8.1% down from 10.2% test positivity rate and 18.1 down from 34.2 case rate. To qualify for the Red Tier the test positivity must be under 5-8% and also under 5-8 new cases daily for two weeks. The chart with more details is on our Coronavirus page here. Call for more info: The Tuolumne COVID-19 call center is open during normal office hours for people who have questions or concerns, call 209-533-7440 for information. Calaveras has a COVID-19 call center at 209-754-2896 to provide community members with verified information about COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and other frequently asked questions. If you are having COVID-like symptoms, self-isolate and contact your healthcare provider or your local hospital, more information is at the regional website www.valleycovidhelp.com. County/Date Active New Cases Total Cases Deaths Alpine 2/11 5 0 79 0 Amador 2/11 52 9 1,520 31 Calaveras 2/12 78 4 1,825 25 Madera 2/12 1,587 43 14,966 189 Mariposa 2/12 12 0 385 5 Merced 2/11 1,663 192 27,701 375 Mono 2/12 34 3 938 4 San Joaquin 2/12 3,445 260 64,969 992 Stanislaus 2/12 2,009 201 48,376 894 Tuolumne 2/12 66 26 3,800 52 For other county-level statistics view our page here. The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide Ukraine with EUR 270 million for the modernization of Boryspil International Airport. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote about this on his Telegram channel on February 12. "The EIB will provide Ukraine with EUR 270 million for the modernization of Boryspil International Airport. The funds will be used to improve energy efficiency, aviation security and operational sustainability of the airport," the PM wrote. He added that cooperation with the EIB will gradually increase passenger traffic at the Boryspil airport. According to the Government portal, Shmyhal, during a meeting with EIB President Werner Hoyer, stressed that Ukraine highly appreciates the active role of the EIB in supporting the Ukrainian economy, public and private sectors, and hopes to expand cooperation. "We believe that in the near future the EIB will be able to present a new seven-year external financing mandate. We seek further cooperation, in particular in the field of financing of transport, energy sector and urban infrastructure of Ukraine," the prime minister said. For his part, the EIB president stressed that the European Investment Bank, as the EU bank, is deeply committed to supporting its neighbors in the Eastern Partnership region and Ukraine in particular. According to him, the EIB made a record investment in Ukraine worth more than EUR 1 billion in 2020. As Ukrinform reported, in January-November 2020, the passenger traffic at Boryspil International Airport reduced by 65% compared to the same period of 2019. ish Sports lie at the margins of our culture, different from how it is elsewhere in the world, and from how it used to be. This is one of the reasons why criminality among youth proceeds unchecked. There is no youth labour market, and the school system ruthlessly triages youth. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The rise in the allocation of funding for the Trading Online Voucher Scheme - from an initial package of 2.3million to 39.8million - underlined the change in approach for many businesses during the course of 2020. The pandemic has forced companies who may previously had little or no online presence to embrace the world of technology and open up a new avenue for sales in the absence of the traditional shop environment. Of the total funding provided, Sligo businesses benefitted to the tune of just under 650,000 in obtaining Online Vouchers, which help facilitate and support businesses looking to establish websites and online shops. Grants of up to 2,500 were distributed to 277 businesses in 2020, while there is also significant support available through the Local Enterprise Office as well as the financial assistance.. As Covid-19 continues to negatively affect the retail industry, many outlets are solely dealing through their online platforms as restrictions continue prevent the in-shop experience. Two businesses in Sligo have detailed their experience in benefitting from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme - and it appears to have been overwhelmingly positive. "With the shop being closed during the first lockdown, we had to look at something to try and keep the business surviving," says John Lavin of Lavin's Menswear in Ballymote, a longstanding presence in the town. "We had nothing online, but we got a website up and running last October. It was a huge change, it took months and months of work and I'd have somebody full time at it, you had to put all the stock up, get it coded, images, it's a big undertaking. "We got the voucher from government and it's brilliant, it makes it easier, you might be frightened to try it unless there was some incentive out there. It has been a great help to be honest, and if we didn't go down the line of online, it'd be hard to survive in the pandemic the way things are going." At the other end of the county near Grange, Murson Farm has also embraced the online world. Run by husband and wife Coeurine and Ciaran Henderson, they provide a wide variety of different products such as chutneys, jams, as well as home baking. Usually, they attend local markets such as events in nearby Rathcormac and Cliffoney, but they have not taken place since the pandemic began nearly a year ago. "When the pandemic hit, obviously both of those closed, so then we applied for the online trading voucher," Coeurine explains. "Within the first few weeks, we started working from our house and just doing the Facebook posts, and eventually then we applied for the Online Trading Voucher with the Local Enterprise Office who were a great help to us, a great assistance, and we got the voucher so we now have a click and collect to buy certain products." Though the baking element of the business in not currently in operation owing to the restrictions, the website MursonFarm.ie carries details of the products that are currently available. The new website has provided a different element to the business and opened it up to a new batch of customers. Coeurine continues: "It was something that was always in the back of my head, that we would have loved to do it, but the pandemic I think gave people a push in a lot of different directions they might have wanted to go in. "We went with Brouder Marketing and they were absolutely brilliant, Marie was a fabulous person to deal with and she took care of everything for us. So really I just had to provide her with a whole lot of information and she went through everything we wanted. Nola in the Local Enterprise Office was also absolutely fabulous, they were a really good support." For Lavin's in Ballymote, the normal working day has changed since the website came into operation, and it will add another element to the business when the shopping environment returns to its traditional way of life. Mr Lavin explains: "You're not meeting people, it's a different type of clientele, but you're hitting different people too. I'd say there's not a county in Ireland that we haven't been delivering to. It's a different customer, a different shop window. "At the moment, our working day is totally different, we're only in the shop now to get orders out." The same change in the profile of customers can be said of Murson Farms, who have noticed deliveries going to further afield. "We've linked with Fastway," Ms Murray Henderson says. "We had a few orders from Dublin and from other parts of the country, Donegal and places like that and all around Sligo as well." Voucher scheme a huge success Head of Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office John Reilly says there was a major jump in applicants for the scheme in 2020. A total of 315 applications were received, with 277 successful in obtaining funding. "We received a record number of applications for the Trading Online Voucher Scheme in 2020 in County Sligo," he said. "The fund will enable even more local businesses to transform digitally, through accepting payments or bookings online, by offering training for customers remotely or by developing new apps for clients or employees. "We're seeing lots of examples from around the county of small businesses starting to sell online for the first time, during the Covid-19 crisis. "While they may have had a website presence before, thanks to the funding and training under the Trading Online Voucher, they have been able to upgrade their websites and can now sell directly all over the world." The scheme remains open for businesses. Further details, including the necessary criteria, can be found on localenterprise.ie. Sligo businesses received 650k Minister of State at the Department of Health and Sligo-Leitrim TD Frank Feighan says he is 'pleased' with the allocation to Sligo businesses under the scheme, which amounted to just under 650,000. "It is great to see local businesses developing and expanding their online offering, particularly during this challenging pandemic as it has offered a new route to market for many businesses affected by closures. "It is for this reason that funding for the scheme was increased from 2.3million to 39.8million in 2020 to respond to the challenges presented by Covid-19. "I encourage any businesses in Sligo that have not yet applied for this scheme to do so. In order to be eligible, an applicant business must have a limited online trading presence, 10 or less employees, turnover of less than 2million and must be trading for at least 6 months. "Businesses should contact Sligo Local Enterprise Office for more information on how to apply," the Fine Gael TD concluded. Washington: The US Justice Department has appealed a British judges ruling that prevents Wikileaks founder Julian Assange being extradited to the United States to face espionage charges. Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled last month that while the case against the Australian was sound, his fragile mental health put him at substantial risk of committing suicide in a US prison. Justice Department spokesman Mark Raimondi confirmed the US had appealed Baraitsers ruling, meeting a Friday deadline. The filing is not public. Julian Assange faces 175 years in a maximum-security prison if convicted of espionage in the US. Credit:AP Advocates for Assange had hoped that new US President Joe Bidens administration would opt to drop the case, which the Obama administration had declined to charge over concerns that doing so would put press freedoms at risk. Assange is accused of helping former army private Chelsea Manning obtain and leak classified information on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. ADVERTISEMENT Over a year after the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Turkmenistan, a Central Asian country, is yet to officially report a case of the infection which has claimed millions of lives globally. The virus, which was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has spread to over 200 countries. More than 100 million people have been infected with over two million deaths recorded globally, data from worldometers shows. Despite reported cases and deaths in neighbouring countries, Turkmenistan government has continued to claim it has zero coronavirus cases. There are, however, concerns that the country with about six million people is barely conducting COVID-19 tests to detect cases. Experts believe it is unlikely that the country has been left untouched by the pandemic, saying the government appears to be in denial of the virus. Official health statistics from Turkmenistan are notoriously unreliable, Martin McKee from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who has studied the Turkmen healthcare system, told BBC. For the past decade they have claimed to have no people living with HIV/Aids, a figure that is not plausible. We also know that, in the 2000s, they suppressed evidence of a series of outbreaks, including plague. The BBC report also indicates that many Turkmenistani are afraid of suggesting the virus may already be in the country because the government has sought to stifle discussion about COVID-19, including detaining those who speak publicly about it. In June, the US Embassy in the capital Ashgabat issued a health alert for the country: While there are no official reports of positive COVID-19 cases in Turkmenistan, the US Embassy has received reports of local citizens with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 undergoing COVID-19 testing and being placed in quarantine in infectious diseases hospitals for up to fourteen days. The Turkmenistan government claimed the U.S. alert was inaccurate. Status Assessment After months of discussions with the countrys government, the World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, tweeted on July 6, 2020, that a special team was on its way to Turkmenistan to assess the COVID-19 situation in the country. Following the trip, the WHO released a statement noting there were no confirmed cases, but advising the country to act as if COVID-19 is present in the country, Health and Human Rights Journal reported. The WHO statement was disappointing for the population that had been hoping it might nudge the government to embrace reality and fulfil human rights, according to the news site. Following the WHOs visit, the government announced that people should wear face masks but claimed it was only to protect them from high levels of dust. New Delhi: A Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist who is currently under police custody revealed that he had conducted a reconnaissance operation at National Security Advisor (NSA) office and other high-value targets in the national capital on the instructions of his Pakistan-based handlers, sources told Zee News. After the disclosure, the security around NSA has been put on high alert. During interrogation of Jaish operative Hidayat-Ullah Malik, a resident of J&K's Shopian who was arrested on February 6, a detailed video of the recce of NSA Chief Ajit Dovals office emerged. As per sources, Hidayat told interrogators that on May 24, 2019, he took a flight from Srinagar to New Delhi to record a video of the NSAs office, including the security detail of the CISF personnel deployed there. He passed on the video through WhatsApp to his Pakistan-based handler. The handler was described by his simply as Doctor. The Jaish operator also disclosed names, code names, and phone numbers of 10 of his contacts in Pakistan, including the handler to police. On February 6, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said that they had arrested the chief of Lashkar-e-Mustafa terror organisation Hidayatullah Malik from Jammu following a joint operation by Jammu and Anantnag police. Police had recovered incriminating materials like arms and ammunition including two pistols and grenades from Hidayatullah Malik's possession. The Jammu and Kashmir Police informed that Malik is a categorised terrorist from the Shopian district and is the Chief of Lashkar-e-Mustafa which is an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Kashmir in the Kashmir valley. Live TV Pumped up by massive victories in the first phase, YSRC legislators and constituency in-charges are confident of repeating their success as 2,786 panchayats in Andhra Pradesh went to polls in the second phase on Saturday. The voting will take place between 6:30 am and 3:30 pm, while counting will begin from 4 pm. Principal Secretary (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department) Gopal Krishna Dwivedi said. polling will be held to elect 2,786 village sarpanches and 20,817 ward members. YSRC claimed that its supporters have won nearly 82 per cent of seats in the first phase and will bag nearly 90 per cent seats in subsequent phases. Informing that 29,304 polling stations have been identified for the second phase of polling, Dwivedi, in a release on Friday, said 5,480 of them were identified as sensitive and 4,181 as hyper-sensitive booths. Although the notification has been issued for the conduct of elections to 3,328 sarpanch posts, 539 villages have elected their sarpanches unanimously, leaving the contest open only for 2,786 posts, a Times of India report stated. About 7,507 candidates are in the fray for village sarpanch posts. Similarly, 44,876 candidates are in the race for 20,817 ward member posts. Interestingly, no nominations were filed in one village in Nellore, Kurnool and Srikakulam districts, prompting the SEC to reschedule the elections in these villages. RELATED NEWS Over 81 per cent Polling Recorded in Final Phase of Andhra Pradesh Gram Panchayat Elections Stating that necessary measures for polling personnel and voters are in place in view of Covid-19, an official said that PPE would be given to Covid-positive people. "All Covid-positive patients will be allowed to vote in the last hour of polling. Separate arrangements are made for women polling personnel. Necessary arrangements are in place to handle any untoward incident during the polling time in coordination with the police department, he said. The panchayat polls began from February 9 and would go on till February 21. Filming appears to be underway for the highly-anticipated Princess Diana biopic Spencer as crews have been spotted at Schloss Marquardt castle in Potsdam, Germany. The film, directed by Pablo Larrain and written by Steven Knight, will focus on a 'pivotal' weekend at Sandringham and stars Kristen Stewart as the lead, with Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins and Sean Harris also appearing. The Geman castle will play set to Sandringham, with filming taking place inside the castle in the fireplace room and on the upper floor. Filming appears to be underway for the highly-anticipated Princess Diana biopic Spencer as crews have been spotted at Schloss Marquardt castle in Potsdam, Germany. The film, directed by Pablo Larrain and written by Steven Knight, will focus on a 'pivotal' weekend at Sandringham and stars Kristen Stewart (pictured) as the lead, with Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins and Sean Harris also appearing. New pictures show crews getting the snow-laden castle ready with lighting and vans spotted outside. It comes as a royal biographer who knew the late Princess' 'well' said that it was 'inevitable' The Firm won't enjoy the picture 'at all'. 'I knew her as a person, it's inevitable that the royals won't like the biopic at all,' Jobson, who has written multiple books about the royal, told Us Weekly. 'They won't like it, but they would have expected it. It is the truth, I think the most important thing is how well the actress can interpret the role. We'll have to wait and see on that. The Geman castle will play set to Sandringham, with filming taking place inside the castle in the fireplace room and on the upper floor Pictured: Film crews putting up lights outside the castle which will be the stage for Sandringham In June last year it was revealed that the Twilight actress, 30, would depict the late royal in a film which dramatises a 'critical' few days at the Norfolk estate in the early 1990s, when Diana decided that her marriage to Prince Charles wasn't working. It follows the moments in which the Princess of Wales realised she 'needed to veer from a path that put her in line to one day be queen', and is said to take place during one of Diana's final Christmases at the House of Windsor in Sandringham. Jobson added that the photographs of Stewart looked 'remarkably like Diana' and 'uncanny'. 'I think what's more important is the authenticity of the portrayal, and we'll have to see how that develops because my understanding is it's going to be a good script and it's going to be a good premise, but it might not necessarily have actually happened in the way they're saying,' he continued. It comes as new accuracy row has broken out over the upcoming film with royal experts branding it inaccurate because it's set on a weekend at Sandringham which never happened. Princess Diana and Prince Harry are pictured It comes as new accuracy row has broken out over the upcoming film with royal experts branding it inaccurate because it's set on a weekend at Sandringham which never happened. According to Jobson and fellow biographer Ingrid Seward, Diana had stopped visiting the estate before the period in which the drama is set. Robert added that Diana had already made the decision regarding her marriage 'years before', while Ingrid pointed out that the princess 'never wanted a divorce'. It follows widespread criticism of Netflix drama The Crown, which saw politicians, experts and friends of the Royal Family call for a disclaimer to warn viewers that the show twists the truth. Friends of close senior royals including Prince Charles even went so far as to accuse it of 'trolling on a Hollywood budget'. In June last year it was revealed that the Twilight actress, 30, would depict the late royal in a film which dramatises a 'critical' few days at the Norfolk estate in the early 1990s, when Diana decided that her marriage to Prince Charles wasn't working. Princess Diana is pictured in the 1990s Kristen, 30, left, said she hasn't been excited about a role in a long time ahead of her portrayal of Princess Diana (right in 1994) Speaking on True Royalty TV 's The Royal Beat, Robert said: 'I don't even think she was there that weekend. She wasn't even at Sandringham, on this supposed weekend. 'The film will suggest this is where the decision was made to divorce, but she never made that decision. I didn't think she was at Sandringham after 1990 and this was set in 1991.' Ingrid added: 'The film is based on three days at Sandringham, and the period that it is based on, Diana wasn't going to Sandringham anymore. 'It's probably going to just play up what life was like at Sandringham, which would be quite interesting for a lot of people to see. It has a good setting.' The screenplay of Spencer was written by Steven Knight, who worked on Peaky Blinders, so Robert predicted the film will be 'explosive and rock n roll'. Like The Crown, the latest series of which was branded a 'spiteful attack on the Royal Family by making them look like inept idiots' by Angela Levin, author of Harry: Biography of a Prince, Robert suggested this film will also mix fact with fiction. 'I think it's a shame because there's so much out there that we know that is true, but then again they need that scope to be able to do a fictional drama like this,' he said. Photo: The Canadian Press Dr. Bonnie Henry gives her daily media briefing regarding COVID-19 for the province of British Columbia in Victoria, B.C., Monday, December 7, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward The chief justice of the British Columbia Supreme Court says the B.C. government is putting the court in an "impossible position" by asking for an injunction ordering three churches to stop in-person services before their challenge of public health orders is heard. Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson said Friday health orders already prohibit such gatherings and it's within the power of provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and the government to escalate enforcement without a court order. "There are alternate remedies," Hinkson told Crown prosecutor Gareth Morley during the hearing. "I shouldn't be doing Dr. Henry's job. If she wants police to have the ability to arrest people, the order can be amended, can't it?" The injunction request by the provincial health officer and attorney general comes after the churches filed a petition that challenges COVID-19 restrictions on in-person religious services, arguing the ban violates people's rights and freedoms. The Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley, the Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church in Abbotsford and Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack were among more than a dozen individuals or churches that filed the petition last month, with the challenge to be heard in March. They allege several charter violations including freedom of religion, belief, expression, peaceful assembly and association. Lawyer Paul Jaffe, who represents the churches, told the court his clients have adopted safety protocols similar to those approved by Henry in places like schools that remain open. It doesn't make sense that some people should be allowed to gather to do yoga or to study history, but not talk about God, he said. "It's so arbitrary, it's so irrational. Viruses don't become activated because of the subject of discussion," Jaffe said. The health orders allow exemptions for support groups for people challenged with grief, substance use and other conditions. Jaffe said churches play a similar role. The churches applied for an exemption in December and have not received a response, he said. Jaffe described the application for an injunction as a "punitive" and "vindictive" move, when the court hearing is less than three weeks away. However, Morley said existing restrictions on worshippers aren't working and a court order could add weight and protect the public. There is "no question" that there is an ongoing risk to public health of gatherings in the coming weeks, he said. "The simple existence of violation tickets is not going to stop them from continuing to have these religious services in violation of this order," he said. "They have every right to challenge the public health orders, but they do not have a right not to abide by them in the meantime." It's not right to compare restrictions on churches with places like schools, he said. The orders are consistent if you consider that both secular and religious schools have the same restrictions, and both secular and religious ceremonies like weddings and funerals do, too. "Secular oranges are different from religious apples," he said. Hinkson asked Morley what the government planned to do if it were granted a court injunction against the churches. He noted a recent case where an injunction against protesters was given to the Vancouver Port Authority, but the public prosecution service declined to enforce the order, saying it wasn't in the public interest to do so. "You understand my concern is the reputation of the administration of justice," Hinkson said. "If we're being asked to do these things and then we're told it's not in the public interest to enforce our orders, I won't grant orders," the judge said. Morley responded that the attorney general's office cannot tell the police or the prosecution service how to exercise their discretion, but he assured the judge that his ruling would be taken "very, very seriously." "Every participant in the judicial system is concerned about the rule of law and the public health interests at stake here, and will exercise your discretion appropriately," Morley said. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. (Alliance News) - Britain could face a coronavirus wave as big as the current one if lockdown restrictions are lifted too quickly, a scientist advising the UK government has said. Steven Riley, a member of the SPI-M modelling group, said that while the rollout of the vaccination programme had been "incredibly successful" it did not mean controls could simply be dropped. "No vaccine is perfect. We are certainly going to be in the situation where we can allow more infection in the community but there is a limit," he told the BBC Radio Today programme. "I think scientists are genuinely worried. We don't want to show that it is an excellent but not perfect vaccine by having another large wave in the UK. "Nearly 20% of the UK population is 65 years old or older. If you do some simple back of the envelope [calculations] for a vaccine that is very good but not perfect, there is the potential for another really substantial wave. That is not where we want to go in the short term. "If for some reason we were to choose to just pretend [coronavirus] wasn't here any more, then there is the potential to go back to a wave that is a similar size to the one that we are in now." His warning came amid continuing pressure from some Conservative members of Parliament for the UK government to begin easing controls as more people become inoculated. Ministers are confident they will meet the target of offering a first dose of the vaccine to all those in the government's top four priority groups a including all over-70s in the UK a by the deadline of Monday. However, that has led to renewed demands for a relaxation of the restrictions to allow the economy to open up again. Former cabinet minister David Davis said they should begin with schools a which are due to reopen in England on March 8 a as part of a "stepwise" winding down of controls. "I think we have got to do a stepwise change. I think we are going to have to relax the schools, that is the first thing to do. It is probably the lowest risk," he told the Today programme. He said that a combination of the vaccines and new treatments meant Covid-19 should become a "manageable" disease like flu with a "normal" level of deaths each year. "If it is the same level as flu, we don't think for a second of locking down the country over flu," he said. "There will come a point where there will be a death rate from Covid but it is at a normal level and then we have to cope with that. Obviously we still try to prevent it but we accept it." However, NHS Confederation Chair Lord Adebowale expressed concern that March 8 was still too soon for schools to return. He said the NHS workforce was "on its knees" and that ministers needed to be "very cautious" about any easing of lockdown restrictions. "We have to be really careful, really systematic about easing any lockdown. What we cannot afford is another peak," he told the Today programme. "I understand the pressure to open schools. We need to do so very safely. I think mid or late March is when we should be reassessing. "We have had a number of false dawns when we have set dates, taken the action then find ourselves having to row back very quickly." After the number receiving a first dose passed 14 million on Friday, the government has launched a fresh drive to encourage those who have so far been reluctant to get the jab. Overall, uptake of the vaccine has been high, with the Department of Health & Social Care reporting a 93% take-up rate among the over 75s in England. However, there is concern in government at the lower levels of uptake among some communities a including some ethnic minorities. Around 30 ministers a including Home Secretary Priti Patel and vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi a are taking part in a series of visits and virtual meetings to highlight the importance of getting inoculated. "We recognise that some groups feel more hesitant about getting a jab, or have more barriers, both physical and mental, preventing them from accessing one when it's offered," Zahawi said. Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination & Immunisation, has said uptake among care home staff was also "far too low", with only 66% accepting the offer of a vaccine. "If they are to stop potentially transmitting to those vulnerable people who they look after and care for deeply, they need to take the immunisation up. The message needs to come across loud and clear," he told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme. By Gavin Cordon, PA Whitehall Editor source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran leader and Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy has questioned the Narendra Modi government at the Center about how to deal with China. Swamy has also asked the questions from the government about the retreat of the Indian Army in Ladakh. He expressed displeasure over the Narendra Modi government's decision by tweeting that PM Modi said in 2020 that 'nobody came, nobody went.' China quite liked it, but it was not true. Swami further said, 'General Narwane ordered the soldiers to cross the LAC and take Pangong Lake into their possession so that the Chinese posts could be kept under watch. Now we are retreating from there, but what happened to China's retreat from Depsang? Not yet. China thrilled. ' This is not the first time Subramanian Swamy has questioned any decision of the Modi government. Even before this, he has been questioning the attitude of the government. Earlier, BJP veteran and Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had expressed his displeasure at the rise in the prices of petrol and diesel in the country, targeting his own BJP government. Subramaniam Swamy took a tweet targeting his own government. He shared a picture on his Twitter handle on Tuesday, in which he was taunted over the price of petrol. Swamy wrote in his tweet that Ram's petrol is being sold in India at Rs 93, Sita's Nepal for Rs 53 and Ravana's Lanka at Rs 51. PM said in 2020 Koi aaya nahin and koi gaya nahin Chinese were overjoyed. But it was not true. Later Naravane ordered troops to cross LAC and occupy Pangong hill overlooking PLA base. Now we are to withdraw from there. But Depsang Chinese withdrawal? Not yet. China thrilled Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 13, 2021 Also Read- Finance Minister Counters Rahul Gandhi's LS Speech, Calls Him 'Doomsday Man Of India' Andhra Pradesh Holds Panchayat Polls In Disputed Kotia Rahul's big statement on Wasim Jaffer row: 'Cricket marred by hatred' President Rodrigo Duterte warned Washington on Friday that it would have to pay to preserve a 22-year-old bilateral military pact, as Manila negotiates with the new U.S. administration on extending the Visiting Forces Agreement, which he has threatened to scrap. The Philippine leader made the remarks while inspecting Air Force assets north of Manila, a day after officials from the governments of the two longtime defense allies began talks on the issue of renewing the 1999 VFA. I would like to put on notice if theres an American agent here that from now on, you want the Visiting Forces Agreement done? Well, they have to pay, Duterte said. Its a shared responsibility, but your share of responsibility does not come free. Because after all, when the war breaks out, we all pay. Duterte did not go into detail on how the United States would have to pay or what it would have to pay for to keep the pact alive. The VFA allows for large-scale joint military exercises in the Philippines between the two allies. The pact came about after the United States vacated two of its largest overseas military installations the Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Base, both located northwest of Manila after the Cold War ended in the 1990s. It also governs the U.S. military presence in the Southeast Asian country and places American forces there under United States jurisdiction. However, the text of the agreement makes no mention of payments. A year ago this month, soon after Duterte first threatened to annul the VFA, then-U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he wouldnt mind if Manila did that because, he said, it would save the United States a lot of money. In a statement on Friday, the U.S. State Department did not respond to Dutertes call for Washington to pay for the VFW when BenarNews sought reactions to his comments. We value our alliance with the Philippines, which is the oldest in the Asia-Pacific region, and we will continue to look for ways to further strengthen and advance security cooperation that furthers shared security challenges and respects human rights, a State Department spokesman said in a statement. Open dialogue between allies is essential to maintaining the strength of an alliance which is vital to both of our countries security. Also on Friday, Duterte emphasized that if hostilities were to break out between Washington and Beijing, the Philippines would be the nearest landmass to a Chinese garrison. Although the Philippine president did not identify it, China recently upgraded its defense arsenal on an island in the disputed South China Sea. He said that the southwestern island of Palawan was the nearest possible and convenient outpost for the U.S. if it were to establish a base in the country. Duterte said he was walking on a tightrope between geopolitical interests of the U.S. and China. Washington, under the Trump administration, had blacklisted Chinese firms found to have participated in construction activities in the South China Sea. I cannot afford to be brave in the mouth against China because, well, we are avoiding any confrontation a confrontation that would lead to something which we can hardly afford, at least not at this time, Duterte said. A friend to rival superpowers In his remarks, Duterte noted that he had been letting the American forces carry out missions here for strategic reasons. I am a friend of America, I am a friend of China. But what I dont like is that they promise you [something but] once they take off, they forget all about it and nobodys following [up] until you remind them, Duterte said. The president spoke out about the VFA one day after Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. confirmed holding a bilateral meeting with U.S. officials on defense, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency (NPA). Locsin did not provide details about the meeting as it involves our national security and defense. On Wednesday, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Lloyd Austin his new American counterpart in the Biden administration, discussed the VFA as well as the decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty during an introductory phone call. Duterte last year ordered the VFA cancelled after Washington revoked the visa of a senator who, while serving as his national police chief, had launched the Philippine governments deadly war on drugs. In June, the president suspended his cancellation order amid perceptions of increasing Chinese threats in the South China Sea, but by November he called for taking another six months to determine the status of the VFA. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Former President Donald Trump hinted at a comeback as he cheered on being acquitted, for a second time, in an impeachment trial before the U.S. Senate. 'Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun,' Trump said. 'In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people.' 'We have so much work ahead of us, and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant, and limitless American future,' he added. The former president sent out a statement within minutes of being acquitted Saturday by the Senate, in a vote that saw seven Republicans join with the Democrats, but 10 short of the total needed to convict Trump of inciting the January 6 insurrection. In his statement, Trump first thanked his 'dedicated lawyers,' as well as the Republican lawmakers who 'stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country.' Former President Donald Trump sent out a statement directly after the Senate voted Saturday to acquit, hinting at a political comeback While seven Republicans sided with 50 Democrats to vote in favor of conviction, it was 10 Republican votes short, and thus Trump was acquitted Saturday afternoon Trump is seen holding up a newspaper in February 2020, after he was acquitted by the Senate in his first impeachment trial He then savaged the Democrats - and doubled down on his support for blue lives matter, despite the fact that law enforcement officers were killed by the violent MAGA mob. 'It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree,' Trump said. 'I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate,' he added. He also used one of his favorite terms when explaining how he saw this second impeachment trial. 'This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country,' Trump said. 'No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago,' he added. President Joe Biden won the election with more than 81 million votes. 'I also want to convey my gratitude to the millions of decent, hardworking, law-abiding, God-and-Country loving citizens who have bravely supported these important principles in these very difficult and challenging times,' the former president added. He concluded his note my saying, 'Together there is nothing we cannot accomplish.' And he repeated a well-known line from his campaign stump speeches. 'We remain one People, one family, and one glorious nation under God,' he said. 'And its our responsibility to preserve this magnificent inheritance for our children and for generations of Americans to come.' 'May God bless all of you, and may God forever bless the United States of America,' Trump said. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S STATEMENT AFTER BEING ACQUITTED BY THE SENATE I want to first thank my team of dedicated lawyers and others for their tireless work upholding justice and defending truth. My deepest thanks as well to all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country. Our cherished Constitutional Republic was founded on the impartial rule of law, the indispensable safeguard for our liberties, our rights and our freedoms. It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree. I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate. This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago. I also want to convey my gratitude to the millions of decent, hardworking, law-abiding, God-and-Country loving citizens who have bravely supported these important principles in these very difficult and challenging times. Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it! We have so much work ahead of us, and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant, and limitless American future. Together there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We remain one People, one family, and one glorious nation under God, and its our responsibility to preserve this magnificent inheritance for our children and for generations of Americans to come. May God bless all of you, and may God forever bless the United States of America. Advertisement The Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial Saturday as the vast majority of Republicans held together against a charge that he incited the Capitol riot of January 6. After a roll call vote of the Senate, 57 senators voted to convict, with 43 senators voting to acquit. It wasn't enough to meet the two-thirds threshold set out in the Constitution. A total of seven Republicans voted to convict; two of them have announced they are retiring at the end of their terms. The group included Sen. Richard Burr, who is retiring and who previously chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee during the Russia probe, and who voted 'guilty.' It also included Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who had appeared to waver and who voted earlier that the proceeding was constitutional. Also voting 'guilty' were Republicans Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey, who is retiring. It was a bipartisan vote, but well short of the 67 votes that would have been needed to convict, a bar that many pro-impeachment lawmakers believed was out of reach even before the proceedings began. Each stood and announced their vote from their desks, in a gesture meant to show the solemnity of the occasion. Members of the MAGA mob had occupied and rifled through many of those desks during the riot, in defiance captured on video now being used against them by federal prosecutors. 'They stormed the Senate floor. They tried to hunt down the speaker of the House,' said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after the chamber had voted. 'They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the vice president. They did this because theyd been fed wild, falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth because he was angry he lost an election. Former President Trumps actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty,' said McConnell although he himself voted to acquit Trump of the charge, citing technical grounds. 'The mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners. Hanging his flags. And screaming their loyalty to him,' said McConnell. 'He is hereby acquitted of the charge in said article,' said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont after the votes were cast. It was an outcome that was expected but nevertheless disappointed Democrats, who made Trump both the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to be acquitted twice. Democratic House managers who brought the charge could at least claim that the former president suffered a bipartisan rebuke with a majority voting to convict him on the single charge of 'incitement of insurrection.' Reaching the required two-thirds supermajority established in the Constitution was already a high hurdle in a chamber that had shown consistent deference to Trump while he was in office. It continued after Trump left office, even as managers sought to confront them with the existential threat the riot posed to the Capitol and the democracy as well as their own personal safety. Minutes after the Senate voted, Trump issued a statement attacking Democrats from his office at Mar-a-Lago. 'It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree,' he said. 'I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate,' said Trump. 'They could have killed us all' 'Things could have been much worse,' Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island said earlier in the trial. 'As one senator said, they could have killed all of us.' But appeals to the senators' own lives weren't sufficient in a chamber that went along with Trump through four tumultuous years, only breaking with him to override a veto of a popular defense bill after he had already lost the November election. New information that unfolded even as the trial went forward also did not move the needle. The presentation featured 11th hour claims about what Trump told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy even as the riot was underway. Trump's lawyers stipulated to the information, and it was allowed into the record. Democrats also played jarring footage of Vice President Mike Pence being rushed out of the room where he was being secured as the mob was taking the building. The noted repeatedly that Trump never called Pence to check on his safety, and noted that Trump sent out a tweet pressuring Pence and saying he lacked 'courage' even after the riot was underway. (Video footage they played repeatedly showed members of the MAGA mob shouting to 'hang' Pence.) For Democrats, it was an improvement over the first impeachment, when a single Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted for an impeachment charge over Trump's effort to pressure the government of Ukraine for dirt on his political opponent, Joe Biden. That trial, held when the Senate was under GOP control, famously called no witnesses about the Ukraine affair, even with former national security advisor John Bolton finally ready to talk. It call in a week-long trial that culminated with an angry attack by President Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen, who called impeachment a 'complete charade from beginning to end.' Channeling Trump, he said the entire spectacle 'was nothing but the pursuit of a longstanding political vendetta against Mr. Trump by the opposition party.' Deal to avoid witness testimony But Democrats on Saturday appeared to walk away from an opportunity to extend the trial further. After prevailing on a vote to allow witnesses, they reached a deal with Republicans and Trump's team to allow for a stipulation regarding new evidence about Trump's McCarthy call. They gave up the chance to try to pry away new damaging information on Trump's conduct, in a forum where they weren't likely to prevail anyway, and with the 100-day agenda of President Joe Biden potentially at risk. The quick conclusion to a trial that only began Tuesday came despite last minute drama Saturday that raised the potential it could go in an entirely different direction turning into an extended fact-finding endeavor that could stretch an additional two weeks. Following the jolt of tension, Democrats got the evidence, which provides a window into Trump's conduct while the Capitol riot was underway although it was not expected to change the vote breakdown in a meaningful way or take the trial in a new direction. Drama as Raskin calls for the chance to hear from witnesses House Manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland stunned senators Saturday morning when he spoke on the need for hearing from Herrera Beutler, a Republican from Washington state, on what she says McCarthy told her about the call even as the MAGA mob was rampaging through the Capitol. It was the second major development of the day, after Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell revealed he would vote to acquit the former president, while sharing his procedural reasons. Herrera Bautler says Trump told McCarthy: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Democratic managers could use the statement to argue that Trump inflamed the riot rather than trying to stop it. But Raskin's request threatened to blow up the trial schedule, potentially dragging it out for weeks, especially after Trump's legal team threatened to call more than 300 witnesses. That evidently was an outcome neither side was willing to stomach, for different reasons. After a break, both Trump's lawyer and Raskin agreed to a 'stipulation' of the evidence, which Raskin then read into the trial record. Trump lawyer Bruce Castor said Trump through his lawyers was prepared to stipulate that Rep. Herrera Beutler, were she to testify under oath, it would be consistent with her Feb. 12th statement, which Raskin then read. The agreement then allowed the trial to move on past the witness phase - meaning none will be called. It was a swift conclusion to the matter only hours after House managers moved to call Rep. Herrera Beutler for testimony about her stunning claims about what Trump said his supporters were ransacking the Capitol. With the evidence in the record and in hand and with neither side demanding more witnesses Raskin immediately pounced on the new information, saying Trump took actions that 'further incited the insurgents to be more inflamed and to take even more extreme selective and focused action against Vice President Mike Pence.' Raskin read Trump's quote from Herrera Beutler's notes to McCarthy aloud again. 'Think about that for a second. This uncontradicted statement that has just been stipulated as part of the evidentiary record. The president said, 'Well, I guess these people' - meaning the mobsters, the insurrectionists - 'are more upset about the election than you.' That conduct is obviously part of the constitutional offense that he was impeached for, namely incitement to insurrection, that is continuing incitement to the insurrection,' he said. He said it provided 'further decisive evidence of his intent to incite the insurrection in the first place.' Another manager, Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, repeated the quote in his own arguments afterward. He said Trump 'was essentially saying: You got what you deserve.' 'His sole focus was stealing the election for himself,' said Cicilline. Cicilline said two things during closing remarks that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote "Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,"' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. Van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, "I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,"' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. 'Mr. President moments ago, House manager Cicilline,' Lee got up and said. Leahy interrupted him and told Lee, 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. When Lee previously objected it was because the Utah senator never divulged the contents of the call. Tuberville has not confirmed news reports that said Trump pressured him on the phone to object to more states Electoral College vote counts. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying Saturdays proceedings. Clash over witness bombshell The earlier vote on witnesses before a deal was made prevailed on a procedural vote with five Republicans voting to hear from the Republican lawmakers. Among them were four Republican senators who had voted that the trial itself was constitutional Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump loyalist who changed his vote to back the move. For hours Saturday move threw the trial's schedule into doubt, with some lawmakers having earlier predicted it would wrap up Saturday. For a time, it reframed what had appeared to be the culmination of the impeachment trial, with the schedule and lawmakers plans to go home thrown into chaos and Joe Biden's legislative agenda being caught up in the confusion. Trump advisor Jason Miller soon brandished a list of 301 witnesses 'so far' that the president's team threatened to call, and a list that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, said on the Senate floor Saturday he wanted to depose Rep. Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) as well as her contemporaneous notes about what she knows. He said there was overwhelming evidence of Trump's 'dereliction of duty.' Rep. Herrera Beutler says McCarthy told her about the contents of her tense phone conversation with Trump on Jan. 6. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland moved to be able to depose Republican Rep. Jaime Herera Beutler after she reiterated comments about what she says House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about his conversation with President Donald Trump Raskin said the deposition could take place on Zoom and would take only an hour. His request drew an immediate explosive response from Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen. 'If they want to have witnesses, I'm going to need at least 100 depositions. Not just one,' he fumed threatening to drag out the trial that senators were forced to view in silence for nearly a week. Then he raised the stakes even further. Rep. Raskin put the witness question to a vote after Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler issued a statement about her conversation with Rep. Kevin McCarthy The move to subpoena witnesses and documents got 5 Republican votes Michael van der Veen, attorney for former President Donald Trump, bristled at the Democratic request for witnesses. 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' he said House impeachment manager Delegate Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., center, walks through the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate on the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 in Washington Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voted for Raskin's witness motion, then got in a clash with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin 'Nancy Pelosi's deposition needs to be taken. Vice President Harris' deposition, absolutely, needs to be taken. None of these depositions should be done by zoom. We didn't' do this hearing by Zoom,' said Van der Veen. 'These depositions should be done in person in my office in Philadelphia. That's where they should be done!' 'That's where they should be done. I need to do the 911-style investigation that Nancy Pelosi called for,' he said. His Philadelphia comment brought audible laughter inside the chamber. 'I don't know why you're laughing,' said van der Veen, whose Philadelphia firm touts numerous awards he has won to victims of automobile accidents. He said that's how depositions are done in civil proceedings. 'I haven't laughed at any of you. And there's nothing laughable here,' he scolded senators. 'Now is the time to end this,' he argued. After a series of angry statements by the Trump lawyer, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, presiding, cautioned senators to refrain from statements 'non-conducive to civil discourse.' 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' Van der Veen fumed. Raskin responded to information that emerged Friday night about Herrera Beutler's claims. She said it reinforced 'the President's willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief of the United States, his state of mind and his further incitement of the insurrection on January 6.' 'For that reason, and because this is the proper time to do so under the resolution of that the Senate adopted to set the rules for the trial, we would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera regarding her communications with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. It's is a subpoena for contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection,' he said. He said the deposition would be an hour 'or less' just as soon as the lawmaker is available, and that managers would then proceed to the next phase of the trial, including the introduction of that testimony shortly thereafter. But he raised the possibility of more witnesses for the prosecution. 'Congresswoman Beutler further states that she hopes other witnesses to this part of the story, other patriots as she put it would come forward and if that happens, we would seek the opportunity to take their depositions via zoom also for less than an hour or two subpoena other relevant documents as well,' said Raskin. But not all senators were entirely sure what they were voting about, with Sen. Todd Young of Alaska asking in mid vote what was the substance. After the drama on the floor, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson complained about the sudden turn after being spotted having an angry clash with Sen. Mitt Romney inside the chamber. 'It's not healing it's not, it's not unifying it's just like opening up a wound and just rubbing salt in it and I thought we were going come to a conclusion here today and it was rip the wound back open, let's let's rub more salt in it,' he complained. He also claimed the public hearing he organized as chairman on claims of election irregularities being pushed by President Trump was done to 'defuse' the situation. As senators worked to reassemble a way forward, Graham tweeted that it was better to go to a final vote but 'if the body wants witnesses, I am going to insist we have multiple witnesses.' He said it was best to start with Pelosi to see 'as to whether or not there was credible evidence of pre-planned violence before President Trump spoke?' He said it was 'incredibly relevant' to the incitement charge. Sparks flew several more times throughout closing arguments after both sides agreed to move on without witnesses. Cicilline said two things during his turn that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote "Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,"' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, "I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,"' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. 'Mr. President moments ago, House manager Cicilline,' Lee got up and said. Leahy told him that 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying the proceeding. First thing Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republicans that he planned to vote to acquit Trump on charges incitement of insurrection a signal that the House-led effort to convict the former president would fail. 'While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction,' McConnell said in the letter. Although he had denounced Trump's actions in an emotional Senate floor speech immediately after the Jan. 6 MAGA riot in the Capitol, McConnell also did not act to hasten the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office. He voted along with 44 other Republicans that the post-presidency impeachment was unconstitutional a position that did not prevail. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives at the US Capitol for the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump, on February 13, 2021, in Washington, DC. He told colleagues he will vote to acquit Trump The drama unfolded after it was revealed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told colleagues he plans to vote to acquit Trump House Democratic managers brought up numerous Trump administration officials who quit following the riot among them McConnell's wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. McConnell's decision makes it likely that only a handful of Republicans cross over to join Democrats voting to convict. With two-thirds of the Senate required, this raises the likelihood that Trump would be impeached and acquitted twice. There was a last minute wrinkle Friday night, however. CNN reported Friday that Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted for Trump's impeachment and who spoke on the record about what McCarthy told her, pleaded with 'patriots' to go public with their own accounts. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' she said. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' Jaime Herrera Beutler said. F-word call: Kevin McCarthy pleaded with Donald Trump to call off his mob on January 6, and when Trump said 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' responded: 'Who the f**k do you think you're speaking to?' 'When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol,' Herrera Beutler recounted. 'McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Other sources told CNN that McCarthy replied to Trump: 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' and that McCarthy had phoned Trump because the MAGA mob were smashing the windows in his office. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called for the suspension of the trial in order to depose GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville and McCarthy about their conversations with the former president during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the trial, issued the call in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal. 'Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting,' Whitehouse wrote, referring to reports that McCarthy lambasted Trump in an expletive-laden diatribe telling him to call off his mob of loyalists, and following Tuberville's admission that he told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This announcement and the information contained herein is restricted and is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly in, or into or from the United States or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. Further, this announcement is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation to buy, subscribe for or otherwise acquire any securities of The Bitcoin Fund in any jurisdiction in which any such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3iQ Corp. (3iQ) is pleased to announce that it has filed and obtained a receipt for a preliminary prospectus for the 3iQ Bitcoin ETF (the Fund) with the securities regulatory authorities in all of the Canadian provinces and territories of Canada (except for Quebec). With the success of our bitcoin closed end fund it is a natural progression for us to file for a physical bitcoin ETF to enhance our product suite in the growing digital asset space. Fred Pye, Chairman and CEO of 3iQ. The Funds investment objectives are to provide holders of units of the Fund with: (a) exposure to the digital currency bitcoin and the daily price movements of the U.S. dollar price of bitcoin, and (b) the opportunity for long-term capital appreciation. 3iQ will act as the investment manager and portfolio manager of the Fund. Founded in 2012, 3iQ is Canadas largest digital asset investment fund manager with more than C$1.8 billion in assets under management. 3iQ was the first Canadian investment fund manager to offer a public listed bitcoin investment fund, The Bitcoin Fund priced in Canadian dollars (TSX:QBTC) and US dollars (TSX:QBTC.U). In December of 2020, we launched The Ether Fund, priced in Canadian dollars (TSX:QETH.UN) and US dollars (TSX:QETH.U), which currently has over C$390 million invested in Ether, Ethereums native digital asset. As a digital asset manager, 3iQ has the technical knowledge and operational expertise to handle complex assets like bitcoin. 3iQ offers investors convenient and familiar investment products to gain exposure to the leading digital assets such as bitcoin and Ether. For more information about 3iQ, The Bitcoin Fund, The Ether Fund or 3iQ Bitcoin ETF, visit www.3iQ.ca or follow us on Twitter @3iQ_corp. Contact Information Fred Pye Chairman and CEO E: fred.pye@3iQ.ca P: +1 (416) 639-2130 This offering is only made by the preliminary prospectus of the Fund dated February 11, 2021. The preliminary prospectus contains important information relating to these securities and has been filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in all of the provinces and territories of Canada (except for Quebec) The preliminary prospectus is still subject to completion or amendment. Copies of the preliminary prospectus may be obtained from 3iQ Corp. or at www.sedar.com. There will not be any sale or any acceptance of an offer to buy the units until a receipt for the final prospectus has been issued by the relevant securities commissions in Canada. Investors should read the prospectus before making an investment decision. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to matters disclosed in this news release and to other matters identified in public filings relating to the Fund, to the future outlook of the Fund and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the future financial performance of the Fund. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as may, will, should, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, intend, estimate, predict, potential, continue or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ materially from results indicated in forward-looking information for a number of reasons, including the failure to close the transactions referenced in this news release on the terms and conditions currently contemplated by the Fund, or at all, as well the risk factors identified in the Funds preliminary prospectus dated February 11, 2021. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, unless otherwise required by law. You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of the Fund on a stock exchange or other alternative Canadian trading system (an exchange). If the units are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the Fund and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning units of an investment fund. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the fund. You can find more detailed information about the Fund in its public filings available at www.sedar.com. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. IMPORTANT NOTICES THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE SAME WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. The distribution of this announcement and any offering or issue of the Funds securities in any jurisdiction other than Canada may be restricted by law and therefore persons into whose possession this announcement comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with any such restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws or regulations of such jurisdictions. In particular, subject to certain exceptions, this announcement should not be distributed, forwarded, transmitted or otherwise disseminated in or into the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The Funds securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or under the applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered, sold, resold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly within, into or in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or except in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with the securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. Neither this announcement, nor the fact that it has been disseminated, shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any future information that we distribute. New Delhi: The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has set a new pattern or in other word a framework for accreditation and ranking of teacher education institutes in India. Currently it is still in the the drafting stage. The main objective of 'TeachR' council's is to build a regulatory framework promoting academic excellence. TeachR will focus on the quality of teachers that will be proudeced for India that will be rolled-out from August second week. The TeachR has started consultations and has received over 30,000 suggestions. "We intend to sift through all the suggestions that have poured in for the "TeachR" framework across the country to seek feedback on the framework," said Dr. A Santosh Mathew, Chairperson of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). With this NCTE aims to unlock the potential of all TEIs to provide better learning outcomes for teacher, students in India," Mathew told Mail Today. The four quality checks of this assessment method give weightage to physical assets, academic assets, teaching and learning quality and student learning outcomes. The B.Ed colleges will be ranked in four categories - A, B, C and D. Colleges failing in D category will be asked to shut down and those in C will have to meet the bar within 12 months. In order to get rid of fake degrees allowing fraudulent teachers. The new degrees to be awarded to potential teachers will carry a QR code. The QR code will verify if these degrees are genuine. Apart from the University's name, Bachelor of Education degrees will now carry respective college's name on the degree to ensure scrupulousness Bengaluru, Feb 14 : At least 40 students of a private nursing college in Bengaluru have tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials said. The officials on Saturday said that that most of these students are from Kerala and the mass testing will be carried out in all the nursing and medical colleges of the city from February 14 to 20. Bengaluru's civic body Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad inspected the college and inquired about the measures initiated by authorities to tackle these cases. Prasad also appealed to the state government to make it mandatory for all the students coming to the city's educational institutions, to carry a negative Covid-19 test certificate that should not be older than 72 hours. The Karnataka government announced that students coming from Kerala to Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar districts must get an RTPCR negative test report. The Commissioner said the Pulakeshi Nagar nursing college has a total of 210 students and majority are from Kerala. "The test reports showed 40 students had tested positive, while 28 are asymptomatic and 12 have mild symptoms. Among these 35 are girls and 5 are boys," he added. Prasad said that the authorities claim that Covid testing was conducted for all the students between January 25 and February 10 but as precautionary measure the Bengaluru civic body has stationed its medical team in the college premises. "Though the college has made arrangements for isolation of all the 40 students in the hostel with all basic facilities, we have also advised to isolate and quarantine all the 210 students for the next 14 days," he added. The Commissioner also directed the colleges to go for mass testing camps at all the nursing and medical colleges in the city. Meanwhile, the BBMP East Zone has appointed full-time field officers and marshals to work 24/7 to ensure there is no breach of isolation. Prasad said that doctors from Sultanpalya Primary Health Care have been directed to visit the college at least once in a day to check the students' vital parameters and ensure there are no health complications. "The samples of the students tested were sent to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (Nimhans), Bengaluru, for genome sequencing to determine if they were infected by a new variant of the Covid-19 virus," he said. The Commissioner also directed the college authorities to ensure that the students don't step out of isolation and also get admitted to Victoria hospital if their symptoms get worse. According to officials, multiple nursing and medical colleges have reopened in the city and several students are travelling back from their home in different states to Bengaluru. The BBMP Commissioner also directed all Zonal Health Officers to ensure that the mass testing camps are carried out effectively. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help A new proposal by Australias Parliament would force big tech companies to share profits with independent new organizations who use their platforms to post news coverage. As the internets popularity grew over the past twenty years, traditional media like newspapers have seen a monumental drop in subscribers. Now that news is updated almost instantly, print media has become virtually obsolete, forcing publishers to post their stories online. Search engines are able to compile coverage into one page, such as Google News, so readers can easily scroll between different news organizations to get a variety of information. And Social media sites like Facebook have created a platform for people to easily access and share stories in one place. In fact, Pew Research Center found that 53% of adults currently get their news from social media platforms. Australias Parliament is suggesting that companies like Google and Facebook should be sharing revenue with news organizations that have content on their platforms. Because ad revenue is generated by clicks, these platforms generate a great deal of income simply by sharing links to other company sites. One study found that Google indirectly brought in $4.7 billion by pulling content from outside publishers. The proposal would allow smaller news organizations to benefit from the exposure that search engines and social media platforms regularly benefit from. The idea has already received a polarizing response from tech companies, with some being more extreme than others. For instance, Google immediately threatened that if Australias Parliament were to follow through with the proposal, the company would pull its search engine out of the country. Facebook held a similar position, saying that users on all Facebook owned platforms would no longer be able to share news if the ruling went through. On the other hand, Microsoft supported the idea, and was open to sharing revenue through its search engine Bing even if other tech companies decided to opt out. It would seem like a reasonable proposition for these tech giants to compensate smaller organizations who are producing content that helps promote user traffic on their platforms, but threats of retaliation seem to paint a different picture. Australia is now in a complicated position: support a dying industry through compromise, or risk losing the support of some of the worlds biggest tech leaders? Whatever Australia decides, it will spark a worldwide conversation about the dominance of big tech and its role in news media. Edited by Maurice Nagle * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Berlin, Feb 13, 2021 (SPS) - The German channel "Deutsche Welle" highlighted the systematic and illegal plundering of fish by the Moroccan occupation through the occupied port of Dakhla, the far south of Western Sahara. The famous German channel revealed that Morocco "produces 65 percent of its fish wealth in the occupied port of Dakhla, which is one of the most famous octopus fishing ports in Africa and the world,". The European channel indicated, "During the summer of 2020 only, more than 4 thousand tons of octopus and 1500 tons of fish (Lasarka) were caught in the occupied city of Dakhla." It has also mentioned in its report, the legal battle waged by the Frente POLISARIO against the illegal Moroccan plunder of Western Sahara resources, as it filed lawsuits before European courts. SPS 125/090/TRA [February 12, 2021] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS PEN, QS, SWI INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits: SolarWinds Corporation (SWI) Class Period: 10/18/2018 - 12/17/2020 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: March 5, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-solarwinds-corporation-securities-litigation QuantumScape Corporation (QS) Class Period: 11/27/2020 - 12/31/2020 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: March 8, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-quantumscape-corporation-securities-litigation Penumbra, Inc. (PEN) Class Period: 8/3/2020 - 12/15/2020 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: March 16, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-penumbra-inc-securities-litigation If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above. If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Restaurants will no longer be allowed to sell pre-packaged meals through arrangements with supermarkets and other outlets, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley definitively closed this loophole yesterday. Rowley said this would not be allowed to continue, as it defeats the purpose of the public health regulations. Restaurants and street food vendors were among those businesses ordered to close to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of Covid-19. New Delhi: Website of Surat District Education Officer (DEO) was hacked on Wednesday allegedly by Pakistani hackers. Early morning visitors of the website noticed that the interface of the Surat District Education Officer was replaced with a message and Pakistan flag. The hackers identified themselves Cyber_Hunter. The message read, Pakistan Zindabad. Just a security warning :). Also Read: Beware! Hackers can steal your passwords, PINs by monitoring your thoughts via brainwave-sensing headsets According to an official of Surat District Education Officer the local police have been alerted about the hack. Many contents of the website were not accessible till the time report was filed. Early this year alleged hackers from Pakistan had hacked Websites of Delhi University, IIT-D and Aligarh Muslim University. Then the hackers had claimed the act was in response to a hack of Pakistani Railway website by an alleged Indian hacker. Also Read: Aliens found? What NASA said on hacking group Anonymous's claim of announcement on extraterrestrial life The hackers had then left message for the Indian Government and citizens of India along with two videos. The message left behind by the hackers on the three website then read, "Greetings Government of India, and the people of India. Do you know what your so-called heroes (soldiers) are doing in Kashmir? Do you know they are killing many innocent people in Kashmir?" For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on Friday dismissed a large airport vendor accused of poor working conditions, delivering a major win to labor leaders in her first big break with the prior administration. Levine Cava informed Eulen America that its contract at Miami International Airport would terminate on Aug. 12, exercising her power as the chief administrator overseeing vendors across Miami-Dade government, including at county-owned airports. She announced the decision in a memo to the County Commission, which ratifies MIA contracts. It is in the best interests of the County to terminate its business relationship with Eulen America in order to ensure that Miami International Airport continues to reflect the values of our community, she wrote. Eulen America ordered out of MIA by August The company provides ramp, cargo, cleaning and baggage-handling services to American, MIAs largest carrier, and to Delta. Miami Herald news partner CBS4 first reported the unsafe working conditions for Eulen workers in April 2019, including broken equipment and entire shifts outdoors without water breaks. After the CBS4 story, workers said Eulen cleaned out the cockroach-infested supply trucks and added a truck with Gatorade to the tarmac. Still, the workers said problems persisted and the company did not provide any paid sick or vacation days. The companys contract was extended in the final days of Carlos Gimenezs time as mayor, which ended in November. His administration granted two-year extensions to Eulen and other ground-service providers on year-to-year agreements that werent up for renewal in February. Lester Sola, the county Aviation Director under Gimenez, issued the two-year extensions on Nov. 13 under Gimenezs direction, according to the letters sent to Eulen and the four other MIA companies that provide similar services. Levine Cava took office Nov. 17 and retained Sola. On Friday, Sola said the extensions were required 90 days before the expiration dates of the agreements, prompting the November letters. Story continues Eulen cited the recent extension in a statement issued Friday, which criticized Levine Cava for refusing to meet with the company. Eulen America is willing to find a way to save the jobs of the more than 900 employees at MIA that Mayor Levine-Cavas action will take away, further hurting families already struggling in the pandemic, company CEO Xavier Rabell said in a letter that incorrectly inserted a hyphen in the mayors name. Her timing could not be worse, and we cannot imagine any rationale which would support her abrupt and unjustifiable decision. Terminating Eulen marks the most drastic action Levine Cava has taken since assuming office Nov. 17, with one of MIAs largest and most targeted vendors ordered to clear out of county property. Please coordinate removal of ground service equipment and other materials with Miami-Dade Aviation staff, the mayor wrote in a letter to Rabell. Levine Cava breaks with Gimenez on MIA contract The first Democrat to hold the non-partisan mayor post since 2004, Levine Cava received heavy labor support in her run against fellow commissioner Esteban Steve Bovo Jr., a Republican. She made better worker benefits in county contracts a plank in her campaign, with she and Bovo clashing over stalled Levine Cava legislation requiring sick leave for out-sourced county workers at MIA and beyond. Jose Pepe Diaz, the commission chairman and a Republican, said Friday he pressed Levine Cava on what would happen with Eulens workers after she ended the companys contract. I said, You know thats close to 1,000 employees, Diaz said. She said the other [service companies at MIA] would pick them up. In June 2019, workers for Eulen at MIA went on strike during the national Democratic presidential debate being held nearby. At the time, Eulen said its equipment was fully serviceable and safe to operate and that the company had spent more than $200,000 on equipment like belt loaders and air conditioners in the previous nine months. OSHA findings against Eulen When investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration visited Miami International Airport in May and July of 2019 to look into the Eulen workers claims, they found too little water for employees, too much exposure to harmful germs and roaches in vehicles. OSHA proposed fines totaling $77,898 before settling with the company for $46,739. All issues were quickly addressed and brought into full compliance, a Eulen spokesperson said via email Friday. Though made public Friday, the termination was in the works all week. Jimmy Morales, the countys chief operations officer, issued a memo to Sola on Tuesday telling him to prepare the termination papers. Eileen Higgins, Eulens top foe on the county commission and a Levine Cava ally, introduced legislation to hire two more ground-service providers at MIA. Eulen and the other existing providers opposed the bill, which stalled at a committee hearing Tuesday. Eulen lobbyist Ana Sotorrio told the the committee that flight traffic was too far down at MIA to justify divvying up the airline work among more providers. The timing could not be worse, she said. My client alone regretfully furloughed, unfortunately, 50% of its employees... Employees will be further impacted when their lives have already been severely impacted by the COVID pandemic. Ahead of the termination letter, Levine Cava met Thursday with Higgins, airport administrators and lawyers and multiple American executives about the plan to dismiss Eulen in August. In a statement Friday, Higgins said she looked forward to a smooth transition that ensures workers are not displaced during the process. Because Eulen workers have already been cleared for MIA post-security work, Higgins said she expects most Eulen workers to migrate to other companies that need help as airline travel recovers This is a good news story in the end, said Higgins, who testified against Eulen in a congressional hearing last year. Our existing [companies] can compete for the business. We have not heard any of these complaints from the others. The bodies of a man and a woman have been recovered from a submerged car after a major search operation on the River Trent in Nottinghamshire. Police dive teams located the vehicle on 2 February, a day after a car with two passengers was reported to have been seen floating along the river at Hoveringham, between Newark and Nottingham. High river levels have since hampered efforts to recover the vehicle but two bodies were removed from the water at about 10.30am on Saturday after the car was located on the riverbed using sonar equipment. No formal identification has yet taken place but family members have been informed by a family liaison officer. Work, which is being supported by a tug boat from Newark, is under way to remove the car. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 30 May 2021 People venture into the sea as they enjoy themselves during a hot day on Brighton Beach AP UK news in pictures 29 May 2021 Swimmers at the Stonehaven Open Air Pool in Aberdeenshire, which reopens after lockdown restrictions were eased PA UK news in pictures 28 May 2021 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he meets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at Downing Street in London REUTERS UK news in pictures 27 May 2021 White Pelicans in the sunshine in St James's Park, London PA UK news in pictures 26 May 2021 Boats are seen at Southsea Moorings in Portsmouth Reuters UK news in pictures 25 May 2021 York Glaziers Trust employees Kieran Muir (left) and Emily Price (right) remove a stained glass window panel at the start of a new five year, 5m project to conserve York Minsters South East Transept and its medieval St Cuthbert Window PA UK news in pictures 24 May 2021 Dark rain clouds above an oast house at Bewl Water reservoir near Lamberhurst in Kent during one of the rainiest Mays on record, with the UK seeing 131 per cent of the usual months rainfall already PA UK news in pictures 23 May 2021 The Premier League trophy with the Manchester City club colour ribbons on, at Etihad Stadium, prior to the last Premier League match of the season. City will finally pick up the trophy after they won the league on 11 May Getty UK news in pictures 22 May 2021 Gary Kenny lifts the Buildbase FA Vase Trophy after Warrington Rylands won the FA Vase Final against Binfield at Wembley Stadium Getty UK news in pictures 21 May 2021 A family buffeted by the wind whilst crossing the the Millennium Bridge in London, with wind and rain forecast to ravage the UK on the first Friday that people have been allowed to meet in large groups outside in England PA UK news in pictures 20 May 2021 Devon And Cornwall Police Demonstrate Their Skills For Policing The G7 Summit Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 May 2021 An employee stands before a costume for the Queen of Hearts by Bob Crowley on display at the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London PA UK news in pictures 17 May 2021 Passengers prepare to board an easyJet flight to Faro, Portugal, at Gatwick Airport after the ban on international leisure travel for people in England was lifted following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 16 May 2021 Emergency workers at the scene of a suspected gas explosion, in which a young child was killed and two people were seriously injured, on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which caused 2 houses to collapse and badly damaged another PA UK news in pictures 15 May 2021 Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters let off smoke flares, wave flags and carry placards during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause as violence escalates in the ongoing conflict with Israel, in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 14 May 2021 Member of staffs tighten screws and paint a Marlin skeleton, before it goes on display at the Natural History Museum in London, as the museum prepares to reopen to the public on 17 May, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 13 May 2021 A worshipper at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Mordon, south London, ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The celebration marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. PA UK news in pictures 12 May 2021 A couple have wedding photos taken in Westminster, London Getty UK news in pictures 11 May 2021 The sun rises on Coquet Island, off Amble on the Northumberland coast, where as many as 35000 seabirds cram onto this tiny island to breed PA UK news in pictures 10 May 2021 Newly elected for a second term Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during his signing in ceremony at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Londons Southbank PA UK news in pictures 9 May 2021 People mill around St. Michael's tower on top of Glastonbury Tor as it is seen through blooming yellow rapeseed on a day of mixed weather in Glastonbury, Somerset PA UK news in pictures 8 May 2021 Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford elbow bumps newly elected MS Labour candidates Elizabeth Buffy Williams, Rhondda, left, and Sarah Murphy, Bridgend & Porthcawl Labour, right, as they meet in Porthcawl, Wales PA UK news in pictures 6 May 2021 A group of five Sisters from Carmelite Monastery in Dysart cast their vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election at Dysart Community Hall, West Port, Dysart PA UK news in pictures 5 May 2021 Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne (far right) and Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner (far left) during a visit to Birmingham, whilst on the election campaign trail PA UK news in pictures 4 May 2021 Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey stand within 100 oak saplings which form part of a living art installation entitled Beuys' Acorns by the UK-based artist duo, outside the Tate Modern in London PA UK news in pictures 3 May 2021 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie feeds the Gentoo penguins during a visit to Edinburgh Zoo on the campaign trail for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary Election on May 6 PA UK news in pictures 2 May 2021 Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal during the Womens Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, at Kingsmeadow Stadium in south west London. The Blues won the game 4-1, (and the tie 5-3 on aggregate) sending them through to their first Champions League final AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters UK news in pictures 19 April 2021 Women enjoy sunny weather in Greenwich, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, Reuters UK news in pictures 18 April 2021 Stephen Maguire (right) of Scotland interacts with Jamie Jones of Wales during day 2 of the Betfred World Snooker Championships 2021 at The Crucible, Sheffield PA UK news in pictures 17 April 2021 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghs coffin, covered with His Royal Highnesss Personal Standard arrives by Landrover Defender at St Georges Chapel carried by a bearer party found by the Royal Marines during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle Getty Images UK news in pictures 16 April 2021 Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, checks the teeth of "Dentosaurus" during a visit to the Thornliebank Dental Care centre in Glasgow, as she campaigns ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 April 2021 Myanmar's former ambassador to the UK, Kyaw Zwar Minn, outside his residence in north west London. The ambassador has been barred from entering the Myanmar embassy in Mayfair after he was removed from office PA UK news in pictures 14 April 2021 People take part in coronavirus surge testing on Clapham Common, south London. Thousands of residents have queued up to take coronavirus tests at additional facilities set up after new cases of the South African variant were found in two south London boroughs. 44 confirmed cases of the variant have been found in Lambeth and Wandsworth, with a further 30 probable cases identified PA UK news in pictures 13 April 2021 The core of the Milky Way becomes visible in the early hours of Tuesday morning as it moves over Bamburgh Lighthouse at stag Rock in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 12 April 2021 Rebecca Richardson (left) and Genevieve Florence, members of the Aquabatix synchronised swimming team, during a practice session in the swimming pool at Clissold Leisure Centre in north London, which has reopened to the public. Many facilities have reopened in the latest easing of lockdown include pubs and restaurants who can serve outside, non-essential shops, indoor gyms and swimming pools, nail salons and hairdressers, outdoor amusements and zoos PA UK news in pictures 11 April 2021 A pub staff pins up a sign announcing the reopening of the Fox on the Hill pub on Denmark Hill in London EPA UK news in pictures 10 April 2021 The Death Gun Salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company to mark the passing of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the The Tower of London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 9 April 2021 A man arrives to lay a bunch of flowers outside Buckingham Palace in central London after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. - Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, who recently spent more than a month in hospital and underwent a heart procedure, died on April 9, Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99. AFP via Getty Images Inspector Tim Ringer of Nottinghamshire Police, leading the recovery operation, said: This has been a difficult and complex operation involving dozens of people from multiple agencies. Underwater recoveries of this nature are always very challenging, but our divers work has been further complicated by the very fast flowing water at the site. It was simply not safe to attempt this work before today. Our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased who have asked for their privacy to be respected at what I know is an immensely difficult time. A file will now be prepared for the coroner. Press Association Donald Trump's team completely freaked out when Democrats and five Republicans including Lindsey Graham voted to call other witnesses in his impeachment trial Saturday, according to a report. Insiders close to the former president were said to be 'floored' 'stunned, stupefied [and in a] total panic' as the Senate voted 55-45 to allow witnesses to be called in Trump's trial for 'inciting the insurrection' on the Capitol that left five dead. The trial took a dramatic turn Saturday when House Manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland spoke on the need for hearing from at least one witness - Herrera Beutler, a Republican from Washington state. Rep. Kevin McCarthy had told her about his phone call with Trump while the violent MAGA mob was rampaging through the Capitol. Beutler said in a town hall this week and in an interview with CNN Friday that Trump told McCarthy: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are'. At the time, the mob was violently storming the Capitol and the House Minority Leader was begging Trump to call them off. Five GOP lawmakers crossed partisan lines to vote in favor of hearing from Bautler before the Senate voted on whether to acquit or convict the Republican ex-president in a move that . But in another twist, the calling of witnesses was short-lived as the Democrats struck a deal not to hear from witnesses in exchange for accepting testimony about the bombshell call as evidence from Beutler. This came after the day got off to a dramatic start when Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell revealed he would vote to acquit the former president, while sharing his procedural reasons. The Senate then voted 57-43 to acquit Trump with just seven Republicans voting to convict. Donald Trump's team completely freaked out when Democrats and five Republicans including Lindsey Graham voted to call other witnesses in his impeachment trial (pictured) Saturday, according to a report Insiders close to the former president were said to be 'floored' 'stunned, stupefied [and in a] total panic' as the Senate voted 55-45 to allow witnesses to be called in Trump's trial for 'inciting the insurrection' on the Capitol that left five dead. Trump attorney Bruce Castor (left) and House Manager Jamie Raskin (right) Trump's team flew into a panic in the brief period where the trial looked sure to call witnesses and extend on into next week, according to ABC News. The outlet said the news hit Trump hard because he and his legal team had not been prepared for the trial running on past Saturday. 'Donald Trump was preparing for this to be over today,' ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl told anchor George Stephanopoulos Saturday. Karl said Trump was planning to make a public appearance to 'declare victory' after being acquitted. 'He was expected to make a public appearance perhaps immediately after or in the next day or two to declare victory, to declare vindication for the second time saying that they went after me and I was acquitted,' he said. Sources told the outlet the calling of witnesses was 'entirely unanticipated' by the former president's legal team and that they were left 'stunned, stupefied and still trying to digest what the implications of this are.' While only Beutler was sure to be called, broadening the trial out to witnesses could have resulted in members of Trump's inner White House circle also being called. The move certainly seemed to rattle one of Trump's lawyers Michael van der Veen who threw a tantrum saying: 'If they want to have witnesses, I'm going to need at least 100 depositions.' The fears for Trump and his legal team were short-lived however as Democrats agreed to get the testimony on the call as evidence instead. Soon after, a roll call vote of the Senate was held and Trump was acquitted. A total of 57 senators voted to convict, with 43 senators voting to acquit. It wasn't enough to meet the two-thirds threshold set out in the Constitution. A total of seven Republicans voted to convict; two of them have announced they are retiring at the end of their terms. The group included Sen. Richard Burr, who is retiring and who previously chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee during the Russia probe, and who voted 'guilty.' It also included Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who had appeared to waver and who voted earlier that the proceeding was constitutional. 'Donald Trump was preparing for this to be over today,' ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl said Saturday JUST IN: "We are told by sources close to the president that they are stunned, stupefied and still trying to digest what the implications" are of the Senate's vote to call witness in the Trump impeachment trial, @jonkarl reports. https://t.co/m7e2y3rRz5 pic.twitter.com/jiQJ4viPS4 This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 13, 2021 Also voting 'guilty' were Republicans Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey, who is retiring. It was a bipartisan vote, but well short of the 67 votes that would have been needed to convict, a bar that many pro-impeachment lawmakers believed was out of reach even before the proceedings began. Majority Leader Sen. Charles Schumer called it the most bipartisan impeachment in American history. 'They stormed the Senate floor. They tried to hunt down the speaker of the House,' said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after the chamber had voted. 'They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the vice president. They did this because theyd been fed wild, falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth because he was angry he lost an election. Former President Trumps actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty,' said McConnell although he himself voted to acquit Trump of the charge, citing technical grounds. 'The mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners. Hanging his flags. And screaming their loyalty to him,' said McConnell. McConnell, who declined to call back the Senate into session following the House's January impeachment, also said Trump is not in the clear just yet. 'President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office,' McConnell said. 'As an ordinary citizen unless the statute of limitations has run, still liable for everything he did while he's in office. Didn't get away with anything yet. Yet,' Mcconnell said. He brought up the criminal justice system and civil litigation. 'Presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.' 'He is hereby acquitted of the charge in said article,' said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont after the votes were cast. Minutes after the Senate voted, Trump issued a statement attacking Democrats from his office at Mar-a-Lago. Karl said Trump (pictured) was planning to make a public appearance to 'declare victory' after being acquitted 'It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree,' he said. 'I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate,' said Trump. The testimony about the phone call was not enough to secure conviction. It provided a window into Trump's conduct while the Capitol riot was underway with Democratic managers using the statement to argue that Trump inflamed the riot rather than trying to stop it. But Raskin's request threatened to blow up the trial schedule, potentially dragging it out for weeks, especially after Trump's legal team threatened to call more than 300 witnesses. That evidently was an outcome neither side was willing to stomach, for different reasons. After a break, both Trump's lawyer and Raskin agreed to a 'stipulation' of the evidence, which Raskin then read into the trial record. Trump lawyer Bruce Castor said Trump through his lawyers was prepared to stipulate that Rep. Herrera Beutler, were she to testify under oath, it would be consistent with her Feb. 12th statement, which Raskin then read. The agreement then allowed the trial to move on past the witness phase - meaning none were called. It was a swift conclusion to the matter only hours after House managers moved to call Beutler for testimony about her stunning claims about what Trump said his supporters were ransacking the Capitol. With the evidence in the record and in hand and with neither side demanding more witnesses Raskin immediately pounced on the new information, saying Trump took actions that 'further incited the insurgents to be more inflamed and to take even more extreme selective and focused action against Vice President Mike Pence.' Raskin read Trump's quote from Herrera Beutler's notes to McCarthy aloud again. 'Think about that for a second. This uncontradicted statement that has just been stipulated as part of the evidentiary record. The president said, 'Well, I guess these people' - meaning the mobsters, the insurrectionists - 'are more upset about the election than you.' That conduct is obviously part of the constitutional offense that he was impeached for, namely incitement to insurrection, that is continuing incitement to the insurrection,' he said. He said it provided 'further decisive evidence of his intent to incite the insurrection in the first place.' Another manager, Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, repeated the quote in his own arguments afterward. He said Trump 'was essentially saying: You got what you deserve.' 'His sole focus was stealing the election for himself,' said Cicilline. The earlier vote on witnesses before a deal prevailed on a procedural vote with five Republicans voting to hear from the Republican lawmakers. Among them were four Republican senators who had voted that the trial itself was constitutional Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump loyalist who changed his vote to back the move. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland moved to be able to depose Republican Rep. Jaime Herera Beutler after she reiterated comments about what she says House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about his conversation with President Donald Trump Rep. Raskin put the witness question to a vote after Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler issued a statement about her conversation with Rep. Kevin McCarthy For hours Saturday move threw the trial's schedule into doubt, with some lawmakers having earlier predicted it would wrap up Saturday. For a time, it reframed what had appeared to be the culmination of the impeachment trial, with the schedule and lawmakers plans to go home thrown into chaos and Joe Biden's legislative agenda being caught up in the confusion. Trump advisor Jason Miller soon brandished a list of 301 witnesses 'so far' that the president's team threatened to call, and a list that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, said on the Senate floor Saturday he wanted to depose Beutler (R-Wash.) as well as her contemporaneous notes about what she knows. Raskin said the deposition could take place on Zoom and would take only an hour. His request drew an immediate explosive response from Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen. 'If they want to have witnesses, I'm going to need at least 100 depositions. Not just one,' he fumed threatening to drag out the trial that senators were forced to view in silence for nearly a week. Then he raised the stakes even further. The move to subpoena witnesses and documents got 5 Republican votes Michael van der Veen, attorney for former President Donald Trump, bristled at the Democratic request for witnesses. 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' he said House impeachment manager Delegate Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., center, walks through the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate on the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 in Washington Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voted for Raskin's witness motion, then got in a clash with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin 'Nancy Pelosi's deposition needs to be taken. Vice President Harris' deposition, absolutely, needs to be taken. None of these depositions should be done by zoom. We didn't' do this hearing by Zoom,' said Van der Veen. 'These depositions should be done in person in my office in Philadelphia. That's where they should be done!' 'That's where they should be done. I need to do the 911-style investigation that Nancy Pelosi called for,' he said. His Philadelphia comment brought audible laughter inside the chamber. 'I don't know why you're laughing,' said van der Veen, whose Philadelphia firm touts numerous awards he has won to victims of automobile accidents. He said that's how depositions are done in civil proceedings. 'I haven't laughed at any of you. And there's nothing laughable here,' he scolded senators. 'Now is the time to end this,' he argued. After a series of angry statements by the Trump lawyer, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, presiding, cautioned senators to refrain from statements 'non-conducive to civil discourse.' 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' Van der Veen fumed. Raskin responded to information that emerged Friday night about Beutler's claims. She said it reinforced 'the President's willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief of the United States, his state of mind and his further incitement of the insurrection on January 6.' 'For that reason, and because this is the proper time to do so under the resolution of that the Senate adopted to set the rules for the trial, we would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera regarding her communications with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. It's is a subpoena for contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection,' he said. He said the deposition would be an hour 'or less' just as soon as the lawmaker is available, and that managers would then proceed to the next phase of the trial, including the introduction of that testimony shortly thereafter. But he raised the possibility of more witnesses for the prosecution. 'Congresswoman Beutler further states that she hopes other witnesses to this part of the story, other patriots as she put it would come forward and if that happens, we would seek the opportunity to take their depositions via zoom also for less than an hour or two subpoena other relevant documents as well,' said Raskin. But not all senators were entirely sure what they were voting about, with Sen. Todd Young of Alaska asking in mid vote what was the substance. After the drama on the floor, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson complained about the sudden turn after being spotted having an angry clash with Sen. Mitt Romney inside the chamber. 'It's not healing it's not, it's not unifying it's just like opening up a wound and just rubbing salt in it and I thought we were going come to a conclusion here today and it was rip the wound back open, let's let's rub more salt in it,' he complained. He also claimed the public hearing he organized as chairman on claims of election irregularities being pushed by President Trump was done to 'defuse' the situation. As senators worked to reassemble a way forward, Graham tweeted that it was better to go to a final vote but 'if the body wants witnesses, I am going to insist we have multiple witnesses.' He said it was best to start with Pelosi to see 'as to whether or not there was credible evidence of pre-planned violence before President Trump spoke?' He said it was 'incredibly relevant' to the incitement charge. Sparks flew several more times throughout closing arguments after both sides agreed to move on without witnesses. Cicilline said two things during his turn that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote 'Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,'' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. Van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, 'I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,'' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. Leahy told him that 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying the proceeding. First thing Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republicans that he planned to vote to acquit Trump on charges incitement of insurrection a signal that the House-led effort to convict the former president would fail. 'While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction,' McConnell said in the letter. Although he had denounced Trump's actions in an emotional Senate floor speech immediately after the Jan. 6 MAGA riot in the Capitol, McConnell also did not act to hasten the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office. He voted along with 44 other Republicans that the post-presidency impeachment was unconstitutional a position that did not prevail. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives at the US Capitol for the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump, on February 13, 2021, in Washington, DC. He told colleagues he will vote to acquit Trump The drama unfolded after it was revealed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told colleagues he plans to vote to acquit Trump House Democratic managers brought up numerous Trump administration officials who quit following the riot among them McConnell's wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. McConnell's decision makes it likely that only a handful of Republicans cross over to join Democrats voting to convict. With two-thirds of the Senate required, this raises the likelihood that Trump would be impeached and acquitted twice. There was a last minute wrinkle Friday night, however. CNN reported Friday that Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted for Trump's impeachment and who spoke on the record about what McCarthy told her, pleaded with 'patriots' to go public with their own accounts. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' she said. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' Jaime Herrera Beutler said. F-word call: Kevin McCarthy pleaded with Donald Trump to call off his mob on January 6, and when Trump said 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' responded: 'Who the f**k do you think you're speaking to?' 'When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol,' Herrera Beutler recounted. 'McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Other sources told CNN that McCarthy replied to Trump: 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' and that McCarthy had phoned Trump because the MAGA mob were smashing the windows in his office. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called for the suspension of the trial in order to depose GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville and McCarthy about their conversations with the former president during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the trial, issued the call in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal. 'Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting,' Whitehouse wrote, referring to reports that McCarthy lambasted Trump in an expletive-laden diatribe telling him to call off his mob of loyalists, and following Tuberville's admission that he told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. It was grand for one summer. We got to see a bit of the country, our own country, and give back to the economy in the process. Those holidays to Kerry, Donegal, Wexford, and Galway made us feel incredibly wholesome; not only were we abiding by the rules, we were also helping out the hotels, the restaurants, the publicans and the little shops in those cute villages we passed along the way. Wholesome, honest to goodness fun, just like the old days. Sweet reminiscence and nostalgia, our cosmopolitan children cavorting on the beaches we frequented in our own youth. And how happy everyone was to see us. We were welcomed like old friends, reminded you just can't get service like it anywhere in the world. Best of all, it only took a couple of hours to get home, no waiting around for flights, traipsing through departure lounges, your head splitting with a hangover. Do it again? For another summer? Sure we've done all the good places, where else is there to go? The Midlands? Please. As lovely as she is there's only so much of Ireland you can see, only so much you can do within its dark, cloudy confines. For a real holiday experience, a real break, you need to go off foreign; sunshine and cheap beer, mystery and intrigue, the unknown and the unknowable. Well, that won't be happening this year lads, not on NPHET's watch anyway. Despite the vaccine, despite a light appearing at the end of this darkest of tunnels, we won't be tanning our flabby Covid-torsos on the beaches of the Mediterranean come the summer months. No, it's destination Offaly, Longford and Leitrim I'm afraid, another opportunity to feel good about ourselves when really we'd prefer to be full of self-loathing in Dubai or someplace. Because we would feel guilty, wouldn't we? Some of us even feel guilty if we go outside our 5km radiation zone. We're the good people, the ones preventing this virus from spiralling out of the control. We'll stay in this country for as long as it takes, visit each of every one of its counties if that's what it takes - except Westmeath, we have our limits. But the more we see the bold people defying the rules, heading off on their intercontinental jaunts with nary a hint of guilt in their condemned souls, the more we think 'well if they can do it, why can't we?' Facilitating the bold people, doing their best to recoup the billions of Euro they've lost in the past year, are the airlines. They too, like the publicans, hoteliers and non-essential retailers, have seen the guts torn out of their businesses. Whereas the others have either been completely shut down or effectively so, the airlines have remained open, albeit with significantly reduced flights. And whereas the publicans have, for the most part, patiently waited for the signal to reopen, reminded their customers that no means no, some airlines haven't been so well-behaved. One in particular, in an attempt to boost bookings for the forthcoming summer, ran an advertising campaign with the slogan 'Vax and Go', intimating that once we'd all received that valuable vaccination we could immediately hop aboard a plane and tell the pilot to drop us in the nearest swimming pool. If only it were that simple. Even when you've received your vaccine, both doses, you remain vulnerable to Covid-19 for days, if not weeks. Worse, much worse, than any factual inaccuracies, is this encouragement of foreign travel at a time when that should be the furthest thing from our minds. Yes, we'd all love to be booking our flights abroad, maybe to Washington to see Uncle Joe, but when it comes to our list of priorities that's way, way down the list. A lot of people just want to see their families again, others are anxiously waiting to see if they still have jobs to go back to, yet more are hoping to get outside, to taste the fresh air, for the first time in months. Dangling the carrot of foreign travel in people's faces right now is not just 'inappropriate' - as the Advertising Standards Authority For Ireland (ASAI) described it - it's immoral. There's already enough in the way of temptation out there without putting ideas into our tired, sun-deprived heads. Burma Myanmar Military Bans Use of Regime, Junta by Media Journalists in Mandalay join an anti-military regime protest on Saturday. / The Irrawaddy YANGONNearly two weeks after seizing power, Myanmars military regime has started to put pressure on the countrys media, dictating that journalists not call it a regime. The move was the juntas first interference in the Southeast Asian countrys private and independent media, which has been regarded as relatively freer and more vibrant than those in neighboring countries. The military staged a coup on Feb. 1, claiming that the general election in November was stolen. Since then they have arrested the countrys democratically elected leaders, President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Following the coup, hundreds of thousands of people, including civil servants, across the country have taken to the streets to oppose the takeover and called for the release of their leaders. On Saturday, the military-run Ministry of Information (MOI)s directives to the countrys Press Council, a media adjudication body which investigates and settles press disputes, went viral online. They urge the media to report ethically and avoid instigating public unrest. The ministry stated that some newspapers, weeklies and online media wrongly use regime for the juntas governing body, the State Administrative Council (SAC), which was constitutionally formed by the military. So, journalists and media are informed not to use regime or Junta for the SAC, which is acting according to the State of Emergency provisions; and not to instigate public unrest while following media ethics on reporting, it says. U Myint Kyaw, secretary of the council, confirmed to The Irrawaddy that the MOI statement that went viral online was authentic, adding that the council members will have a meeting about the directives tomorrow. When asked about the order not to use regime, the secretary said It is their right to freedom of expression for news outlets when it comes to the choice of word to describe the military government. He said the order may be the first step in increased restrictions against the media. I am very much concerned, as its likely that many restrictions are in the pipeline. It is worrisome to what extent there will be space for independent media in the country, he said. As of Saturday afternoon, The Irrawaddy had yet to receive the directives. You may also like these stories: Family of Protester Shot by Myanmar Police Agree to Remove Life Support Doctors in Civil Disobedience Movement Put Pressure on Myanmar Military Regime Myanmars Military Arrests Doctors for Joining and Supporting Civil Disobedience Movement The dating app Tinder is shown on an Apple iPhone in this photo illustration taken February 10, 2016. Just in time for Valentine's Day, a survey shows that more Americans are looking for love through online dating, with more than four times as many young adults using mobile apps than in 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake/Illustration - GF10000303978 Dating apps offer a snapshot about a person's life, but in the space of a few weeks, a surprising health issue has emerged as a dealmaker or heartbreaker: have you had the coronavirus vaccine? Some are bragging they have gotten the shot in order to better their chances, while others are using it to justify what one singleton described as "the most 2021 rejection ever." But can you trust every lonely heart who claims they've been inoculated against Covid-19? Samantha Yammine, a scientist who often talks on Twitter about health issues, says she's received messages about "dudes on dating apps claiming they're 'totally safe for close contact' because they have received the vaccine. Of course, most young people using dating apps are not in vaccination priority groups at the front of the line, so some see having gotten the shot as a sort of golden ticket for hooking up. "Basically, getting the vaccine is the hottest thing you could be doing on a dating app right now," said Michael Kaye, global communications manager for OkCupid. When asked on Monday, 43 percent of some 1,500 members of another site, Coffee Meets Bagel, said they were right now more attracted to someone who had been vaccinated. Journalist Sarah Kelly, who has not been able to get the shot, said she really got "the most 2021 rejection ever." A man on a dating site wrote her: "Ur real cool however I found someone who is also Vaccinated!! So I think we both wanna minimize our bubble n stay safer in these trying times!!!" - Idea for new dating app? - Dozens of people on social media have even suggested -- some jokingly, others in the spirit of pandemic entrepreneurship -- that a new dating app be created for the vaccinated. Those who haven't been jabbed with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna elixirs need not log in. Kimberly Te, who hasn't been inoculated yet, was contacted by one guy who emphasized he had received his first dose. But for Te, that status is not really all that important. "I didn't care because it seemed like he had only gotten the first dose so I did not consider him safe from Covid-19," she told AFP. "I wouldn't really care if someone on an online app said they were vaccinated because for the most part, I don't know these people, so I have no reason to trust them during this pandemic." Cristina Vanko -- who participated in Moderna's clinical trials -- says she has seen more and more people on dating sites posting about being vaccinated, but she too is not exactly swayed by it. "There's still little research regarding transmission amongst vaccinated individuals," she said. "For me, there's no difference between vaccinated or not because I'm vaccinated," she noted. "It's more of an 'are we both aware of the risks and do we hold the same values about safety?' question." - 'Wake-up call' - For university student Brittany Biggerstaff, people who say they are vaccinated are not more attractive because of the shot -- but it does mean they have put their faith in science. "It gives insight on a potential partner's political views and knowledge about science and medicine," she said. Dawoon Kang, the co-founder of Coffee Meets Bagel, agrees. "It kind of signals that this is somebody who actually is being careful with Covid-19, which probably gives people a little bit more peace of mind," Kang told AFP. In a deeply divided United States, where there is a vocal contingent of anti-vaxxers, even love is a battlefield. On the online discussion platform Reddit, one user, echoed by many others, mocked "all these women being guinea pigs for big pharma." Another vaccine skeptic chimed in: "I'm using people's stances on vaccines and masks to determine if I even wanna associate with these mindless fools following everything they're told." Vaccination or not, after nearly a year of living in some degree of social isolation because of coronavirus restrictions, some people in the dating pool are eager to get out there. As Valentine's Day approaches on Sunday, that urge is even more palpable. "People are more active this Valentine's Day than ever before," said OkCupid's Kaye. "After a really challenging year, people are tired of being alone and want someone by their side, even virtually, during these challenging times." Kaye noted that women "especially are more active than ever! They're sending 'Likes' at a significantly higher rate than men." Since the pandemic took hold in the United States, dating sites have been forced to innovate, offering more video chat options, which had not been a major feature, and more virtual happy hour mixers. Chat and email exchanges have become even more prevalent before couples actually meet up. Random hook-ups are on the wane. "We have a lot of people telling us, 'I'm reflecting a lot more about what kind of partner... that I actually want to meet, I'm being more honest and open with my matches about what I really want'," said Kang. For Kang, whose site Coffee Meets Bagel encourages the forging of "authentic connections," the pandemic has been a "wake-up call" for many. Among the platform's users, more than 90 percent say they want to meet a long-term partner, she says, noting: "That's the highest we've ever had." Bay of Plenty Ever thought of joining the civil construction industry? if so then this is your chance to get a foot in the door. We are... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz In this photo shot October 1987 in Jackson County, Ohio. Farmer William Donta holds a gun, he had a KKK rally, and a cross burning on his private property in Jackson County, Ohio From a podium draped in the flag of the southern armies which had fought to save American slavery, newly-elected Alabama Governor George Wallace declared war on the course of history. The changing world of which we are told, he raged, each inflection and pause carefully marked by his speechwriter, it is called new and liberal. In fact, he went on, this new world was degenerate and decadent. The international racism of the liberals seeks to persecute the international white minority to the whim of the international coloured majority. Not in Alabama, Wallace asserted in his infamous 1961 speech: segregation now, he thundered, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever. The streets were packed with Wallace supporters, many wearing white flowers, the symbol of segregation. It was open to the public, anyone in the public, the African-American civil rights activist James Poe Jr. later recalled. But we were not the public. For many in the United States, the fall of President Donald Trump holds out hope that the conflicts of race which opened up through his time in office may be healed. Even as the former Presidents impeachment grind on, though, elements of the White Nationalist movement have begun to regroup. The loose alliance calling itself the Patriots Party hopes to displace the traditional Republican Party structureand ride back to power in 2024. There is no way to predict if this effort will succeed. It is, however, reason to fear that what has been hailed to be a new dawn might just turn out to be part of a long, grim sunset. Led by groups like the Proud Boys, which was declared a terrorist organisation by Canada this week, the emerging White Nationalist coalition is made up of a welter of organisations committed to racism and antisemitism. Ever since the violence-scarred Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, groups like The Base, National Socialist Order and the Feuerkrieg Division have engaged in street violence, battling Left-wing and anti-racist demonstrators on the streets. In some cases, these far-Right formations have even plotted the assassinations of high officials. Far-right terrorism has significantly outpaced terrorism from other types of perpetrators, including from far-left networks and individuals inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies noted last year. Right-wing attacks and plots account for the majority of all terrorist incidents in the United States since 1994, and the total number of right-wing attacks and plots has grown significantly during the past six years. In 2020, the United States Department of Homeland Security warned it was particularly concerned about white supremacist violent extremists who have been exceptionally lethal in their abhorrent, targeted attacks in recent years. For students of Americas political history, this White Nationalist tide will be no surprise. Fascism, the scholar William Bernard noted in 1938 paper, amidst the rise of Nazi Germany, is not a European monopoly. Like European Fascism, Bernard suggested, its American variation had repeatedly reemerged at times of social crisis, blaming the Jew, the alien, the Negro, the Oriental, the foreign radical. Lurking in the background, he concluded, it is a real and present threat. Bernard pointed to five organic Fascism-coloured risings in the century before he wrote: the Anti-Immigration League from 1834; the Know Nothing Movement of 1849, which sought race-qualification for citizenship; the American Protective Association of 1887; the Ku Klux Klan; the white working class-focussed Share The Wealth movement led by Huey Long, a kind of Trump figure of the Left. Charles Lindbergh, the millionaire aviator who authored the America First slogan around which Trump founded his order, also drew on these White Nationalist tendencies. In a 1939 essay arguing for the United States to stay out of the Second World War, Lindbergh wrote: We, the heirs of European culture, are on the verge of a disastrous war, a war within our own family of nations, a war which will reduce the strength and which will destroy the treasures of the White Race. He called on Americans to guard ourselves against attack by foreign armies, and dilution by foreign races. White Nationalist ideology seeks not just racial domination, but to overthrow the American Constitutional system with a theocratic order. Government has become our God, Wallace lamented in his 1961 speech , almost perfectly mirroring those of the Islamist movements ideological patriarch, Syed Ibrahim Qutb . It is, therefore, a basically ungodly government and its appeal to the pseudo-intellectual and the political is to change their status from servant of the people to master of the people, to play at being God. From polling data, this much is clear: the United States is divided as never before. The United States political landscape now contains the foundations of four political parties: some 17 percent of voters each say the support the Trump-led Republicans, the Republican Party establishment, President Joe Bidens Democratic Party, and the Left-wing of the Democratic Party. A third of registered voters didnt support any of these blocs, which could conceivably mean theres room for a fifth political entity. These divisions suggest the existence of deep social fractures, which could take decadesif not generationsto heal. The United States, though, has a first-past-the-post electoral system, which - unlike Europes proportional representation structure - provides strong incentives for these blocs to tactically coalesce. Given the way our elections work, analyst Geoffrey Skelley has observed, this means it would be self-defeating for the parties to not unite under a relatively big tent. After all, a failure to bring together like-minded groups could just hand victory to the other side. In 1912, ideological divisions split the Republicans between then-President William Taft and Progressive Party nomineelater to the PresidentTheodore Roosevelt. Even though Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson won just 42 percent of the electoral vote, he swept all but eight states. Trumps election campaign has, perhaps unsurprisingly, been at pains to distance itself from the Patriot Party: cold political logic makes clear theres no payoff in splitting the Republican party. The forces unleashed during his four years in office, though, wont be easily contained. Is this, then, the road to a future civil war? The string of killings and assassination attempts White Nationalist terrorists in the last several months show the threat is real. The violence seen in 2020-2021 isnt historically exceptional; indeed, the United States saw higher levels of terrorist activity in the 1960s and 1970s. The countrys institutions, though, proved capable of both containing the violence, and addressing the social conditions which fed it. Now, though, America could well struggle to replicate that success. The gargantuan economic dislocation caused by COVID-19a dislocation which comes on the back of high indebtedness and shrinking economic opportunity for youthcoincides with a demographic transition which will see White Americans become merely the largest minority. These transitions have placed huge strains American societys rift lines: class, culture, religion, ethnic ethnicity, and race. Irrespective of whether Trump stands in 2024, Trumpianism has established itself as a force in American politics. A long, complex struggle lies ahead, which will have profound consequences both for Americas society, and its place in the world. Posted Saturday, February 13, 2021 9:50 am WASHINGTON The Senate voted Saturday to depose witnesses in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, an unexpected development following reports that the former president brushed off pleas from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy amid the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to convince his supporters to stop the insurrection. The lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., asked the Senate to hear from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., who has said she heard McCarthy recount his dramatic conversation with Trump. Beutler has reported that, according to McCarthy, the president told the minority leader the rioters are more upset about the election than you are. The Senate vote was 55-45, with support from all Democrats and both independents, as well as Republicans Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also voted yes, switching his vote at the last minute. Trump attorney Michael van der Veen objected to the request, saying that if Democrats get a witness, he would need to depose at least over 100 witnesses. Not just one. Democrats said the witness can be deposed by Zoom, but van der Veen objected, saying it should be done in his office in Philadelphia, prompting laughter from the chamber. It is unknown how many witnesses will be allowed. Republicans threatened that if Democrats allowed a witness, they would demand many. As the vote occurred, senators were confused on whether they voted to allow one witness or an unlimited number. The trial had been expected to wrap up on Saturday. While Trumps acquittal is all but certain, he could face rebukes from several members of his own party, exposing the fissures he formed within the GOP during his presidency. One year ago, Romney became the first senator to ever vote to convict a president of the same party. This year, at least six Republican senators could join with Democrats to convict Trump, having broken with their party earlier this week to vote that the trial is constitutional. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told his colleagues Saturday morning that he will vote to acquit, according to a source familiar with his announcement. Another remaining question is when Trump knew Vice President Mike Pence was in danger in the Capitol. Trumps legal team said Friday that the president did not know he was at risk when the former president sent a tweet claiming Pence lacked the courage to block the counting of electoral votes about an hour into the riot. That is in contradiction to Sen. Tommy Tubervilles claim that he told Trump in a phone call on Jan. 6 that Pence had just been evacuated from the chamber, a sign his security detail sensed danger. Pence was evacuated just before 2:15 p.m. Trump sent his tweet at 2:24 p.m. Tuberville, R-Ala., said he had been on the Senate floor when he was handed another senators cellphone. It was the president. He said a few things. I said, Mr President, theyve taken the vice president out. They want me to get off the phone, I gotta go, Tuberville told reporters Friday. So, probably the only guy in the world who hung up on the President of the United States. Despite the lingering questions, both Democrats and Republicans had appeared eager to move on. Democrats are eager to resume work on President Joe Bidens COVID-19 stimulus bill and approving administration appointments. And Republicans, even those who have defended Trump, are looking to put the ugly and deadly insurrection behind them. It is unknown how many Republicans will support conviction. GOP leaders say theyre not keeping tabs on how their colleagues will vote. The six Republican senators who voted this week that the trial is constitutional and considered the likeliest to support conviction are Romney, Collins, Murkowski, Sasse, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Ive got three legal pads of notes, Cassidy said Friday evening ahead of his own deliberations on how he would vote. A photo circulated Friday of Cassidy holding a written argument explaining a vote for acquittal but the senator said he had a similarly prepared release for conviction, underscoring that he was undecided. If there are other surprises, it would likely come from one of the senators who is retiring, such as Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. Had McConnell voted to convict, it would have likely made his path to trying to retake the majority in 2022 much more difficult, given that it would likely require support from or at least not opposition from Trump. 2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Kourtney Kardashian stepped out without her new boyfriend Travis Barker to go furniture shopping with her friends Fai Khadra and Luka Sabbat. After the 41-year-old reality star browsed through contemporary furniture at Poliform, she stopped for a drink at Cha Cha Matcha in Los Angeles. For her outing, she could be seen rocking a black tank top and matching high-waisted trousers as she exited the green tea chain on Thursday. Running errands: Kourtney Kardashian stepped out without her new boyfriend Travis Barker to go furniture shopping with her friends Fai Khadra and Luka Sabbat She completed her casual ensemble with a few silver necklaces, white sneakers and a face mask amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Poosh founder wore her waist-length tresses in loose curls and kept her oversized sunglasses fastened to the front of her shirt. Sabbat, 23, best known for his role on Grown-ish, donned a red and blue jacket, light-wash jeans and tinted aviator sunglasses. Keeping it casual: After the 41-year-old reality star browsed through contemporary furniture at Poliform, she stopped for a drink at Cha Cha Matcha in Los Angeles Trendy: Sabbat, 23, best known for his role on Grown-ish, wore a red and blue jacket, light-wash jeans and tinted aviator sunglasses Meanwhile, Khadra wore a vintage band t-shirt from when rapper Tricky toured Lollapalooza in 1997. Like Kardashian, he was vigilant about keeping his nose and mouth covered under his light blue surgical mask. Earlier this week, the mother-of-three was seen enjoying some quality time with her new man, 45, on an alfresco dinner date. Busy: The Poosh founder styled her waist-length tresses were worn in loose curls and kept her shades hooked on the front of her shirt Taking advantage of the return of outdoor dining to Los Angeles County, they settled down for a meal at the Beverly Hills establishment Matsuhisa. Their eatery of choice is named after chef Nobu Mastsuhisa - whose restaurant Nobu Malibu is famous for being a Kardashian hotspot. Kourtney shares three children - Mason, 11, Penelope, eight, and Reign, six - with her sizzling on-off ex Scott Disick whom she last broke up with in 2015. Heating up: Earlier this week, the mother-of-three was seen enjoying some quality time with her new man, 45, on an alfresco dinner date; pictured 2020 About a week ago an Us Weekly source dished: 'Scott is aware of them being together and is OK with it since she and Scott havent been dating for a while.' The 37-year-old heartthrob allegedly 'isnt jealous over their romance because he believes he still has the upper hand being the kids father.' Kourtney and Scott had a tempestuous relationship since the they were first introduced in 2006 at the Mexican home of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis. The way they were: Scott Disick is not experiencing any envy over Kourtney Kardashian's rumored relationship with Travis Barker; Kourtney and Scott are pictured in 2013 In the aftermath of their breakup Kourtney spent a while romancing Algerian model Younes Bendjima, who is 14 years younger than she is. She was briefly linked to model Sabbat, who is friends with Kendall - but he told The Cut in February 2019: 'We're definitely not dating.' Meanwhile Scott is dating Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin's daughter Amelia, a 19-year-old professional model signed with Women 360 Management. Buddies: In a new trailer for the final season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kendall Jenner said that Kourtney and Scott are 'definitely made for each other' In a trailer for the last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney's half-sister Kendall Jenner said Kourtney and Scott are 'definitely made for each other.' Kendall's remark was accompanied by a shot of Kourtney and Scott sleeping on a sofa right near to one another. The show is ending this year after its upcoming 20th season and then the Kardashian-Jenner women will move onto an undisclosed new project at Hulu. New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Saturday took strong exception to the stationing of three armed security personnel at her home in the national capital, wondering whether she was under "some sort of surveillance" and asked Delhi Police chief to withdraw them. In the letter to Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava, she said the station house officer (SHO) of Barakhamba Road police station had come to meet her at her residence on February 12 and shortly "thereafter, around three Border Security Force personnel armed with assault rifles had been deputed outside her house." "The conduct of these armed officers indicate that they are making notes of movements to and from my residence, it appears to me that I am under some sort of surveillance. "I wish to remind you that Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right guaranteed to me, as a citizen of this country, under the Constitution of India, 1950" she stated. She said, "Upon making inquiries, I was informed that the armed officers had been deputed from Police Station Barakhamba Road for my protection. "However, I being an ordinary citizen of this country, did neither ask nor want any such protection. Therefore, you are requested to kindly withdraw these officers," she said in her letter. Live TV New Delhi: Actors Randeep Hooda and Urvashi Rautela on Saturday (February 13) met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence in Lucknow. The stars are currently shooting the web series 'Inspector Avinash', based on a true story set in the state. During the meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured his support to the visiting celebrities for a hassle-free shoot in Uttar Pradesh. Randeep discussed the endangered Gangetic dolphins with the chief minister, who shared that the issue remains a top priority for him. Urvashi mentioned she was excited to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sharing that she hails from the same place as him. The proposed film city project in Greater Noida was also discussed during the hour-long interaction that was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal, too, along with the web series director Neerraj Pathak and producer Rahul Mittra. 'Inspector Avinash' marks Randeep's debut in the OTT space, and casts him as real-life police officer Avinash Mishra. Randeep's police avatar will see him in action in a dramatic retelling of the life of the famed cop, as he busts several high-profile cases of crime in the state. Urvashi will be seen as Avinash Mishra's wife Poonam. 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Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 NORTHWOOD, Iowa A plea deal results in a jail sentence for a Lake Mills man. Jason Charles Jensen, 51, was arrested on December 12, 2019, after the Worth County Sheriffs Office said he sped away from an attempted traffic stop for an expired registration. Deputies say Jensen had to be forcibly removed from his vehicle after he was caught. Jensen was charged with eluding and driving while barred and pleaded guilty to the latter offense. Hes been given seven days in jail, with credit for time served. A new report has shown that additional 564 million condoms are needed annually if Nigeria is to cover 90 per cent of its adult population. The report, based on a survey, is titled Condom accessibility and use in Nigeria and produced by NOIpolls, in partnership with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and AIDS HealthCare Foundation (AHF). The report was released to mark the International Condom Day (ICD), which is observed annually on February 13 through Valentines Day, February 14, to promote safer sex awareness, by encouraging people to use condoms. In a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, the Program Manager of AHF, Taofeek Adeleye, said a total of 1.15 billion condoms will help the country to achieve 90 per cent coverage. He, however, said only 587million condoms are currently available for use in the country. The gap between current condom use (587million) and total need (1.15 billion) to achieve ninety per cent coverage is 564 million condoms annually, he said. The condom gap shows disparity across the target populations. FSW has the lowest (10 per cent) unmet needs with improvement among MSM (57 per cent) and individuals with multiple partners (55 per cent) Sero-discordant couples record the widest gap of 90 per cent. Mr Adeleye also explained that male condoms are readily available than female condoms. We also have some females that are not even aware of female condoms. As an organisation, we are looking at issues around male and female condoms, and we are also intensifying on condom education promotion, he said. Using condoms Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) Gambo Aliyu, said condoms play a vital role in the countrys HIV response strategy if used correctly and consistently. He noted that the agency is keen on promoting faithfulness to one partner. He said that if people are faithful to their partners, the use of condoms to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) will be unnecessary. Todays event, since its first commemoration in 2009 has been part of the various innovative ways of promoting the use of condoms and reminding sexually active people that correct use of condoms can prevent sexually transmitted infections like HIV as well as unwanted pregnancy, he said. He urged Nigerians to avoid unprotected sex which often leads to unwanted pregnancies and increased risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. He noted that the goal of NACA remains to scale up community efforts to provide national access to prevention, treatment, care and support services. COVID-19 pandemic The group said the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many aspects of our lives, and access to condoms was unfortunately not spared from the effects of the pandemic. It said obstacles created by the pandemic have further reinforced the necessity and importance of advocacy to prioritize access to condoms. Lockdowns and restrictions due to COVID-19 have been an ongoing threat to condom access, particularly in countries where stockouts and other barriers already made it difficult for people to get condoms, said AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy Terri Ford. ADVERTISEMENT The group reiterated its commitment to ensuring people everywhere have access to free or affordable condoms. We have always placed condom access high on our priority list, said AHF President Michael Weinstein. Across our programme states of: Abuja, Kogi, Anambra, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Benue and Cross River state, AHF-Nigeria shall be providing free HIV testing and promote healthy lifestyles with the years theme of the ICD, Always in Fashion, while we distribute free condoms to Nigerians, Echey Ijezie, AHF-Nigeria Country Programme Director said. The group appealed to governments and public health institutions to ensure that people have the tools to protect themselves and their loved ones. A mysterious paw print found on a dirt track in the Australian bush has sparked a debate online about whether black panthers roam the area. A man discovered two human hand-sized paw prints on a muddy trail in Victoria on Saturday morning. The Victorian resident shared images of his unexpected discovery to the 'Black Panther Sightings Group' on Facebook. A man discovered two large paw prints on a muddy trail in Victoria on Saturday morning (pictured) He said he 'couldn't explain' the paw prints, which were the size of his outstretched hands. 'I was always a bit skeptical but there have been quite a few sightings and reports of livestock kills in this area,' he wrote. The images sparked a debate in the comments, with many saying that the paw prints belonged to a large dog. 'That's a big old dog. Cats retract their claws so cats wont leave claw marks,' one said. 'That's definitely a dog print', another agreed. A man found two human hand-sized paw prints on a trail in Victoria (pictured), while some believe they could belong to a blank panther A black feline spotted in rural Queensland in 2014 (pictured) as many claim black panthers roam Australia But others said the alleged 'claw marks' were simply twigs and excess dirt. 'That looks like debris in the soil, or indentations caused by debris rather than claw marks', one woman refuted. One man claimed to have interacted with one of the elusive Australian panthers. 'Its hard not to believe when you have been one out with one of these beasts. Their grace and power is unbelievable.' There have long been rumours that black panthers roam around Australia, but none have been caught. There have been many alleged sightings of black panthers around Australia (pictured) Panther sightings on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula go back 35 years, with a 2018 photo the most recent to be debunked. In August last year, a Queensland woman claimed a big cat attacked her dog for the second time near her home in Jensen, 20 minutes west of Townsville. The North Queenslander said it was the third time she had seen a black panther, the first being ten years ago when she claimed to see one carrying a baby panther in its mouth. An investigation by the NSW government in 2003 said 'there is no conclusive evidence that large cats exist in the wild in NSW,' and the cats were likely part of a feral colony. A Victorian government report concluded it was 'highly unlikely' that big cats existed in that state in the wild. Believers say the big cats escaped zoos in the 1800s or were brought to Australia by World War II American soldiers in the 1940s as mascots. The Ministry of Railways today denied the reports doing rounds in a certain section of media about the resumption of normal train service from April in view of declining covid-19 cases in the country. The Railway Ministry clarified in a statement,"Clarification is constantly being given to the media about it for last few days. It is being reiterated again that no such date has been fixed for resumption of all passenger trains operations." "Railways has been increasing the number of train services in a graded manner," it further said. At present more than 65% trains are running. More than 250 plus trains were added in January alone and more trains will be added gradually. The ministry said all factors need to be taken care off and inputs of all stake holders are to be factored. All are requested to avoid speculation. Media and public will be duly informed as and when such a decision is taken. Meanwhile,the railways' revenue in 2020 declined by 36,993 crore as compared to the previous year due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal informed Parliament on Wednesday. In written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the minister said this decline in revenue was due to the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic, consequential lockdown and partial operation of passenger services. "Total traffic revenue of railways in the current year to end of December 2020 has declined by 36,993.82 crore compared to corresponding period of last year. Out of this, 32,768.97 crore is on account of decline in passenger revenues during this period," he said. The minister also provided a list of losses incurred by zonal railways. "In view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Indian Railways has not been encouraging movement of passengers to effectively manage the pandemic and contain its spread. Keeping in view the concerns and suggestions of state governments to efficiently manage COVID-19 pandemic, special trains are operated," he said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. France and five allies meet next week to discuss the Sahel's jihadist insurgency, with Paris looking for support enabling it to cut French troop numbers in the strife-torn region. Leaders of the so-called G5 Sahel -- Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger -- gather in the Chadian capital N'Djamena on Monday, with French President Emmanuel Macron attending via videolink. The two-day summit comes a year after France boosted its Sahel deployment, seeking to wrench back momentum in the brutal, long-running battle. But despite touted military successes, jihadists remain in control of vast swathes of territory and attacks are unrelenting. Six UN peacekeepers have been killed in Mali this year alone, and France has lost five soldiers since December. Islamist fighters in the Sahel first emerged in northern Mali in 2012, during a rebellion by ethnic Touareg separatists which was later overtaken by the jihadists. France intervened to rout the insurgents, but the jihadists scattered, taking their campaign into the ethnic powder keg of central Mali and then into Burkina Faso and Niger. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed, according to the UN, while more than two million people have fled their homes. The crushing toll has fuelled perceptions that the jihadists cannot be defeated by military means alone. Jean-Herve Jezequel, Sahel director for the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, told AFP that conventional military engagement had failed to deliver a knockout blow. The jihadists "are capable of turning their backs, bypassing the system, and continuing," he said. On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for a "diplomatic, political and development surge" to respond to the situation. Troop drawdown? Last year, France upped its Barkhane mission in the Sahel from 4,500 troops to 5,100 -- a move that precipitated a string of apparent military successes. French forces killed the leader of the notorious Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abdelmalek Droukdel, as well as a military chief of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM). But the latest attacks have also brought the number of French combat deaths in Mali to 50, prompting soul-searching at home about Barkhane's cost and usefulness. Macron last month opened the door to a drawdown, suggesting France may "adjust" its military commitment. Despite persistent rumours, France is not expected to announce any troop withdrawal at N'Djamena. Instead, to lighten the load, France is hoping for more military support from its European partners through the Takuba Task Force which assists Mali in its fight against jihadists. The Sahel armies, for their part, are unable to pick up the slack. In 2017, the five countries initiated a planned 5,000-man pooled force, but it remains hobbled by lack of funds, poor equipment and inadequate training. A vivid example: Soldiers in Burkina Faso now seldom leave their bases. Chad, which reputedly has the best armed forces among the five, promised a year ago to send a battalion to the "three border" flashpoint where the frontiers of Mali, Niger and Burkina converge. The deployment has still not happened. 'Irrelevant' talks Paris also hopes last year's successes can strengthen political reform in the Sahel states, where weak governance has fuelled frustration and instability. In Mali, the epicentre of the Sahel crisis, army officers overthrew president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last August after weeks of protests over perceived corruption and his failure to end the jihadist conflict. The interim government has pledged to reform the constitution and stage national elections, but critics say the pace of change is slow. A 2015 regional deal between Mali's government and northern rebel groups has also barely advanced, yet it is one of the country's few options for escaping the violence. After years of grinding conflict, optimism is wearing thin. Mamadou Konate, a former Malian justice minister, said he thought the N'Djamena summit would be "just as irrelevant as the previous and future ones." An official who works for France's presidency, who declined to be named, suggested leaders may discuss the possibility of targeting senior GSIM commanders. France appears divided on this point with Mali's leaders, however, who seem increasingly attracted to the idea of dialogue with the jihadists to stem the bloodshed. Short link: Patna, Feb 13 : Politics is heating up in Bihar over the inclusion of allegedly 'tainted' leaders in the Nitish Kumar government. The latest statement has come from former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi who slammed Tejashwi Yadav for his tweet on CM Nitish Kumar. "A person with the entire family facing many criminal charges is accusing Nitish Kumar," Manjhi said in a tweet. Manjhi's tweet came after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed Nitish Kumar over ignorance of questions of reporters who asked him about 18 'tainted' ministers in his cabinet. After the cabinet expansion on February 9, Kumar gave berths to 17 new ministers that included MLAs and MLCs of the BJP, the JDU apart from independent MLAs. Following the expansion, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) issued a report that said 18 out of 31 ministers in the cabinet are allegedly facing criminal charges. Sources have said that Manjhi could be upset since the name of his son Santosh Kumar Suman figures in the ADR report. Tejashwi said in a tweet: "It is extremely unfortunate for Bihar that the chief minister of state does not know about 18 out of 31 ministers facing criminal charges like murder, loot, dacoity, curroption, rape, arms act, cheating and keeping illegal arms. Chief minister has no moral right to stay in power." Sanjay Kumar Jha, the information and public relation minister of Bihar government also attacked Tejashwi Yadav after he was asked about 18 tainted ministers in the cabinet. "In the period of Corona, Tejashwi Yadav left the people of Bihar during a pandemic. He does not have the moral right to ask questions to the Chief Minister," Jha said. Beijing: An India-China-Myanmar the-lateral interaction will be an interesting topic in the future as it will be of great geopolitical and economic significance to the region, an article in the Chinese state media said on Monday. The article - India pursues Act East policy via Myanmar in the Global Times online said, For Myanmar, which is nestled between China and India, the policy of no enemies is the best strategic choice. And, at least for now, it has benefited from Beijing-New Delhi contention in the Indochina region. The article suggested Myanmar was enhancing ties with India to minimise its over reliance on China, diversify its economic portfolio, and out of its urgent need to engage neighbouring countries after prolonged isolation. Considering all these factors, the trilateral interaction among Beijing, New Delhi and Nay Pyi Taw will be an interesting topic for some time in the future because it will be of great geopolitical and economic significance to the region, it said. The article came as Myanmars military chief concluded his eight-day visit to India from July 7. During the visit, Gen U Min Aung Hlaing called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley separately. He also held discussions with Army chief General Bipin Rawat and Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on defence and security cooperation. It said the visit has added a tinge of sensitivity to India-Myanmar military interaction amid the standoff between the Indian and the Chinese armies in Doklam area. Their cooperation has brought subtle changes to the region. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-14 02:47:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Saturday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Radio Day with the government reaffirming commitment to the growth of the media. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya said the government has come up with various measures aimed at ensuring the growth of the media, including radio. She said the government has come up with the Government Communication Strategy and the Government Communication and Media Development policies as part of efforts to the growth of the industry. Zambia, she said, has one of the most liberalized broadcasting industry in the region which has seen the mushrooming of radio stations currently standing at 149. The minister, who is also chief government spokesperson, said the growth of the broadcasting industry was in line with the government policies of promoting freedom of expression, which was fundamental for a thriving democracy. The theme for this year's commemoration is "New World, New Radio". The Zambian minister while appreciating radio as an important medium of communication, said the challenge was to maintain it as a messenger of trustworthiness in the advent of social media. "The importance of radio as a tool of communication can never be overemphasized. Radio stands out as an essential and influential tool of all times. It has survived the invention of television, the internet, the iPod and now the smartphone," she said. Enditem My wife has discovered stand-up comedy on YouTube recently. Although, I do not really get to watch much TV, when it comes to stand up comedy, I have decided that in a good marriage you do what your wife tells you and so I binge watch with her. The actual reason however, is that if you want to understand human behavior apart from reading microeconomic textbooks you should watch stand-up comedy. These comics put us under a microscope to analyze our behavior. In fact, I almost feel that this should be an assignment in introductory microeconomics courses: watch stand-up comedy and come up with one microeconomics related example every week. Let me illustrate with a few examples. The pioneers First lets pay homage to the pioneers the ones that stood up in the early days. Recently GameStop and speculative trading has been a big story. However, if you want to understand market manipulation watch an old video by the great Jaspal Bhatti on YouTube. He creates a speculative bubble by selling shares of his local golgappa guy and it is portrayed in a fairly accurate manner. Then there is the Canadian comic Russel Peters who has Indian origins. Most of his jokes are about immigrants and he does a wonderful job of imitating their accents. In one of his classics, he talks about how his dad beats him (unlike his white friends parents) and he threatens to call the cops on his dad. His dad simply asks him to reflect about what will happen in the time interval between the phone call and arrival of the cops. Aside from the fact that you can use this to discuss esoteric notions in like Subgame Perfect Nash equilibrium and credible threats in game theory, it also explains cultural transmission across space and time. When economists want to study cultural transmission, they focus on immigrants or their children. For instance, research shows that diplomats from more corrupt countries are worse at paying parking ticket fines in New York, because they import their own culture. People raised in wetland rice farming areas of China exhibit greater cooperative behavior as this type of rice cultivation requires more cooperation. Modern comics Economists would find the new cohort of Indian standup comics exceptional. Abhishek Upamanyu for instance, recalls that during his childhood, on his grandmothers death anniversary, his mother would ask him to offer food to the poor. He argues that while this is a good idea, it sets up perverse incentives if the poor realize that dead people means free food, they will start bumping off the elderly! Such unintended consequences have a name in economics: The Cobra Effect. The story goes that in the days of the Raj, Delhi was infested with cobras. So, the British decide to offer money for dead cobras. Consequently, the entrepreneurial Delhiwallahs decided to raise cobras. The same happened in colonial Hanoi with rats under the French and the intrepid Vietnamese decided to breed rats. While the Delhi story is somewhat anecdotal, historian Michael Vann has documented the rat tale. Subsequently, both incentive schemes were abandoned abruptly by the colonial rulers and Delhi and Hanoi ended up with more cobras and rats than earlier. Note that Upamanyu also provides an excellent counter-policy measure feed the poor more often. Then there is Karunesh Talwar who talks about panhandlers outside places of worship. One common chant he says is, If you give me a rupee, God will give you ten thousand." Karunesh goes on to say, if that were indeed true then the transaction ought to be reversed! The person asking for money should give Karunesh a rupee and God would shower him with ten thousand! In fact, everyone could just go around giving the other person money and there would be tons of money dropping from heaven. While everyone knows the chant to be untrue, it remains of the most popular ones. I think there are oodles of behavioral economics crammed into it. First, it is at once a gesture of gratitude and one that primes you to think about money and about giving to the poor (built into the blessing is the idea that charity will be rewarded by God). Second, that improbable possibility creates a ray of hope, brings a smile to your face and then creates a warm glow even before you give the money, and happier people are more likely to give money. Excellent marketing strategy right there! Then there is the episode where Atul Khatri obeys his wife and daughter and drives his daughter to her friends house so she can wish her friend Happy Birthday exactly at midnight. One can write an entire discourse on the economics of the household and how norms are created and peer effects just on this little story. Let us leave this tale for another day. My Valentines Day message is quite simple if you are a student of economics, watch stand-up comedy and if you are a husband listen to your wife, at least for the day! Sudipta Sarangi teaches economics at Virginia Tech and his book The Economics of Small Things was recently published by Penguin. Views expressed are his own. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Canadian govt officer files injunction against churches suing over COVID-19 worship restrictions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Canadian province is seeking a court injunction against three congregations that have reportedly been meeting despite a ban on in-person worship services. British Columbia Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry filed the complaint against the Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack, Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church of Abbotsford, and Riverside Calvary Chapel of Langley. The injunction request was filed last week, with it being scheduled to be argued before the British Columbia Supreme Court on Friday, according to CBC News. As part of its ongoing lockdowns in response to COVID-19, British Columbia has enacted restrictions on various in-person gatherings, including a ban on in-person worship services. In-person religious gatherings and worship services of any size are prohibited, reads the governments website. You must not attend a service at a church, synagogue, mosque, gudwara, temple or other place of worship. The provincial did allow for worship services performed via Zoom or Skype, and allowed sanctuaries to be open for individual activities such as guidance from spiritual leaders, contemplation or personal prayer. Religious leaders may attend the home of a member of their religious community to provide religious services to the occupant, added the government. Last month, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms filed a lawsuit against the British Columbia orders, arguing that the faith communities that meet are following public health guidelines. The faith communities described in filing the petition have gone to extraordinary lengths to comply with health guidelines, including limiting attendance to no more than 50 persons, pre-registering attendees, rearranging seating to ensure physical distancing, providing hand sanitizer and masks, and enhancing cleaning and sanitizing procedures, stated the Centre in January. Some members cannot access online services. To many in these faith communities, gathering in-person is essential to their spiritual and emotional well-being. In a petition filed in response to churches' litigation, British Columbia acknowledged that its restrictions limited religious freedom, but added that such freedoms are not absolute. Protection of the vulnerable from death or severe illness and protection of the health-care system from being swamped by an out-of-control pandemic is also clearly of constitutional importance, stated the petition, as reported by CBC. Riverside Calvary Chapel, one of the three churches that Henry is seeking an injunction against, has been fined multiple times for meeting in person, reportedly without face masks. During one such service, which was livestreamed last month, Riverside Assistant Pastor Randy Dyck focused on applying biblical prophecy in the modern day in his sermon. I never imagined that we would see the likes of something like this that weve experienced in 2020. I never imagined our world would look like this before the Rapture, he stated in his message. But here we are. Help India! As per her family, Nodeep dismantled the governments claim that people from the nearby areas are facing problems due to the farmers protest by showing solidarity with the protest. Suprakash Majumdar, TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles Delhi: Incarcerated activist Nodeep Kaur of Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS) was granted bail on Thursday (February 11) in an alleged case of extortion filed against her by Haryana police on December 28. But, as per lawyers associated with the case, Kaur will stay in jail as there are multiple (at least three) cases filed against her. The bail plea of Kaur was rejected by Sessions Court in another case on January 12. Even though she has got bail in FIR no 649 (extortion), she wont be released until she gets bail in the remaining two FIRs filed against her, Advocate Vikar Atrri told TwoCircles.net. In addition to this, the bail plea in another case is pending and is likely to be fixed today (February 13). Who is Nodeep Kaur? Nodeep Kaur is a 24-year-old Dalit labour rights activist from Giadarh village in Muktsar district of Punjab. She is a member of Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan, a group advocating for the alliance between Mazdoor (workers) and Kisan (farmers). Kaurs parents are associated with Punjab Khet Union and are activists as well. Since November 2020, Kaur has been part of the protests along with the farmers, against the three farm laws at Singhu border at New Delhi. Kaur has been a vocal advocate of the workers rights and has sought to combine the efforts of the workers and farmers against the three farm laws. Arrest and incarceration On January 12, Kaur was taken into custody by Haryana Police in Kundli, Sonipat area of Haryana. Charged under section 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (a member of unlawful assembly),186 (obstruction of public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force on public servant), 384 (Punishment for extortion), 379B (theft) and 307 (attempt to murder) under IPC, she was sent to judicial remand on January 15 by the Sonepat District court. Kaur was protesting against the unpaid dues of a female labourer on January 12. The protest was carried out under the banner of Mazdoor Adhikaar Sangathan and at least 35 workers participated in the protest. We were just standing and sloganeering in front of the company building which is at Plot No. 349 in the Kundli Industrial Area. We wanted to meet the factory owner and ask him the reason for the nonpayment of the wages. Everything was peaceful on our side, according to us, said Rakesh, a member of MAS and an eye-witness. The QRT (Quick Response Team of KIA) were assaulting us and one of them pulled out a gun, he added. Later, the police arrived at the site. They immediately started to lathi-charge us, said Rajesh, another eye-witness to the incident. While talking to TwoCircles.net, SHO Ravi Kumar of police station Kundli said, We had received a complaint that some people were trying to extort money from the factories and factory owners in the area. That is why we immediately rushed to the spot. We reached there with 6 constables and we saw about 90 people carrying lathis. They immediately started to man-handle us. However, according to a fact-checking report by the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations, instead of trying to mediate the situation, the police started on an aggressive note. They started abusing, man-handling and molesting the female protesters including Nodeep. They tried to arrest Nodeep but a scuffle broke out between the police and the protestors. Later the police started lathi-charging and seeing that the protestors are moving back, the police fired 8-10 rounds of bullets. Fearing for their lives, the crowd dispersed and Nodeep was arrested, the report alleges. However, SHO Ravi Kumar denies that bullets were fired and claims that the protestors were violent and even tried to snatch their weapons. Solidarity with farmers protest as basis of arrest Kaur has been named in three FIRs, for incidents on December 3, December 28 and January 12. On December 3, MAS organized an 8-kilometre march from NIFTEM Chowk to the main stage of the farmers protest at Singhu border. Kaur addressed the crowd from the main stage and spoke in solidarity with the farmers protest. On December 6, MAS organized another march marking the death anniversary of Dr Ambedkar and Babri Masjid Demolition day. She disrupted the governments claim that people from the nearby areas are facing problems due to the farmers protest by showing solidarity with the protest, Rajveer, sister of Nodeep told TwoCircles.net. There were about 2000 labourers who live and work near the Singhu Border Protest site, she added. Rajveer claims that the administration is suppressing her voice and arrested her because she stood with the farmers. On December 28, the police had filed an FIR against Nodeep, but didnt arrest her. We tried to reason with her, but she didnt listen and organized another march, SHO Ravi Kumar says. According to Rajveer, the police are in collusion with the Kundli Industrial Association(KIA). The KIA has previously stopped us from unionizing and frequently gets in our way while demanding rights for labourers associated with us. They are just made up of bouncers. This is a revenge plot by the administration against us workers, she said. Rajveer alleges that, Nodeep was beaten and abused by male officers in custody. The police, however, denied the allegations. Rajveer said that Nodeeps bail was denied on February 8. The bail was denied on the grounds that she is dangerous because she manhandled the police and there is section 307 (attempt to murder) in the FIR, she added. On February 7, an online petition calling for justice and release of Nodeep Kaur was launched by Citizens of Justice and Peace (CJP), a Human Rights movement dedicated to upholding and defending the freedom and constitutional rights of all Indians. We will move the High Court if bail isnt granted to her (in all cases), said Rajveer. Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks to the media after the Republican's weekly senate luncheon in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 8, 2020. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool/Getty Images) McConnell Says He Will Vote to Acquit Trump Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the top Republican in the Senate, will vote to acquit former President Donald Trump of the incitement to insurrection charge in his impeachment trial, a GOP colleague told reporters. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) confirmed the report in remarks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Saturday, putting to rest weeks of speculation about what McConnell would do. Asked by reporters if he had noted that McConnell just said hes going to vote to acquit, Cornyn replied, I did see that, yeah. He said its a vote of conscience, Cornyn said. So I think each senator needs to make that decision on their own. Obviously, hes reached that conclusion. Last month, the House voted 232197, including 10 Republicans, to impeach Trump on the sole charge of inciting an insurrection. The charges stem from the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, which Democrat impeachment managers, and others, have labeled an insurrection and claim Trump incited. Trumps lawyers have contended that the incitement of insurrection charge against Trump is a gross exaggeration. An insurrectionunlike a riotis an organized movement acting for the express purpose to overthrow and take possession of a governments powers, they wrote in filings, arguing that Trumps speech was not an act encouraging an organized movement to overthrow the United States government. Mere minutes after the Democratic-led House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, McConnell wrote to his GOP colleagues that he had not made a final decision about how he would vote at the Senate trial. There has been close scrutiny over how McConnell would vote, given his position as the Senates most influential Republican and the longest-serving GOP leader ever. Meanwhile, a number of GOP senators have insisted that there is practically no way the former president will be convicted. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Thursday that it is crystal clear that Trump will be found not guilty. I think the end result of this impeachment trial is crystal clear to everybody Donald Trump will be acquitted, said Cruz told The Hill. And every person in the senate chamber understands there are not the votes to convict him. Others to go on the record as saying that an acquittal is near-certain include Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). The Not Guilty vote is growing after today, Graham wrote in a tweet Thursday. I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House Managers offensive and absurd. At least 17 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would have to join all 50 Democrats to convict Trump. The Senate voted Saturday morning to allow the House impeachment managers and counsels for Trump to call witnesses. Its unclear how many witnesses the Senate will subpoena since the process is subject to further debates and votes. After that, the respective teams get two hours each for closing statements, which will be followed by a final vote. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told CNN that, I think you get at best six Republicansprobably five and maybe six, who will cast votes in favor of a conviction. The six Republicans could be the ones who broke with their GOP colleagues Tuesday in voting that the impeachment trial was constitutional: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Pat Toomey (R-Penn.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.). Lawmakers from both parties have said they would like to wrap the trial up quickly so they could move on to other business, such as confirmation votes on senior Biden administration officials and COVID-19 relief. WASHINGTON - Prominent Black lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to stop expelling migrants to nations such as Haiti that are engulfed in political turmoil, fearing that they could be harmed or killed. Hundreds of immigrants have been swept out of the United States in recent days, a blow to groups that had been counting on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the daughter of immigrants and the first Black vice president, to halt deportations and overturn the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies. Biden attempted to pause most deportations on Jan. 20, but a federal judge temporarily blocked the move. Immigration officials say the recent removals match Biden's new enforcement priorities - such as people who recently crossed the border or who were convicted of serious crimes - but advocates say immigrants are being sent to nations where they could face danger. "The community should not still be in panic across this nation when we have an administration that is willing to do the work of stopping these deportations," Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said Friday in a call with reporters. "They have the authority to say no more flights will leave the United States." Migrants who cross the border are still being removed under a Trump administration order that allowed the expulsion of recently arrived people under Title 42, Section 265, of the public health law that aims to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Advocates for immigrants tracking the flights say Immigration and Customs Enforcement has expelled approximately 900 Haitians, including dozens of children, in the past two weeks. Advocates for immigrants say the situation is urgent, as Haiti and nations in Africa are facing varying threats. Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, has seen its democracy plunge into a constitutional crisis with allegations of a coup attempt and conflicting claims to the presidency. Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which has been working with the families of Black immigrants, said pregnant women and dozens of children have been expelled into that environment. "We are asking that expulsions stop immediately," Jozef said. "We are demanding the Biden-Harris administration stop risking the lives of Black immigrants. . . . Enough is enough." Immigrant advocates also complained that the expulsions are occurring during Black History Month and at a time when people of color are being disproportionately affected by the coronavirus and unemployment. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday that he will allow approximately 25,000 migrants who have been waiting for months in Mexico under a program called the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, to enter the United States starting next week to seek asylum. President Donald Trump created the program in fiscal 2019, the year nearly 1 million migrants crossed into the United States. Most Haitians expelled in recent days fell into the Title 42 category, officials said, drawing concerns that Black migrants are being disproportionately affected. The Department of Homeland Security said the vast majority of those expelled are from Latin America - which includes Black populations but is not predominantly Black. Several Black lawmakers wrote Mayorkas earlier this week saying they were "gravely concerned that ICE is disparately targeting Black asylum-seekers and immigrants for detention, torture, and deportation," which DHS officials denied. Although a federal judge has halted the Biden administration order pausing deportations, advocates for immigrants say the DHS could use its discretion to stop the flights and reexamine the deportations. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, prodded the Biden administration to rethink deportations to Haiti and "consider all possible options to prevent further harm." Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., a committee member and daughter of Jamaican immigrants, was among several lawmakers who urged Mayorkas in the letter Monday to stop deportations. "I realize ICE must carry out its mission in line with legal precedents," she said in a statement. "However, this must be done in a way that is sensitive to humanitarian needs for recent border crossers." Advocates say Black immigrants felt targeted under the Trump administration and worry that many of his policies remain in place. Trump issued a ban on travel from many Muslim-majority nations, which also targeted several predominantly Black countries, and used an epithet to refer to nations that included Haiti and parts of Africa. Approximately 1 in 10 Black people in the United States are foreign-born, according to the Pew Research Center. In a demonstration at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington on Wednesday, a man fell to his knees begging to avoid deportation. He said he was from Cameroon, a nation that has seen violent conflicts between the Francophone majority and English-speaking minority. "The situation in Cameroon is worse than you think," said the 33-year-old laborer, who asked not to be identified, because he is seeking asylum. "Please, I'm on my knees. Please stop the deportations. We are dying." Biden has urged migrants and lawmakers to have patience and emphasized that the DHS is targeting only people who meet its priorities. "The return of a family is a solemn and heartbreaking event," DHS spokeswoman Sarah Peck said in a statement. "That is especially true when the country of destination suffers instability, violence, lack of economic opportunity, or other challenges." "As this Administration has stated from the very outset, our capacity at the border will not transform overnight, due in large part to the damage done over the last four years to our asylum system and infrastructure," she said. "As we review and reform current immigration policies, we will continue prioritizing the health and safety of everyone we encounter during the COVID-19 pandemic." But lawmakers and advocates said they were stunned by the swiftness of some deportations, including of longtime residents. Omar repeated her call for the administration to abolish ICE, a move most Democrats and Biden do not support. ICE deported New York resident Paul Pierrilus to Haiti on Feb. 2, even though he has never been to that country and has lived 35 of his 40 years in the United States. He had fought deportation since 2004 after a drug conviction. His parents are of Haitian descent, but they are U.S. citizens and Pierrilus was born on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. Haiti had never recognized him as a citizen, he said, but an immigration judge ordered him deported more than 16 years ago and he lost his appeals. In an interview, Pierrilus described how he had to be dragged off the airplane. He wore the parka he used to wear in New York into the tropical 85-degree air. He said he is stunned and defeated. "I'm not a Haitian citizen! I'm not a Haitian citizen!" Pierrilus recalled yelling as local officials pushed him onto a bus. "I felt helpless because it's a situation out of my control. It's a situation I can't do anything about. No one is hearing what I'm saying." Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., said the deportations of Black immigrants were cruel. "These people are not being sent to Europe," Jones said. "ICE continues to be a rogue agency populated by people who share Donald Trump's racist ideology. White supremacy permeates the agency and it must be brought to heel." Bocchit Edmond, Haiti's ambassador to the United States, said he did not know why Haiti accepted Pierrilus. He said the crisis in his homeland has prevented him from getting answers and called Pierrilus's deportation "unfortunate." She may be 86-years-old, but that didn't stop Shirley MacLaine from knocking back a classic Martini with lunch as she dined al fresco at Kristy's Village Cafe in Malibu on Friday. While oozing Old Hollywood glamour with her drink of choice, the actress took her time sipping her cocktail as she spoke with her assistant. MacLaine's outing to the beachfront restaurant comes just weeks after Los Angeles reopened outdoor dining amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Cheers! She may be 86-years-old, but that didn't stop Shirley MacLaine from knocking back a classic Martini with lunch as she dined al fresco at Kristy's Village Cafe in Malibu on Friday As she enjoyed the warm weather, MacLaine wore a light green sweater, a pair of oversized black shades and a white visor, which read: 'Malibu.' The former leading lady, who earned five Golden Globe Awards throughout her legendary career, completed her outfit with brown moccasins slippers. In November, she credited the longevity of her six-decade plus career to her discipline, stemming from her childhood ballet training. Hollywood icon: The actress is one of Hollywood's biggest stars thanks to her six-decade long career (pictured in 1957) Hollywood legend: While oozing Old Hollywood glamour with her drink of choice, the actress took her time sipping her cocktail as she spoke with her assistant Enjoying life: Her outing to the beachfront eatery comes just weeks after Los Angeles County lifted it's strict stay-at-home order amid the COVID-19 pandemic 'Even though I tell people the truth, I'm not a diva. That comes from my 3-year-old ballet training,' she told Variety. MacLaine continued: 'I've got to go all the way back to that and just hard, honest work, with quite a bit of art, if you can muster it, thrown in. I've also stayed in the business and never thought about quitting because I wanted to pay for plane tickets to travel.' After her surprise break in 1954 as a stand-in in Broadway's The Pajama Game, Shirley made her big-screen debut in The Trouble with Harry where she bonded with director Alfred Hitchcock. Harder worker: In November, she credited the longevity of her career to her discipline, from her childhood ballet training, and love of world travel; seen in the1966 film Gambit 'He wouldn't eat a meal without me. I gained 25 pounds on that movie, and I got a call from Frank Freeman, who was the head of Paramount at the time, and he said, 'Should we just tear up your contract? Are you going to stop eating?' recalled MacLaine (born MacLean Beaty). 'We would talk, and he would tell me stories, and he would get very sophisticatedly cynical. And I would think it was funny, and he would be glad that I got it...I was only 18. I was just glad to be in his company because he was so frigging amusing, and he loved to test everyone's receptivity to his cynicism. I realize that now.' And while the Noelle actress called Jack Lemmon 'a great friend' she 'adored,' she was not as enthused about working with their two-time director Billy Wilder (The Apartment, Irma la Douce). Long career: MacLaine seen in the 1979 Being There, which she starred in alongside Peter Sellers 'I liked him, but I wouldn't put him at the head of the line for women's liberation,' Shirley quipped. MacLaine was known as the only female Rat Packer, calling Dean Martin 'spontaneously funny' and Frank Sinatra 'talented.' 'He was born with it, but he was lonesome as a child and went to music as a best friend,' the big sister of Warren Beatty said of Sinatra. Living well: MacLaine lives on a ranch in Santa Fe, NM with her three rat terriers but she's estranged from her 64-year-old daughter Sachi, who penned a 2013 scathing tell-all titled Lucky Me; seen in 2017 The Emmy winner also revealed she has three films lined up - including Brad Furman's People Not Places and Armand Kachigian's Men of Granite - which were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shirley recently appeared in one of the three episodes of Grammy nominee Rufus Wainwright's Road Trip Elegies: Montreal to New York, which was released three months ago on Audible. MacLaine lives on a ranch in Santa Fe, NM with her three rat terriers but she's estranged from her 64-year-old daughter Sachi, who penned a 2013 scathing tell-all titled Lucky Me. A Czech gun maker announced an agreement to acquire the parent company of Colts Manufacturing, the iconic brand based in West Hartford whose revolver won the West in American lore. Ceska Zbrojovka Group SE indicated plans to pay $220 million in cash and 1.1 million shares of its stock for Colt Holding Company LLC, with possible additional shares depending on Colts future profitability. The combined company would have $500 million in annual revenue and presents a real small arms powerhouse, in the words of CZGs chairman Lubomir Kovarik in a company press release. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A 'housebound' mother has been jailed for six months after being caught jetting around the world while suing the NHS for 5.7million and claiming she could barely walk. Linda Metcalf, from Bradford, said she had trouble walking and standing, rarely went out and could not dress herself. She claimed that because of her hospital's alleged medical negligence following a delay in diagnosing a spine condition, she needed crutches to get around and was unable to drive, the Mirror reported. A 'housebound' mother has been jailed for six months after being caught jetting around the world while suing the NHS for 5.7million and claiming she could barely walk. Linda Metcalf, from Bradford, said she had trouble walking and standing, rarely went out and could not dress herself However, when she was put under surveillance it emerged she had travelled around the world and had gone on upmarket shopping trips without any need of help. As her legal action progressed, Metcalf, who has been living in Stockport with her boyfriend, visited places including New Zealand, Fiji, Thailand and Tenerife. What is cauda equina syndrome? Cauda equina syndrome is a serious condition where the nerves at the very bottom of the spinal cord become compressed. Symptoms include: lower back pain numbness in your groin paralysis of one or both legs rectal pain loss of bowel control (bowel incontinence) loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence) pain in the inside of your thighs Doctors advise seeking medical assistance immediately if a person develops these symptoms. They should visit their GP or the accident and emergency (A&E) department of the nearest hospital. If cauda equina syndrome is not promptly treated, the nerves to the bladder and bowel can become permanently damaged. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement Metcalf reportedly launched her enormous medical negligence claim against her local NHS trust following a 24-hour delay in the diagnosis of a spine condition. She said she needed money to have her home adapted, compensation for loss of earnings and to pay for childcare for her daughter, who is now two. The mother had accepted an initial payment of 75,000 before her false claims were exposed. A judge at Leeds Combined Court was told Metcalf admitted lying about the extent of her mobility issues. The same month that she went to see a Harley Street doctor claiming she could hardly walk, she went on overnight trips to York, Wales and the Peak District. She also had stays in Cheshire, the Lake District and Scotland, as well as a holiday in Lanzarote. Despite her claims that she needed two sticks to walk 100feet, that she could not sit up in bed and that she sometimes needed her mother to help her wash and get dressed, footage showed her moving and walking without issue. Claire Toogood, acting for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, said Metcalf only admitted what she had done when she was 'caught out' by the surveillance tapes. Metcalf's legal representative said she 'drifted into' what she ended up doing and is now 'horrified' at what she did. Ms Toogood said she would have been entitled to a genuine compensation claim of around 350,000 if she had not carried out the offences. Metcalf had begun a medical negligence claim following a 24-hour delay in diagnosing spinal condition Cauda Equina Syndrome. The condition is where nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord become compressed. If untreated, the bladder and bowel can become permanently damaged. She claimed that because of her hospital's medical negligence following a delay in diagnosing a spine condition, she needed crutches to get around and was unable to drive. Metcalf brought a medical negligence claim against Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Metcalf reportedly sought help in July 2012 but was not given an MRI scan until 24 hours later. But Judge Mr Griffiths said Metcalf gave a 'stage managed' view of her disability and carried out conduct which was 'sustained relentlessly over a course of years'. A spokesman for the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'The proceedings should not deter genuine claimants as the Trust and NHS Resolution will continue to ensure that those who have suffered injury as a result of substandard care are properly compensated. 'The case should, however, be seen as a demonstration of our commitment to combatting fraud against the NHS when everyone is working so hard to care for patients in genuine need.' People walk past the Trump Tower as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in Washington on February 09, 2021 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images New York prosecutors are expanding their investigation into former President Donald Trump, the WSJ reported. According to the report, prosecutors are examining loans Trump took out on his flagship properties. The investigation is led by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is expanding its ongoing investigation into the financial dealings of former President Donald Trump relating to loans taken out on his flagship New York properties, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. According to the report, which cited sources familiar with the investigation, the new portions of the probe are related to loans to Trump by subsidiaries of New York City-based real estate investment trust Ladder Capital Corp. A $100 million loan on Trump Tower is due next year while other loans are due in the coming years, the report said. The trust has lent the former president over $280 million for his four Manhattan properties since 2012, the report noted. The properties involved in the probe include Trump Tower, 40 Wall St., Trump International Hotel and Tower, Trump Plaza, all located in Manhattan. New York prosecutors are also investigating the Trump Organization's Seven Springs property in Westchester County, according to the report. Read more: Inside the glitzy, fractured world of Palm Beach, where Trump's Mar-a-Lago move rankles locals but the wealthy are fighting over mansions anyway It's unclear exactly what the probe relates to, but experts told the Wall Street Journal that it may concern possible discrepancies with loan documents and financial information submitted on other documents, like his tax returns, according to the report. The Manhattan DA's office Saturday declined an Insider request to confirm the WSJ's reporting. As Insider previously reported, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. are leading investigations into Trump's personal finances and the finances of the Trump Organization. Story continues Last year, Vance, a Democrat who this year faces a battle for reelection, won a Supreme Court ruling that confirmed he was able to obtain Trump's tax returns and other financial documents, but Trump appealed the ruling again on different grounds. The Supreme Court has not said whether it plans to hear the former president's second appeal. Trump has called Vance's investigation a "witch hunt," while his lawyers called it a "fishing expedition," as the Wall Street Journal noted Saturday. The Trump Organization did not immediately return Insider's request for comment. Trump and his eponymous organization are under new scrutiny now that he is out of office. A Chicago judge earlier in February ruled that his Chicago hotel violated an environmental protection law for several years by improperly using water from the Chicago River to cool the building without the proper permit. Read the original article on Business Insider Karnataka: 32 oxygen plants planned 30 May 2021 | 11:42 PM Hubbballi, 30 May (UNI) Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Mr Prahlad Joshi said here on Sunday that a total of Thirty Two Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) Plants to produce Oxygen from open Air will be jointly Established in Karnataka by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited and the Mangalore Refinery and Petro Chemicals Limited towards fulfilling the demand for oxygen for treating the Covid-19 patients in the state. see more.. Lockdown: Hyderabad Metro Rail services rescheduled 30 May 2021 | 11:38 PM Hyderabad, May 30 (UNI) In view of the further extension of lockdown declared by the Government of Telangana State, the timings of the Hyderabad Metro Rail service have been rescheduled from May 31, officials said here on Sunday. see more.. Private shops, offices permits only during lockdown exempted hours: CS 30 May 2021 | 11:18 PM Hyderabad, May 30 (UNI) Private shops, establishments and offices are permitted to function during the exempted hours with staff strength as per their requirements, duly following the Covid norms, Chief Secretary Mr Somesh Kumar said in a government order released on lockdown guidelines and regulations, here on Sunday. see more.. Telangana cabinet approves medical colleges with nursing colleges in 6 districts 30 May 2021 | 11:15 PM Hyderabad, May 30 (UNI) The Telangana state Cabinet in its meeting on Sunday evening resolved to start medical colleges along with the nursing colleges at Nagar Kurnool, Wanaparthy, Jagtial, Sangareddy, Mehboobabad and Kothagudem in the state. see more.. No sooner has Eddie Lister been made the Prime Ministers envoy for the Gulf and special projects than I can reveal a potential conflict of interest. Whats more, Lister, who became a lord in November, has also broken parliamentary rules by failing to declare his own special project in the register of outside interests. New peers are meant to declare them within a month of taking their seat but Listers entry remains blank three months in and counting. Which means we have no idea what our special envoys company, Edward Lister Consultants, does and, more importantly, for whom? We have no idea what our special envoys company, Edward Lister Consultants, does and, more importantly, for whom The firm, set up in 2016, has no website and no other employees, but a near-200,000 cash pot, according to its latest accounts. But thats where the transparency so essential for effective democracy ends. Last night, Baron Udny-Lister refused to answer questions about his company, its clients and whether they include foreign governments, namely China and the Gulf states. His past tells us that Air Miles Eddie, the nickname he acquired based on expense claims while right-hand man to Mayor Boris of London, was popular with some of the worlds leading human rights violators. At City Hall, he declared gifts and hospitality from the Emir of Qatar, the president of Azerbaijan and a Saudi prince currently detained on corruption charges. Listers silence risks making a mockery of efforts to tighten antiquated transparency rules for the House of Lords. Only recently, all peers have been required to declare how much they are paid by foreign governments or state-backed companies. It beggars belief that people on a foreign powers payroll can still have a legislative role in Parliament or even get a government job. Take Lord Maude, who runs Francis Maude Associates (FMA), a consultancy founded to advise foreign governments. The former Tory minister went back to the Cabinet Office as an adviser while refusing to disclose which foreign states FMA continues to service. A tangled web we weave Claudia Webbe wins the dog ate my homework award for excuses when it comes to breaking parliamentary rules. The Leicester East MP, who replaced randy Keith Vaz after his rent-boy outing, was ten months late declaring the 10,500 allowance she receives as a Labour councillor on top of her MP salary. Claudia Webbe wins the dog ate my homework award for excuses Webbe said her declaration email got stuck in her draft box. That stuck in the Standards commissioners craw, who ordered her to apologise for breaching the MPs Code of Conduct. Webbe is already on the naughty step shes had the party whip suspended pending the outcome of her trial next month for allegedly harassing a woman. Cometh the man, cometh the hour, they say. Unfortunately, the hourly rate could be the problem for Sajid Javid, who is again being tipped for a reshuffle return to Cabinet. Since quitting as Chancellor a year ago, the former banker has been touted for Business Secretary, Chief of Staff, London Mayor and Foreign Secretary. While the latter appeals most, I understand that picking up the pieces after Gavin Williamson as Education Secretary would be... acceptable. But a return to the front line would sacrifice private sector riches. Since being Chancellor, Saj has earned an almost 1million a year package for a couple of days a month. If George Osborne and Chuka Umunna [the ex-MP now at JP Morgan] can get senior jobs in high finance with no banking experience, says my spy in Camp Javid, imagine what Sajid could get. Pay attention, Boris. A record number of Hong Kong nationals fleeing repression in China last year qualified to be fast-tracked for British citizenship. A Freedom of Information Act request about the Home Offices British National Overseas (BNO) passport applications from Hong Kong reveals 316,980 approvals in 2020, almost doubling the total number of BNO holders and giving them access to a new visa scheme. In 2018, just 17,676 were approved. As insurrectionists fought their way into the U.S. Capitol, then-President Donald Trump told House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy that the rioters cared more about the elections outcome than he did, CNN reported Friday. The call between Trump and McCarthy reportedly devolved into a expletive-filled shouting match as the Bakersfield Republican said the mob was trying to break into his office. Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are, Trump said, according to CNN, which cited Republican lawmakers whom McCarthy briefed about the call. McCarthy responded, according to the report, Who the f- do you think you are talking to? Details of the call emerged following the fourth day of Trumps impeachment trial in the Senate. House Democrats, joined by 10 Republicans, accused Trump of provoking the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 and sought to overturn election results that gave Joe Biden the presidency. McCarthys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, one of the House Republicans who voted last month to impeach Trump, tweeted a statement Friday night backing up part of the CNN report. She said McCarthy had told her that when he reached Trump on the phone during the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol. McCarthy refuted that and told Trump that these were Trump supporters. Thats when, according to McCarthy, the president said: Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are. Reports of a tense phone call between McCarthy and Trump first surfaced in the days after the insurrection. Two weeks later, the two men held a meeting at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where they posed for a picture. Today, President Trump committed to helping elect Republicans in the House and Senate in 2022, McCarthy said in a statement afterward. McCarthy would be in line to become House speaker if his party retakes the chamber next year. House prosecutors in the impeachment trial say Trump refused to call off his supporters for hours while the Capitol was under attack. Trump also reportedly resisted pleas to mobilize the National Guard. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner Mining was heavily disrupted last year as a result of Covid-19, with most mines and projects suspended for a number of months, before resuming activity under strict health guidelines. As a result, overall investment took a significant hit in 2020. According to estimates from the Mining Chamber of Mexico (Camara Minera de Mexico, Camimex), sector-wide investment fell by around 50% relative to pre-virus estimates, dropping from $5bn to $2.5bn. However, the industry is set for a rebound this year, with a number of companies announcing increased investment in projects across the country. A prime example of this trend is U.S.-headquartered company, Southern Copper. Having seen its expected investment in Mexican and Peruvian mines fall from $1.1bn to $650m in 2020, the firm has a capital expenditure budget of $1.4bn for this year, rising to $2.9bn in 2024. Investment for gold and silver There has been particularly significant movement in silver and gold projects. In mid-January, for example, Canadian company Torex Gold announced capital expenditure of between $195m and $235m for its Mexican operations in 2021, above last years estimated outlays of $175m. This includes $90-100m for its Media Luna underground deposit, located in the state of Guerrero, along with major investment in its El Limon Guajes mining complex. Related Video: Why And How To Trade Lithium US mining company Newmont similarly announced that it had a capital expenditure budget of $155m for its Penasquito mine, which produces gold, silver, lead, and zinc an increase on the $69m invested in the first three quarters of 2020. Meanwhile, Almos Gold is expected to increase expenditure in its Mulatos mine, located in the northern state of Sonora, from $40m to between $125m and $135m, while new spending has also been announced for Pan American Silvers La Colorada mine and First Majestic Silvers Ermitano project. As well as investment, there has been production expansion within the industry. US-based, Latin America-focused company Golden Minerals announced in February that it had poured the first gold from its Rodeo open-cut mine in Mexicos Durango state. The news came after the company launched operations at the site in mid-January. Also in February, Minera Gorrion, the Mexican subsidiary of Canadian mining company Almaden Minerals, said it was looking to revive its $1.4bn Ixtaca mining project, which had its environmental impact assessment denied by authorities in December. The company said it was in discussions with the national regulator with a view to submitting an updated environmental report, noting that the project would create some 1120 jobs during the construction and operation stages. Key to economic recovery The increased investment and activity in the mining sector could help support Mexicos recovery from the economic fallout of the pandemic. With the economy having contracted by 9% last year, according to the IMF, Mexico was among the countries most affected by Covid-19. The fund expects GDP to rebound this year with growth of 3.5%; however, much is dependent on how key industries such as mining perform. Prior to the pandemic, Mexico was the worlds largest producer of silver and the ninth-largest producer of gold. The sector accounted for around 4% of GDP, as well as being the sixth-largest generator of foreign currency and providing 2m jobs indirectly. The increase in investment in both gold and silver mines could thus bode well for Mexico, with both commodities experiencing a spike in value in recent times. Silver prices reached an eight-year high in February and silver was trading at around $28 per oz as of February 8. Meanwhile, gold after reaching an all-time high in August last year was valued at around $59 per kg. Precious metal prices, particularly of gold, have surged as a result of the pandemic. This has led to a rise in projected investments in gold extraction, Amilcar Rosas Orozco, heavy industry sales manager at Danfoss Mexico, told OBG. However, new mining tenders have slowed due to the disruption of the pandemic. As a result, mining companies now need to produce more with existing investments, which itself requires equipment to be more efficient and have longer life cycles. In addition, there are also some signs that demand for some of Mexicos key minerals will remain strong into the future. Historically, most silver demand has been generated by investment and jewelry demand, Mitchell Krebs, CEO of Coeur Mining, told OBG. However, increasing use of silver in solar panels, new cars and the ongoing electrification of the world has led to sizeable future growth prospects. By Oxford Business Group More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Pan Andean Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: PAD) ("Pan Andean" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's Board of Directors has authorized a resolution to change the name (the "Name Change") of Company to NEO Battery Materials Ltd. Completion of the Name Change is subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including approval from the TSX Venture Exchange. Pursuant to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and the articles of the Company, shareholder approval is not required for the Name Change. No action will be required by existing shareholders with respect to the Name Change. Issued share certificates representing common shares of the Company will not be affected by the change of name and will not need to be exchanged. The Company encourages any shareholder concerns in this regard be directed to such persons broker or agent. About Pan Andean Minerals Ltd. Pan Andean Minerals Ltd. is Vancouver-based junior resource company focused on battery metals exploration in North America. The Company has staked new mining claims in Golden, BC, along a strike with a quartzite bed, targeting silica in the quartzites for a total of 467 hectares. The Company focuses on exploring and producing silicon, which, when added to anode materials in the production of lithium-ion batteries, provides improvements in capacity and efficiency over lithium-ion batteries using graphite in their anode materials. The Company intends to become an integrated silicon producer and anode materials supplier to the electric vehicle industry. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://www.panandeanminerals.com/. On behalf of the Board of Directors Spencer Huh President and CEO 604-681-2626 shuh@panandeanminerals.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74419 The Maharashtra government will start giving the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to the healthcare workers in the state from February 15, an official said on Saturday. Those healthcare workers, who have received their first dose of the vaccine and completed the four-week period, will be eligible for the second dose as per the standard guidelines laid down by central health ministry, the official from the state health department. Till Friday, a total of of 6,48,573 healthcare and frontline workers have received their first dose of the vaccine in the state. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive began on January 16. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. A California man captured on video smoking marijuana inside the U.S. Capitol during last months riots was driven by bizarre conspiracy theories to join the violent insurrection, a federal prosecutor said Friday. A federal magistrate judge in Virginia ordered Eduardo Nicolas Alvear Gonzalez to remain jailed and transferred to Washington, D.C., for his next hearing on charges related to the Jan. 6 siege. Gonzalez, 32, of Ventura, California, was dubbed The Capitol Rotunda Doobie Smoker on a video posted on YouTube. When somebody on the video asked why he was smoking weed in the Capitol, Gonzalez responded in part by saying, Freedom, according to the FBI. Gonzlaez bragged about handing out marijuana to others who stormed the Capitol and could be heard saying, Time to smoke weed in here! on a video, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bosse said. Bosse said Gonzalez frequently posts videos about conspiracy theories on YouTube to an audience that he claims numbers in the tens of thousands. He has fallen under the sway of a web of conspiracy theories that is not just bizarre but dangerous, Bosse said. Gonzalez has talked on his videos about believing that we may be living in a simulation, that the Earth is flat and that the Smithsonian Institution is hiding evidence of giants, according to Bosse. Gonzalez also promotes central tenets of the QAnon conspiracy theory, including the baseless beliefs that Hollywood celebrities and other elites are operating a Satanic child sex trafficking cult and sacrificing children, the prosecutor said. This is sheer wild-eyed nonsense, he said. But if you believe that, what wouldnt you do? The defendant was not just there sitting in his basement, absorbing this material. Hes acting on it, amplifying it and rebroadcasting it. Defense attorney Rodolfo Cejas noted that it isnt illegal to believe in conspiracy theories. It may be strange. It may be a variety of things. Its not a crime, he said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leonard said beliefs like those expressed by Gonzalez ordinarily are not factors in deciding if a defendant poses a flight risk or a danger to the community unless those beliefs turn to actions, he added. The court is not weighing whether or not someone who believes in QAnon poses a risk of danger to the community just based on those beliefs. The question for the court is whether or not those beliefs may tend to lead to action, action that could cause a risk of harm to the community, Leonard said. Gonzalez was arrested on Tuesday at a friends apartment in Virginia Beach on misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct in the Capitol building. Videos show him wearing a sun hat, a fanny pack and red, white and blue American flag pants at the Capitol. A family member who recognized Gonzalez from videos on YouTube contacted the FBI on Jan. 20, a court filing says. More than 200 men and women have been charged in federal court with offenses related to the storming of the Capitol. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com In a strongly-worded statement, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Muhammad Al Khalifa yesterday lashed out at Qatar for provoking tensions in the region, jeopardising joint Gulf action. Shaikh Khalid, the Adviser to His Majesty the King for Diplomatic Affairs, said Qatari actions led to damaging the historical fraternal relations between countries. The Cooperation Council had made many important steps for joint Gulf action, but it faced many challenges and obstacles from Qatar, Shaikh Khalid said. The statement also follows Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani accusing Qatar of not adhering to the Al-Ula Declaration signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt agreed to ease the boycott imposed on Doha since 2017. Qatar ignoring the provisions stated in Al-Ula Declaration prevents the start of a new phase of regional stability, Al Zayani said recently. Shaikh Khalid pointed out that Qatari aggressions have a long history. In 1996, Shaikh Khalid said, Qatar attacked Fasht al-Dibal in flagrant violation of a joint Gulf military agreement, which required Saudi Arabia to move quickly to contain the situation. He further pointed out that in 1990, when Kuwait was under the brutal Iraqi occupation, Qatar obstructed the Gulf summit in Doha with claims having no legal basis for lands and seas belonging to Bahrain, wasting time on the most crucial goal of liberating Kuwait. In 1991, Qatar went to the International Court of Justice demanding 30% of Bahrains land and waters, a case Qatar lost after the court discovered that Qatar used 83 forged documents to support its claims. In 1992, in clear violation of the 1965 border agreement between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Qatar launched an attack on the Saudi Al-Khufus region killing a Saudi officer and two Qatari soldiers. Saudi wisdom was a reason for containing the situation. Shaikh Khalid added, After that, Qatar continued to interfere in the internal affairs of all GCC states and conspire against them in addition to signing military agreements with countries outside the framework of the Cooperation Council. And here we are today, witnessing the continuous suffering of Bahraini sailors in Arabian Gulf. Shaikh Khalid also accused Qatar of targeting Bahraini fishermen without any regard for brotherly relations and the principles of good neighbourliness. While Bahrain allows Qatari sailors to fish in its waters and sell in its ports, Qatar is targeting Bahraini fishermen and even killing them and confiscating their properties. All these challenges came from Qatar, Shaikh Khalid said. Yes, all of them are from Qatar. If Qatar wants to preserve and develop the GCC march, then it must abide by the treaties it had with its brothers and stop repeating its violation before it demands new agreements, stressed Shaikh Khalid. ADVERTISEMENT The group planning #DefendLagos rally, to counter those carrying out #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest, have suspended their planned activities. The decision, according to the convener of the rally, Alabi Oladimeji, is to respect the federal and state governments. Mr Oladimeji announced the suspension in a virtual press conference monitored by TheCable newspaper on Saturday morning. No protest from #DefendLagos on Saturday. We are simultaneously respecting the state and federal governments. I am proud to announce that for the meantime, we will be pending this protest due to the law of the federal and state governments. We are law-abiding and good citizens, definitely, we should not be the ones seen disobeying any law In respect of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I am now announcing that anyone involved in #DefendLagos initiated by me should with immediate effect pend the protest. We are not going to hold any protest again on Saturday. If Lagos and FG fail us, we will come out huge and protest on Monday. It is depressing news for me because we have invested personal resources to produce banners, posters among others on this. But this is not an avenue for us to make money like those in the Occupy Lagos. If they come out to protest and the government allows that, it means that we can also protest. We trust the government. The state and FG have banned any protests in Lagos. If they come out and the government did not arrest them, it means that the government has failed us, he was quoted as saying. It would be recalled that earlier in the week, the group was formed to counter #OccupyLekkiTollGate. The #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters are expressing their dissatisfaction over the ruling of the judicial panel for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to reopen the tollgate months after soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters. This newspaper has also reported various abuse of fundamental human rights by the police on protesters on Saturday. Aside from protesters, police officers are also harassing passersby around Lekki Tollgate, an action that has been condemned by Nigerians on social media. Jefferies announced today that it will hold a Doing Good Global Trading Day on Friday, February 26, 2021 to support accredited charities focused on advancing diversity and inclusion, supporting COVID-19 relief efforts and improving sustainability and the environment. The Jefferies Doing Good Global Trading Day offers investors around the world the opportunity to join these efforts by trading with Jefferies. Specifically, Jefferies will donate 100% of net global trading commissions on February 26, for all trading in equities, fixed income and foreign exchange by the firms clients. In addition, Jefferies as a firm will donate $1 million directly, and all 3,922 employees worldwide will be given the opportunity to personally donate to these efforts. These contributions will be allocated to a broad array of qualified charities dedicated to these important initiatives. Rich Handler, CEO, and Brian Friedman, President, of Jefferies commented: As we approach the one-year anniversary of the impact of Coronavirus on mankind, we at Jefferies are grateful to be so fortunate and we are excited to be able to contribute to so many important causes that are dear to our and our clients hearts. Our Doing Good" Global Trading Day will support organizations including those focused on diversity and inclusion, COVID-19 relief efforts and the sustainability and protection of our environment. Every one of us at Jefferies is looking forward to partnering with our clients, fellow employees and shareholders as we utilize Jefferies global platform for a day of giving back where it is most needed. For further information, please contact your Jefferies representative. Jefferies Group LLC is the largest independent, global, full-service investment banking firm headquartered in the U.S. Focused on serving clients for nearly 60 years, Jefferies is a leader in providing insight, expertise and execution to investors, companies and governments. Our firm provides a full range of investment banking, advisory, sales and trading, research and wealth management services across all products in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Jefferies Leucadia Asset Management division is a growing alternative asset management platform. Jefferies Group LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: JEF), a diversified financial services company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005052/en/ A Polish teacher is vaccinated against the coronavirus with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Krakow, Poland, Friday Feb. 12, 2021. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday, many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Many Europeans are desperate for a coronavirus vaccine. But not just any vaccine. As AstraZeneca shots are rolling out to European Union nations this month, joining the Pfizer and Moderna doses already available, some people are balking at being offered a vaccine that they perceivefairly or notas second-best. Poland began vaccinating teachers Friday with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and some had misgivings about being put in line for a vaccine they believe is less effective than the others. Ewelina Jankowska, the director of a primary and high school in Warsaw's southern Wilanow district, said nobody in her school was enthusiastic about getting the AstraZeneca shot, although many signed up, eager for any protection against a virus that has upended their lives and their students' schooling. "I still fear the illness more than the AstraZeneca vaccine," said Jankowska, who was infected with COVID-19 in November and had a very slow recovery. AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company, developed its vaccine with the University of Oxford. While regulators in more than 50 countries, including the EU's drug watchdog, have authorized its widespread use, it has attracted more criticism than others due to concerns about its human trials. In this Feb. 11, 2021 file photo, a health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered at a vaccination center set up in Fiumicino, near Rome's international airport. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday Feb. 12, 2021, many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) Several European nations have recommended the drug only for people under 65, and other countries have recommended it for those under 55, because AstraZeneca's trials included a relatively small number of older people. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot acknowledged the criticism but said regulators had reviewed the data and deemed the vaccine safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines are in short supply, he said, and the AstraZeneca shot offers high levels of protection against severe disease, which is the most important benchmark in fighting a virus that has killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide. "Is it perfect? No, it's not perfect, but it's great," Soriot said Thursday. "We're going to save thousands of lives and that's why we come to work every day." The World Health Organization says the AstraZeneca vaccine is about 63% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses. That's less than the 95% effectiveness reported by Pfizer and Moderna, but experts caution against such comparisons as the studies were done at different times and under different conditions. Furthermore, all have proven extremely effective at preventing serious illness and death. In this Feb. 5, 2021 file photo, AstraZeneca vaccines ready to be used at the Wellcome Centre in Ilford, east London. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday Feb. 12, 2021 many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) "If you're offered any approved vaccine, take it," said Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "They have all been found safe. Vaccines are the world's route back to some sort of normality." French President Emmanuel Macron angered scientists last month when he called the AstraZeneca vaccine "quasi-ineffective" for people over 65a comment that came hours before the European Medicines Agency approved it and said it could be used for all adults, including those over 65. Those who criticized Macron argued that he had spoken irresponsibly and had encouraged vaccine skepticism. French Health Minister Olivier Veran, who is 40, made a point this week of getting the AstraZeneca vaccine to show government confidence in it for under-65s. Adding to AstraZeneca's troubles have been criticism from the EU about delivery shortages, its lack of approval yet in the U.S., and a preliminary study that raised questions about the vaccine's ability to combat a COVID-19 variant discovered in South Africa. In its favor, however, is that it is cheaper and can be stored at refrigerator temperaturesnot the far colder temperatures required of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. In this Feb. 11, 2021 file photo a health worker administers a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to a woman at a vaccination center set up in Fiumicino, near Rome's international airport. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday Feb. 12, 2021 many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) In Cyprus, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou warned that opting for one over another risks delaying inoculations, given the limited deliveries of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the coming weeks, and he noted "all three vaccines reduce hospitalizations and deaths drastically." Yet in Poland, Spain and Italy, some unions complained that their members are slated to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, expressing concerns they were being treated as less important than groups getting the Pfizer or Moderna doses. Police unions in Spain have raised concerns about a government decision to administer AstraZeneca shots to police, military, firefighters and teachers. Some Italian doctors in the private sector are declining AstraZeneca shots, saying they want the Pfizer or Moderna shots going to public health care workers. Polish elementary school teacher Patrycja Swistowska teaches her second grade class at a school in Warsaw, Poland, Friday Feb. 12, 2021. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday, many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Vanessa Gera) "I'm not a no-vax AstraZeneca. But for an at-risk population, health care workers, they should use the same vaccination strategy for everyone and not create any discrimination," said Dr. Paolo Mezzana, a Rome plastic surgeon who helps administer a Facebook group of private doctors. They have been posting refusals to accept the AstraZeneca shot after vaccinations began this week. In Poland, the government announced earlier this month that the planned delivery of more than 1 million AstraZeneca doses meant teachers could get their shots ahead of schedule because the vaccine would not be given to older adults. But instead of expressing relief, the head of the main teachers' union, Slawomir Broniarz, criticized the use of the vaccine in remarks that, in turn, came under fire from scientists and the government. Michal Dworczyk, who leads the government's vaccine effort, said he regretted "that some irresponsible politicians or trade unions have tried to scare teachers or cause such anxiety by giving false information about the AstraZeneca vaccine." A Polish soldier and a nurse wait in a hallway in a hospital in Krakow, Poland, Friday Feb. 12, 2021, during the vaccination of teachers against the coronavirus with the AstraZeneca vaccine. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday, many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Yet a sense of misgiving has settled in among teachers, who already have been in conflict with the government for years over low wages and unpopular reforms. Patrycja Swistowska, who teaches second grade at the Wilanow school, said she signed up for the AstraZeneca shot despite her fears and confusion. "I feel that teachers are treated a bit worse and this is the vaccine that they offered us. They didn't offer us the vaccines given to doctors and other professional groups," said Swistowska, 39. "I am disoriented and I don't feel good about this. We are paid worse and this is just another example of us being shown our place." In Italy, the head of the SAP police union, Stefano Paoloni, argued that if officers believe they are getting a less-effective vaccine via the police force, they can opt out and wait to get another shot later when the rest of the population is vaccinated. That would defeat the strategy to vaccinate as many at-risk people as quickly as possible. Polish teachers wait to be administered with their first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the coronavirus in Krakow, Poland, Friday Feb. 12, 2021. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday, many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Polish teachers wait to be administered with their first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the coronavirus in Krakow, Poland, Friday Feb. 12, 2021. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday, many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Polish teachers wait to be administered with their first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the coronavirus in Krakow, Poland, Friday Feb. 12, 2021. As Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday, many say they are unhappy that they are getting AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, rather than the Pfizer shots earmarked for health care workers and the elderly. Nearly a year into the pandemic, many Europeans and others globally are desperate to get vaccinated and return to normal life. But many don't want just any vaccine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Some unions are going ahead with the AstraZeneca rollout without complaining, reflecting gratitude to get any protection. Dr. Arianna Patricarca, a 52-year-old Italian dentist who received the AstraZeneca shot Thursday, called it "a great opportunity and I am very happy that I did it." Warsaw preschool director Agnieszka Grabowska also welcomed getting the AstraZeneca vaccine Friday. "It is a great relief," said Grabowska, 48, adding that she was exhausted after a year of the pandemic. "I have been waiting for this moment all year," she said. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Families in the Cy-Fair area are struggling to keep food on the table while staying clear of the COVID-19 virus. Nonprofit and community organizations in Cy-Fair, such as Northwest Assistance Ministries and Cypress Assistance Ministries, have worked to fill in gaps for local families with food, school supplies, financial assistance and mental health services for all ages. On HoustonChronicle.com: Cy-Fair educator lends knowledge to Harvard book on education through COVID-19 Food Assistance Cypress Assistance Ministries, a nonprofit for low-income families in need of assistance is seeking donations and volunteers in order to continue providing for the local community. In order to serve the people who find themselves in crisis we need the money to help them with their rent, mortgage or utilities, plus money to continue to pay the rent and utilities on our buildings and personnel costs, said Janet Ryan, director of development for Cypress Assistance Ministries. The community continues to be generous in their donations of food. CAMs greatest need at this time is money and volunteers. Anyone receiving food from CAM will need one of the following documents: SNAP, social security benefits, disability benefits, veterans benefits, proof of free lunch or breakfast through CFISD, Medicaid, CHIP or an award letter from a government funding program. Individuals not currently participating in one of these assistance programs must make an appointment with a client assistance counselor to determine eligibility, Ryan said. This is more in line with how we operated prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. CAM is also accepting Operation Jobs clients in person, requiring they register online or by calling 281-955-5895. Operation Jobs helps clients learn how to write their resume, sign up for receiving job leads and how to interview well. On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County ESD No. 11 proceeds to pay, countersue Cypress Creek EMS CAM is also in need of financial donations to help clients with bills and food. Families in the 77065, 77095, 77429, 77433 and 77084 ZIP codes can receive free food with an ID and proof of residence at the food pantry from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday-Friday. The CAM Food Pantry is holding a drive-thru food distribution event Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event, which is first come first serve, will serve one per family vehicle and requires ID. The CAM food pantry is located at 11265 Huffmeister Rd. in Cypress. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/cypressassistance. Cy-Hope is a nonprofit benefiting low-income students in Cy-Fair ISD. Cy-Hope is in need of volunteers for bagging food each month. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/CyHopeTx. Cy-Hope is hosting a blood drive with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center on Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 12715 Telge Road. To sign-up, visit www.commitforlife.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/332605. Cy-Hope is in need of volunteers for bagging food on Mondays. Sign up can be found at www.signupgenius.com/go/805054aa8aa2ea7fd0-backpack. Cy-Fair Helping Hands, a nonprofit dedicated to homeless and low-income communities, is also providing food for Cy-Fair area families. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and the first and third Saturdays of the month Cy-Fair Helping Hands provides perishable and nonperishable foods from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. with a drive-thru model. With hunting season on the horizon, CFHH is asking for hunters to consider sharing fresh or frozen meat they capture this season. Contact phudson@cyfairhelpinghands.org for more information. For more information, including how to donate, visit www.facebook.com/CYFAIRHELPINGHANDS. Northwest Assistance Ministries, or NAM, serves hundreds of in-need families a week through their onsite food pantry with both nonperishable and perishable foods and is using a drive-thru model. NAM is providing food assistance Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at their main building and accepting donations between 8 a.m.-3 p.m. NAM is in need of food and financial donations. Frozen meat, fruit and vegetables, and canned and dry goods are needed for the food pantry. Northwest Assistance Ministries has seen a consistent increase in requests for rent and food assistance, Carr said. NAM will be hosting a free immunization clinic for children between 2 and 18 on March 4 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 281-885-4649. The NAM Resale warehouse is also accepting donations, such as furniture and household appliances. NAM Resale warehouse will be accepting donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. The NAM Resale Boutique, at 15555 Kuykendahl Rd., is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. NAM is also accepting registration for fall classes until June 14. For more information, visit www.namonline.org/learning. For Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, NAM is kicking off a month of support with a TDVAM toolkit, and videos during respect week from Feb. 8-12. All materials will be posted at www.namonline.org/family-center. The unfortunate reality is that we have to break the silence, talk about teen dating violence, and be aware of the gravity of the issue, a NAM news release states. The CDC reports that 1 in 3 adolescents will experience some form of abuse in an intimate relationship before they graduate from high school. Of those who do experience abusive relationships, only 33% tell someone. Thus, the majority of those who experience teen dating violence suffer in silence. NAM is located at 15555 Kuykendahl Rd. in northwest Houston. For more information, visit www.namonline.org. Financial services NAM also provides financial assistance for clients needing help with bills or other expenses after losing their job due to COVID-19. Because of the way our funding is structured, our advice to our clients is to use the unemployment (payments) for your utilities, for your prescriptions, for some groceries and allow us to subsidize the rent because we can make that one payment to the landlord and get that caught up, Carr said. NAM has launched an online application process for rent and mortgage assistance, where applicants can submit all appropriate documents without visiting the nonprofit. The training and learning center is also registering students for Spring 2021 online classes. To check qualifications for a scholarship call 281-885-4523. For more information, visit www.namonline.org. The Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce has a community resources page, www.cyfairchamber.com/wearecyfair, where small businesses can apply for SBA loans, catch up on the most recent mandates on COVID-19 from the state government and individual instruction for navigating loan and benefits applications. For more information, visit www.cyfairchamber.com. Mental health assistance Shield Bearer counseling sessions are being held through remote teletherapy sessions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit works with different financial situations to provide counseling for a variety of mental health challenges including grief, abuse, addictions and relationship issues. According to the organizations Facebook page, Shield Bearer has experienced an increase in the demand for mental health services and is seeking financial donations to help the organization continue meeting clients needs. For more information, visit www.shieldbearer.org. On HoustonChronicle.com: Local restaurant community raises more than $27,000 for Cy-Fair Helping Hands Senior Pastor Floyd Smith with Igniting Gods Vision Ministry, a 19-year-old ministry in the Cy-Fair area, said the ministry has continued to operate the recently launched Turning Peer Pressure to Peer Power program and counseling for the local community. Weve launched this ministry enough to where were already dealing with the issues they are struggling with, he said. Our goal is to save money to get our own building or land so well be able to bring them and go through the counseling process. My concern is on the counseling side and what people are going through at this time not only with the teens but also with the pandemic. Cy-Hope also offers counseling and speech therapy both in-person and through telehealth. In-person appointments require clients to wear a mask, practice social distancing and wait in their car until the beginning of the appointment. To schedule an appointment, call 713-466-1360. For more information, visit www.cy-hopecounseling.org. chevall.pryce@chron.com On the occasion of the 176th anniversary of the first arrival of Indian immigrant labourers to these shores, I intend to comment briefly, through a couple of letters to the press, on the current status of Indo-Trinidadians after their presence here for over a century and a half. They may be regarded as ethnic-focused, divisive and contentious, or may be deemed irrelevant and inconsequential in these times. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 00:11:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Friday decided against an early lifting of the state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic in place for Tokyo and nine other prefectures this week, due to medical facilities continuing to be overburdened with patients and concerns over new variants of the virus. The government declared a second state of emergency for the Greater Tokyo area on Jan. 7, before expanding it to Tochigi, Gifu, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures on Jan. 13. The emergency period, first scheduled to end on Feb. 7, was then extended by one month for all but one of the prefectures. Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is also in charge of Japan's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, said Friday that the emergency period would be kept in place for the time being. His remarks came at a meeting of a panel of experts who advise the government on its coronavirus policy. While the number of new daily infections has been on a downtrend recently, the healthcare system remains overly strained and the number of deaths remains high, the experts said. Vice President of the Tokyo Medical Association Masataka Inokuchi said Friday that the strain on the medical system has been prolonged and the high numbers of elderly people contracting the virus must be reduced. Elderly people are more susceptible to developing serious symptoms after contracting the virus that require hospitalization and often intensive care. Japan on Friday confirmed 1,300 new daily COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's cumulative total of infections since the outbreak of the virus to 413,931. The death toll increased by 63 to total 6,880 people, according to official statistics released late Friday evening. The Tokyo metropolitan government, for its part, on Friday reported 307 new daily COVID-19 cases on Friday, with the daily tally remaining below the 500-mark for the sixth straight day. The cumulative total of infections in the city of 14 million since the outbreak of the pandemic now stands at a total of 105,765 people, the local government said. Health officials said Friday, however, that 102 people are designated as being in a "serious condition" in the capital. Also of major concern to the experts is variations of the virus appearing in Japan, contributing to the the government's decision, in light of the overall situation, to maintain the state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka, and eight other prefectures. The head of the panel of experts, Shigeru Omi, on Friday expressed his concern about the virus variants first identified in Britain and South Africa. These variants are thought to be highly transmissible and Omi has called for swift testing in areas that might be of high risk and has urged that potential asymptomatic carriers must also be tested. By February 10, 108 cases of people testing positive across Japan for one of the virus variants had been confirmed by the health ministry, with the majority testing positive for the variant first detected in Britain. It was also decided Friday at the meeting of the panel of experts that anti-coronavirus guidelines reflecting recent legal revisions that allow the government to punish those thwarting anti-virus measures would be updated. From Saturday, people and businesses breaking anti-virus rules could be legally subjected to hefty fines. Enditem Trump loyalist Sen. Ron Johnson shouted 'blame you' at Sen. Mitt Romney Saturday on the Senate floor and then called it 'grotesque' that reporters documented it. Reporters in the Senate chamber observed that Johnson was visibly upset at Romney, even pointing at him, after Romney, along with four other GOP senators, agreed to allow witnesses to be called in former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. Head impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin, made the surprise request Saturday morning after new details came out about a call between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, which seemed to indicate that the president refused to call off the MAGA mob on January 6. Sen. Ron Johnson, a top Trump ally, went after Sen. Mitt Romney Saturday morning, after Romney voted in favor of having witnesses at President Donald Trump's impeachment trial Sen. Mitt Romney, who had also voted in favor of one article of impeachment against Trump last year, voted along with four GOP senators to have witnesses at the trial The House Democratic impeachment managers are trying to prove that Trump incited the insurrection. Raskin requested testimony and notes from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who spoke publicly about the Trump-McCarthy call. Democrats settled on having her statement read into the record, concluding several hours of uncertainty on when the trial might end. Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, told reporters Friday, 'I think the president's lawyers blew the House manager case out of the water.' And grumbled about Democrats prolonging the process Saturday. 'Why does it have to be inserted in this trial, at this moment, when we're about ready to close this out?' the top Trump ally said. Romney, who had broken with Republicans during Trump's first impeachment trial voting in favor of one of the two articles, indicated Saturday morning he would vote in favor of witnesses if either side wanted them. As Romney made that vote, reporters observed Johnson going after him. Journalists aren't allowed to bring their cell phones into the Senate chamber, so no video of the confrontation existed. But to cut down on the number of reporters in the Senate chamber, journalists are using a 'pool' system - essentially a small number of reporters are sending color from the chamber to everyone else. With scribes quickly hearing of the dust-up, Johnson was soon asked about it. 'Those are private, those are private conversations,' Johnson said. A reporter replied that the senator's comments had been made in public. 'That's grotesque you guys are recording it,' Johnson said. Later Johnson told Fox News that he wasn't upset with Romney he was 'upset at the vote.' The White House on Friday denied that U.S. President Joe Biden was intentionally snubbing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by failing to include him so far in an early round of phone calls to foreign leaders since taking office on Jan. 20. The lack of direct contact between the Democratic president and the long-serving right-wing premier has fueled speculation in Israel and among Middle East experts that the new administration may be signaling its displeasure over the close ties Netanyahu forged with Biden's predecessor, former President Donald Trump. 'He is looking forward to speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu,' White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters at a daily briefing when asked when Biden would call. 'I can assure you that will be soon, but I don't have a specific time or deadline.' 'He is looking forward to speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu,' White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters at a daily briefing when asked when Biden would call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two pictured in 2016 Asked if the delay in a Biden courtesy call was meant to disrespect the Israeli leader. Psaki said: 'It is not an intentional dis. Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone the president has known for some time' Asked if the delay in a Biden courtesy call was meant to disrespect the Israeli leader. Psaki said: 'It is not an intentional dis. Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone the president has known for some time.' Biden, she said, was 'looking forward to having the conversation.' Paski did continue to emphasize that the current administration had been in action for less than a month. 'Well, you know, again, I think, we, there are ongoing processes and internal interagency processes, one that we, I think confirmed an interagency meeting just last week to discuss a range of issues in the Middle East where we've only been here three and a half weeks,' she said, according to Fox News. 'And I think I'm going to let those policy processes see themselves through before we give kind of a complete lay down of what our national security approaches will be to a range of issues.' While Netanyahu was almost in lock-step with Trump over Middle East policy, he could be in for frostier relations with Biden Netanyahu has himself downplayed the notion that he was being slighted Israel is one of Washington's closest allies. Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, both spoke to Netanyahu within days of taking office. Biden has already made calls to a number of foreign leaders, including those from China, Mexico, Britain, India, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Netanyahu has himself downplayed the notion that he was being slighted. Chairman of the World Likud Danny Danon, however, voiced his dissatisfaction with the snub and listed the other countries Biden had already spoken with. Chairman of the World Likud Danny Danon, however, voiced his dissatisfaction with the snub and listed the other countries Biden had already spoken with 'Might it now be time to call the leader of #Israel, the closest ally of the #US?,' he asked, providing Netanyahu's number. While Netanyahu was almost in lock-step with Trump over Middle East policy, he could be in for frostier relations with Biden. Biden has long been regarded in Israel as a friend in Washington but he and Netanyahu have sometimes not seen eye-to-eye. Netanyahu will be challenged if Biden restores U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from, improves Washingtons tattered relations with the Palestinians as he has promised, and opposes Israeli settlement building on of occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood. Netanyahu used his bond with Trump in recent elections to tout his ability to keep the United States aligned with his policies. But with Israels fourth election in two years scheduled for March 23, he may not have that political luxury anymore. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) An official from the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City, which is among the first recipients of the initial batch of Pfizers coronavirus vaccines set to arrive in the Philippines soon, said Saturday that they expect to vaccinate 50-60% of their workers. Dennis Ordona, the hospitals COVID Vaccine Program head, said 3,300 East Ave. Medical Center employees are on the vaccine priority list of the Department of Health. The number includes, aside from the frontliners, personnel who provide janitorial, security, and paramedical services, he added. But Ordona said he still cannot give the definite number of their workers who are willing to be inoculated since their survey on this is ongoing. He said findings in other hospitals show 50-60% of their employees are willing to receive the shots and he thinks they may produce similar survey results. Base po sa mga datos ng ibang ospital around 50-60% ang willing magpabakuna. Sa ngayon, aming ineexpect na ganito rin ang aming numbers, Ordona told CNN Philippines Newsroom Weekend. [Translation: According to the data of other hospitals, around 50-60% are willing to be vaccinated. We also expect to yield the same numbers.] He noted that EAMC, too, was dealing with vaccine hesitancy, which may have been triggered by fake news or lack of information on anti-coronavirus shots. To address this issue, he said the hospital continues to conduct an information drive to help employees make an informed choice. Preparations underway The official also said they are now preparing the facility where the vaccination will be held, as the DOH informed them that the vaccines may be delivered this weekend. He added they also procured a freezer to properly store vials of the Pfizer vaccine, which need to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius. Aside from the EAMC, three other COVID-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila stand to each get a share of the 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines that will be supplied by the COVAX facility. COVAX is an initiative led by the World Health Organization, along with the vaccine alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which seeks to provide over 150 participating countries equitable access to coronavirus vaccines. British scientists are developing a 'universal Covid-19 vaccine' that would effectively beat all variants of the virus and could be ready in as little as a year. Researchers at Nottingham University are working on a jab that targets the core of the disease - rather than the spike protein - because it is less likely to mutate. If the move is a success it will save labs having to keep changing current vaccines to suit the mutated virus. There are fears the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs will become less efficient as the disease changes due to them binding to Covid-19's spike protein. There is evidence the companies' products do not work as well the 'E484K' mutation, currently spreading across Brazil and the south of Africa. It comes as the UK recorded another 13,308 coronavirus infections, down 27 per cent on last week. Daily deaths have also dropped by a quarter to 621, taking the total to 116,908, although separate figures suggest the number could be much higher. Elsewhere in the ongoing battle against the virus: The UK recorded another 13,308 cases, down 27 per cent on last Saturday, and a further 621 deaths, down 25 per cent; The number of Covid deaths in over-85s was found to be falling twice as fast it is in younger Britons; It was revealed illegal migrants were getting the Covid jab in plush quarantine hotels in Heathrow; China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the team's investigators said; Surge Covid testing will be rolled out in Hampshire, Middlesbrough and Walsall after cases of the variant were detected; Matt Hancock said he hopes Covid will become a 'treatable' virus and a disease we can 'live with' after all adults are offered a vaccine by September. Researchers at Nottingham University are working on a jab that targets the core of the disease - rather than the spike protein - because it is less likely to mutate No10 launches world's first trial into whether mixing and matching coronavirus vaccines can enhance protection Number 10 has launched the world's first trial into whether mixing and matching coronavirus vaccines is safe and can enhance protection against the disease. The study of more than 800 patients will look at the effect of giving someone an initial dose of the Oxford University jab, followed by the Pfizer one, and vice versa. Scientists will trial other vaccine combinations as more are approved and rolled out across the UK over the course of the year-long research. Experts believe the 'mix and match' approach could stimulate different parts of the immune system and give better, longer lasting immunity. The tactic could also help Britain deal with supply shortages which has held back the UK's otherwise successful vaccination rollout. The study, run by the National Immunisation Schedule Evaluation Consortium (NISEC), will investigate whether mixing vaccines can protect people from new variants of the virus. Advertisement Nottingham University researchers are working with Oxford-based cancer vaccine firm Scancell to create the universal vaccine. It is one of a number of US and European companies trying to make the mutation-proof jabs. They are targeting a protein in the virus' core called the nucleocapsid, as well as the spike protein. The scientists will launch human trials later this year following promising test results done on mice. Early signs suggest their DNA-based product gives a strong antibody and T-cell response. Scancell chief medical officer Dr Gillies O'Bryan-Tear told the Telegraph: 'We don't necessarily claim it will be a pan-coronavirus vaccine, but it has got the potential to be so simply because of where it is targeted.' Among the other top scientists working on similar vaccines are myNEO in Belgium and Osivax in France. Osivax only recently finished a phase II clinical trials of a universal flu jab which also goes after the nucleocapsid in the virus. MyNeo is looking into parts of Covid-19 that are stable for longer, so they can create a longer-lasting vaccine. In the US researchers are studying an already-created Sars vaccine or one with different coronaviruses in it to allow for stronger protection. Sage adviser Sir Jeremy Farrar was among scientists backing the move to focus on universal vaccines earlier this week. The director of the Wellcome Trust tweeted an article in the Nature journal called Variant-proof vaccines: invest now for the next pandemic. He wrote: 'We agree - and being acted upon by CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) and others.' Scancell chief medical officer Dr Gillies O'Bryan-Tear (pictured) told the Telegraph : 'We don't necessarily claim it will be a pan-coronavirus vaccine, but it has got the potential to be so simply because of where it is targeted' The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report today suggested suggested there were 695,400 Covid-19 cases in England alone by February 6, down 31 per cent from a fortnight ago in yet another firm sign the second wave is in retreat. This equates to one in eighty people having the virus Despite the basic idea of universal vaccines being positive, there are concerns among experts. Researchers have been fighting for years to discover a universal flu jab, without success. There may also not been need for the new jabs at the moment, due to no conclusive evidence saying current vaccines are ineffective against the mutations. Meanwhile the number of coronavirus cases today continued to drop as Boris Johnson said he was 'optimistic' of being able to cautiously loosen lockdown. It marked the third Saturday in a row where Covid-related deaths dropped week-on-week. Data from the UK's statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate says there have been 135,000 deaths involving the virus. The Government also said - as of 9am on Saturday - the total number of cases in the UK was 4,027,106. The Prime Minister met workers helping the country to fight back against the pandemic by developing vaccines, coronavirus tests and making PPE. Boris Johnson has said he is 'optimistic' of being able to cautiously loosen lockdown when he unveils his roadmap on the week of February 22. Pictured on a visit to Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham, Teesside today Mr Johnson toured three plants in the north east of England, and paid tribute to their efforts to help beat the disease. He was at the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Teesside which is scheduled to produce millions of doses of the Novavax vaccine and is still being trialled. After meeting some of the plant's 850-strong workforce, he said: 'If approved, Novavax will further strengthen our already record breaking vaccine rollout. 'The work of the team here to get this vaccine ready showcases some of the very best of British science and manufacturing. 'I'm hugely proud of the efforts here at Fujifilm, as we all come together to beat this pandemic. 'I urge you all to keep up this vital work, helping to get those vaccines into arms and protecting our most vulnerable.' Mr Johnson then visited the Newcastle-based QuantuMDx Group, which has developed a 30-minute coronavirus testing device, known as Q-POC. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask, accompanied by Sarah Rose (left), MD of the Northumbria healthcare PPE manufacturing hub in Seaton Delaval The firm said the innovation offered lateral flow test wait times with lab-standard accuracy. It has been designed for rapid PCR testing in clinical settings to ensure the safety of frontline NHS staff. The Prime Minister then went to the Northumbria Healthcare Manufacturing Hub in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, where the 60-strong staff have made two million gowns. He donned a hair net and mask and joined staff in cutting cloth and watched as seamstresses swiftly made PPE for both general and clinical use. It supplies 10 local hospitals and others across the country with protective wear for health staff. Managing director Sarah Rose said: 'We are always striving to improve what we do and I feel very proud as our hub and the North East are leading the way. 'It is a very special initiative to be involved in as I know the difference we are making to those working on the frontline in our incredible NHS.' Advertisement The number of Covid deaths in over-85s is falling twice as fast it is in younger Brits, raising hopes that the UK's vaccine drive is clicking into gear, with just one per cent of the population refusing jabs. The Government's target of administering 15 million doses is set to be hit this weekend, amid a backdrop of falling cases and deaths, with pressure growing on Boris Johnson to present his 'roadmap' out of lockdown. The supreme efforts of volunteers over recent weeks now appears to be paying dividends, with the number of fatalities among the oldest age group now falling on average by some 41 per cent a week. By contrast, the number of weekly deaths is falling by 22 per cent for those aged under 65. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a risk expert from the University of Cambridge, told the Sun: 'There is a statistically significant difference between the age groups. A substantial amount of this difference will be vaccines. 'And, by the end of the month, it's going to be quite dramatic. It is quite tricky to spot as deaths are falling everywhere it's just that in older groups the drop is much faster than others.' Meanwhile, data from the Office for National Statistics reveals just one in every 100 people offered a Covid jab have turned it down. The Prime Minister said today he is 'optimistic' he will be able to begin announcing the easing of restrictions when he sets out his 'roadmap' out of lockdown in England on February 22. Speaking during a visit to the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham, Teesside, where the new Novavax vaccine will be manufactured, Mr Johnson said: 'I'm optimistic, I won't hide it from you. I'm optimistic, but we have to be cautious.' He said his first priority remained opening schools in England on March 8 to be followed by other sectors. 'Our children's education is our number one priority, but then working forward, getting non-essential retail open as well and then, in due course as and when we can prudently, cautiously, of course we want to be opening hospitality as well,' he said. 'I will be trying to set out as much as I possibly can in as much detail as I can, always understanding that we have to be wary of the pattern of disease. We don't want to be forced into any kind of retreat or reverse ferret.' It comes as: The so-called R-rate is now below one in every region and stands at between 0.7 and 0.9 for the whole of the UK, which is the lowest level since summer; It was revealed illegal migrants were getting the Covid jab in plush quarantine hotels in Heathrow; Matt Hancock said he hopes Covid will become a 'treatable' virus and a disease we can 'live with' after all adults are offered a vaccine by September; It was reported that Cabinet ministers have backed the use of vaccine certificates for travellers wanting to head abroad this year; There were 15,144 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the seven-day average down 26.3 per cent on the previous week; There were an additional 758 deaths, with the seven-day total down by 27.1 per cent. The Government's target of hitting administering 15 million doses is set to be hit this weekend, amid a backdrop of falling cases and deaths A woman receives the AstraZeneca Covid19 vaccine at an NHS vaccination centre in Ealing, west London yesterday Ruth Langsford revealed in an Instagram post (pictured right) that she has now received her Covid jab (pictured left). She wrote: 'Feel SO grateful. Thought it was a scam message at first as I wasn't expecting to be called until March! Thank you everybody, staff & volunteers, at the vaccination centre in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey... a quick, well organised and very friendly experience. The jab took seconds and was painless' The priority groups for vaccinations in the UK 1. Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults 2. All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers 3. All those 75 years of age and over 4. All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age) 5. All those 65 years of age and over 6. Adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group 7. All those 60 years of age and over 8. All those 55 years of age and over 9. All those 50 years of age and over 10. Rest of the population Advertisement There is variation in uptake between age groups, however, with five per cent of those offered the vaccine aged 30-49 deciding not to receive it, compared to two per cent for the 50-69s and less than one per cent for the over-70s. Furthermore, Professor Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), has said the uptake of the coronavirus jab among care home staff remains 'far too low'. Prof Harnden said that nationally only 66% of care home staff had taken up the offer of a first dose. 'If they are to stop potentially transmitting to those vulnerable people who they look after and care for deeply, they need to take the immunisation up. The message needs to come across loud and clear,' he told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme. However, he rejected suggestions that the vaccine could be made compulsory among staff if they wanted to carry on working in care homes. 'I would much prefer to be able to persuade by the power of argument than to force people or to make people lose their jobs because they didn't take up the vaccine.' His comments come as the Government launches a fresh drive to encourage people to accept a vaccine amid continuing reluctance among some groups. Ministers are confident they will achieve their UK-wide target of getting an offer of a vaccine to those most at risk from the virus - including all over 70s - by Monday's deadline. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped a combination of vaccines and new treatments will mean Covid-19 could be a 'treatable disease' by the end of the year. However, there is concern in Government at the rate of vaccine uptake among some communities - including some ethnic minorities. Mr Hancock issued a direct appeal to anyone over 70 who has still not had the jab to contact the NHS over the weekend to book an appointment. 'I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible,' he said. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.' NHS England said the top four priority groups in England - people aged 70 and over, care home residents and staff, health and care workers and clinically extremely vulnerable patients - 'have now been offered the opportunity to be vaccinated', while Wales said those groups had been reached. NHS England said people aged 65 to 69 can now get a vaccine if GPs have supplies, while Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said they had already begun contacting some over 50s. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she expects many in the 65-69 age group to have had their first jab by the middle of this month after the vast majority of older people were vaccinated. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health is offering everyone over 65 a vaccine by the end of February as it works its way through priority groups four and five, although it is expected to help the UK meet its overall target. After that, the jab will be offered to people in priority group six, which is made up of those aged between 16 and 64 who have serious underlying health conditions. This latter group, made up of some 7.3 million people, includes patients with conditions varying from morbid obesity, dementia and arthritis. The Prime Minister said today he is 'optimistic' he will be able to begin announcing the easing of restrictions when he sets out his 'roadmap' out of lockdown in England on February 22 Speaking during a visit to the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham, Teesside, where the new Novavax vaccine will be manufactured, Mr Johnson said: 'I'm optimistic, I won't hide it from you. I'm optimistic, but we have to be cautious' Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits the QuantuMDx Biotechnology company in Newcastle during a visit to the North East of England Mr Johnson speaks with Robin Page, VP systems integration as he visits the QuantuMDx Biotechnology company in Newcastle Health conditions that make patients in Priority Group Six eligible for a vaccine A blood cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma) Diabetes Dementia A heart problem A chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma A kidney disease A liver disease Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as HIV infection, steroid medication, chemotherapy or radiotherapy) Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis (who may require long term immunosuppressive treatments) Have had an organ transplant Had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) A neurological or muscle wasting condition A severe or profound learning disability A problem with your spleen, example sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed Are seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above) Are severely mentally ill Advertisement Overall, uptake of the vaccine has been high, with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) reporting a 93% take-up rate among the over 75s in England. The DHSC is now seeking to work with community organisations and charities in England to address the concerns that are making some reluctant to get the jab, while seeking to dispel 'myths' circulating on social media. At the same time it is looking to raise awareness of how the vaccines are being made generally available, especially among ethnic minorities, homeless people, asylum seekers and those with disabilities. Around 30 ministers are taking part in visits and virtual meetings, including Home Secretary Priti Patel and Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi. 'We recognise that some groups feel more hesitant about getting a jab, or have more barriers, both physical and mental, preventing them from accessing one when it's offered,' Mr Zahawi said. Mr Hancock, meanwhile, expressed the hope that coronavirus will become 'another illness that we have to live with' like flu. 'I hope that Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year,' Mr Hancock told The Daily Telegraph. 'If Covid-19 ends up like flu, so we live our normal lives and we mitigate through vaccines and treatments, then we can get on with everything again.' Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, said he agreed with the Health Secretary's comments about the UK potentially living with coronavirus in the future in the same way as the flu. Matt Hancock said he hoped Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year. Prof Altmann told Times Radio: 'I agree with the 'by the end of the year' part, I think the jury's out on what the future will look like.' On news of the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals going down, he said: 'We're all following the data in the UK and from Israel, who are a little bit ahead of the curve in terms of vaccinations, and seeing those transmission graphs absolutely being quashed. 'We can't easily pick apart how much of that is lockdown, how much is vaccination, but it's certainly both of those things. 'I am cautiously optimistic that we are winning finally.' The move comes as it was announced on Friday that more than 14 million across the UK have now received their first dose of one of the approved vaccines. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report suggested suggested there were 695,400 Covid-19 cases in England alone by February 6, down 31 per cent from a fortnight ago in yet another firm sign the second wave is in retreat. This equates to one in eighty people having the virus Oxford Covid vaccine will be tested on children as young as six in world-first trial Researchers are to use 300 child volunteers to test the efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine on youngsters aged between six and 17. The clinical trial will assess whether the jab - known as the the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine - will produce a strong immune response in children in that age bracket. The Oxford jab is one of three to have been approved for use in adults in the UK, along with those from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity, and chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said: 'While most children are relatively unaffected by coronavirus and are unlikely to become unwell with the infection, it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people as some children may benefit from vaccination. 'These new trials will extend our understanding of control of SARS-CoV2 to younger age groups.' The first vaccinations under the trial will take place this month, with up to 240 children receiving the vaccine and the others receiving a control meningitis jab. Advertisement Elsewhere, the reproduction number, or R value, for coronavirus is now estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9 across the UK. This is the first time since July that R has been this low, indicating that lockdown restrictions are having an impact and the epidemic is shrinking. As of February 9, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 25,621 patients in hospital in the UK with Covid-19 - down from a peak of over 39,000 in mid January. The figures are likely to intensify the pressure on Mr Johnson from some Tory lockdown-sceptics to to begin easing restrictions and re-opening the economy. Reports suggested that pubs and restaurants could begin re-opening for outdoor service in April if infections continue to fall. However, scientists advising the Government continue to urge caution, arguing that case numbers remain too high to allow any significant easing of the controls. Meanwhile, the DHSC said treatments for Covid-19 will soon be fast-tracked through the UK's clinical trial system, meaning they could be available on the NHS in months rather than years. The Government, which currently funds phase 2 and 3 trials such as the Recovery trial, which brought dexamethasone and tocilizumab to the NHS, has awarded multimillion-pound funding to a phase 1 clinical trial platform. Phase 1 trials, usually arranged by researchers, are the earliest stage of human trials that ensure treatments are safe and show a signal of benefit in treating a disease. The funding has been awarded to expand the Agile clinical trial platform and will allow for the progress of cutting-edge treatments for Covid-19 through all three clinical trial phases in the UK - a streamlined process that is hoped to protect the supply chain. Meanwhile, researchers are to use 300 child volunteers to test the efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine on youngsters aged between six and 17. The clinical trial will assess whether the jab - known as the the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine - will produce a strong immune response in children in that age bracket. The Oxford jab is one of three to have been approved for use in adults in the UK, along with those from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity, and chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said: 'While most children are relatively unaffected by coronavirus and are unlikely to become unwell with the infection, it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people as some children may benefit from vaccination. Fresh Government drive to encourage people to accept jabs The Government has launched a fresh drive to encourage people to accept a vaccine amid continuing reluctance among some groups. Ministers are confident they will achieve their UK-wide target of getting an offer of a vaccine to those most at risk from the virus - including all over 70s - by Monday's deadline. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped a combination of vaccines and new treatments will mean Covid-19 could be a 'treatable disease' by the end of the year. However, there is concern in Government at the rate of vaccine uptake among some communities - including some ethnic minorities. Mr Hancock issued a direct appeal to anyone over 70 who has still not had the jab to contact the NHS over the weekend to book an appointment. 'I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible,' he said. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.' Advertisement 'These new trials will extend our understanding of control of SARS-CoV2 to younger age groups.' The first vaccinations under the trial will take place this month, with up to 240 children receiving the vaccine and the others receiving a control meningitis jab. Earlier this week, England's deputy chief medical officer said 'several' trials were under way to develop vaccines that are safe and effective in children. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam told ITV News: 'It is perfectly possible that we will have some licensed children's vaccines for Covid-19 by the end of the year.' The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said there is evidence Covid-19 can cause death and severe illness in children, but that this is rare. It said: 'In children, the evidence is now clear that Covid-19 is associated with a considerably lower burden of morbidity and mortality compared to that seen in the elderly. 'There is also some evidence that children may be less likely to acquire the infection. The role of children in transmission, once they have acquired the infection, is unclear, although there is no clear evidence that they are any more infectious than adults.' The University of Oxford said theirs was the first trial in the 6-17 age group. It said other trials had begun but only measuring efficacy in those aged 16 and 17. Rinn Song, paediatrician and clinician-scientist at the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: 'The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound negative impact on the education, social development and emotional well-being of children and adolescents, beyond illness and rare severe disease presentations. 'It is therefore important to collect data on the safety and the immune response to our coronavirus vaccine in these age groups, so that they could potentially benefit from inclusion in vaccination programs in the near future.' It comes as hopes for a speedier lifting of lockdown were given a boost today as private government data showed hospitalisation rates were nosediving faster than expected. Modelling by Sage presented to Downing Street and leaked to The Times predicts hospital admissions and deaths will more than halve over the next month. Patients battling coronavirus in hospital currently number around 24,000, but this figure is expected to be slashed to around 9,000 by mid-March. Yesterday 1,908 patients were taken to hospital in the UK, a massive drop in admission rates since the peak in January when around 4,500 were admitted on a single day. The R-rate has now been confirmed to be below 1 for the first time since July, with a pincer movement of vaccines and current restrictions credited for suppressing the virus. Boris Johnson is due to unveil his road map to easing restrictions on the week of February 22, and the latest data will likely cement his determination to reopen schools on March 8. Sources said this will be the first step to a gradual return of freedoms, including outdoor mixing, and pubs serving pints in beer gardens earmarked for April. But in spite of tumbling hospitalisation, case and death rates, government advisers are urging the Prime Minister to hold off loosening the lockdown for at least another two months. The chair of the NHS Confederation Lord Adebowale said this morning the health service was still 'on its knees' and urged ministers to adopt extreme caution in any easing of restrictions. The PM is being pulled the other way by his hawkish backbenches, who have called for a sweeping away of all curbs by May. ROCHESTER, Minn. - State officials say they're gathering valuable data from what they call a first-of-its-kind COVID-19 educator testing program. The program tracks the spread of coronavirus in schools by offering tests to all on-site staff every two weeks free of charge. The state requires districts who provide some form of in-person learning to conduct regular testing. Since launching January 4th, the state says 96% of school districts across Minnesota have participated in the program, conducting over 53,000 COVID-19 tests. The program's primary finding is that transmission rates in schools are at .37% as of Friday, indicating two key takeaways for Minnesota Deputy Commissioner of Education Heather Mueller. "All of those things that the Department of Health has identified as ways to be able to eliminate and or slow the spread of COVID-19 is working" Mueller told KIMT News 3. "We also know that being in a school building is not showing a dramatic increase for our staff members, and is really helping to maintain the safety and health and wellness of our students and staff." In a statement, Governor Walz said data like this is key to getting kids back in the classroom safely. From the teachers, to the parents, to school staff, to the kids we all share the same goal of a safe return to the classroom. Testing is key to that. The educator testing program ensures that all teachers and school staff have regular, easy access to testing to allow us to identify cases and take the appropriate steps before an outbreak occurs, Walz said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 10:56:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An engineering train runs in the China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group (CREC-2) railing base on the northern outskirts of Lao capital Vientiane, Feb. 10, 2021. The 422-km China-Laos railway, with 75 tunnels totalling 198 km and 164 bridges totalling 62 km, runs from the Boten border gate in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour. The project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and operational in December this year. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) by Zhang Jianhua, Chanthaphaphone Mixayboua VIENTIANE, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- In the Spring Festival, the railway builders and people in Laos have expressed their eager wishes and anticipations on the China-Laos railway. "For our common wish, so many Chinese engineers stay away from their families observing their most important reunion festival. This has made me feel touched and grateful!" 21-year-old Sida Phengphongsavanh, a Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd (LCRC) train driver trainee told Xinhua on Wednesday. He was busy preparing for the Chinese New Year's Eve party at the China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group (CREC-2) railing base on the northern outskirts of Lao capital Vientiane. Sida comes from the northern town of Muangxay, some 350 km north of Vientiane, where since ancient times has been the only way for the merchants between the two countries. She told reporters that her home is right next to the under-construction Muangxay railway station. "As soon as I heard that the Laos-China railway is to be built, I decided to work on the railway," said Sida. In order to realize her wish, Sida went to Kunming, the capital of southwestern Yunnan Province, to study in electrical automation major. Through hard work, she was selected to the LCRC's first railway machinery training course. "I may become one of the first female train drivers in Laos," Sida said. On Chinese New Year's Eve, about 200 Lao staff, trainees and 200 Chinese staff had a party at the CREC-2 railing base and together celebrated the festival, hanging lanterns, pasting spring festival couplets, making dumplings, singing and dancing joyfully. Their aspirations and dreams towards the completion of the China-Laos railway have closely linked them. The China-Laos railway has become not only a transportation line, but also a "wish line". "After the opening of the China-Laos railway, I plan to buy a car to carry passengers to the railway station and make money to build a new house," a Lao villager in the border town of Boten told Xinhua. "I hope that after the opening of the railway, I can open a store near the railway station to sell local specialties of Laos and become rich as soon as possible," a citizen in the ancient town of Luang Prabang told Xinhua. The wishes of the Lao people are also the expectations of the Chinese railway builders. Yang Yun, who had participated in the construction and operation of the China-Laos railway in Laos, told reporters that from a university graduate to an experienced all-round talent, he has learnt a lot from the railway, and it is the experience of this international project teaching him to see problems from a local angle. Yang said the experience of working in the China-Laos railway is "a perfect integration of personal growth and national cause of the Belt and Road Initiative." "In the New Year, I wish the early opening of the China-Laos railway, and I look forward to boarding a train to go to Laos." The common aspiration allows the people of the two countries to trust and support each other and work hard for the common goal. Liao Jing, an engineer with CREC-5, a Chinese engineering company engaged in the railway's construction, told Xinhua that after five years of hard work in Laos, many Lao people have become his good friends and he deeply felt their keenness for the completion of the railway. The company, employing a large number of local people to participate in the railway construction, taught them railway construction techniques and trained a group of skilled workers for Laos. They will be able to bring up more skilled workers to serve the local economic and social development. The 422-km China-Laos railway, with 75 tunnels totalling 198 km and 164 bridges totalling 62 km, runs from the Boten border gate in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour. The project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and operational in December this year. Enditem The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) will be hosting the 29th edition of its flagship NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum (NTLF) from February 17th -19th, 2021. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be addressing the largest tech gathering on how India can shape the new normal for the techade, in the inaugural session at the forum this year. Creating an immersive learning experience, this will be the first time in over two decades the largest technology forum will be hosted virtually. 2020 with the global pandemic has been a disruptive year across industries and sectors alike, but it has also brought technology to the forefront of business, like never before. Technology today has become the bedrock for how we live, work, and engage in the new normal. However, it has also made organizations re-write the playbooks for other commonalities such as trust and ethics, privacy, culture, future of work, and responsible use and build of tech. As we embrace this hyper virtual world, NTLF 2021 with the overarching theme, Shaping the future towards a better normal aims to achieve three key objectives mark as a celebration of technology which has served as a backbone to boost businesses during the crisis, draw a roadmap for the way ahead towards building a hyper-digital future and bring out the importance of trust and responsible tech in this hyper virtual world. Speaking on the occasion, Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, said, Over the years, the Indian technology industry has had an unparalleled impact on the economy through a multiplier effect on job creation, technology innovation, powering sectors and driving substantial contribution to the GDP growth. 2021 will be fundamentally different from the past and require all stakeholders to develop strategies and insights to identify new opportunities and mitigate future risks. By reinventing the foundation that supports our industry on the building blocks of Trust, Digital Talent, Innovation, Collaboration, and Inclusion, we are confident that we will not only build a stronger and better industry but a stronger and better world. And it is our dream to ensure that India plays a leading role in shaping that next normal. The three-day forum will have stalwarts from the Indian and global technology industry, C-level executives and expert academics. A few names include Aiman Ezzat, CEO, Capgemini Group; Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India; Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO, IBM; Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO, Cisco; C Vijayakumar, President and CEO, HCL Technologies; Eric S. Yuan, Founder & CEO, Zoom; Julie Sweet; CEO, Accenture; Keshav R. Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS Global Services; Salil Parekh, CEO & Managing Director, Infosys; Steve Brown, Chief Futurist, Author and Motivational Speaker; Thierry Delaporte; CEO & Managing Director, Wipro Limited; and; Tiger Tyagarajan, President and CEO, Genpact LLC, among several other renowned dignitaries. The forum will offer a collaborative experience sharing platform to companies, service providers, and customers. The virtual forum is set to witness over 16,000 attendees across 50+ sessions and will host 65+ practitioners, subject matter experts and leaders who are making an impact across the world. NTLF 2021 will create a collaborative learning experience where industry leaders will discuss some of the pressing topics such as the role of leadership in the new normal; opportunities that lie ahead; embedding the values of organizational culture; and will discuss trends in emerging areas like healthcare, energy, cybersecurity amongst others. Ben Smith, pictured, of Walton-le-Dale, pictured, was killed on Thursday after he was struck by a Ford Transit Van while riding his e-scooter through Bamber Bridge A man is due to appear in court today on suspicion of murdering a e-scooter rider with his Ford Transit van. Samuel Bretherton, 25, of Leyland, Lancashire is accused of the murder of Ben Smith, 20, in Bamber Bridge on Thursday afternoon. Bretherton is accused of hitting Mr Smith, from Walton-le-Dale, with his van, killing him instantly. Shortly before the fatal incident, a wing mirror on Bretherton's van was broken. A man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and has been released under investigation. Lancashire Police said Bretherton is due to appear before Preston Magistrates' Court later today. Mr Smith's family paid tribute to him in a message released through Lancashire Police. They said: 'Ben was a much loved son, brother, father, partner, grandson and friend to many. 'He has been taken from all of us in such tragic circumstances and we would urge anyone with any information to come forward to help the police.' Detective Chief Inspector Zoe Russo of Lancashire's Force Major Investigation Team said: 'I would like to thank the public for their support and the witnesses that have already come forward to tell us about what they saw. 'I am asking anyone who saw what happened but hasnt yet made contact to speak to us. Samuel Bretherton, 25, of Leyland, Lancashire has been charged with Mr Smith's murder, following Thursday's inciden in Bamber Bridge, pictured Bretherton is due to appear in Preston Magistrates' Court later today in connection with Mr Smith's murder 'We know that this shocking incident has caused some concern within the local community but as legal proceedings are now active and out of respect for Bens bereaved family and friends, I would ask people not to speculate on social media. If you know something, please speak to us instead.' Police have asked anyone with information in connection with the incident to contact them on 101 quoting log 0545 of February 11. People can also pass on details anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online. UN urges to investigate escalation of violence in Colombia Malaysia to open mega-centers for vaccination against coronavirus Police find 5 million in cash in London apartment French citizen to face trial in Iran on spaying charges Over 60 children in UK undergo surgery due to TikTok challenge Iranian Central Bank governor dismissed Armenian opposition: The one who liberated Artsakh will not go to debates with the one who sold it Iranian energy ministry: Iraq to allocate $ 125 million of frozen funds for vaccines No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects Armenia ex-PM says at least 2 more secret documents signed but not published yet Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia UK PM gets married in London Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia 2 people die in Armenia road accident Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released 61 quakes recorded in Congo per day Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Photo: The Canadian Press Liberal Leader Andrew Furey, left to right, Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie and NDP Leader Alison Coffin sit prior to a TV debate from the floor of the House of Assembly in St. John's, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Newfoundland and Labrador will be be run by a so-called "caretaker government" for at least another two weeks after voting in Saturday's provincial election was delayed for nearly half the districts in the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly Newfoundland and Labrador's chief electoral officer has called off all voting set for Saturday because of the province's COVID-19 outbreak. Bruce Chaulk says voting in the provincial election will now be exclusively by mail, and ballots must be received by March 1. His announcement tonight came shortly after health officials announced theyd confirmed the U.K. variant was behind the COVID-19 outbreak that hit the St. Johns region this week. Voters in about half of the province were set to head to the polls Saturday, after Chaulk announced Thursday that in-person voting was suspended across the Avalon Peninsula, which includes St. Johns. Under the Alert Level 5 imposed tonight by chief medical officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, gatherings of more than 5 people are prohibited. An Elections NL spokeswoman said earlier Friday that many poll workers in the ridings where the election was set to proceed were quitting over fears of contracting and spreading COVID-19. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Kigali, Feb 13 : Rwanda recorded a decline of 47.1 per cent in investments in 2020, from $2.46 billion in 2019 to $1.3 billion, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said. RDB attributed the decline to the Covid-19 pandemic that affected the global economy. According to the statement on Thursday, real estate and construction, and manufacturing accounted for 48 per cent and 20 per cent respectively of investments in 2020, and other sectors that attracted significant investments included agriculture, information communication technology (ICT), energy, mining and financial services, the Xinhua news agency reported. Foreign direct investments contributed 51 percent of the total investments registered in 2020, while joint ventures and local investments contributed 29 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, it said. "The year 2020 was challenging for investment and business in general. Despite the global economic slowdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, Rwanda registered significant investments in key sectors of our economy," said RDB CEO Claire Akamanzi in the statement. The government of Rwanda is committed to supporting business recovery through initiatives like the economic recovery fund. The investment arm of the Rwandan government last week said 24 more companies from China were registered in Rwanda last year, bringing in investments totalling $300 million. (Natural News) After a year of denial, the mainstream media is finally coming to terms with the fact that Anthony Fauci is responsible for hot-wiring the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) with experimental gain-of-function technology, which ultimately turned it into a global pandemic. Were it not for the artificial insertion of amino acids and other additives by Fauci and his team, the novel Chinese virus never would have gained the traction it did in terms of being a human-to-human contagion. In its natural form, the unmodified bat coronavirus would have stayed within the animal kingdom. Instead, thanks to Fauci, it morphed into a tool that is now being used to destroy the global economy and herd the masses straight into the new world order. These gain-of-function experiments were an important part of the NIHs approach to vaccine development, and Anthony Fauci was reluctant to stop funding them, writes Nicholson Baker for the Intelligencer. He and Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, along with Gary Nabel, NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) director of vaccine research, published an opinion piece in the Washington Post in which they contend that the ferret flu experiments, and others like them, were a risk worth taking.' Fauci and his team wrote at the time that [i]mportant information and insights can come from generating a potentially dangerous virus in the laboratory. Such research, they added, can further help delineate the principles of virus transmission between species. More related news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) and Faucis complicity in creating it can be found at Pandemic.news. Fauci told reporter that nature is the worst bioterrorist In an interview with news reporters, Fauci once contended that nature is the worst bioterrorist, effectively shirking all responsibility for his involvement in weaponizing it against humanity. Fauci was a key player in changing the way that NIH-funded research was conducted. Under his leadership, the focus shifted to the weaponization of nature, whether it involved anthrax, AIDS, or some other bioweapon developed by the deep state. After the 9/11 attacks, Fauci dramatically increased his agencys anti-terror budget from $53 million in 2001 to a whopping $1.7 billion in 2003. At that time, he set aside his efforts to develop an AIDS vaccine and shifted focus to perfecting the weaponization of brucellosis, anthrax, tularemia, and the plague. We are making this the highest priority, Fauci said at the time. We are really marshaling all available resources. Fauci was also concerned that it was taking far too long to develop new vaccines. His stated goal was to develop new vaccine systems and vaccine platforms that could be tailored to develop new vaccine drugs within a day. Our goal within the next 20 years is bug to drug in 24 hours, Fauci said. This would specifically meet the challenge of genetically engineered bioagents. The first Project Bioshield contract, as it is called, was awarded by Fauci to VaxGen, a California pharmaceutical company. Fauci gave the company $878 million in taxpayer money to create new anthrax vaccines. Interestingly, it has been almost exactly 20 years since Fauci made those statements, and here we are with President Donald Trumps Operation Warp Speed program, which fast-tracked the release of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines at speeds never before seen. When challenged by some 750 scientists in a letter protesting the direction in which he was taking the NIH, Fauci doubled down and insisted that the money needed to be spent on biodefense. We disagree with the notion that biodefense concerns are of low public-health significance,' he added. Be sure to check out New York magazines full expose on traitor Fauci and his longtime efforts to weaponize deadly pathogens. Sources for this article include: NYMag.com NaturalNews.com UN urges to investigate escalation of violence in Colombia Malaysia to open mega-centers for vaccination against coronavirus Police find 5 million in cash in London apartment French citizen to face trial in Iran on spaying charges Over 60 children in UK undergo surgery due to TikTok challenge Iranian Central Bank governor dismissed Armenian opposition: The one who liberated Artsakh will not go to debates with the one who sold it Iranian energy ministry: Iraq to allocate $ 125 million of frozen funds for vaccines No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects Armenia ex-PM says at least 2 more secret documents signed but not published yet Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia UK PM gets married in London Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia 2 people die in Armenia road accident Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released 61 quakes recorded in Congo per day Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Once completed, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will ease the current traffic load on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday after reviewing various road projects in Pune and western Maharashtra. Addressing a press conference after inspecting the under-construction multi-level flyover project at Chandni Chowk in Pune, Gadkari said he had instructed officials concerned, contractors and local civic bodies to prepare a plan to ensure that the work gets completed during the next one year. The BJP MP also reiterated that motorists would have to pay road tax if they need "good services". "The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway work is going on. (Once completed), it will ease the traffic load on Pune-Mumbai Expressway as a bulk of traffic between northern and southern states currently pass through the Mumbai-Pune expressway," he told reporters. The DelhiMumbai Expressway is a proposed 1,250-km long controlled-access highway connecting the national capital with the commercial capital of the country. Gadkari said the main reason behind heavy traffic on the Pune-Mumbai expressway is that vehicles coming from northern states pass through this highway to travel further towards southern states. "But the proposed 12-lane Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will ease the traffic congestion on Mumbai-Pune expressway and other westerly highways," he said. Gadkari said once the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway reaches Surat in Gujarat, the south-bound traffic can be diverted using a new alignment (Surat - Nashik - Ahmednagar- Solapur). "This will ease the traffic load on Pune-Mumbai Expressway and other highways, and also bring down vehicular pollution," he added. Talking about the development and four-laning of the route from Pune that is used for walking palkhis or palaquins of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram by devotees of Lord Vitthal, Gadkari said the work was going on at high speed. "Since the project is close to my heart, I think that beautification of the route should be done with the help of putting the couplets from 'abhangs' and songs devoted to Lord Vitthal along this route," he said. He said devotees can also suggest some ideas which can be implemented for beautifying the palkhi road. After inspecting the work of the multi-level flyover project at Chandni Chowk, Gadkari said, "I was told that the deadline to complete this project is 2023, but looking at the hardships and inconvenience caused to the public due to the ongoing work, it is not feasible to wait till 2023". "I have asked all officials concerned and contractors to prepare a plan to complete the project in the next one year," he added. He said the modalities regarding the acquisition of land for the flyover project stood completed and efforts will be made to complete the project at the earliest. Gadkari said Axis Bank, which was the financier for the project, has violated norms. "What this bank used to do is that it used to get the money collected in the form of toll (and) deposited it in its own account. Due to this, the concerned contractor did not get funds to finish the work. I requested the bank to hand over the funds to the contractors but it did not relent. The bank actually betrayed. It violated the norms for the (flyover) project. "It is because of the actions of Axis Bank, that the common people got inconvenienced as the contractor could not complete the work," said Gadkari. He said he had written to Pune rural police and Pune collector that because of the bank's action, the contractor is not getting money and the work is getting delayed. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is now giving money to contractors to complete the flyover work, he said. When asked about the people's reluctance to pay the toll in cases where road works are pending completion, Gadkari said the road tax has to be paid if people want good services. "The way Chandrakant Patil (when he was PWD minister in the previous BJP-led government in Maharashtra) waived the toll, we won't do it," he quipped. Patil was also present when Gadkari referred to him. Gadkari said the work of Katraj flyover near Pune will be started in the next one month. He said works on road projects for Talegaon-Chakan- Shikrapur and Pune-Shirur-Ahmednagar will start soon. Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 13 : Launching what is billed as the election campaign for the upcoming assembly polls, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday announced that people have realised that only the Left can build a stable future for Kerala. He was speaking ahead of flagging off the first rally of the ruling Left Democratic Front from Kasargode. Recalling the election campaign in the ru-up to the 2016 assembly polls, Vijayan said, people were charged up and said even if the Left doesn't do anything, the need of the hour is to see the end of then Congress-led UDF government. "We then went before the people with a manifesto on what we will do. We brought out a progress report every year and now looking back on what we did, we have been able to do all what we promised," said Vijayan. "Just recently, I had toured all the districts and met a crosssection of people and the general impression that we got is, for the future of Kerala, only the Left can do it and for that continuity is needed. Just look into the various projects, which many thought cannot happen, have all happened," said Vijayan. "One reason why we were able to handle very tough situations like the Ockhi waves, Nipah, the two floods and the global pandemic is the huge support that the people of Kerala gave to the Left government," added Vijayan. Vijayan also had a dig at the Congress-led Opposition and the Centre who is trying everything to pull down the performance of the Left government. "They ( UDF) think, the Left is the same as the Congress-led UDF. The Centre also played its part in doing their best to destabilise the government by using central agencies and joining in was a section of the media , but nothing happened because the people were with us as was seen in the local body polls (in December)," said Vijayan. The assembly polls in Kerala are likely to be held in April/May and with a good performance in the local body polls, Vijayan is confident that he will rewrite the state's electoral history by becoming the first government to retain power in an assembly election. Photo: The Canadian Press In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks before the Senate voted to award the Congressional Gold Medal to U.S. Capitol Police offer Eugene Goodman for his actions during the Jan. 6 riot, as the Senate took a break from the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told colleagues Saturday that he will vote to acquit Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, ending suspense over what the chamber's most influential Republican would decide and all but slamming the door on chances that the former president would be found guilty. The longest-serving GOP Senate leader in history made his views known in a letter to fellow Republican lawmakers, according to two sources familiar with McConnell's thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss his decision. Word of McConnells decision came minutes before the beginning of Saturday's session of the Senate trial, which is expected to be a final day of proceedings. Trump is charged with inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. McConnell's views carry sway among GOP senators, and his decision on Trump is likely to influence others weighing their votes. Seventeen Republicans would need to join all 50 Democrats to reach the two-thirds threshold needed to convict Trump, a margin that seems all but insurmountable. Many had expected the Kentucky senator to vote to clear Trump of the charges, based on McConnell's history as a GOP loyalist who likes to take few major risks. But before Saturday, McConnell had said little in public or private about his mindset, and no one was certain what he would decide. McConnell jarred the political world just minutes after the Democratic-led House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, writing to his GOP colleagues that he had not made a final decision about how he would vote at the Senate trial. It was an eye-opening departure from his quick opposition when the House impeached Trump in December 2019 for trying to force Ukraine to send the then-president political dirt on campaign rival Joe Biden and other Democrats. McConnell had also told associates he thought Trump perpetrated impeachable offences and saw the moment as a chance to distance the GOP from the damage the tumultuous Trump could inflict on it, a Republican strategist told The Associated Press at the time, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. But since this week's trial began, McConnell has voted with a majority of Republicans against proceeding with the trial at all on the grounds that Trump was no longer president. McConnell's decision to acquit Trump leaves the party locked in its struggle to define itself in the post-Trump presidency. Numerous and fiercely loyal pro-Trump Republicans and more traditional Republicans who believe the former president is damaging the party's national appeal are struggling to decide the GOP's direction. A guilty vote by McConnell would have likely done even more to roil GOP waters by signalling an attempt by the party's most powerful Washington leader to yank the party away from a figure still revered by most of its voters. The overwhelming number of Republican voters dont want Trump convicted, so that means any political leader has to tread carefully, said John Feehery, a former top congressional GOP aide. While Feehery noted that McConnell was clearly outraged over the attack, he said the senator is trying to keep his party together. Over 36 years in the Senate, the measured McConnell, 79, has earned a reputation for inexpressiveness in the service of caution. The suspense over how he was going to vote underscored how much is at stake for McConnell and his party. McConnell has spent the trials first week in his seat in the Senate chamber, staring straight ahead. A pool report from a reporter watching from the press gallery Friday said, McConnell was as stoic as ever, looking like a wax statue of himself in Madame Tussauds with his hands clasped in his lap. A guilty vote by McConnell would have enraged many of the 74 million voters who backed Trump in November, a record for a GOP presidential candidate. That could expose Republican senators seeking reelection in 2022 to primaries from conservatives seeking revenge, potentially giving the GOP less appealing general election candidates as they try winning Senate control. New Delhi: The Delhi University announced on Wednesday that it will release its 6th cut-off regarding several merit-based undergraduate courses on 22nd July. The varsity had initially announced five cut-offs, but kept options open for further ones in case of availability of seats. It has also extended its admissions for the fifth cut-off list till Thursday (July 20). "Admissions for the sixth cut-off will happen between 22and 25 July (except Sunday) for all the categories," the DU Registrar said in a release. The university has also decided to start another admission drive for students of reserved categories including SC/ST, OBC, persons with disablity (PWD), children/widows of armed forces, Kashmiri migrants and sports. "The drive for such admissions will happen between 31 July to 5 August," the release said. Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood at the right time: Amit Shah India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Feb 13: In a recent development, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the statehood would be given to Jammu and Kashmir at an "appropriate" time. Replying to the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill of 2021 in Lok Sabha, Shah said, "Many MPs said that bringing the bill means that the union territory would not get statehood. I am piloting the Bill, I brought it. I have clarified the intentions." Amit Shah-led high level committee approves more than Rs 3,000 crore for 5 states as disaster relief "Nowhere is it written that Jammu and Kashmir would not get the statehood. Where are you drawing the conclusion from? I have said in this House and I say it again that this Bill has got nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Statehood would be given to the UT at an appropriate time," Shah said. On Monday, Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterated the Congress party's demand to restore statehood status to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2019, the Union Government abrogated Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. World Radio Day: Radio a fantastic medium that deepens social connect, says PM Modi The Union minister also slammed the Opposition and asked for an account of what they did in the past 70 years. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News "I have no objection, I will give an account for everything. But those who were given the opportunity to govern for generations should look within if they are even fit to demand an account," the minister said. "We were asked what did we do about promises made during abrogation of Article 370. It has been 17 months since the abrogation and you are demanding an account for it. Did you bring the account of what you did for 70 years? Had you worked properly, you need not have asked us," he added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 15:34 [IST] In honor of Presidents Day, Akins Ford is sending out an executive order that makes it easier than ever to get behind the wheel of a new 2021 model-year Ford vehicle. Guests can now take advantage of bonus cash and 0% APR financing opportunities on select models in stock now through March 31. During this time, well-qualified buyers who finance their purchase of the new 2021 Bronco Sport Big Bend through Ford Credit can reap the benefits of $500 Retail Bonus Cash and 0.0% APR financing for up to 48 months. Sharing a platform with the new Bronco Sport, the Ford Escape is a suitable alternative for those looking to conquer paved routes. Now Atlanta-area buyers can also take advantage of $1,000 Retail Bonus Cash and 0% APR financing for up to 36 months on the 2021 Ford Escape SE. Those more interested in a sport-tuned SUV equipped with seating for up to seven passengers can purchase a new 2021 Ford Explorer ST and receive $1,250 Retail Bonus Cash and 0.0% APR financing for up to 36 months. The buck doesnt stop there. Buyers looking to get behind the wheel of a 2021 model-year Ford vehicle can find other attractive bonus cash and limited-term APR financing incentives on more of the lineups most popular options, including the best-selling Ford F-150 truck. Buyers who purchase a new 2021 Ford F-150 XL can receive $2,500 Retail Bonus Cash and 2.9% APR financing for up to 36 months. Offer eligibility is subject to credit approval through Ford Credit. Those interested are encouraged to speak with a dealership representative by calling 770-867-9136, or by visiting the dealership in person at 220 W. May St. in Winder, Ga. Akins Ford is home to the largest selection of Ford vehicles in the state of Georgia and is among the top 10 largest Ford dealerships in the U.S. The dealership currently hosts more than 1,000 new Ford models with new arrivals rolling in every week. The full inventory is available to view online at http://www.akinsford.com. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Staten Island chapter of the NAACP recently hosted a virtual forum on educational inequities in the borough and the various challenges -- including low proficiency rates in reading and math and chronic absenteeism -- facing many schools on the North Shore. The forum -- titled Whos to Blame? -- was inspired by an Advance/SILive.com article detailing the disparities between schools within the North Shore itself, and between South Shore schools and those on the North Shore, where the schools are ethnically, racially and economically more diverse. The story is part of a year-long Advance/SILive.com initiative, The Disparity Project, which shines a spotlight on the differences in opportunity and outcomes across the borough, focusing on key areas that include criminal justice, economic security, housing and education. In an effort to seek the root causes of the educational struggles seen predominantly on the North Shore, an ad-hoc committee of the Staten Island branch of the NAACP gathered a panel of educators, administrators and community leaders to participate in the forum. The goal was to address some of the key issues, highlight programs that are currently available and offer new solutions going forward. Jermaine S. Cameron, principal of the Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island, Stapleton, moderates the forum. (Staten Island Advance/Giavanni Alves) Jermaine Cameron, principal of the Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island, co-located within Dreyfus Intermediate School (I.S. 49) in Stapleton, opened the event by emphasizing that it would not be a cure-all, but an opportunity to continue the conversation and work toward tackling the issues that North Shore students and schools face. But most importantly, I want all of us to leave this room with the understanding that the work of mitigating the circumstances that prevent our young men and young women from making the progress needed is a constant work in progress, he said. Challenges like poor test performance and high absentee rates are often the symptoms of underlying issues -- such as economic disadvantage, food insecurity, temporary housing or homelessness -- that many students on the North Shore face. It is hard to expect a young woman or man to focus on their educational future when they are facing real-life challenges, such as changing housing conditions and even homelessness, said Kevin Walton, president of Young Leaders of Staten Island (YLSI), speaking at the forum, which was attended by about 100 people. YLSI is a group that organized multiple peaceful Black Lives Matter marches and events to help register voters in 2020. In 2018, the Citizens Committee for Children (CCC), which is an independent, nonpartisan, privately supported child advocacy organization, released a report titled The North Shore of Staten Island: Community Driven Solutions to Improve Child and family Well-Being. The report detailed the wide social and economic inequities within the borough, and their impact on education. According to the CCCs report, reading and math proficiency rates on the North Shore differ by neighborhood. For example, in 2017, schools in Westerleigh had 60% of students in third through eighth grade proficient in reading and 62% proficient in math -- compared to Stapleton schools, which had 29% of students proficient in reading and 25% in math, the data showed. Grymes Hill-Park Hill had 48% of third- through eighth-graders proficient in reading and 41% proficient in math that same year, the report stated. The CCC grouped some of the North Shore neighborhoods together in its reporting, including Grymes Hill-Park Hill and St. George-New Brighton. There was a general consensus among the panelists at the forum that there is neither one person nor one sole entity to blame for the struggles of many North Shore students. In fact, they pointed to a myriad of factors contributing to the state of education in that area of the borough. How can we expect our future generations to develop the necessary life skills, such as choosing positive friends and role models, never mind properly focusing on the education that is being provided to them when they dont have food in their tanks, especially healthy foods? Walton asked. Vincenza Gallassio, superintendent of District 31, is seen in this file photo. During the event, she discussed current initiatives in place at the administrative level. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson) A NEED TO CHANGE MINDSET Recognizing that the struggles seen on the North Shore need to be tackled at multiple levels, during the forum District 31 Superintendent Vincenza Gallassio and her team discussed current initiatives in place at the administrative level. The need to change mindset, the need to give tools, the need to build advocacy at the leadership level was where we thought would be the best place to begin, said Gallassio. She spoke of a series of seminars and workshops centered around addressing inequity issues in schools that were attended by staff members. According to Gallassio, approximately 75% of teachers, administrators, and borough-based support staff in District 31 have completed implicit bias training through the Office of Equity and Access. She noted that there are multiple stages to this process: The next steps for us are, again, weve gone through the theoretical part, what are going to be the practical changes that we anticipate? This file photo shows students in an after-school program at PS 57, Clifton. The school is an NYC Community School, which partners with the YMCA. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson)Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson ROLE OF COMMUNITY Multiple panelists discussed the role of community in addressing the challenges that North Shore students face. Dr. Marilyn M. Brown, a special education liaison at I.S. 49 who grew up on Staten Island and attended school on the North Shore, spoke about how she didnt have much support in her immediate family as she was growing up, but was able to succeed in school because of the support she found outside her family. I am a product of a joint effort of people who raised me. Community is important, said Brown, who encouraged students, parents and families to take advantage of community-based organizations, or CBOs. I know at Dreyfus [I.S. 49], we have a plethora of CBOs, and they do everything, she added. We do cooking and karate with the life center. We do meditation. We do acting. If your child wants it and we dont have it, well make it! I.S. 49 is one of 267 NYC Community Schools. The Community Schools initiative was launched in 2015 by Mayor Bill de Blasio to integrate academics, health and social services inside schools and to better connect students and families to support they need through partnerships with CBOs. Brown suggested utilizing various organizations, including Liberty Partnerships, the Jewish Community Center and Learning Bridges, which offer everything from academic support to extra-curricular activities, such as arts and sports. Learning Bridges was created amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as the 2020-2021 school year was developed. The program currently offers free child care for full-time remote learning and blended learning students in 3-K to eighth grade whose family cant stay home or find alternate care on the days students learn remotely and arent in school buildings. As New York City public schools reopened their doors to students for the current school year, some kids are learning remotely full-time, and others are learning in a blended model -- spending some days learning in the classroom and some days learning remotely. Treasurer of the Staten Island branch of the NAACP, Aubrey Sanders, emphasized the importance of parents in affecting change in schools and helping students succeed. We need a lot of parental involvement, she said. I implore all the people [in this forum] to engage their schools, their PTAs; they have to be a part of the solutions to the problems we have with our grade levels. To enable parents to become more involved in the school community, the Department of Educations Family and Community Empowerment team and the Division of Instructional and Informational Technology partnered to create Parent University, a new online platform that allows families to better connect with their students education through access to courses, events, activities and other resources all in one place. EQUITY-CENTERED APPROACHES Dr. Marion Wilson, deputy superintendent of District 31 who is the first Black person to ever hold a senior position in the district office, spoke at the forum about how District 31 is looking at all aspects of schooling and student experiences. Equity-centered approaches, as Wilson described them, include analyzing hiring practices and the lack of diversity reflected among staff, ensuring that funds are allocated where they are most needed, rethinking school policies, establishing more inclusive methods for assessing students and more. She told the Advance/SILive.com in the fall that she turned down a district position when she was initially offered it in 2015, citing Staten Islands reputation at the time of not being particularly inclusive. Its a reputation that isnt deserved today, she said, noting that currently theres a different mindset.' I think were moving in the right direction,' Wilson said, noting that the district pairs with several community groups and holds frequent fairs and recruitment events to reach out to young people of color who are education-minded, as well as those who may not recognize education as a viable career option for them. The equity-centered approaches are ongoing, but as Debby Poleshuck, a retired District 31 speech teacher, pointed out, there are some immediate concerns that also require solutions. For example, experts told the Advance/SILive.com at the beginning of the current school year they fear that the rate of learning loss amid the coronavirus pandemic could be alarming. When New York City school buildings shuttered last March in an effort to stem the coronavirus outbreak, students in some areas of the North Shore were hit especially hard due to various issues of need, including a lack of the basics -- space, technology, school supplies and child care, advocates stated. And even though school buildings have reopened for the 2020-2021 school year, there are students who are still learning remotely for at least part of the time. Poleshuck suggested that schools hire more guidance counselors and social services in order to meet the needs of students when they return to in-person learning full-time. The NIA on Saturday filed a supplementary chargesheet against a former Jammu and Kashmir policeman, who deserted the force and joined the Pakistan-based terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen, for his alleged involvement in attacking a CRPF convoy in 2019, an official said. Naveed Mushtaq Shah, an ex-constable of Jammu and Kashmir police, had decamped with arms and ammunition in 2017 when he was posted as a guard at the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Budgam, an official of the premier investigation agency said. After deserting the force, he joined the outlawed Pakistan-based and Kashmir-focused Hizbul-Mujahideen terror group and became an active terrorist, according to the NIA official. The chargesheet was filed against Shah before a special NIA court in Jammu under sections of the Remote Procedure Call (RPC), the Explosive Substances Act, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Property (Prevention of Damage) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA. The case relates to the attack on the CRPF convoy at Tethar in Banihal area of Ramban district by a terrorist who had exploded a car laden with explosives on March 30, 2019 with the intention of killing security personnel and waging a war against the government of India. A case was registered on March 30, 2019 in Ramban. The NIA re-registered the case on April 15, 2019 and took over the investigation. The NIA had earlier filed a chargesheet against six Hizbul-Mujahideen terrorists for their role in the attack. The special NIA court has framed charges against the six accused. Shah was actively involved in the planning and execution of the attack on the CRPF convoy in Banihal along with other terrorists Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, Rayees Ahmed Khan and Dr Saifullah Mir, who were subsequently killed in encounters with security forces, according to the NIA official. The deceased terrorists -- Sahil Abdullah Bhat, Adil Bashir Sheikh and Zubair Ahmed Wani -- were actively involved in preparation of the explosives that went into the making of the improvised explosive device (IED), the official said. Charges have been abated against the deceased terrorists involved in the conspiracy, the NIA official said, adding that further trial in the case continues. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Experts have issued grim warnings about romance scams, pet poisoning and hits to small business on Valentine's Day. Aspiring lovebirds should be on alert for scams, authorities say. Australians lost $37million to romance scams in 2020, a whopping $9million more than in the previous year. The NSW Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson says scams usually spike around Valentine's Day. 'You've got to use your head when it comes to online romances,' Mr Anderson said. 'Alarm bells should be ringing if the relationship seems to be moving too fast, for example if someone's telling you they love you after one conversation, or if their story seems a bit farfetched or unrealistic,' Mr Anderson said. Even people whose partners are real should not relax on Valentine's Day, with the risk that romantic gifts could harm their pets (pictured, a flower market on February 12) 'Ultimately, if something feels a bit off, it probably is.' People aged 45 to 64 are most likely to fall victim to a romance scam. Scammers most often use dating websites and social media to find their prey. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is warning of a particular type of scam called 'romance baiting' - where scammers seduce people on dating sites then mention an investment opportunity. 'These scams prey on people seeking connection and can leave victims with significant financial losses and emotional distress,' ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said. The state that lost the most money to romance scams in 2020 was NSW with $12.8million, according to Reviews.org. Even people whose partners are real should not relax on Valentine's Day, with the risk that romantic gifts could harm their pets. The rate at which dogs are poisoned by chocolate can double at festive moments like Valentine's Day, according to Pet Insurance Australia. Australians lost $37million to romance scams in 2020, a whopping $9million more than in the previous year (pictured, soft toys on sale) 'It's that time of year again when many will be awaiting an outpouring of romance this Valentine's Day,' Pet Insurance Australia spokesperson Nadia Crighton says. 'However, it's really important that people ensure their pets are kept safe.' Chocolate can cause the unromantic symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea and pain for dogs, and sometimes even death. Ms Crighton also warned cat owners to watch out for lilies in Valentine's Day bouquets, as lily poisoning can cause acute kidney failure in felines. Valentine's Day will be particularly grim in Victoria, which is on its second day of a five-day lockdown to curb a COVID-19 outbreak. Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Chief Executive Paul Guerra described it as 'Groundhog Day' for Victorian businesses. This weekend was slated to be one of the busiest for some time due to Valentine's Day and the Australian Open, Mr Guerra said. 'Business will once again have to absorb the cost of stock losses, while thousands of Victorians won't be able to work. It's another massive blow to our economy which was just starting to get back on its feet.' He said Victorian businesses should not have to keep paying the price for 'shortcomings' in Victoria's hotel quarantine system. The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere", the Supreme Court said as it dismissed a plea seeking review of its verdict passed last year in which it had held the occupation of public ways during the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh here was not acceptable" The top court said there may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged dissent or protest, there cannot be continued occupation of public place affecting the rights of others. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Kirshna Murari said, We have perused the review petition and record of the civil appeal and are convinced that the order of which review has been sought, does not suffer from any error apparent warranting its reconsideration". The bench, which has passed the order recently, said it has considered the earlier judicial pronouncements and recorded its opinion that the Constitutional scheme comes with a right to protest and express dissent but with an obligation to have certain duties". The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere. There may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged dissent or protest, there cannot be continued occupation of public place affecting rights of others", the bench said, while dismissing a plea by one Shaheen Bagh resident Kaniz Fatima and others seeking review of last year's verdict of October 7. The top court, which considered the matter in the judges' chambers also rejected the prayer for open court hearing in the matter. The apex court had on October 7, last year held that public spaces cannot be occupied indefinitely and demonstrations expressing dissent have to be in designated places alone. It had said occupation of public ways in the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh locality here was not acceptable". Observing that democracy and dissent go hand in hand", the apex court had said constitutional scheme comes with the right to protest and express dissent, but with an obligation towards certain duties. It had said the mode and manner of dissent against colonial rule during India's freedom struggle cannot be equated with dissent in a self-ruled democracy. However, while appreciating the existence of the right to peaceful protest against a legislation...we have to make it unequivocally clear that public ways and public spaces cannot be occupied in such a manner and that too indefinitely," the top court had said. The apex court's verdict had come on a plea by lawyer Amit Sahni against blockade of a road in Shaheen Bagh area by those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which aimed to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It had held that the protest at Shaheen Bagh was a blockage of a public way which caused grave inconvenience to commuters. The top court had said such kind of occupation of public ways, whether at the site in question or anywhere else for protests, is not acceptable and the administration ought to take action to keep the areas clear of encroachments or obstructions". Democracy and dissent go hand in hand, but then the demonstrations expressing dissent have to be in designated places alone," it had said, adding, We cannot accept the plea of the applicants that an indeterminable number of people can assemble whenever they choose to protest". Restrictions were imposed on the Kaindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch and the Okhla underpass, which were closed on December 15, 2019 due to the protests. Later, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the area was cleared. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. New Delhi, Feb 13 : Despite testimonies and experience from peers, the vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers has continued. The reason for the hesitancy is absence of "medical ritual" for adult vaccination in the country. "Barring a few exceptions, the vaccines were always administered to children till the Covid-19 pandemic arrived. Now, the introduction of vaccines have generated a lot of curiosity and raised inhibitions," said Chand Wattal, head of Department of Microbiology at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. The doctor who received his second dose on Saturday urged people to trust science as vaccines are safe. Around 1.9 lakh healthcare workers are scheduled to receive their booster shots of Covid vaccines on Saturday post a gap of 28 days after receiving the first jab of the two-dose inoculation regimen. The vaccination drive started on January 16 with expected level of hesitancy towards the vaccines since its side effects and reactions post immunization were unknown. However, with time, the acceptance for the vaccines has improved as more healthcare workers are coming forward to become vaccine beneficiaries. Sharing their experience after a month of taking the first shot and now fully immunised with the second dose, the healthcare workers told IANS: "We are hale and hearty after the jibes". Pragya Shukla from Delhi State Cancer Institute became the first woman doctor in India to receive the Covid vaccine in India, completed her two-part dose on Saturday and told IANS that no side effect has occurred after the second dose and the after-effects she experienced even after her first jab were "inconsequential". "I developed mild fever and a little malaise (unease) which subsided within a day. I'm in the pink of my health and have experienced little other after effects post immunization in the duration of 28 days," she said. Shukla, who is also a nodal officer of Covid vaccination at the DSCI said that other beneficiaries who received their first dose at the hospital had experienced minor side effects and did not experience any severe Adverse event following immunization (AEFI). "All of them had a mild fever, pain at the injection site and little weakness which remained just for a day and two. After that, they are all healthy and regularly coming to work," she said. Wattal, who was among the first 3,000 healthcare workers who received their initial dose of Covid vaccine on January 16 said that apart from a little heaviness in the injected arm, he did not experience any more side effects. He received his second dose on Saturday. Shukla said that such after effects are common after taking any vaccine. Despite the testimonies and experience from peers, the vaccine hesitancy among the healthcare workers is there to some degree. Wattal, said that the reason behind the hesitancy is the absence of a "medical ritual" for adult vaccination in the country. "Barring a few exceptions, the vaccines were always administered to children till the Covid-19 pandemic arrived. Now, the introduction of vaccines have generated a lot of curiosity and raised inhibitions," he said. "However, they must trust science and look at the evidence in hand. No one would make a poison to counter a killer pathogen. We (vaccine beneficiaries) are walking-talking evidence. Nothing happened to us. The vaccines are safe," Wattal added. "The vaccines are safe and save lives, that is the bottomline," Shukla stated. Shukla and Wattal, both agree that more awareness, peer-to-peer conversation and endorsement is required to win complete trust over the safety of vaccines. As per the data shared by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday morning, 79,67,647 people constituting healthcare and frontline workers, have received Covid vaccines in the country so far. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Robert Magee-Coffin, who has camped for months along a sidewalk that abuts Laurelhurst Park, hasnt heard of the Metro supportive housing services measure. But it has the potential to directly impact his daily life. During the past nine months, a handful of committees around the tri-county Portland area have discussed how best to spend proceeds from the tax to fund homeless services that voters approved in May, while Magee-Coffin has continued to live outdoors in Southeast Portland. The 37-year-old has experienced homelessness for the past three years, wandering around Portland as city workers prod him to vacate spot after spot. In that time, he has identified what he believes would be most helpful to himself and others like him. He said there is a need for more behavioral health services, alternative forms of shelter, housing caseworkers and regular trash removal for encampments clustered throughout the city. When the city sweeps our camp, they always offer us to go to one of the shelters, Magee-Coffin said. But its worse there. The shelters have more exposure to drug use, and they kick you out early in the morning And there isnt much in terms of mental health resources. The one mental health facility feels more like they just baby-sit you instead of really trying to help. Magee-Coffins neighbors, also currently living in tents or their cars, added to the list of needs: showers, a place to charge cell phones, access to laundry facilities, more affordable housing and a sense of safety. The housing services measure was designed to muscle up current social service programs to address some of those very needs, particularly funding to keep people housed through rental assistance and behavioral health services. On Jan. 1, the measure began imposing a 1% income tax on individuals living inside the metro boundaries who make $125,000 or more annually and couples who earn $200,000 combined. Businesses based inside Metros bounds that generate $5 million annually in Oregon also owe a 1% tax. The tax is expected to bring in $250 million a year. Multnomah County will receive 45.3% of the total funds, Washington County 33.3% and Clackamas County 21.3%. In the first full year, Multnomah County is expected to receive $100 million. While the money will show up on the books in July, there is still a lengthy public approval process to navigate before it can be distributed. Implementation plans from Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties must each be approved by the Metro council. Then, each county must approve final spending decisions during their respective budget sessions. SPENDING PLANS Metros rules for how counties may spend the funds are purposefully broad to allow tactics to pivot as need changes year to year and to allow each county to tailor spending to their unique demographics. This will fill in gaps where funding support didnt exist before, said Marisa Zapata, director of Portland State University homeless research and action collaborative. People recognized there was a need to have a consistent source of flexible funding, Zapata, said. We already had measures that could only be used for bricks and sticks, so the construction or acquisition of affordable housing, now this will fill in the service gaps around that. Even if the literal house exists, it can be challenging for individuals to secure or stay housed without extra financial support to fill in gaps created by slim Social Security or disability payments or free and accessible supportive services such as behavioral health counseling. Others say the breadth of flexibility could be too wide. The key here is to drop services that arent working and focus on services that are, said Metro Councilor Mary Nolan. To do that, she stressed the need for ongoing data collection to measure program performance. Collection of one key data point, the multi-day count of all people in a county found to be living outside conducted around the nation in January of every odd-numbered year, has been put off for a year in the Portland area due to coronavirus. We need to set agreed upon outcomes and deadlines to drive all decisions, Nolan said. I think not doing the Point-in-Time count this year will hamper our ability to know where we are starting and what we can measure against in a year. A new data tracking system is slated to be built to track progress in real time, said Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury. Across all goals, the fund must address racial disparities and chronic homelessness, according to the measure language. To target chronic homelessness, 75% of the funds will be prioritized for extremely low-income households, earning zero to 30% of the regions median family income, with at least one disabling condition who are either experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of experiencing it, measure requirements say. Zapata said she believes the region is still struggling with what it means to demonstrate racial equity, as in what that looks like in the planning process, the policy and outcomes. Leaving the implantation process up to the counties is one way to tailor the funding to more local cultural needs, she said. To address things like racial disparities, George Devendorf, executive director of Portlands largest shelter provider Transition Projects, said part of the funding should bolster already-established service providers in the community, including smaller, culturally specific and faith-based organizations in addition to large providers. WASHINGTON, CLACKAMAS COUNTIES TRAIL BEHIND Washington and Clackamas county leaders are still drafting their funding proposals. In line with what the measure directs, Washington Countys plan will call for supportive housing, long-term rental assistance, behavioral health services and shelter, said Josh Crites, assistant director of Washington Countys department of housing services. But officials want more community feedback before deciding specifically how to spend the funds, he said. The countys planning committee will likely continue discussions through March and present their implementation draft to Metros oversight committee in April, Crites said. But Crites said he already knows the plan will highlight certain priorities. We are seeing communities of color being overrepresented, Crites said. Addressing that is a big policy issue here in Washington County. We know we need to improve how we culturally engage with those communities. In Clackamas County, the Board of Commissioners will be briefed on the local implementation plan in the next few weeks, said Clackamas County spokesperson Kimberly Dinwiddie-Webb. From there, the county is slated to present their plan to Metros oversight committee in the spring. However, the county has already identified five things the county doesnt have enough of as priorities: effective behavioral health services, emergency or transitional shelter options, rental assistance, outreach services and supportive housing. Officials at Metro, which hasnt taken on homelessness prior to this measure, said they are happy with each countys planning progress so far. Our regional approach is structured on the unique local needs and plans of each county, said Metro spokesperson Constantino Khalaf. MULTNOMAH COUNTY CHARGES AHEAD Multnomah Countys actual spending decisions wont be final until the county commission approves its overall budget for 2021-22, likely in June, but the projected use of the funds largely aligns with the measures goal to focus on placing and keeping people in homes. The countys top priority is housing, intending to add an additional 2,235 units of various types of housing with wrap-around support services on top of the nearly 4,000 units already on the books. The units will be created a variety of ways including constructing new affordable units with support services attached, assigning support services to apartments that already exist and making market-rate apartments affordable by offering rent vouchers, said Denis Theriault, Joint Office of Homeless Services communications coordinator. The second priority intends to grow various types of rental assistance through long-term and short-term assistance programs. This aims to help low-income people use the supplemental rent money to get around the lack of affordable housing units and high rents charged for available market-rate apartments. The Metro supportive housing services measure is expected to bring in $250 million a year. Street campers at Laurelhurst Park in Portland are hoping some of those funds are used for mental health services. Once individuals are given a stable place to live, then you can help them achieve their best lives from there, Zapata said. Potential mental health issues to employment needs can be addressed more productively once housing has been secured. The third priority is to expand supportive services. Those include behavioral health, peer support, education, training, employment and benefits acquisition, housing case management, legal assistance and family support. Devendorf, the Transition Projects leader, said the availability of mental health and addiction treatment services need to be scaled up substantially during the initial years of the program to help people get into supportive housing and retain that housing. Without those services, individuals have a higher chance of falling back into homelessness, he said. Tenant advocacy is often overlooked and underfunded, if funded at all, Zapata added. Yet it could prevent homelessness from reoccurring or happening in the first place. The countys final broad goal is more diversified street and shelter services. Street outreach, emergency shelter and alternative shelter are not the long-term priority focus of the measure but have been identified as immediate needs amid the economic and public health impacts of COVID-19, county documents say. IMMEDIATE GOALS While long-term planning work is still underway in Multnomah County, the city of Portland and the countys Joint Office of Homelessness Services has identified several programs its leaders hope will receive immediate funding in July, Theriault said. Multnomah County is estimated to receive $52 million in 2021. A large portion of the initial funding is proposed to go towards rental assistance. This would likely include funneling rental assistance to already-established programs that need money to get additional people housed. Specifically, funds could be targeted to a program that pairs people with severe mental illness with teams of supportive workers, with the goal of guiding them to stable housing. Similarly, rental assistance could be provided to individuals experiencing homelessness who were at high-risk of having severe COVID-19 complications and were placed temporarily in motel rooms. The rental assistance would be used to transition them to more permanent housing. Officials also want to bolster a $5 million privately funded initiative by Kaiser Permanente, which housed 300 seniors across the tri-county area in 2020. Multnomah County used its share of those funds to help 140 seniors move into housing. A new infusion of money from the measure would allow that program, which used up its one-time funding, to keep those seniors housed and obtain housing for other vulnerable seniors as well. ADDITIONAL APPROVALS NEEDED The next decision on spending under the measure could come on Feb. 22, when the Metro oversight committee is slated to vote on its implementation plan. From there, Metro Council would need to ratify it. While the funds will begin flowing to counties in July, any of the money in Multnomah County will need to go before Multnomah County Commission as part of a budget decision before the funds are passed on to the Joint Office of Homeless Services. In Clackamas and Washington counties, just the county commissions will need to give approval. Despite the months-long planning since the measure passed in May and the many public votes still to be taken, some feel a sense of urgency to get dollars out the door. We face serious, immediate challenges, said Seraphie Allen, a policy adviser to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. We have an obligation to put these dollars to work as soon as we have them in service of solutions to the crisis on our streets. A previous version of this story misstated the funding approval process for Multnomah County. Nicole Hayden reports on homelessness for The Oregonian|OregonLive. She can be reached at nhayden@oregonian.com or (810) 210-1561. Follow her on Twitter @Nicole_A_Hayden. Luxury goods giant Burberry will voluntarily pay the Treasury tax it saved from an emergency business rates holiday even though its stores remain shut. The surprise move will make London-based Burberry the first 'non-essential' retailer to hand over tax on business premises forced to close under lockdown rules. Until now, only a few firms that have traded throughout lockdown, including supermarkets Tesco and Sainsbury's, have given up the business rates tax relief available to all retail and hospitality companies. Surprise: The move will make London-based Burberry the first 'non-essential' retailer to hand over tax on business premises forced to close under lockdown rules Other chains that have remained open will now come under mounting pressure to follow the luxury retailer's example. In recent days Burberry has also paid back a 300million taxpayer-backed loan a month early, suggesting that it has growing confidence in Britain's economic recovery and its own prospects in the year ahead. The company said settling the loan early and opting to pay business rates despite Chancellor Rishi Sunak's 12-month relief package announced last March was 'the right thing to do'. Burberry also declined to accept Government furlough money last year. The loan was part of a Treasury-backed assistance package for large firms buffeted by the pandemic. About 50 firms still have more than 12billion in Bank of England loans outstanding under the Covid Corporate Financing Facility including a string of overseas companies. Burberry's London store has one of the highest rates bills in the country. It will hand over an estimated 6million for its six standalone stores and three outlet locations despite the 12-month business rates exemption for retail and hospitality until April. The plan makes Burberry, famous for its tartan check, the highest profile retail operator outside the grocery and DIY sectors to return the rates money. Analysis by Altus Group shows 14 retail groups have returned 2.2billion to the Treasury. Joinery chain Howdens repaid 8million in November alongside 22million in furlough cash. That was followed by rates repayments from Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl and discount store B&M. Others including Waitrose, Co-op, M&S, Boots, Poundland, Iceland and The Range have not offered to pay business rates despite some or all of their stores remaining open. There has been growing unease about the use of Government subsidies after blanket measures by the Treasury meant companies benefited from public generosity even after they continued to operate throughout. The Mail on Sunday revealed last month that foreign giants paid 5billion in dividends to their investors after taking out cheap Covid loans, which are issued by the Bank of England and guaranteed by the taxpayer. The US owner of Boots gave billionaire Italian boss Stefano Pessina a windfall of almost 50million just days after the chemist drew 300million from the loan scheme. Walgreens Boots Alliance will hand Pessina another 50million in the coming weeks even though the debt remains unpaid. A Whitehall source said at the time: 'This may be acceptable [under the scheme's rules], but it's not exactly in the spirit of the scheme.' High street campaigner Bill Grimsey said: 'There has been a need to help businesses that have suffered. 'But there is no need to hand money to businesses that have traded throughout the crisis and in some cases traded better than they did before. These were blanket policies and those that don't need it should now be paying the money back.' Grimsey said all the firms that have handed back business rate holiday money are listed on the London Stock Exchange. Some will be keen to avoid the wrath of shareholders at annual meetings later this year an issue that will not concern private firms. The Range, owned by billionaire Chris Dawson, has been criticised for accepting about 36million from the business rates holiday despite keeping stores open and revealing in December that it made 47million in the previous year. In September, Burberry raised 300million through a 'sustainability' bond to investors to fund 'sustainable projects' and help 'drive social and environmental improvements'. The company said: 'We believe this is the right thing to do in the context of our improved third-quarter trading performance and financial stability, secured through rigorous cash management and the introduction of long-term funding via our sustainability bond.' (CNN) The Senate's second impeachment trial of Donald Trump raced toward a conclusion on Friday, with the former President's legal team quickly finishing its presentation and senators taking their turn to pose written questions to the legal teams. Trump's team wrapped up its presentation in a little more than three hours before the question-and-answer session concluded several hours later Friday evening. In their brief argument, Trump's team equated the former President's speech with Democrats' rhetoric -- showing lengthy montages of Democratic politicians saying they would "fight" -- to argue that Trump's words on January 6 did not incite the rioters who attacked the Capitol afterward. During the Senate questions, the key Republicans who could vote to find Trump guilty focused on the actions of the then-President as the riot unfolded and then-Vice President Mike Pence was endangered, a topic that Trump's lawyers did little to address during their argument or when the GOP senators posed the questions. The defense team's presentation showed Democratic reactions to videos of protests and riots over police violence last year, comparing them to the attack on the US Capitol, while they argued that Trump's language telling his supporters to "fight like hell" was merely "ordinary political rhetoric." Trump's lawyers also falsely suggested Antifa was responsible for the deadly riots, rather than Trump supporters, and raised Trump's false claims of voter fraud in Georgia. The presentation underscored the goal of Trump's team Friday: Do no harm. Unlike the Democratic managers, who hoped to win over Republican senators with their presentation, Trump's lawyers expect to already have the votes they need for acquittal, as most Republican senators are saying they will vote to acquit Trump because they believe the trial is unconstitutional. The Senate could vote on conviction Saturday, when the trial resumes at 10 a.m. ET. At that point, the House managers could request witnesses, though they are unlikely to do so. If no witnesses are sought, the two sides would each get to make a closing argument, and a final vote could occur at 3 p.m. ET, though that is still not locked in. During their two days of arguments, the House managers tried to force senators to confront the horrific images in a bid to change Republican minds, while Trump's team was more than content with a partisan draw. At the first break of the day Friday, the partisan division was on display in a way it had not been in the two days when the managers presented: Republicans praised Trump's lawyers and Democrats universally panned them. In the final moments of Friday's session, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also paid tribute on the floor to US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, whose heroic acts during the riot were seen during trial video earlier this week. Schumer announced that he would ask the Senate to pass legislation to award him the Congressional Gold Medal, which passed by unanimous consent moments later. The entire Senate stood and turned to Goodman with a lengthy ovation to acknowledge his heroism. Goodman put his hand to his heart in recognition. Questions focus on Trump's response After three days of mostly scripted presentations, the question-and-answer session was more free-flowing, although the House managers and Trump's lawyers were clearly prepared for the friendly questions they received from senators. The questions, alternating between Democrats and Republicans, were submitted on a notecard to Sen. Patrick Leahy, the presiding officer as Senate president pro tem, and they were read by the Senate clerk. Democrats' questions to the managers and most GOP questions to the President's team were intended to help bolster their respective cases. There were a few exceptions, such as when independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont asked both sides whether Trump had won the election as he falsely claimed. But the most interesting questions came from some of the handful of Republican senators open to conviction: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Collins and Murkowski jointly asked Trump's legal team to describe when he had learned of the riots and the actions he had taken. They asked the lawyers to be as specific as possible, but Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said only that Trump had tweeted at 2:38 p.m. ET before the lawyer launched into an attack against the House Democrats for what he called lack of due process. "I didn't really feel that I got a response, but I'm not sure that that was the fault of the counsel," Collins said when asked about the answer. "One of the problems is with the House not having hearings to establish exactly what happened when, it's difficult to answer a question like that." Murkowski also expressed dissatisfaction with the answer. "It was like, wait a minute, that wasn't very responsive," Murkowski said. After the Senate session ended for the day, van der Veen approached Murkowski and Collins at their desks and the three briefly chatted. Romney asked both sides whether Trump had known that Pence was in danger when he criticized his vice president in a tweet at 2:24 p.m. while Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. "The answer is no," van der Veen responded. Later, Cassidy asked about Trump's tweet and the conversation Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama had had with Trump minutes beforehand, in which, Tuberville said this week, he had told Trump the vice president was being evacuated. Cassidy said Trump's tweet "suggested President Trump did not care that Vice President Pence was in danger," asking whether it showed Trump was tolerant of intimidation of Pence. Van der Veen responded that the answer was no, but said that he disputed the facts underlying the question, even though Tuberville's description of the call was recounted on the record to reporters this week. Asked if he was satisfied with the response, Cassidy said, "Not really." "I didn't think it was a very good answer," he said, adding that the call "obviously wasn't hearsay" because Tuberville had confirmed it. A source close to Pence said Trump's legal team was not telling the truth when van der Veen said at the trial that "at no point" did the then-President know his vice president was in danger. Asked whether van der Veen was lying, the source said, "Yes." And a source with knowledge of events on January 6 told CNN that Pence did not call Trump when he was whisked away. However, Pence's chief of staff Marc Short called Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows and informed him what was going on. In his responses, van der Veen repeatedly attacked and criticized the House managers, suggesting at one point that Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the lead impeachment manager, was having fun and chiding him that this was his own most miserable time in Washington. Raskin, whose family members were trapped in the Capitol during last month's riot, later responded to van der Veen, "For that I guess we're sorry, but man, you should have been here on January 6." A divided reaction During the defense presentation, van der Veen played clips of congressional Democrats objecting to the certification of Trump's win in the 2016 election, including Raskin. And they ran a nearly 10-minute montage of Senate Democrats, the managers and other politicians saying the word "fight," suggesting they used the same rhetoric as the former President. Trump's lawyers also went after House Democrats, accusing them of political retribution in impeaching the former President a second time after going after him throughout his time in office. They accused the managers of selectively editing footage of Trump's speeches and tweets and ignoring Trump's comments for protesters to remain peaceful. "The hatred that the House managers and others on the left have for President Trump has driven them to skip the basic elements of due process and fairness," Trump attorney David Schoen said. Inside the Senate chamber, Republicans reacted with chuckles and laughter at various points, nodding in agreement with the Trump lawyers' presentation. Democrats were mostly stone faced at the start of the lengthy montage, but that changed quickly as more and more clips played. There were constant murmurs in the chamber, as well as whispering, some laughing and note passing. Republicans had panned the initial meandering presentation from Trump's team on Tuesday, but they praised his attorneys on Friday. Murkowski said Trump's team was "putting on a good defense today." "The first two hours I thought were well put together," she said. To Democrats, the Trump lawyers put forward a "bogus argument," said Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat. "Donald Trump was told that if he didn't stop lying about the election people would be killed. He wouldn't stop, and the Capitol was attacked and seven people are dead who would be alive today. That's what I think about this," he said. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico called it a "completely false equivalence." "I don't remember any violent mobs after any of those comments, so it's just not the same thing," Heinrich said. 'Peacefully and patriotically' Van der Veen acknowledged the abhorrent violence at the Capitol on Friday, but also suggested that groups of "extremists of various different stripes and political persuasions," including Antifa, pre-planned the attack, meaning Trump could not have incited it. "Nothing in the text could ever be construed as encouraging, condoning or enticing unlawful activity of any kind," van der Veen said. "Far from promoting insurrection against the United States, the President's remarks explicitly encouraged those in attendance to exercise their rights peacefully and patriotically." To be sure, the arguments from Trump's lawyers included factually dubious and outright false claims about the circumstances of the riots. Antifa was not responsible for the riots at the Capitol -- the dozens of charging documents have shown many well-known leaders of far-right groups led the attackers. Though it is hard to pinpoint the political ideology of some participants in the riot, video evidence and court documents conclusively show that the riot was perpetrated by Trump supporters. A top FBI official told reporters in early January that they had seen "no indication" that Antifa members had disguised themselves as Trump supporters. Even House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said on the House floor last month during the impeachment debate there was "absolutely no evidence" Antifa caused the riots. The defense team's focus on Trump's January 6 speech also ignored the argument House Democrats had made earlier in the week that Trump's incitement dated back months and involved more than just that speech. The most substantive case Trump's lawyers made was that Trump's speech on January 6 did not amount to incitement and was protected by the First Amendment, just like other political speech is protected speech. Trump's team argued that he used the word "fight" in a political context at his speech at the January 6 rally, such as fighting Republicans who voted against him in a primary. "There's no doubt Mr. Trump engaged in constitutionally protected speech that the House has improperly characterized as incitement of insurrection," said Trump attorney Bruce Castor. The Trump team's presentation concluded with an effort to push back on the allegations that Trump told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes for Trump to win, as Castor raised many of the false allegations about voter fraud in Georgia to argue Trump had done nothing wrong when he called Raffensperger. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Key GOP senators push Trump's lawyers to explain ex-President's actions as Pence was endangered." Before dawn most mornings, my 3-year-old puppy, Roscoe, notifies me that hes ready to trot around the neighborhood. So out we go. Recently it has been so cold that Ive taken to wearing my Russian hat. That hat is a classic. Its whats called a ushanka you know, with the ear flaps that you can tie on top or flip down. Very stylish, if youre a commissar. I got it on a reporting trip to Moscow many years ago, and it always reminds me of the dangers of delusion. Soviet factories in the Gorbachev era still imposed Stalinist controls on production. Factory managers paychecks were determined by whether their workers had met eight success indicators each quarter the most important being production quotas that were often ridiculously unrealistic. Those numbers had to stay high, though, so that higher-ups could claim credit for boosting output to meet government growth projections. Units produced mattered; quality did not. So shoddy goods flooded Russian markets. Savvy consumers knew to check a tag on each product that delineated its origin and the date it came off the assembly line. A date at the end of a quarter signified a product more likely to be lousy, as workers strained to meet the production quota by shoving goods out the door quickly. As the Russian press gained a measure of freedom in the mid-1980s, it began to report on the production defects that so frustrated consumers: sunglasses so dark that nobody could see through them, raincoats with improperly vulcanized rubber that made the coats insides so sticky that they couldnt be unfolded, shoes with high heels attached to the wrong ends of the soles. So about my hat: It has a tag revealing that it was produced in November of 1986 the middle of a quarter. Its a fine hat. It keeps me warm throughout Roscoes perambulations. But anybody who bought a product of Soviet factories had to be wary, which revealed the fact that the supposed productivity of the economy claimed in the 1980s to be the worlds second-largest was a lie. You cant sustain a big lie for long. Indeed, the underlying weakness of the economy was a key factor that brought down a superpower. Any American who doesnt at this point understand the impact of the big lie in our own country surely has been willfully turning away from reality. We have seen clearly how close our own country came to disaster as a result of one politicians flatly fake claims which were echoed by some of his unscrupulous partisan parasites that our November election was stolen from him. Of course thats not true. But the experience of recent years raises the question of whether truth really matters in America anymore. Loyalty to a political or social group seems, in many circles, to be valued more highly than fact-based reasoning. A social psychologist at New York University, Jonathan Haidt, has some advice for those of us who believe truth-telling must be the fundamental tool of societys governance: Get over it. Haidt argues that people even within a single society inherit different sets of values, and that we use our reasoning skills to justify those values. Once people join a political team, Haidt wrote in The Righteous Mind in 2012, they get ensnared in its moral matrix. They see confirmation of their grand narrative everywhere, and its difficult perhaps impossible to convince them that they are wrong if you argue with them from outside the matrix. So we shouldnt be surprised that Donald Trumps outrageous claim that he won the November election by a lot draws support from even presumptively smart people, like Elise Stefanik, the member of Congress from Saratoga County, who is a graduate of Albany Academy for Girls and Harvard University. Certainly she knows better. But all evidence suggests that she prizes other consequences of Trumps presidency, perhaps including her own political advancement, more than she does the value of truth itself. The riot in Washington on Jan. 6, which is at the base of the second impeachment of Donald Trump, was an outgrowth of that mindset. The mob that stormed the Capitol, sending members of Congress and the vice president sheltering for fear of their lives, surely included many people who consider themselves loyal Americans, but who believe, in Haidts words, that righteous ends justify violent means (which, to be clear, Haidt himself does not accept). Their cause was endorsed only hours later by a majority of House Republicans, including Stefanik, who crassly voted against certifying the election of Joe Biden though they knew that Trumps claims were baseless. The danger of this eagerness to abandon reason for comfort is that it undermines democracy, which depends on citizens ultimately making rational choices. Politicians who countenance such challenges to reality are acquiescing in a cheapening of our national products namely, as the pledge says, liberty and justice for all. That is a corruption far more consequential than tolerating shoddy sunglasses, shoes and hats. Unfortunately, our economic bedrock of oil and gas is under attack by an administration that is bent on eliminating millions of jobs, Republican Congressman Brian Babin announced to the public last week at a press event along with six other Texas politicians, with the refineries and petrochemical plants of the Houston Ship Channel as a backdrop. Babins statement echoes the fears of many in and around the United States oil and gas industry, which sees itself as under siege by the Biden administration's climate-forward policy goals. President Biden, for his part, did little to quell fears in the shale patch when he signed an executive order pulling the plug on the massive Keystone XL pipeline project on his very first day in office. Yes, its true that things arent looking good for shale jobs, and fears of the sectors accelerated downturn under the Biden administration are far from unfounded. Its also true that despite a sea change in attitudes toward climate and clean energy, the world still runs on fossil fuels. Even if we are currently experiencing peak oil, as many experts contend, we will still continue to need oil and gas for decades down the line before these fuel sources become obsolete. Rome was not built in a day and decarbonization cant and wont happen overnight. But while politicians and industry insiders sound the alarm bells about Biden and the Democrats attack on our economic bedrock of oil and gas, experts are telling a very different story: a move away from fossil fuels is actually the best thing possible for Texas, New Mexico, and other states with petro-economies. While many fossil fuel industry advocates will be quick to pin the death of shale on Biden and the Democrats, the reality is that shales decline has been a long time coming. Thanks to shifting global energy priorities and demands, along with the relatively short lifespan of shale oil wells and the relatively pricey operation costs, shale has been in a tight spot for years. Nationwide, oil and gas jobs have been in freefall for a while now. In 2014, more than 2.5% of jobs in Texas were in the oil and gas, mining and quarrying industries, according to the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Tribune reported this week. At the beginning of 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic and a global drop in the demand for oil the share of jobs in the Texas oil and gas field had fallen to about 1.8%. Related: Oil Prices Post Longest Winning Streak In Two Years In Texas, where oiliness is next to godliness and loyalty to fossil fuels has as much or more to do with ideology as it does with economics, theres a strong argument to be made that Biden is doing the state a favor by nudging them toward a clean energy transition. The faster the state lets go of shale and positions itself to be an energy leader of the future instead of holding on to their energy dominion of the past, the better Texas workers will fare. When it comes to job creation, green energy is the way to go. Back in June PV Tech reported on a raft of new studies which has come to underscore the business case of pushing renewables to the heart of the COVID-19 recovery, amid claims green energy plays offer a low-cost, high-return opportunity for investors. And a just month after that report, physicist, engineer, researcher, inventor, serial entrepreneur, and MacArthur genius grant winner Saul Griffiths organization Rewiring America made its big debut with a jobs report showing that rapid decarbonization through electrification would create 15 million to 20 million jobs in the next decade, with 5 million permanent jobs after that. Texas is already a major wind power producer, and the state has major potential to emerge as a frontrunner in renewable energy storage and large-scale solar farms. Oil states have the infrastructure and they have the workers. Now its time to put away partisan politics, focus on simple economics, and lean into the future. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) - Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipino-Chinese in the country continue to practice their traditions especially in celebrating Lunar New Year on Friday. Meah Ang See, managing director of Bahay Tsinoy Museum, said the Lunar New Year Day is the time where Filipino-Chinese prayed for their clan's ancestors by lighting up incense in temples and clan halls. Due to the movement restrictions brought by the pandemic, Ang See said someone in behalf of the Filipino-Chinese families is lighting incense in temples and clan halls. "They also do ancestor veneration [ceremony] online. In the same way as Christians go to online masses, the temples are also holding online services," Ang See said in an interview on CNN Philippines' The Final Word. Filipino-Chinese family gatherings during the Lunar New Year celebration are usually big, as clan members of up to 100 persons hold feasts to ring in the new year. The pandemic only allowed these families to celebrate the turn of the new year in their own homes by themselves. "They just stay with their most immediate family now. You keep it close, they only send food to each other," Ang See explained. Ang See said she misses the tradition in the Philippines, where Filipino-Chinese and even Filipinos give tikoy to their loved ones and friends. She added this tradition is not even celebrated in mainland China, where families only buy the delicacy for themselves. "In China, you buy a box for your own family for your own consumption. But here, you buy an entire case of tikoy and give it to everyone you know," Ang See elaborated. The Bahay Tsinoy Museum managing director explained the Filipinos' reverence to tikoy is one of the evolutions in the Filipino-Chinese culture, that is not seen on other mixed Chinese cultures in other Southeast Asian countries and mainland China as well. Ang See also noted Binondo district, the center of the Filipino-Chinese community in the country, is relatively quiet as they welcome the Year of the Metal Ox. "It's very different because it used to be so lively and so crowded. I'm also happy that the activities were cancelled because of COVID-19. Many of the Filipino-Chinese members do not want the Lunar New Year activities to be a contributory [factor] to the spike of cases," Ang See said. A lot of people flock to Binondo every Lunar New Year celebration to watch the traditional dragon dances and buy delicacies like tikoy and hopia. These activities bring luck for the whole year, according to Chinese traditions. Last January 29, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso ordered the cancellation of all Lunar New Year celebration activities to avoid new COVID-19 outbreaks and to not put to waste the local government's efforts in containing the spread of the coronavirus. Proving the ability of our water purifiers to remove toxic PFAS is excellent news for anyone worried about forever chemicals in tap water Bluewater, a world water purification leader, today said a study had confirmed its top of the line Pro purifier successfully removes up to 99.99% of health-threatening PFAS chemicals such as PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, and PFBS. The research was carried out in a laboratory at the prestigious Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH) and the results were verified by the independent bio-analytical testing group Eurofins. Known as forever chemicals, PFASs are believed to be driving increased rates of some cancers and other medical issues, including resistance to vaccines, liver damage, immune system disruption, impaired fertility, and high cholesterol. High levels of PFAS have been found in municipal tap water in cities around the world. Proving the ability of our water purifiers to remove toxic PFAS is excellent news for anyone worried about forever chemicals in tap water, said Bengt Rittri, founder and CEO of Bluewater. Research shows PFAS exposure mostly comes from drinking contaminated water, eating food such as fish or vegetables grown in contaminated soil, food packaging, or using PFAS coated products. PFAS accumulate over time in humans and the environment. The chemicals are used in various consumer products and industrial applications, including firefighting foams, non-stick metal coatings for frying pans, paper food packaging, creams and cosmetics, textiles for furniture and outdoor clothing, paints, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says there is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects, while the European Environment Agency (EEA) describes PFAS as moderately to highly toxic, particularly for childrens development. Biomonitoring studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that PFAS may be in the blood of nearly all Americans. In mid-January, 2021, a study published in Environmental Sciences Europe said around 100 million Chinese in 66 cities across China were drinking tap water with unsafe levels of PFAS. Laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group, in Washington, USA, in late 2019, found toxic PFAS fluorinated chemicals in the drinking water of dozens of U.S. cities, including major metropolitan areas. Some of the highest PFAS levels detected were in samples from cities such as Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and New York City, prompting the EWG to say the number of Americans exposed to PFAS from contaminated tap water has been dramatically underestimated by previous studies, Dr. Ahmed Fawzy, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Bluewater who carried out the tests at KTH verified by Eurofins, said little detailed information is available regarding which specific PFAS are used in what applications and to what extent. Due to the uncertainty we decided to independently test the PFAS removal efficiency of the Bluewater Pro water purifier, Dr. Fawzy said. The tests encompassed the four most common PFAS compounds in drinking water listed by the Swedish National Food Agency, PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, and PFBS. We deliberately contaminated the water entering the Bluewater Pro with PFAS at concentrations higher than average levels and then fed the water through the Bluewater purifier. Testing the purified water revealed an unequivocal result; Bluewaters unique second-generation SuperiorOsmosis technology had removed up to 99.99 percent of all the PFAS chemicals tested for, said Dr. Fawzy. For more information, please contact Dave Noble, Bluewater PR and Communications Director at +44 7785 302 694 or david.noble@bluewatergroup.com Myanmars army is hunting for seven well-known supporters of protests against this months coup and they face charges over comments on social media that threaten national stability, the army said on Saturday. Among those named was Min Ko Naing, a one-time leader of bloodily suppressed protests in 1988, who has made calls supporting the street demonstrations and a civil disobedience campaign. All seven are opponents of the February 1 coup in which the military took over and elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The majority are also supporters of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The announcement came on the eighth day of protests across the Southeast Asian country against the coup, which halted an unsteady transition to democracy that began in 2011 and roused fears of a return to an earlier era of repression. Covid vaccination package: Private hospitals tie up with luxury hotels against rules, says Centre Can fully vaccinated people against COVID-19 still spread the coronavirus? Nearly 12 crore doses of Covid vaccine to be available in June: Health Ministry Goa government begins administration of second dose of COVID-19 vaccine India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Panaji, Feb 13: The Goa government on Saturday started administering the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to the healthcare workers in the state, an official said. Those healthcare workers who had taken the first dose of the vaccine 28 days ago were given the second shot on Saturday, state immunisation officer Dr Rajendra Borkar said. Ranganath Bhojje, a healthcare worker from Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), near here was the first person to get the vaccine shot on January 16, when the nationwide vaccination programme had started. India's Covaxin vaccine not finding international buyers He was again the first person to get the second dose of the vaccine, the official said. Those who received the second dose of the vaccine will develop immunity against the infection after 14 days, he said. Out of the total number of 19,952 healthcare workers in the state, 10,341 have received their first dose so far, while the remaining will receive it by February 20, Dr Borkar said. The state has covered 52 per cent of the healthcare workers in the vaccine drive so far, Dr Borkar said. "Initially, we had set the deadline of February 12 to cover all healthcare workers, but now it has been extended to February 20 to ensure maximum coverage," he said. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Earlier this week, the state government also began vaccinating COVID-19 frontline warriors, including police personnel, home guards, civic employees, staffers of revenue and panchayat departments, the official added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 15:39 [IST] . The issue of utmost priority for the United States (US) now, after combating Covid-19, is the climate strategy. President Joe Biden has immediately signed an executive order rejoining the US into the 2015 Paris agreementan accord among the nations to reduce their carbon emissions to check global warming. Bidens rejoining the agreement reflects that the US is willing to practically demonstrate that it is no longer a part of the global climate problem and rather will be part of the solution. The US should have an impact on global climate policy, given the worlds biggest polluters like China have set a flexible and quite prolonged target of zero net carbon emission up to 2060, and other irresponsible states need to be made more conscious about climate strategy. The US can play a role to convert the Paris accord from a non-binding to a globally binding agreement with all seriousness, but first, it has to reduce its domestic carbon emissions in proportion to its population to be able to pressurise other massive polluters to achieve net zero emission within a decade. The fact remains that if the US and China set their zero emission targets decades from now, how can the rest of the world take carbon emission cuts seriously? this has to be set as an agenda before the United Nations upcoming Glasgow climate summit to be held in November where targets for the next decade will be set by the member states. The climate strategy has to be treated as an existential issue rather than made a new tool to get into tricky businesses or starting the politics of fines for massive carbon production. The Holy Crap acquisition brings Plant&Co.'s plant-based product line to 52 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Plant&Co. Brands Ltd. (CSE: VEGN) (FSE: VGP) (OTC Pink: VGANF) (the "Company" or "Plant&Co"), a vertically integrated enterprise focused on the health and wellness sector, and Holy Crap Brands Inc. ("Holy Crap") are pleased to announce that, further to their news releases of November 27, 2020 and November 30, 2020, Plant&Co has completed its acquisition of Holy Crap. The acquisition of Holy Crap forms a new division focused on creating innovative brands and products, inspired to improve lives through high-quality plant-based ingredients focused on gut-health wellness. "I would like to officially welcome Holy Crap breakfast cereals to the Plant&Co family and to our growing list of amazing high-quality plant-based products that are part of an active and healthy lifestyle," said Donna Reddy, President of Plant&Co. "We are embarking on an exciting journey within one of the fastest growing segments in the global food industry. High quality plant-based food products are increasingly being found in more and more kitchens across Canada, the United States and around the world. Our focus is to drive revenue by taking the best of acquired companies, like Holy Crap and YamChops, and offering healthy, high-quality plant-based products with superior customer service to a large and growing customer base." "We start 2021 in an enviable position of bringing two powerhouse brands, Holy Crap and YamChops, under the Plant&Co brand umbrella," said Shawn Moniz, CEO of Plant&Co. "Our product portfolio is now at 52 plant-based and proprietary food products which are available for consumer purchase at our YamChops plant-based butcher shop, our online eCommerce stores, and several SKUs are available at over 13 distribution retailers. Our product sales and market share of the growing plant-based sector is increasing. We have the resources to invest in our current line of products and the development of future products and will use U.S. focused packaging and marketing strategies to aggressively expand our own product lines within the United States. We look to make an immediate impact to the plant-based food landscape in North America with our scalable operating facilities plus an extensive distribution system throughout Canada and into the U.S. marketplace." Holy Crap breakfast cereal is a high-quality product that tastes greats, helps maintain a healthy gut, and makes consumers feel good inside and out. Holy Crap offers four distinct SKUs all of which contain certified organic, non-GMO, kosher and gluten free ingredients, such as hemp seed, buckwheat, chia seeds, and gluten-free oats. The tasty, nutrient-packed breakfast cereals have high levels of essential amino and fatty acids, a kick of fiber, and are free from the top 9 allergens and free from any additives like added flavors, preservatives, chemicals, color, salt, or oils. Emerging research has connected a healthy gut with a healthy mind, and Holy Crap customers' reviews continue to confirm that its breakfast cereals contribute to a healthful digestive tract. With many people experiencing digestive sensitivities, Holy Crap has developed the right formulation to get people moving. As featured on CBC's Dragons Den, Holy Crap is focused on creating innovative brands and products inspired to improve lives through simple, quality ingredients. The Holy Crap products are manufactured in Gibsons, British Columbia and are available for sale in many well-known Canadian retailers such as Whole Foods, Save-On-Foods and London Drugs, as well as online through its website at www.holycrap.com and through www.amazon.ca. Transaction On November 25, 2020, the Company, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company ("Subco") entered into an amalgamation agreement (the "Amalgamation Agreement") with Holy Crap, pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire Holy Crap via an amalgamation, whereby Subco would amalgamate with Holy Crap to form one corporation ("Amalco") under section 269 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and Amalco would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Plant&Co (the "Transaction"). The Transaction was approved by the shareholders of Holy Crap at the annual general and special meeting held on January 6, 2021, and on November 25, 2020, by the board of directors of Holy Crap, the board of directors of Plant&Co., the sole director of Subco and the sole shareholder of Subco. On closing of the Transaction, the Company issued (a) 29,300,000 common shares of the Company (the "Consideration Shares") at a deemed price of $0.25 per Consideration Share to the shareholders of Holy Crap on record as at the close of business on February 12, 2021, in exchange for every common share of Holy Crap held, and the Holy Crap common shares were cancelled; and (b) 4,000,000 share purchase warrants entitling the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.40 to the current warrant holders of Holy Crap, and otherwise on substantially the same terms and the Holy Crap warrants, and the Holy Crap warrants were cancelled. As a result of completing the Transaction, Amalco has made an application for an order under the securities legislation of British Columbia and Ontario to cease being a reporting issuer in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. About Plant&Co Plant&Co. Brands Ltd. (CSE: VEGN) (FSE: VGP) (OTC Pink: VGANF) is modern health and wellness company curating delicious plant-based foods. For more information please visit: www.PlantandCo.com. About Holy Crap Holy Crap's mission is to create products that create a healthy gut through simple, quality ingredients that ultimately feed the connection between gut and mind. Holy Crap is an organic breakfast cereal for today's consumer that expects their food to work hard for them. Its great tasting cereal helps maintain a healthy gut which creates a happy mind. For more information on the healthy and high-quality breakfast cereals visit: www.HolyCrap.com. About YamChops YamChops is a plant-based butcher shop based in Toronto, Ontario. Vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and even meat enthusiasts love visiting the beautifully curated shop located in the heart of Toronto's food district. Whether customers sample YamChops' Tunaless "Tuna", Chick*n Schnitzel, Szechuan "Beef", Montreal Style "Steak", or browse their vegan grocery market assisted by its knowledgeable staff, customers will have an unforgettable experience at YamChops vegan butcher shop. YamChops' mission is to provide extraordinary plant-based foods and provide extraordinary service to its customers, with a vision to expand its plant based culinary experience and make YamChops the destination of choice for all consumers. For more product information please visit: www.YamChops.com. For additional information, please contact: Shawn Moniz Chief Executive Officer ir@plantandco.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including with respect to the business plans and prospects of Plant&Co. and Holy Crap. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future, and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited those identified and reported in Plant&Co.'s and Holy Crap's public filings under their respective SEDAR profiles at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74382 International singing star Frances Black has endorsed the whole concept of the 'White River Sessions' - an oline series of short recordings of local acts, in and around the Dunleer area. In a special message to the organisers, the former 'A Woman's Heart' star said they were 'inspirational'. She said the sessions were really uplifting and she feels it is something we all need at the moment. And she said she would love to meet up with the group when restrictions allow. 'I want to meet you, sooner rather than later,' she stated. Bernard Carrie from the Sessions revealed that they have launched a Love songs Week to lead up to St Vanentines Day, on Sunday next. He is also delighted with the comments Frances has made about the series. 'It's brilliant to have such a high profile personality in Irish Music backing our " White River Sessions "' We are putting together a number of Projects on the Platform for 2021 . 'We have been inundated with ideas from the general public and various voluntary bodies as to how the Platform could be utilised for the betterment of the communities in County Louth,' he stated, This as well as the other parts that will follow elucidates what was contained as brief remarks in the introductory piece. It would be impertinent of me to offer suggestions where the best minds of the country are at work but in the last installment I do intend to offer some practical suggestions.) How does one view the present movement against corruption? As a symptom of a deep systemic crisis? As a diffuse longing on a societal scale, for redemption from our current problems by a mythical messianic character? As a supreme example of the laziness and evasion of individual responsibility? As the ultimate triumph of what Umberto Eco calls "Event as Mise en scene and Life as Scene-settings?" Is it a populist movement or a highly elitist one, run by a collectivism? Or is it a little of both - a movement which feeds at the populist spring but is deeply elitist in its aspirations. In this post and the others that will follow I will try to come to grips with my own confused and muddled thinking on these issues. Seeking an analogy from the field of philosophy of science it can be said that any system is designed to cope with all manners of situations that arise on a daily basis. But there comes a time when the system finds it difficult to cope with arising challenges. No matter how you tweak it, the problem remains insoluble. This is the sign that we are now colliding against the boundaries; signal to make a paradigm shift, to abandon the theory and adopt a new and more capacious hypothesis. Our political crisis in wake of pervasive and ubiquitous corruption in public life is more or less headed for this trajectory. Democratic traditions are not native to our culture- I know Vaishali and Licchavi etc would be flung in my face. It is not rooted in history or tradition. Nevertheless democracy did not evolve here by a process of trial and error, experiments and conventions as it did in Britain. We have not grown with democracy; there is no evidence of sustained engagement of our society and democratic institutions. We are not here by a natural process of evolution. Ours we the people of India -was a conscious and deliberate act of choice to be governed by an agreed set of political institutions. Our national identification was with the constitution itself and it sought to generalize, diffuse and sublimate what was once held as an obligation to God along with all other narrow and sectarian loyalties that divide us ,the huge diversity in terms of race, language, history, into an obligation to our secular republic. The covenant between the citizen and the nation was direct; unmediated by the fact, of religion, caste creed or gender and it was expected that in the conduct of the public affairs the nation must-survive as the principle object of affection and despair and no new allegiance must be formed to replace it. It is a debatable statement to make, but it does not detract from its validity to say, that Indian nationalism was a concept which was alien to many of us, and inadequately developed at the best. The Indian constitution is what provides us our self definition. The Lokpal bill is a tacit suggestion that we are now colliding against the boundary, that the potential of the system has been exhausted and we are approaching the conditions of political entropy. Perhaps it is a time to make a move on and the Lokpal bill is the answer. The Lokpal Bill is daring in its conception challenges the very basic premise of our doing things, - the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary, the supremacy of the parliament etc and there are no precedents to it. But one may like to enquire why the legislations designed to cope with corruption in public sphere have been found to be inadequate. In my humble opinion it is not the inadequacy of the legislation it is the infirmity of the individuals who apply it;the issue is the lack of uniform application, because faced with the mighty economic offender those charged to apply it develop cold feet, distort it or simply play truant. To quote just one pithy example. During the course of the investigation of an offence, the arrest of the local chief minister became necessary but the state police could not be relied upon to affect it. As a result the army had to be summoned by the High Court leading to unavoidable controversy? All because the then DGP could not be trusted upon to get the warrant of arrest executed. Institutions have to be vested with authority and it is for the powerful who consecrate it and uphold its writ, whatever the consequence. Stories abound in the Indian tradition where gods have voluntarily surrendered to the power of supposedly invincible weapons. While intellectuals and political pundits may debate the abstract questions of political theory, I shall limit myself to my own area of experience. It will bear reiteration that nothing on as grand a scale as the Lokpal Bill has ever been attempted before but let us consider some issues on the diminutive scale. The Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 was supposed to be a revolutionary improvement on the PC Act 1947; the definition of public servant was made so capacious as to include almost every one persons associated with co operative bodies, universities, educational, scientific, cultural educational institutions receiving public funds, UPSC state PSCs banks, MLAs, MPs., whoever was being paid out of or handling public funds. The mere possession of assets disproportionate to known sources was an offence, without any need to establish a specific act of bribery or corruption. The explanation added to the new section 13 (1) e requires only that income which has been declared according to the prescribed rules etc to qualify as known sources of income. Income derived legally but undeclared, undervalued income, assets acquired but without prior permission or subsequent intimation became outlawed. It was considered revolutionary in its scope, reach and ambit, the authentic thunderbolt of gods. Twenty three years down the line it is just another provision, which neither deters nor is as widely used as it should have been, given that amassing of disproportionate asset by public servants is a rule rather than exception. Now we have just about everybody declaring his property but not one has been challenged so far. The idea behind the move may have been that only if the ill gotten worth of the corrupt were known it will prove a deterrent. Citizens know that one of their favourite leaders who was worth 10 lacs in 2004, is worth 500 crores today, or a public figure who is believed to have taken a few thousand crores in one deal is only worth a few crores, does it make the masses pour into the streets? No body to my knowledge has been prosecuted on the basis of these disclosures. Does not it mean, then, that each one of us public servant is living within ones means. Or is it that the task of bringing disproportionate wealth to light has been democratized and it is the duty of every citizen to scan the property of the public servant and discover undeclared wealth and unmask him? This has not been done either. Are we a less corrupt society merely because a more draconian law has been put in place? Does criminalizing or prescribing more deterrent punishment ensure socially useful behaviour? There was a time when dowry was jogging the conscience like nothing else. It was the number one social evil; therefore, the full might of law - civil, criminal and special legislative acts - was deployed against it. The act casts the burden of proof on to the accused. It can be confidently said that the society did not change its mind about the giving and taking of dowry because of the multiplicity of legal remedies, but to our misplaced reformist zeal we owe the incarceration of innumerable innocent old and decrepit men and women, landing up in jail. The dowry act - dowry was as much of a social evil in the eyes of the community as corruption is today- is the most misused act in the history of Indian jurisprudence. Incidentally this is the only crime in which the police can claim bribe not only with impunity but with honour - to arrest those who stand falsely accused, at the behest of the complainant. The new leniency in granting anticipatory bail is a judicial recognition of this fact. What is being emphasized here is that, try as we might, we cannot run a society by decrees alone. The excess can only inure us against the evil, even inculcate a sense of fatalism. I would like to draw upon my experience - tawdry, banal and exercised in unspectacular setting, in comparison to the grandness of the theme envisaged in the Lokpal bill to reinforce this point. I had been directed by the Hon'ble Patna High Court to investigate a case of academic fraud which the normal hierarchy of police were not able to undertake, may be, because the accused persons were very powerful persons. The investigation led us to the academic underworld and several vice chancellors, a retired High Court judge, an IPS officer and several others were arraigned. Encouraged by the investigation, the Honble High Court directed me to broad base the investigation. Having gained a valuable insight, we proceeded confidently, but we hit the tunnel at the end of the light. What we came up against, was not an evidence of random deviant behaviour, but irregularity and illegality on an insurrectionary scale. And you certainly cannot fight insurrection with normal laws. "Should we go about registering cases in their hundreds", my report to the High Court wondered "may be in their hundreds of thousands, considering that other universities are waiting to reveal their priceless quota of well known secrets. Such an enterprise would nullify the very concept of investigation and fair trial because the sheer volume of work which no agency however diligent can perform." Then "there is another problem- and it is no moral quibbling; it is a purely juridical issue. In what order shall the potential delinquents be called to account ..given the various limitations of human resources. those involved in matters taken up first are likely to be disadvantaged compared to those who are taken up later" etc. To the best of my knowledge, the matter is still pending and on a regular basis crimes with the same modus operandi are revealed, investigated etc. and the high hopes fueled by the media hype of a cleanup of the campuses has gone sour. Nobody in Bihar, I think, takes the issues of academic fraud as seriously now. This brings me to my next worry. The leadership of the movement is in very competent hands, as of now. Any one of them can do full justice to the office of Lokpal. But while one legislates and brings into being such agencies, omnipotent in their sway, one has to ask God or Nature take your pick - to keep us supplied on a regular basis - with such eminent people who are suitable for the high office. The matter does not end there. For the Lokpal to be effective and credible it has to have an apparatus of investigation commensurate to the task. But what if nature defaults or God fails to execute the orders on time? What if we are saddled with another Thomas? The experience with many of the occupants of high constitutional posts appears to have validated the Peter Principle sooner or later we will arrive at the Thomas level. Thomas on a puny symbolic scale was a parlour farce; Thomas on a grand scale would be a national catastrophe. Already unseemly insinuations and innuendoes targeting the leaders of the movement are beginning to be aired vitiating the debate. My worry is that the grander the ambition the more spectacular the failures, and it leads to a massive withdrawal symptom. In a democracy critical debate is of the essence. In this case that opportunity has been lost because the television arrived here before everyone else did, banishing good sense and rational debate. Therefore, the issue must be put to much wider consultation, more extensive debate, keeping in mind the history of earlier initiatives and the fears expressed in many quarters. We must not be afraid of failure but at the same time we must not be oblivious of the grave consequences of failure. India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. Claims against two police officers have been dismissed in court as a federal agent remains accused of threatening gunfire on a Montgomery County resident in a civil rights suit defense attorneys are decrying as baseless. The lawsuit argues Ray Lamb, 52, of Conroe, a then Department of Homeland Security agent, on Feb. 2, 2019 violated the constitutional rights of plaintiff Kevin Byrd, 40, of Willis. The suit was filed Aug. 13, 2019 in the U.S. Southern District of Texas. On Feb. 3, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison granted a pair of Conroe Police officers their motion to dismiss Byrds claims alleging unlawful detention and failure to intervene. The defendants actions were done recklessly, intentionally, maliciously, gross negligently, wantonly, knowingly, and with deliberate indifference, and in a manner that shocks the conscience, the lawsuit reads. A jury trial with compensatory damages to be determined by jurors is being requested in the lawsuit, whose sole remaining defendant is Lamb. Plaintiffs allegations Byrds suit portrays Lamb as identifying himself as a federal agent, pulling out a firearm and threatening to shoot the Willis man in his head at a business parking lot. Lamb, the suit continues, allegedly tried pulling the guns trigger but the bullet either fell out or became dislodged. The officers named as defendants responded to Byrds call after the encounter between he and Lamb at the Fajita Jacks parking lot near Lake Conroe, federal court documents and Conroe PD arrest records show. The suit contends the officers held Byrd for nearly four hours. The officers defense attorney, Steven Selbe, said parking lot video surveillance proved Byrd made a wildly incorrect assertion about the duration of his arrest. The defenses 14-page motion for dismissal stated Byrds arrest lasted little less than an hour. The officers eventually took the federal agent into custody and he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charges were dismissed a little more than four months later when a grand jury found no probable cause against Lamb, according to Montgomery County court records. Lambs defense in October 2019 submitted a motion to dismiss the case, which Judge Ellison denied in February 2020. On April 20, the defense appealed Ellisons decision. The motion states Byrds suit fails to show an injury on the plaintiff resulting from use of force by the defendant. It also states unlawful detention is not proven in the suit because there was no physical force or even physical contact. Qualified immunity, which frees government officials from some civil suits, was also invoked in the federal agents dismissal request, federal court documents show. A final ruling has not been made. Criticism from the defense Lambs defense attorney Drew Willey on Thursday denounced the suits claims of excessive force and unlawful detention against his client. Willey described the suit as hurtful to the greater cause of police accountability and reform, which he said he is involved in through a nonprofit he runs. Frivolous claims like these make it harder to hold police accountable when they actually harm innocent people, Willey said, adding Lamb should never have been sued. The Houston-based lawyer, who mentioned he has been a plaintiffs attorney in suits brought against jail mistreatment and excessive police force, said Lamb forewent available counsel from the Department of Justice in the lawsuit. When people get killed in the streets, or wrongfully stopped or searched, or excessively assaulted by men and women who wear badges, those harmed should be able to recover in civil suits, Willey said. But lawsuits like this make it harder for those real victims to recover. The officers defense attorney blasted Byrds suit. It may be one of the most ridiculous lawsuits that I have ever defended, Selbe said Thursday. Willey said Lamb retired from DHS last year on his own accord and not as a result of any complaints or reprimands. A DHS spokesman on Friday would not confirm employment status, citing the department does not discuss personnel matters. Byrd is described in the suit as a law-biding citizen. In September 2003, Byrd was convicted on two counts of forgery, dropped down from felonies to Class A misdemeanors. Byrd was convicted in July of money laundering in a Montgomery County Sheriffs drug case. He received nine months jail time and was released on a $1,500 bond, court records show. Requests on Thursday and Friday for comment from the plaintiffs attorney were not returned. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx Impeachment Trial: Trump Is Acquitted by the Senate All 50 Democrats and seven Republicans voted guilty, falling 10 votes short of the two-thirds necessary for conviction. Senator Mitch McConnell followed his own vote to acquit with a surprisingly harsh speech calling Donald J. Trump practically and morally responsible for provoking the Capitol riot. This briefing has ended. Follow our latest coverage of Trumps acquittal here. 7 Senate Republicans vote guilty, the most bipartisan margin in favor of conviction in history. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 3:50 - 0:00 transcript Trump Acquitted of Inciting Insurrection The Senate voted to acquit former president Donald J. Trump of the incitement of insurrection charge in the deadly riot at the Capitol, with 57 guilty votes, 10 shy of the number necessary to convict the former president. Trump supported the actions of the mob, and so he must be convicted. Its that simple. When he took the stage on Jan. 6, he knew exactly how combustible the situation was. He knew there were many people in the crowd who were ready to jump into action, to engage in violence at any signal that he needed them to fight like hell to stop the steal, and thats exactly what he told them to do. Then he aimed them straight here, right down Pennsylvania, at the Capitol, where he told them the steal was occurring. That is the counting of the Electoral College votes. And we all know what happened next. They attacked this building. They disrupted the peaceful transfer of power. They injured and killed people, convinced that they were acting on his instructions and with his approval and protection. And while that happened, he further incited them while failing to defend us. If thats not ground for conviction, if thats not a high crime and misdemeanor against the republic in the United States of America, then nothing is. President Trump must be convicted for the safety and security of our democracy and our people. The stakes could not be higher. Because the cold, hard truth is that what happened on Jan. 6 can happen again. I fear, like many of you do, that the violence we saw on that terrible day may be just the beginning. Weve shown you the ongoing risks, the extremist groups, who grow more emboldened every day. Senators this cannot be the beginning. It cant be the new normal. It has to be the end. And that decision is in your hands. This trial is about whether Mr. Trump willfully engaged in incitement of violence and even insurrection against the United States, and that question they have posed in their article of impeachment has to be set up against the law of this country. No matter how much truly horrifying footage we see of the conduct of the rioters and how much emotion has been injected into this trial, that does not change the fact that Mr. Trump is innocent of the charges against him. Despite all of the video played, at no point in their presentation did you hear the house managers play a single example of Mr. Trump urging anyone to engage in violence of any kind. At no point did you hear anything that could ever possibly be construed as Mr. Trump encouraging or sanctioning an insurrection. Senators, you did not hear those tapes because they do not exist. The question is on the article of impeachment. Senators: How say you? Is the respondent Donald John Trump guilty or not guilty? The yays are 57. The nays are 43. Two-thirds of the senators present not having voted guilty, the Senate judges that the respondent, Donald John Trump, former president of the United States, is not guilty as charged in the articles of impeachment. The Senate voted to acquit former president Donald J. Trump of the incitement of insurrection charge in the deadly riot at the Capitol, with 57 guilty votes, 10 shy of the number necessary to convict the former president. Credit Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times The United States Senate voted on Saturday to acquit Donald J. Trump in his second impeachment trial, as Republicans in a Senate still bruised from the most violent attack on the Capitol in two centuries banded together to reject the charge that he incited the Jan. 6 attack. Voting 57-43, the Senate fell 10 votes short of the two-thirds necessary for conviction. Seven Republicans voted to find the former president guilty of incitement of insurrection, with all 50 Democrats, the most bipartisan support for conviction in any of the four presidential impeachments in U.S. history. That outcome reflected the widespread outrage about Mr. Trumps conduct among senators who experienced the violence of the attack firsthand, fleeing for safety as marauders overwhelmed the Capitol Police and swarmed the Capitol during the attack. It came after Democrats built a case that the former president had undertaken a monthslong effort to overturn the election, and then provoked the assault on the Capitol in a last-ditch attempt to cling to power. If that is not ground for conviction, if that is not a high crime and misdemeanor against the Republic and the United States of America, then nothing is, Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland and the lead manager, pleaded with senators before the vote. President Trump must be convicted, for the safety and democracy of our people. Minutes after the verdict was announced, Mr. Trump sent out a statement thanking his legal team and decrying, as he did for most of his presidency, the witch hunt he says is being waged upon him by his enemies. It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree, he wrote, echoing the final arguments of his lawyers in the Senate on Saturday. I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate. He also suggested that the Democrats attempt to end his political career had also failed, telling his supporters, our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. The verdict brought an abrupt end to the fourth presidential impeachment trial in American history, and the only one in which the accused had left office before being tried. The senators were voting on a question with no precedent in American history: whether to convict a former president accused of seeking to violently thwart the peaceful transfer of power and putting at risk the lives of hundreds of lawmakers and his own vice president. The trial ended after just five days, partly because Republicans and Democrats alike had little appetite for a prolonged proceeding, and partly because Mr. Trumps allies had made clear before it even began they were not prepared to hold him responsible. So ends a 39-day stretch unlike any in the nations history. Dispensing with the customary investigations and hearings, the House moved directly to impeach Mr. Trump seven days after the attack, citing an urgent need to remove him from office. Ten Republicans joined Democrats to adopt the charge, more than had ever supported the impeachment of a president of their party. In a surprise twist on Saturday, the House managers made an abrupt demand to hear from witnesses who could testify to what Mr. Trump was doing and saying during the rampage. The Senate voted to allow it, but the prospect threatened to prolong the trial by days or weeks without changing the outcome, and in a head-spinning move, the prosecutors quickly dropped it. After a flurry of closed-door haggling with Republicans, they agreed with Mr. Trumps lawyers to admit as evidence a written statement by a Republican congresswoman, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, who has said she was told that the former president sided with the mob as rioters were attacking the Capitol. Nicholas Fandos and These criminals were carrying his banners. McConnell castigates Trump for provoking the Capitol riot minutes after voting to acquit him. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 2:24 - 0:00 transcript McConnell Votes to Acquit but Rebukes Trump Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, said that former President Donald J. Trump was practically and morally responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but that he was not technically eligible to be impeached. Former President Trumps actions preceded the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty. Theres no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president. And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole, which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him. It was obvious that only President Trump could end this. He was the only one who could. Former aides publicly begged him to do so. Loyal allies frantically called the administration. The president did not act swiftly. He did not do his job. He didnt take steps so federal law could be faithfully executed and order restored. No, instead, according to public reports, he watched television happily. Happily. If President Trump were still in office, I would have carefully considered whether the House managers proved their specific charge. But in this case, the question is moot because former President Trump is constitutionally not eligible for conviction. Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, said that former President Donald J. Trump was practically and morally responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but that he was not technically eligible to be impeached. Credit Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times Minutes after voting to acquit Donald J. Trump on Saturday, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, castigated the former president for what he called a disgraceful dereliction of duty, pinning responsibility for last months Capitol assault directly on Mr. Trump. In a speech more blistering than many of those in favor of conviction, Mr. McConnell said the former president had shouted wild myths about election fraud into the the largest megaphone on planet earth with foreseeable consequences. Congress and the American public paid the price, he added. It was a stunning statement from a leader who has defended Senate prerogatives zealously, in which he effectively argued that Mr. Trump was guilty as charged, but the Senate could do nothing about it. There is no question none that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day, he said. The people that stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president. And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole. But even as he condemned Mr. Trump, Mr. McConnell said his reading of the Constitution was that the Senate should not try a former president. He called impeachment a narrow tool meant to remove an official from office, not pursue them afterward. Democrats were furious, pointing out that their vote to impeach came while Mr. Trump remained in office and that it was Mr. McConnell who refused to call the Senate back into session to start the trial before he left office. But Mr. McConnell said that even if he had, there would not have been time to reach a verdict in the final days of Mr. Trumps term. The harshly worded speech appeared to be something of a compromise for Mr. McConnell, the most powerful Republican in Washington, who has come to despise the 45th president he aided and accommodated for four years and now regards Mr. Trump as a danger to his party. Mr. McConnell had considered voting to convict the former president as a means of purging him from the party, but allies said he concluded he could not practically, as leader, side with a minority of his colleagues rather than the overwhelming number who said the trial was invalid and voted to acquit. Instead, he used every ounce of his rhetorical strength to try to damage Mr. Trumps credibility with his own party. When the Capitol attack was underway, Mr. McConnell said, Mr. Trump abdicated his responsibility as commander in chief, and afterward, he refused to drop his baseless election lies. Whatever reaction he says he meant to produce by the afternoon, we know he was watching the same live television as the rest of us, Mr. McConnell said. A mob was assaulting a Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him. He added: He did not do his job. He did not take steps so federal law could be faithfully executed and order restored. No, instead, according to public reports, he watched television happily happily as the chaos unfolded. Mr. McConnell also rejected one of Mr. Trumps lawyers most explicit defenses: that his words had been no different from those of any other politician advocating a cause. That is different from what we saw, he said. Notably, he argued that it was up to the criminal justice system to hold former presidents to account for their conduct in office. Mr. Trump, he said, didnt get away with anything yet. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Biden, responsible for moving the country past crisis, emphasizes unity after the verdict. President Biden boarding Air Force One on Friday as he left Washington for a weekend at Camp David. Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times President Biden said late Saturday that while former President Donald J. Trump had been acquitted of inciting last months riot at the Capitol, the substance of the charge is not in dispute. He pointed out that even Republicans who did not vote to convict Mr. Trump had criticized his behavior, including Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, who said after the vote on Saturday that the former president was guilty of a disgraceful dereliction of duty. Mr. Biden went on to express gratitude for those who bravely stood guard that January day as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building, as well as Democrats and Republicans who demonstrated the courage to protect the integrity of our democracy. Election officials from both parties strongly disputed Mr. Trumps baseless claims of fraud, and judges some of them appointed by Mr. Trump rejected warrantless legal challenges. This sad chapter in our history has reminded us that democracy is fragile, Mr. Biden said. That it must always be defended. That violence and extremism has no place in America. And that each of us has a duty and responsibility as Americans, and especially as leaders, to defend the truth and defeat the lies. Other leading Democrats turned their ire toward their Republican counterparts. Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly batted down the idea of a bipartisan censure resolution, saying it would let cowardly senators off the hook and constitute a slap in the face of the Constitution. Five years ago, Republican senators lamented what might become of their party if Donald Trump became their presidential nominee and standard-bearer, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said moments after the vote. Just look at what has happened. Look at what Republicans have been forced to defend. Look at what Republicans have chosen to forgive. Mr. Biden had mostly distanced himself from the particulars of the trial, with a notable exception on Thursday, when he declared that a graphic video of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol that was shown during the trial might have changed some minds. As Congress was consumed by the trial this weekend, Mr. Biden was at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Aides said that Mr. Bidens plan next week was to return the countrys focus to fighting the coronavirus and its economic fallout. They have scheduled a televised town hall in Wisconsin on Wednesday focusing on his pandemic response, followed by a trip to Michigan on Thursday to tour a vaccine production facility. On Sunday, the third anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., Mr. Biden issued a statement honoring the young victims and their loved ones, who like far too many families and, indeed, like our nation theyve been left to wonder whether things would ever be OK. He added: We will take action to end our epidemic of gun violence and make our schools and communities safer. Today, I am calling on Congress to enact common-sense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets. We owe it to all those weve lost and to all those left behind to grieve to make a change. Glenn Thrush, Michael D. Shear and Here are the seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump. Sen. Richard Burr, North Carolina Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times Sen. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Doug Mills/The New York Times Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times Sen. Mitt Romney, Utah Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times Sen. Ben Sasse, Nebraska Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times Sen. Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Erin Schaff/The New York Times slide 1 slide 2 slide 3 slide 4 slide 5 slide 6 slide 7 Seven Republican senators voted on Saturday to convict former President Donald J. Trump in the most bipartisan vote for a presidential impeachment conviction in United States history. The margin still fell 10 votes short of the two-thirds needed to find him guilty. Who are the seven senators? Only one Lisa Murkowski is up for re-election next year, and she has survived attacks from the right before. Two are retiring, and three won new terms in November, so they will not face voters until 2026. Richard M. Burr of North Carolina Mr. Burr, 65, a senator since 2005, is not seeking re-election in 2022. Despite holding Mr. Trump immediately responsible for the Capitol riot, he had voted against moving forward with the impeachment trial, and his decision to convict came as a surprise. As I said on Jan. 6, the president bears responsibility for these tragic events, Mr. Burr said in a statement on Saturday. The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection against a coequal branch of government and that the charge rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors. Therefore, I have voted to convict. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana Mr. Cassidy, 63, a senator since 2015, was just re-elected. Weeks ago, he voted against moving forward with the trial, but said he was persuaded by the House impeachment managers. Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person, Mr. Cassidy said. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty. Susan Collins of Maine Ms. Collins, 68, a senator since 1997, was just re-elected to a fifth term. She has long been critical of Mr. Trumps actions, extending to the Capitol riot. That attack was not a spontaneous outbreak of violence, Ms. Collins said on the Senate floor after the vote. Rather it was the culmination of a steady stream of provocations by President Trump that were aimed at overturning the results of the presidential election. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska Ms. Murkowski, 63, a senator since 2002, is up for re-election in 2022. She has appeal for both Democrats and independents and won a write-in campaign in 2010 after losing the Republican primary. She has harshly criticized Mr. Trumps actions before and during the Capitol rampage, calling his conduct unlawful. Its not about me and my life and my job, Ms. Murkowski told a Politico reporter who asked about the political risk she took with her vote. This is really about what we stand for. If I cant say what I believe that our president should stand for, then why should I ask Alaskans to stand with me? Mitt Romney of Utah Mr. Romney, 73, a senator since 2019, is the only Republican to have voted to convict Mr. Trump in his first impeachment trial. A former presidential candidate, he made clear after the Capitol attack that he held Mr. Trump responsible. President Trump attempted to corrupt the election by pressuring the secretary of state of Georgia to falsify the election results in his state, Mr. Romney said in a statement on Saturday. President Trump incited the insurrection against Congress by using the power of his office to summon his supporters to Washington on Jan. 6 and urging them to march on the Capitol during the counting of electoral votes. He did this despite the obvious and well-known threats of violence that day. President Trump also violated his oath of office by failing to protect the Capitol, the vice president and others in the Capitol. Each and every one of these conclusions compels me to support conviction. Ben Sasse of Nebraska Mr. Sasse, 48, a senator since 2015, was just re-elected. He has been a frequent critic of Mr. Trump and had signaled that he was open to convicting the former president. On election night 2014, I promised Nebraskans Id always vote my conscience even if it was against the partisan stream, Mr. Sasse said in a statement. In my first speech here in the Senate in November 2015, I promised to speak out when a president even of my own party exceeds his or her powers. I cannot go back on my word, and Congress cannot lower our standards on such a grave matter, simply because it is politically convenient. Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania Mr. Toomey, 59, a senator since 2011, is not seeking re-election in 2022. He had denounced Mr. Trumps conduct; in a statement on Saturday, he said had decided during the trial that the former president deserved to be found guilty. I listened to the arguments on both sides, Mr. Toomey said, and I thought the arguments in favor of conviction were much stronger. Democrats cited Trumps failure to halt the rioters in their summation. His lawyers accused them of impeachment lust. Representative Joe Neguse of Colorado, a House impeachment manager, preparing for the fifth day of former President Donald J. Trumps trial on Saturday. Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times After days of calling out former President Donald J. Trump actions, House Democrats summed up their case by accusing him of impeachable inaction his unwillingness to stop the mob that killed, maimed and clawed at the heart of American democracy in his name. Think for a moment, just a moment, of the lives lost that day of the more than 140 wounded, said Representative Joe Neguse, Democrat of Colorado and one of the House impeachment managers. Ask yourself if, as soon as this had started, President Trump had simply gone onto TV, just logged onto Twitter, and said stop the attack. How many lives would we have saved? The Democrats tone throughout the accelerated trial, soft-spoken and emotional, represented a striking contrast with the angry, high-volume riposte of Mr. Trumps defense team whose fiery final argument was inspired, and perhaps instigated by, the former president. Senators, do not let House Democrats take this maniacal crusade any further, said Michael T. van der Veen, who emerged as the most outspoken member of Mr. Trumps legal team. You do not have to indulge the impeachment lust, the dishonesty, and the hypocrisy, added Mr. van der Veen, whose earlier statements prompted Senator Pat Leahy of Vermont, who presided over the trial, to call for civility on both sides. It is time to bring this unconstitutional political theater to an end. Even if acquittal seemed preordained throughout the long closing arguments on Saturday, exoneration did not; Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, called his not-guilty vote a close call, and many Republicans, while ultimately siding with Mr. Trumps arguments, seemed impressed by the evidence and empathy of the Democratic impeachment managers. Representative Jamie Raskin, who was grieving the recent suicide of his son Tommy, 25, at the time of attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, offered sympathy to the families of those hurt or killed as a result of the attack, a toll that includes the suicides of two police officers in the aftermath. We must recognize and exercise these crimes against our nation and then we must take care of our people and our children, their hearts and their minds, he said. As Tommy Raskin used to say, its hard to be human. Many of the Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers and guardsmen and women who were beaten up by the mob also have kids. The Democrats seemed to have a far more sophisticated understanding of the senatorial mind-set than Mr. Trumps team. In his summation, Mr. van der Veen implored senators, a group that prides itself on being steeped in history and conversant with the nations great documents, to read the Constitution. Mr. Neguse offered a barbed lecture of his own. But his was hidden in a reference to Mr. McConnells hero, a fellow Kentuckian, Representative John Sherman Cooper, who braved a political backlash to support civil rights legislation in the 1960s. Weve always risen to the occasion when it mattered the most, not by ignoring injustice or cowering to bullies and threats, but by doing the right thing, he said of Mr. Cooper. Glenn Thrush and Advertisement Continue reading the main story After acquitting Trump, the Republican Party moves forward in his image. Despite being defeated in the election and impeached twice by the House, Donald J. Trump remains a potent political force in the Republican Party. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times During the first trial of Donald J. Trump, the former president commanded near-total fealty from his party. His conservative defenders were ardent and numerous, and Republican votes to convict him for pressuring Ukraine to help him smear Joseph R. Biden Jr. were virtually nonexistent. But this time, seven Republican senators voted with Democrats to convict Mr. Trump the most bipartisan rebuke ever delivered in an impeachment process. Several others, including Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, intimated that Mr. Trump might deserve to face criminal prosecution. Mr. McConnell, speaking from the Senate floor after the vote, denounced Mr. Trumps unconscionable behavior and held him responsible for having given inspiration to lawlessness and violence. Yet Mr. McConnell had joined with the great majority of Republicans just minutes earlier to find Mr. Trump not guilty. The vote stands as a determinative moment for the party Mr. Trump molded into a cult of personality, one likely to leave a deep blemish in the historical record. Now that Republicans have passed up an opportunity to banish him through impeachment, it is not clear when or how they might go about transforming their party into something other than a vessel for a semiretired demagogue who was repudiated by a majority of voters. Yet Mr. Trump remains the dominant force in right-wing politics. Indeed, in a statement celebrating the Senate vote on Saturday, Mr. Trump declared that his political movement has only just begun. The lineup of Republicans who voted for conviction was, on its own, a statement on Mr. Trumps political grip on the party. Only Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is up for re-election next year, and she has survived grueling attacks from the right before. The remainder of the group included two lawmakers who are retiring Senator Richard M. Burr of North Carolina and Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and three more who just won new terms in November and will not face voters again until the second half of the decade. In Washington, a quiet majority of Republican officials appears to be embracing the kind of wishful thinking that guided them throughout Mr. Trumps first campaign in 2016, and then through much of his presidency, insisting that he would soon be marginalized by his own outrageous conduct or that he would lack the discipline to make himself a durable political leader. Several seemed to be looking to the criminal justice system as a means of sidelining Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump is facing multiple investigations by the local authorities in Georgia and New York into his political and business dealings. Even in places where Mr. Trump retains a powerful following, there is a growing recognition that the partys loss of the White House and the Senate in 2020, and the House two years before that, did not come about by accident and that simply campaigning as the Party of Trump is not likely to be sufficiently appealing to win back control of Congress next year. Impeachment has provided the most comprehensive account to date of what happened on Jan. 6. Members of the pro-Trump mob swarm the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Credit... Jason Andrew for The New York Times The pure savagery of the mob that rampaged through the Capitol that day was breathtaking. One police officer lost an eye, another the tip of his finger. Still another was shocked so many times with a Taser gun that he had a heart attack. They suffered cracked ribs and multiple concussions. At least 81 members of the Capitol force and 65 members of the Metropolitan Police Department were injured, not even counting the officer killed that day or two others who later died by suicide. Some officers described it as worse than when they served in combat in Iraq. And through it all, President Donald J. Trump served as the inspiration if not the catalyst. Even as he addressed a rally beforehand, supporters could be heard on the video responding to him by shouting, Take the Capitol! Then they talked about calling the president at the White House to report on what they had done. If nothing else, the Senate impeachment trial has served at least one purpose: It stitched together the most comprehensive and chilling account to date of last months deadly assault on the Capitol. Yet for all the heart-pounding narrative of that day and the weeks leading up to it presented on the Senate floor, what was also striking after it was all over was how many questions remained unanswered on issues like the financing and leadership of the mob, the extent of the coordination with extremist groups, the breakdown in security and the failure in various quarters of the government to heed intelligence warnings of pending violence. And then, most especially, what the president was doing in the hours that the Capitol was being ransacked. The Trump camp has never provided a definitive and official account of the former presidents knowledge or actions during the attack. But advisers speaking on the condition of anonymity have told reporters that he was initially pleased, not disturbed, that his supporters had disrupted the election count and that he never reached out to Vice President Mike Pence to check on his safety even after Mr. Pence was evacuated from the Senate chamber. What really struck some senators, particularly the handful of Republicans open to conviction, is what Mr. Trump did next or what he did not do. Despite pleas from Mr. McCarthy, other allies, key aides and his daughter Ivanka Trump, the president was still more focused on pressing his effort to block the election than coming to the aid of his vice president and Congress. Matthew Rosenberg , Mark Mazzetti and Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting. Peter Baker and A federal inquiry into the Capitol riot may keep damning details in the headlines for months. While the impeachment trial may be over, its hardly the last word on Trumps culpability in the assault on the Capitol. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times The Senates acquittal of former President Donald J. Trump at his second impeachment trial will hardly be the last or decisive word on his level of culpability in the assault on the Capitol last month. While the Justice Department officials examining the rash of crimes committed during the riot have signaled that they do not plan to make Mr. Trump a focus of the investigation, the volumes of evidence they are compiling may eventually give a clearer and possibly more damning picture of his role in the attack. Case files in the investigation have offered signs that many of the rioters believed, that they were answering Mr. Trumps call on Jan. 6. The inquiry has also offered evidence that some pro-Trump extremist groups, concerned about fraud in the election, may have conspired together to plan the insurrection. If this was a conspiracy, Trump was the leader, said Jonathan Zucker, the lawyer for Dominic Pezzola, a member of the far-right Proud Boys group who has been charged with obstructing police officers guarding the Capitol. As the sprawling investigation goes on quite likely for months or even years and newly unearthed evidence brings continual reminders of the riot, Mr. Trump may suffer further harm to his battered reputation, complicating any post-presidential ventures. Already, about a dozen suspects have explicitly blamed him for their part in the rampage a number that will most likely rise as more arrests are made and legal strategies develop. Some defendants, court papers show, said they went to Washington because Mr. Trump encouraged them to do so, while others said they stormed the Capitol largely because of Mr. Trumps appeal to fight like hell to overturn the election. One man charged with assaulting the police accused the former president of being his accomplice: In recent court papers, he described Mr. Trump as a de facto unindicted co-conspirator in his case. Legal scholars have questioned the viability of faulting Mr. Trump in cases connected to the Capitol attack, noting that defendants would have to prove not only that they believed he authorized their actions, but also that such a belief was reasonable. The efforts to blame Mr. Trump are, of course, a calculated legal defense and may not work to exonerate them of crimes committed at the Capitol, even if they were inspired by Mr. Trumps words. Alan Feuer and Advertisement Continue reading the main story What we know about Trumps calls to Republicans as rioters marauded through the Capitol. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy speaking at a news conference earlier this month. Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times The back-and-forth in the Senate on Saturday over calling witnesses in the impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump put a spotlight on the former presidents calls to Republican allies as the rampage unfolded, leaving his vice president, Mike Pence, scrambling for safety. Republicans and Democrats have sparred over the details. Heres what we know so far: Mr. Trump sided with protesters in a call to Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader, according to a Republican congresswoman. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, Republican of Washington, confirmed late Friday evening that Mr. McCarthy told her that Mr. Trump said in a phone call during the rampage that the rioters were more upset about the election than Mr. McCarthy was. Why it matters: If her account, which the prosecutors and defense team agreed on Saturday to admit as evidence, is accurate, the call would disprove the core of Mr. Trumps defense that he pleaded for peaceful protest. It would also suggest that Mr. Trumps failure to stop the violence was a calculated choice, and a result of his belief that the rioters were aiding in his effort to overturn the election. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said he told Mr. Trump that Mr. Pence was in danger. Mr. Tuberville, a staunch Trump supporter elected to represent Alabama in 2020, told reporters last week that Mr. Trump called him at the height of the riot, and that he informed the president that the Secret Service had just taken the vice president out of the Capitol to save him from the mob. When asked how Mr. Trump reacted to the news, the former Auburn football coach told reporters on Friday, I dont remember. Why it matters: Mr. Trumps defense team has claimed the president did not know Mr. Pence was in danger, without specifying a timeline of when he found out. On Friday, one of Mr. Trump lawyers, Michael T. van der Veen, called the account of Mr. Tuberville one of Mr. Trumps most dogged defenders hearsay, likening it to a rumor overheard the night before at a bar somewhere. Senator Mike Lee of Utah turned over evidence establishing the exact time of Mr. Trumps call to Mr. Tuberville at 2:26 p.m. Mr. Trump mistakenly called Mr. Lee, a Trump ally from Utah, when he was trying to track down Mr. Tuberville. On Saturday, Mr. Lee gave lawyers on both sides a copy of a log of his cellphone calls and forcefully repeated his claim that Mr. Trump was calling Mr. Tuberville and not him. Why it matters: Two minutes before the call, at 2:24 p.m., Mr. Trump attacked Mr. Pence on Twitter for not having the courage to do what should have been done. At 2:39 p.m. about 10 minutes after Mr. Tuberville told him of the dire plight of Mr. Pence and lawmakers Mr. Trump finally asked his followers to behave in a peaceful way. He did not explicitly ask them to leave the building until he posted a video doing so at 4:17 p.m. Georgia prosecutors will scrutinize Trump allies like Graham and Giuliani. Anything that is relevant to attempts to interfere with the Georgia election will be subject to review, said Fani T. Willis, the top prosecutor in Fulton County, Ga. Credit... Nicole Craine for The New York Times Fani T. Willis, the top prosecutor in Fulton County, Ga., is targeting former President Donald J. Trump and a range of his allies in her newly announced investigation into election interference. Ms. Willis and her office have indicated that the investigation, which she revealed this week, will include Senator Lindsey Grahams November phone call to Brad Raffensperger, Georgias secretary of state, about mail-in ballots; the abrupt removal last month of Byung J. Pak, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, who earned Mr. Trumps enmity for not advancing his debunked assertions about election fraud; and the false claims that Rudolph W. Giuliani, the presidents personal lawyer, made before state legislative committees. An investigation is like an onion, Ms. Willis told The New York Times in an interview. You never know. You pull something back, and then you find something else. She added, Anything that is relevant to attempts to interfere with the Georgia election will be subject to review. Kevin Bishop, a spokesman for Mr. Graham, said that he had not had any contact with Ms. Williss office. The Washington Post first reported that the probe would include Mr. Grahams phone call. Mr. Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment. Jason Miller, a spokesman for Mr. Trump, has called the Georgia investigation the Democrats latest attempt to score political points. The activity of Mr. Trump is central to the Georgia inquiry, particularly his call last month to Mr. Raffensperger, during which Mr. Trump asked him to find votes to erase the former presidents loss in the state. Ms. Willis, whose jurisdiction encompasses much of Atlanta, laid out an array of possible criminal charges in recent letters to state officials and agencies asking them to preserve documents, providing a partial map of the potential exposure of Mr. Trump and his allies. Mr. Trumps calls to state officials urging them to subvert the election, for instance, could run afoul of a Georgia statute dealing with criminal solicitation to commit election fraud, one of the charges outlined in the letters. If that charge is prosecuted as a felony, it is punishable by at least a year in prison. Ms. Willis, 49, is a veteran prosecutor who has carved out a centrist record. She said in the interview that her decision to proceed with the investigation is really not a choice to me, its an obligation. Each D.A. in the country has a certain jurisdiction that theyre responsible for, she added. If an alleged crime happens within their jurisdiction, I think they have a duty to investigate it. Van der Veen, a Trump lawyer, erupts at Democrats, drawing a call for civil discourse. Michael van der Veen, one of former President Donald Trumps defense lawyers, has taken an aggressive tack during the impeachment trial. Credit... Brandon Bell for The New York Times On Saturday morning, the Senate echoed with what had become, by Day 5 of former President Donald J. Trumps impeachment trial, a familiar sound: the raised voice of Mr. Trumps most combative and animated defense lawyer, Michael T. van der Veen. Mr. van der Veen erupted after House impeachment managers made a last-minute request to call a Republican congresswoman, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, as a witness via video call after she claimed knowledge of statements by Mr. Trump in which he sided with the mob that attacked the Capitol. The exchange became so heated that the trials presiding officer, Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, admonished Mr. van der Veen and others to observe the chambers rules of decorum. The scolding came shortly after Mr. Leahy had issued a similar warning when Democrats laughed at the defense lawyer. The testy back-and-forth on Saturday came when Mr. van der Veen argued in a tone that at times neared shouting that Democrats had broken a pledge to wrap up the trial, followed by a threat to call top figures in the party to testify in person. There are a lot of depositions that need to happen, he said. Nancy Pelosis deposition needs to be taken. Vice President Harriss deposition absolutely needs to be taken. And not by Zoom. None of these depositions should be done by Zoom. These depositions should be done in person, in my office, in Philadelphia, added Mr. van der Veen, a personal injury lawyer, who pronounced the name of his hometown with a distinct Philadelphia accent. At that point, several senators began snickering audibly. I would remind everybody that we will have order in the chamber during these proceedings, Mr. Leahy said. I havent laughed at any of you, and theres nothing laughable here, Mr. van der Veen interjected angrily. A few moments later, he accused Democrats of cutting a back-room deal and went on to question their integrity. They have completely violated and ignored and stepped on the Constitution of the United States, he said. They have trampled on it like people who have no respect for it. At that point, Mr. Leahy leaned into the microphone at the presiding officers desk, with its commanding view of the Senate floor, and said, All parties in this chamber must refrain from using language that is not conducive to civil discourse. It was not the first time Mr. Leahy had to intervene to rein in Mr. van der Veen. On Friday, he called for order after a testy exchange between the lawyer and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont nearly devolved into a shouting match. On Saturday, after the Senate voted to allow witnesses, Mr. van der Veen got worked up again. That time, however, he reached for calm. Let me take my own advice, he said, and cool the temperature in the room a little bit. Advertisement Continue reading the main story GRAND RAPIDS, MI Like many annual events that have been thrown off course due to the coronavirus pandemic, this years Lunar New Year celebration looked different from last year. The event Friday afternoon in Grand Rapids still featured a lion dance and multiple musical acts. The pandemic, however, forced the attendees to do so virtually. In efforts to keep crowds from gathering, Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Foundation (GRAPF) organizers live streamed the cultural performances and festivities to allow people to enjoy from the comfort of their homes. Although GRAPF organizers were disappointed community members couldnt gather in person like last year, event planner Jasmine Kue said they expected even more people to take advantage of the online option and tune into the Facebook Live stream. For GRAPF, this was our first virtual event so it was very, very challenging, but from the help of DGRI (Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc.), they helped make this possible for us, Kue said, adding that DGRI helped provide equipment and livestream equipment for the event. The event is a result of the combined efforts of Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Foundation and Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. to host this years Lunar New Year as part of the 2021 World of Winter Festival downtown. This is the second year the event has been held in downtown Grand Rapids. This year signifies the Year of the Ox, the second animal in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The cycle lasts 12 years with each year celebrating a different animal. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, will be observed this year until Feb. 26. I think hosting a Lunar New Year (event) is very educational to show people theres more to this world than you know, Kue said. So I think this is a great opportunity for people just to get a taste of it. And for the traditions to start the new year strong and to get out all the bad luck. More from MLive: Kent County can now host DeVos Place clinic rent free following pushback over $12K daily fee President Biden to visit Pfizer coronavirus vaccine plant in Portage in near future Police uncover remains believed to be those of missing Portage couple Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) The Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises, or the CREATE bill, was ratified by Congress earlier this month and is just awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte before becoming a law. The second tax reform package of the government is the second version of the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act or CITIRA. The measure generally aims to improve fiscal incentives and lower corporate income taxes. Here is a breakdown of what you need to know about the measure. Tax cuts for businesses Retroactively taking effect on July 1, 2020, CREATE will slash corporate income tax (CIT) from 30%, the highest in ASEAN, to 25% for large domestic and foreign firms that engage business in the country through a branch office. For small and medium corporations, this will be reduced to 20% if they have net taxable income below 5 million and total assets below 100 million. READ: Lower corporate income taxes to be retroactive once CREATE is passed DOF A 25% CIT will also be applied to non-resident foreign firms, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Minimum CIT typically charged to manufacturing firms will be reduced to 1% from 2% from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. During the same period, taxes on non-profit hospitals and educational institutions will be lowered to 1% from 10%. Small business, with sales less than 3 million, will be paying lower duties as well from 3% to 1% of gross sales during the three-year period. Better business incentives The tax measure will allot four to seven years of income tax holiday (ITH), and 10 years of Special Corporate Income Tax or enhanced deductions for exporters and critical domestic enterprises to be defined by the National Economic and Development Authority. For enterprises with investment capital of at least 500 million, they will be given four to seven years of ITH and five years of Special Corporate Income Tax or enhanced deductions. On the other hand, firms with investment capital of less than 500 million will be given four to seven years of ITH and five years of enhanced deductions. To encourage job creation, research and development, and use of local materials, additional deductions will also be given depending on the performance of a business. Additional three years of ITH will also be granted to those that will fully relocate outside of the capital region, while additional two years will be given to those that will locate in areas recovering from disaster or conflict. READ: Businesses back CREATE bill as 'instant relief' for struggling firms READ: Filipino-Chinese businessmen want CITIRA bill passed VAT-exemptions With the goal of addressing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers added provisions that would exempt COVID-19 vaccines from value-added tax and import duties. Importation and sale of COVID-19 medicines, and personal protective equipment will be also free from VAT until December 2023. Also VAT-exempted are medicines for cancer, mental illness, tuberculosis, and kidney diseases starting Jan. 1, 2021. The future of CREATE Albay 2nd Dist. Rep. Joey Salceda, key author of the bill, said with the bill nearing its completion, he expects investment overhand to close and investors can now stand on more solid footing. He is expecting at least 12 trillion of total trade investments in the next 10 years due to CREATE, of which $90 billion will be foreign direct investments. Senator Pia Cayetano, another proponent of the measure, said unpredictability and the wait-and-see attitude adopted by many investors can now be eliminated. As more investments come in and establish themselves in the country, more jobs will also be created, and new technologies and innovations will also be introduced, she added. RCBC chief economist Michael Ricafort told CNN Philippines that as the measures goals are met -- improving investments and job creation -- its benefits will be further realized in the coming years, especially if the economy further recovers from the pandemic. However, UnionBank chief economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion said it may be hard to determine what will be CREATEs impact coming from a crisis, but he noted that its prospects are bright. Economic recovery, at this point, largely hinge on the vaccine drive implementation," Asuncion said. "No success in rollout, it would be difficult to see a strong economic recovery." A police dog has returned to duty after being slashed in the face with a machete wielded by a 16-year-old thug. The dog, named Stark, was fortunate not to lose his eye and needed to undergo surgery after being struck five times in the head. He was cut after police responded to reports of people breaking into sheds on allotments in Handsworth, near Birmingham. Handler PC Paul Hopley feared his three-year-old German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois cross was going to be killed, such was the ferociousness of the attack. The teenager, who cannot be identified due to his age, has previously admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a police dog and possession of a machete. A police dog has returned to duty after being slashed in the face with a machete by a 16-year-old boy But a 'trial of issue' took place at Birmingham Youth Court earlier on Friday after his basis of plea was contested; in particular his claims he was alone in the allotments and that he did not realise Stark was a police dog. District Judge John Bristow confirmed he 'rejected' the defendant's version of events, adding he was 'sure' he was with others and that he was fully aware police were hunting for him. PC Hopley told the court he responded to a report of multiple people with torches breaking into sheds at the allotments at around 4.15am on November 14. He stated it was pitch black and described the site, which is one of the largest allotments in the UK, as so vast it would have taken him a day to search all of it even in daylight. The officer decided to concentrate on a particular area with Stark off the lead, and said after around 20 minutes there was a 'distinct change in his behaviour'. The dog, named Stark, needed to undergo surgery after being struck five times in the head PC Hopley told the court he heard shouting and realised Stark had found someone. He recalled shouting 'stand still, stay where you are, police officer'. The officer said as he got closer he saw the defendant striking Stark with what looked like a stick, hitting him repeatedly at least 20 times, but then to his own horror he soon realised it was a wooden handled machete. PC Hopley, who was visibly emotional in court, said: 'I shouted at him to stop hitting the dog. 'I couldn't get any closer I genuinely thought he was going to kill my dog. So I drew my incapacitant spray and sprayed him. There was no other option available to me.' He explained he did not call Stark back in fear that if he turned around and was struck he could be paralysed. PC Hopley added: 'He stopped hitting the dog but held it [the machete] in his right hand. He wasn't at that point waving it about. He was cut after police responded to reports of people breaking into sheds on allotments in Handsworth, Birmingham. Handler PC Paul Hopley feared his three-year-old German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois cross was going to be killed, such was the ferociousness of the attack 'The incapacitant spray clearly worked so I rugby tackled him, and at the same time Stark detained him.' The officer said he allowed Stark to drag the defendant four to five metres away and was then satisfied he was not in reach of the machete. Body worn camera footage was played to the court which showed the defendant yelling out during the confrontation, and then continuing to complain after Stark had released him. PC Hopley could be heard saying: 'You tried to kill my dog what do you expect?' Stark sustained five cuts to his head and was fortunate not to lose his eye. But after undergoing surgery he was able to return to duty in December. The teenager also gave evidence during the hearing. He claimed he went to the allotments alone to 'calm down' after having a row with his girlfriend. He denied knowing a police officer and dog were looking for him and stated when he first saw Stark, he tried to run but fell and only started swinging when the dog got close. Under cross-examination the teenager broke down in tears after saying he struck Stark four to five times adding if he had hit him 20 times the dog would have died. When asked why he initially told officers that he had been with others who ran away, he changed his account and insisted he was alone. He added: 'I was scared. I didn't know what was happening. I was panicking.' The teenager will be sentenced at the same court next Friday, February 19. DJ Bristow stated he would consider a referral order, which is a community based sentence, as well as a detention training order, which involves a term in custody. He warned the defendant's punishment would now be more severe than if his basis of plea had been accepted. Ukraine to do everything to fulfill Minsk agreements on our part - Yermak KYIV. Feb 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) The Minsk agreements are almost impossible to implement in the version in which they were signed, however, the Ukrainian side will do everything to implement them, head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak said. "To be honest, in the edition in which they exist today, it sometimes seems to me that they were signed with the goal and understanding that it was impossible to fulfill them, but Ukraine, and the president has said this many times, will do everything so that the principles laid down in the Minsk Agreements are fulfilled on our part," Yermak said as part of a special edition of the Ukraine with Tigran Martirosian program on the Ukraine 24 channel on Saturday night Yermak said that "there is progress in negotiations, although they are very slow and difficult." "The Ukrainian side managed to radically change the representation in the Minsk process and raise the level of unconditional support from our European partners, Germany and France," he said. Yermak also said that "it is very important that together with us in Donbas there were representatives-ambassadors of our partner states - Germany, France and the participants of the Normandy format, as well as the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, Sweden. It is important for us that they came, and saw with their own eyes what is happening, as well as how Ukraine will fulfill its obligations." To the question "Is the ceasefire still in place?" the head of the President's Office replied that "the ceasefire continues." "Despite the provocations [from the Russian Federation and ORDLO], that happen now, they are incomparable with those times when there was no ceasefire regime. It is impossible to hide that there are dead and wounded. But, if we compare the figures, the losses that our army suffered in the same period, for example, a year ago, then, of course, this is several times less," Yermak said. At the same time, he said that "while agreeing on a new roadmap, a new plan [Plan of joint steps presented by Leonid Kravchuk], which should be based on the principles of the Minsk agreements, it is undoubtedly necessary to make adjustments to give impetus to the negotiations in order to save them." Yermak said that "after six years of signing the Minsk agreements, there are virtually no tangible results." The scale of gold mining - all of it believed to be illegal - in Peru's Amazon rainforest has been discovered by spectacular rare images released by Nasa. In fact, the "rivers of gold" caught in the photos are pits assumed to have been mined by unlicensed miners, according to the space agency. The pits were lit by reflecting sunlight, usually obscured from view. The rare images were taken in December by an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS). The images are further evidence of the scale of destructive gold mining in south-eastern Peru's Madre de Dios area. The nation is a leading exporter of gold, and with thousands of miners struggling to make a living, Madre de Dios is home to an immense uncontrolled industry. Related Article: Avery Island Salt Mines Stop Production Ecological Hotspot As an ecosystem, one of the most biodiverse locations on earth in the Amazon. The rainforest is home to over 3 million species, and over 2,500 tree species (or one-third of all tropical plants on earth) help build and maintain this vibrant ecosystem. The region is a hotspot for biodiversity; however, significant degradation and loss of vital vegetation has resulted from the extractive industry. When tons of mercury are used to harvest the prized element, extraction is often poisoning local populations, and scientists believe a large quantity is leaked into rivers or the atmosphere. 'They're invaders': Indigenous group from Brazil takes on mining giant. Gold Mines Gold employees at Amazon fight to survive in their mines. Nasa states that the pits where miners are digging for gold appear as hundreds of water-filled basins, surrounded by mud where vegetation has been destroyed. Miners trace the tracks of ancient rivers where sediments have been deposited, like fossils. Scientists say mining is the leading cause of deforestation in parts of the country, which is home to wildlife such as monkeys, jaguars, and butterflies. Battle Against Illegal Gold Mines In January 2019, a report showed that, according to the Andean Amazon Project's Monitoring group (MAAP), gold mining deforestation killed an estimated 22,930 acres of Peru's Amazon in 2018. Buoyed by the rising price of gold, often poor people from local areas see a chance to profit from mining. In 2012, the lush area had an estimated 30,000 small-scale miners employed in it. In another area of Peru, La Pampa, where about 5,000 miners were removed, a major gold rush that lasted nearly a decade was eventually prevented by the government in 2019. Impact of Gold Mining Most people do not know where the gold comes from or how it is extracted. One of the most damaging industries in the world is gold mining. It could displace populations, contaminate drinking water, endanger employees, and ruin ecosystems. It pollutes water and soil with lethal amounts of mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and wildlife. 20 tons of waste is produced by processing gold for one wedding ring alone. Environmental Impacts: Poisoned Waters Solid Waste Threatened Natural Areas Community Impacts: Economic Impacts Endangered Communities Free Prior and Informed Consent Human Rights Abuses Toll on Indigenous Peoples Woman Specific Impacts Worker Rights and Safety ALSO READ: The Inevitable Ambler Road Project That Threatens Alaskan Wildlife For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! WASHINGTON (AP) House Democrats began wrapping up their impeachment case against Donald Trump on Saturday after a chaotic morning in which they gave up a last-minute plan for witness testimony that could have significantly prolonged the trial and delayed a vote on whether the former president incited the deadly Capitol insurrection. An unexpected vote in favor of hearing witnesses threw the trial into confusion just as it was on the verge of concluding. But both sides ultimately reached a deal to instead enter into the record a statement from a Republican House lawmaker about a heated phone call on the day of the riot between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that Democrats say established Trumps indifference to the violence. Republicans are anxious to get the trial over with and discussion of Trump and the Capitol invasion behind them. Democrats, too, have a motive to move on since the Senate cannot move ahead on President Joe Bidens agenda including COVID-19 relief while the impeachment trail is in session. While most Democrat were expected to vote to convict the former president, acquittal appeared likely with a two-thirds majority required for conviction and the chamber split 50-50 between the parties. Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he would vote to acquit Trump, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Closely watched, the GOP leaders view could influence others in his party. At issue at first on Saturday was whether to subpoena Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, one of 10 Republicans to vote for Trumps impeachment in the House. She said in a statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from McCarthy to call off the rioters. Democrats consider it key corroborating evidence that confirms the presidents willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief. The situation was resolved when Herrera Beutlers statement on the call was read aloud into the record for senators to consider as evidence. As part of the deal, Democrats dropped their planned deposition and Republicans abandoned their threat to subpoena hundreds of their witnesses. The case then proceeded to closing arguments. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland had said that witnesses were necessary to determine Trumps role in inciting the riot. There were 55 senators who voted for his motion to consider witnesses, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah. Once they did, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina changed his vote to join them on the 55-45 vote. Trump lawyers opposed calling witnesses, with attorney Michael van der Veen saying it would open the door to him calling as many as 100. He said the depositions could be done in his law office in Philadelphia, prompting laughter from senators. If you vote for witnesses, Van der Veen said, crossing his arms and then then raising them in the air for emphasis, do not handcuff me by limiting the number of witnesses that I can have. Senators meeting as the court of impeachment are restrained in taking up other business without consent of the Republican minority, which is unlikely. Rules require senators to be present for the proceedings and this past week almost no other major items have been considered as the trial was underway. The outcome of the raw and emotional proceedings is expected to reflect a country divided over the former president and the future of his brand of politics. The verdict could influence not only Trumps political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Whats important about this trial is that its really aimed to some extent at Donald Trump, but its more aimed at some president we dont even know 20 years from now, said Sen. Angus King, the independent from Maine. The nearly weeklong trial has delivered a grim and graphic narrative of the riot and its consequences in ways that senators, most of whom fled for their own safety that day, acknowledge they are still coming to grips with. House prosecutors have argued that Trumps rallying cry to go to the Capitol and fight like hell for his presidency just as Congress was convening Jan. 6 to certify Bidens election victory was part of an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims that unleashed the mob. Five people died, including a rioter who was shot and a police officer. Trumps lawyers countered in a short three hours Friday that Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. Only by watching the graphic videos rioters calling out menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the vote tally did senators say they began to understand just how perilously close the country came to chaos. Hundreds of rioters stormed into the building, taking over the Senate. Some engaged in hand-to-hand, bloody combat with police. Many Republicans representing states where the former president remains popular doubt whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Democrats appear all but united toward conviction. Trump is the only president to be twice impeached and the first to face trial charges after leaving office. Unlike last years impeachment trial of Trump in the Ukraine affair, a complicated charge of corruption and obstruction over his attempts to have the foreign ally dig up dirt on then-campaign rival Biden, this one brought an emotional punch over the unexpected vulnerability of the U.S. tradition of peaceful elections. The charge is singular, incitement of insurrection. On Friday, Trumps impeachment lawyers accused Democrats of waging a campaign of hatred against the former president as they wrapped up their defense. His lawyers vigorously denied that Trump had incited the riot and they played out-of-context video clips showing Democrats, some of them senators now serving as jurors, also telling supporters to fight, aiming to establish a parallel with Trumps overheated rhetoric. This is ordinary political rhetoric, said van der Veen. Countless politicians have spoken of fighting for our principles. Democratic senators shook their heads at what many called a false equivalency to their own fiery words. Impeachment managers say that Trump was the inciter in chief whose monthslong campaign against the election results was rooted in a big lie and laid the groundwork for the riot, a violent domestic attack on the Capitol unparalleled in history. Get real, Raskin said at one point. We know that this is what happened. Six Republican senators who joined Democrats in voting to take up the case are among those most watched for their votes. Early signals came Friday during questions for the lawyers. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, asked the first question, Two centrists known for independent streaks, they leaned into a point the prosecutors had made, asking exactly when Trump learned of the breach of the Capitol and what specific actions he took to end the rioting. Democrats had argued that Trump did nothing as the mob rioted. Another Republican who voted to launch the trial, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, asked about Trumps tweet criticizing Pence moments after the then-president was told by another senator that Pence had just been evacuated. Van der Veen responded that at no point was the president informed of any danger. Cassidy told reporters later it was not a very good answer. ---- By LISA MASCARO, ERIC TUCKER and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press by Vladimir Rozanskij An online gathering on "The Church and the pandemic" to commemorate the historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill. The sufferings experienced by people and countless deaths "raise the question of the existence of God more dramatically than any Enlightenment theory". Ilarion on need to open up to new missionary possibilities ". The Civilta Cattolica magazine no available in Russian. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Yesterday February 12, marked five years since the historic meeting between Pope Francis and the patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev), at the Havana airport in Cuba. To mark the anniversary representatives of the two Churches met in an on-line conference on the theme "The Church and the pandemic". In recent years, the meeting was commemorated with similar conferences in Rome and Moscow and in other locations. Patriarch Kirill observed how the stereotypes of atheistic propaganda, well known in the former Soviet Union, have been revived among society due to the pandemic. Many people have been "pushed to doubt the existence of God in the face of the tragedy of Covid-19". Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, confirmed this by saying that "the tragic suffering and death of such a large number of people raise the question of the existence of God more dramatically than any Enlightenment philosophy." Koch compared the catastrophe of the pandemic with the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, when 100,000 people died, which "made one doubt God's goodness and omnipotence". He invited us to see the time of the pandemic as "the forty-year exodus of the Jewish people into the desert, when Israel expressed its dissatisfaction with God, wishing to return to previous paganism". Metropolitan Ilarion (Alfeev), head of the Department for External Ecclesiastical Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, noted in turn that "this global tragedy has exposed a whole series of acute international and social inequalities. A shared witness is needed now more than ever to overcome this, and also the common actions of Christians ... Today we are called to become aware of the challenges that lie before us, and to be able to show the ways of overcoming these difficulties, shared by the major Churches Christian ". Over the past year, the massive use of new technologies has also forced the "virtual participation in liturgical celebrations". For Ilarion, all this must not limit the pastoral action of the Church, but "open up to new missionary possibilities", allowing huge masses of people to participate in initiatives that could not physically be present even in pre-pandemic times. In this context, "preaching in a much broader sense takes on a particular meaning, using media spaces to proclaim the word of God", making participation in the life of the Church in all its dimensions more conscious. In Russia, another initiative linked to the fifth anniversary of Havana was also welcomed, namely the launch of the Russian edition of La Civilta Cattolica. Its director, Father Antonio Spadaro SJ, gave a long interview to the correspondent of the Tass newsagency Vera Sherbakova, explaining that the date was chosen on purpose, for "the incredible ecumenical significance" of the meeting between the pope and the patriarch, and that the title of this editition ie in Russian means "the continuation of the path started then". According to Father Spadaro, in that meeting "even more than theological reasons, the tension to respond to the challenges of history is worth it". The historic Jesuit publication will now be able to "participate in the enormous cultural space" of Russia, not only to "share our ideas, but also to listen to those of others". Spadaro explained that La Civilta Cattolica, founded in 1850 by the will of Pius IX and entrusted to the Jesuits, since 2017 has been transformed into an international publication with 15 correspondents who write from all continents; since last April it has also been published in Chinese, and since November in Japanese, one year after Pope Francis' visit to Japan. Photo:VCG The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar on Saturday denied reports that alleged "China is sending IT personnel to Myanmar," saying such allegations are "groundless" and calling for communication and dialogue in the country to settle differences and bring politics back to normal. "For Myanmar and its people, the most important thing is working together for an effective solution to the domestic political crisis," the embassy said in a statement it sent to the Global Times on Saturday. "The key is to communicate and have dialogue, settle differences and put national politics back to the normal track, which requires all relevant parties to proceed from the fundamental long-term interests of the country and the nation," said the embassy, adding that "China is willing to and is playing a constructive role in this regard as Myanmar's friendly neighbor." Rumors from Western media outlets like the VOA and BBC said that Chinese planes are bringing in "technical experts and equipment to help establish cyber firewall in Myanmar." On Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy cited a statement made by China Enterprise Chamber of Commerce on Facebook which said that "the recent flights between China and Myanmar were regular cargo flights and carried only exported and imported goods such as seafood." According to the Global Times sources in Myanmar, relevant flight crews have "confirmed that they were just cargo flights carrying seafood." Some Myanmar people "protested" outside the Chinese Embassy in Yangon on Thursday due to these false reports and internet rumors. According to the Global Times sources in Yangon, these people "shouted some slogans in the morning" and then "had some food and rest like having a gathering." Qin An, director of the China Internet Space Research Institute, told the Global Times on Saturday that it is "Myanmar's internal affair to administer its internet and China never interferes." "Some reports from Western outlets have no factual basis," he remarked. At a special session of UN Human Rights Council on Friday, China's Permanent Representative to UN's Geneva Office Chen Xu called on the international community to help different sides in Myanmar carry out dialogue and reconciliation in line with the will and interests of Myanmar people and support ASEAN's mediation efforts. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said at a routine press conference on Wednesday that China was following the situation in Myanmar closely and hoped all parties would bear in mind national development and stability and settle differences in accordance with the constitution and relevant laws. COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria commissioner Emma Cassar has repeated the governments claim that the traveller blamed for spreading coronavirus at the Holiday Inn with his use of a nebuliser did not declare the medical device to staff at the hotel. But she said she could not explain why the CQV account of events was so different to the travellers, who told The Age and The Herald on Friday that he informed hotel staff he had a nebuliser. He claimed that staff not only did not tell him its use was prohibited they offered to source more of the medication administered by the machine. I can categorically say that there is no evidence from our audit that he has raised this with our health team or our operational team, Ms Cassar said. Parking meter revenue in Worcester was down by more than half in 2020 compared to the previous two years amid the coronavirus pandemic, MassLive has learned through records requests. The revenue from metered parking spaces in Worcester for 2020 totaled just under $340,000 after declining dramatically over the spring and summer. In 2019 and 2018, overall meter revenue was roughly $697,000 and $712,000, respectively, according to data obtained by MassLive. Worcesters meter revenue in April 2020 also the height of the pandemic dropped precipitously, down to just $4,401 and $4,737 that month and May, respectively, compared to $66,294 in March 2020. Thats about an 85% year-over-year decline in April and May compared to 2019, data shows. Revenue stayed low over the summer, but began increasing again as state officials lifted restrictions on businesses and as new cases dropped to a fraction of what theyd been at the height of pandemic. By June and July, it was up to $13,835 and $11,889, respectively. Revenue started rebounding in the fall and winter months, but the parking funds were still nearly half of what theyd been during the months in years prior. Revenue from parking garages was also down in 2020, with the city collecting roughly $2,454,252 that year compared to $3,581,585 in 2019 and $3,750,336 in 2018, data shows. And the city collected roughly half as much in revenue from parking tickets during 2020, with 26,409 issued during the year of the pandemic compared with 42,184 in 2019. In 2018, there were roughly 43,678 citations issued, according to city records. While the impacts of the pandemic have been felt across many different sectors in Massachusetts, none were more immediately apparent than in traffic and transportation. In March, after the Baker administration began implementing COVID restrictions, state transportation officials had reported a substantial drop-off in MBTA ridership and congestion on the highway, and anticipated tens of millions of dollars in toll losses. State transportation officials, as a result of historically low ridership, were forced to propose a host of cuts to bridge a $579 million shortfall that could be felt across the transportation system. In Worcester, amid a stay-at-home advisory, non-essential business closures and the shift to remote work, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said officials were also bracing for revenue shortfalls from the pandemics impact on traffic and parking. Its something we anticipated given the fact that some of big the drivers of parking revenues are things like the DCU Center, the Hanover Theatre and the Palladium, and theyve all been dark going on a year now, Augustus told MassLive. Not having a years worth of events at the DCU is a blow. Its a blow to our parking system, its a blow to the DCU. To cope with the shortfall, city officials have had to draw from a rainy day fund supported by off-street parking reserves. Weve much depleted a good chunk of those reverses, Augustus said, adding that officials havent had to move money out of the budget yet. In April, Augustus also put a hiring freeze in place and cut down on discretionary spending for other non-salary expenses, he said. Officials also hope that with more remote work, employees in Boston might find rent in Worcester more affordable, prompting more people to move into the Central Massachusetts city. Worcesters parking shortfall reflects a decline in transit activity across Massachusetts. Toll revenue across the state highway system declined by roughly 33.4% during the first eight months of 2020 compared to 2019, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Related Content: Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Imphal, Feb 13 : Three workers, kidnapped by Kuki militants in Manipur, were rescued by security forces from a forest after a fierce gun-battle, police said on Saturday. The police said the armed tribal guerrillas abducted the workers at gunpoint on February 7 when they were busy in the construction of a bridge at Leikhong in Thoubal district. The security forces subsequently launched a massive combing operation in possible locations and mountainous areas and the hostages were traced at the Kamuching forests. "Sensing the presence of security forces, the extremists fired at them, leading to a fierce gunfight that lasted for over two hours late on Friday evening," a police official said. The Kuki ultras during the encounter managed to escape taking advantage of the thick forest and hilly terrain leaving behind the captives. The security forces subsequently rescued the three workers and recovered an AK-47 rifle from the forested areas. Chief Minister N. Biren Singh highly appreciated the valour of the security forces and rewarded them with Rs 10 lakh. "Such an incident of rescuing hostages from the extremists' clutches has not been heard for long in the state. For their bravery, the security personnel would also be awarded with Chief Minister's commendation certificates," Singh told the media. Lord Alton of Liverpool speaks to The Epoch Times during an online interview on Feb. 12, 2021. (The Epoch Times/Screenshot) Legitimacy of Trading With Genocidal Countries Is the Battle of Our Times: Lord Alton 'Genocide amendment' author 'confident' House of Lords will send amendment back to Commons The legitimacy of trading with genocidal countries is the battle of our times, the UKs Lord Alton of Liverpool has said, drawing parallels with the opium and slave trades in past centuries. Lord Alton is the author of an amendment to the UKs post-Brexit Trade Bill often dubbed the genocide amendment, which, if adopted, would give UK courts the power to determine whether a current or potential trade partner has committed genocide. Some Parliamentarians have argued that the Trade Bill is not the right place to deal with genocide, but Lord Alton disagrees. Its never the right bill, its never the right time; if you dont want something to happen, you will always argue that, he told The Epoch Times on Friday. But actually, the great free trader of the 19th century, Richard Cobden, he also led the campaign in Parliament against trade in the Opium Wars, against the slave trade, because he said there are limitations. Cobden considered both owning slaves and trade in opium unacceptable, Lord Alton said. The battle in our own day is about, is it legitimate to trade with nations who are themselves carrying out acts of genocide? You have to ask the question, should we be trading on the backs of people who are enslaved? Should we be trading on the backs of people who may be subject to the crime above all crimes, genocide? Revised Amendment Lord Altons Trade Bill amendment enjoyed a landslide victory in the House of Lords on Feb. 3, but MPs in the House of Commons did not have a chance to vote on it because the government bundled it with a different amendment and tabled an alternative proposal to replace them. The government knew that it was going to pass [in the House of Commons], Lord Alton said. It wasnt just [that] the former leader of the Conservative Party Sir Iain Duncan Smith was its primary supporter in the House of Commons, against his own party in government, but also that all the opposition parties were supporting it as well, and continue to do so. A previous version of the amendment, which contained an automatic revocation of trade deals upon a courts determination of genocide, had been defeated in the Commons on Jan. 19 by only 11 votes, due to concerns over judicial overreach. The government was shocked to see that their majority in the House of Commons of over 80 was reduced to just 11. And so it only took another half a dozen of those people to swap, and the resolution would have gone through, Lord Alton said. He said that although the governments move was not unprecedented, its nevertheless pretty disreputable, given the overwhelming support for the amendment. Toothless Tiger The governments versionpassed in the Commons on Tuesday by 15 votesgives the power to determine genocide to parliamentary select committees. Lord Alton said that makes the amendment a toothless tiger. Being a member of the International Relations and Defence Select Committee himself, Lord Alton said select committees have always had the power. The issue is, will the government then recognize that decision? he said. Lord Alton said he proposed the amendment precisely because the government wouldnt act without a courts determination. In 2016, when I challenged the government to declare what was happening to the Yazidis in northern Iraq to be a genocide, the government said the House of Lords wasnt competent to do that, only a court could make that decision, he said. The House of Commons then had a formal vote on the floor of the House of Commons, not just a select committee, and said this is a genocide. And the government said, no, only a court can decide; its not the government, not the House of Commons of Parliament, only a court. The Trade Bill is due back in the House of Lords on Feb. 23, when peers will have one last chance to put some teeth into the tiger by re-inserting Lord Altons amendment. Im pretty confident that the House of Lords will send it back to the Commons again, Lord Alton said. And I hope this time that the government will have the guts, the courage, to allow a free and open democratic vote in the House of Commons, so that the elected house can make a decision on this. China Although the genocide amendment doesnt mention any particular country, the debates around it in Parliament have been centred around the Chinese regime since there has been growing evidence that its treatment of the Uyghur people amounts to crimes against humanity and genocide. If the Uyghur people were able to put sufficient evidence before a court of law and demonstrate that they have been subjected to genocide, then of course there ought to be implications, not just a trade, but for the way we deal with a country in those circumstances, Lord Alton said. It cant be business as usual, he added. I have a love of China. I love Chinese people. I just dont like the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party, he said, citing what the regime had done during the Cultural Revolution and at Tiananmen Square in 1989; how it had treated Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers; Falun Gong adherents, Christians, dissenters, lawyers, and citizen journalists; and its threat to Taiwan. Lord Alton said he was increasingly optimistic 10 years ago that China was moving to become a democratic country where people would have basic freedoms and liberties, only to see the country going in the opposite direction. I think thats a tragedy for the Chinese people, he said. I hope that we will see reform and change, and that there will be the opportunity then for people to live harmoniously alongside one another in the future. A D.C. Superior Court judge on Friday ordered Proud Boys leader Henry Enrique Tarrio to appear in court, after a federal agency that monitors defendants on pretrial release reported Tarrio as a loss of contact. Judge Robert Okun ordered Tarrio to appear via video Feb. 22 for a show-cause hearing after an official from the Pretrial Services Agency reported that Tarrio had failed to check in with the agency since his release from custody after his Jan. 4 arrest. Tarrio, 33, of Miami, was arrested last month and charged with destruction of property linked to the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner outside a D.C. church in December. In addition to the misdemeanor, Tarrio also faces felony counts of possessing two extended, empty rifle magazines, each capable of holding 30 rounds of .223-caliber, AR-15-compatible ammunition. Tarrio told authorities he planned to sell the magazines. As part of his release, a judge ordered Tarrio to report to the agency regularly. But in a Feb. 4 memo to the judge, the agency wrote that Tarrio had failed to report by phone, has not verified his address and was deemed a loss of contact, according to the filing. In a telephone interview with The Washington Post the day Pretrial Services filed its memo, Tarrio said he had tried repeatedly to call the agency but did not have any success. They dont make it easy to reach them. I will call them right now, he said. Tarrio is a key figure in the Proud Boys, a far-right group with a history of violence. Canada recently designated it a terrorist group. Tarrio was released from custody Jan. 5 as he awaited trial, with a requirement that he abide by the monitoring agencys conditions. He also was barred from returning to the nations capital for anything other than court business while his case is pending. No fewer than 4,000 rural women in Niger have received N80 million in total under the Federal Government Special Cash Grant Project for rural women, a statement from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has said. The statement issued on Saturday by Nneka Anibeze, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Sadiya Farouq, said the beneficiaries were selected from the 25 local government areas of the state. The ministrys officials met with officials of the Niger State government. Ms Farouq explained that the grant was part of the social protection programmes of President Muhammadu Buharis administration aimed at uplifting the most vulnerable groups out of poverty. The minister maintained that the Federal Governments National Social investment Programme (NSIP) is one of the biggest social protection programmes in Africa. As part of President Buharis vision to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, the Federal Government through my Ministry introduced the Special Cash Grant Programme for rural women. It is designed to provide a one-off grant of N20,000.00 to the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural Nigeria to increase their access to financial capital required for economic activities. The grant is disbursed to over 150,000 poor rural women across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Already, Niger state has received a total sum of N1,991,070,000.00 (One Billion, Nine Hundred and Ninety-One Million, Seventy Thousand Naira only) from the Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer programme, Ms Farouq said. According to her, this is impacting the lives of 43,611 poor and vulnerable households. Mr Farouq said: 12 local government councils including Wushishi, Chanchaga, Bida, Kontagora, Rafi, Bargu, Agaie, Mashegu Katcha, Bosso, Munya, Lapai, Lavun are currently benefiting from the Federal Government CCT programme in Niger. Responding, Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger expressed delight at the disbursement of N80 million to 4,000 rural women in the state. Mr Bello noted that the grant would lift many women in the state out of abject poverty. The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, said the grant came at a time when the people of the state have been impoverished by many socio-economic factors Mr Matane listed incessant banditry attacks, which had forced many people to relocate to Internally Displaced Persons camps, cattle rustling, and lately the COVID-19 scourge as some of the causes. I thank Mr President for this initiative of empowering rural women all over the country through this special cash grant. We are grateful for all the federal government interventions such as Conditional Cash Transfer, GEEP, N-Power and the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, among others, given to the state, especially during the floods and banditry. We still need more of the intervention in the state. Our people have been further impoverished following insecurity caused by banditry, rustling and other social issues. However, I can assure you that these women will make maximum use of this grant given to them, Mr Bello said. ADVERTISEMENT Dignitaries at the event included the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubair Dada; Director General of NEMA, Muhammadu Muhammed; and Abdullahi Wuse, the Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly. Others are the state Head of Service, Salamatu Abubakar; the Director Finance and Administration, NSIP Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, Abdullahi Yusuf; Niger Focal Person and Special Adviser on NSIP, Amina Guar. (NAN) They have been going strong ever since they were first linked last summer. And it seems Katie Price and her boyfriend Carl Woods were celebrating their first Valentine's Day together in style as they took receipt of a special delivery. The former glamour model, 42, was a presented with a huge bunch of pink and gold balloons and a two hampers at her Essex home on Friday. Aw! Katie Price and her boyfriend Carl Woods were celebrating their first Valentine's Day together in style as they took receipt of a special delivery Katie look delighted following the surprise delivery, which is understood to have included a 500 bespoke hamper from the Melting Pot Company. Earlier in the day Carl, 31, had teased a Valentine's surprise for his other half, as he revealed something was on the way for her ahead of the romantic day. The couple, who filmed an Instagram Story together in a car, also revealed that Carl would be celebrating his birthday the following day. Gifts: The former glamour model, 42, was a presented with a huge bunch of pink and gold balloons and a two hampers at her Essex home on Friday Arrival: Katie look delighted following the surprise delivery, which is understood to have included a 500 bespoke hamper from the Melting Pot Company Surprise! Earlier in the day Carl, 31, had teased a Valentine's surprise for his other half, as he revealed something was on the way for her ahead of the romantic day Katie opted for a casual look while chilling at home, and could be seen wearing a graphic print beige hooded jacket with a pair of matching sweatpants. The mother of five appeared to be going make-up free and wore her brunette locks in a loose straight style, after recently revealing her real short hair. Meanwhile, Carl also opted for comfortable clothing as he sported a pale blue hooded jacket with a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms. Valentine's treats: The couple, who filmed an Instagram Story together in a car, also revealed that Carl would be celebrating his birthday the following day Casual: Katie opted for a casual look while chilling at home, and could be seen wearing a graphic print beige hooded jacket with a pair of matching sweatpants Low-key: The mother of five appeared to be going make-up free and wore her brunette locks in a loose straight style, after recently revealing her real short hair The couple, who live together at Katie's pad, also ensured they were covered up with coronavirus masks while taking receipt of the delivery. Katie's loved-up display comes shortly after she heartbreakingly spoke about how she planned to commit suicide at the beginning of last year after reaching 'crunch point' before entering rehab. The TV personality opened up about her mental health struggle during an appearance on BBC Northern Ireland's Nolan Live on Wednesday. Katie told how she checked herself into private mental health facility The Priory in London at the beginning of 2020 after having suicidal thoughts. Couple: Meanwhile, Carl also opted for comfortable clothing as he sported a pale blue hooded jacket with a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms Safety: The couple, who live together at Katie's pad, also ensured they were covered up with coronavirus masks while taking receipt of the delivery While opening up about her own battle, Katie also discussed her 18-year-old son Harvey's disabilities, which were explored in their new documentary. During the chat, host Stephen Nolan asked the mother-of-five how she manages to stay strong and whether she has ever felt overwhelmed. Answering honestly, Katie revealed: 'You just have to get on with it. I went to The Priory last year, because I had a lot of things to deal with, and I think speaking to a therapist just helps you prepare for it. 'I say to anyone out there, if you are suffering with mental health, and this pandemic doesn't help, just talk to someone - if you're feeling low, talk to someone. Tough times: Katie's loved-up display comes shortly after she heartbreakingly spoke about how she planned to commit suicide at the beginning of last year after reaching 'crunch point' before entering rehab Candid: The TV personality opened up about her mental health struggle during an appearance on BBC Northern Ireland's Nolan Live on Wednesday Nolan then asked: 'Do you mind opening up about your mental health? What was crunch point for you?' Katie heartbreakingly admitted: 'I wanted to commit suicide. I planned it, I did everything Everything was on top of me, it was a build up. 'I'm only human, I'm strong but there's only so much you can take and I could have either committed suicide or got help.' Katie admitted that her children, Harvey, Junior, 15, Princess, 13, Jett, seven, and Bunny, six, were her reason for seeking help at her lowest ebb. Riding: Katie also discussed her relief that she can still ride horses following her shock injury Lucky! Katie said: 'I can still ride my horses which is my passion and so good for me mentally' Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Residents report rash of catalytic converter thefts With a portable power saw, thieves can quickly remove a catalytic converter from exhaust pipes as happened to Interfaith Assistance Ministry's box truck. On a recent morning, Eva Ritchey went outside to crank one of the passenger vans she operates as part of the Trolley Co., her event transportation business. I went out there to start the vehicle that was parked in the back and it just like exploded, she said. A mechanic who answered her call for help diagnosed the problem instantly. Ill tell you what it is, he told her. They stole your catalytic converter. When you start a vehicle like that and the catalytic converter is gone," the newly schooled business owner said, "thats what it sounds like coming out of the exhaust." Ritchey is not alone. Across Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties, law enforcement agencies are responding to a rash of catalytic converter theft, sparked by opportunistic thieves looking to cash in on the increasingly valuable metals harvested from the pollution-reducing tubes. Weve had reports spread out over multiple states and were just trying to track down leads and see if we can find out whos doing it, Henderson County Sheriffs Maj. Frank Stout said. We have got some tips and were pursuing those leads. Its just a rash of thefts of these catalytic converters. Our guys have put in a lot of hours. Its taking many different directions. Stricter emissions standards around the globe have stoked production of catalytic converters at the same that the pandemics constraining effect on mining in South Africa has curbed the supply of the precious metals that go into the honeycomb innards of the converters. The New York Times reported this week on the epidemic of catalytic converter thefts across the U.S. spiking more than eightfold in St. Louis, from 50 in 2019 to 420 last year, and more than tripling in the last half of 2020 in Lexington, South Carolina, where sheriffs deputies responded to 144 catalytic converter thefts. Coated with precious metals like palladium, rhodium and platinum, the catalytic converter is designed to scrub toxic pollutants from a cars exhaust. Those metals have skyrocketed in price. One of them, Rhodium, has gone from about $640 an ounce five years ago to a record $21,900 an ounce this year, roughly 12 times the price of gold, the Times reported. The thefts have become so common that detectives have formed an informal task force across agencies in Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties to share case information, surveillance video and tips, Hendersonville Police Capt. Dale Patton said. It could be just one of those crimes of opportunity, he said. The best thing you can do is to keep your eyes open, keep your vehicle parked in a well-lit place, ask neighbors to keep their eyes open. The city has received calls about catalytic converter thefts from private homes and from car dealerships, which, even though well-lighted, are left alone at night. Taller vehicles are popular targets. They dont have to jack them up, Patton said. Access is easier. With a sawzall, a portable reciprocating saw powerful enough to cut through metal exhaust pipes, a thief can make off with a catalytic converter quickly. Its seconds, Maj. Stout said. You get a portable sawzall and its just, honestly, zip zip. It could even be 30 seconds if youre quick and know what youre doing. When they target larger vehicle with a high chassis, thieves can slide in, youve got plenty of room to work, plenty of room to operate, be in and out in seconds. Although they had no way of knowing how quickly the thief acted, managers at Interfaith Assistance Ministry know the thief used a power saw. They caught an image of it on surveillance video. They came in the night and we discovered it when our volunteers drove it, said Elizabeth Willson Moss, executive director of the crisis services agency. They thought it was a muffler issue, it was so loud. We investigated and found out that indeed our catalytic converter had been cut off the bottom of our box truck. Thats the only box truck we have. It transports critical food for hungry people. Stout recommended that people be on the lookout for vehicles moving slowly through neighborhoods or commercial areas, possibly driven by thieves scoping out easy targets for a catalytic converter theft. Theres nothing wrong with taking a photo with your cellphone to get a tag number, he said. We really want people to be nosy neighbors if they see something suspicious in and around their home. If law officers dont catch a criminal in the act, they may catch a break when the thief shows up at a scrap metal yard. A lot of the places that you would sell that item here, they have to put it on LeadsOnline, which we have the ability to look at, he said. LeadsOnline is a private company that bills itself as the link between investigators and missing items that a thief is trying to hock at a pawnshop or sell at a scrap yard. LeadsOnline says the service helps law enforcement agencies recover stolen items and solve crimes and gives businesses as easy way to log in transactions theyre required to report under state laws. If theyre doing in right they have to put information into a database that is shared, that we have the ability to look at, Stout said. Scrap yards also are required to make a record of the customers who drop off metal for cash. For Ritchey, whose home and business are on the same property on U.S. 64 west of Laurel Park, the catalytic converter theft from the belly of a 24-passenger bus was just the beginning. Next, thieves sawed one out from under a 14-passenger limo. A catalytic converter in a third vehicle was damaged but left behind when the thief apparently got spooked. The losses have come as the coronavirus pandemic has crippled her business, which relies on weddings, anniversaries, corporate get-togethers and other celebrations. It couldnt come at a worse time, she said. Our business is down 60 percent. WASHINGTON - Former president Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, becoming the first president in U.S. history to face a second impeachment trial - and surviving it in part because of his continuing hold on the Republican Party despite his electoral defeat in November. That grip appeared to loosen slightly during the vote Saturday afternoon, when seven Republicans crossed party lines to vote for conviction - a sign of the rift the Capitol siege has caused within GOP ranks and the desire by some in the party to move on from Trump. Still, the 57-to-43 vote, in which all Democrats and two independents voted against the president, fell far short of the two-thirds required to convict. The tally came after senators briefly upended the proceeding by voting to allow witnesses - only to reverse themselves amid Republican opposition and following hours of negotiations with House Democrats and Trump's defense team. The decision in the end to forgo testimony set the stage for Trump's acquittal without a full accounting of his actions on Jan. 6, when pro-Trump rioters who believed his false claims that he had actually won the election stormed the Capitol and endangered the lives of lawmakers, Vice President Mike Pence and hundreds of staff and police officers. Five people died in the melee. Even some of those who voted to acquit the former president excoriated him from the Senate floor after the impeachment trial ended. 3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford. Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post phtoo by Salwan Georges Show More Show Less 3 of 3 "These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flag and screaming their loyalty to him," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who voted to acquit but has previously denounced Trump's role in the insurrection and has not spoken to him since mid-December. "It was so obvious that only President Trump could end this. He was the only one." The remarks seemed aimed at attempting to turn the page on the Trump era, while also avoiding stoking the wider GOP civil war that a conviction would likely have brought. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., meanwhile, took aim at the Republicans who defended Trump because of his continuing popularity among GOP voters and their fears that Trump or his base could turn on them if they did not remain loyal. Schumer appeared to be previewing a political argument that is likely to feature prominently in the 2022 election cycle. "Just look what Republicans have been forced to defend," Schumer said. "Look what Republicans have chosen to forgive." Trump is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice by the House, which last year handed down articles of impeachment for his attempts to pressure Ukraine in hopes of damaging his then-rival, Joe Biden, who would go on to defeat him in the 2020 presidential election. Trump was impeached again by the Democratic-controlled House last month over his alleged role in inciting the deadly Capitol insurrection. In a statement after his acquittal, Trump thanked his legal team and decried his impeachment, tying the move to broader efforts made against him by Democrats during his term in office. "This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country," Trump's statement said. "No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago." Trump has already threatened to support primary challenges against Republicans who did not promote his false claims that the election was stolen, and the power of that threat was evident in Saturday's roll call - even though the party lost both the White House and Congress during his tumultuous tenure. Among the seven GOP senators who voted to convict, only one, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, faces reelection in 2022. Two others, Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Burr of North Carolina, have announced plans to retire. Three - Susan Collins of Maine, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana - were just reelected last year. And Mitt Romney of Utah doesn't face reelection until 2024. "As a result of President Trump's actions, for the first time in American history, the transfer of presidential power was not peaceful," Toomey said in a statement. "A lawless attempt to retain power by a president was one of the founders' greatest fears motivating the inclusion of the impeachment authorities in the U.S. Constitution." Republican and Democratic senators alike indicated all week that they opposed allowing witness testimony because of the potential to extend the trial for weeks or even months. Many said the testimony was unlikely to change minds in the evenly divided chamber. While many Democrats argued that a protracted proceeding would get in the way of President Biden's agenda, in particular a coronavirus relief bill, Saturday's drama made clear that tensions remained among Democrats over whether to pursue a deeper examination of the events of Jan. 6. "Each witness can lead to other witnesses and new information," Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., wrote on Twitter after the initial vote to allow testimony. "This can also prompt others with new evidence to come forward voluntarily." The drama began when the lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin, D-Md., opened the day's proceedings with an unexpected request to call Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., as a witness following reports of her account that Trump had refused the entreaties of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to call off the rioters. Herrera Beutler described an expletive-laden phone call in which Trump falsely claimed that the rioters were members of antifa, the loose-knit movement of sometimes violent liberal activists. He also accused McCarthy of caring less about Trump's efforts to overturn Biden's victory than the rioters did. Schumer had told Democrats earlier Saturday that the decision about witnesses would be left to the House managers. So after Raskin's request, the chamber voted 55 to 45 to allow witnesses, with five Republicans joining Democrats and the chamber sliding into uncertainty as groups of senators huddled for hours to figure out what would come next. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said they monitored what happened in the Senate but were not involved in the negotiations. The possibility of a protracted trial clearly alarmed Republicans, with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shaking his head and resting his forehead on his hand as Raskin spoke. Separately, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., angrily pointed at Romney after the 2012 GOP presidential nominee voted for allowing witnesses. Trump's lawyers also threatened to call hundreds of witnesses, though they would not have been allowed to do so without Senate approval. After nearly three hours of deliberations, the Senate came back to order and Raskin announced that he was willing to accept a compromise in which Herrera Beutler's statement would be admitted as evidence - and that Trump and his lawyers would stipulate to its veracity. Stacey Plaskett, a Democratic delegate from the Virgin Islands who was one of the impeachment managers, said in explaining the decision that "other individuals who may have been there with the president were not friendly . . . to us and would have required subpoenas and months of litigation." One individual close to the House managers' deliberations said getting Trump to agree that Herrera Beutler's statement was true was an important victory. The person also said that the "already overwhelming evidence" admitted in the trial had made the managers' case "without the need for subpoena, deposition and other testimony." However, in his closing argument, Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said the former president and his lawyer were not stipulating to the "truthfulness" of Herrera Beutler's statement. The five-day trial featured dramatic presentations by the nine House impeachment managers, who offered a harrowing retelling of the terror that engulfed the Capitol last month. They shared shocking new audio and video recordings of rioters declaring their intent to harm Pence and other top officials - and showing how close they came to doing so. There were chants to "Hang Mike Pence!" and a sinister clip of a man looking for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and asking, "Naaaancy? Where aaaare you, Nancy?" And there was new surveillance video showing Romney being rushed back into the Senate chamber by Officer Eugene Goodman moments before Goodman confronted a mob of insurrectionists just paces away. All of it, the impeachment managers said, was a direct result of the president's months-long effort to persuade his supporters of the "big lie" that the election had been stolen. After he had exhausted all other options to overturn Biden's victory - including dozens of lawsuits and a sustained campaign to pressure state election officials - they said Trump turned his sights to Jan. 6, the day Congress was scheduled to formalize Biden's electoral college victory. The managers, led by Raskin, also detailed the casualties of that day, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer and four others who died. Two more officers took their own lives in the subsequent days. One officer is expected to lose an eye, others lost fingers and several are still recovering from serious head injuries. "President Trump put a target on their backs," said Plaskett, describing the threat to all of those in the Capitol that day. "And his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down." In their closing arguments Saturday, the House managers highlighted Trump's disregard for the safety of congressional leaders as well as Pence - and urged senators to convict "for the safety and security of our democracy and our people." "We've proven to the satisfaction of the American people, certainly, that the president, after the breach and the invasion took place, was not working on the side of defending the Capitol, but rather was continuing to pursue his political goals," Raskin said. The managers also attempted to rebut the Trump defense team's claims that Democrats view Trump's Jan. 6 speech as the sole incitement for the attack, that Trump could not have known that violence would erupt that day, and that the insurrectionists came to Washington of their own accord. "This was not one speech," said impeachment manager Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa. "This was a deliberate, purposeful effort by Donald Trump over many months that resulted in the well-organized mob's attack on January the 6th." The fact that the insurrection was planned, Dean argued, further supports Democrats' point. Trump's lawyers - who used only a fraction of their allotted time to make their closing arguments Saturday - emphasized that the former president never explicitly urged violence and that his false claims about the election were protected under the First Amendment. They and other Republicans also argued it was unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial after a president has left office. "At no point did you hear anything that could ever possibly be construed as Mr. Trump encouraging or sanctioning an insurrection," van der Veen said. "Senators, you did not hear those tapes because they do not exist, because the act of incitement never happened." - - - The Washington Post's Rosalind S. Helderman, Paul Kane, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner and Amy B Wang contributed to this report. SALEM, Ore. The Oregon Health Authority announced on Friday that has discovered the first known "breakthrough" coronavirus cases in the state individuals who are fully vaccinated, but tested positive for COVID-19. OHA said that there are currently four such cases. All had gotten their second dose of a vaccine at least 14 days before testing positive. Two of the cases are in Yamhill County, and another two in Lane County. OHA said that it is working with local public health officials to investigate the origin of these cases. Illnesses among the four cases range from asymptomatic to mild symptoms. "Genome sequencing is underway, and we expect results next week," the agency said. Breakthrough cases are "not unexpected," OHA said. Clinical trials of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine resulted in some amount of these cases, though severity of the illnesses tended to be reduced. "Based on what is known about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, OHA experts believe the existing vaccines are very effective," the agency concluded. Oregon's daily number of vaccinations performed has continued to ramp up, with 25,772 doses added to the state's registry on Friday the majority from inoculations done on Thursday. At present, a total of 649,602 first and second doses have been administered in the state, of more than 884,000 delivered to sites across Oregon. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Zara McDermott has told how revenge porn made her consider suicide after a boy shared naked pictures of her around their school when she was just 14. The Love Island star, 24, revealed she felt 'shunned, punished and shamed' by her teachers and peers, while the boy who sent the image got off 'scot free'. Zara, who was later victim to the same offence in 2018, said the shame drove her to consider suicide so she wouldn't have to go back to school. The TV star said she was called into the headteacher's office and suspended, before police were called to give her a talk about having created child pornography. Brave: Zara McDermott has told how revenge porn made her consider suicide after a boy shared naked pictures of her around their school when she was just 14 (pictured in January) In an interview with the Times, Zara said: 'People don't realise when something like this happens, it affects the whole family. 'My teachers just washed their hands of me. Drilling it into me, constantly blaming me. Do you know what that does to a young girl?' She said the boy got off without punishment, while she was left so embarrassed she considered suicide as a means of not returning. Zara, who is now in a relationship with Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, said she remembers thinking: "How would I do it?". I never want to go to that place again.' The reality personality discussed her experience with revenge porn ahead of her upcoming BBC3 documentary about the subject. During the interview, Zara revealed how she took the nude photograph to send to a boy as a means of fitting in at school. Candid: The Love Island star, 24, revealed she felt 'shunned, punished and shamed' by her teachers and peers while the boy who sent the image got off 'scot free' (pictured outside Parliament Square in London) The boy shared the image with friends and it circulated around the the Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Upminster, Essex, before reaching neighbouring schools by lunchtime the following day. It even reached her 11-year-old brother and her mother, who worked in the food and tech department of the school, and had to confront colleagues and other parents who told her she should 'be ashamed'. Meanwhile, she revealed the other girls at school slut-shamed her and she became isolated from her entire friendship group. Coopers' Company and Coborn School said it now has 'specific policies for peer on peer abuse and clear procedures for sexting incidents'. After rebuilding her life, Zara sexted again in 2018 just before appearing on Love Island to her then-boyfriend. Difficult times: Zara, who was later victim to the same crime in 2018, said the shame drove her to consider suicide so she wouldn't have to go back to school (pictured on Love Island in 2018) She had reached a point of trust with the man but this was broken when the images were shared online and circulated around the world after the show. Zara only learnt about the images when she was preparing to fly home after her time on the show ended. It comes as campaigners including Zara, welcomed moves to make it a criminal offence for people to threaten to share naked, sexual or explicit pictures of videos of another person without their consent. What is revenge porn? Revenge Porn - or Image-based sexual abuse - is the sharing of private, sexual materials of another person without their consent Sharing with the purpose of causing embarrassment or distress to the individual pictured The offence can be both on and offline and applies to electronically shared images or showing someone a physical image Advertisement Government ministers are expected to back the change and make 'an intent to share intimate images' an offence under new abuse legislation, according to The Sun. experience last September, she said: 'I've been a victim of revenge porn, or what is called Image Based Sexual Abuse, twice in my life. 'Notably, when I came out of Love Island, and came out to images of me, what felt like, circulating around the whole world. It was one of the hardest things I went through in my whole life. 'I think that telling someone to never send an image of themselves or a video or do anything in a relationship in a digital way. 'It's quite naive to ask someone to do because we live in a hugely digital age right now, it's only going to get more prolific in society. 'So I think that trying to do it safely is a really interesting concept to think about and something I thought about a lot, how can you educate people safely? 'And also and educating people who would share the images about the implications of their actions and them knowing it's illegal and is an offence, I think could change a lot.' Heartbreaking: Zara, who is now in a relationship with Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson (pictured), said she remembers thinking: "How would I do it?". I never want to go to that place again' It is understood that ministers broadly support plans to criminalise those who threaten to leak sex tapes or other explicit content of their partners. It comes after a campaign by the domestic abuse charity Refuge, endorsed by a host of celebrities including Zara and Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman. The measure would essentially add a 'threats to' element to existing revenge porn legislation, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison for those who commit image-based sexual abuse by sharing explicit pictures or video without the subject's consent, with the intent to cause distress. Lisa King, Refuge director of communications and external relations, said: 'Refuge is beyond delighted to hear that the Government has committed, as part of the Domestic Abuse Bill, we hope, to make threats to share intimate images illegal. 'We have been working around the clock, over many months to bring this to the Government's attention. 'The success of The Naked Threat campaign has only been possible thanks to the survivors with whom we work, our dedicated tech abuse team, the many supportive politicians such as Baroness Nicky Morgan, Caroline Nokes, and Lord Ken Macdonald and supporters such as Olivia Colman and Zara McDermott.' She added: 'This commitment shows that the Government is willing to listen to their needs and experiences and put them front and centre of their efforts to tackle domestic abuse.' A survey commissioned by Refuge previously found that one in 14 adults in England and Wales had experienced threats to share intimate images or videos. Standing together: In September, Zara joined Refuge ambassador and domestic abuse survivor Natasha Saunders and Refuge policy manager Cordelia Tucker O'Sullivan outside Parliament to lobby to change laws The survey suggested that threats to share intimate images are most prevalent among people aged 18-34, with one in seven young women experiencing such threats. During a debate in the House of Lords on Monday night, Baroness Morgan pressed the case for a change in the law. She said: 'The actual sharing of the images might take place, but, just as likely, if a partner or ex-partner wants to exercise control over and play havoc with their victim's life, they will leave the threat hanging out there, often for many years. 'So the police and everyone else need to know and be clear in their own minds that the making of threats is an offence and should be prosecuted, in the same way as the actual sharing of intimate images was made a crime by this Government.' Refuge survivor was a teenager when her boyfriend asked her to pose for photographs Natasha Saunders, 31, revealed she was with her ex-husband for six months when he 'ordered' her to remove her clothes to 'pose for intimate photos'. The Refuge survivor said: 'In the beginning, I thought taking these photos was an act of intimacy, but they were actually being used as another form of domestic abuse and as another way to control me.' She said he would 'berate' and 'mock' her appearance until she gave in. 'Posing for these photos made me feel so dirty and worthless, but I was just a teenager and I wanted to make him happy. 'I never imagined these pictures would become leverage for my abuser's campaign of isolation and coercive control. 'The threat of those intimate photos being shared was my worst nightmare I had no choice but to comply with his continued abuse or face potential shame and humiliation.' Advertisement She said creating the law, in an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill, 'would protect millions of women and victims of domestic abuse sooner than some indefinite date in the future'. The matter is due back before MPs in the coming weeks. Zara joined Refuge ambassador and domestic abuse survivor Natasha Saunders and Refuge policy manager Cordelia Tucker O'Sullivan outside Parliament in September last year. Speaking about the project on Instagram, she said: 'I'm going to speak to you guys about a very serious topic, something that's really, really close to me and something I've been a victim of myself and that is revenge porn, or as other people like to call it image based sexual abuse... 'Some of the messages I've had have shocked me to the core. I can't even begin to tell you what women are going through now.' In March, it was revealed that Zara give an 'emotional and raw' account of her experience of revenge porn in a BBC documentary, to be released on February 23 this year. She revealed she will open up about the traumatic time in an upcoming show for BBC Three - recounting the time she left Love Island in 2018 and learnt that an ex had leaked naked images of her online. Zara wrote on Instagram: 'ANNOUNCEMENT. Hi Everyone. Some of you may be aware that I have been a victim of Image Based Sexual Abuse, which is also known as Revenge Porn... 'For those of you who don't know what this is, it's basically when one person shares intimate images of videos of another person without their consent... 'I am really humbled and honoured to announce that the BBC and I are currently making a documentary to share my story. 'My main aim is to bring awareness to this issue, and be a voice for those who have suffered in silence and to help make a change. I am sharing my story and being my most vulnerable, emotional and raw [sic].' According to Zara, she now feels 'confident enough to properly speak out' about her personal experiences of revenge porn. She wrote: 'This has affected my life and me as a person tremendously, and for the first time I'm confident enough to properly speak out and share my story. 'I am nervous to share these intimate details with the world but I hope that it will only make positive change and lessen the blame on us victims. The documentary will be out in a few months time on BBC Three. Thank you so much.' Of the upcoming show, Fiona Campbell, the Controller at BBC Three, said: 'We're grateful to Zara for sharing her story with us and hope it will make a difference to young lives around the UK.' For help and support or more information, you can call Refuge's Freephone 24hr National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 for free, confidential specialist support or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk. Scrubbing a dirty pan, wiping a counter, swabbing batter off the mixer when most of us are cleaning up in the kitchen, were probably only thinking of the thing being cleaned. But take heed: that sponge youre using for those various tasks could be trying to kill you. A frequently cited 2017 study published by Scientific Reports took 14 used kitchen sponges under a microscope and found a whopping 362 different species of bacteria present with a density reaching up to 45 billion microbes per square centimeter. Thats a very huge number of bacteria, indeed, lead scientist Markus Egert told National Public Radio in a 2017 interview. Theres hardly any habitat on Earth where youll find similar densities of bacteria, except for the human intestinal tract. Yuck. Because theyre so porous and frequently remain damp, sponges are a perfect incubator for all the nasties we want to keep miles away from our food and cooking surfaces. So does that mean you need to toss out all your sponges? No, but some degree of caution is recommended. On ExpressNews.com: See what recipes were creating and cooking here. Bookmark the page! For starters, one hard-and-fast rule is dont use your sponges to clean up meat juices. Stick to paper towels for that task and toss them out posthaste. And dont keep sponges for months on end. A good rule of thumb is to discard a sponge after two weeks of use. And that doesnt mean you can be cavalier with your sponges in the meantime. They require regular cleaning every few days to kill off anything trying to take up residence in all those little pockets of moisture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends two cleaning techniques that in tests proved best at killing off nearly 100 percent of the bacteria present on grubby sponges. The first is to moisten the sponge and microwave it for a minute. This was the most effective method, nuking 99.99999 percent of the bacteria to death. The second most effective trick is to run your sponges through the dishwasher set to a hot drying cycle. That proved essentially as effective as microwaving, killing 99.9998 percent of present bacteria. On ExpressNews.com: Busting the myth that wood cutting boards are less sanitary than plastic. Soaking sponges in a liquid bleach solution, lemon juice or water when done using were found to be far less effective, so if thats your routine, consider changing those habits in the name of safety. A note on eco-friendly sponges made from loofah, cotton, hemp, wood cellulose, natural sponges harvested from the ocean and various other materials instead of the synthetic sponges most of us have in the kitchen: while some of these materials can take the heat of the microwave, others, such as natural sponge, will shrink and harden. Others might burn, as in the case of cellulose. Bottom line, stick to the dishwasher to sanitize sponges made from earth-friendly materials. Once your sponges are sparkling clean and youre ready to cook again, this week were celebrating Presidents Day with recipes from some of our most notable early leaders: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. If youre in the mood for a White House-approved meal from historic administrations, give any of the following recipes a try. Recipe: Mount Vernon Hoecakes Recipe: Abigail Adams Apple Pandowdy Recipe: Monticello White Bean Soup Recipe: Abraham Lincolns Chicken Fricassee pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen Now, according to national groups such as the COVID Prison Project, at least 24 states and territories have included incarcerated populations in early eligibility groups. In the Midwest, Indiana has placed prisoners in a later phase. Wisconsin is still debating the issue. In Missouri, while correctional staff are prioritized, most imprisoned people will be among the last in the state to be offered a vaccine, according to the COVID Prison Project. Unity is not just an empty slogan; it truly is something all Americans should be striving to achieve. Many Americans still share virtues, such as attachment to hard work and devotion to principles such as equality, around which a president can create national harmony. We cant achieve unity, however, by refusing to deal squarely with the deep philosophical and constitutional differences that divide us. We only make things worse, too, by deepening these disagreements. This is, alas, what President Bidens frenetic push on equity and identity politics threatens to do. It bulldozes over constitutional notions that are not just vestiges of old parchments and musty records, to paraphrase Hamilton, but which continue to have a psychic hold on the minds of many, many Americans. To ignore this is reckless. Yet the new president is so determined to sell us equity that he sometimes cant get the buzz word off the teleprompter fast enough. One day in his second week in office, Biden misspoke and almost said equality, but then backed up and repeated the new magic word: equity. Why was he so punctilious? Why equity and not equality? Because the difference has become enormous under the Biden administration. Equity may sound like equality, but in the hands of Biden, his team, and the professoriate dictating the terms from the faculty lounge, it has become its functional opposite. This drives a dagger into any hope of unifying around the foundational principle of equality. Equality calls for government to treat Americans equally, a standard that, when aspired to, has solved many vicissitudes, but when ignored has led to calamity. Equity, under the corrupted new meaning, calls for government to dispense unequal treatment in order to achieve equal outcomes. This is what Kamala Harris, our new vice president, means when she uses these terms. In a tweet in November she wrote: Theres a big difference between equality and equity. Equality suggests, everyone should get the same amount. Equity, however, Harris went on, is about giving people the resources and the support they need, so that everyone can be on [an] equal footing, and then compete on [an] equal footing. Equitable treatment means we all end up in the same place. That is not the American ideal. The search for equal outcomes is more the Soviet idea. It was Karl Marx, after all, who wrote, from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs! But now to each according to his needs has become not just the official policy of the Biden administration, but its top priority. Holding all the levers of elected power, and holding sway over the cultural institutions, Team Biden pushes relentlessly ahead. Several of the slew of executive orders Biden signed his first day in office have dealt with equity or reimagined the country as divided between categories of oppressors and the marginalized. The very first, apparently, signed right after the inaugural address, was the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities for the Federal Government. It orders heads of agencies and departments to conduct complete inventories of all government policies to ensure not that they be applied impartially and in color-blind fashion, but to make sure that their impact does not affect members of certain oppressed categories unequally. This doubles down on the disparate impact doctrine that leads administrators to pursue racially conscious outcomes, not just and efficient ones, and at worst finds itself at the heart of such tragedies as the Parkland shooting. To make it crystal clear what the EO meant, it referred to the underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color. Everything that this administration does will be held to the standards of equity and group proportionalism. Thus, when Jared Bernstein, a member of the Bidens Council of Economic Advisers, is doing a Sunday morning news show, he made sure he promised a racially equitable recovery. To understand what the new administration purports to do, we need to sift through the ideological background of these concepts. Vice President Kamala Harris gets this material from professors such as Boston Universitys Ibram X. Kendi, who sees everything in terms of groups, not individuals. Racial inequity is when two or more racial groups are not standing on approximately equal footing, Kendi wrote in his 2019 bestseller, How to Be an Anti-Racist. Racial equity is when two or more racial groups are standing on a relatively equal footing. An example of racial equity would be if there were relatively equitable percentages of all three racial groups living in owner-occupied homes. To achieve such numerical proportionalism requires coercion, and violating the Constitution. Kendi again: The only remedy to racist discrimination is antiracist discrimination. The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination. To impose an approach so at war with cherished concepts is mindless and dangerous. Millions of Americans continue to remember that we are all created equal, not equitable, and the 14th Amendment offers equal protection under the law. Millions of Americans also dont think of themselves first and foremost as members of categories, nor as oppressed or oppressors, no matter how much Critical Race Theory training is applied. Such a mindset will never become second nature to the many who can go back to the Bill of Rights and see that it treats us as individuals, mentioning the rights of persons, not collectives. Most Americans would indeed agree on the need to help those who are less fortunate, which means that Biden could achieve a rough consensus. What they dont want is the introduction of a rigid caste system in which Americans are seen as members of category straitjackets, some of which have been created by government to start with. They understand that is it is an absurdity for a white neurosurgeon who happens to be of Chilean origin, Dr. Perez, to be counted as a member of a marginalized group in need of greater government resources when a white waitress who descends from generations of Alabama sharecroppers, Miss MacDonald, is deemed to be privileged. Researchers across the political spectrum have reached a common understanding that poverty itself may be color-blind, and so should poverty-reduction remedies be. Scholars such as Ron Haskins, Robert Rector, Isabel Sawhill, and others have demonstrated that the real drivers of American poverty for all groups are the so-called background variables of family structure, educational attainment, and workforce participation. Haskins, a senior fellow at Brookings, said in testimony to the Senate in 2005 that his colleagues Sawhill and Adam Thomas had used Census Bureau data from 2001 to determine what worked. Their analysis shows that increasing work effort and increasing marriage rates would have the greatest impacts on poverty. Despite the insistence that they are fighting racism, Biden and his team are therefore pursuing policies that will not fix inequality. To pursue this Haskins-advocated approach, President Biden would have to jettison the group-conscious discrimination on which his own vice president and Professor Kendi insist. That he is unlikely to do, which means we are on course to a constitutional crisis that may become unsustainable. We have been here before as a country. In the 19th century, famously, Americans grew progressively divided over such fundamental matters as the ownership of humans, whether we were all created equal, or if group rights trumped the individual. John C. Calhoun, at one time or another vice president, secretary of state, or senator from South Carolina, and one of the best known Americans in the first half of the 19th century, believed that blacks were inferior and that slavery was a positive good. He therefore railed against Jeffersons inclusion of the Declaration of Independences most famous line. He also came very close to Kendi on the matter of group rights, and on disparate impact. In his Disquisition on Government, Calhoun wrote that the solution to majority tyranny would be achieved by taking the sense of each interest or portion of the community which may be unequally and injuriously affected by the action of the government separately ... and to require the consent of each interest, either to put or to keep the government in action. Then, in 1857, Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote the most outrageous decision the Supreme Court has ever produced, Dred Scott, which denied citizenship to blacks. Southern slave owners and racists everywhere may have cheered, but within a handful of years the center could no longer hold. Lets by all means have a discussion on how we can unify the country again. That would be much healthier than trying to ram through policies that undermine the heart of how the United States is constituted. A section of Marrickville will be named Little Greece to mark its Greek heritage despite significant gentrification making the inner-city suburb less ethnically diverse than 20 years ago. The Inner West Council last week voted to approve a Greek precinct along part of Marrickville Road, between Livingstone and Victoria roads, and will stage a community event on Greek Independence Day on March 25. Olives for sale at the Lamia Super Deli in Marrickville. Credit:Brook Mitchell Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne said the Little Greece precinct was a gesture of respect to all the Greek migrants who have helped to build Marrickville into one of the most interesting suburbs on earth. The council will also consult with the Vietnamese community about creating a precinct in nearby Illawarra Road. Peshawar: A suicide bomber on Monday hit a vehicle carrying paramilitary force members, killing two, including a major, and injuring ten others in northwest Pakistan. The suicide attacker with explosive-laden motorcycle hit the Frontier Constabulary (FC) convoy at a traffic signal in Peshawars Hayatabad area, police said. Two Frontier Corps men, including a major, were killed in the attack. Ten others, including passersby, were injured in the blast near Bagh-e-Naran chowk in Hayatabad. Two vehicles that were part of the convoy were completely damaged in the blast. Security personnel cordoned off the area after the explosion as rescue services shifted the injured to Hayatabad Medical Complex. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. The attack comes a day after the Pakistan army announced it had launched an operation in the Khyber tribal region to rout Islamic State militants. Also read: J&K: Hizbul Mujahideen training module unearthed, 3 arrested Also read: J-K: Terrorists throw grenade on police, CRPF patrolling party in Kulgam; 1 injured For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hand over the Arjun Main Battle Tank Mark-1A (MK-1A) to the Indian Army on February 14 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said it is a great decision by Prime Minister to dedicate MK-1A to the nation. "It is a great decision by Prime Minister to dedicate MK-1A to the nation by handing it over to Indian Army, giving a message that India stands by its indigenous systems and they would be promoted and encouraged in a big way," he said adding that it is a step towards making India self-reliant. Arjun Mark 1A has 71 major and user-driven upgrades that make it world-class and will immensely benefit the Indian Army. Features like increased mobility, fighting capabilities are added in the MK-1A Arjun Mark-1A is an all-state-of-art feature incorporated tank with 71 additional features: "People in the country and the organisations should strive in making state of art indigenous systems so that in the upcoming years the armed forces will have the maximum indigenous content based equipment," Reddy said while speaking to news agency ANI. He further mentioned that many more in the pipeline such as air-to-air missile Astra for IAF & Navy, Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, Air-independent propulsion, ATAGS guns, future aircraft & Medium Power Radar. Reddy said the Arjun tank order for 118 tanks is 8,500 crore worth of order, adding that "Around 200 industries are working in a chain for the order in different ways, and provide employment for more than 8,000 people, which will boost the industries and the country's economy in a big way." V Balaguru, Associate Director of Main Battle tank and Transfer of Technology Department, Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, said there are 71 additional upgrades over the Arjun Mark 1. Fire Power: Accurate and fast target acquisition capability during day and night and in all types of weather . Shortest possible reaction time during combat engagements . Ability to accurately engage targets on move . Capability to destroy all possible enemy armour at maximum battle ranges Excellent first hit probability Main Armament Secondary Armament Gunner's Main Sight Panoramic Sight for Commander Ammunition Mobility High performance engine Robust and effective transmission system particularly flexible hydropneumatic suspension . Optimized running gear with its high shock energy absorption. Protection: The computerised design and simulation . A fabricated turret housing lightweight compact KANCHAN armour. Careful dimensioning of wall through optimal slopes and angles . A low silhouette. Crew Comfort Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 3:32 pm This is in response to a previous letter to the editor critical of Jaime Herrera Beuter (JHB) for her vote to impeach Donald Trump. I have been a moderate Republican for a very long time (interpret that as a compassionate conservative). While I have reservations about impeaching Mr. Trump, I fully support Jaime Herrera Beutlers decision to impeach. Trumps word peacefully was completely lost in other incendiary rhetoric. He had the power to personally appeal to the crowd or immediately send troops as he eventually did when he sent secret police to Portland. He should have been ready to do that since his government knew what could happen. At the very least, it was gross dereliction of duty. Calling his actions and inaction an impeachable offence is not beyond the pale but completely reasonable. Perhaps impeachment will find reasons for his inaction. Referring to supposed Democratic or Republican action or inaction at other not-so-peaceful demonstrations is just smoke and mirrors, and it leads us into a long argumentative rabbit hole. You criticized JHB for not criticizing phony charges of impeachment or the phony Russian collusion charges. It is completely reasonable to believe these charges were not phony. Yet, JHB did vote against impeachment like every other Republican. You complained about the lousy $600. That is entirely on the Republican leadership, not JHB. You criticized support of money for foreign governments and museums, except that museums did get funding just like other businesses. I did not see that in the CARES Act or in the latest COVID relief bill. I suspect you are conflating COVID relief with other bills. Regardless, I would suggest you know little of the negotiations that must go on to pass any bill. That is way above her pay grade, so to speak. Most importantly, your portrayal of Mr. Trump as a promise keeper is only partially true. In some important cases, he did keep his promise to appoint conservative judges, to make more money available to veterans health care, use U.S. steel for infrastructure, defund Planned Parenthood, reverse Cuba policy, renegotiate NAFTA, cancel TPP, withdraw from climate accords, ask countries to pay more for joint defense, and several others. In all, he completely kept 24% of his promises and broke 52%. The reasons for the broken promises vary from overpromising to obstruction by his own party to disinterest. The value of his actions, of course, is also debatable, but many of them I do support at least to some extent. I have been increasingly disturbed by the actions of my party and its supporters, particularly the push toward mandatory uniform thinking and accompanying punishment for violations. I am reminded of lemmings calling into the sea. I am encouraged by the fact that the writer of the previous letter to the editor did not resort to demeaning or threatening language. I support her right to express her opinion. I applaud JHB for making her own decision and following her conscience despite the risk. It was very courageous, particularly in this threatening environment. She has also worked hard to communicate with her constituents and to help our state. I will vote for her. Michael LeClair Chehalis We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The metro is increasingly diverse and this community leader outcry is worth considering amid the spike in reported violence across the nation. Read more: EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence tied a school record for goals in a game with nine in a win over Smithfield. St. Lawrence scored 17 goals for the week and has 32 for the season. CARLY CONSTANTINE, Stonington softball, sophomore: Constantine singled home Shea OConnor with the winning run to hand Waterford, the states No. 2 ranked team at the time, its first loss of the season. For the week, Constantine was 5 for 15. GREG GORMAN, Westerly baseball, junior: Gorman, a junior, hit a massive home run in a win against Barrington. The homer went over the fence in center field and landed in a nearby road. Gorman was 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the game. He is hitting .571 with 10 RBIs for the season. BRADIN ANDERSON, Wheeler baseball, freshman: Anderson, a freshman, pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Grasso Tech. Anderson struck out three to earn the first win of his varsity career. Vote View Results Last month, the Lincoln Project said it was shocked by accusations that the anti-Trump groups co-founder, John Weaver, had sexually harassed multiple young men. Now, the group says it is hiring an outside investigator to probe what it called Mr Weavers appalling conduct and . . . abuse, a move that came after the Associated Press reported that its leadership was actually aware for months about the allegations against Mr Weaver. The move did little to calm backlash against the group, though, after its Twitter account late on Thursday published - and then quickly deleted - private conversations between journalist Amanda Becker and Jennifer Horn, a Lincoln Project co-founder who left following the accusations against Mr Weaver. Ms Horn said the messages were published without her permission, and The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy, vowed to continue its reporting on the group. Were not going to be bullied or intimidated out of pursuing critical journalism, tweeted Emily Ramshaw, co-founder and CEO of the 19th. The Lincoln Project did not immediately respond to a message from The Washington Post seeking comment about the deleted tweets as of early Friday. The incident is the latest turmoil facing the group, which gained momentum last year with viral ads attacking President Donald Trump and his supporters, becoming among the best known Never Trump organisations and raising millions of dollars. But inearly January, Weaver, a longtime GOP strategist who previously worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich, was accused in an American Conservative piece of making unsolicited sexual advances to young men, including one as young as 14. Mr Weaver, who had taken a medical leave from the Lincoln Project, told Axios last month that he would not return and apologised for sending inappropriate messages. The truth is that Im gay and that I have a wife and two kids who I love, Mr Weaver, 61, told Axios. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonising place. On 31 January, 21 men who spoke to The New York Times said Mr Weaver had harassed them and pressured them for sex in exchange for professional advancement. After that report, the Lincoln Project condemned Mr Weaver, calling him a predator, liar and an abuser. The group said it had been caught off-guard by the allegations, saying in a statement, Like so many, we have been betrayed and deceived. But Ryan Girdusky, the American Conservative reporter who broke news of the allegations, called the groups response false, noting that Mr Weavers behavior was like a worst-kept secret, The Posts Amy B Wang reported. Steve Schmidt, a co-founder of the group, told The Times that chatter about Mr Weaver having relationships with younger men had reached the Lincoln Project leaders last summer. But he denied they knew about his inappropriate behavior. Those claims came into question on Thursday, when the Associated Press reported that leaders of the organisation were notified in June of at least 10 harassment claims against Mr Weaver, including two involving Lincoln Project employees. The group refuted those reports, calling them stories filled with inaccuracies and incorrect information, but also announced that it would hire an independent investigator to look into allegations against Mr Weaver. The group also encouraged anyone who has a nondisclosure agreement and wanted to speak about Mr Weaver to get a release. At least six former employees and associates have asked to be released from such agreements, The Times reported Thursday. John Weaver betrayed all of us and you deserve the facts presented independently through a transparent process, the group said in a Thursday statement. Soon, the group was back under fire again, though, for posting the private conversations between Ms Horn and Ms Becker. Hey @Twitter @jack @TwitterSupport I did not give consent, Ms Horn tweeted. Last week, the Lincoln Project announced Ms Horn no longer belonged to the group, alleging she had requested an immediate signing bonus payment of $250,000 (about 180,000) and a $40,000 (about 29,000) per month consulting contract, which the management committee and the board rejected. The group said it had accepted Ms Horns resignation. Ms Horn disputed the claims in a statement citing the groups reluctance to properly address the allegations against Mr Weaver, which she said she was unaware of prior to the news reports. I was genuinely shocked, Ms Horn said. These are not my stories to tell, but I knew in that moment that the Lincoln Project had an opportunity to take a stand and do better. The Washington Post The White House is demanding China turn over data from the earliest days of the coronavirus outbreak, citing 'deep concerns' about the way the findings of the World Health Organization's COVID-19 report were communicated. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan released a statement on Saturday saying 'it is imperative' that the report be independent and free from 'alteration by the Chinese government'. The statement echoed concerns that had been raised by the administration of former President Donald Trump, who also moved to quit the WHO over the issue. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said all hypotheses are still open about the origins of COVID-19, after Washington said it wanted to review data from a four-week WHO-led mission investigating the origins of the outbreak in China. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (left) said the US had 'deep concerns' about how the early findings of the COVID-19 outbreak investigation were communicated as he demanded China, lead by President Xi Jinping (right), release the data The Trump administration had said it suspected the virus may have escaped from a Chinese lab in Wuhan (pictured) which Beijing has strongly denied Earlier this week the organization that it was not looking further into the question of whether the virus escaped from a lab, which it considered highly unlikely. The Trump administration had said it suspected the virus may have escaped from a Chinese lab, which Beijing has strongly denied. Sullivan noted that President Joe Biden had quickly reversed the decision to disengage from the WHO, but said it was imperative to protect the organization's credibility. 'Re-engaging the WHO also means holding it to the highest standards,' Sullivan said. 'We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them.' Biden, who is spending his first weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in the mountains of western Maryland, will meet with his national security advisers on Saturday, a White House official said. Peter Embarek, lead researcher for WHO in Wuhan, put forward four theories about how the virus infected humans: Direct transfer from source animal into people, transfer via an intermediary animal, transfer via food, and transfer via a lab leak (pictured, a chart showing the four routes) Dr Embarek said his team has ruled out the possibility that the virus leaked from a lab such as the Wuhan Institute of Virology (pictured), saying such a leak is 'extremely unlikely' and should not be investigated further WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said all hypotheses are still open about the origins of COVID-19 China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to the WHO-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, according to one of the team's investigators, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began. The team had requested raw patient data on 174 cases that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert who is a member of the WHO team, told Reuters. 'It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government,' Sullivan said. 'To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, China must make available its data from the earliest days of the outbreak,' he said. No comment was immediately available from the Chinese embassy in Washington or the WHO. Going forward, all countries, including China, should participate in a transparent and robust process for preventing and responding to health emergencies, Sullivan said. The plaudits for Drogheda's finest - A92 - just keep coming. Their latest success came last week when Irish media platform Ollys TV presented the Drill masters with an Irish Billboard Award, the first annual music award honouring achievements in music. The guys were recognised for their work with fans, album and digital songs sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social engagement. Ollys TV stated, 'A92 received the award for their performance in 2020, exploding in popularity, going from being Ireland's premier Drill collective to one of the biggest Drill collectives worldwide. A92 have become some of the hottest artists in a fiercely contested scene in less a year. Becoming the first act in Ireland from a hip hop subgenre to enter Official Top 40 Single Charts in both Ireland and UK with 'Plugged In Freestyle '(40M + streams). Holding a position in Spotify's Viral Top 50 in multiple countries worldwide, including Australia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland and the UK. Enlisted as ones to watch for 2021 by Irish Times after their debut album '92 Degrees'. CORNWALL Under a pile of rocks in thick snow on Flat Rocks Road was a cold little brown guinea pig. It had made a burrow for itself and was most likely in it for several days, according to Cornwall animal control officer Brad Hedden. Hedden has been an animal control officer in town for 25 years and has rescued about 400 animals from all kinds of circumstances. The recent guinea pig rescue, however, was probably the cruelest of all of them, said Brads wife Erin, who often assists him on the job. According to Erin, a local couple had been out for a walk when they heard a noise. The woman thought it was a bird, but said the sound was very unusual. The woman saw something move out of the corner of her eye and then saw the guinea pig, and texted Brad. The woman met Brad and Erin at the location, and brought carrots to try to lure the guinea pig out of its burrow. It was thin, we could feel its ribs, Erin said. Its front and back nails were very long. Brad was able to get the guinea pig out of its self-discovered shelter and it is now warm, fed, and being cared for by our family. While we are happy that this sweetie was saved from certain death, we are angered that this poor pet landed in this situation, Erin wrote on a Cornwall Facebook page. The couple received no calls about a missing guinea pig neither prior to the rescue or afterward. While Brad mainly receives calls about dogs and cats, aside from the guinea pig, he has been notified about everything from skunks to raccoons to porcupines to snakes and owls. Brad became interested in the job when he made his first animal rescue while working as a logger. I cut down a tree and there was this squirrel nest under it, with a squirrel that was a few weeks old. I brought it home and we bottle fed it until we got it back to health, and we released it again. I thought that was just kind of neat, said Brad, who is also an electrical contractor. When rabies was rampant more than 20 years ago, according to Erin, it seemed like every call Brad got was about a rabid animal that would appear at peoples houses. Rabid animals will foam at the mouth, she said. Theyll act very strangely and sometimes will get very aggressive. By the time wild animals show symptoms of rabies, euthanasia is the best option. It keeps the animal from suffering, but it also keeps that animal from spreading the rabies. Several weeks ago, Brad was told about two dogs, both wearing collars, who were running on College Street. The nice thing about living in such a small town like this is you know everybody. You know who to contact in certain instances, Erin said. I ended up calling the town foreman who was in the vicinity of where these dogs were. He knew who the dogs belonged to, and he made sure that they were home. On another occasion, Brad got a call from hikers on the Blue (Mohawk) Trail. They saw something in a tree and they thought it was a monkey, she said. We went out and looked and looked, and we did not ever find a monkey. Snakes are Brads least favorite call, Erin said. He has little tongs that he uses, she said. Hell pick them up and put them outside and they go on their way. Brad has been bitten by several dogs, and there was one occasion, he said, that will likely stay with him for a long time. About six years ago, he got a call about a dalmatian mix that had been on the run. It was originally seen in Sheffield, Mass. I kept getting calls that he was running up and down Route 7 in Sharon, Brad said. For about two or three weeks, through Facebook and communication with other animal control officers, We followed him and followed him and couldnt find him, Brad said. The dog was seen in Canaan, Washington and Cornwall. At one point, Brad found the dog at the top of Bunker Hill by the Mohawk State Forest, near the Goshen line. It was in someones yard. He called me to bring him a can of dog food, and he was able to open the can and have the dog eat the food off of his hand, Erin said. The dog had a piece of bailing twine around its neck. When Brad tried to take the leash to get control of the dog, it turned around and bit him on his forearm, and then took off running. Brad ended up at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington for four and a half hours, getting 13 stitches. The dog was next seen in New Fairfield. A woman opened her door and the dog ran into the house and hopped up on the couch like it lived there, Erin said. Brad had the dog brought to the Little Guild Animal Shelter in Cornwall, where it was adopted by a Torrington family I knew he wasnt a mean dog, Brad said. He bit me because he was scared and he was stray. On another occasion, a set of 1-year-old yellow and black labs were dumped in Cornwall by their owners as they left town, Erin said. They were moving down south and they opened their car door and let their dogs out. In total, including rescued animals, the Heddens have five dogs, three cats, two donkeys, a miniature horse, and 10 chickens. Brad said whenever he hears about animals in need, he wants to help them even if it means taking them into his own home. The guinea pig needed a place that was warm and we were the only place to take it, he said. I love animals and thats why Erin and I are both driven to do it. sfox@milfordmirror.com Matterlei led a strong Burke Racing Stable consignment at Tuesday's (Feb. 9) 2021 Winter Speed Sale, held by the Blooded Horse Sales Company at the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio. Matterlei, a five-year-old trotting mare by Explosive Matter who has recently raced in conditioned events at The Meadows, attracted the sale's top bid of $38,000 from Herman and Morgan Hagerman of Millersburg, Ohio. Consequently, the Hagermans had passed on Matterlei in a unique "either-or" proposition offered at the 2020 Blooded Horse Sale, opting to instead purchase Wildfire Seelster from the Burke Racing Stable when both mares were offered for sale simultaneously. Matterlei, pictured in victory at The Meadows, topped Tuesday's Winter Speed Sale by attracting a $38,000 winning bid. Matterlei, pictured in victory at The Meadows, topped Tuesday's Winter Speed Sale by attracting a $38,000 winning bid. Other top sellers from Burke consignment were Yacht Week ($22,000, Chad Slone), Alloy ($20,000, Bob Troyer) and Mr Houdini ($17,000, Jesse Garber). Global Inspiration attracted the sale's second highest winning bid $28,000 from Mahantongo Farms of Utica, Ohio. Spring Haven Farm consigned the eight-year-old daughter of Andover Hall who last raced in February 2020 and is currently in foal to Tactical Landing. Bank Examiner, consigned by Galliers Racing LLC, commanded a $25,500 bid from John Lengacher of Grabill, Ind. The unraced three-year-old daughter of Uncle Peter and Examination is a half-sister to millionaire Costa Rica. Broodmare and former Ontario competitor The Signature commanded a $25,000 price tag, and was purchased from the Boxwood Farm consignment by Robert McKim of Bealeton, Va. She is currently in foal to international superstar Lazarus N. "Horsemen are undaunted by the weather!" said sale manager Jerry Haws, noting that many owners and trainers braved winter conditions and adhered to public health protocols to attend the sale in person. "They love coming to a sale to actually see and touch the horses they want to buy. It may take a bit more time and resources, but the dividends far outweigh the cost. Bringing horses to a venue of eager buyers is a tremendous marketing tool. Consignors seemed to be pleased as there were substantially less RNAs (reserves not attained)." The 127 horses to pass through the sales ring not accounting for six breeding shares that were also offered sold for an aggregate $919,100, resulting in an average winning bid of $7,237. To view the complete results from the Winter Speed Sale, click here. The Blooded Horse Spring Mixed Sale is scheduled for May 11; entries close April 20. (with quotes from Blooded Horse Sales Company) 5 1 of 5 File / Bailey Wright / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 File / Bailey Wright / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 File / Bailey Wright / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Out there Join the YWCA Greenwich for its annual Old Bags Luncheon Collection Event, which this year will take place virtually with a remote wine and cheese party at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25. The price of admission is either a donation of a new or gently used handbag or a minimum donation of $200. This is a way to support victims of domestic violence leading up to the iconic Old Bags Luncheon on May 6. Guests in the Greenwich area who reply by Feb. 16 will receive a delivery of wine and cheese on or before the event. For more info and to register, visit https://ywcagreenwich.org/events-calendar/old-bags-luncheon/. Anyone in need of domestic violence services should call 203-622-0003. Scene The new Barneys at Saks on Greenwich Avenue is holding a special personalized shopping event for customers from Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, when it will donate 10 percent of the net proceeds of sales to benefit the Greenwich International Film Festival. Barneys New York, founded by American businessman Barney Pressman in 1923, went into bankruptcy in 2019, when Authentic Brands acquired the brand for licensing with other companies. The popular store has also opened at Saks in New York City. For more information or to set up an appointment, call 203-862-5300. Jeong Bok-soo The oldest living South Korean woman who was forced into sexual slavery by Japan before and during World War II died Friday, a civic group said, reducing the number of the country's registered surviving victims to 15. Jeong Bok-soo died at the age of 105, according to the House of Sharing, a facility in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, that supports sex slave victims. The facility said her funeral will be held privately according to a Christian format. It decided not to disclose Jeong's story and profile at her bereaved family's request. Jeong's age was listed as 105 in the government's database as she apparently inherited the census registration records of her deceased older sister, but her actual age was 98, officials said. China Refused to Provide WHO Team With Raw Data on Early COVID Cases, Team Member Says SHANGHAIChina refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the teams investigators said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began. The team had requested raw patient data on 174 cases that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, said Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert who is a member of the team. Such raw data is known as line listings, he said, and would typically be anonymized but contain details such as what questions were asked of individual patients, their responses and how their responses were analyzed. Thats standard practice for an outbreak investigation, he told Reuters on Jan. 13 via video call from Sydney, where he is currently undergoing quarantine. He said that gaining access to the raw data was especially important since only half of the 174 cases had exposure to the Huanan market, the now-shuttered wholesale seafood centre in Wuhan where the virus was initially detected. Thats why weve persisted to ask for that, Dwyer said. Why that doesnt happen, I couldnt comment. Whether its political or time or its difficult But whether there are any other reasons why the data isnt available, I dont know. One would only speculate. While the Chinese authorities provided a lot of material, he said the issue of access to the raw patient data would be mentioned in the teams final report. The WHO people certainly felt that they had received much much more data than they had ever received in the previous year. So that in itself is an advance. A summary of the teams findings could be released as early as next week, the WHO said on Friday. The probe had been plagued by delay, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and criticized the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research. The team, which arrived in China in January and spent four weeks looking into the origins of the outbreak, was limited to visits organized by their Chinese hosts and prevented from contact with community members, due to health restrictions. The first two weeks were spent in hotel quarantine. Chinas refusal to hand over raw data on the early COVID-19 cases was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times on Friday. The WHO did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment but Beijing has previously defended its transparency in handling the outbreak and its cooperation with the WHO mission. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a statement on Saturday called on the regime to make available its data from the earliest stages of the outbreak. We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them, Sullivan said. It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government. Harmonious, with Arguments Dwyer said the work within the WHO team was harmonious but that there were arguments at times with their Chinese counterparts over the interpretation and significance of the data, which he described as natural in such probes. We might be having a talk about cold chain and they might be more firm about what the data shows than what we might have been, but thats natural. Whether theres political pressure to have different opinions, I dont know. There may well be, but its hard to know. Cold chain refers to the transport and trade of frozen food. Peter Daszak, a zoologist and another member of the WHO mission, however tweeted on Saturday that he had a different experience as the lead of the missions animal and environment working group. I found trust & openness w/ my China counterparts. We DID get access to critical new data throughout. We DID increase our understanding of likely spillover pathways, he said in response to the New York Times piece. Daszak did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Beijing has sought to cast doubt on the notion that the coronavirus originated in China, pointing to imported frozen food as a conduit. On Tuesday, Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation, told a news conference that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility, but pointed to market vendors selling frozen animal products including farmed wild animals as a potential pathway that warrants further study. By Brenda Goh Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 20:35:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian factions agreed to form a unity coalition government after holding the general elections in the Palestinian territories, according to a senior official of the ruling Fatah party on Saturday. Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Fatah Central Committee, told reporters that the unity government will include representatives from all the Palestinian factions. In the intra-Palestinian national dialogue that ended in Egypt's capital Cairo on Tuesday evening, leaders of 14 factions, including the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah party, agreed to hold the elections. In a decree issued in mid-January, the president announced that the 2021 general election will include legislative elections on May 22, presidential elections on July 31, and the Palestinian National Council elections on Aug. 31. "The agreement stipulates the legislative elections will culminate in the formation of a national coalition government that will implement the agreed mechanisms to end the internal division," Rajoub said. He said the unity government will work on the path of unity of all the state institutions and agencies. "It will draw up a unified policy that is based on justice and equality in all Palestinian districts," he added. The last Palestinian presidential elections were held in March 2005 and the legislative elections in January 2006. The internal Palestinian division between Hamas and Fatah began in 2007 when Hamas forcibly took over the Gaza Strip from Fatah. Enditem Local featured New proposal aims to develop 3.2 acres in Bahama Village ROB ONEAL/The Citizen This 3.2-acre parcel of land, currently used as a soccer field, is the site of proposed affordable housing at the Truman Waterfront. Key West may have found a partner for a proposed affordable housing development in Bahama Village that has been stuck in a vacuum for more than 17 years. The 3.2-acre parcel along Fort Street currently used as a recreation field has been the subject of much talk but little forward movement. However, AH of Monroe County, a community-based HIV-AIDS service organization in the Florida Keys, has presented a proposal to lease the land from the city and shepherd the development of affordable and workforce multifamily housing on the site. While city officials are in the process of changing land development regulations on the parcel to allow up to 120 units of affordable housing there, finding financing and a partner to design and build the complex had brought the planning process to a standstill recently. The potential breakthrough came after a Jan. 25 affordable housing workshop attended by residents and city officials. AH Executive Director Scott Pridgen was at the workshop and presented information on the housing properties the non-profit organization has built and maintained since 1994. All told, AH has created 127 units of housing in Key West and provides health and housing services to more than 384 local households. After the workshop, Commissioner Jimmy Weekley approached City Manager Greg Veliz, saying that because no consensus had been reached on a path forward, could Veliz contact AH to see if it was interested in taking the lead on the 3.2-acre property. Veliz did. Pridgen then spoke to the AH board and received the go-ahead to present an unsolicited proposal to the city with a general outline of how a partnership would work. Key West City Commissioners are scheduled to discuss the proposal at their next meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17. All it [AH proposal] is is a direction, for lack of having a direction, Veliz told members of the Bahama Village Redevelopment Advisory Committee on Feb. 4, where the proposal was first presented. This was an attempt to kickstart a project that has languished for far too long, just to get it moving in a direction. Despite the informal nature of the AH proposal, it lays out how a partnership with the city might work. Because AH meets a requirement for state funding that the city does not, including previous development of tax credit-financed housing properties, AH could solve one of the biggest challenges to developing the 3.2 acres: how to pay for it. AH also has experience with investors, banks and contractors that would all play a part in building the workforce housing complex in Bahama Village. Theyre good. Theyre successful. Theyre efficient, said Mayor Teri Johnston on Friday about AHs experience building housing for low-income individuals and families. Theyve done it. Martys Place is the epitome of effective; and built during COVID. Martys Place is a $14-million, 47-unit housing development on Bertha Street built by AH last year for low-income residents needing medical and physical care assistance. The AH proposal for the 3.2 acres in Bahama Village includes an 80-20 mix; 80% rental units and 20% home ownership. That solves another question city commissioners had been struggling with: are rental or home ownership units needed more in Bahama Village? We would want it to be a discounted home ownership. This would not be market rate homes. This would be a pathway to home ownership, Pridgen told BVRAC. On the rental side, the AH proposal envisions one- to three-bedroom units renting at a range between $616 to $3,120, with the average rent range falling between $1,360 and $1,814 depending on income requirements. The 3.2 would be a respectful and much-needed extension of Bahama Village with architectural features that represent the diversity of the area with native, seamless landscaping of the two sections: rentals and ownership. The 3.2 would house a community center, a coffee shop featuring local artists from the community; a library with computer workstations; and daycare services available for families that live on the property, according to the proposal. AH would provide property management and maintenance services and a homeowners association The proposal says the development would not require any funding from the Bahama Village Community Redevelopment Trust Fund or Key West taxpayers. All funding would be secured through tax credit funding, investors, loans, Land Development Trust and Florida Housing Finance Agency programs. And a portion of the monthly apartment rents, the commercia lease for the coffee shop and taxes paid by the home ownership units would go into the Bahama Village Tax incremental Funding (TIF) pot, creating a revenue stream of funding that could be used for other improvement and maintenance projects throughout Bahama Village. That was music to the ears of BVRAC members. You are stepping up to the plate, Mr. Pridgen. I am overwhelmed, said BVRAC Chair Aaron Castillo at the Feb. 4 meeting. I feel like were going somewhere. Youve started the ball rolling with your proposal, echoed BRVAC Vice-Chair Patricia Eables. Who knows? We may get others now. City Manager Veliz is scheduled to formally present the AH proposal to city commissioners at their Feb. 17 meeting, which was moved from Tuesday because of the Presidents Day holiday on Monday. psowers@keysnews.com You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close WOLCOTT Two women have been charged after police say they were found operating a drug factory out of a local motel room. A bail enforcement agent called police around 5:15 p.m. Thursday to say he was about to take someone into custody at the Amerivue Motel on Wolcott Road. The agent told police the individual, wanted on a felony warrant, may be armed, so they responded to the motel. When they got there, officers found the agent knocking at one of the motel room doors. An individual opened the door and the agent went inside looking for the wanted person, police said. Officers waited at the open door until the agent told officers he saw narcotics in the room. Police said an officer walked in and saw numerous packets of narcotics and packaging materials in plain sight. Two women in the room identified as Ajahne Miller, 24, of Ashley Street in Hartford, and Kiana Maldonado, 28, of Maple Street in Bristol were taken into custody and charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, operating a drug factory and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were held on $100,000 bond. Officers seized 41 bundles of glassine bags with 10 bags per bundle of a white powdery substance, three plastic bags filled with a white powder substance, four boxes of empty glassine bags and three bags of small elastic bands, police said. Police said the white substance in the bags tested positive for a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl. The wanted person sought by the bail enforcement agent was not in the room, according to police. Under the updated air travel bubble arrangement from March, Tata-SIA Airlines limited will start operations of special Mumbai to Male flights. The airline will fly the Airbus A320neo airplane thrice a week on this route. Since March 23, 2020, scheduled international flights have been suspended in India due to the coronavirus pandemic and special flights have been operating since July 2020 under special bubble arrangements between India and 24 other countries. Commenting on the launch of the new routes, Mr. Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, Our new service to the Maldives will give travellers greater access to one of Indias most-preferred holiday destinations. We are delighted at the opportunity of taking Indias Best Airline to more places and offering the very best of air travel to people flying between India and the Maldives while maintaining the highest standards of safety and hygiene. Bookings for flights to the Maldives are progressively being opened up on all channels including mobile app as well as through travel agents. Vistara's flights to the Maldives will operate on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Introductory round-trip prices are set at Rs 17,699, Rs 23,799 and Rs 46,999 for Economy, Premium Economy and Business respectively. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Two of Rome's cultural organisations, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma and MAXXI, Italy's National Museum of 21st Century Arts, join together on 25 February with a concert dedicated to music by Igor Stravinsky. The event will be available on YouTube platforms of both the opera theatre and the museum, and then on Rai Radio 3. The concert, which marks the 50th anniversary of the composer's death, will open with the concerto Dumbarton Oaks, which was commissioned by Robert Woods Bliss, the then owner of the estate in Georgetown Washington DC, to celebrate his 30th wedding anniversary in 1938. The programme includes two other pieces: Danses concertantes, which was composed in 1942 as an abstract piece for ballet, and Two Suites for a Small Orchestra, based on works started in 1915 and 1917, one of which was dedicated to Serge Diaghilev. The concert will be conducted by Daniele Gatti The concert, performed without an audience according to covid-19 regulations still in force, will be held in the space now showing the exhibition Passaggi nell'arte italiana a cavallo del millennio, in front of works by Mario Schifano. The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma has been exploring new ways and new locations for its opera, ballet and musical performances during the pandemic. This is the first time that it has teamed up with MAXXI. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 19:03:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has borrowed a total of 1.4 billion U.S. dollars from African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) between December 2017 and December 2019 with the government acting as guarantor, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has disclosed. In general notices issued through the Government Gazette on Saturday, Ncube said the first loan agreement of 600 million U.S. dollars in which the Government of Zimbabwe was guarantor was signed on Dec. 27, 2017 "for the purchase of strategic commodities". Ncube did not however disclose the nature of the strategic commodities. The disclosure follows a High Court ruling last December in which Ncube was ordered to publish details of all loans and guarantees incurred by the government from Jan. 2017 to Dec. 1, 2020 with Afreximbank and other international financiers. Harare North legislator Allan Norman Markham and the Community Water Alliance Trust had taken him, RBZ and Afreximbank to court in September 2019 in a bid to force the disclosure of the loan agreements. There have also been concerns that the government, through RBZ, was signing loan agreements without Parliament's approval as demanded by the Constitution. The second loan, which was signed on May 21, 2019, was also "for the purpose of purchase of strategic commodities", and for the Prospective Currency Reform Program. Again, Ncube did not disclose the nature of the strategic commodities. The final loan agreement for 300 million U.S. dollars was signed on Dec. 31, 2019, with Ncube once again saying that it was for the purchase of strategic commodities. Enditem Blushing brides and nervous grooms will be joined by an eclectic guest list that includes tigers and elephants when 40 couples tie the knot in micro-weddings on Sunday at Taronga Zoo. Amanda Ianna, registrar at the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, said many couples wedding plans had been affected by the COVID-19 crisis and had chosen smaller gatherings because they did not want to wait any longer to be married. Tahi Cody and Matt Hayward are one of 40 couples who will be married on Sunday at Taronga Zoo. Credit:Janie Barrett She said the couples had come from as far away as the NSW South Coast to be married at the zoo, and ranged in age from early 20s to over 70. A micro-wedding costs as little as $849, compared to an average wedding price of $36,000, and includes a ceremony for up to 35 guests and marriage certificate. Close (Photo : Why Do Penny Stocks fail: Points to Look Out For) There are some assets in the trading landscape that have a worse reputation than others. For instance, you might have noticed experts telling you to avoid over the counter trades in the past, because these are frequently associated with scams and limited regulation. In the same way, a lot of investors prefer to stay away from penny stocks, because these low-priced assets aren't always a great way to make cash. However, it's important to remember that the strategy you choose and the research you do can make a huge impact on what your portfolio can accomplish. Just because there's evidence that other penny stocks have been scams in the past, doesn't mean that every low-cost investment isn't worth your consideration. If you're ready to move on from practicing with a simulator during paper trading and put some genuine cash into low-cost assets, here's what you need to know. A Lack of Information is the Biggest Barrier The most significant issue that any trading professional has with a penny stock isn't necessarily the low price or how young the company is - it's that there isn't enough information available. Companies trading on certain markets for a low price might not need to reveal as much information as their counterparts. This makes it very difficult to make educated choices about the potential future of a business or brand. It's particularly difficult to make the right choice on the pink sheet marketplace, because the companies in this environment don't have to file with the SEC. If you can't find enough information about an organization to ensure that you're making a good decision, it's best to save your money. Lack of information means that you're just betting on luck alone. Minimum Standards Issues Some low-cost stocks are traded with the OTCBB, which means that they use the OB suffix on their ticker symbol, and they're regulated by the SEC. These investment opportunities are often just as reliable as any other asset, because they're held to the same financial standards. However, there are darker areas of the internet where you can spend a lot of money without any protection at all. Stocks on the pink sheet landscape don't have to fulfil minimum requirements to be available for sale on over-the-counter exchanges. Once companies can no longer maintain a position on larger, more mainstream exchanges, they often move into the OTC market. Minimum standards are a valuable safety net for investors that want to avoid losing too much cash. Predicting the Future Finally, being successful in the stock trading landscape relies on your ability to predict how the future might pan out for a company or group. If you invest at a low share cost, you're betting that the business is going to grow in size. However, with some newer brands, there's no evidence that this could be the case, as the business doesn't have any history. Without history to guide your assessments of low-priced assets, you're essentially just hoping for the best. Although gut instinct can be a good thing in the investment world, the best decisions are the ones you make based on real information. 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The father of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has called upon his daughter to break with centuries-old tradition and choose her own partner as he says 'she'll be a better judge than me'. Ziauddin Yousafzai, who inspired his daughter's love of education, said he was proud to challenge the constraints of the Pakistani community in which the family grew up. Malala, who at the age of 15 survived being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman after campaigning for girls to be educated, has become a glocal icon for women's rights. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Mr Yousafzai, 51, said his daughter, now 23, was fully independent and should create the life she wants. He said: In our community, when a girl reaches 23, she is usually married by now and has little say in the matter. Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, (pictured together) has called upon his daughter to break with centuries-old tradition and choose her own partner as he says 'she'll be a better judge than me' Malala, who at the age of 15 survived being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman after campaigning for girls to be educated, has become a glocal icon for women's rights In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Mr Yousafzai, 51, said his daughter, now 23, was fully independent and should create the life she wants. He said: In our community, when a girl reaches 23, she is usually married by now and has little say in the matter' To me, tribe or caste does not matter at all. I think the most important thing is that this is her (Malalas) life. Im the kind of father who believes in their childrens education and freedom. She has the right to choose her own partner or nobody at all, its up to her.' Having lived in the UK since she was shot in 2012, she has graduated from Oxford, rubbed shoulders with the worlds leading politicians and celebrities and set up a foundation focused on girls' education. Her family are Pashtuns, a fiercely traditional and patriarchal community from the mountainous region of Pakistan who are known for arranging marriages for girls at a young age and are reluctant to educate them. Mr Yousafazi said: 'I have left these issues up to Malala. Shes very independent. I will be comfortable with anyone that she is happy with. He added: The only thing I would say is that she should go for someone who respects her values, her freedom and her independence. She would be a better judge of that than me, I believe in her wisdom. Malala was shot at point blank range in the side of the head as she sat on school bus after defying the Taliban by continuing to go to school. 'Im the kind of father who believes in their childrens education and freedom,' said Mr Yousafzai. 'She has the right to choose her own partner or nobody at all, its up to her' Mr Yousafazi admitted his beliefs are extremely rare in the Pashtun community and that even when he was in Pakistan, he would rail against forced marriages and stress the important of girls education. Pictured: Malala helps home school her mother Toor Pekai Last year, Malala graduated from Oxford University but thendeferred a place at Harvard to focus on running the Malala Fund with her father, an organisation she established that works across the world to implement girls education programmes. Pictured: Malala at Oxford Miraculously, she survived and was rushed to Britain for medical treatment, and continued with her extraordinary work. It culminated with Malala becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2014, at just 17. The family are now settled in the UK, creating a new life for themselves which Malala will discuss when she appears on BBC's Desert Island Discs this Sunday. But her passionate beliefs on female equality were shaped by Mr Yousafazi, a former teacher who publicly spoke out against the Taliban and their attempts to close girls schools, even before she was shot by them. Mr Yousafazi admitted his beliefs are extremely rare in the Pashtun community and that even when he was in Pakistan, he would rail against forced marriages and stress the important of girls education. As Malala herself has previously noted on her birth: Welcoming a baby girl is not always cause for celebration in Pakistan - but my father Ziauddin Yousafzai, was determined to give me every opportunity a boy would have. The family lived in the mountainous Swat district, which at the time of Malalas shooting, had been infiltrated by the Taliban. Mr Yousfaafazi, who often had to go into hiding because of death threats from the extremists, added: I would tell parents that the best thing they could do for their daughters is to put a pen in their hands and get them to study and that what the Taliban were doing was not true Islam. Having lived in the UK since she was shot in 2012, she has graduated from Oxford, rubbed shoulders with the worlds leading politicians and celebrities and set up a foundation focused on girls' education Her passionate beliefs on female equality were shaped by Mr Yousafazi, a former teacher who publicly spoke out against the Taliban and their attempts to close girls schools, even before she was shot by them. Pictured: With Greta Thunberg Mr Yousafazi (with his wife and three children), who often had to go into hiding because of death threats from the extremists, said: I would tell parents that the best thing they could do for their daughters is to put a pen in their hands and get them to study and that what the Taliban were doing was not true Islam. Last year, Malala graduated from Oxford University but then deferred her place at Harvard to focus on running the Malala Fund with her father, an organisation she established that works across the world to implement girls education programmes. But Mr Yousafazi revealed that in between overseeing the work of the Malala fund, she has spent lockdown home schooling her mother, Toor Pekai, 49, who is attending online English classes. She has also been helping her youngest brother Atal, 17 with his homework. Malala also has another brother, Kushal, 21, who is studying at a university in London. Mr Yousafazi added: Like so many other British people, Malala has been doing a lot of home schooling and has been helping her mother every day with her English course and Atal with his studies, when he asks her. But unlike many people, she has really enjoyed home schooling. Malala loves education and is one of the most committed and dedicated students I have ever met and thats what also make her such an excellent teacher. Malala has also set herself a target of reading 84 books this year, with Mr Yousafazi admitting that away from work and home schooling, this has taken up most of her time. Malala (pictured in Pakistan in 2018) has also set herself a target of reading 84 books this year, with Mr Yousafazi admitting that away from work and home schooling, this has taken up most of her time He refers to his daughter as a comrade in their quest for girls equality and insists that despite the pandemic, both are committed to stepping up the work of the Malala fund over the coming months. Pictured with Malala when they returned to visit Pakistan in 2018 He refers to his daughter as a comrade in their quest for girls equality and insists that despite the pandemic, both are committed to stepping up the work of the Malala fund over the coming months. Mr Yousafazi beamed: Our goal and dream is to see a world where every girl can choose her own future, learn and lead in all areas of her life. Education is key to this and this is the most important thing in our lives. It is what drives not just Malala and I but the whole family. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON In his speech Saturday from the Senate floor, Sen. Mitch McConnell delivered a scalding denunciation of Donald Trump, calling him morally responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. But in his vote on Trumps impeachment, McConnell said not guilty because he said a former president could not face trial in the Senate. Washingtons most powerful Republican and the Senates minority leader used his strongest language to date to excoriate Trump minutes after the Senate acquitted the former president, voting 57-43 to convict him but falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to find him guilty. Seven Republicans voted to convict. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Clearly angry, the Senates longest-serving GOP leader said Trumps actions surrounding the attack on Congress were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty. He even noted that though Trump is now out of office, he remains subject to the countrys criminal and civil laws. He didnt get away with anything yet, said McConnell, who turns 79 next Saturday and has led the Senate GOP since 2007. It was a stunningly bitter castigation of Trump by McConnell, who could have used much of the same speech had he instead decided to convict Trump. But by voting for acquittal, McConnell and his fellow Republicans left the party locked in its struggle to define itself after Trumps defeat in November. Fiercely loyal pro-Trump Republicans, and the base of the party they represent, are colliding with more traditional Republicans who believe the former president is damaging the partys national appeal. A guilty vote by McConnell, which likely would have brought some other Republicans along with him, would have marked a more direct effort to wrest the party away from Trump. That could have prompted 2022 primary challenges against GOP incumbents, complicating Republican efforts to win the Senate majority by nominating far-right, less-electable candidates. McConnell has spent years fending off such candidates. Time is going to take care of that some way or another, said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked about the partys course. But remember, in order to be a leader you got to have followers. So were gonna find out. After Saturdays vote, furious Democrats launched their own attacks against McConnell and the GOP. Speaking to reporters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., mocked the cowardly group of Republicans in the Senate she said were afraid to respect the institution in which they served. She also said McConnell had created a self-fulfilling prophecy, forcing the Senate trial to begin after Trump left the White House by keeping the chamber out of session. Republicans say Pelosi could have triggered the proceedings earlier by delivering official impeachment documents sooner. McConnell had signaled last month that he was open to finding Trump guilty, which in itself was an eye-opening signal of his alienation from the former president. He informed GOP senators how he would vote in a private email early Saturday, saying, While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction. He expanded on his rationale on the Senate floor after Saturdays roll call, making clear his enmity toward Trumps actions. There is no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the event of that day, he said. Even before the November election, Trump repeatedly claimed that if he lost it would be due to fraud by Democrats, a false accusation that he continued to assert until leaving office. He summoned supporters to Washington for Jan. 6, the day Congress would formally certify his Electoral College loss to Joe Biden, then used a provocative speech near the White House to urge them to march on the Capitol as that count was underway. His backers violently fought past police and into the building, forcing lawmakers to flee, temporarily disrupting the vote count and producing five deaths. The visceral, bloody images from that day were at the core of Democrats impeachment case against Trump. McConnell called that assault a foreseeable consequence of Trump using the presidency, calling it the largest megaphone on Planet Earth. Rather than calling off the rioters, McConnell accused Trump of praising the criminals and seeming determined to overturn the election or else torch our institutions on the way out. The 36-year Senate veteran maneuvered through Trumps four years in office like a captain steering a ship through a rocky strait on stormy seas. Battered at times by vindictive presidential tweets, McConnell made a habit of saying nothing about many of Trumps outrageous comments. He ended up guiding the Senate to victories such as the 2017 tax cuts and the confirmations of three Supreme Court justices and more than 200 other federal judges. Their relationship, built more on expedience than admiration, plummeted after Trumps denial of his Nov. 3 defeat and relentless efforts to reverse the voters verdict with his baseless claims that Democrats fraudulently stole the election. It withered completely last month, after Republicans lost Senate control with two Georgia runoff defeats they blamed on Trump, and the savage attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. The day of the riot, McConnell railed against thugs, mobs, or threats and described the attack as this failed insurrection. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Central government on Saturday approved Rs 3,113.05 crore additional assistance to five states and Union Territories (UTs) which were affected by natural disasters during 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Saturday. The assistance is being provided to Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry, which were affected by floods, cyclones (Nivar and Burevi) and pest attack. Of the total assistance, Andhra Pradesh has been allocated Rs 280.78 crore while Bihar got Rs 1,255.27 crore. Both were allocated the money for the floods that hit the states during the Southwest Monsoon last year. Tamil Nadu has been provided Rs 63.14 crore for cyclone Nivar and Rs 223.77 crore for cyclone Burevi, taking the total amount to Rs 286.91 crore. The Union Territory of Puducherry has been allotted Rs 9.91 crore for Cyclone Nivar, while Madhya Pradesh will get Rs 1,280.18 crore for pest-attack during Kharif 2020. A high-level committee under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the additional Central assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to these states. While approving the assistance, Shah said the Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resolved to help the people of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Madhya Pradesh, who braved these natural disasters. The Central government had deputed inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) immediately after the calamities without waiting for the receipt of memorandum from the affected state governments, a Home Ministry statement said. In addition, during the financial year 2020-21 till date, the Central government has released Rs 19,036.43 crore to 28 states from the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) and Rs 4,409.71 crore to 11 states from the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF). Nigerian should not lag behind as the world rushes to grab the opportunities presented by new technologies in this period of a devastating pandemic. NITDA should ride on and keep the torch alight in helping Nigeria match the rest of the world. The year 2020 came almost like apocalypse. Just as the world settled into a new year, news filtered in that an unknown virus was afflicting residents in Chinas Wuhan province. Many dismissed the initial news as Chinas own problem, with former U.S. president, Donald Trump, mockingly calling what was discovered to be a virus of the corona family as the China virus. No one expected that the coronavirus would travel beyond Wuhan and cause one of the widest disruptions to human activities, in centuries. With the COVID-19 spread and forced suppression of human contacts, the whole world went into frenzy. What becomes of human activities? What happens to all the plans and businesses lined up for the year? These were the posers on most lips. Survival itself became improbable in the face of the ravaging spread of the killer virus. As it was all over the world, so was it in Nigeria. The federal and state governments had to step in by declaring lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus. This sad development affected government business and dealt a serious blow on many. However, blessings, as the saying goes, can come in disguise. While the world lamented the impact of the lockdown induced by the corona virus, one industry, that is the information technology sector, saw a boom. Within a few months, IT firms had raked in billions of dollars in revenue. A rather obscure virtual conferencing app, Zoom, suddenly shot into prominence, making the company worth more than the petrol giant, Exxon Mobil. Nigeria was not too different from the world. The lockdown brought to a halt a number of activities for a year that was just starting. The Federal Government announced various measures to reduce human interactions and asked civil servants to stay at home. However, while government offices came under lock and key, one agency gave a new meaning to the lockdown order by creatively evolving and helping many other government organisations and business to come along with it. While majority of the populace and leaders in different sectors saw the COVID-19 pandemic as a helpless doomsday, the leadership at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) saw opportunities. Run by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the smart IT professional director general, NITDA turned the gloomy situation into a productive period and went on almost unhindered in going about its activities and encouraging the Nigerian IT architecture to tag along. In accordance with the mandate of NITDA, and in line with the vision and leadership of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi did not drop the ball in carrying on with the vision of the Agency, as encapsulated in the four-year strategy plan (2017 2020) developed under Dr. Pantami. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Kashifu and his management team worked in 2020 to broaden the frontiers in all aspects of the designed pillars for the agency; from strengthening regulatory obligations to deepening IT skills and jobs creation. NITDA under Kashifu Abdullahi has, in the last one year, given teeth to the Federal Governments digital economy mantra by expanding the frontiers of Nigerias IT space, both in government and private spheres. Over 300,000 jobs were created by supporting IT start-ups across the wide spectrum of the sector, establishing Digital Capacity Centres, ICT Hubs and supporting schools and learning institutions. For a broader integration of the economy into the ICT-compliant market of today, NITDA panders away from making ICT an affair of the geeky engineers and developers, by introducing practical sides to it. This is exemplified in the training and engagement of artisans in every day skills such as mobile phone repairs, and introduction of smart agriculture through the training of farmers under the National Adopt Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) programme. For its IT coordination and regulatory duties, NITDA, in the past year, consolidated on its duty of vetting the IT procurements of ministries and agencies of government, saving the country billions of naira through that process. NITDAs vision is to increasingly improve on interoperability among government agencies. Added to this, NITDA under Kashifu Abdullahi is ramping up compliance to the many regulations and frameworks issued by the agency in the past few years. This has led to Nigeria topping the rank in data protection reporting in Africa, due to the creation of 27 data protection firms and the turning in of over 500 compliance reports. Impressively, while many public and private institutions saw the coronavirus outbreak as a hindrance, even as doomsday, NITDA under Kashifu Abdullahi saw it as a challenge to innovate and evolve. The Agency has used the pandemic to further rev up Nigerias journey to a digital economy, through various initiatives. A high-powered committee was set up by the Agency to fashion out ways to spur innovation and support creative start-ups. Geeks were challenged, in an innovation competition, to come up with solutions unique to this period. It was the Agencys way of gingering up Nigerias IT ecosystem, especially the young start-ups that are trying to find their footings in the industry. The evidence of maturing Nigerias IT sector was showcased in December at the 2020 edition of the annual Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), where Nigeria presented 10 start-ups at the global stage. The innovators, who were sponsored to the event by NITDA, as part of its IT development role, presented impressive technologies aimed at resolving everyday problems. The delegation, as reported in the media, were well received, with investors and developers indicating interest in a number of them. To deepen this burgeoning subsector of the IT world, the minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami led key government officials to commission NITDAs National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Abuja in November 2020. The import of the Centre, as stated by the minister at the time, was to productively engage the youths, create more jobs and inspire digital entrepreneurship. It is envisioned that the Centre will serve as a robust platform for achieving a digital economy for Nigeria through digital literacyskills d, evelopment and innovation. The conception was intended to tally and key into the job creation agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and the Ministrys National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020 -2030. Under the NDEPS, the focus, like in all serious economies around the world, is on skills and innovation. The new centre is projected to serve as a leading hub of innovation, research and development, knowledge transfer and training in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and other emerging technologies. In addition, the Centre will also create a vision for AI, develop an AI ecosystem, support data stewardship, while providing access to specialised technical skills in the country, Dr Pantami said during the inauguration in November. To bridge the knowledge gap during the pandemic, NITDA, through the guidance of the honourable minister of Communications and Digital Economy established a virtual academy, in collaboration with key global leaders in IT. To date, over 120,000 Nigerians have studied and obtained certificates in various fields from this all-purpose virtual school. Year 2021 seems to be carrying over a lot of the features that defined 2020 in terms of the restriction of human interactions. The opportunities for the IT sector are still there, and expanding, so also the urgency for the diversification of economies and re-invention of skills. Nigerian should not lag behind as the world rushes to grab the opportunities presented by new technologies in this period of a devastating pandemic. NITDA should ride on and keep the torch alight in helping Nigeria match the rest of the world. George Abah writes from Maitama, Abuja. On a consolidated basis, the Phoenix Mills reported 28.8% fall in net profit to Rs 65.42 crore on 34% decline in net sales to Rs 337.84 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20. In the third quarter, revenue from the Retail segment was at Rs 223 crore (down 30.7% YoY), revenue from the Residential segment was at Rs 55.6 crore (up 15.6% YoY), revenue from the Commercial segment was at Rs 31.5 crore (down 5.7% YoY) and revenue from Hospitality & Others was at Rs 27.8 crore (down 74.4% YoY). EBITDA declined by 38.8% to Rs 158.8 crore in Q3 FY21 from Rs 259.4 crore in Q3 FY20. EBITDA margin was at 47% as on 31 December 2020 as against 51% as on 31 December 2019. Profit before tax in Q3 December 2020 stood at Rs 35.17 crore, down by 73.4% from Rs 132.26 crore in Q3 December 2019. The company wrote back current taxes aggregating Rs 24.95 crore during the quarter. The Phoenix Mills group is the largest player in the Indian retail mall segment, and has a portfolio of of eight retail mall assets across major cities in the country. It also has an office portfolio of in Mumbai and Pune, two operational hotels (one in Mumbai and another in Agra), and residential real estate in Bengaluru and Chennai. The scrip shed 0.07% to end at Rs 816.75 on the BSE on Friday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Dec. 7, 1896, a Black man named William Wardley attempted to make a purchase at a grocery store in Irondale. The store owner did not allow him to make a purchase and accused him of using counterfeit money. A mob followed Wardley and he was found shot to death along the railroad tracks. The U.S. Treasury Department investigated the counterfeit claim and proved the money was real. No one was ever prosecuted for killing Wardley. That racial terror attack is now commemorated by a plaque recently installed along the railroad tracks near 1900 First Ave. North in downtown Irondale. To have something physical memorializing these instances is so powerful because it feels like a kind of historical erasure not to, said former Jefferson County Memorial Project research fellow Margaret Weinberg Norman, a member of the Irondale Memorial Project. More than 4,400 African Americans were lynched across 20 states between the end of Reconstruction in 1877 and 1950, according to the Equal Justice Initiative, which initiated the Community Historical Marker Project and is working with community groups across the country to install historical markers at the sites of lynchings. Bryan Stevenson and Equal Justice Initiatives call to action was for each community to own this history, said Joi Brown, executive director of the Jefferson County Memorial Project. Thats what we do. Research work on the Irondale marker began in 2018. Were really excited to see it come to fruition, Brown said. Its been a long time coming. Of more than 360 documented lynchings that took place in Alabama, at least 30 took place in Jefferson County, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Weve got 33 documented victims, Brown said. Three lynching victims are memorialized in a historical marker at Sloss Furnaces. A lynching is a form of violence in which a mob, under the pretext of administering justice without a trial, executes an accused person. The Irondale Memorial Project plans to hold a dedication ceremony for the marker on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 5 p.m. Reaction so far has been welcoming, Brown said. Its been surprisingly positive, she said. I think people are ready to get the point of reconciliation. Irondale Mayor James D. Stewart Jr., who was elected last year as the citys first Black mayor, said he was out of town this week when the monument was erected and hasnt yet seen it. This was in the works even before I was elected, Stewart said. But he feels like its a significant moment. Its part of our history, Stewart said. Its very important that we know our history, understand our history. Some of its good. Some of its bad. The ceremony on Tuesday will be video-streamed live on Jefferson County Memorial Projects Facebook and Instagram profiles as well as Irondale Memorial Projects Facebook page. Alex Melonas, co-founder of Irondale Memorial Project, and the Rev. Michael McClure Sr., pastor of Revelation Church Ministries in Irondale, will speak. Im so glad were doing this livestream of the ceremony and I look forward to having a large, formal ceremony in the future for this marker, Norman said. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit Last June, members of the organizations leadership were informed in writing and in subsequent phone calls of at least 10 specific allegations of harassment against Weaver, including two involving Lincoln Project employees, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the situation. The email and phone calls raised questions about the Lincoln Projects statement last month that it was shocked when accusations surfaced publicly this year. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There are things I barely remember and things I would rather forget. Heres what happened. I ran back into the burning house to save my dog. Its still a trauma that I didnt make it. But heres the other trauma: had I made it, Id be dead too. I woke to a flash of flames. It was around 3am. Smoke. Fire. Explosions. I was at Dads place, the house he and Mum built in 1961. I remember Dad getting out and safe. And then I had to go back for Miss Maudie. She was at the front of the house, trapped and terrified in the dark because the power had blown. Windows and bottles and heaven knows what else were exploding with frightening roars as the heat and smoke engulfed us. The only light we had was the torch on my phone. Dad, 84 and with emphysema and a recent veteran of major lung surgery and a quadruple heart bypass, made it out to the back deck in pyjamas and bare feet. He struggled about in the dark to find a safe place. I ran back in to save the dog. The room in Neil McMahons home where the fire began. Thats the last thing I remember. I was, according to the firies who found me, unconscious and nearly dead in the hall. Had I made it to Maudie - who had taken shelter in a bathroom - Id be dead, because I would have had to run through the fire. And another minute or two in the smoke would have killed me. Advertisement My last memory is the scald of the most intense heat imaginable. I think I screamed. If I didnt, I should have. I still remember and feel that terrifying heat. Maudie died. I lived. So did Dad. They found him in the dark out the back, after they found me and they told him: We found the bloke at the front. Come with us. They carried him out to the street, where they were trying to revive me. I salute the ambos, who out on the street made sure I would live before they took me anywhere. We lived to tell the tale, which is one of great good fortune as well as great sadness. The home Dad and my late Mum had built was burned beyond salvation, the result of an electrical fault with a power board, the investigators said. It was demolished just before Christmas. Dad, losing his home of 60 years, took all this in remarkable and admirable stride. I spent weeks in induced comas. Three comas, and apparently they dont like putting you in the second one because it often doesnt end well. I was in a very bad way. Lungs shot. Kidneys failing. My insides were smoked and screaming. On the first morning, and many mornings after, they thought I might not survive. I was at the Alfred in Melbourne. They put me in high-level ICU where youre not just unconscious, but these days a COVID risk. You dont go into normal ICU until they clear you as COVID-free. Outside, the phones were ringing. Some family and friends first learned of it on breakfast television, who had the run-of-the-mill overnight fire cameras out the front of the house, or heard it on morning radio, where the unusual street name gave it away, and the call chain began. They thought Maudie might have run away, so siblings and cousins and friends took to the streets looking for her. Advertisement I was on a speaker-phone call to the family and asked: I wonder what happened to little Maudie? Credit:Meredith O'Shea But later that morning, back at the smouldering home, they found her. She was dead in the bathroom. She didnt have a burn on her. The smoke would have taken her quickly. The smoke is the killer: my hospital records tell me I even had cyanide poisoning, a common result of house fires. You dont expect to face such things the heat, explosions, the terror that your Dad might die, that you might die saving your dog, cyanide poisoning and what in the almighty hell is going on outside of a movie. Or a story you read that makes you shake your head and think: Thank God that wasnt me. Over the years, Ive written more of those stories about other people than I can count. The first thing I remember after that is a few weeks later October 18 and speaking to my sister, Caroline, on a phone handed to me by a nurse. Its my birthday, Caroline said. I had no idea then that shed been at my bedside almost every day, when she was allowed. When she said it was her birthday I knew the date, even if I was confused about almost everything else. Good God, I thought. What had happened in the meantime? Advertisement I remembered thered been a fire, but then ... nothing. Has anyone looked for Scout? I asked. Scout was the dog I had before Miss Maudie. I had it in my head then that Scout must have run away. Scout had died in sad circumstances in 2017. I now know we had this conversation many times. The doctors told Caroline not to tell me the truth because I was too delusional to retain that or any other information. Then one day, as I started to turn the corner, I was on a speaker-phone call to the family and asked: I wonder what happened to little Maudie? I cried. Surely not. Surely shed have run away from the fire? But I knew this bit was true. Of course she hadnt lived. It was the slow dawn of reality. That is my broad memory of the conversation there were many conversations like this, where I was not at all with it. I am reflecting them here as I remember them, for better and mostly worse. Advertisement At one point I imagined I had skipped hospital and caught a plane to China. At another, I was in Bali, wearing bandages and explaining them away like a con-man in a cheap movie. Doctors would come to my bedside and ask if I knew where I was and what had happened to me. In reply, Id tell them that I had been in a fire but in these fantasies, I was rarely at the Alfred Hospital. I was in Shanghai or Denpasar. I met one of those doctors a couple of months later and he smiled and shook his head and said: Boy, you were in a bad way. Oddly, I did remember one thing very clearly: COVID lockdown. For all my fantasies that I had absconded to China or Bali, I also imagined that I was going to have a hell of a time getting home from China and Bali, due to pandemic restrictions. I fretted over how I would explain myself to the authorities and my family. I berated nurses and doctors. One night, I insisted I was expected at a party and that a taxi was waiting. I was very sorry, but I had to leave now. Old habits die hard. I tried to rip my tubes out. They prevailed and kept me where I was. At other times I was calm. I remember the night of the AFL grand final and me and the nurse conjuring a better TV connection in the ward so we could watch it. That really happened. The Tigers won another flag. When I regained some sense of sanity, they still wouldnt let me have a phone or computer in case I tweeted a bunch of mad things. That ship has long sailed, I thought, thinking back on my decade on Twitter. Im glad they deprived me of my phone, because any posts might have been filled with madness. But I knew one thing, and I told them so: I want my phone back by November 3; if you stop me watching the US presidential election I will riot. Advertisement US President Joe Biden addresses National Institutes of Health staff during his visit to NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters/Carlos Barria The Biden administration yesterday announced plans for tens of thousands of asylum seekers, who are waiting in Mexico for their next immigration court hearings, to be allowed into the United States while their cases proceed. The first of an estimated 25,000 asylum seekers in Mexico with active cases will be allowed into the United States on February 19, authorities said. They plan to start slowly with two border crossings, each processing up to 300 people a day and a third crossing taking fewer. Administration officials declined to name them out of fear they may encourage a rush of people to those locations. The move is a major step toward dismantling one of former President Donald Trumps most consequential policies to deter asylum seekers from reaching the US. About 70,000 asylum seekers were enrolled in Remain in Mexico, officially called Migrant Protection Protocols, since it was introduced in January 2019. On Mr Bidens first day in office, the Homeland Security Department suspended the policy for new arrivals. Since then, some asylum seekers picked up at the border have been released in the US with notices to appear in court. Read More Mr Biden is quickly making good on a campaign promise to end the policy, which the Trump administration said was critical to reversing a surge of asylum seekers that peaked in 2019. But the policy also exposed people to violence in Mexican border cities and made it extremely difficult for them to communicate with courts about their cases. As President Biden has made clear, the US government is committed to rebuilding a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. This latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nations values. Homeland Security said the move should not be interpreted as an opening for people to migrate irregularly to the United States. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she was concerned that limited releases in the US may encourage others to cross illegally because we dont want people to put themselves in danger at a time where it is not the right time to come, because we have not had time to put in place a humane and moral system and process. Lawyers for Donald Trump opened his impeachment defense Friday by strenuously denying he played any role in inciting the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, blasting the case against him as politically motivated hatred and part of a yearslong Democratic witch hunt. Lawyers for the former president told senators that Trump was entitled to dispute the 2020 election results and that his doing so, including in a speech that preceded the assault on the Capitol, did not amount to inciting the violence that followed. They sought to turn the tables on prosecutors by likening the Democrats' questioning of the legitimacy of Trump's 2016 win to his challenge of his election loss. When Trump implored supporters to fight like hell on January 6, they said, that was no different from the Democrats' own charged rhetoric that risks precipitating violence. This is ordinarily political rhetoric that is virtually indistinguishable from the language that has been used by people across the political spectrum for hundreds of years, said Michael van der Veen, one of Trump's lawyers. Countless politicians have spoken of fighting for our principles. After a prosecution case rooted in emotive, violent images from the Capitol siege, the impeachment trial shifted to defense lawyers who made a fundamental concession: The violence was every bit as traumatic, unacceptable and illegal as Democrats say but Trump did not order it. Van der Veen said the siege was carried out by people who had hijacked for their own purposes what was supposed to be a peaceful event and had made plans for violence before Trump had even spoken. You can't incite what was going to happen, he said. Acknowledging the horrors of the January day is meant to blunt the visceral impact of the House Democrats' case and quickly pivot to what Trump's defenders see as the core and more winnable issue of the trial: Whether Trump can be held responsible for inciting the deadly January 6 riot. The argument is likely to appeal to Republican senators who want to be seen as condemning the violence but without convicting the president. They haven't in any way tied it to Trump, David Schoen, one of the president's lawyers, told reporters near the end of two full days of Democrats' arguments aimed at doing just that. He previewed the essence of his argument Tuesday, telling the Senate jurors: They don't need to show you movies to show you that the riot happened here. We will stipulate that it happened, and you know all about it. In both legal filings and in arguments this week, Trump's lawyers have made clear their position that the people responsible for the riot are the ones who actually stormed the building and who are now being prosecuted by the Justice Department. Anticipating defense efforts to disentangle Trump's rhetoric from the rioters' actions, the impeachment managers spent days trying to fuse them together through a reconstruction of never-been-seen video footage alongside clips of the president's monthslong urging of his supporters to undo the election results. Democrats, who concluded their case Thursday, used the rioters' own videos and words from Jan. 6 to try to pin responsibility on Trump. We were invited here, said one Capitol invader. Trump sent us, said another. He'll be happy. We're fighting for Trump. The prosecutors' goal was to cast Trump not as a bystander but rather as the inciter in chief who spread election falsehoods, then encouraged supporters to come challenge the results in Washington and fanned the discontent with rhetoric about fighting and taking back the country. The Democrats also are demanding that he be barred from holding future federal office. This attack never would have happened but for Donald Trump, Rep. Madeleine Dean, one of the impeachment managers, said Thursday as she choked back emotion. And so they came, draped in Trump's flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and to bludgeon. For all the significance the impeachment of a president is meant to convey, this historic second trial of Trump could wrap up with a vote by this weekend, particularly since Trump's lawyers focused on legal rather than emotional or historic questions and are hoping to get it all behind him as quickly as possible. With little hope of conviction by the required two-thirds of the Senate, Democrats delivered a graphic case to the American public, describing in stark, personal terms the terror faced that day some of it in the very Senate chamber where senators are sitting as jurors. They used security video of rioters searching menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, smashing into the building and engaging in bloody, hand-to-hand combat with police. They displayed the many public and explicit instructions Trump gave his supporters long before the White House rally that unleashed the deadly Capitol attack as Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Five people died in the chaos and its aftermath. What makes you think the nightmare with Donald Trump and his law-breaking and violent mobs is over? asked Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead prosecutor. He said earlier, When Donald Trump tells the crowd, as he did on January 6, Fight like hell, or you won't have a country anymore,' he meant for them to fight like hell. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Rajya Sabha during first half of the Budget Session had 99 per cent productivity for the two weeks till the House was adjourned at the end of the session on February 12. "I am happy to inform you that this part of the session has been quite productive with the House clocking 99 per cent productivity," Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said before adjourning the proceedings till March 8. "The productivity of the House during this week has been 113 per cent compared to the productivity of 82 per cent during the first week as against the total scheduled time of 45 hours 4 minutes, net of only 30 minutes has been lost due to disruptions. The members sat extra to compensate the time lost to disruptions." During this session important bills like Major Port Bill were tabled, and Discussion of Motion of Thanks and Budget discussion took place. The House also debated for 15 hours on the Motion of Thanks on the Presidential address to the joint session of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session. Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to that debate on Monday, 100 members spoke on these two subjects. "As against the total loss of 4 hours 24 minutes during the first week, the members sat for an extra 3 hours 54 minutes during the second week," Naidu said. The House broke for a three-week recess on Friday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reply to a discussion on the Budget for financial year beginning April 1. During the recess, the Parliamentary Committees will examine the budget allocation for various ministries. Parliament will meet on March 8 for the second part of the Budget session. Besides discussion on the Budget. The House bid farewell to the Leader of Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, besides Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh Manhas and Nazir Ahmed Laway. The Rajya Sabha Chairman in the farewell speech said about Azad, "He has been a voice of sanity in the nation's public life for the last few decades, having made significant contribution both in the Government and in the Opposition. He has served as a member of this august House for as many as 28 years and is one of the veterans of this House." On February 9, PM Modi got emotional while bidding farewell to Azad from the House as his term ended. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text SPRINGFIELD With Gov. J.B. Pritzker preparing to deliver his budget address Wednesday, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are sounding off on the few details that have been released. Some at the Illinois statehouse and some in the U.S. Congress are wondering how federal dollars could impact the plan. Topline budget details the Pritzker administration released indicate the proposed budget will keep spending level, inducing level education spending. The administration anticipates significant federal funding for education will provide additional support for schools while the state maintains its existing investment, and the governor is committed to ensuring that education is fully funded in future years. State Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, said the school funding formula with expected yearly increases is important. Holding that back is going in the wrong direction, regardless of additional federal dollars, he said. Id hate for us to walk backward, Davis said. So I think its really going to be incumbent on what happens in these chambers that education is the priority that we think it is. Lets put the money there and dare the governor to take it out. Another element the governor revealed was a proposal to end $900 million of what his administration called corporate tax loopholes. State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, said ending business incentives is the wrong approach. We need to grow the economy, Keicher said. We have been in this horrible position long before my arrival in the General Assembly and it is our job to put a shot in the arm of the Illinois economy and get us moving forward. Republicans decried announcements by the governor to limit various business tax incentives. One thing the state could get, if President Joe Bidens COVID-19 aid package passes, is $7.5 billion. Local governments would get $5.7 billion to share. State Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, said any federal funds shouldnt diminish the distribution of state income tax dollars to local governments. We want to make sure that theres no adverse effect to the [Local Government Distributive Funds] for all our cities, Moylan said. U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, told WMAY hell advocate for cities that can show revenue losses because of the pandemic to get their fair share of any federal dollars. But what I dont want is the federal government coming in and bailing out blue states that have had systemic economic problems, LaHood said. This cant be a blank check that J.B. Pritzker has to then help bail out or pension system. Thats not good for taxpayers. The states current spending plan is more than $3 billion out of balance. The states unfunded pension liability is more than $140 billion. New Delhi: Russia's State Space Corporation Roscosmos successfully launched record-breaking satellites last week from the Baikonur Spaceport and delivered them into various orbits. The record-breaking satellites that were launched on July 14 included an Earth observation Kanopus-V-IK satellite, the main payload, and 72 smallsats. One of the 72 satellites included Mayak and all of these were sent into space aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. Mayak, the meaning of which in English is beacon, has been developed by Moscow Polytechnic University (MAMU). The satellite, a standard cubesat, is roughly the size of a loaf of bread. The satellite could become the third brightest object in the sky only after the Sun and the Moon, thanks to the Mayak 3U-CubeSat that will deploy a large tetrahedron-shaped solar reflector. Mayake, created by young scientists, is the first crowdfunding spacecraft in the history of Russia. The team has released a video that details the satellite, its mission and the purpose of its creation. In order to launch their own small satellite, the team managed to raise more than $30,000 on Russian crowd funding website Boomstarter. Suggested Read: Presidential election 2017 | Ram Nath Kovind vs Meira Kumar: Counting to begin at 11 AM The project aims at encouraging the younger generation to explore the space, and inspire them with their own example that there is nothing impossible, according to the team. The satellite will orbit the Earth, about 370 miles (600 km) high, giant mylar reflector with a surface area of 170 square feet. Mayak can be seen as the brightest shooting star once unfurled at night in clear weather. The satellite could be visible in bright twilight and even during daytime passes as well, the team said. A tracking app called 'CosmoMayak' has been created and can be used by donaors and all clients of RocketBank to track Mayak's position in real time. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. World Radio Day: Radio a fantastic medium that deepens social connect, says PM Modi India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took to Twitter and described radio as a fantastic medium which deepens social connect, as he extended his greetings to the countrymen on the World Radio Day. In a tweet, PM Modi said he has personality experienced the positive impact of radio through 'Mann Ki Baat', his monthly broadcast. Grabbed a blanket and ran: Omar Abdullah tweets after North India records strong earthquake "Happy World Radio Day! Greetings to all radio listeners and kudos to all those who keep the radio buzzing with innovative content and music. This is a fantastic medium, which deepens social connect. I personally experience the positive impact of radio thanks to Mann Ki Baat," the prime minister said. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an international day, February 13 is observed as the World Radio Day. World Radio Day 2021: Meet Radio City's RJs and creative team | Oneindia News It can be seen that February 13 was chosen as the day to celebrate the medium because, on this day, the United Nations radio was established back in 1946. The UN General Assembly officially endorses UNESCO's proposal to make this day 'World Radio Day on January 14, 2013. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 10:00 [IST] Comber-based vegetable producer Mash Direct has won a contract to supply M&S stores in the Republic as Brexit takes its toll on stock logistics between Britain and Ireland. The business will supply eight of its products to the retailer, including its signature mash potato and potato cakes in its own brand sleeves and packaging. Last month M&S took the decision to temporarily drop hundreds of products from its stores here after it saw competitors' lorries barred from travelling between Britain and Northern Ireland. And it said that its business over the border and in the Czech Republic, and franchises in France, would suffer due to tariffs on goods exported to the EU and "very complex administrative processes". The company said it was "actively working to mitigate" the impact of Brexit, and it would seem sourcing locally has been one solution to its woes. Jack Hamilton of Mash Direct said it had been in talks with the retailer to supply its stores. He said: "The difficulties M&S has faced following Brexit have been widely documented but we've been chatting for a while and that conversation has been about supporting more local suppliers. "Our discussion was very much about provenance." He added: "It's fantastic to be supplying the retailer's stores in the Republic of Ireland and we are hopeful that it could lead to us supplying (more) stores in Northern Ireland too." Marks & Spencer said: "We have been preparing for some time to minimise Brexit disruption. "This includes investing in tech and working closely with all our suppliers." The retailer appealed to the Government to iron out issues that have come about after the implementation of the NI Protocol, the means by which a hard border was avoided in Ireland. It sees Northern Ireland continue to follow EU rules, and thus creates a de facto Irish Sea border, which has angered unionists and loyalists. M&S added: "We need Government to agree a solution with the European Union that takes account of the safety and high standards in UK food, streamlines and digitalises processes, and removes the burdensome checks that will be required on every delivery." Mash Direct's listing comes as the retailer reintroduces the Finnebrogue 'Love Sausage' for Valentine's Day. Finnebrogue has been supplying M&S for almost 20 years. Philip Conlon, head of regional for M&S, said it is one of 11 direct suppliers and around 1,600 farms from here which produce products for M&S. Cambodia officially approved the emergency use of China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, the country's Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on Friday. "Taking into account of the pandemic of Covid-19, with a view to protecting life and health of Cambodian people, the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia has decided to grant Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in Cambodia, he said in a statement. Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine has been used safely in China and other countries, the minister was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency. The EUA of the vaccine will take into effect immediately, he said. On February 4, Cambodia also approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, saying that it is used safely in China and other countries. The Southeast Asian nation kicked off an anti-Covid-19 inoculation drive on February 10, days after receiving the first batch of Sinopharm vaccine from China. Cambodia has seen remarkable success in containing the spread of Covid-19. The kingdom has so far registered a total of 479 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with zero deaths and 463 recoveries, according to the Ministry of Health --IANS int/rs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Michigans workforce is grounded in a tradition of a fair days work for a fair days pay. We like to roll up our sleeves and deliver results, with a promise that well be compensated responsibly when our work is finished. But what happens when that fair compensation disappears? When the promise is broken? Unfortunately, were about to find out. Today, tens of thousands of direct care workers provide much-needed care and support to 100,000 state residents with developmental disabilities and mental illness. These workers go into homes and offer much more than a fair days work in fact, they deliver everything from counseling, vocational training and respite to urgently-needed bathing, feeding, lifting and exercise. Nearly a million Michigan residents rely on the essential services they provide. For their efforts, direct care workers often earn less than someone working in fast food or retail. The average starting wage for a direct care worker in Michigan is $11.44 an hour, without benefits. To help keep these essential workers on the job during COVID-19, our states policy leaders appropriated an additional $2 per hour for direct care workers. But the clock on this additional financial support is about to run out. On March 1, 2021, our states promise of a fair days pay will be broken. Many direct care workers already are looking for new employment. The individuals and families that rely on them are worried. Imagine trying to plan for an effective workday, when you know a loved one is left unsupported at home, or worse still cant be left alone. Imagine being caught without help on a day when help is urgently needed. Its a problem that quickly moves upward, affecting our states entire economy. When a family member cant come to work because theres no direct care worker on hand, another employer is left short-handed. Business suffers. Multiply that problem by 100,000, and you begin to see the scope and scale of the problem our state is about to face. As Michigan continues to recover from the economic impacts of a global pandemic, its a problem we can ill afford. Fortunately, Gov. Whitmer is already on the case. In her State of the State message, she has proposed making the $2 hourly increase for direct care workers permanent. Thats great news, but our state cant afford to wait until the next fiscal year. Not when our collective house is on fire today. The Michigan Legislature must act and quickly to address the crisis thats looming before all of us today. Any gap in fair pay for a fair days work is too big for us to address in todays economy. Michigan is a state that believes in keeping its promises. Now is the time to demonstrate our ability to do so, particularly when it comes to our most vulnerable residents. March 1 is less than a few weeks away. The clock, as they say, is ticking. Robert Sheehan is the CEO of Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, and Todd Culver is CEO of Incompass Michigan. Sawfish have disappeared from half of the worlds coastal waters and the distinctive shark-like rays face complete extinction due to overfishing, according to a new study by Simon Fraser University researchers, published in Science Advances. Sawfish, named after their unique long, narrow noses lined by teeth, called rostra, that resemble a sawblade, were once found along the coastlines of 90 countries but they are now among the worlds most threatened family of marine fishes, presumed extinct from 46 of those nations. There are 18 countries where at least one species of sawfish is missing, and 28 more where two species have disappeared. According to SFU researchers Helen Yan and Nick Dulvy, three of the five species of sawfish are critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and the other two are endangered. Their teeth on their rostra are easily caught in fishing nets. Sawfish fins are among the most valuable in the global shark fin trade and rostra are also sold for novelty, medicine and as spurs for cockfighting. The current presence of all sawfishes world-wide is unknown, but Dulvy warns complete extinction is possible if nothing is done to curb overfishing and to protect threatened habitats, such as mangroves, where sawfish can thrive. Through the plight of sawfish, we are documenting the first cases of a wide-ranging marine fish being driven to local extinction by overfishing, Dulvy says. Weve known for a while that the dramatic expansion of fishing is the primary threat to ocean biodiversity, but robust population assessment is difficult for low priority fishes whose catches have been poorly monitored over time. With this study, we tackle a fundamental challenge for tracking biodiversity change: discerning severe population declines from local extinction. The study recommends that international conservation efforts focus on eight countries (Cuba, Tanzania, Columbia, Madagascar, Panama, Brazil, Mexico and Sri Lanka) where conservation efforts and adequate fishing protections could save the species. It also found Australia and the United States, where adequate protections already exist and some sawfish are still present, should be considered as lifeboat nations. While the situation is dire, we hope to offset the bad news by highlighting our informed identification of these priority nations with hope for saving sawfish in their waters, says Yan. We also underscore our finding that its actually still possible to restore sawfish to more than 70 per cent of their historical range, if we act now. ADVERTISEMENT Twenty-six Nigerian states recorded zero foreign investment in the whole of 2020, figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics show. The report on capital importation into the country, compiled by the Central Bank of Nigeria, was released on Friday by the NBS. It captures the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), portfolio investment and other types of investments into the country in a year the global economy suffered a terrible battering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The total value of capital inflow for the year fell to $9.7 billion, from $24 billion in 2019, representing a decline of 59.7 per cent. It was the lowest in at least four years. More foreign capital inflows came through other investments, followed by FDI, and Portfolio Investment, the report said. Equities supplied the largest chunk of capital inflows, while the United Kingdom emerged as the top source of capital investment in Nigeria in the year. Destination By destination, Lagos emerged as the top destination of capital investment in Nigeria with $8.3 billion, followed by Abuja, which received $1.3 billion. The others on the list are Abia State with relatively lower $56 million, Niger with $16.4 million, and Ogun with $13.4 million. Anambra State recorded $10.2 million, Kaduna State recorded $4.03 million, Sokoto got $2.5 million and Kano got $2.4 million. Akwa Ibom received $1.05 million ahead of Adamawa, which received just $20,000. All the remaining 26 states received no foreign capital inflows the entire year, the report shows. They are Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara States. COVID-19 Effect Many Nigerian states are known to be characteristically non-competitive in attracting foreign investments, despite their huge populations. Amongst many factors responsible for this is insecurity. This was made worse last year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic broke out, public health measures have caused severe economic disruptions that impact foreign investment in countries of the world. In June 2020, amid the crash in commodity prices occasioned by the pandemic, foreign direct investment flows to Africa was projected to decline between 25 percent and 40 percent, according to the World Investment Report 2020. FDI flows to the continent were forecast to contract based on gross domestic product (GDP) growth projections, as well as other investment factors. The contraction was necessitated by the disruption in several services industries including aviation, hospitality, tourism and leisure, among others. The Department of Energys nuclear cleanup office on Friday awarded the next Savannah River Site paramilitary security contract to a Virginia-based joint venture, effectively booting an incumbent of more than 30 years in favor of a fresh face. SRS Critical Infrastructure Security LLC beat out two other teams for the potentially decade-long, $1 billion deal. SCISs proposal, the Energy Department explained in an evening announcement, offered the best value to the government based on several familiar factors: approach, key personnel, track record and cost. The department further said SCIS would provide a highly capable security team at SRS. The contract award can be protested a formal process of airing grievances that can result in a reevaluation or reset of the bidding process. The final request for proposals was issued in early 2019. Savannah River Site manager Michael Budney in late September 2020 said final evaluation of the best-and-final offers from all the proposers was underway. It was unclear as of Saturday if Centerra would contest the award; in 2018 and 2019, a Centerra spokesperson told the Aiken Standard that the contractor intended to submit a proposal to continue our important job of protecting SRS security interests in accordance with the same high standards we have long demonstrated. If the award sticks, SRS Critical Infrastructure Security will replace Centerra, which has guarded the Savannah River Site for more than three decades and recently locked in an excellent DOE performance review, coupled with a $6.6 million purse. Centerras term expires June 7. A 60-day transition period is expected. The paramilitary security contractor at the Savannah River Site has a broad spectrum of responsibilities. On top of protecting the sites boundaries, nuclear facilities, sensitive materials and employees, the selected team also conducts law enforcement operations and related investigations. Members of SRS Critical Infrastructure Security include Securitas CIS, K2 Solutions, Spectra Tech and System Studies & Simulation. Jeremy Stahl: Hi Jordan, hows your morning going? Mines going great. (It is actually not great.) When I woke up on the West Coast to the news that House Manager Jamie Raskin was asking for witnesses in the trial of Donald J. Trumpspecifically, Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who could testify that Trump rejected a request for help in the midst of the Capitol assault that he incitedand it looked like the Senate was going to grant that request, I was gleeful. Democrats were finally going to create a fuller record of Trumps crime on Jan. 6. They were going to do it in a way that also strengthened the cause of prying the Republican Party out of Trumps insurrectionary grip. As we learned that the two sides would instead cut a deal to reject witnesses and move quickly toward the inevitable acquittal without any further fact-finding, my mood turned glum. Democrats caved. They gave up an opportunity to learn more of the truth of what Trump was doing during the attack and they gave into Republican threats to hold up Senate business while the trial was ongoing. Trump wasas expectedultimately acquitted 43-57 with seven Republicans joining all Democrats to convict and 43 Republicans voting to acquit. All for what, exactly, Im not sure. This is my interpretation of the days events, but I take it you have a different perspective and Im eager to hear it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jordan Weissmann: I mean, my morning has been pretty good. I woke up. Cracked open Battle Cry of Freedom while having my coffee.* Then tried a new buttermilk biscuit recipe (they came out excellently), which I served with some cheesy scrambled eggs. And of course, you know, I kept an eye on Twitter, where it seemed like half my feed went into a full meltdown over this witness issue, which I just cannot bring myself to get worked up about. There are really two sets of reasons why it just doesnt feel like that big a deal to me. The micro and the macro. Which do you want to argue about first? Stahl: That does sound like a much better morning. Lets start with the big picture and go from there. Advertisement Weissmann: All right, well begin at 10,000 feet and work our way down. I think that theres this fundamental split, mostly among Democrats who spend a lot of time on Twitter, but also maybe among a few actual elected officials, about how to interpret the Trump era. One sidewhich I think is still a little peeved at how Dems conducted the Ukraine-affair impeachment, and wishes the party had turned it into a more sweeping indictment of all Trumps crimesbelieves that if Dems had just made a bit more of a public spectacle over our ex-presidents corruption during the past four years, it would have moved the needle a little more on something. What exactly, Im not sure. But something. Advertisement Advertisement The other side believes that we spent day after day with saturation cable news coverage of all of Trumps malfeasance, and in the end, the only thing a lot of swing voters seemed to care about was the economy. That group has more or less concluded that if you can give the voters full employment, theyll let you get away with almost anything, other than botching a world-historic pandemic response. So they just want to get back to passing coronavirus relief. Id say Im 85 to 90 percent with that second group. Its not that impeachment is a waste of time. I think Democrats were obligated to try after Ukraine, simply as a matter of self-respectI mean, you couldnt just let the president get away with trying to solicit foreign election interferenceand in order to test the GOPs willingness to let Trump slide. Likewise, I thought impeachment in the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6 was necessary, because Trump appeared to pose a clear and present danger to the countrys stability; even after Mitch McConnell delayed the trial until after the inauguration, it was still incumbent on the Dems to see the process through, and test whether there were any circumstances under which Republicans were going to turn on Dear Leader. Advertisement Advertisement Weve learned what we were going to; The GOP is completely incapable of holding its own leaders accountable for abuses of power. But do I really think this trial, or extending it by a week to wedge in some additional damning testimony, is going to really make a difference in anything other than the history books? Not really. Most voters are going to forget 99 percent of it. And from there, you get into the micro stuff. But Im curious Jeremy, since were still at 10,000 feet here; What do you think spending more time on witnesses would have accomplished in the grand scheme of things? Stahl: From a macro level: I think opinion polls show that corruption in general, and Donald Trumps corruption in particular, is broadly unpopular. I think the same polls show that Trumps incitement of the attack on the Capitol was and is broadly unpopular. As for Ukraine, I tend to agree with Jonathan Chaits argument that that particular impeachment may have actually decided an incredibly close electionwere it not for Democrats pressing that matter, maybe Rudy Gulianis last-minute Hunter Biden smear job is not blocked by social media companies and ignored by mainstream outlets and probably that makes the difference in an election that was decided by 20,000-plus voters in three key states. As for the current question of the political calculus of calling witnesses (putting aside the moral necessity to learn the full truth of Jan. 6): It seems very clear that Republicans thought it was incredibly disadvantageous for witnesses to be called. CNNs Jim Acosta reported that Trump was pleased there would be no witnesses and viewed it as a win. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Joni Ernst were so desperate to stop it that they started issuing wild threats. Multiple reporters have noted that Trumps legal team was near implosion already and may not have survived another week of this trial. And Sen. Ron Johnsonwho by the way is up for re-election in a swing state next yearwas reportedly so livid about the potential for witnesses that he blew up at his fellow Republican Sen. Mitt Romney on the floor of the Senate. That doesnt sound like a group of people who are confident that it would be politically advantageous to Trump and the Republican Party, and thus damaging to Democrats, to have witnesses testify that Donald Trump was kicking back and ordering popcorn while a mob he inflamed tried to murder his own vice president. The facts of political advantage or disadvantage aside, and I think this speaks to your broader point about the dueling perspectives of progressives in the age of Trump, theres a question of whether this would-be dictator can be allowed back into our democratic political system to threaten its very foundation ever again. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowskiand apparently Democratic Senate leadershiptake the view that Trump has been so damaged by this trial that he can never come back. My viewgiven that Trumps ability to come back from humiliation has become a running joke in our politicsis that you can basically never do enough to prove this persons corruption in an effort to damage him and protect the system. Whats the harm, I guess is the question, in actually putting Donald Trumps crimes on true trial for once? Ill let you respond, but maybe lets move on to the micro questions. Advertisement Advertisement Weissmann: Youre right that Republicans seemed really unhappy about the idea, which by the way, is absolutely a good reason to call some additional oversight hearings regarding what happened on Jan. 6 and get this testimony on the congressional record. (That would of course also be a great boon to the historical record.) But that kind of gets us to the micro question of whether or not thered be trade-offs right now between continuing this trial and focusing on COVID relief. A lot of people on the internet seem convinced Democrats moved on because theyre too cowardly or something, which doesnt exactly track. (What are they supposed to be afraid of, exactly?) I think part of the confusion is that the Senate wont be in session next week, so it looks like theyre just taking the time off. But Ive been talking with a Senate Budget Committee aide, and it sounds like staffers are basically going to be using this time to do all the extremely boring but essential technical work involved in getting the new coronavirus relief bill thats coming out of the House ready to pass via the reconciliation process, which is stupidly baroque and requires things like curing minute technical screwups and making their case to the parliamentarian on whether certain things can be included in the bill under reconciliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maybe that could have also gone on while depositions took place, but my understanding is that moving on from impeachment basically frees up everybodys time and focus. Democrats want language on the relief bill done by Feb. 22, so they have ample time to pass it before unemployment benefits expire in mid-March. It sounds like were a long way away from there, but this process takes a lot of time and energy, and Democrats want a buffer just in case something weird happens. So, to me, if moving on from the trial even makes it a little more likely this COVID bill gets wrapped up in time, thats probably worth it. I just dont place a super high value on keeping the impeachment spectacle going, given that I dont think its likely to have a long-lasting impact, if it means slowing down the COVID bill at all now. Advertisement Or, as someone else put it much, much more succinctly to me in a DM: Chuck Schumer came here to piss off Twitter libs and give money to poor kids. And hes out of Twitter libs to piss off. Stahl: I think your reporting there speaks to a point I was going to make about the micro question, though, Jordan, which iswhat is stopping them from doing this while the House managers collect their depositions and evidence? They claim they can walk and chew gum at the same time. They had the 54 votes they needed to set whatever rules they wanted within the parameters of the previously agreed-upon impeachment resolution. Their staff was going to spend the next week, either way, working out whether the ordered points of budgetary Byrd Rule fliz-flaz was super cool or totally not, with or without these depositions. So, what precisely have they gained by this? It doesnt sound like a very strong argument that this would slow things down at all, again given particularly that they are supposed to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time and can set their own rules. It might have certainly taken media attention away from the inner workings of the COVID relief bill, but the only people who follow that stuff anyway are supernerds. (Sorry, JordanIm one, too.) There has been reporting that Ernst could have slowed down the rest of Joe Bidens Cabinet appointmentsparticularly judge Merrick Garlands attorney general appointmentbut I have to wonder: What is going to stop them from doing that anyway on other key nominations? I guess: On the micro level, its still super unclear to me what they gain from this. That quote about the choice being between witnesses and an urgent and necessary COVID bill from the unnamed source is incredibly self-serving for the majority leader. As I tweeted at you during an earlier conversation (and I still havent seen a good answer to this): Why not both? Advertisement Advertisement But anyway: Now this question has been resolved in favor of the position you are advocating for. And I can see the case for moving on (in despair) and not burning the house down because of what I view as a sad and craven tactical failure. So, moving on: Do you think anything should happen next in terms of holding Trump to account? Some online are consoling themselves with the notion that the former president might still be prosecuted in Fulton County, Georgia, for his effort to intimidate state election officials there into illegally reversing the vote. I am more skeptical that this will actually happen given what weve seen today and for a while now about the stomach Democrats lack to forcefully confront Trumps rampant corruption and likely criminality, but who knows. Advertisement During this trial, Trumps attorneys have repeatedly brought up that House managers failed to do actual fact-finding in this impeachment as an argument for his acquittal and pointed to a statement from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi calling for an independent, 9/11 Commissionstyle body to investigate the full facts and mechanics of how the Jan. 6 insurrection went down, who knew what when, and who was most culpable (cough, Trump, cough). Potential Republican witnesses that could have been subpoenaed in a trial and could still be subpoenaed by an independent commission started coming out of the woodwork on Friday evening, starting with Rep. Herrera Beutler, who practically begged other witnesses to come forward, pleading: To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time. Indeed, on Saturday morning CNN reported that former Pence national security adviser Keith Kellogg was a direct witness to Trumps inaction during the attack, and there are surely many more. Leaving these few Republicans who actually have the courage to come forward to confront the president out to dry and to the whims of the Trump mob seems to me like it will only increase the cone of silence around the former president and strengthen him politically going forward. Which is why at the very least, it should be incumbent on them to enact Pelosis proposed commission, which you seemed to endorse earlier in this conversation. After the events of Saturday morning, though, I am skeptical that Senate Democrats will have the strength and will (or possibly, just the votes) to do what is necessary, and will once again fail to even seek to hold Trump accountable. Weissmann: If youre asking whether Democrats should treat Jan. 6 like its Benghazi, except a real scandal and tragedy instead of a made-up onethen yes, I agree! Once theyve got COVID relief squared away, its going to probably be a month before theyre ready for the next big reconciliation bill, and since they arent killing the filibusteryet, anywaythat means Congress will need to occupy itself with something for a while. A big Jan. 6 commission that gets this stuff on the historical record and puts those responsible for it through the ringer seems completely appropriate on the merits, whether or not it actually moves any votes. Stahl: At last, we agree. Correction, Feb. 16, 2021: This article originally misidentified the book Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson as Battle Cry to Freedom. New Delhi, Feb 13 : Not much excitement could be seen among health workers who are scheduled for the second dose of Covid immunisation on Saturday. The second dose immunisation started with a low turnout at many key hospitals of the national capital. Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital said that only 10 health workers have confirmed to get the second vaccine shot so far. "The rest have given several excuses like busy schedule and on leave. However, we are following up with them," said Dr Chhavi Gupta, media spokesperson of the hospital. Dr Amit Gupta, Covid vaccination coordinator at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, informed IANS that not many beneficiaries of the first dose have queued up for their second dose today. "Generally, we do maximum vaccination in the first half only. However, a very low number of first dose receivers have turned up at the immunisation booth," he said. "Let's hope the second half sees better footfall," he added. The turnout for second dose beneficiaries at Tirath Ram Shah charitable hospital has also been low. Dr Shilpa Pandita, nodal officer for Covid vaccination there informed that only around 20 beneficiaries have turned up so far. The exact figures of second dose administration so far were not readily available at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. However, Dr Ajoy Sehgal, spokesperson of the hospital, told IANS that 88 out of 100 beneficiaries of the first dose, have assured to take the following jab on Saturday. When Mercedes and her family were finally allowed into the United States in January because of her husbands serious heart condition, they were quarantined in a San Diego hotel room for weeks. It was a familiar setting for the Honduran family of three, which had fled gang threats and hoped to find refuge in the United States. Theyd had to quarantine in a hotel once before, to get a spot in one of the migrant shelters in Tijuana after they were held hostage in the room they rented while they waited to request asylum. They are among the small number of asylum-seeking families who have been released into the United States since President Joe Biden came into office. That number has grown in recent weeks, though it is nothing that resembles the surge that some have reported at the border. Its unclear what determines who is allowed into the United States and who gets turned back to Mexico or sent back to their home countries under Title 42 the name that has come to represent an order put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Trump administration after the pandemic began that allows for the immediate expulsion of border crossers. The Biden administration has promised to undo many of the border and asylum policies created under former President Donald Trump. On Friday, the administration announced plans for asylum seekers with pending immigration court hearings in Trumps Remain in Mexico program waiting south of the border to be allowed into the United States while their cases proceed. The first of an estimated 25,000 asylum seekers in Mexico with active cases will be allowed in on Feb. 19, The Associated Press reported. Sources familiar with the Biden teams plans told The San Diego Union-Tribune that San Ysidro Port of Entry will be one of the first to begin this processing. For now, though, not much has happened to change the experience of the thousands of asylum seekers who have been stuck waiting south of the border for months and often years. Asylum processing remains closed to the vast majority of them, a fact that has many immigrant rights advocates worried the Biden administration is moving too slowly to change. And, in the absence of information or a timeline for the promised changes, the advocates say, some who have been waiting particularly those living in desperate conditions in Mexico listened to rumors or smugglers and tried to cross illegally into the United States. Even the plan announced Friday will not address the thousands more who were waiting, because of other Trump policies, for the opportunity to request asylum in the first place. What we need is for the government to provide concrete information about when and how many people and who they will be allowing to process, because thats at this point the only thing thats going to convince people that its worth waiting, said Alex Mensing of Innovation Law Lab, who communicates regularly with asylum seekers around Tijuana. If they hear as they immediately and inevitably do that some families are being released into San Diego, some people are going to take the risk to cross either because of the danger that theyre in here, the abhorrent conditions that theyre in here, the discrimination that they faced from local police. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to emailed requests for comment on asylum processing at the border. Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, reiterated the administrations main message four times during a briefing Thursday, This is not the time to come. The vast majority of people are turned away at the border, Psaki said. And we are committed to putting in place a moral and a humane system and process, but we are also digging out of four years of detrimental policies, as it relates to immigration, and thats going to take some time. Since November, staff with Jewish Family Service, which runs a migrant shelter in San Diego, has seen a trickle of families like Mercedes released to their care. In the past week or so, the number of families received by Jewish Family Service has increased, though the numbers are still much lower than other times in the shelters history. Most of these additional families were caught crossing illegally into the United States by Border Patrol, according to Kate Clark of Jewish Family Service. In December, the shelter helped 54 people, she said; in January, it helped 144 people. From Feb. 1 through 10, it helped 191 people. When the border was open and asylum seekers were regularly allowed into the United States, the shelter generally received between 60 and 80 people a day and a maximum of 300 in one day, Clark said. Border officials decision to release these families into the United States now, while continuing to turn others back, does not appear to be tied to a particular vulnerability, medical or otherwise, or any announced policy change. There are notably few Central Americans among those released from Border Patrol custody in San Diego, Clark said. The majority are Haitian. However, not all Haitians who have crossed the border illegally ended up at the San Diego shelter. Others in recent weeks have ended up on deportation flights back to Haiti, expelled under Title 42 after crossing from Tijuana, according to Katerine Giron Martinez of Tijuanas Espacio Migrante shelter. Still others were returned to Mexico under that same CDC order. When asked about the situation, Border Patrol said that decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. CBP has seen a steady increase in border encounters since April 2020, which, aggravated by COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, has caused some facilities to reach maximum safe holding capacity, said agent Justin Castrejon, spokesman for the Border Patrol in the San Diego sector, referring to the institutions parent agency Customs and Border Protection. When that happens, Castrejon said, some migrants will be released to wait for immigration court hearings in the U.S. When families are released into the San Diego area, they are sent to Jewish Family Service, which coordinates with the countys public health department to quarantine the families in hotel rooms for 14 days. Food is left outside the hotel room doors for families at appointed times, and shelter staff provide toys and childrens activities to help families pass the time. Meanwhile, shelter staff help make arrangements with each familys loved ones for travel after the family finishes quarantine. Mercedes and her family ended up in quarantine for 24 days, Mercedes said, because her husband had to go to the emergency room due to his heart during their stay at the hotel. Going back to repeat the same story was nothing new for us, Mercedes said in Spanish. But at the same time its not easy being inside four walls, to only be like chickens they throw food to. Thats not easy. Mercedes asked not to be fully identified because she was worried it might negatively affect her familys asylum case. She and her husband, along with their teenage daughter, fled Honduras in 2018 after gangs repeatedly threatened and attacked her husband because of his job as a bus driver. They were robbed several times on the journey to the border. Because they kept having to stop to work to have enough money to continue traveling north, they arrived in Tijuana in late 2019. For a while, they lived in a room inside the Tijuana business that had hired Mercedes husband. Then, in May 2020, burglars came to rob the place. The family was held hostage for hours during the robbery. After that, the family found a way to stay in one of the local migrant shelters. But even there, they were unable to find suitable medical treatment for the husbands heart condition. Through a team of lawyers with Jewish Family Service, they convinced border officials to parole them into the United States. They are now living on the East Coast with friends. Other families with serious medical needs have had their requests denied in recent weeks. A Cuban family, whose son has an illness that could soon cause him to lose his motor skills if it continues untreated, was recently denied parole. Whenever we get a denial, we never get a why, said Luis Gonzalez, an attorney with Jewish Family Service who helped the family. Sometimes we do see some inconsistencies. Jewish Family Service, along with Innovation Law Lab, Al Otro Lado, Immigrant Defenders Law Center and other San Diego and Tijuana groups are part of a binational task force that met with Bidens transition team starting in November and still meets with his administration to talk about policies for asylum seekers and the border. The task force presented proposals to the Biden team about how to begin processing asylum seekers. Erika Pinheiro, litigation and policy director for Al Otro Lado, said that based on the details coming out, the administration is going a different direction from several of the task forces suggestions. They seem to be making things more complicated than they need to be, Pinheiro said. For the task force organizations on both sides of the California border, the message they want most to send to Biden is that they are ready. Were ready. The migrants are ready, Pinheiro said. Characterizing this as a burden or this complex issue where its too much for anybody to handle, thats just not the case. Edgefield County residents packed into Sweetwater Baptist Church on Thursday night some were even turned away due to capacity and asked to listen on the radio in order to make their voices heard about the draft of a land management ordinance. Cheers, jeers and tears were all seen or heard during the Edgefield County Planning Commission meeting, in which residents voiced strong opposition to the ordinance. The two-and-a-half hour meeting centered on the land management ordinance, or LMO, that has been drafted by the county with the assistance of a consultant. Back in 2016, (County) Council held a work session and developed where we wanted to be, what were the critical things we needed to be looking at and a high priority item of that was future land management, controlling growth, said Tommy Paradise, Edgefield County administrator. Five years ago the county anticipated growth, and looked at ways to control it, because the majority of the county is unzoned, which means anything goes. Its wide open, Paradise said. The county created a comprehensive plan, adopted in 2019, that shows what future growth should look like. To implement that plan, the land management ordinance will be the regulatory document that the county can use to enforce what goes where building setbacks, uses in zoning districts, etc. Thats what Thursdays meeting centered on: getting input from residents about the proposed ordinance, and what they like and dont like about it. Opposition to the LMO Many residents who spoke during and after the meeting were opposed to any new zoning at all. We dont have zoning here for a reason and thats because we believe in rural freedom, said Megan Pearson on Friday afternoon in an interview with The Star. You know our neighbor working on his broke down lawnmower in his yard way out in the country is not hurting a soul, and if we dont like the way it looks, we either offer to help or we turn and look the other way but you do not use the power of law to force this standard of living on somebody that does not want it, especially out here, she said. Pearson said the zoning benefits people in real estate and developers who want to develop the large parcels of land that are available. They come in and they offer a rural person more money than hes ever seen before for land that they want to use to exploit and to make as much money as possible. I cant blame the landowner when that happens. Money talks. The problem is with them being allowed to do that in the first place, Pearson said. These people out here, we value what we have and if our government wants to ruin the land with high-density housing, at the very least the people who live out here should have the same rights. Dont limit the disadvantaged and restrict the disadvantaged to allow those with more resources to come in and do what they want. Many of the residents who spoke said they moved to Edgefield County for specific reasons to get away from homeowners associations or dense growth or government regulations. We moved here nine years ago, said resident Lisa Whitaker. To this day I dont think I know a soul here. But guess what? Its OK. I wave, I speak, I live in the country. I moved from a housing development outside of Washington The Swamp D.C. with an HOA. With neighbors up my butt and ungodly unhappy. She said the property she purchased has become her home, where she has raised chickens, ducks and goats. This is the wrong way to go, she said of the LMO. Ive already lived through this, I have sat through so many of these meetings for Concord, North Carolina. Thats where Im from. Cause Charlotte was creeping in, we have to keep up with that. Its not worth it. We want to be in the country, we want to be not bothered by the things that are out there, but yall might not have any idea whats out there. You havent been there, its not a happy life. Attorney Dione Carroll spoke at the meeting on behalf of Edgefield County citizens she is representing, at least 19, she said. Anybody who knows me from my practice, I only take clients and causes that I find worthy and interesting, Carroll said after the meeting. I hate a bully and I hate a liar and I hate for people to feel like theyre not being heard and the people that I am working for feel like they havent been heard and that their interests havent and arent being looked out after. Planning Commission and county response, takeaways from meeting Many of the Planning Commission members responded to the residents on Thursday night. Commissioner Rodney Ashcraft said he is going to have to vote against recommending the ordinance, saying it has moved too quickly. All due respect to my fellow commissioners. Love you guys, you guys have been working hard, but look weve got it in our laps but were going to have to look at it and seriously consider it and I think well make a good decision, Ashcraft said, adding he believes there are other commissioners who agreed with him. Commissioner Todd Brown said he too disagrees with the speed at which the LMO has come together but is in favor of zoning. This is not about us versus you, this is us together coming up with what really is good for Edgefield County, Brown said. He pointed to the majority of the county that remains unzoned. He said hes concerned by not placing zoning I know thats like a curse word, OK, he said and said he views zoning as a protection and not some sort of restriction. Paradise said the LMO is needed so Planning Commission and the county staff have something to hang their hat on. Everybody wants to do whatever they want to do on their property, but they want to be able to tell the guy next door what they can and cant do. We hear that all the time when people come against a development. The thing is, if we dont have an ordinance that the Planning Commission can hang their hat on or staff can hang their hat on, that says thats not allowed, well were kind of stuck. We need the tools in our toolbox so that ... various areas of the county are developed in a way that the people that live in those areas want, Paradise said. He said there is misinformation going around on social media chickens, for example. Now, there is a difference when you look at the zoning use table and it says that chickens arent allowed. OK, chicken houses are not allowed in this district, say residential district, that doesnt mean that you can not have chickens there a chicken coop for your use. That means the primary use on that property cant be to raise chickens. If you live there and youre raising chickens in your backyard, the primary use is residential and that would comply, he said. The county will also be taking written comments and other concerns into consideration. Paradise said staff will be going through Thursday nights comments, as well as around 70 written comments that were sent in but werent read aloud on Thursday in order to save time. We know a certain amount of people will be opposed to it, but we also know that as people move into the county, if we dont have the regulations in place, it will just be unbridled. The land management ordinance also includes road standards and that kind of stuff as well, so we really want to get a handle on the regulation part of it so we can have the roads controlled and compatible uses together, he said. He cited the example of an incoming solar farm that was mentioned during the meeting as an example of how the LMO will assist the county in regulating development. Its unzoned," he said of the property where the solar farm sits. "If Im a property owner and I come to the county and I meet all of the countys regulations to put something somewhere, how do you tell me no? Ive met the law. Because the people around me dont like it? Next steps The Planning Commission will be holding a joint meeting with the County Council on Feb. 25, Paradise said. A timeline included in Thursdays presentation has a tentative schedule that includes Planning Commission review being done in March, and County Council holding three readings on the ordinance in April, May and June. The public can submit comments or reach out to the Building and Planning Department with questions. Planner Kevin Singletary can be reached at ksingletary@edgefieldcounty.sc.gov. A draft of the LMO can be found online at edgefieldcounty.sc.gov. I have attached copies of the front and back of a postcard thats over 100 years old, which my wife found with other records passed down from her grandfather, a World War I veteran who passed away in 1973. His name was Earl Albert Brown, and he was living in New Mexico when he joined the U.S. Army, having previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps. We would consider returning this postcard to family members of either the addressee, Miss Lillie Avant, or to a family member of either the sender Don L.S. or his friend in the photo, Horace. We hope you might consider including this information in a future column. Dan Williams, Boerne This is what is known to collectors as a real-photo postcard not taken by professional photographers nor retouched nor chosen to convey a message other than greetings from the sender. Other World War I-era photos were meant to preserve history, so they recorded momentous events, impressive facilities or military units, famous officers in key positions or something else intended to boost morale at home and in the ranks. Its also not an official military portrait, intended to be shared with local newspapers when a service member receives a promotion or a new assignment. The picture on the front of this postcard might have been a snapshot taken by a friend of the two soldiers, then printed from the negative onto card stock printed as this one is with Post Card. Some also had a dividing line between the areas for writing the address and the message, the latter allowed by the U.S. Post Office only since 1907, when Kodak first began printing special postcard paper. Instead of a printed caption, theres a handwritten note under the photo, identifying the men as Don and Horace and the place as SA TX, with a less-legible nod to what may be 204 Ha__ Five. Writing to Miss Lillie Avant of Campbellton in Atascosa County, the sender seems to imply that hes one of the two soldiers pictured on the front of the card: Two rookies Do (you) remember ever seeing them? Taken two weeks before being discharged. Business is rather dull today. Dont have much to do but sit around. Think we will get the phone fixed today. Hope so at least. Best Wishes DLS The postmark shows that it was mailed May 20, 1919, from McCoy, also in Atascosa County. Given the year and that it was probably taken in San Antonio, the message may allude to demobilization doldrums. About six months after the armistice ended World War I, men like Don and Horace were in a holding pattern at Camp Travis, part of Fort Sam Houston that was formerly an induction and training center, repurposed at wars end as a demobilization center for returning troops. What theyre wearing checks out for springtime in South Texas, according to John Manguso, retired former director of the Fort Sam Houston Museum and author of San Antonio in the Great War. The man on the left wears the cotton summer uniform typical for 1912-1921, Manguso said, while the man on the right wears the wool uniform without the coat. Both wear prewar canvas leggings. The red cross in the window behind them might indicate a Red Cross facility. The man on the left looks older, so he might be a Red Cross worker; the man on the right looks like a draft-age male, Manguso noted. Because there were no military installations near McCoy, the card apparently had been saved and mailed after the sender had gone home. From your subsequent research, it appears that DLS was Don Lawrence Stewart, who grew up on a farm in Atascosa County and was living in Jourdanton at the time he filled out his 1917 draft card. After serving in the Transport Corps during the war, he married Lillie Avant. Census records show the couple living in Pearsall in 1930 with her mother, Isabel Avant, and a servant when D.L. Stewart was manager of a general store. Ten years later, he was a bookkeeper, and the couple lived alone in Pleasanton no evidence of children. You discovered that your wifes grandfather was discharged May 23, 1919, at Fort Bliss after serving as a mechanic in the infantry in France and later lived in Harlingen. Did Earl Albert Brown ever serve with Don Lawrence Stewart or Horace? And if so, how did Brown end up with a postcard sent to his buddys sweetheart? Anyone with a connection to the Avant or Stewart families who would like to have the postcard or could explain how it found its way into the effects of another veteran may contact this column. All responses will be forwarded and may be featured in a future column. historycolumn@yahoo.com | Twitter: @sahistorycolumn | Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn The East Coast pride In the U.S. animation industry, Blue Sky was considered an island the lone feature studio on the East Coast. It was a beacon of hope for those of us who were wary of the otherwise inevitable migration to California. This is especially true if youre a native East Coaster (guilty) and/or attended school on the East Coast (guilty again). Because of this, people jokingly referred to Blue Sky as the retirement studio, because it was a place that felt stable enough to lay down roots. The studio managed to navigate varying box-office success without ever having to resort to mass layoffs, making it all the more appealing for people who didnt want to do the common shuffle between many studios. Now, many people will likely have to uproot if they hope to stay in the industry. Animation, like all of film in the U.S., got its start on the East Coast, and we took a certain pride in helping keep that alive. While there are still many smaller studios and branches of larger vfx companies here, this is a historic loss. The studio itself The building Blue Sky occupied when it moved from New York to Greenwich, Connecticut in 2009 was an old canning factory. It doesnt necessarily look like it now, as its been fitted to house the studio as well as a few other unrelated companies. Blue Sky existed primarily on the third floor of the three-story building, and had begun renovations and expansion into part of the second floor just prior to the Disney buyout in 2019. There was an energy at the company then that was thrilling. The studio had recently come under new management, exciting projects were being pitched and developed, and the extensive construction was all the physical proof we needed to feel we were truly, literally, being invested in. The Greenwich studio is located in a quiet area surrounded by trees and open grassy fields. I have fond memories of slacklining at lunch, or attempting to sled and snowboard down the hills in the winter (if there wasnt a snow day). There is a pond just outside the entrance to the grounds; for weeks on end, there would be a single solitary swan in it. The roots in computer graphics history Being one of the early cgi-focused animation studios, Blue Sky was a pioneer by default. Looking at the founders alone, its clear Blue Sky was right there with peers like Pacific Data Images and Pixar, adding to the technology conversation from the 1980s. One of the founders, Eugene Troubetzkoy, was a nuclear physicist who helped pioneer ray-trace rendering. Another, Michael Ferraro, was a programmer who had worked on early vr simulations for the U.S. Navy. A third, the electrical engineer Carl Ludwig, had contributed to tracking systems for the Apollo missions lunar module. Together, these three developed the core of CGI Studio, the proprietary renderer Blue Sky used on every one of its 13 released features. They were joined by three more co-founders. There was Alison Brown, whose background was in marketing, and David Brown (no relation), who came from finance. The sixth co-founder was Chris Wedge, who had worked in both 2d and stop-motion animation before his interest in computers led him to do a masters in computer graphics from Ohio State University. Blue Skys origins are also tied to the history of vfx in film. Wedge had worked on Disneys Tron (1982) at MAGI/Synthavision. His thesis film at OSU, Tubers Two Step (1985), was one of the first cg shorts to utilize squash-and-stretch techniques. When Blue Sky was founded in 1987, it survived for its first decade on advertising and logos. Eventually, it won the Oscar for Wedges short film Bunny in 1999. Bunny included surfaces such as fur, glass, and metal, at a time where standard rendering technology wasnt capable of easily depicting those elements. Ludwig was able to extend his ray tracer in CGI Studio and create radiosity, which allowed for light rays to be tracked from the first surface from the light source, while collecting the reflected light from surfaces that surround those objects, creating shadows and highlights that realistically reflect their surroundings. Soon afterward, 20th Century Fox took a chance and commissioned the fledgling studios first original feature, Ice Age (2002), which Wedge directed. From there, the studio grew and grew. Theres a story I always like sharing: an ad for an electric razor Blue Sky produced in 1992 was so convincing that it was disqualified for awards, because the judges thought it was real and not cgi. As someone who values animation history and film preservation, I worry what will become of the artifacts, both digital and physical, that exist in those halls and servers. The start-up spirit While Blue Sky was a big studio owned by big corporations (first Fox, then Disney) for most of its existence, it largely held onto the feeling of being a start-up. In a good way. There was always a bit of an underdog, can-do attitude with things, which could be frustrating in the moment but ultimately satisfying when a problem was hacked away at until it was solved. Something that stood out for me when I first applied to Blue Sky was how none of their film series really looked alike. Each has a distinct look and feel, with unique animation language from the more realistic and grounded rendering and action of Epic (2013) to the cartoony, fuzzy world of Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Of course, the biggest example of Blue Skys adaptability to distinct styles is The Peanuts Movie (2015), which was and is a technological marvel. And I was so, so excited for the world to see our Nimona soar. The people Some cliches are cliches because they are true, and the notion that people can make or break your place of work is one of them. A studio is its people. And what a talented bunch they were. Im not just talking about the skills they brought to their department, but all of the talents that breathed life into the studio: the musicians, the bakers, the kickballers, the motorcyclists, the rock climbers, the glassblowers, the cheesemakers, the person who would help the security guard with his finances, the hot-dog cart builders, the toy collectors, the photographers, the Super Smash Brothers. Im thinking about the people who made it worth staying late and going in on the weekends and sharing overtime dinner with. Im thinking about the fact that while I didnt know everyones name, I knew every face there, and knew that every one of them would give me a smile or a nod as I passed them. I think of that now, and how the news was broken to everyone remotely, when just the smallest bit of real human connection would make this just the tiniest bit better. To the mavericks of Blue Sky: as you work past this, I take comfort in knowing that it means we will all have that many more familiar faces to see around the world. That creative spirit may be quieted now, but it will flourish again in time. Blue Sky felt like something that would always be there and I know now, more painfully clearly than Id have liked, that it will be, because we helped make each other the people and artists and technicians we are today. We are Blue Sky. Days before Valentines Day, San Franciscos department of public health put out new guidelines on how to have sex as safely as possible during the pandemic. The advice is specific and graphic and, it could be argued, very San Francisco. COVID-19 is spread when we breathe out and is especially spread when a person coughs, sneezes, and even when they sing, the document states. Increased breathing, like with panting, groaning, moaning or shouting, increases what we exhale, and also is believed to increase the risk of spreading COVID-19. Other bits of advice especially important for those getting intimate with others outside their household include: Quicker can be better. As the document states, all sex qualifies as close contact. Its within six feet, and it probably goes on for longer than 15 minutes. But in general, the less time you spend with someone, the better. Try to avoid sucking: Since mucus and saliva can spread the virus, that means that risky activities include licking, tasting, rubbing lips or eyes or face together, or on mouthed or spit-covered toys, or even through letting someone suck on your fingers and then putting them in your own mouth, the document states. More people, more risk: It seems obvious, but the fewer people, the better. Some guidelines and sexual health experts have suggested finding a sex buddy as a way of reducing the risk of getting COVID-19, the document states. Another option, the document says, is making a change only occasionally. For example, you might change or add a new or different partner only once every four weeks, it said. Or you might try moving from mutual masturbation to something physically closer over four weeks, as you learn more about your partner(s) and the risks in other parts of their lives. Embrace dirty thoughts. And clean surfaces: Because sex often means touching the damp, sensitive, mucous-membrane parts of ourselves, the cleaning of surfaces, followed by disinfection, is a best practice measure for prevention. The document also offers guidance for cleaning sex toys (as well as rings, masks and collars) that includes making sure you clean them after they touch one body and before they touch another. It also says: Alcohol-based sanitizer is effective at killing the virus that causes COVID-19 but if you use alcohol-based disinfectants on sex toy you want to wash the toys afterward with soap and water too, or - ouch! - disinfectants can cause stinging and inflammation and should not come into contact with tender genitals! Mask up, sorry about the kissing: Wearing a well-fitting mask that covers the mouth and nose while having sex with other people will further reduce the risk, the document states. Also, being outside is always the gold standard for the few city people who have a backyard but assuming youre indoors, aim for better ventilation. The department also suggests another option: Maybe youd like to watch. Of course, sex with someone outside your household isnt strictly allowed right now. Under California rules for purple tier counties, which include the entire Bay Area, people are allowed to visit non-household members only outdoors, masked, and at six feet distance. That would seem to preclude sex. But perhaps a dose of realism is needed, as Valentines Day approaches. Asked for comment on the document, the San Francisco Department of Public Health noted that it published safer-sex guidance first in 2020, and the safer sex guidance was updated this week to reflect the latest science on COVID-19." Despite the departments efforts, UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandhi said she thought the guidelines specificity may actually cause more confusion than benefit. Its getting into ludicrous territory when you overprescribe like this, she said. I think we have to trust the public with again, knowing about core things ... and let (them) decide for themselves how they will be conducting such personal things such as their sex lives. By this point in the pandemic, she added, most of the public already has PhDs in SARS-COV-2, and should be continually reminded of the simple core messaging: masks, ventilation, and social-distancing. By looking at the guidelines, she said, it would appear San Franciscos Department of Public Health is encouraging people to have sex outside. I dont think thats appropriate, she added. Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievain New Delhi, Feb 13 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Union Budget 2021-2022 has set the pace for India to become 'Aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) as it draws from the experience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. While replying to the discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman mentioned that there were various challenges before the government due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it focussed both on "stimulus plus reforms". "The government turned the pandemic as an opportunity," the Finance Minister said. She said a challenging situation like the pandemic didn't deter the government from taking up reforms that are going to be necessary for sustaining long term growth for the country to boost the economy. Sitharaman's speech marks the end of the first part of the Budget session of Parliament. Replying to the general discussion on the Union Budget which she presented on February 1, Sitharaman said, "Stimulus plus reforms - an opportunity has been taken out of the pandemic situation. A challenging situation like pandemic didn't deter the government from taking up reforms that are going to be necessary for sustaining long term growth for this country." The minister also said that "the Union Budget has set the pace for India to become Aatmanirbhar". She later mentioned that the Budget 2021-22 draws from the experience of the Prime Minister when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat and he had seen so many revivals happening at that time. "This Budget draws from the experience of the PM when he was CM - on the ground in Gujarat, seen so many revivals happening at a time when the licence quota raj was going away post-1991 and then based on that experience, commitment to reform was blended into this Budget," she added. The minister mentioned how from then 'Jan Sangh' to now "we consistently believed in India and its growth". "Respecting Indian entrepreneurial skills, Indian managerial skills, Indian trade skills, Indian business skills, Indian youth, Jan Sangh onwards, BJP has consistently believed in India. We didn't borrow something from somewhere and gave a hybrid," Sitharaman said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The hopes of a dozen activists seeking review of the October 2020 ruling of the Supreme Court, terming the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh "illegal", were dashed to the grounds again, as junking their review plea, the top court said "the right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere". A three-judge bench of Justices S.K. Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari did not budge from the previous ruling. "The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere. There may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged dissent or protest, there cannot be continued occupation of public place affecting rights of others," said the top court, dismissing the review petition filed by Kaniz Fatima and 11 others. The top court also junked their request for an oral hearing of the review petition in open court. "We have considered the earlier judicial pronouncements and recorded our opinion that the Constitutional scheme comes with a right to protest and express dissent but with an obligation to certain duties," said the top court. In the October ruling, the top court had made it crystal clear that a protest was supposed to be held at designated places and the police have rights to remove persons holding protest outside designated places. Making a critical observation, the top court had then said: "The perhaps no longer remained the sole and empowering voice of women, who also appeared to no longer have the ability to call off the protest themselves." The had then said it cannot accept that an indeterminable number of people can assemble whenever they choose to protest, and cited the distinction between the manner of dissent against the colonizers and the expression of dissent in a democratic system. The top court had stressed that India traces its foundation back to when the seeds of protest during our freedom struggle were sown deep, to eventually flower into a democracy. "What must be kept in mind, however, is that the erstwhile mode and manner of dissent against colonial rule cannot be equated with dissent in a self-ruled democracy," said the top court in October ruling. The protest began on December 15, 2019 and ended only after a lockdown imposed by the Centre on March 24 last year in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. The protest blocked the road and led to traffic snarls at Shaheen Bagh, which was cited by Amit Sahni, a resident of Delhi, who filed a PIL before the top court, resulting in the October 7 verdict. In the review petition, the petitioners had contended, "Prima facie the order under review appears to be giving way to an unrestricted sanction to the police to take action by misusing these observations." The petitioners argued that such observations may prove to be a license in the hands of the police to commit atrocities on legitimate voice of protest, especially protesters coming from vulnerable sections of the social strata. Dismissing the review, the top court said it has perused the "Review Petition and record of the Civil Appeal and are convinced that the order of which review has been sought, does not suffer from any error apparent warranting its reconsideration." --IANS ss/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GEORGETOWN COUNTY Following a hack of Georgetown County's digital systems during the weekend of Jan. 23, county public information officer Jackie Broach said the county is slowly rebuilding its system from scratch, as it did not pay a ransom demanded by the attacker. Because the investigation remains active, Broach said the ransom amount and location of the attack cannot be revealed, but they are being investigated by a hired security team. The reopening of emails and other government systems will happen in phases, Broach said, with the most important departments and most frequently used emails coming first. "We plan to do another 100 (emails) and just kind of go from there, so it may take a few weeks to get them all back up, but this was a really good start for us," Broach said. "We're starting with the most important departments, so finance will probably go back up first, and then we'll kind of go in phases from there." Phone lines in all departments still work, Broach said, so a phone call is still the most reliable way to reach someone or a department, though emails will slowly be coming back up into the weekend. "Depending on what you're after, most of the emails that people would normally use should be coming up either today or in the next couple of days," Broach said. Downing Street has denied the government is planning a new carbon tax which could force up the price of staples like meat and cheese as well as gas heating. Speculation over the levy was sparked by a leaked Whitehall memo revealing that Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak had written to all departments asking for suggestions on how some form of carbon pricing could be introduced sector-by-sector across the economy over the next decade. And No 10 and the Treasury did nothing to quash the idea on Thursday, refusing to comment on the issue ahead of Mr Sunaks 3 March Budget. An apparently well-source article in The Times suggested that proposals being drawn up to help the UK meet Mr Johnsons pledge of net-zero emissions by 2050 could include a direct tax on the most carbon-intensive services, such as meat and cheese production, or a shift in climate change levies from electricity to gas. After reports that the tax could send prices of meat products soaring, a senior No 10 official today said: This is categorically not going to happen. We will not be imposing a meat tax on the great British banger or anything else. Proposals are being drawn up for a carbon reduction blueprint to be unveiled ahead of the UN COP26 climate change summit being hosted by the UK in Glasgow in November. Last years Energy White Paper set out plans for a national carbon trading scheme which ministers describe as the foundation on which the UK achieves net-zero emissions cost effectively. A cap on carbon emissions would initially continue to be applied only to energy-intensive industries such as electricity generation and aviation, but would then be expanded across the economy to encourage reductions in greenhouse gas production, the paper said. ADVERTISEMENT Nigerians on social media have attacked the police for denying #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters arrested at the Lekki Tollgate on Saturday access to lawyers. Some youth in the early hours of Saturday arrived at the Lekki Toll Plaza to protest against the directive of the Lagos State Judicial Panel for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to reopen the tollgate where soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters on October 20, 2020. More than 20 youth were arrested and whisked away in a Black Maria. Pictures and videos trending on social media show how the protesters were brutalised by police operatives, who did not mind that they were being filmed by journalists. Already, the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International have called for the release of protesters. However, Citizens Gavel (also known as Tech for Justice or Gavel), a civic tech organisation aimed at improving the pace of justice delivery through the use of technology, wrote on Twitter that, lawyers have been denied access to the protesters at Panti. Our lawyers have been refused access to protesters detained at Panti. The protesters have been alleged to be in possession of charms. Their statements are being taken at the moment and we have been informed by the police officer that directive from the CP is awaited, the firm wrote. Our lawyers have been refused access to protesters detained at Panti. The protesters have been alleged to be in possession of charms. Their statements are being taken at the moment and we have been informed by the police officer that directive from the CP is awaited. #Tech4Justice (@citizen_gavel) February 13, 2021 A rights activist, Rinu Oduala, also said: they (police) are not letting lawyers see the arrested protesters. The Police said they have direct orders from the Lagos State Governor to arrest protesters & known frontliners of the #EndSARS protests & will soon move them to Ikeja. Jide SanwoOlu, are these forces beyond your control?. They are not letting lawyers see the arrested protesters. The Police said they have direct orders from the Lagos State Governor to arrest protesters & known frontliners of the #EndSARS protests & will soon move them to Ikeja. Jide SanwoOlu, are these forces beyond your control? Rinu #EndSARS (@SavvyRinu) February 13, 2021 Ms Oduala, a member of the Lagos #EndSARS judicial panel announced on Friday that she was stepping down from the panel, over allegations of injustice. The Lagos police public relations officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report. He did not answer his calls and he is yet to reply text a message. It is a police affair. The police is there to protect the citizens and they have their rules of engagement. It has gone nothing to do with us, Gboyega Akosile, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu, said on the phone when reached for comments. The bereaved of the Stardust are writing pen pictures of their dead. Simple descriptions of the loved ones lost, the words will tell of the lives they led, the things they held dear and the futures they planned. The details are so carefully treasured by the families left behind that it ought to be no problem to put them on paper. But to reveal the person, they have to strip away 40 years of pain and struggle that lie thickly layered upon their precious memories, and that is not so easy. They will do it, though, because the pen pictures are for the inquests into their loved ones deaths and, in all the formalities to come, they want to keep the victims front and centre. Its to remind everyone what this is all for, says Antoinette Keegan of the Stardust Victims Committee, who has two portraits to write: for her sisters Mary and Martina. The fight to keep the dead to the fore began almost immediately. There were numbered body bags, closed coffins and burials of incomplete remains, bodies missing limbs that the families believed a more careful search of the debris would have found. There were joint funerals with identical caskets when bodies could not be separately identified. The final five were given their names only in 2007 after pleas to government for exhumation and DNA tests. A tribunal of inquiry was established with exceptional speed, appointed and given terms of reference within six days of the fire, its first witness appearing just six weeks later, its final sitting in November that same year. Many of the 214 treated for injuries were still in hospital or recovering at home and never got to give evidence. Then came the inquests the following March, 48 crammed into four days, the briefest of evidence given, the most cursory of examinations pursued. Verdicts were in accordance with the medical evidence. Death was due to smoke inhalation and burns, end of story. None of the powers a coroners court has to establish all the circumstances and contributory factors in a death were used. Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Ronan Keane delivered his report two months later. He had heard copious evidence of fire safety breaches and mismanagement by the clubs owners, and of shortcomings in worksmanship in the building, its fixtures and electrics. Expand Close Stardust tribunal of inquiry chairman Justice Ronan Keane / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stardust tribunal of inquiry chairman Justice Ronan Keane He said that the cause of the fire was not known and might never be known and then, despite acknowledging that there was no evidence that the fire was started deliberately, he concluded that the probable explanation of the fire is that it was started deliberately. How it was done and by whom was a matter of conjecture, he said, but then proceeded to say it was probably caused by someone setting fire to a seat and he concluded that some sinister motive was behind the reckless criminal enterprise. His conclusions convulsed the mourning communities, but their torment was only to deepen. The following year, the owners of the Stardust, the Butterly family, sued the State as victims of a criminal enterprise and received the equivalent of 730,000. Antoinettes father, John Keegan, saw the premises being rebuilt and almost lost his mind. He assaulted Eamon Butterly, who had managed the Stardust, and was ordered in court to pay him almost 2,000. He was to be the only person ever prosecuted in relation to the Stardust. Outraged, families decided to sue the Butterlys and the State. Under pressure to avoid fighting distraught families in court, the government set up a compensation tribunal. Awards totalling 13m were made, a large sum in 1986, but it was shared among 823 people, with most claimants receiving a few thousand. Loss of a child was valued at 7,500 equivalent to less than 10,000. Antoinettes mother, Christine, who died last summer, received compensation for nervous shock. Her father, John, received nothing. On principle, he took judicial review proceedings, ended up in the Supreme Court and lost. He died the day the judgment came out, a previously healthy man ravaged by cancer. The three-man tribunal panel wrote of their concern about the medical and psychological neglect of the injured, the bereaved and the traumatised, and recommended supports be put in place for them. That did not happen. In 2003, a volunteer researcher who took an interest in the families story began reviewing the Keane report and the sparse paperwork publicly available. The tribunal had used incorrect drawings of Stardusts layout, missed key witnesses and failed to piece together important evidence. Everything began pointing towards the fire starting in the roof space, full of highly flammable cleaning and cooking liquids and overloaded electrical connections. A vital 999 call, made from outside the premises, reported flames on the roof before any of the frantic calls were made from inside. The call, the caller and other witnesses outside, were not considered by the tribunal. In 2007, the government appointed senior counsel Paul Coffey to review the case. In early 2009, he reported that Justice Keanes probable arson conclusion was wrong and should be removed from public record. It was vindication for the families but was marred by Coffeys conclusion that the cause of the fire would probably never be known. An earlier version of his report had said the families could have a case for a new inquiry. They pushed on. In 2017, retired Judge Pat McCartan was appointed to assess their case. His report was critical of the families disorganised and unprofessional dossier and he said their claim was unwarranted. Undaunted, the Stardust committee went to the attorney general, who has powers under the Coroners Act to order an inquest reopened. Seamus Wolfe considered their case for the best part of a year, and then, in September 2019, agreed with them. The inquests should have started by now but Covid delayed proceedings. It will be very tough on the families, Antoinette says. The medical reports and what that fire did to our loved ones will be hard to hear. But what was done for 40 years afterwards was as bad and thats what we have to fix. Were getting the truth for them this time. CASTEL ROMANO, Italy - If all goes according to plan, a small biotech company outside Rome will soon be cranking out millions of coronavirus vaccine doses a month. The company has finished an initial, small-scale trial. It has financial backing from the Italian government. It has an underground production facility so new it smells of fresh paint. Nothing stands in ReiThera's way except the bedeviling logistics of turning science into medicine. Some of the pitfalls of that process have already shown up in the uneven and slower-than-expected global vaccine rollout. Even in places like Europe that on paper had secured multiple doses for every person, production shortfalls - and questions about AstraZeneca's efficacy for the elderly - have caused a panicked realization that the first wave of presumed solutions might not be enough. But for vaccine manufacturers hoping to plug the gap, the path is at least as tricky as it was for the first-comers. Like its forerunners, ReiThera faces the challenge of quickly scaling up production. But it also faces a series of more novel obstacles, related to this particular point in the pandemic, when larger pharmaceutical companies have claimed dibs on crucial supplies and the existence of effective vaccines raises ethical questions about testing new ones. For now, even as Italian politicians speak hopefully about having a domestically made vaccine by September, ReiThera acknowledges it is still trying to navigate long waiting lists for several basic components. "There is a competition between the producers for the critical material," said Stefano Colloca, the company's chief technology officer. The hurdles are big enough that some Italian scientists say it makes more sense to expand production of already proven vaccines rather than investing resources to develop new ones. That idea got a high-profile boost last month when the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, which had struggled in its own vaccine attempt, said it would instead produce 100 million doses of the vaccine made by its competitor, Pfizer. Other scientists, though, argue that in the long run it makes more sense to have many vaccines rather than many doses of a few. The variety is crucial, they say, because it's still far from clear which vaccines will respond well to new variants and which might afford longer protection or block transmission. Some vaccines might outdo others in safeguarding particular demographic groups. "It's a real palette. You have to think about it as an artist's palette to paint this picture, and this picture is stopping the virus," said Paul Duprex, director of the Center for Vaccine Research at the University of Pittsburgh. "That is why we need to have backups of backups of backups." The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the first two approved in Europe, use a new technology called mRNA and have proved dazzlingly effective. But that technology makes them more expensive - and more difficult to store - than so-called vector vaccines, which include AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and ReiThera. ReiThera executives say that if their vaccine falls short of expectations, they would in theory be able to produce AstraZeneca's vaccine. But they call that a "Plan B." "We are still thinking that ours could be better," Colloca said. The company has a long list of issues to sort out first, however. It says it needs to hire and train 40 more people - a 35% expansion of its workforce. In November, it bought a 500-gallon vessel known as a bioreactor, which enables the chemical process for vaccine-making. But Colloca said there is now a months-long wait for even the single-use bags, holding a starter-kit of vaccine liquid, that are inserted into the vessel. "We have some stockpiled," Colloca said. "But not enough." ReiThera is even concerned about obtaining glass vials. Fearing a shortage, the company has searched for alternatives and is considering using a medical-grade pouch similar to an IV bag. Then there's the matter of ramping up production - and the possibility that manufacturing hiccups could cause shortfalls and delivery delays, as happened with AstraZeneca. Colloca said that companies like his could learn from others' struggles "only to an extent." "It's not like AstraZeneca has said, 'Here were our problems,' " Colloca said. "I can imagine. But I don't know. They were not prepared to scale up. Most of the challenge is in scaling up." Italy's government recently threw its support behind ReiThera's venture, injecting 81 million euros into the company. Domenico Arcuri, who is both the commissioner leading Italy's coronavirus response and the CEO of the Italian government investment arm, called ReiThera an "integral part of the Italian vaccination strategy and campaign." In a written statement to The Washington Post, Arcuri said he hoped doses could be available to the public "by the summer." In addition to supplying Italy - which is now getting doses from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca - ReiThera says it has also received inquiries from countries in South America and Eastern Europe. In those regions, a European-made vaccine would represent an alternative to options from Russia and China, which have targeted poorer countries, in part as a way to win influence and goodwill. If there is enough interest from abroad, ReiThera says, it plans to collaborate with a Belgium-based commercial facility, Univercells, to expand production. ReiThera's vaccine candidate is one of 63 around the world in the midst of clinical trials, according to the World Health Organization. Before the pandemic, ReiThera was what Colloca called a "solid small company." It was just a few years old, but its top scientists had years of experience making vaccines against emerging diseases, typically using modified adenoviruses from great apes. The company said the results of its Phase 1 trial, completed this month, were encouraging: The vaccine appeared safe for both young and old, and it stimulated antibodies in more than 90% of volunteers. Still, scientists caution that there are many kinds of antibodies, some that might powerfully fight the coronavirus and others that might not, and a Phase 1 trial does not provide enough information. In normal situations, a company would eventually subject its candidate to a large-scale trial in which some volunteers would receive the vaccine and others would be given a placebo. But many medical experts say it is becoming murky whether a company can ethically inject people, especially the elderly, with nothing more than saline when efficacious vaccines are already available. Antonella Folgori, ReiThera's CEO, said there's no doubt that placebo trials are the best way to test a vaccine but that she's not sure ReiThera will be able to conduct one. She says she has obsessively been joining webinars, talking to others in the field, looking for signals on what governments are thinking. So far, Europe's medical body has offered no rules. There are conceivable alternatives, including the possibility of giving ReiThera's vaccine to all volunteers, then comparing their antibody response to responses triggered by other, already-proven vaccines. But that comparison cannot be done based on the current level of scientific knowledge; more research must be done to determine which kind of immune response correlates with protection. That could be at least several months away, Folgori said, calling it a "fluid situation." "There's still a chance that it doesn't work out as we hope," Colloca said. But, he said, "you cannot start this project if you're not an optimist." The Telegraph The partner of Lord Ashcroft's son is in custody after a police officer was shot in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Andrew Ashcroft, whose father is Lord Ashcroft the former deputy chairman of the Conservative party was detained after police say she was found near where superintendent Henry Jemmott's body was discovered on Friday. Mr Jemmott, a father of five, was found floating in the sea next to a pier off the eastern coast of Belize after being shot. Investigators said his police-issued firearm was found on the pier. Police say the pair were alone together before he died. However, Marie Jemmott Tzul, the officers sister, told The Telegraph they were not having an affair. "There was no romantic relationship at all," she said. Mr Jemmotts family claimed that the post-mortem examination had ruled out an accident or suicide. But the police have not confirmed this claim and the results of the inquest are due to be released on Monday. "Disengagement at the LAC is not happening as per China's 1959 claim. It is absolutely incorrect and untrue that India has given in to China's claim on LAC," former Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), told IANS. New Delhi: The Line of Actual Control (LAC) demarcated by India and China has had many claims and counterclaims in the past, but the latest disengagement is not happening as per the Chinese claims made to India in 1959. He said that India wanted a status quo ante that implies what was the location, position and deployment as of April 2020, just before the Chinese forward deployment started in May 2020. "As per that, the Chinese position has been at the east of Finger 8, a place called Sirijap on the north bank of the Pangong Lake. Our location had been a place called Dhan Singh Thapa. That was the position in April 2020, which has been a traditional position for the last many years," he said. Talking about China's 1959 claim, Bhatia said that it is based on too many interpretations and perceptions. "The disengagement is taking place from the friction points which are the most sensitive on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake," said the former DGMO, adding that these are the friction points where tanks, infantry combat vehicles and infantry soldiers get face-to-face in very close proximity. "These frictional points have the probability of clashes. That is what has been addressed. First, the most sensitive area on the south bank of Pangong Lake. The disengagement process has started from there and subsequently it will be taken up in the other sectors," he said. Bhatia said that it is going to be a long and tedious process, which won't be an easy doing. "These are high altitude areas and it will take time. They (China) will be vacating the constructions they have done, move bunkers and habitants from Finger 5 and Finger 6," he said. "So India's aim was the position of status quo ante and it has been achieved. Now to say that the position was of 1959 and we have de facto accepted it is an absolutely incorrect statement to make," he said. Talking about the way forward to resolve the issue, Bhatia said that first there should be disengagement from all the friction points and thereafter there will be de-escalation and then de-induction. "Thereafter, reinforce your agreement which was there for four-and-a-half decades. Of course, they have been violated and we are now caught in lack of trust," he said. Bhatia added that India should now start building capabilities and capacities, enhance reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities, enhance quick reaction capabilities so that there is no pre-empt move in the future. The retired officer said that the first step is always to resolve the crisis and then take things forward step by step, adding that talks to resolve the border issues should continue. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. They call it enclave court. Its where you go for low-level offenses like speeding, traffic violations or DWI, when they have been committed in a federal enclave like the Gateway National Recreation area. And thats where Bruce Springsteen will have his day in court. The case against the 71-year-old rocker from Freehold who was charged in November by a park ranger at Sandy Hook with driving while intoxicated will be heard before a magistrate judge on Feb. 24, officials say, in a setting little different from night traffic court. It is essentially municipal court in the federal courthouse, explained defense attorney Lee Vartan of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi in West Orange. Federal properties like Gateway or Fort Dix have jurisdiction over state offenses that occur in their areas. While adjudicated through the federal courts, the kind of cases heard in enclave court are typically traffic offenses, possession of small amounts of marijuana, DWI and at Sandy Hook, often public lewdness on the beaches there. A former federal prosecutor who had a brief stint handling enclave court prosecutions early in his career as an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey, Vartan said enclave court, which typically meets once a month in Newark, hears a hodgepodge of complaints. Sometimes folks are represented. Most often they are not, he said. Your job is to resolve the ticket. The type of cases that are heard can border on the absurd, observed John Farmer Jr., the states former Attorney General who as a federal prosecutor also handled matters in enclave court involving Sandy Hook, Fort Monmouth and Fort Dix. One indecent exposure case I recall involved a guy in mid-winter masturbating in the sand dunes, he said. With COVID-19 shutting down in-person court appearances, the matter involving Springsteen will be held virtually through a Zoom call, according to federal officials, before Magistrate Judge Anthony R. Mautone, an attorney and former First Assistant Prosecutor of Essex County who serves in his role presiding over enclave court cases in New Jersey part-time. Springsteen is being represented by a well-known criminal defense attorney, Mitchell Ansell of Ansell Grimm & Aaron in Ocean, who did not respond to requests for comment. But attorney Brian Neary of Hackensack, who has represented clients in enclave court in the past, expects there will be a not-guilty plea and a challenge to any sobriety test. Neary said if Springsteens blood-alcohol level is as low as has been reported, he expects the case will be dismissed. At the same time, he pointed out that field sobriety tests are not reliable for people over 70. Hes too old for them to be reliable, said the attorney. According to a statement of probable cause filed with the court earlier this week in the months-old case, a park ranger charged Springsteen in November after he was observed visibly swaying back and forth, with glassy eyes, and smelling strongly of alcohol after the officer said he saw him down a shot of Patron tequila. That report said Springsteen also refused to provide a sample on the preliminary breath test, although the Asbury Park Press, citing unnamed sources said the musician later was found to have a blood-alcohol level far below the state limit. The New York Post published a report based on a music industry source that Springsteen was ticketed after taking a shot with fans while he sat on his Triumph motorcycle at Sandy Hook. Attorney Gerald Krovatin of Krovatin|Nau in Newark, who has not seen any of the documents in the case other than what has been filed publicly with the court, suggested that the complaint and probable cause report itself sounded like a compilation of every DWI cliche Ive ever read. He added that the other charges also could be questionable. The officer approaches him before he starts to drive. So how does he prove a reckless driving charge? Krovatin asked. If I were representing him, I would contest the whole thing. EDITORS NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that breathalyzer tests are affected by age. Field sobriety tests are not reliable for those over 70. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. ASHFORD Multiple buildings were left in ruins Friday evening after a massive fire at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp off Ashford Center Road. State police responded around 5:17 p.m. after a structure fire was reported at the camp, according to to the camp for a reported Connecticut State Police spokesman Trooper Josue Dorelus. The camp, which draws its name from the real life gang depicted in the iconic 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, was founded by actor and Connecticut resident Paul Newman in 1988. The organization serves children with severe illnesses. No injuries were reported, state police and a spokesman for the organization said, but the fire destroyed several buildings in the camp. We are saddened to share that there was a fire at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp this evening. We are extremely grateful that it appears nobody was injured, but can confirm that our Arts & Crafts, Woodshop, Cooking Zone and Camp Store buildings were all destroyed, said Ryan Thompson, a spokesman for the organization. Photos and video posted to social media showed several buildings completely engulfed in flames or collapsed. A massive column of smoke could be seen rising into the air. Thompson thanked the quick response of local fire departments and state police. Although the cause of the fire is unknown at this time, what is known is that The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a community devoted to hope and healing. We will get through this in the way that we always have and always will as a family, Thompson said. Dorelus said the agencys Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit has been called in to assist local fire marshals in the investigation of the blaze. Detectives of FEIU will be working to determine the cause and origin of the fire, he said. Pennsylvanias Republican senator, a Lehigh County resident, went against Saturdays mostly party-line vote in voting guilty in former Republican President Donald Trumps second Senate impeachment trial. The vote by U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., was largely symbolic, having come after Republicans cast enough not guilty votes to acquit Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol as Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College victory of President Joe Biden. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. The final tally was 57-43. Toomey said he came into the trial without his mind made up and listened to the evidence presented. After the former presidents legal attempts to overturn the results of the election failed, as did outreach to state officials, Trump summoned thousands of his followers to Washington, D.C., in an effort to disrupt Congress duties under the Constitution, Toomey said. He did all this to hold on to power despite having legitimately lost, Toomey told reporters in a conference call shortly after Saturdays vote. As a result of President Trumps actions for the first time in American history the transfer of presidential power was not peaceful. Toomey, re-elected in 2016 to a second six-year term, announced last Oct. 5 he would not seek re-election. He has been critical of the efforts to overturn Pennsylvanias vote for Biden, and called on Trump on Nov. 21 to begin the transition to the new administration. Moments before Trump-supporting protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Toomey told the Senate to reject a presidential election challenge posed by some of his fellow Republicans. Toomey said he expects some backlash from Pennsylvanians deeply divided between support for and condemnation of the former president. Toomey acknowledged his vote for Trump last November and said the presidents term included some terrific successes. Those things can be true and it can also be true that his behavior after the election became completely unacceptable, Toomey said. As expected, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., voted to convict the former president, calling Trumps defense in the Senate chamber this week not all that persuasive. Theyre trying to do everything they can to change the subject from the presidents conduct leading up to January the 6th, his conduct before the violent attack on the Capitol and his conduct during the siege and afterwards where he did nothing to protect the people who were threatened, including his own vice president, Casey said in a message posted Saturday to social media. As we enter the final stages of the trial, my thoughts on the defenses argument, fight song, and the most chilling evidence Ive seen: pic.twitter.com/Yf06qKcl2x Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) February 13, 2021 Trump, unrepentant, welcomed his second impeachment acquittal and said his movement has only just begun. He slammed the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Insperity, Inc. (NYSE: NSP). Throughout the first half of 2019, the Company reported financial results significantly higher year-over-year and raising its guidance to shareholders. However, the Company subsequently reported repeated downgrades to its financial forecasts as well as disclosing that large medical claims had impacted the Company by significantly increasing operational costs. Finally, on February 11, 2020, the Company reported its financial results again downgrading guidance, that large medical claims had again impacted the Company, as well as disclosing that it had restructured its contract with UnitedHealthcare to no longer have financial responsibility for any medical claims over $1 million. Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws, which remain ongoing. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Insperity's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Insperity's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Insperity shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-nsp/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday outlined several steps to improve the states coronavirus vaccine rollout, including ordering providers to administer at least 80% of their first doses within seven days of receiving them and sharply cutting the number of providers to get more shots to those able to quickly inoculate the most people. All vaccine providers will also be required to let patients make appointments over the phone and schedule second shots when providing the first, according to orders signed by Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam and Gov. Tom Wolf. The orders aim to address widely reported problems with the rollout such as a lack of phone scheduling, the limited doses being spread too thinly among many providers, and the pace of distribution that Beam, Wolf, and health department spokespeople have declined to specifically address the last few weeks. State lawmakers and county officials have pushed the health department for more answers in recent days. Beam on Friday acknowledged that people were frustrated with the vaccine process in Pennsylvania, which has the commonwealth ranking low for the percentage of people vaccinated compared to other states. Pennsylvanians demand better of us. And we will do better, she said. Todays action is really a plan for communicating how we are going to adjust our strategy and pivot at the critical time in this crisis. As of Friday, 66% of the 2.6 million total doses sent to Pennsylvania had been administered. Of its first doses, 80% had been given out by hospitals, pharmacies, counties, and other providers. New Jersey had administered 70% of its nearly 1.8 million shots, including 84% of first doses. Other states, including New Jersey, have set up mass vaccination clinics, centralized registration systems, or are vaccinating the population faster, although Pennsylvania ranks high in the number of people who have gotten a shot, according to a Washington Post tracker. New Jersey, which is already running six mass clinics, will next week launch the first of 10 vaccination sites at churches and community centers, state health officials said Friday. As CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies in the state received doses from the federal government, appointments there filled instantly. The number of new coronavirus cases in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey remained steady Friday. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy lifted restrictions on youth sporting events, allowing two parents or guardians per player to attend practice and competitions. READ MORE: Pa. counties are blaming cumbersome state-provided software for vaccine registration problems Pennsylvania said it would temporarily cut the number of doses to vaccine providers who flout the states rules, including those who do not report patient data to the state within 24 hours or vaccinate people who arent yet eligible for the shot. Providers could also be suspended. But the state will not hold back second doses from any providers as a penalty and can guarantee second doses for everyone who needs one. Beam said the plan to cut back on the number of vaccine providers from 1,700 to between 200 and 300 would take time to implement. She did not specify exactly how the state would whittle the list or whether the move would take smaller pharmacies out of the distribution process. And Beam said the state was not pursuing other fixes that have been requested by counties or residents, such as providing a better appointment scheduling system or increasing the vaccine allotment for counties running their own mass clinics, though she noted the process was evolving and ever improving. Counties will still be competing with independent pharmacies for doses, and theres still an equity issue for the people whove signed up with the county when the pharmacies arent required to go by any sort of list, said State Sen. Maria Collett (D., Bucks and Montgomery), who was among a group of Senate Democrats who outlined questions and concerns about vaccine distribution in a letter sent Friday to Beam. Legislators from Chester County asked Beam in their own letter this week to increase the supply to that county, which they said has mass vaccination sites at the ready to serve all geographic areas of our community but has not received the necessary supply to execute these plans. Some have also suggested a centralized registration system would improve the process, which currently requires eligible people to call multiple facilities and constantly refresh websites. Beam again said the state would not create one, saying that vaccine providers she didnt say which ones have told the state they prefer using their own systems. The state does plan to open mass clinics after vaccine supply increases. READ MORE: A debate in the Philly suburbs on bringing more students back to classrooms is as political as the presidential election Pennsylvania also will not move teachers to the 1A vaccination group those currently eligible for shots despite a request from Pennsylvanias largest teachers union and another one Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying it would strongly encourage states to prioritize teachers and other school staff. Teachers remain in the next eligible group, dubbed 1B, where the original federal guidance placed educators. The commonwealth has not provided a timeline for when people in 1B, which includes most frontline essential workers, can register for shots. Still, health officials believe Pennsylvania will be able to open vaccinations to the general public by the summer, Beam said, citing the Biden administrations new estimate that it will have enough supply to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of July. We are working to get as much vaccine as we can into the arms of Pennsylvanians, she said, and we will continue to do more. Staff writers Allison Steele and Maddie Hanna and graphics editor John Duchneskie contributed to this article. . The Taliban on Saturday warned NATO against seeking a "continuation of war," as the alliance weighs a planned withdrawal from Afghanistan Defence ministers from the Washington-backed allies are to meet next week to discuss whether NATO's 10,000-strong mission -- mostly carrying out support roles -- should stay or go, as Taliban violence rages. "Our message to the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting is that the continuation of occupation and war is neither in your interest nor in the interest of your and our people," the Taliban said in a statement. "Anyone seeking extension of wars and occupation will be held liable for it just like the previous two decades." Former US president Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban last year under which the United States agreed foreign troops would leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in return for conditions including cutting ties with Al-Qaeda and opening peace talks with the Kabul government. President Joe Biden's administration has said it would review the deal, with the Pentagon accusing the Afghan insurgent group of not meeting its commitment to reduce violence. The Taliban in turn have accused the US of breaching the agreement and insisted they will continue their "fight and jihad" if foreign troops do not leave by May. In his final days in office, Trump unilaterally reduced US forces in Afghanistan to just 2,500 -- the lowest since the start of the war in 2001. Germany, meanwhile, said Saturday that it wants to extend its military presence in Afghanistan, where it has the second largest contingent after the United States. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the Funke media group that peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban "will not be concluded before the end of March," when Germany's annual mandate is due to expire, meaning Germany would have to prepare for "different scenarios." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly insisted that members of the alliance must decide "together" on the future of their mission. He has said he hopes Biden will coordinate more closely with allies. "If we decide to leave, we risk to jeopardise the peace process, we risk to lose the gains we have made in the fight against international terrorism over the last years," the NATO chief said earlier this month. "If we decide to stay we risk to continue to be in a difficult military operation in Afghanistan and we risk increased violence also against NATO troops." The Taliban on Saturday said the group was "seriously committed" to the US deal, claiming it had "significantly decreased the level of operations." Insurgents have launched a string of offensives threatening at least two strategic provincial capitals in southern Afghanistan in recent months. The US and the Afghan government have blamed them for a wave of deadly attacks on journalists, politicians, judges and activists. The warring sides launched peace talks in September, but progress has been slow and overshadowed by the violence. Short link: Republic Day violence: Delhi Police takes Deep Sidhu to Red Fort to recreate vandalism scene India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Feb 13: The Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Saturday took actor-activist Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh to Red Fort to recreate the scene of events that unfolded at the historic monument on Republic Day during the farmer's tractor parade, a police officer said. Sidhu, according to police, was a "prominent player" behind the January 26 violence and vandalism at the Red Fort. He was arrested from Karnal bypass in Haryana on Monday night by a team of Delhi Police's Special Cell. Rahul Gandhi becoming 'doomsday man' for India: Nirmala Sitharaman On Tuesday, Sidhu was sent to seven-day police custody by a city court here A senior police officer said Sidhu and another accused arrested in the case Iqbal Singh were taken to the Red Fort by a crime branch team to recreate the scene of events that unfolded on Republic Day at the monument. The team probing the case will inspect the spot to ascertain and corroborate the route taken by them, their activities at the Red Fort and how things unfolded at the monument on Republic Day when the violence broke out, the officer added. Amit Shah-led high level committee approves more than Rs 3,000 crore for 5 states as disaster relief Iqbal Singh, who was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, was nabbed from Hoshiarpur in Punjab on Tuesday night by the northern range of Delhi Police's Special Cell. The Delhi police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information that can lead to the arrest of actor Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh who hoisted flags at the Red Fort or were involved in the act. A cash reward of Rs 50,000 each was also announced for Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jajbir Singh and Iqbal Singh for allegedly instigating protesters. Farmers' Protest: Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi and his govt, says he will stand in support of farmers Of them, Sidhu, Iqbal Singh and Sukhdev Singh have been arrested. Police said raids are being conducted to nab the other accused. Thousands of farmers protesting the Centre's new agriculture laws had clashed with the police during their tractor parade on January 26. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument. Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and a flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled on Independence Day. Over 500 police personnel were injured and one protestor died on that day. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 14:49 [IST] Antifa Activists Smash Windows, Chuck Snowballs at Police in Portland Purported Antifa activists late Friday smashed windows and hurled snowballs at police officers after gathering downtown. Some 30 to 50 people gathered at Director Park around 8 p.m. before marching to the Portland Police Bureaus Central Precinct, the bureau said in an incident summary. After arriving, the group began throwing objects and yelling at officers. When police went outside to move their cars in an effort to prevent them from being damaged, the officers were pelted with icy snowballs by participants, the bureau said. Video footage captured by reporters on the ground showed the crowd initially throw snowballs at police cruisers as they drove around before hitting officers on foot. The crowd chanted, Quit your job! According to reports, the crowd consisted, at least in part, of members of the far-left, anarcho-communist Antifa network. The network is vehemently against the police, frequently calling for the abolishment of police departments and jails. The crowd was shown shouting at the officers as they retreated back inside the building. Police tried de-escalating the situation by attempting to remain out of sight as much as possible, the bureau said, but officers were forced to monitor in case the group became more violent or caused damage to city property. While officers were occupied with that, there were calls stacking up in the precinct, including numerous calls for welfare checks on houseless community members who were exposed to the frigid weather. Among other duties, officers were facilitating getting those individuals to warming shelters if they wished, it said. A medical clinics windows were smashed in Portland, Ore., on Feb. 12, 2021. (Portland Police Bureau) The hostile group soon surrounded police cars approaching the station and blocked traffic. Later in the night, the crowd moved away from the station and went on a short march. They smashed windows at a medical clinic and a Starbucks and sprayed graffiti on a Nordstrom. The graffiti read, ACAB Includes Joe + Kamala. ACAB is a common Antifa slogan that stands for all cops are [expletive]. The group is opposed to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The situation unfolded as the PNW Youth Liberation Front, an Antifa-affiliated group that helps organize actions in Portland, shared posts on Twitter calling for an insurrection. One post denigrated another that had labeled protests as good and insurrections as bad. The crowd dissipated by 11:30 p.m. No arrests were made and no injuries were reported. Anyone with information about the suspects who vandalized the businesses and harassed officers were asked to email the bureau. 1. Paul Mescals GAA shorts What do you think of when you hear the term sex symbol? Marilyn Monroe in her flying skirt? Bo Derek running along the beach? How about a pale-legged Irishman wearing GAA shorts? Last year, Paul Mescal emerged as a heart-throb when he starred as Connell in Normal People. Blame it on the pandemic or blame it on the lack of human contact, but the sight of the Kildare actor in his humble ONeills set hearts racing and prompted thirsty tweets like, Paul Mescals shorts aka the star of all my sexual daydreams. 2. Alan Shatters sexy romance novel Forget Lady Chatterleys Lover or Fifty Shades of Grey, neither are a patch on Laura, the steamy romance penned by none other than former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter. Originally published in 1990, the book tells the story of a love affair between a politician and his secretary. It made headlines again in 2013 after a complaint was made to the censorship board and was subsequently republished. Choice quotes include, When she loosened her grip and her body relaxed, he knew he was going to erupt and She gasped again as he pulled himself free of her and overflowed on her slender body. Ooh-err. 3. Anne Doyles kiss In 1998, Anne Doyle appeared as a guest on the comedy panel series Dont Feed the Gondolas and caused a stir when she sensationally locked lips with her co-panellist, Brendan OConnor. Just like that, the public saw a new side to the buttoned-up newsreader. A side that was a little bit bold and a lot of craic. Speaking on the RTE One series Keys To My Life last year, Doyle said that the incident got her into trouble with the top brass in RTE, and characterised it as a moment of impulsiveness. Atta girl, Anne. 4. Kerrygold ad One of the most memorable ads of the 1990s was the Kerrygold ad that asked, Whos taking the horse to France? While the ad was ostensibly about the sale of a horse, the Irish public found themselves transfixed by the palpable sexual tension between the French femme fatale and the strapping Irish man. The pair stole glances at each other across the kitchen right under the nose of the mans elderly mother. They exchanged sweet nothings about butter. By the end, it was clear that they would not only be taking the horse to France, but taking their relationship to the next level. Iconic. 5. Boyzone dancing In 1993, a new boy band appeared on The Late Late Show to showcase their wares. After being introduced by Gay Byrne, the group that would become Boyzone proceeded to dance, flap and gyrate to a thumping house tune. A bare-chested Shane Lynch even grabbed his crotch and thrust at the studio audience as though he was channelling his inner Chippendale. We may look back and cringe now but it was arguably the closest thing early-nineties Ireland had to Magic Mike. And sure didnt it all work out for the lads in the end? 6. Glenroes roll in the hay Glenroe viewers were left scandalised during the Christmas of 1997 when Miley did the dirt on Biddy with her cousin Fidelma. The couples illicit tryst began when they were having a tipple in a barn. Fidelma uttered the immortal words, Do you have tickles, Miley? and the pair duly started pawing at one another. Eventually, they fell into each others arms and started furiously shifting one another. A roll in the hay ensued (albeit off-screen) and one of the soaps most famous storylines was set in motion. Who knew that hay bales were such an aphrodisiac, eh? Expand Close Andrew Scott as Hot Priest in Fleabag / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Andrew Scott as Hot Priest in Fleabag 7. Andrew Scott as Hot Priest Not only did Irish actor Andrew Scott deliver a poignant, affecting performance in the award-winning comedy series Fleabag, but he also caused many viewers to ask themselves, Hang on, do I fancy a priest? As the gin-swilling Hot Priest, he got many of us hot under the collar as both he and Fleabag, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, grappled with the feelings they were developing for one another. So much so that Google Trends reported a surge in people searching sex with priest. As comedian London Hughes tweeted, When that priest said kneel my vagina exploded in a way a man has never quite been able to achieve. Amen. Expand Close Scobie (Garrett Lombard), Jennifer (Charlene McKenna) and Tom (JJ Feild) in Pure Mule: The Lost Weekend / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Scobie (Garrett Lombard), Jennifer (Charlene McKenna) and Tom (JJ Feild) in Pure Mule: The Lost Weekend 8. Pure Mule threesome While Normal People may have made headlines for its sex scenes, it arguably had nothing on the edgy mid-noughties drama Pure Mule. The series followed the lives of young people in Co Offaly as they got up to all sorts at the weekend. Boozing, drugs, casual sex nothng was off limits. In one memorable scene, Jennifer (Charlene McKenna), Kevin (Luke Griffin) and Geraldine (Simone Kirby) smoke joints, drink wine and take pills before having a threesome. A threesome! In Offaly! Marianne and Connell, eat your heart out. 9. Sally OBrien and the way she might look at you In the 1970s, Harp released an ad, which featured an Irishman overseas reminiscing on everything he missed about home. Chief among the things he missed was a certain Sally OBrien and the way she might look at you. In the ad, Sally, played by Allo Allo! actress Vicki Michelle, flashed a knowing smile in the viewers direction. It was subtle, but just like that, she captured the hearts of men all over the country. Indeed, no doubt many of a certain vintage still have fond memories of Sally OBrien. 10. Riverdance In 1994, Riverdance made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest and succeeded in pulling off the unthinkable: it made Irish dancing sexy. Jean Butler took to the stage wearing an off-the-shoulder mini dress while Michael Flatley donned a billowing silk shirt that looked as though it was made specifically to be worn in front of wind machines. Together they danced up a storm with neither a curly wig nor a garish guna in sight. Suddenly, Irish dancing was as sensual as a tantalising tango or an erotic rumba. Talk about getting jiggy with it. UPDATE: The president will visit Pfizer on Thursday, Feb. 18, according to a White House press release. No specific time of day was given. PORTAGE, MI -- President Joseph Biden is expected to visit COVID-19 vaccine maker Pfizer in Portage in the near future, according to a Portage city official. An exact date for the visit is not yet known, but Portage City Manager Joseph La Margo confirmed the planned visit. Biden announced Thursday, Feb. 11 that his administration had finalized a deal with Pfizer and another vaccine maker, Moderna, to provide 200 million more vaccine doses. The 200 million doses is in addition to 400 million ordered under the Trump administration. Together, the two orders will be enough to vaccinate 300 million people with the two-dose vaccines. Pfizer-made coronavirus vaccines began shipping out of Portage on Dec. 13. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visited Pfizers Portage plant on Wednesday. It wasnt immediately clear if she would join Biden during the upcoming visit. Trucks carrying the much-anticipated vaccine for COVID-19 left Pfizers massive facility in Kalamazoo County on Dec. 13, beginning distribution of the medicine to U.S. sites. Pfizer announced it was starting production on a vaccine in April and development progressed at an unprecedented rate. The FDA approved Pfizers vaccine under a emergency use authorization late last year. Pfizers Portage site is a primary global supplier of sterile injectable, liquids and semi-solid medicines, and active pharmaceutical ingredients, producing more than 150 products, according to its website. More from MLive How Pfizers coronavirus vaccine was produced and distributed from Michigan plant in record time Just get the shot, says Pfizer retiree among Kalamazoo seniors vaccinated Pfizers vaccine works against extra-contagious COVID-19 mutations, study shows To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! AP's reply on Odisha's contempt plea for notifying Panchayat polls in its villages sought by SC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: The Supreme Court on Friday asked Andhra Pradesh to file its response on a plea filed by Odisha seeking contempt action against senior officials of the southern state, for notifying panchayat polls in three 'disputed area' villages of the petitioner state. A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Aniruddha Bose said it will not pass any order Friday and would like to consider the reply of Andhra Pradesh on February 19. During the brief hearing, senior advocate Vikas Singh and advocate Sibu Shankar Mishra, appearing for Odisha, said AP is conducting the panchayat elections in the disputed area controlled by it. The bench asked Advocate Mahfooz A Nazki, standing counsel for Andhra Pradesh, to file the state's response on the plea of Odisha. Prashant Bhushan contempt case: Media debating pending cases damaging, Attorney General tells SC The bench granted liberty to the counsel for Odisha to serve an advance copy of the petition to the counsel for AP and listed the matter for further hearing on next Friday. More than five decades since the first status quo order on the territorial jurisdiction dispute with AP over 21 villages, Odisha has moved the top court once again seeking contempt action against officials of the southern state for notifying panchayat polls in three of its villages. The Naveen Patnaik government has said the notification amounts to invading Odisha's territory. The dispute over territorial jurisdiction over 21 villages popularly called as Kotia Group of villages first reached the top court in 1968 when Odisha on the basis of three notifications -- issued on December 1, 1920, October 8, 1923 and October 15, 1927 -- claimed that Andhra Pradesh had trespassed into its well-defined territory. During the pendency of the suit filed by Odisha, the top court had on December 2, 1968 directed both the states to maintain status quo till the disposal of the suit and said, there shall be no further ingress or egress on the territories in dispute, on the part of either party . The suit filed by Odisha under Article 131 (the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction over any dispute arising between the states or between the centre and state) of the Constitution was finally dismissed on technical grounds by the top court on March 30, 2006, and with the consent of both the states it directed that status quo be maintained till the dispute is resolved. Now, the Odisha government has sought contempt action against AP's three senior officials -- Mude Hari Jawaharlal (contemnor-1), collector of Vizinagaram district; Adityanath Das, Chief Secretary of AP (contemnor-2), and N Ramesh Kumar, State Election Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh (contemnor-3). Apparently, the said notification issued by contemnor number 1 in unison with contemnor number 2 and 3 is to invade into the territory of the petitioner state at the cost of wilful violation of order of this court. Therefore the contemnors are to be called upon to explain as to why contempt proceedings shall not be drawn against them and appropriate punishment shall not be awarded to them, it said. The Odisha government has sought notice to the contemnors as to why contempt proceedings not be initiated against them for wilfully violating orders dated December 2, 1968 and March 30, 2006 passed by the court in the original suit. The petitioner state of Odisha is invoking the contempt jurisdiction of this court against the alleged contemnor for having wilfully and deliberately violated the order dated December 2, 1968 and the judgement dated March 30, 2006 passed by this court in original suit filed by State of Orissa and State of Andhra Pradesh, the plea said. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News The Odisha government further claimed that administratively and otherwise, it has been in control of these villages but of late clandestinely the contemnors have entered into the impugned act of contempt by which the order of this court has been violated . It further said Jawaharlal had on March 5, 2020, issued various notifications to conduct local body elections in the Vizinagaram district in which Salur is one of the Mandals, where the Panchayat election was also notified to be held on the schedule date. In the notification deliberately the contemnor number 1 roped in three villages from the Kotia Group of villages' falling under the territory of Koraput district of Odisha into Salur Mandal of Vizinagaram district (AP). Clandestinely the contemnors changed the name of the three villages of Kotia Gram Panchayat, the state government alleged. It said, Tactfully the contemnors converted these three villages of one Gram Panchayat falling under territory of Odisha to three different Gram Panchayats. The three Gram Panchayat created by the contemnor were made part of Salur Mandal. Odisha said although the notification was issued on March 5, 2020, the contemnors "made sure that it was kept a deadly secret so that local authority of the Petitioner State shall not get to know about it . It added that for these three self-created Gram Panchayats, nomination centre has been kept 20 kilometres away in the district of Vizinagaram (AP) from these villages. That the contemnor tactfully issued the impugned notification and attempted to conduct election during the pandemic time when the entire state machinery was engaged to fight COVID-19 pandemic," it said. It said the attempt on the part of the contemnor to conduct election in the newly self-named three villages pertaining to the territory of petitioner state is nothing but a wilful attempt to sabotage the dictum of this court. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 11:51 [IST] The president of the National Education Association, the nations largest teachers union, said she was concerned about the guidelines lack of emphasis on air quality and was not happy about what she perceived as wiggle room in the language on physical distancing. F.A.Q. How will these guidelines affect local schools near you? How do they compare to the old recommendations? Times education reporters answered many common questions. What experts say: The Times surveyed 175 pediatric disease experts about whether it was safe to open schools. They largely agreed that it was safe enough for schools to be open to elementary students for full-time and in-person instruction now. Most said vaccinations of a certain group (such as teachers, parents or students) should not be a precondition to school openings. Pandemic Valentines Valentines Day is this Sunday, and its a tough time for young love. Social distancing and lockdowns have complicated dating, and the pandemic added an extra layer of expectations and judgments to sex and relationships. For some singles, the pandemic has brought its own set of challenges, and it has been particularly harsh for some. For those craving physical touch, Valentines Day is just another reminder of what they are missing. Thats why some people are arguing that the holiday should be reconsidered this year, or perhaps done away with altogether. They say that a mass-market holiday that pressures people to spend money on things they dont need feels out of step with the times, and that gratitude, as many of us have learned during the pandemic, should be expressed freely all year. Jancee Dunn, the author of How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids, writes in The Times that she normally enjoys the holiday. But this year, after nearly a year in lockdown (while remote-schooling her daughter), she and her husband arent feeling particularly amorous. So in anticipation of the holiday, she sought relationship advice from people used to long periods of isolation: astronauts and others who are required to live under extreme and isolating conditions. From homemade bread to tins of biscuits, the parishioners of the Arklow, Inch and Kilbride parishes have been finding unique ways to welcome their new rector, Rev Arthur Barrett. The Covid-19 pandemic and the current public health guidelines mean the congregation and the local community cannot say hello to the new rector and his family at this moment as they would have liked. Instead, parishioners and the community have found creative ways to make the new arrivals feel at home. Speaking to this paper, Rev Arthur said he had received many cards and messages since his move to Arklow. 'We are delighted with the warm welcome. People have been very good and sent cards, letters and good wishes even though we haven't been able to meet. People have offered simple gestures. We found a tin of biscuits and a card on our doorstep one day. Someone else left marmalade and a loaf of fresh homemade bread. Simple things, but they are ways of making us feel welcome, even if we are not able to meet with people in person at the moment'. Rev Arthur began his new ministry last month with an online service conducted by Archbishop Michael Jackson in St Saviour's Church. Rev Arthur said he and his wife Brigid are still settling in and finding their feet in the new group of parishes. This would usually involve getting out to meet people and get to know the parishes, but Covid-19 restrictions have made that more challenging than normal. 'We can't get out as we would want to meet people and visit. We can't go to chat with them and have coffee. Instead, we're getting to know people over the phone and there will be Zoom meetings too.' Services are also taking place online through Facebook. Some services are pre-recorded and include readings recorded by parishioners in their own homes. Rev Barrett said it's quite different from a normal service. 'When I'm taking a service, I'm speaking to an empty church. It's myself and the curate Kevin Conroy. We're not facing an audience, but a camera so there's no interaction. It's different, but it's good to do it and to learn about new technologies.' The Covid-19 pandemic has also brought challenges to the celebration of events such as weddings, funerals and baptism. 'The normal pastoral occasions have to be managed within the confines of Covid. That's been very different. We have to be very careful so it's not without its challenges.' Rev Barrett grew up in Glenageary, Co. Dublin. He entered the Church of Ireland Theological College in 1994 and was ordained in 1997. Rev Arthur served as curate in Portadown before moving to his first parish in Booterstown Mount Merrion. He has been Incumbent in parishes in Counties Dublin and Sligo and in Northern Ireland. Rev Arthur also served as the Dean of the Raphoe Group of Parishes, before taking up his new role. Rev Arthur and his family have strong connections to Wicklow as his family used to holiday in a caravan at Silver Strand when he was a young child. Members of his extended family also live in Co. Wexford. After his marriage to Brigid, the couple lived in Greystones for seven years. They have three grown up children, Charlie, Nathan and Lucy. The new rector of the Arklow Group of Parishes said he is looking forward to getting to know his congregation and the area. 'I've come with no plan. I want to discover and get to know people, their histories, families and journey with them. I'm sure there will be things that need to be done. There'll be the practical things like looking after the churches, but I'll be looking for new ways to reach out and communicate. I've no blueprint, I feel it's more important to listen and learn to get to know people and to get a feel for the parishes,' he added. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Nearly two weeks after a noreaster shredded dunes on Jersey Shore beaches, a central question has emerged: Who is going to pay to fix the damage? A clear answer hasnt emerged. Local and state officials say the damage from the storm is an overbearing cost. But, federal authorities say it doesnt reach emergency levels that would get extra funding from them. Someone has to foot the bill soon, locals say, because some dunes need to be secured and some beaches need to be replenished before they officially open this summer. A pair of New Jersey congressmen, U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist., and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., surveyed beach erosion in Mantoloking and Bay Head respectively on Friday afternoon. Both were joined by officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and local authorities. In Bay Head, where angry waves chopped away at the dunes to create sheer drops of 15 feet or higher, Smith described the new cliffs as fjord-like and said they posed a public safety emergency. You fall off at that height, you could be dead, Smith said. Or very severely injured. As the visits unfolded, 11 of New Jerseys 12 Congressional representatives signed a letter to the Army Corps asking the federal agency to immediately survey the effects of the noreaster, and to support the areas recovery. The only missing signature was Smith, who told NJ Advance Media he didnt feel the need to sign it because he had convened the meeting in Bay Head. That comes after Shawn LaTourette, the acting commissioner of the states Department of Environmental Protection, sent his own letter to the Army Corps on Monday asking for emergency aid. Stephen Rochette, a spokesman for the Army Corpss Philadelphia office, said the agency is still drafting its response to the DEP and continues to coordinate with the state in the meantime. Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesman, said the state will base its actions on how the Army Corps responds. The DEP is committed to making sure that the public can enjoy New Jerseys beaches during the summertime, Hajna said. At each visit, Army Corps officials were pressed to act on an emergency basis to help the towns repair their beach fronts. And in both cases, the Army Corps officials explained that such aid is unlikely to come. The federal agency has determined, after conducting pre- and post-storm surveys of 61 New Jersey beaches, that the storm did not meet the standards of an extraordinary storm, which is the necessary criteria for tapping into emergency funds. Instead, Army Corps officials said they will continue to replenish the beaches on regular occasions in future years, on predetermined schedules. The 14-mile stretch of beach between Manasquan Inlet and Barnegat Inlet, which includes Bay Head and Mantoloking, is scheduled for replenishment in 2022. The plan is to give that section new sand every four years. Any beach maintenance done in the meantime, Rochette said, is the responsibility of the DEP and local governments. It is still unclear just how expensive fixing the noreasters damage will be. Rochette said the Army Corps does not have a cost estimate ready to share. Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesman, said the same for the state. The cost may not be fully known, Kim said, until the winter storm season is over. Hopefully theres not going to be any other big storms that come through at the end, but well have to assess it at the end of the storm season to see just how bad it is, Kim said. Still, mayors in some affected towns are already warning that the costs will be high. In Bay Head, one of nine beaches that suffered major erosion according to the DEP, Mayor William Curtis warned the cost of repairs could reach into the millions. Toms River Mayor Mo Hill warned the cost of new sand alone for Ortley Beach could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. He hopes the DEP will help his town bear that cost, but said the town will find a way to pay for the work by itself if need be. Itll fall on the backs of the taxpayers, but youve got to do what youve got to do to protect the dune and to make the beach so that people can get on it, Hill said. Beach erosion has long been a common side effect of strong coastal storms. But concern about the strength of shore protections has increased as climate change has caused sea levels to rise and storms to become more intense. The dunes may be damaged now, but they did their jobs. The storm waters did not breach the dunes, and thus did not impact boardwalks, homes and businesses on the other side. The project held up and served its function and purpose, said Lt. Col. David Park, the commander of the Army Corpss Philadelphia district. The community behind it and the infrastructure was protected. Hill echoed that point, and said hes seen first hand what wouldve happened to Ortley Beach in Toms River without the dunes. Ive been there when we had northeast storms after Sandy, when we didnt have a dune, and the waves were breaking at the boardwalk, Hill said. There wouldve been flooding, property damage. So it did its job. Now we have to shore it up a little bit. Some local officials have recently theyre exploring new ways to raise money for beach work. The mayors of Wildwood, North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday they are considering a range of options, including implementing beach tags or enacting tourism taxes, to pay for future beach maintenance. Curtis said Bay Head will likely have to take similar measures. We havent yet, but we will definitely have to find new avenues to get revenue, Curtis said. Kim praised the Army Corps as a strong partner for Shore communities. But he said in the long run, its imperative the federal government do more to relieve the burden of dune maintenance from the towns, especially as climate change threatens to make the issue more expensive each year. Its not a matter of if we have sustainability. We have to deliver it, Kim said. Otherwise, this entire barrier island area is not going to have the protection that they need. So this is just a matter of absolute survival here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Almost 900 years ago, Geoffrey of Monmouth posited a Welsh origin for Stonehenge specifically, that it was originally built as a monument, using stones originating in a region in Wales which was then considered part of Ireland. Scientists have been studying the ancient stone circle for years, and recently uncovered some fascinating facts about its history. Now, scientists have made a new discovery which suggests that Geoffrey was on to something. A new article by Dalya Alberge at The Guardian details the discovery of a stone circle near Carn Goedog and Craig Rhos-y-felin. Mike Parker Pearson, who is also the lead author of a peer-reviewed paper on the subject, led the search for the stone circle in Waun Mawn. What connects the Waun Mawn circle with Stonehenge? Both are 110 meters in diameter, and both align with the rising sun on the summer solstice. The imprint of holes in the Waun Mawn site also matches several of the stones at Stonehenge, including one which precisely matches a complex piece of one of the stones there. This evidence could help prove a long-standing theory about Stonehenge: that it first existed in another location long before it was set up in its current home. We may well have just found what Geoffrey called the Giants Dance, said Parker Pearson. Stonehenges mysteries have long captivated historians, archaeologists and fictional heavy metal bands. This latest discovery at Waun Mawr brings more of that history into focus. Virgis Lithuania Virgis was born and raised in a small town in Lithuania under the communist regime. In this context of poverty and hypocrisy, Virgis realized from an early age the importance of having real moral and spiritual values. Intelligence, culture and belief constitute a defence against the regime for his mother who sent him to art school when he was 12 years old. This was his first experience with art. There he discovered the culture and the arts of the free countries of the West: his vocation as an artist was born. Naturally he turned to study art at the University, and after graduation he became an art teacher at a secondary school. The Gorbachev regime somewhat freed society and Virgis could finally indulge in its creation. In the 90s, he began offering his work in various local exhibitions. At the time, the artwork of Marc Chagall was the inspiration of a great majority of his work. The meeting with two French artists, Anne de Beaufort and Michele Volsy, was a milestone in his artistic life, and Virgis instinctively changed the nature of his work and devoted himself to abstract painting. He uses oil paint on canvas to express emotions and feelings: fear, grief, joy or worry. For Virgis, these feelings are as abstract as real as life. Today, artists like Stanley F. Kline, Robert Motherwell, Pierre Soulages and Dubuffet are references for Virgis. He is a professor of painting and graphic art in an art school in Lithuania. Virgis finds inspiration in his environment and what it conveys. His painting is sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. Through his abstract work he speaks of the uncertainty of life. The difficult context in which his vocation as an artist was born determines all his work and gives it its strength and depth. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Flash The telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, bodes well for potential cooperation between China and the United States, experts from across the globe have said. Xi on Thursday morning took a phone call from Biden on the eve of the Lunar New Year. The two presidents wished each other good fortune in the Year of the Ox, and had an in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and major international and regional issues. Jon R. Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the phone call is "encouraging." Noting there are differences between the two sides in several fields, Taylor said, "it's important to understand that they also talked about a variety of areas for potential cooperation." Regarding the conversation as "the first step" in a long process to stabilize China-U.S. relations and to slowly improve bilateral engagement, Taylor said, "it's a welcome start given the past four years of (former U.S. President Donald) Trump's increasingly antagonistic language and actions toward China." Similarly, Xulio Rios, director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics in Spain, said the high-level telephone conversation will help the two sides move in the same direction. To stabilize bilateral relations and avoid strategic misjudgement, China and the United States should respect each other's core interests and broaden the cooperation agenda, said Rios. Criticizing the former U.S. administration's hegemonic obsession that has led to a stalemate situation, Rios called on the Biden administration to outline a possible alternative for U.S. relations with China. "The fact of the two leaders having a phone call is a good thing" because "relations between the two countries are very important," said Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister. Despite some differences that are to be expected, China and the United States have a lot of interests in common, el-Hefny said, adding that "it is important for the United States and China to overcome differences through constant dialogue, consultation and communication." "History has witnessed the importance of Sino-U.S. cooperation," Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation Jeffrey Greene said. "The proven history of friendship and cooperation dramatically demonstrates that by working together our two countries can overcome any obstacles and achieve any goals and successfully work together to benefit all the world," Greene said. Social media companies (Image Source: Reuters) Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter generate revenue by using detailed behavioral information to direct ads to individual users. That sounds straightforward enough. But this bland description of their business model fails to convey even a hint of its profound threat to the nations political and social stability. Rising concern about social media abuses has already prompted legislators in Congress to propose the breakup of some tech firms, along with other traditional antitrust measures. But the main hazard posed by these platforms is not aggressive pricing, abusive service or other ills often associated with monopoly. Instead, it is their contribution to the spread of misinformation, hate speech and conspiracy theories. Because the economic incentives of companies in digital markets differ so sharply from those of other businesses, traditional antitrust measures wont curb those abuses. Consider what basic economic theory tells us. In the market for widgets beloved by economists (substitute your own imaginary item, if you like), producers expand output until the additional cost of the last widget produced is equal to what the last buyer is willing to pay for it. Stopping short of that level would leave cash on the table, since an additional widget could be sold at a price greater than its marginal cost. Exceeding that level would also be wasteful, since the last buyer would then value the purchase at less than its marginal cost. The upshot is the economists celebrated efficiency criterion: Goods and services should be sold for the marginal cost of producing them. But this criterion simply cant be met by digital platforms, since the marginal cost of serving additional consumers is essentially zero. Because the initial costs of producing a platforms content are substantial, and because any companys first goal is to remain solvent, it cannot just give stuff away. Even so, when price exceeds marginal cost, competition relentlessly pressures rival publishers to cut prices eventually all the way to zero. This, in a nutshell, is the publishers dilemma in the digital age. It helps explain why published content has been migrating to digital aggregators like Facebook. These firms make money not by charging for access to content but by displaying it with finely targeted ads based on the specific types of things people have already chosen to view. If the conscious intent were to undermine social and political stability, this business model could hardly be a more effective weapon. Merriam-Webster defines clickbait as something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink, especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest. The targeted-ad business model is clickbait on steroids. The algorithms that choose individual-specific content are crafted to maximize the time people spend on a platform. As the developers concede, Facebooks algorithms are addictive by design and exploit negative emotional triggers. Platform addiction drives earnings, and hate speech, lies and conspiracy theories reliably boost addiction. Careful studies have shown that Facebook's algorithms have increased political polarization significantly. Researchers have identified a small group of right-wing personalities Dan Bongino prominent among them whose influence on social media played an outsize role in promoting false beliefs about the 2020 presidential election. And witness testimony leaves little doubt that posts on a variety of social media platforms helped provoke the Jan. 6 assault on the nations Capitol. Some people object to reining in social media on libertarian grounds. John Samples, vice president of the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, says, for example, that government has no business second-guessing peoples judgments about what to post or read on social media. That position would be easier to defend in a world where individual choices had no adverse impact on others. But negative spillover effects are in fact quite common. When an accident blocks the southbound lanes of a freeway, for example, it also causes long delays in the northbound lanes, because many northbound drivers judge the scene worth the 10-second delay to slow down for a closer look. Yet the cumulative impact of those decisions may be several hours of additional delay for drivers behind them. If drivers could decide collectively, most would surely reject that trade-off. But drivers make such decisions individually, not collectively. For parallel reasons, individual and collective incentives about what to post or read on social media often diverge sharply. There is simply no presumption that what spreads on these platforms best serves even the individuals own narrow interests, much less those of society as a whole. In short, the antitrust remedies under consideration in Congress and the courts wont stem the abuses that flow from the targeted-ad business model. But a simpler step may hold greater promise: Platforms could be required to abandon that model in favor of one relying on subscriptions, whereby members gain access to content in return for a modest recurring fee. For those willing to pay the fee, this model satisfies the economists efficiency criterion, since they can enjoy unlimited quantities of a platforms offerings at a zero marginal charge. Major newspapers have done well under this model, which is also making inroads in book publishing. The subscription model greatly weakens the incentive to offer algorithmically driven addictive content provided by individuals, editorial boards or other sources. But since platforms incur no additional costs when they make content available to new members, the subscription model isnt fully efficient: Any positive fee would inevitably exclude at least some who would value access but not enough to pay the fee. More worrisome, those excluded would come disproportionately from low-income groups. Such objections might be addressed specifically perhaps with a modest tax credit to offset subscription fees or in a more general way, by making the social safety net more generous. Adam Smith, the 18th-century Scottish philosopher widely considered the father of economics, is celebrated for his invisible hand theory, which describes conditions under which market incentives promote socially benign outcomes. Many of his most ardent admirers may view steps to constrain the behavior of social media platforms as regulatory overreach. But Smiths remarkable insight was actually more nuanced: Market forces often promote societys welfare, but not always. Indeed, as he saw clearly, individual interests are often squarely at odds with collective aspirations, and in many such instances it is in societys interest to intervene. The current information crisis is a case in point. Proposals for regulating social media merit rigorous public scrutiny. But what recent events have demonstrated is that policymakers traditional hands-off posture is no longer defensible. By Robert H. Frank c.2021 The New York Times Company Members of Bangladeshs Rapid Action Battalion stand guard during a raid of a suspected militant den in Dhaka, April 29, 2019. Counterterrorism officials in Bangladesh on Friday began formally interrogating a 24-year-old Bangladeshi man who they claimed was expelled by France for allegedly planning to join the Islamic State group in the Middle East. Saif Rahman, also known as Toton, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after France deported him on Jan. 14, Saiful Islam, a deputy commissioner of the counterterrorism and transnational crimes (CTTC) unit, told BenarNews. A court in France issued Saifs deportation order, he said, adding that Saif was detained at a camp in France after his arrest and before being returned to Bangladesh. The court has granted a two-day remand to interrogate Saif Rahman. The counter-terrorism officials started interrogating him on Friday, Iftekharul Islam, an additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told BenarNews. Bangladesh police said they had recovered documents in French from Saifs possessions that allegedly showed he had links to Middle East-based international militant outfits. At the time of his arrest, officers had seized Saifs laptop and mobile phone and sent them to forensic investigators. As part of the investigation, we got a two-page paper written in French that was in his possession. After translating the papers, we had proof of his militant link, the CTTC deputy commissioner said. The French documents have proof of Saif Rahmans involvement with international militant outfits, Islam said. According to him, the documents show that Saif had been involved with a jihad campaign since 2019. And in 2020, he attempted to go to IS-concentrated regions of Syria and Iraq, but the French police arrested him before he headed there, Islam said. The French police considered Saifs presence in France a danger for them so they sent him back. They think youths who fail to visit Syria and Iraq very often carry out attacks in the places where they have been staying. Islam said Saif has been jailed since his Jan. 14 arrest at the airport, adding a judge had earlier turned down investigators requests for a remand to question him. The French embassy in Dhaka did not immediately respond to several BenarNews requests for comment. Family in France Police said Saif grew up in the Dohar sub-district of Dhaka. Saif flew to France in February 2015, graduated from an educational institution there the following year, and then got a part-time job at the university. He is the only child of parents who also lived in France. His mother returned home after the French police arrested him, but his father is in France and is employed there, Islam said. We are looking for Saifs mother to get information about her son. On Friday, Mostofa Kamal, the officer-in-charge of Dohar police station, told BenarNews that he and his officers did not know anything about Saif or his family. A counterterrorism analyst noted that Saif could have been radicalized outside Bangladesh. Actually, Bangladesh should not bear the responsibility for Saif if he had been radicalized and joined the IS from France, M. Sakhawat Hossain, a retired brigadier general and security analyst, told BenarNews. The police in Bangladesh should definitely investigate and take legal action as France expelled him and sent him back to Bangladesh. We cannot take it lightly, he said. People get shocked when they hear about my case, says Syed Uddin. Syed is 36 years old. Originally from Bangladesh, he sought asylum in Ireland on 18th December 2017. Since then, he has lived in a shared room at Kinsale Road Direct Provision [DP] centre just outside Cork. He hasnt yet done his asylum interview with the International Protection Office (IPO). People who sought asylum with him have been through the process, left Direct Provision (DP) and are now living a normal life. "I feel like sometimes it's only me that is waiting for an interview and when I remember that it hurts me, because I don't know how long the process will take and how long I have to be in the DP, Syed adds. The Department Of Justice (DOJ) told The Irish Examiner that usually the people who are stuck for three years or more are the people who have received negative decisions, and are appealing their decisions in court. Syed Mosih Uddin had to quit his band, Citadel, to focus on courses to improve his skills. The DOJ says it is committed to making this and further efficiencies in the international protection process and Minister Helen McEntee has established a high-level programme board to assess recommendations related to the processing of international protection applications and the appeals process. In 2020, the median processing time for all international protection applications by the IPO was 17.6 months, with 12.7 months for prioritised applications. Since arriving in Cork, Syed has been involved in a music band called Citadel, which has performed in several places across Ireland. Then he had to quit the band to focus on courses to improve his skills as he did level five in English and IT in Cork College of Commerce. Most recently, during the pandemic, Syed has been working as a security guard at Pfizer pharmaceutical. "I have a plan to continue to study, he explains. At this critical moment, I am working just because I want to contribute to the country's economy. I am not physically and mentally fit but I am still working. At home in Bangladesh, Syed was studying arts and became involved in student politics. His older brother was vice president of the National party of Bangladesh, a major opposition party founded in 1978 by the former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman. Because of this, he believes, Syed was attacked in 2009 and had to flee. ''I and my family don't feel secure about my life so I have left the country. Being abroad the last 12 years and my party is not in power so all the time the police and ruling party are threatening my brother and family,'' Syed says. I have been abused back home and I have been suffering from post-polio from an early age and I am taking painkillers every day which makes me feel sleepy all the time. Since 2018, Syed has been asking for a single room. He has sent all his medical documents to The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), which runs the direct provision system, but hes still sharing a room with someone who has their own mental health challenges. He believes the system could be vastly speeded up using video interviews while IPO employees are working from home during the pandemic. Delays In June 2020, the UNs High Commission for Refugees [UNHCR] said in its practical consideration guide for states in Europe that videoconferencing or telephone as an alternative to face-to-face interviews are a good practice to maintain asylum procedures and manage backlogs. According to the Department of Justice, there is an additional 1m budget allocated for the immigration service in 2020. This is to provide more staff for the IPO and to provide video interview technology services for applicants who live outside Dublin for the first time on a pilot basis by the IPO. In a parliamentary question on June 16, 2020, Deputy Cian O'Callaghan [SD] asked the Minister for Justice and Equality at that time Deputy Charles Flanagan about the average time it takes for an asylum seeker to receive a definitive final response on their application. Read More Irish Examiner view: Time for more humane policies on immigration in Ireland Minister Flanagan said that at the end of February 2020, prior to the pandemic, an applicant who applied for international protection could have expected to receive a first instance recommendation/decision within approximately 11-12 months, with prioritised applications being processed within 8-9 months provided that no complications arose and that application figures did not rise further. Covid-19 restrictions had impacted the asylum procedures and the interviews had been suspended, he said, adding that the IPO is working hard for each applicant to get a decision within nine months. However it must be acknowledged that the processing of applications is complex and that each application deserves and receives an individual assessment, Mr Flanagan said. International protection application waiting times: 3 years - the length of time Syed Uddin has been waiting for his first interview - the length of time Syed Uddin has been waiting for his first interview 17.6 months - the median processing time for all international protection applications by the IPO - the median processing time for all international protection applications by the IPO 12.7 months - the median processing time for prioritised applications - the median processing time for prioritised applications 11-12 months - the average wait for a first-time applicant for a decision, prior to the pandemic - the average wait for a first-time applicant for a decision, prior to the pandemic 8-9 months - the average wait time for a prioritised applicant prior to the pandemic Doras is an NGO working with refugees and asylum seekers that focuses on integration. Speaking to The Irish Examiner, John Lannon the head of Doras said that reporting the median figures hides the fact that some people are waiting quite a long time for an outcome to their case. We are supporting people that are waiting much longer than the quoted timeframes, he says. Syed Mosih Uddien said that staying in DP affects his mental health and he is taking medication and getting counselling sessions from Spirasi, the national centre for the rehabilitation of victims of torture in Ireland. I don't like to stay in DP and I have been trying to keep myself busy with study and work and stuff, Syed says. Mr Lannon said that living in DP has a damaging effect on people and the longer someone is waiting for a decision on their case the more detrimental the effect, which has resulted in instances of self-harm and suicide. Chicco Kalala Chicco Kalala is 37 years old. He came to Ireland in 2017 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is studying English and doing some voluntary work while he lives in Hanratty's Hotel in Limerick City. "I came to Ireland in 2017 and I did my asylum interview in 2018. They never contacted me again despite my colleague having a similar case and being from my country. He came after I did but he got his response in 2019, Chicco told The Irish Examiner. Chicco doesn't see any reason for all the delay and believes the solicitor he was appointed by the government is not interested in his case. His village was attacked by rebels in Congo, so he wasnt safe there and he hasnt seen his family for more than four years. Chicco said: Living with an unknown future is stressful and anxious and affects my mental health. "This is especially so when I see three people where I live are so visible that they were affected living in this place. They talk to themselves every day and I hope to get my decision soon to stop that feeling." Kalala struggles with the place where he lives, and says he has been eating the same food every day for three-and-a-half years. After arriving he stayed for a month in Balseskin the DP reception center in north Dublin then he got transferred to Hanratty's Hotel in Limerick City where hes stuck now. The DOJ doesnt comment on individual cases, but a spokesperson said the department is aware of very small numbers of applicants whose first interviews werent scheduled for close to three years. That delay can vary depending on the individual circumstances of the applicants concerned. An earthquake took place in Yerevan. The epicenter of the tremors was located 8 kilometers southeast of the Armenian capital, the focus lay at a depth of 10 kilometers. In the epicentre, the strength of the earthquake was 6-7 points, in Yerevan - 5-6 points. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia, about 46 aftershocks were recorded. Due to the persistence of aftershock activity, rescuers recommended the population to stay in the open area. According to witnesses, the earthquake was so strong that goods fell off the shelves in stores and furniture - in homes. There was minor damage to residential buildings - cracks on the walls and broken glass. The cladding fell from some buildings, Sputnik Armenia informs. In addition, interruptions in cellular communication and the Internet were recorded. According to the press service of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, as a result of the emergency, a resident of Yerevan received minor bruises. According to the press secretary of the Metsamor NPP Anna Baghdasaryan, the facility was not damaged. "We have established contact with the Armenian nuclear power plant. Everything is fine. There is no reason for concern," she said. Help India! TCN News Digital media organisations from Kolkata and the Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) have condemned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on Newsclick, one of which is still ongoing at the house of its Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha. Support TwoCircles In a statement issued on Thursday, the BUJ said that it was perturbed by the developments, mentioning it was necessary that journalists and their severely-fragmented organisations wake up to the authoritarian reality that is fast unfolding before our very eyes. At one level, we are faced with an Indian state that has become totally allergic to any kind of dissent. Journalists, social activists and political opponents of various hues are all treated as enemies of the state and subjected to every manner of falsehood, ignominy and oppression. In the process, Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, etc, have been reduced to nefarious and partisan organs of terror. The recent ED raids on the news portal Newsclick are part of this miasmic and arbitrary pattern. Even fig leaves have now been discarded, it said. The BUJ mentioned that journalists are constantly being put behind bars under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1962 and that senior editors have been accused of sedition and charges of disturbing communal harmony. In India, where the process itself is punitive, such actions have a prolonged chilling effect, it added. In a statement issued on Wednesday, digital news outlets from Kolkata condemned the harassment and intimidation on display by the Centre against journalists and media outlets. The raids by the Enforcement Directorate at the office of Newsclick and the homes of its directors and editor Prabir Purkayastha is not an isolated stray incident, but part of the BJP governments ongoing witch hunt of media houses, journalists and activists, who refuse to toe its line. Newsclick has been intensely reporting the ongoing farmers agitation and the raids are clearly meant to intimidate it and a sort of warning signal to other online portals who dare to speak truth to power, it said. The organisations mentioned that the ED raids on Newsclick were a clear attempt to suppress journalism critical to the government and its policies. They demanded that the government immediately stop the EDs action against Newsclick and explain why it was raided to begin with. We demand immediate release of all journalists arrested on charges of sedition and under the anti-terrorist UAPA. The BUJ statement mentioned that the state has been acting as a blind observer when media houses do not implement the Supreme Court-approved Majithia Wage Board Award and sack journalists and dock salaries. At the third level, the Indian state has swiftly dismantled the historic rights to be entitled to certain working conditions that journalists and other workers had struggled to win since Independence. The recent enactment of the four Labour Codes clearly signals the ushering in of a new era of accumulation wherein contract labour and casual labour will be the order of the day and the social relations of production will be barbarically changed to the detriment of those who work for a living, be it physical or mental exertion, it added. In a statement released on Friday Newsclick has said it was disturbed to note the selective leaks by senior ED officials to some news organisations. The selective leak of misleading facts is nothing but a malicious attempt to smear the image of Newsclick and discredit our journalism. It also constitutes a violation of the sanctity of the legal and investigative process, it added. It mentioned that the organisation had co-operated with ED officials and would continue to do so. The Newsclick office was raided for over 36 hours beginning Tuesday morning while a raid at the home of its Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha still goes on. In a statement on Wednesday the organisation had said that it would continue to report and record voices of the unheard and unseen people of India, and the world, who are struggling to build a life of dignity and well-being. Efforts such as these raids, to suppress protests and indeed, any striving for progressive thought, will not deter those who stand for justice. First published in Newsclick . More than 100 jilted singles are being offered free ink to cover-up regretful tattoos they got with their ex-partners this Valentine's Day, with ten designs available. Spiced-rum brand Sailor Jerry have partnered with 12 tattoos parlours across the country to help 110 unlucky in love Australians forget their cheating and lying exes. A head tattoo artist has revealed why one client had three ex-girlfriend's names covered-up, and a tattoo recipient has shared the heart-breaking story behind her regretted under-boob ink. Over a hundred jilted singles are being offered free ink to cover-up regretful tattoos they got with their ex-partners this Valentine's Day, with ten designs available. Pictured: June Avery wants to cover-up the complete tattoo that reminds her of the fiance who dumped her two years ago Spiced-rum brand Sailor Jerry have partnered with 12 tattoos parlours across the country to help 110 unlucky in love Australians forget their cheating and lying exes Sydney parlour Little Tokyo will be giving out some of the free tattoos, with head artist Rhys Gordon reminding lovers that 'tattoos last longer than romances'. One woman approached Mr Gordon's colleague with a sizeable tattoo of the name 'Ray' on her arm. 'Instead of covering it up with a new design or anything like that, they altered the word Ray to Betrayed which I thought was insane,' he said. While working in Amsterdam, he had a client who wanted to cover-up a 'tramp stamp' of an ex-girlfriend's name. 'I covered up that name with some tribal stuff, put his new girlfriend's name above it and then off he went. He came back six months later and asked me to do it again.' Mr Gordon refused to ink a third girlfriend's name above the second tribal tattoo. Head tattoo artist Rhys Gordon (pictured) has told why one of his clients had three ex-girlfriend's names covered-up Sydney parlour Little Tokyo will be inking some of the free tattoos, and head artist Rhys Gordon (pictured) said lovers need to remember 'tattoos last longer than romances'. The artist recalled a client of a colleague who changed the name 'Ray' on her arm to 'Betrayed', and another who had to have three ex-girlfriend's erased in a series of tribal 'tramp-stamps' A year later Mr Gordon bumped into the hapless chap on a tram and he confessed had a third ex-girlfriend's name tattooed. 'I ended up doing three tribal tramp stamps on his lower back covering up all his ex girlfriend's names. I'm pretty sure it would be fair to say he didn't learn his lesson either,' Mr Gordon said. 'When everybody's first in love and you're in that honeymoon period, you think it is gonna last forever. Statistics say otherwise.' Mr Gordon said when Valentine's Day comes around, there is a spike in people wanting to cover-up tattoos reminding them of their ex. 'You don't have to get a name, maybe we suggest something that reminds you of the partner or maybe something you have in common,' he advised. 'A first initial is enough, you generally don't need to have a billboard across the back of either your wife or your husbands name.' Sydney-based June Avery (pictured) realised she would need to cover up her incomplete engagement tat while sobbing to an 'old southern belle-turned-counsellor' on a flight from O'Hare to Houston after being dumped on a trip to visit her love Sydney-based June Avery realised she would need to cover up her incomplete engagement tat while sobbing to an 'old southern belle-turned-counsellor' on a flight from O'Hare to Houston after being dumped on a trip to visit her love. The 26-year-old had half a Chicago flag engraved under her breast in 2018, an incomplete homage to the American fiance she planned on living with in the US state. An artist at Little Tokyo in Surry Hills will cover up the tattoo, and Ms Avery already knows which design she wants. 'I think I'll probably go for the famous Sailor Jerry 'lucky' tattoo, as I'm feeling a bit luckier now,' she told Daily Mail Australia. All ten of the tattoo artworks were designed by the rum brand's namesake, Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins, who would be 110 this year. All ten of the tattoo artworks are inspired by the classic style developed by the rum brand's namesake, Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins (pictured) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form NJPW STRONG REPORT: CHRIS DICKINSON, KENTA, AND MORE We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Shigeki Kiyono, Katsuyori Shibata, and Hiroshi Tanahashi (in Japanese) or Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov (in English). Match Number One: Jordan Clearwater versus JR Kratos Kratos with a shoulder tackle as the bell rings followed by a punch in the corner. Kratos with a hard Irish whip and punches. Kratos sends Clearwater into the turnbuckles. Kratos with a boot to the head. Kratos misses a punch in the corner and Clearwater with kicks. Clearwater with a forearm and he sends Kratos into the turnbuckles. Clearwater with shoulders in the corner. Clearwater with a chop and Kratos did not appreciate that and he pushes Clearwater down and kicks him. Kratos with a deadlift suplex and a forearm into the corner. Kratos with a suplex and he gets a near fall. Kratos with a reverse chin lock. Kratos with a front face lock into a waist lock. Clearwater with elbows and punches. Kratos with a kick and Clearwater with a knee. Kratos blocks a slam attempt and Kratos with an iris whip but he misses a splash. Clearwater with a running neck breaker for a near fall. Clearwater with a kick and then he works on the ankle. Kratos with a kick to the head and Clearwater with punches to Kratos. Clearwater with an Irish whip but Kratos with a clothesline out of the corner. Kratos with an arm bar submission but Clearwater gets to the ropes. Kratos misses a splash and Clearwater goes for a bulldog but Kratos counters with an atomic drop and a running boot. Kratos with a package brainbuster for the three count. Winner: JR Kratos Kevin Kelly is with KENTA about the match against Jon Moxley on February 26th. Kevin mentions KENTA calling out Jon Moxley demanding his title shot. Kevin asks KENTA what was he thinking when he saw Moxley. KENTA says he has been waiting for this moment for a long time. Moxley is not a man. KENTA says he will become the first Japanese IWGP US Champion. Kevin asks KENTA what does he expect when he wrestles Moxley. He will beat Moxley up and kick his ass. KENTA says he has been defending that briefcase for six months so he will kick his ass. Kevin asks what will the title mean for KENTA if he wins. He says he is the best person to represent New Japan to the world. He deserves to be the first Japanese IWGP US Champion. Kevin asks KENTA to address Moxley directly and KENTA cuts a promo in Japanese. Match Number Two: Clark Connors versus Bateman Connors goes for the leg but Bateman avoids him. Bateman with a front face lock and Connors escapes. They go to a Greco Roman Knuckle Lock and Connors with a single leg take down into a single leg crab but Bateman gets to the ropes. They return to the Greco Roman Knuckle Lock and Bateman with the advantage but Connors bridges to avoid a cover. They lock up and Connors with a chop and Bateman chops back. They exchange chops in a very formal manner until Bateman punches Connors but appears to have hurt his hand. Bateman with a series of chops but Connors with chops of his own and shoulders in the corner. Connors with a snap mare and chop to the back. Connors sits on the mat to allow Bateman to kick him and Bateman does it. They exchange forearms. Connors goes for a slam but Bateman blocks it and he slams Connors to get a near fall. Connors with European uppercuts and forearms to the back. Bateman with a clothesline followed by a chop. Connors with a POUNCE and the referee checks on Bateman in the ropes and Connors chokes Bateman and the referee warns Connors. Connors with forearms and punches. Connors with a European uppercut and spear. Bateman kicks Connors in the head. Connors blocks a back breaker attempt and Connors with forearms. Bateman with a forearm. Connors with a power slam and he goes for the Boston Crab but Bateman kicks him away. Connors goes to the turnbuckles for a spear but Bateman blocks it and applies a front face lock. Bateman with a suplex for a near fall. Bateman with a tombstone for the three count. Winner: Bateman In the back, Bateman says he can barely feel his hands. You have to give it to the LA Dojo and Clark Connors. He made me beat him. For a cruel man like himself, that is what you want. He says he can barely feel his fingertips. He says he is the captain now. Time for the Cleaning and Disinfection Break. Match Number Three: Ren Narita and TJP versus Danny Limelight and Chris Dickinson Narita wants to start but TJP would like to start the match while Dickinson waits for whoever decides to start. Nartia and Dickinson lock up. Narita goes for the leg and backs Dickinson into the ropes for a break. Dickinson with a waist lock but Narita with a wrist lock. Dickinson with a take down. Dickinson with a front face lock and he backs Narita into the corner. Dickinson with a chop and Narita chops back. They go back and forth. Dickinson with a kick and side head lock followed by a shoulder tackle. Dickinson sends Narita into the corner so TJP can tag in. TJP with a leg trip and he goes for a cross arm breaker. Dickinson gets a near fall and he works on the knee and applies a single leg crab. TJP with a rollup for a near fall. Dickinson gets to the ropes to force a break. They lock up and Dickinson with a waist lock into a side head lock. TJP goes for an octopus but Dickinson blocks it. Dickinson with a waist lock. TJP gets to the ropes and Dickinson with a German suplex on the break. Dickinson kicks and punches TJP. TJP with an octopus into a rollup for a near fall. Narita tags in and he applies a front face lock and then snap mares Dickinson and applies a reverse chin lock. Dickinson with a Saito suplex and Limelight tags in. Limelight kicks Narita. Narita with chops but Limelight drops the arm on the top rpoe and sends Narita into the turnbuckles. Limelight with kicks and Dickinson tags in. Dickinson with a snap mare and kick to the back followed by a reverse chin lock. Dickinson with a snap mare and kick and Limelight tags in and hits a slingshot senton and then he draws TJP into the ring so Dickinson and Limelight can double team Narita. Limelight with forearms and kicks in the corner. Dickinson tags in and he kicks and chokes Narita. Dickinson with a slam and he gets a near fall. Limelight tags in and they hit a double suplex. Dickinson tags in and he kicks Narita and applies a front face lock. Narita with forearms and Dickinson fires back. They go back and forth until Dickinson kicks Narita. Narita blocks a kick and hits a German suplex. TJP tags in and so does Limelight. TJP with a drop kick to Dickinson followed by a reverse atomic drop to Limelight. TJP with a springboard forearm to Limelight. TJP with a surfboard into a near fall. TJP with a European uppercut and Irish whip followed by a back elbow. Limelight escapes a tornado DDT attempt and TJP with a wrist clutch suplex. TJP misses a swanton and then Limelight gets a near fall with a crucifix. Limelight gets some more near falls. Dickinson tags in and he applies a waist lock and goes for a deadlift German suplex but TJP blocks it. Dickinson with a dragon screw leg whip. TJP with a knee bar and Nartia with a Cloverleaf on Limelight. Dickinson gets to the ropes to force a break. Limelight sends TJP to the floor and Dickinson chops Narita. Narita with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and TJP with a splash for a near fall. Narita kicks Limelight and sends him to the floor. Dickinson kicks TJP and hits a brainbuster on Narita. Dickinson blocks a kick and applies an STF and TJP taps out. Winners: Chris Dickinson and Danny Limelight After the match, Dickinson pushes Narita and Narita with a punch. Limelight joins in the attack and TJP tries to make the save. Dickinson with a running Death Valley Driver to Narita. In the back, Limelight says Team Filthy represent. Dickinson says Team New York and Team Filthy in the house collecting wins. Dickinson says he admires Naritas balls for stepping up to him. Danny tells TJP that there was no way they were going to stop them. We go to credits. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Below is a link to a thoughtful opinion piece that ran in the New York Times. Frankly, I was shocked they ran it. Maybe folks are starting to wake up to our world. Please read and respond on the NYT site. Point of note: the URL is usually the first headline. When you change a headline after "publishing," the URL remains the same. Happens here too. Check it out: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/briefing/trump-covid-chick-corea-olympics-president.html Covid testing as exercise In a public health emergency, absolutism is a very tempting response: People should cease all behavior that creates additional risk. That instinct led to calls for gay men to stop having sex during the AIDS crisis. It has also spurred campaigns for teen abstinence, to reduce sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies. And to fight obesity, people have been drawn to fads like the elimination of trans fats or carbohydrates. These days, there is a new absolutist health fad: the discouragement or even prohibition of any behavior that seems to increase the risk of coronavirus infection, even minutely. People continue to scream at joggers, walkers and cyclists who are not wearing masks. The University of California, Berkeley, this week banned outdoor exercise by on-campus students, masked or not, saying, The risk is real. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has banned outdoor walks. It encouraged students to get exercise by accessing food and participating in twice-weekly Covid testing. A related trend is hygiene theater, as Derek Thompson of The Atlantic described it: The New York City subway system closes every night, for example, so that workers can perform a deep cleaning. Read the full article HERE. Despite the Democrats' efforts to prove their accusations regarding former President Donald Trump, there was no evidence to prove that he called for violence in his January 6 speech, a report says. In fact, Donald Trump's speech proved that he never incited any violence. One America News Network's Pearson Sharp said Democrats and the media are struggling to get pieces of evidence to set the stage proving their claims that former President Donald Trump was behind the Jan. 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol. He also said that Democrats still lack evidence despite presenting an edited video of Trump's speech where they carefully removed the part of Trump's speech where he called on marchers to be peaceful. Even the Washington Post admitted that the events at the Capitol were planned well in advance. "The two days of rallies were staged not by white nationalists and other extremists, but by well-funded nonprofit groups and individuals that figure prominently in the machinery of conservative activism in Washington." Robert O'Harrow Jr., a Washington Post Journalist, wrote. Furthermore, Former President Trump even offered to deploy some 10,000 national guard troops in Washington D.C. ahead of Jan. 6 just in case there were any disturbances. Trump, however, was turned down by Democrats every time he offers help. The biggest piece of evidence, however, is the speech that Donald Trump made himself on on the day of the chaos at the Capitol. Trump's speech has been removed from Twitter and censored online to further big tech's propaganda against him. If his speech were to be uploaded fully and shared widely, Sharp said, the American people would know the truth and see for themselves that Trump did not say anything to cause any disturbances. "I just want to uphold our constitution," Trump said in his speech, "We're gonna walk down to the Capitol, and we're gonna cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women and we're probably not gonna be cheering so much for some of them because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong." Trump also told congress to do the right thing and only count the electors who have been "lawfully slated." "I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Today we will see whether Republicans stand strong for the integrity of our elections, but whether or not they stand strong for our country, " the President continued. The above speech by Trump goes to show that he never called for violence, but instead promoted peace and patriotism in the country. The George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley confirmed this earlier, saying Trump "never called for a violence or riot," but instead urged supporters to "peacefully and patriotically" let their voices be heard. "Such marches" Turley said, "are common in both federal and state capitols." Trump's impeachment, OANN's Sharp said, was never about facts or the truth. It was to stop Trump from ever holding office again because he threatens the establishment and the power of the Democrats. "No matter what congress or the senate says, this impeachment is unconstitutional and unfounded, and everyone agrees it's extremely unlikely to succeed," Sharp said. Shiv Sena on Saturday (February 13) defended the Maharashtra Government's decision not to permit Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to use the state flight services to fly to Dehradun claiming that his tour was personal in nature. In an editorial in its mouthpiece "Saamana", the Shiv Sena slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for creating a "fuss" over the issue. "The governor, a day before his scheduled departure for Dehradun, was already informed that he cannot be permitted to use the state aircraft for his tour as it is his personal trip. But still, he went to the airport. What is the reason for such stubbornness," Shiv Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece "Saamana". Koshyari, who was scheduled to visit Dehradun on Thursday (February 11) by a state government plane, had to book a commercial flight to Dehradun after he was informed on reaching the Mumbai Airport about the denial of permission to him to use the state flight. The editorial further said the Maharashtra Governor should maintain the honour and prestige of the post he is currently holding. The Governor is being used as a "puppet" and this is an "insult" to the nation, it said. "If this was not the situation, the Governor would have appointed 12 members in the legislative council. The list of the members who were to be appointed was sent to the Governor six months before. But he has not appointed them on the wish of BJP," the editorial said. The members are appointed for 6 years. These members will retire as per their schedule. But the time of his appointment will be decided by the Governor. It is a violation of the constitution," it added. Commenting on the row, former Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis termed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government as "egoist", stating that it was a "black day" in the history of Maharashtra. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A New York food delivery worker charged with threatening past and present political figures and Fox News personalities was ordered held without bail Friday after a prosecutor cited the mans criminal history and his direct and unambiguous threats. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Moroney said Rickey Johnson, 47, also known as Nigel Dawn Defarren, made multiple death threats in the past two weeks in videos online, including telling a congresswoman: Maam, you are dead. You will be killed. Smile. Im going to kill you. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said Johnson threatened to kill several cable news broadcasters, current and former U.S. senators and members of the House in rage-fueled posts on Instagram and in chilling private messages. The targets of the threats were not identified in court papers, but two law enforcement officials identified some of them as Fox News personalities and Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a frequent Fox commentator. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about alleged victims. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, right, share the stage during a campaign rally at the Sharonville Convention Center, Wednesday, July 6, 2016, in Cincinnati. (John Minchillo | AP)AP Moroney told U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein that Johnson, arrested Thursday night, told a broadcaster: Im going to take your life. Im going to tell you before I do it like Im doing right now. Moroney said the profanity-laced threat was representative of direct and unambiguous threats that prove Johnson was a danger. Gorenstein agreed, citing the disturbing nature of the threats and Johnsons criminal history, including a five-year prison sentence for a drug conviction in 2004, for why he cannot be freed on bail before trial on charges of threatening interstate communications and threatening U.S. officials. Moroney said Alabama authorities reported late Friday they plan to extradite Johnson to that state based on a 2004 arrest warrant. The prosecutor said hed also been arrested in the past on burglary and stalking charges. Johnsons court-appointed attorney, Zawadi Baharanyi, said her client was a U.S. military veteran who deserved bail, especially because he would be vulnerable to an outbreak of the coronavirus in New York Citys federal lockups. These allegations certainly are concerning, she said, but the window of the online posts Jan. 30 through Feb. 4 was a pretty narrow time frame and the threats seemed to be isolated communications on an internet platform. She noted there was no allegation that hed gone to anyones home or workplace. But Moroney said Johnsons internet postings, sent in a manner that made recipients sure to see them, were more than just online rants. He said Johnson referenced seeing one on-air personality in the downtown Manhattan neighborhood where the broadcaster resided. This week, the prosecutor added, police officers saw Johnson take his bicycle on a subway and ride through that neighborhood. The broadcaster and his colleagues are afraid, Moroney said, because the food delivery company that employs Johnson delivers to the building where they work. Fox News said through spokespersons that any information would have to be released by federal prosecutors. Prosecutors declined to identify alleged victims. Authorities said in a criminal complaint that Johnson railed against supporters of former President Donald Trump in one video, saying they kill police officers. The complaint said Johnson posted public messages threatening to kill, among others, a U.S. senator, a member of Congress, a former House speaker and a governor. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. New York Magazine writer Jonathan Chait has accused Hollywood of engaging in a McCarthy-esque crusade against conservatives after actress Gina Carano was fired from Disney. Chait weighed in on the controversy in an essay for the Intelligencer in which he argued there was no 'principled distinction' between the Hollywood blacklist against communists in the 1950s and Carano's termination. The 38-year-old conservative actress was dismissed from her role in The Mandalorian and dropped by her talent agency this week after sharing a social media post comparing the current political climate to the Nazi era. Carano was accused of antisemitism after she argued that hating people over their political views was hardly different to the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. New York Magazine writer Jonathan Chait (left) said there is no distinction between the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s and actress Gina Carano's firing Carano was fired by Disney after she posted an Instagram story in which she likened the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to the current U.S. political climate. Lucasfilm called the post 'abhorrent and unacceptable' Chait, who is Jewish, dismissed the outrage surrounding the post, which he said 'was not anti-Semitic by any reasonable definition.' 'The post simply argued (uncontroversially) that the Holocaust grew out of a hate campaign against Jews, which it then likened (controversially) to hatred of fellow Americans for their political views,' he wrote. 'I don't find this post especially insightful. But overheated comparisons to Nazi Germany are quite common, and, more to the point, not anti-Semitic. There is no hint anywhere in this post of sympathy for Nazis or blame for their victims.' Chait also bemoaned the media's coverage of the controversy as well as the lack of public criticism towards Disney or Carano's talent agency for penalizing the actress for sharing such views. Chait, who is Jewish, also bemoaned the portrayal of the controversy in the media as well as the lack of criticism towards Disney or Carano's talent agency for taking actions against the actress Among those who responded to the essay was comedian Kathy Griffin who claimed she was a victim of blacklisting herself Griffin was famously ostracized in 2017 after she shared a photo of herself holding a severed head of Donald Trump 'The tone of the reporting simply conveys her posts as though they were a series of petty crimes, the punishment of which is inevitable and self-evidently justified,' he wrote. 'The principle that an actor ought to be fired for expressing unsound political views has simply faded into the background. 'If you think blacklisting is only bad if its targets have sensible views, I have some bad news for you about communism.' Chait went on to recall the story of blacklisted Hollywood writer Dalton Trumbo, who was investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s for supporting communism. Trumbo at the time compared the trial against him and fellow communists in the US to an 'American concentration camp.' 'Fortunately for Trumbo, his antagonists, unlike Carano's, were not witless enough to confuse hyperbolic Nazi comparisons with anti-Semitism,' Chait wrote. Chait argued that while the Hollywood studios held the right to distance themselves from those who had a 'abhorrent beliefs', a 'fairer and more liberal society is able to create some space between an individual's political views and the position of their employer.' 'A Dalton Trumbo ought to have been able to hold onto his screenwriting job even though he supported a murderous dictator like Stalin,' he said. 'And actors ought to be able to work even if they support an authoritarian bigot like Donald Trump.' Her character appeared in several episodes of the second season of 'The Mandalorian,' a series about a bounty hunter and his quest to unite a young user of the Force with a Jedi Knight Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano pictured together in 2019; Disney has been accused of double standards following the firing of Gina Carano after it emerged Mandalorian co-star Pedro Pascal compared ICE administration centers to Nazi concentration camps Chait's essay sparked a debate on Twitter Friday after he tweeted: 'I don't see any principled distinction between the 50s Hollywood blacklist and what just happened to Gina Carano.' Critics were quick to point out differences in the two situations and argued that Carano's firing was well deserved. Among those who responded to the essay was comedian Kathy Griffin who claimed she was a victim of blacklisting herself. Griffin was fired from CNN and lost endorsement deals in 2017 after sharing a video of herself holding Donald Trump's severed head. 'Jonathan, let me tell you from personal, well documented experience, Gina Carano's bad week is nothing compared to my actual blacklist experience,' she wrote. 'The offenses are vastly different and my consequences are actually in tune with the classic Hollywood blacklist era you reference.' Carano's firing drew mixed reactions earlier this week, with some people calling for a boycott against Disney. Carano, a former MMA fighter, fell under heavy criticism after she posted on Instagram Stories that 'Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors.... even by children.' In 2018 Pascal shared these two images. He wrote: '#ThisisAmerica' The post continued: 'Because history is edited, most people today don't realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. 'How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?' A spokesperson for Lucasfilm said in a statement on Wednesday that Carano is not currently employed by the production company with 'no plans for her to be in the future.' 'Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable,' the statement read. Talent agency UTA has also dropped Carano as a client following the controversy, according to Variety. Disney on Thursday was accused of double standards over Carano's firing after it emerged Mandalorian co-star Pedro Pascal compared ICE administration centers to Nazi concentration camps. But it has since emerged that in 2018 actor Pascal shared an image of Germany 1944 and what he said was America 2018. He wrote: '#ThisisAmerica.' Cancel Disney+ began to trend on Twitter shortly after Carano's firing with many pointing to Pascal's comments as evidence of the company's hypocrisy when dealing with conservative stars. Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 3:21 pm As the devastating 2007 flood pummeled the community and buried their store in several feet of mud, Sunbird Shopping Center co-owners Ron Sturza and Ghassan Gus Salloum were holed up in their top-story offices. Stocked with food and water, and having sent their employees home, the duo coworkers since the 1970s stayed there for three days, questioning how they would move forward. Sitting in those same offices one recent afternoon, Sturza remembered one especially emotional moment. They were both crying. Salloum turned to him and asked how they would take care of their employees. I remember looking into his eyes and saying, you know, were going to make this work. We have to do that, he said. Sturza says his relationship with Salloum was akin to a marriage filled with ups and downs and characterized by unwavering honesty. Recovery wouldnt have been possible, he said, if they didnt have each other to lean on for all those years. Sunbird is now mourning the loss of Salloum, who passed away last Saturday, Feb. 6, at the age of 75. Despite his declining health, he was working at the store just 24 hours prior to his death. Sturza had several conversations with Salloum in the past six months in which he questioned if his business partner should be working so much. But Salloum lived life how he wanted to. His words to me were this: Ron, just let me come to work. Bear with me, Sturza said. And I said, you got it. Thats his passion. That passion, says manager Jared Hedgers, trickled down to employees as well. He remembers being a kid and watching his mom work under Salloums management at Yard Birds decades ago. Hes just one of those people that really cares about his employees and gets involved with their families. Thats just who he is, who hes been, Hedgers said. He was really a mentor to me. Hedgers said that admiration is reflected throughout the store. Everyone had so much respect for the man, personally and professionally, he said. After emigrating from Syria, Salloum quickly learned English and got a gig washing dishes, according to Sturza. Then, working at Yard Birds, management soon realized he was a very sharp man. He was young, but they knew he had some talent with him. So they brought him up pretty quickly, Sturza recalled. In 1978, when Salloum was hired at Sunbird, Sturza then an employee knew they would remain close. With his energy, Sturza said they just clicked. And by 1996, when Sunbirds previous owners departed, the pair decided to step in. Through the decades, the store has been a centerpiece in the community, known for its old-school customer service and its support of local food banks. As Sturza and Salloum transitioned from workers to owners, what some described as Salloums fierce honesty skyrocketed him into a position of respect within the clothing and shoes retail industry. So much so, Sturza says, that it was widely known that there was a distributor price, and then there was a Gus price. With news of his passing, Sunbird is getting flooded with calls, many from salesmen who worked with Salloum or met him at tradeshows. Hes going to be sorely missed out there, Sturza said. Hes kind of one of those foundational, rock-type people. While the pandemic has shown itself to be a major hurdle for businesses and individuals, Sturza says Salloum led the store through much worse floods, volcanoes and earthquakes, for example. Youve got to realize this companys been through more challenges than most companies will go through in five lifetimes, Sturza said. Now, despite workers mourning Salloums passing, the store will continue on. We have to step up and look these guys in the eye and say, you know what, weve still got a business to run, Hedgers said. And what would we be doing to Gus legacy and Gus memory if we dont do what we need to do for the employees, for the community, for all of it. (PHOTO PROVIDED) A special food drive which was the brainchild of the South Newton FFA Chapter and its officers, collected and distributed 1,500 food items to the Covenant Federated Church Food Pantry, which is located at 612 North Sixth Street Kentland, Indiana. PHILIPSBURG:--- The ARS of Guadeloupe and St. Martin announced that the UK variant has been identified on St. Martin and Guadeloupe. A press release from the ARS states that five cases of the UK variant have been identified in Guadeloupe while four were identified on St. Martin. These are essentially young people, health authorities said. Samples had been sent to the National Reference Center for further analysis. Nine had the English variant characteristics. As foreseen in the procedure, ongoing contact tracing has been strengthened and investigations looking for expanded risk contacts around these people detected positive. Invited from France Info on Tuesday, February 9, Minister of Health Olivier Veran said that the presence of Covid-19 variants in ultramarine territories could lead the government to change the strategy vaccination overseas. This could go through using messenger RNA vaccine, which seems more effective on South African variants ". The curve of the evolution of Covid-19 contamination seems to want to go up again. As a reminder, from 1 to 7 February 2021, 103 new positive cases were detected in the territory (tested in Guadeloupe and residing there). This brings the number of confirmed coronavirus cases to 9 in Guadeloupe. At present, 23 positive cases of virus variants have been detected in Martinique. The history and heritage of County Wexford has been brought to life courtesy of a pair of substantial books written and compiled by Dr Ned Culleton and published by Wexford Library in association with Wexford County Council (WCC). Volumes two and three of On Our Own Ground: County Wexford Parish by Parish were officially launched during a live video-conference call hosted by County Librarian Eileen Morrissey last week. The books follow on from the first volume, which was released in 2013, and 'detail the natural heritage of County Wexford through the centuries' with 'photography, drawings and maps to compliment the detailed text'. All 3,000 townlands in the county are featured and, according to Dr Culleton, the aim was to present as much information as possible in a relatively straightforward fashion. 'My aim was to publish material on the archaeology of Wexford in a manner which ordinary people can understand,' he said at the launch. 'Some of the jargon of archaeology can be very difficult to understand, so I simplified some of it. 'I also decided the best method to get the message to the people of Wexford was through the parish and the townland, people love their own parish and everything in it, so I thought by doing that they would become interested in what I had written.' Having visited each and every townland and recorded anything of archaeological interest, Dr Culleton, and contributing editor Celestine Murphy, set about creating a comprehensive record of the landscape, archaeological sites, industrial, commercial and domestic buildings, and other man-made objects that dot the Wexford countryside. The parishes referenced in On Our Own Ground are the modern Catholic parishes and parts of parishes that lie within the County Wexford boundary. As Dr Culleton, who is a native of Piercestown, notes in the introduction, the use of the Catholic parish unit, as a vehicle for conveying information, is based on practical considerations of useful geographic size, local familiarity with the landscape, and on community and sporting allegiances within each area. Within County Wexford there are forty-five parishes and seven parts of parishes from bordering counties, and almost 3,000 townlands. Volume two and three, complete the three volume series. A cumulative index has been added to volume three. Among those speaking at the launch was Cathaoirleach of the Wexford Borough, Cllr Gary Laffan. 'Wexford County Council's successful partnership with the eminent historian Dr Ned Culleton which has led to the publication of these volumes, provides a lasting record of the man-made heritage of our county,' said Cllr Laffan. 'For many people their sense of community is inextricably linked to their parish, we take pride in our parish when we celebrate victories in sport and many other aspects of our culture.' Although a relative newcomer to Wexford, having lived here for seven years, Chief Executive of WCC, Tom Enright said we were 'fortunate to have a county with such heritage, history and beauty' and congratulated all those involved for producing three books which will bring 'great knowledge and great pleasure to many people for many years to come.' The final speaker at the launch was Oulart native and Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Patrick Prendergast. 'I wish we were on our ground right now,' he said. 'Nothing beats meeting people in Wexford, or for me in Raheenaskeagh in Oulart. For Wexford people living in other places these books should carry a homesickness warning, maybe a bittersweet warning is the right phrase, because they made me nostalgic for Wexford. 'But when we're confined to our 5km these books are the next best thing. It's wonderful to read about the county in such scholarly detail,' Dr Prendergast continued. 'I'm waiting for the day I can come back to Wexford again and begin a whole new relationship with the county through the information in these volumes.' The production of these volumes was managed by librarians Hazel Percival and Susan Kelly, with the geo-mapping coordinated by Catherine Kavanagh and her team. On Our Own Ground: County Wexford Parish by Parish, Volumes 1, 2 and 3 can be ordered online from selected bookshops and will be available soon from bookshops in County Wexford, price 30 each. Ms. Willis has brought a novel racketeering case before. In 2014, as an assistant district attorney, she helped lead a high-profile criminal trial against a group of educators in the Atlanta public school system who had been involved in a widespread cheating scandal. Racketeering cases tend to make people think of mob bosses, who have often been targets of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, since it was enacted in 1970. Asked how racketeering applied in the cheating scandal and in an election case, Ms. Willis said, I always tell people when they hear the word racketeering, they think of The Godfather, but she noted that it could also extend to otherwise lawful organizations that are used to break the law. If you have various overt acts for an illegal purpose, I think you can you may get there, she said. Ms. Willis, 49, who easily won election last year, is the daughter of an activist defense lawyer who was a member of the Black Panthers, and she is also a veteran prosecutor who has carved out a centrist record. She views the case before her as a critical task. It is really not a choice to me, its an obligation, she said. Each D.A. in the country has a certain jurisdiction that theyre responsible for. If alleged crime happens within their jurisdiction, I think they have a duty to investigate it. For their part, Mr. Trump and his allies are girding for a second criminal investigation, alongside an ongoing fraud inquiry before a grand jury in Manhattan. This week, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Mr. Trump, called the Georgia investigation simply the Democrats latest attempt to score political points by continuing their witch hunt against President Trump, and everybody sees through it. Ms. Willis has many challenges before her, and not just relating to this inquiry. She replaced a controversial prosecutor who faced lawsuits accusing him of sexual harassment. In an overhaul of her offices anti-corruption unit, which will handle the Trump investigation, she removed all eight lawyers and has since hired four, with a fifth on the way. The police in Atlanta, as elsewhere, are both maligned and demoralized, and 2020 was one of Atlantas deadliest years in decades. She must also decide how to proceed with the case of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man fatally shot by a white police officer last year. A quiet miracle is happening in homes around Sligo since last year thanks to the Neuroplasticity Research Group at IT Sligo who are helping adults with stammers to speak normally again - by using subtle conscious eye movements to change the positioning of the tongue. "By changing eye movement when anticipating a difficult word/phrase that usually causes a stammer, amazingly the tongue position gets changed and the patient is enabled to speak clearly" Dr. Kenneth Monaghan of the Neuroplastic Research Group tells The Sligo Champion in his lab. The Rathcormac native was first contacted by Hilary Mc Donagh, who is currently teaching in the Sligo College of Further Education. Hilary had a huge interest in curing adult and paediatric stammering. Dr. Monaghan continued: "After discussing the principle behind the new treatment, Hilary introduced me to Siobhan, a past student of Hilary's who spoke perfectly and who explained the difference the treatment had made to her quality of life." Siobhan was now studying in IT Sligo and Kenneth says that meeting her was like a lightbulb moment when you realise that this new concept of changing tongue position in stammerers really could turn into something special. Current Director of the Clinical Health and Nutrition Centre (CHANCE) and the Head of the Neuroplasticity Research Group at the IT Sligo, Ken has a team of five PhD researchers dedicated to developing innovative new treatments for different clinical conditions including stroke, lymphoedema post breast cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease and he sees huge potential in this new treatment. The common perception of developmental stammer is that there is no cure, and treatments focus on management and acceptance of the condition. Dr Monaghan and his team are changing all that, however. Ordinarily, adults with a developmental stammer have incorporated a range of avoidance behaviours to help them cope better in social situations which can be difficult. People who stammer frequently use interjections like uh, um, like, etc, repeat or prolong words when stuttering is expected on the next or revise sentences to avoid a specific word. Hilary explains: "The prediction and avoidance of an anticipated stammer becomes as habitual as the stammer itself. People who stammer avoid situations and events where they fear they would not be able to produce fluent speech and as such the negative experience of having a Developmental Stammer affects individuals' social and emotional health. "If you flatten your tongue on the roof of your mouth and move your eyes from side to side, you will feel your tongue move slightly in the direction of your eye movement. Unusual eye movements occur when people experience a stammer''. Hilary's new innovative treatment involves ''changing eye movements to control the tongue''. she says. Hilary, another Sligo native (Dowling-Long) is a Psychology graduate who has been working in the Sligo College of Further Education (CFE) for the last 12 years. She first became interested in the area of unconscious forces influencing tongue position 12 years ago when she became a mother. "Cara, our first daughter got brain damaged at birth. I realised during her short life that there was very little professional knowledge about the unconscious neural mechanisms that moved the tongue. I was therefore acutely aware of tongue position and movement when Zoe and Ceola (our second and third daughters) were growing. "The first time I saw Siobhan stammer in my Action Research class in Sligo CFE, I saw instantly the effects that her corresponding hand and eye movements had on her tongue movement coinciding with moments when she was unable to produce clear speech. She added: "As part of Siobhan's training, she had to make presentations in front of the rest of the class, so I got to see her stammer at its worst." When I instructed her how to move her eyes and this instantly enabled speech production, it was a very emotional moment for Siobhan. For me it was startling that no research was being done on it," she says. Stammering has received a lot of attention in the last 10 years since the movie The Kings Speech made the public more aware of the silent torment experienced by people who stammer. Channel 4 series 'Educating Yorkshire' also highlighted the difficulties associated with a stammer, as it focused on student Musharaf who has since become a motivational speaker. In the last few months, stammering has yet again been the focus of mainstream media with Braden Harrington's viral endorsement of Presidential Candidate Joe Biden's stammering advice. Dr Monaghan and Hilary received 50,000 funding from the Irish Research Council, Employment based Postgraduate Research Fund, to investigate this novel intervention. What this form of therapy is offering is a new approach to rehabilitation. "The beauty of modifying eye movement is that training can happen online. The results are immediate, so the practice is to help develop a new habit. You don't need a therapist; you can practice yourself at home. You lead the way. That's the beauty of it," adds Hilary. Chartered Physiotherapists Peter Lynch, Eimear Cronin, Claire Smyth and Shane Gallagher are the other four PhD researchers working in IT Sligo Neuroplasticity Research Group. Peter is developing innovative technology that substitutes normal feedback to the brain and this will lead to the development of new medical technology in the future. Eimear, is an expert in Pilates training and is currently developing her own specialised Neuro-pilates programme for stroke rehabilitation. Shane is a specialist in lymphoedema care in Sligo University Hospital and is currently trialling new compression systems that make post breast cancer lymphoedma more manageable for his patients. Claire is progressing the previous development of a mirror strengthening device that is awaiting patenting through IT Sligo Innovation centre and these devices will form part of new systems that are in development to allow neurology and orthopedic patients independently rehabilitate remotely at home. "My hopes are that we could inject some virtual reality into many of these projects. That would be the next stage," says Ken. "In ten years time these innovative devices and technology will be used in hospitals and homes worldwide - that would be the hope." Siobhan has suffered from a stammer since she was 6 years old that may have coincided with a prior car crash. She lived in Scotland at the time and unsuccessfully attended four months of speech and language therapy. When she was 10, a close relative passed away and her family moved back to Ireland. She started secondary school at 11 and although she was the youngest in her class and had a stammer, she never received negative comments about it. In her second year, a new teacher arrived and asked everyone to say their name. "When I was asked to say my name, I got stuck, it was as if there was a weight on my chest that was preventing me from talking. I could only pronounce the 'S' and nothing else. I can remember my classmates laughing, even the teacher giggled. ''I understand now that a stammer is not fully recognized as much as other speech impediments, so I get why people would laugh and may not know that they are hurting the person they are communicating with if they do not understand the reasons behind a stammer." That moment stuck with Siobhan, though, and she was now more conscious than ever of her stammer. "After that day, I felt more paranoid and ashamed of my stammer as I started to pick up on negative reactions to my speech. I feel people did not understand what a stammer was especially as I could have a normal conversation without stammering, but all of a sudden, find it difficult to pronounce a word,'' she explained. Siobhan started to feel fear of talking in front of people and was afraid to put her hand up in class if she wanted to ask a question or needed help. This affected her grades in school. She began to fall behind in second year. ''I thought I could fix the stammer myself by not putting myself into awkward situations where I could not pronounce a word. This is when I started to change words around," she said. Siobhan left school when she was 15 years old, and started a training course. She noticed the stammer began to get worse when she started the course as any time she stammered, people either laughed or "looked at me funny thinking there was something wrong with me'', she describes. She automatically started developing "blocks" in her speech, whenever she felt that she would stammer. "I would start saying 'Ehh' as if I could not think of the word I was trying to say hoping that the person I was talking with would be able to say the word for me,'' she said. Siobhan attended Speech and Language Therapy on two more occasions and hypnotherapy one time, but there were only small improvements with a lot of effort. "Having a stammer prevented me from using the phone, asking for products in the shop, for help in school and many other situations", she explained. It was in 2017 when she decided to return to school to study to become a Social Worker. This was where she first met Hilary. ''I had to make a presentation in front of my classmates in relation to our work placement. I can remember the fear I had all year concerning this presentation, but the night before the fear just seemed to get ridiculous. "I thought of numerous ways I could phone in sick, say I had an appointment anything I could to try to get out of this presentation'' she explains. However, she did present the next day, getting stuck a few times on words during it such as "geographical". It was after the presentation that Hilary proposed her new technique. "Now I use it all the time and give presentations with confidence. I feel I am in control now and not being controlled by my stammer,'' she explains with delight. ASHFORD Multiple buildings were left in ruins Friday evening after a massive fire at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp off Ashford Center Road. State police responded around 5:17 p.m. after a structure fire was reported at the camp, according to to the camp for a reported Connecticut State Police spokesman Trooper Josue Dorelus. The camp, which draws its name from the real life gang depicted in the iconic 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, was founded by actor and Connecticut resident Paul Newman in 1988. The organization serves children with severe illnesses. No injuries were reported, state police and a spokesman for the organization said, but the fire destroyed several buildings in the camp. We are saddened to share that there was a fire at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp this evening. We are extremely grateful that it appears nobody was injured, but can confirm that our Arts & Crafts, Woodshop, Cooking Zone and Camp Store buildings were all destroyed, said Ryan Thompson, a spokesman for the organization. Photos and video posted to social media showed several buildings completely engulfed in flames or collapsed. A massive column of smoke could be seen rising into the air. Thompson thanked the quick response of local fire departments and state police. Although the cause of the fire is unknown at this time, what is known is that The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a community devoted to hope and healing. We will get through this in the way that we always have and always will as a family, Thompson said. Dorelus said the agencys Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit has been called in to assist local fire marshals in the investigation of the blaze. Detectives of FEIU will be working to determine the cause and origin of the fire, he said. Sorry! This content is not available in your region MIDLAND, MI Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex Sinclair, like many Michiganders, found himself laid off from his job, his daily routine dissolved. With nothing but time on his hands, the 20-year-old Midland man and Delta college student launched his new company, Outer Grove Co., and began selling his own handmade all-natural, organic, vegan mens care products. Sinclair makes his own organic beard oils, beard balms and room/body sprays and is now selling his products online at outergrovecompany.com and in-store at Ways to Wellness, 122 W. Main St. in downtown Midland. He also designed the graphics and labels. I was laid off from my job because of COVID so, you know, I really had nothing but time to work on it so it was kind of a little passion project for me, said Sinclair, a 2019 H.H. Dow High School graduate now studying business management at Delta College. Its all my own recipes and blends for the oils. Its all my original work. Sinclair, who has had a beard and an interest in self care for quite some time, said, I became the beard guy in my family. But after struggling to find products on the market that he liked, I kind of set out to create my own, he said. Outer Grove Co. beard oils are made with organic jojoba and grapeseed carrier oils and a variety of essential oils. The beard balms, which are made for both conditioning and styling, are made with carrier and essential oils, plus beeswax and organic shea butter. Sinclair also makes a Utility Spray for room and body in a variety of scents. Sinclair was laid off from his job at a gym for several months, but is now back to working full time, attending college and running his business. Im glad I put in the work for it. I worked really hard on everything, trying to do everything the right way, he said. It feels good. Find Outer Grove Co. on Facebook or visit outergrovecompany.com to learn more. Read more on MLive: Midland company makes Bernie Sanders meme-inspired candle with bern time of 50 hours Saginaw man offering free job training, mentorship to empower Saginaw teens Katys Kards in Saginaw adds party planning, online ordering under new ownership Bay Citys new Art Dept. offers fine art, commercial art services on Midland Street See what businesses opened or closed in 2020 in Saginaw, Bay and Midland counties Local Eats: Bay Citys Salad Bowl has healthy choices for your New Years resolutions Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 3:35 pm Health and Hope Medical Outreach is a local non-profit located in Centralia. We provide free medical care to those with low income and those in poverty in Lewis County and south Thurston County. Our clinic meets every Tuesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Northwest Pediatrics. We are running an online event right now which we would love to have you participate in! We have two auction baskets and two raffle items. A few local businesses donated these items. We are so grateful for Bartels Clothing, Jeremy's Farm to Table, Book N Brush, Shona's Food Co. and Shakespeare and Co. for being willing to donate gift cards, hoodies and much more! Our event website is located here: https://hhmo.betterworld.org/. Or check out our website: https://hhmo.org/february-fundraiser/. Thank you for helping support your local nonprofit. Ellie Rowland Centralia Texas isnt just an oil and gas state these days. And Stephen Mihm, an opinion writer for Bloomberg, has noticed. In an article titled Silicon Valley Wont Last Forever, and Texas Knows It, Mihm outlines the rise and fall of innovation hubs over the centuries. Think Detroit, Philadelphia, and even Hartford, Connecticut. And though, he says, California is still dominating most of the investment metrics in research and development and from venture capital firms, Texas is certainly creeping in. According to the piece, Texas has surpassed California in high-tech exports. And, in 2019, when 1,800 companies left California, most went to Texas. Plus, about 42,500 people left California for Texas that year. Too, he adds that Texas bears of the traits that made Silicon Valley ripe for innovative businesses. He lists the Rice Mafia from Houstons prestigious Rice University as a pipeline for these types of jobs and to fueler of development. Just like Stanford has been to nearby Silicon Valley over the years. Then theres established scientific leaders like good ole Texas Instruments (that does a lot more than just make calculators), Dell, and, um, NASA. Plus, of course, theres the recent news that tech giants like Oracle, HP, Tesla, and SpaceX will soon be infiltrating the Lone Star State and bringing lots of new jobs with them. All sounds great to me. Just dont let the newbies touch our queso. Two popular Melbourne cafes have been added to a growing list of exposure sites after they were visited by Covid-positive cases. Victoria's health authorities have issued an urgent warning for anyone who attended the Coffeeologist Cafe at Point Cook in southwest Melbourne on February 8 from 11am to 11.40am and on February 10 from 11.30am to 12.10pm. Anyone who has visited The Coffeeologist during the times listed is advised to get tested for coronavirus and isolate until receiving a negative result. A health alert was also sent out to patrons at the Alberton Cafe in Albert Park, in inner city Melbourne, on February 9 from 8.50am to 10.10am and on February 11 from 9am to 10:15am. Diners who were at the Alberton Cafe during the noted times is considered a close contact and must isolate, test and remain isolated for 14 days. Victoria's department of health have issued an urgent warning for anyone who attended the Coffeeologist Cafe at Point Cook (pictured) in southwest Melbourne on February 8 from 11am to 11.40am and on February 10 from 11.30am to 12.10pm Health alert was also sent out for the patrons of the Alberton Cafe in Albert Park, in inner city Melbourne (pictured), on February 9 from 8.50am to 10.10am and on February 11 from 9am to 10:15am Two popular Melbourne cafes have been added to the growing list of exposure sites after they were visited by Covid-positive cases Victoria was plunged into a snap five-day lockdown on Friday at 11:59pm on the order of Premier Daniel Andrews as cases of the 'hyper infectious' UK Covid strain continue to climb. A worrying cluster at a Hotel Inn Melbourne Airport quarantine facility has now jumped to 14 cases after another infection was recorded on Saturday. 'The additional case is a social primary close contact, a friend, of one of the Holiday Inn workers,' Mr Andrews said. 'Overnight and within eight hours of that test coming to us, all 38 household primary social close contacts of that person have been contacted. 'They have been locked down, and we have already begun the process of testing each of those 38 people.' A total of 996 close contacts linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak have now been identified. The state was plunged into a snap five-day lockdown on Friday at 11:59pm on the order of Premier Daniel Andrews as cases of the 'hyper infectious' UK Covid strain continue to climb The Alberton Cafe posted a message for patrons on social media after being alerted by the department of health Customers and staff at the Brunetti cafe at Melbourne Airport (pictured) may have been exposed to the coronavirus on Tuesday Seven potential exposure sites were also added to the list on Friday. It comes after it was revealed on Thursday that a staff member who later tested positive for Covid worked a shift at a busy Melbourne Airport cafe on Tuesday. State health officials said customers and staff at Terminal 4's Brunetti cafe may have been at risk at any time between 4.45am and 1.15pm on February 9. There are now serious concerns Victoria's coronavirus outbreak may already have spread across Australia. It is estimated about 3,591 passengers from 29 different flights travelled through the airport during this window. Passengers collect baggage after arriving at Sydney Domestic Airport from Melbourne on February 4. Jetstar runs flights to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth every day from Terminal 4 of Melbourne Airport The annual free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program from the University of Scranton will be contact-free this year to follow COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. COVID is making a lot of things different this year, said Joe Hammond, CPA, adjunct faculty member and director of VITA. For more than 30 years, university students have assisted local residents with filing their federal, state and local tax returns. The free service is available to Lackawanna and Wayne county residents with household incomes of $57,000 or less for 2020, according to the university. VITA is an IRS initiative designed to support free tax preparation service for the underserved through various partner organizations. In past years, residents would work with students in person to file their taxes. However, this year because of the pandemic, a secure drop-off box is located in the universitys Police Department at 820 Mulberry St., Scranton. The forms will be picked up and processed remotely by university student volunteers. The clients will be contacted by phone or email with any questions and when their tax forms have been filed electronically, according to the university. The documents provided, or copies of documents if originals were needed for filing, will be returned to participants. The program is as beneficial to student volunteers including Jim Greenfield, a junior accounting major as it is to taxpayers. Greenfield, from Scranton, plans to go into tax accounting after graduation. With an increase in unemployment due to the pandemic, Greenfield is gaining a wealth of knowledge about complex tax returns this year. I really enjoy it, he said. VITA was cut off mid-March last year because of the pandemic; Hammonds personal tax practice switched to contactless processing. He estimates the university will process around 800 to 1,000 tax returns this year. The information the university has received so far shows a huge increase in unemployment, Hammond said. The VITA volunteers processed unemployment information during and after the Great Recession, he said. This year, accounting for the tax stimulus will be an additional problem to solve. If clients havent received one or both of the economic impact payments given in April and December/January, they can apply for the funds on their tax returns, Hammond said. Residents should put their information and income tax-related documents in an envelope and place it in the drop-off box Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The VITA program began Feb. 8 and will end when the capacity to process tax forms received has been met. For details, contact the university at 570-941-4045. It was decided, at the summit, to double the population of tigers in wild by 2022. (Image: PTI) Two 11-week-old white tiger cubs that died in a Pakistani zoo last month appear to have died of COVID-19, officials said. The cubs died in the Lahore Zoo on January 30, four days after beginning treatment for what officials thought was feline panleukopenia virus, a disease that zoo officials said is common in Pakistan and targets cats' immune system. But an autopsy found the cubs' lungs were badly damaged and they were suffering from severe infection, with pathologists concluding they died from COVID-19. Although no PCR test for the new coronavirus was conducted, zoo deputy director Kiran Saleem told Reuters the zoo believes the cubs were the victims of the pandemic that has killed 12,256 people in Pakistan. "After their death, the zoo administration conducted tests of all officials, and six were tested positive, including one official who handled the cubs," Saleem said. "It strengthens the findings of the autopsy. The cubs probably caught the virus from the person handling and feeding them." COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Pakistan's zoos regularly draw the ire of animal rights activists, who say hundreds of animals have died from poor living conditions there. "The last two white tiger cubs have died at Lahore zoo and once again the negligence of the management and authorities has come out," Zufishan Anushay, founder of JFK (Justice for Kiki) Animal Rescue And Shelter, told Reuters. "White tigers are extremely rare and need a specific habitat and environment to live a healthy life. By caging them in unhygienic conditions with no medical arrangements, we will keep witnessing these incidents. COVID-19 is a new virus, and the world is making policies for humans, she said. It should not forget animals in pet shops, zoos and everywhere else. Saleem rejected the allegations of neglect at the zoo, telling Reuters that animal rights activists were welcome to visit and check the facility's safety and hygiene protocols themselves. In December two Himalayan brown bears were airlifted out of the Islamabad Zoo to a sanctuary in Jordan. That rescue came weeks after an elephant Kaavan was moved to a sanctuary in Cambodia, the culmination of a years-long campaign that included U.S. pop star Cher. At the Peshawar Zoo, officials have said four giraffes died in 2020. Last year two lions at Islamabad Zoo suffocated when workers lit fires in their cages. Journalists and Media Houses have been cautioned to verify their information about the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), before publishing such information. Professor Samuel Kubina Annim, Government Statistician and also the Chief Census Officer, gave the advice at a days training workshop his out-fit organized at Winneba for selected journalists from the southern sector on Media Relations on the forthcoming PHC. Journalists in the northern and the middle zones have already benefited from the training. The participants were drawn from Volta, Eastern, Central, Western and Grater Accra Regions and the facilitators were Mr. Emmanuel George Ossei, Head of the National Census Secretariat, Mr. Owusu Kagya, Head of Census Methodology and Mr. William Addo, Publicity, Education and Advocacy. They were taken through topics including; Issues and concerns to consider, Census Methodology and Enumeration Procedures and resources available for Journalists. According to Prof. Annim, who is also the Chief Census Officer, the 2021 PHC will provide updated demographic, social and economic data for national development activities and for tracking the implementation of global and continental development goals. This included; the Sustainable development goals, International Conference on population and development goal and Africas agenda 2063. As part of the GSS mandate to execute the PHC, all persons, including; foreign residents, outdoor sleepers as well as to enumerate structures and houses within the period from the Census night between April and May. The exercise will be conducted in accordance with statistical service ACT, 2019 (Act 1003), which empowers the Government Statistician to conduct statistical surveys and census in the country. The law also required trained censuses officers, including; enumerators and supervisors to keep census information strictly confidential to avoid being liable to a fine or imprisonment, the Chief Census Officer revealed. We look forward to partnering with you to conduct a successful 2021 population and housing census, Prof. Annim added. Mr.Owusu Kagya in his presentation on Issues and Concerns to consider, informed the participants that the main goal of the 2021 PHC was to collect and complete accurate census data, adding that the success of the exercise depended largely on good planning, effective training and good collaboration with key stakeholders including the media. He announced that census information would be used for only statistical purposes and would not be used for identifying people for taxation or punitive purposes, saying, persons who may have the perception should eschew such notions and to collaborate with the enumerators by giving out credible information to them. On Census Methodology and Enumeration Procedures, Mr. Kagya highlighted few Census concepts and procedures to enhance understanding of the Census process. According to him this years PHC, will be Ghanas first digital PHC, which involved the use of technology as recommended by the United Nations (UN) instead of traditional paper questionnaires. The, usage of tablets for electronic data capture and geographic Positioning System (GPS) for recording of structures was faster aids for better data quality of results. Mr William Addo, who took the participants through Resources available for Journalists, indicated that the Media and all relevant institutions were recognized as its partners, in the dissemination of information on the 2021 PHC. This, he stated will go a long way to create awareness for people to fully participation for accurate data collection for good governance. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will visit poll-bound on Sunday, will inaugurate the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension and other railway projects. A Railway Ministry statement said that the Prime Minister, apart from Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, completed at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore, will also commission the passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar. It said that the 9.05 km long extension will link north Chennai with the airport and Central Railway Station. Modi will also inaugurate the fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu. According to ministry, the 22.1 km section, laid at a cost of Rs 293.40 crore, traverses through Chennai and Thiruvallur districts and will ease out traffic from Chennai Port. "This section connects the Chennai Port and Ennore Port and passes through major yards, providing operational flexibility for the movement of trains," it said. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the electrification of single line section in Villupuram-Cuddalore-Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur. This 228-km-long project has been completed at a cost of Rs 423 crore, and will enable free flow of traffic without the need for a change of traction between Chennai Egmore and Kanyakumari, resulting in saving of Rs 14.61 lakh per day on fuel cost. --IANS aks/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Iranian health minister has warned about a fourth COVID-19 surge in Iran due to the spread of a mutated virus in his country. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rohani has told state television that "alarm bells were ringing for a fourth coronavirus wave" as at least nine cities and towns in southwestern Iran were declared high-risk "red" zones after a rise in cases on February 12. In a February 13 meeting with the heads of Iranian medical colleges broadcast live on state television, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said: "Hard days are beginning for us and you must prepare to fight the most uncontrollable mutated virus which is unfortunately infecting the country." Namaki said Iran's first three deaths this week from the virus variant that was first found in Britain -- including the death of a 71-year-old woman with no history of travel -- suggested that the mutant strain of the virus was spreading and soon "may be found in any city, village or family." He urged Iranians to avoid gatherings in order "not to turn weddings into funerals" during what is traditionally one of the most popular wedding months in the country. Iran started a vaccination drive on February 9, two weeks after declaring there were no "red" cities left in the country. Iran has recorded more than 1.5 million cases and 58,883 deaths from COVID-19. Based on reporting by Reuters and IRNA In this summer of social distancing, many of us are spending more time outside, whether in our favorite parks or discovering new green spaces. And though San Francisco restaurants are beginning to open for limited outdoor dining, takeout is still de rigueur for foodies seeking a taste of normal life. This new normal does beg a question: How can we eat out, without eat out? Picnic in the park, anyone? A hike plus lunch? Now, we don't have to tell you it's a great idea to grab a pie from Pizzeria Delfina to take to Dolores Park or a slice of toast from The Mill to scarf on the walk to Alamo Square. But there are also more than 150 public parks in San Francisconot to mention countless beloved neighborhood coffee shops and eateriesmeaning there are endless possibilities for park-food pairings that provide more personal space than you'll ever find at Dolores and, perhaps, some surprising new flavors. Remember to keep six feet of distance between people and wear your masks until it's time to bite into that sandwich. Also, please note the information here regarding opening hours and menu items is current as of press time, but we live in a rapidly changing time; please check the restaurants' websites before you visit. Now, go get some fresh air. Enjoy a picnic, or find take-home lunch or dinner near your park of choice. John McLaren Park San Francisco's second largest park (named for the city's legendary longtime parks superintendent) resides at the southern edge of SF, situated a few residential blocks away from the main commercial stretches of the Portola and Excelsior neighborhoods. At a little more than 300 acres, there are all kinds of trails to explore, grassy areas for picnics, and beautiful vistas in all directions. The main thoroughfare, John F. Shelley Drive, is mostly closed off to cars right now to allow pedestrians and bikes to roam freely. Morning: Before your hike, swing by Excelsior Coffee (4495 Mission St.) for a cappuccino and fresh pastries, including various ube-based sweets and desserts by Ube Area. Noon: When it comes to great picnic provisions, the Excelsior's Calabria Bros. Deli (4763 Mission St.) is pretty much a one-stop shop. Go for one of the sandwiches served on SF's own Boudin bread with meats from SF's own Molinari & Sons. Round things out with a Italian pantry items and cheeses for a wonderful lunch in McLaren Park. Evening: Gentilly (4826 Mission St.) serves an excellent taste of New Orleans in the form of maple-glazed fried chicken, grilled mac 'n' cheese, beignets, and adult bevvies including Hurricanes and frozen lime-hibiscus daiquiris. Grab and go (via DoorDash or UberEats), or dine in on the patio for lunch or dinner. If you're more into pub grub, you'll find some of the city's best on Geneva Avenue, a little southwest of the park: Broken Record (1166 Geneva Ave.), which is open for sidewalk and patio imbibing; and The Dark Horse Inn (942 Geneva Ave.), which is taking online orders for pickup of Reuben sandwiches, draft beers, and more. Bring home: One of SF's lesser known but most impressive tiny breweries, Ferment Drink Repeat (2636 San Bruno Ave.) resides on the Portola's main commercial stretch. FDR (no, not the President) just started canning some of its beers, so stop by for IPA, pale ale, and Mexican-style lagerplus locally made Lev's Kombuchaby the four-pack or growler (and homebrew equipment!); curbside pickup is available from 5 to 7pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Stern Grove Known citywide for its beloved summer music festival (not this year, sadly), Stern Grove is a truly special midsized park. It's quiet and spacious, popular with dogs and families, and packs a lot of scenery into 33 acres in the vicinity of Lake Mercedthink beautiful meadows and towering redwoods. Morning: Parkside's Taraval Street corridor is a few blocks north of Stern Grove. For breakfast, head over to the charming and relatively new Argentine cafe, Chalo's (2240 Taraval St.) to pick up any of 15 flavors of empanadas (including classic carne and jamon & queso), churros, and a housemade vanilla cold brew made with Sightglass beans. Noon: The father-daughter run Dumpling Specialist (1123 Taraval St.) is an excellent choice for a lunch of xiao long bao (often considered SF's best), pan fried pork buns, and noodle dishes. Evening: The neighborhood's longtime Italian favorites are both open for dinner takeout. At Marcello Ristorante (2100 Taraval St.) pick up carpaccio, tomatoes Campagnola, a variety of pastas; The Gold Mirror (800 Taraval St.) has been serving the likes of eggplant parmigiana and salmon picatta since 1969. For dessert, head over to another Parkside mainstay, Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream (1447 Taraval St.), for terrific gelato in flavors like rum raisin, durian, and fresh mango. Bring home: Lost & Found (1439 Taraval St.) is a newish high-quality yet super-relaxed cocktail bar serving SF-themed drinks, like the pineapple-driven Mission Dolores Margarita, alongside bites including excellent fried tom yum wings and a wagyu burger. Takeout is available through DoorDash or you may also enjoy service on the patio. Glen Canyon Park While San Francisco has several small, commuter haven neighborhoods like Glen Park, you'll be hard pressed to find many canyonsthis is probably the only one. Glen Canyon Park provides a perfect pairing of nature and neighborhood with its rugged 66 acres of park along Islais Creek plus a handful of great places to eat and drink nearby. Morning: Call in your order at Tyger's Coffee Shop (2798 Diamond St.) ahead of time, then enjoy a late diner-style breakfast (starting at 10am for now) of an egg scramble or raisin walnut French toast. If you're strictly a coffee-in-the-morning person, find carefully made cups at Cup Cafe (6 Monterey Blvd.) and Bello (2885 Diamond St.). Noon: If you're thinking about having a picnic in Glen Park or on one of the rocks in the canyon, swing by Cheese Boutique (660 Chenery St.) for fromage, meats, homemade dips, plus great sandwiches. Evening: In a city full of outstanding pizzerias, Gialina (2842 Diamond St.) is absolutely one of the greats, and is currently open for pickup and delivery from 4 to 8:30pm daily. You can't go wrong with a wild arugula salad, Amatriciana pie, and a bottle of lambrusco. Bring home: Croissants, cookies, scones, seasonal fruit dessertsDestination Baking Company (598 Chenery St.) is both Glen Park's favorite local bakery and one of SF's best. Mt. Sutro Open Space Preserve At the heart of San Francisco rises Mt. Sutro Open Space Preserve, an urban cloud forest that feels like a mystical surprise no matter how many times we visit. With multiple short and easy-to-moderate trails, this spot is ideal for both a quick escape from the daily grind or a leisurely Saturday breathing in the eucalyptus and spotting birds. Nearby Cole Valley provides all the eats you'll need. Morning: Before you tackle the mountain, fuel up with coffee and a breakfast sando from Reverie Cafe (848 Cole St.) or Wooden Coffeehouse (862 Cole St.). Noon: Get on the Yelp waitlist for brunch at Zazie (941 Cole St.), where the patio was packed before it became the restaurant's only available seating during the time of COVID; then relive the glory of the Miracle pancakes. For something a little spicier, Beit Rima's (86 Carl St.) Arabic comfort foodmezza, shakshuka, kabobsis consistently choice. Evening: Enchiladas, ceviche, and tacos pair with excellent margaritas at Padrecito (901 Cole St.), which has reopened for sidewalk seating in addition to offering takeout and delivery. Open for pickup, neighborhood wine bar InoVino (108B Carl St.) is always a hit for pizzas, pastas, a very noteworthy lasagna, and pinsettas (think oval-shaped flatbreads). Bring home: Lucky Cole Valley is home to The Ice Cream Bar (815 Cole St.), a vintage-style soda fountain loved for its old-fashioned offerings like root beer floats as well as boozy dessert creations such as the Dublin Honey, which is especially satisfying after a hike. Pints of ice cream as well as pies, brownies, and cookies are on offer to take home. Some of the week's small-cap mining stories in a nutshell ( ) has unearthed high grade gold in a surface sampling programme at the Dabakala concession, Cote d'Ivoire. The explorer told investors that geochemical sampling completed in December saw grades of up to 6.14 grams per tonne and an extensive surface gold anomalism has been defined in the east of the concession. PLC ( ) said it is starting sales and bulk supplies of expandable graphite products to several large consumers across the European Union and European Economic Area after gaining certification from the European Chemicals Agency. Inc (LON:AEXG; ) told investors it has decided to defer the development of the Nalunaq mine in Greenland whilst coronavirus travel restrictions are in place. The company, in a statement, noted the introduction in January of a temporary travel ban which runs for at least a month but can be extended. Bacanora Lithium PLC ( ) announced it has commenced initial site activities at the Sonora Lithium Project in Mexico. The lithium development company said the milestone comes after last weeks US$65mln (47mln) fundraise which, in combination with existing cash and the undrawn portions of its debt financing facility, will finance Bacanora's 50% share of the capital cost required for Stage 1 of the project. ( ) has advised shareholders of that it expects headline earnings per share to be between US$0.0205 and US$0.0217 when it reports its interim results for the period to end December on February 16, 2021. A softer market for coal has resulted in a lower portfolio contribution for ( )( ), although the drop is also set against the context of a record year in 2019. ( ) said demand for the commodities it produces remains robust, according to a statement released ahead of its annual general meeting (AGM). Reviewing the year since the last AGM, executive chairman Loucas Pouroulis said the group has put in a strong operational performance, despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ( ) has awarded a contract to a local drilling and surveying contractor for the upcoming soil geochemical sampling programme at the Merolia gold project in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia. ( ) has completed the first hole using its own equipment at the Bailieston project in Victoria, Australia. Ltd has commenced its second drilling campaign at its Trelavour hard rock lithium project near St Austell. Drilling commenced on 24 January 2021, with two drill rigs expected to be on site for eight to ten weeks. ( ), the copper-gold exploration and development company, said the acquisition of Metrock Resources, announced last month, has now completed. The acquisition of Metrock brings with it ownership of the Kanye Manganese Project in Southern Botswana. ( ) has released drill results from definition and step out drilling at the Minto mine conducted during 2019 and 2020. Drilling was conducted on the Minto North II, Copper Keel South, Copper Keel West, and Copper Keel North areas. ( ) ( ) ( ) is confident that its unique Colluli Sulphate of Potash (SOP) Project development in Eritrea, Africa, is set to become a global game-changer. The project hosts the worlds largest and only solid salt, near-surface SOP resource (mineralisation commences at just 16 metres) with unrivalled reserves of 1.1 billion tonnes of high-grade ore able to deliver around 200 years of production. ( ) has released results from a ground geophysical survey over the Cargalisgorran part of the Clay Lake gold target. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 07:48:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chilean President Sebastian Pinera receives the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinovac at a health center in Futrono, a city in the southern region of Los Rios, Chile, Feb. 12, 2021. (Chilean Presidential Palace/Handout via Xinhua) While visiting a community healthcare center in the southern region of Los Rios, where the president spends his austral summer vacations, Pinera joined more than 1.5 million Chileans in receiving at least the first dose of the vaccine. SANTIAGO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chile's President Sebastian Pinera on Friday received the first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac against the novel coronavirus disease, along with those aged 71 and over. While visiting a community healthcare center in the southern region of Los Rios, where the president spends his austral summer vacations, Pinera joined more than 1.5 million Chileans in receiving at least the first dose of the vaccine. The president took the opportunity to send a message of confidence to the public regarding the application of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine, the one most used as part of the national vaccination drive. "I want to tell all my compatriots that this vaccine is safe, it is effective, and we have made an enormous effort to be able to vaccinate all Chileans," Pinera told reporters at a press conference after getting vaccinated. The vaccination campaign, which was launched on Dec. 24, initially for hospital staff and later expanded to the general public, offers the "hope that we are going to recover our lives, we are going to be able to once again embrace our loved ones, we are going to be able to resume our life projects," said Pinera. As of Thursday, 1,550,594 people had received the COVID-19 vaccine in Chile, part of the 5 million inhabitants in high-risk groups that are to be vaccinated in the first quarter of 2021. The nationwide campaign began with the arrival in January of two shipments of vaccines from Sinovac, which will continue to ship doses to Chile over the coming weeks. The government aims to vaccinate about 15 million people in the first six months of the year with about 35 million doses from various pharmaceutical companies. Chile is dealing with a new wave of COVID-19 infections, mainly in the north and south of the country, and reported 764,307 confirmed cases and 19,262 deaths from the disease as of Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. According to a contract published by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on February 11, 2021, Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding division, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $13,435,247 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical design effort to support research and development concept formulation for current and future submarine platforms. According to a contract published by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on February 11, 2021, Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding division, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $13,435,247 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical design effort to support research and development concept formulation for current and future submarine platforms. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine USS Delaware (SSN-791) manufactured by Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (Picture source Huntington Ingalls Industries) This contract procures advanced submarine research and development (R&D) including studies to support assessments, development, design studies and tests; provide on-site engineering, logistics and technical services; and integrate/incorporate technologies for land-based or at-sea tests/demonstrations. Development and design of advanced submarine R&D technologies include integration/incorporation of developing technologies as well as advanced development models into the designated R&D test platform(s) and current and future submarine platforms. Using expertise developed from building dozens of submarines, Newport News Shipbuilding is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines. We also provide design and engineering services and fleet maintenance support around the world. The Virginia class, also known as the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarines, currently in military service in the United States Navy also designed and manufactured by Huntington Ingalls Industries and General Dynamics's Electric Boat. The U.S. Navy has been procuring Virginia-class SSNs since Fiscal Year (FY)1998. The first submarine entered in service with the U.S. Navy in October 2004. The Virginia-class design was developed to be less expensive and better optimized for post-Cold War submarine missions than the Seawolf-class design. The baseline Virginia-class design is slightly larger than the Los Angeles-class design but incorporates newer technologies, including technologies used in the Seawolf-class design. Newport News Shipbuilding is partnering with General Dynamics Electric Boat (EB) to build the Columbia Class of submarines, the newest generation of ballistic missile submarines for the U.S.Navy replacing the aging Ohio-Class nuclear-powered submarines which are in service since 1976. The new submarines will make up one leg of the U.S. strategic nuclear deterrent triad. The 561-foot-long submarines will include a new life-of-ship reactor, an electric drive propulsion system and field 16 Trident II D5 ballistic missiles. Also on Friday, the host of a program on the groups media arm resigned after less than one week. And a top international affairs expert, the prominent anti-Trump conservative Tom Nichols, said he was stepping down as an unpaid adviser to the group. The backlash against the Lincoln Project began with the revelation last month that Mr. Weaver had repeatedly harassed young men and at least one minor. It intensified on Thursday with published reports that leaders had known about the harassment last year and failed to act, the demand by former workers to be released from their N.D.A.s, and the unauthorized posting of Ms. Horns Twitter messages. Top Lincoln Project officials said on Thursday night that they were hiring an outside investigator to review Mr. Weavers tenure, promising transparency and saying that Mr. Weavers conduct must be reckoned with. Ms. Horn, who resigned from the Lincoln Project last week, said in a statement Thursday that she had recently learned that other leaders of the group had ignored warnings about Mr. Weavers conduct. In addition to the former employee who said Mr. Schmidt had known by October, several other people who worked for the group have said leaders knew even earlier. The young men Ms. Horn spoke with were hurt that their experiences were being denied, angry that they had been used and lied to, and fearful that they would be targeted again, she wrote in her statement. When I spoke to one of the founders to raise my objections and concerns, I was yelled at, demeaned and lied to. More disclosures could be imminent. Eight former employees and associates six on Thursday night, and two more on Friday have now signed the letter asking for release from their N.D.A.s. The signers have not yet spoken publicly, but they provided a copy of the letter to The New York Times, and their identities are known to The Times. They said they were not comfortable contacting the organization directly to be released from their N.D.A.s, as Lincoln Project leaders suggested in a statement. Michigan health leaders reported 852 new coronavirus cases and 88 deaths for Saturday, Feb. 13. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, the state has recorded 574,224 total coronavirus cases and 15,150 deaths. Of the deaths reported Saturday, most were from a periodic review of death certificates and not necessarily from the last 24 hours. Among the deaths, 84 were attributed to the routine review. The percentage of positive tests was 3.64 percent as of Feb. 12, based on 33,661 tests. The rate has shown significant improvement since a one-day high of nearly 16 percent in early December, but has generally remained from 3 to 4 percent since the beginning of February. State health administrators in the past have said a postivity rate below 3 percent is a good indication coronavirus spread is being controlled. The latest hospital data shows 1,013 inpatients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 at Michigan hospitals. The number has steadily decreased in recent weeks. On Jan. 28, there were 1,536 inpatients. As of Feb. 12, there were 293 patients in intensive care units with suspected or confirmed coronavirus. On Jan. 28, there were 333 patients in intensive care units. Demographic statistics show that, among age groups, the 20-29 age group continues to show the most positive tests for coronavirus in Michigan at 108,384. The 50-59 age group has the next highest number with 88,865. The states vaccine data dashboard shows that, as of Thursday, Feb. 11, about 1.52 million vaccine doses had been administered. Of those, about 1.06 million were first doses and 459,000 were second doses. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines recommend two doses administered weeks apart. For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here. To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Read more on MLive: Michigan State University to reopen in phases after enhanced physical distancing directive Family launches GoFundMe for pregnant Saginaw nurse fighting COVID-19 President Biden to visit Pfizer coronavirus vaccine plant in Portage in near future Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 13.02.2021 - Following his visit to Algeria and Mali, the head of the FDFA, Ignazio Cassis, travelled to Senegal on 11 February 2021 for a two-day visit. In Dakar he met Senegalese President Macky Sall and Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall. At the centre of discussions were the priorities of Switzerland's new Sub-Saharan Africa Strategy 202124 and Swiss engagement in Senegal regarding vocational education and training and digitalisation. Mr Cassis then travelled to The Gambia, where various official meetings and visits were on the programme. Prosperity and sustainability lie at the heart of Switzerland's new Sub-Saharan Africa Strategy 202124. During his meeting with President Macky Sall, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis acknowledged the great economic potential of Senegal, which belongs to the region of the "economic lionesses": "A stable and transparent business climate is essential to attract investment to the country." The issue of multilateralism was also raised, especially in view of President Macky Sall's chairmanship of the African Union in 2022. With his counterpart Aissata Tall Sall, Mr Cassis reiterated the importance of environmental issues and Switzerland's desire to work together with Senegal in this regard. The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding to reduce climate damage and also exchanged views on the Blue Peace initiative, which aims to prevent conflicts through optimal and equitable management of water resources. Finally, an agreement aimed at improving the efficiency and competitiveness of air transport services between the two countries was signed. The two counterparts also discussed cooperation in the field of human rights, especially regarding juvenile justice and child protection. Digital education and visit of Goree Island While he was in Senegal, Mr Cassis visited a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) recording studio set up by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. He also familiarised himself with the newly launched EPFL Excellence in Africa program. The head of the FDFA also visited Goree Island, a place that symbolises the memory of the slave trade. The swiss Delegation was accompanied on his trip by Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, a member of the National Council's Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), and Nicolas Walder, a member of the FAC and of the Swiss Delegation to the French-speaking Parliamentary Assembly. The two national councilors also had the opportunity to meet a delegation from the National Assembly of Senegal. African tour concluded in The Gambia The Gambia was the last stop on Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis' trip to Africa. This was the first official visit of a Swiss Foreign Minister to this country. He held talks with Gambian Vice-President Isatou Touray and Interior Minister Yankuba Sonko, underlining the good relations between the two countries. Discussions focused in particular on human rights and the Blue Peace Initiative. At the end of his trip to the African continent, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis visited the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality in The Gambia, which is active in training and professional reintegration. Finally, he visited a prison facility in Banjul. The visit of the head of the FDFA to three sub-Saharan African countries (Mali, Senegal and The Gambia) and Algeria provided an opportunity to present to the authorities of those countries the priorities and objectives of the first MENA and sub-Saharan Africa strategies, recently adopted by the Federal Council. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal A seemingly random traffic stop on the West Side early Thursday morning turned into a banner day for one Bernalillo County deputy after duffel bags stuffed with some 160 pounds of methamphetamine were found in the SUV. Erica Gutierrez, 29, and Rodney Rodriguez, 68, both of California, were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center and charged with distribution of a controlled substance. It is unclear if either has an attorney. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court: A deputy pulled over a silver SUV around 1:40 a.m. on Interstate 40, just west of Unser, after the vehicle drifted on to the shoulder. The driver, Gutierrez, couldnt provide the deputy with a drivers license or paperwork for the vehicle, and Rodriguez stated it was a rental, but couldnt give a rental agreement. During my contact, both were highly nervous, the deputy wrote. Gutierrez said the two were travelling from California to Oklahoma to check on a relatives property, while Rodriguez said they were going to look at a house to buy. Gutierrez said Rodriguez, her boyfriends father, rented the SUV, but Rodriguez told the deputy that Gutierrez, his friend, rented it. I explained I cant figure out who rented the vehicle and their stories were confusing, the deputy wrote. After the pair gave the deputy permission to search the vehicle, he noticed a brand new duffel bag, with the tags still on it, in the backseat and found a lot of meth inside. Gutierrez told the deputy the bag belonged to Rodriguez before the deputy found another two duffel bags in the trunk, also filled with meth. The total amount of meth seized was 167 pounds. ADVERTISEMENT The price of Bitcoin has increased by 20 per cent in the last seven days, setting a new all-time high record of $47,251 on Friday, data from coinmarketcap.com showed. Within this period, Bitcoin experienced a low of $37,446 and a high of $48,464, before settling at $47,251 on Friday. It fell to $47,054.37 Saturday 11.54 AM Nigerian time. Bitcoin set the new record after it last touched an all-time high on January 8 when it was priced at $42000. The sudden surge in its price was riven by high-profile support experienced within the week. Earlier in the week, the electric car maker, Tesla, announced that it had bought $1.5 billion of bitcoin. The company, owned by the worlds richest man, Elon Musk, said it will start accepting payments in bitcoin for its products. It, however, warned investors of the volatility of the digital currency. Also, Mastercard said it would begin to offer support for cryptocurrencies on its network this year. It said it has already offered customer cards that allow people to transact using their cryptocurrencies, although without going through its network. Doing this work will create a lot more possibilities for shoppers and merchants, allowing them to transact in an entirely new form of payment. This change may open merchants up to new customers who are already flocking to digital assets, Mastercard said. While the controversy of cryptocurrencies acceptance still subsist, many countries across the world are in the midst of discovering how the crypto market risks can be properly managed. In Nigeria, on February 5, the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) had ordered financial institutions in the country to reject cryptocurrency transactions and block any related accounts. The apex bank in another statement on February 7, reiterated that the digital currency is used for money laundering and terrorism. This decision has sparked outrage from mostly young people in a country that is the worlds second-biggest user of virtual currencies like Bitcoins. The statement by Osita Nwanisobi, Acting Director, Corporate Communications, said the ban on such transactions will not have any negative impact on fintechs. In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Iniobong Williams, a graduate of accounting, who runs an online mentor class on Cryptocurrency and Blockchain called WillyWealth Masterclass, said he believed the CBN can best manage the cryptocurrency market if they could sit with major stakeholders in the business to create a path way for remittance. Mr Williams said cryptocurrency adoption could serve as a revenue spinner for the country if crypto transactions like deposits and withdrawals are taxed. The CBN should come together with major stakeholders in the business to create a pathway for remittances, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 15:36:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GENEVA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- There was no widespread and no large cluster of COVID-19 in or around China's Wuhan in months prior to December 2019, said a World Health Organization (WHO) expert on Friday. At a virtual press conference from Geneva, Peter Ben Embarek, head of a WHO expert team sent to Wuhan on COVID-19 origin-tracing, said the mission was "successful in many ways." "We have made a lot of new knowledge about the start of the events," said the Danish scientist, while dismissing the virus's presence in Wuhan before December 2019. Embarek said the international team have been able to better understand "the role of the (seafood) market" in the propagation and to trace back "suppliers of different wild animal products," referring to the potential intermediate animal responsible for animal-to-human transmission. "We still are far away from understanding the origin and identifying animal species and the pathways from which the virus could have entered the human in December," he added. Experts still continue to look for answers on this point as "there's not a clear candidate for intermediates or hosts yet," explained virologist Marion Koopmans, member of the team, at Friday's press conference. Earlier on Tuesday, the international team presented their initial findings at a press conference in China, ruling out the hypothesis that the virus escaped from a laboratory. A WHO source said Friday that the team is working on a summary report expected to be published next week, and that a full final report will come out in the coming weeks. Enditem Former President Donald Trump told a top congressional Republican during the deadly assault by his supporters on the Capitol last month that the mob was "more upset" about his election defeat than lawmakers, a fellow Republican said. News of the phone call came hours before Trump's impeachment trial was due to reconvene in the Senate on Saturday, leaving the divided chamber to decide whether to convict him on a charge he incited insurrection. At least three Democratic senators urged the House of Representatives Democrats serving as prosecutors to call witnesses who could provide details on the call. Much of this week's trial focused on how much Trump knew about the rioters' actions as they rampaged through Congress on Jan. 6 seeking to prevent lawmakers from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the November election. Herrera Beutler, one of 10 in her party who voted last month in the House of Representatives to impeach Trump, recounted in a statement late Friday the details of a call between Trump and the top House Republican, Kevin McCarthy. "'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,'" Beutler quoted Trump as saying. She said Trump initially denied his supporters were involved in the attack, claiming the mob were members of the left-leaning Antifa movement, a false claim that McCarthy rejected. Trump, who left office on Jan. 20, is the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. If convicted, the Senate could then vote to bar him from running for office again. Conviction is seen as unlikely, however, as at least 17 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would have to join all 50 Democrats to find the former president guilty. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell will vote to acquit Trump, a source familiar with the situation said on Saturday. The Senate is expected to convene at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT), and a final vote could come as early as Saturday afternoon, though a call for witnesses could delay that. The trial has highlighted the extraordinary danger lawmakers faced on Jan. 6, when Trump urged his followers to march on the Capitol and "get wild" in an effort to overturn his election loss. Then-Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers had to be rushed into hiding for safety. Five people died in the chaos. Trump's words that day followed months in which he repeated false claims that Biden's victory was the result of widespread fraud. "Trump's lawyers are likely under ethics obligation to clean this up," said Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. "One way to clear it up? Suspend trial to depose McCarthy and (Republican Senator Tommy) Tuberville under oath and get the facts." Fellow Democrats Jeff Merkley and Ed Markey told reporters they too wanted to hear from witnesses. "Trump's call with McCarthy is another powerful piece of evidence that Trump was on the side of the rioters attacking the Capitol," Merkley said on Twitter. "He utterly failed his oath to protect and defend our nation." McCarthy enraged Trump by saying he bore responsibility for the Capitol riot shortly after the violence, but he later backtracked, saying he did not believe Trump provoked the assault. LAWMAKERS IN PERIL When the impeachment article reached the Senate, only six Republicans voted with Democrats to move forward with the trial, rejecting an argument made by other Republican senators that the Constitution does not allow Congress to impeach a president who has already left office. Security-camera footage shown at the trial showed rioters came perilously close to lawmakers as they were evacuated from the Senate and House. Among those targeted was Pence, who had refused Trump's entreaties to interfere with the certification proceedings earlier that day. The crowd at times chanted "hang Mike Pence" and had erected a gallows outside. Trump criticized Pence on Twitter as lacking "courage" shortly after Tuberville told Trump that the vice president was being evacuated for his own safety. Trump's lawyers gave conflicting answers on Friday when asked whether Trump knew Pence was in danger when he issued his tweet. Several Republican senators said they still had questions about Trump's role. "The issue is what was the president's intent, right? Only the president could answer. And the president chose not to," Republican Senator Bill Cassidy told reporters. He said he had not made up his mind on how to vote. Trump refused to testify in the trial. MARCHING ORDERS House Democrats making the case for conviction have argued that Trump set the stage for violence through his repeated baseless claims of election fraud. They say he summoned the mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders and did nothing to stop the violence as it played out on television. Trump's defense lawyers have argued that Trump's activity was allowable under constitutional free-speech protections. "I don't know, at this point, how many minds get changed," Senator John Thune, the chamber's No. 2 Republican, told reporters on Friday. Trump's first impeachment trial, which stemmed from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden, ended in an acquittal a year ago in what was then a Republican-controlled Senate. Lawmakers from both parties have said they would like to wrap up the trial quickly so they can get on with other business, such as confirmation votes on senior Biden administration officials and a $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package. Short link: About 5:20 p.m., someone called 911 to report an aggravated carjacking in Orland Park, according to a statement from Oak Forest police. Soon after, Oak Forest police officers tried to pull over what they believed to be the stolen vehicle near 151st Street and Central Avenue. The driver fled south on Central, triggering a police pursuit until the stolen vehicle crashed near 112th Street and Hamlet Avenue in Chicago, police said. (UroToday.com) Prostate cancer screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing has been controversial since shortly after its introduction in large part due to concerns of over-diagnosis and over-treatment, with the associated morbidity. Thus, despite improvements in prostate cancer-related metastasis and mortality demonstrated in the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) randomized trial from Europe, PSA screening has remained contentious. In both 2008 and 2012, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) did not recommend PSA screening. Some have attributed increased rates of metastatic prostate cancer in the US to reductions in PSA screening as a result of these recommendations from the USPSTF. To test this hypothesis, in the Poster Highlights: Prostate Cancer - Localized Disease Session at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium, Dr. Vidit Sharma and colleagues assessed longitudinal variations in PSA screening across individual states with the incidence of de novo metastatic prostate cancer. To do so, the authors used the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries to determine age-adjusted incidences of metastatic prostate cancer at diagnosis per 100,000 men between 2002 2016 for each state. The authors then used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which collects this information for men at least 40 years of age every 2 years from 2002 onward, to determine state-level survey-weighted estimates of PSA screening. PSA screening and metastasis data were collated as a multi-panel time series and then analyzed using a random-effects linear regression model with random effects at the state level. Dr. Sharma and colleagues identified significant variation between states in the percent of men age >40 years who reported ever receiving PSA screening (range 40.1% to 70.3%) and in the age-adjusted incidence of metastatic prostate cancer at diagnosis (range 3.3 to 14.3 per 100,000). Between 2008 and 2016, across all states, the mean percentage of men undergoing PSA screening decreased (61.8% to 50.5%) whereas the mean incidence of metastatic prostate cancer at diagnosis increased (6.4 to 9.0 per 100,000; Bonferroni adjusted p < 0.001 for both). Using a random-effects linear regression model, the authors found that longitudinal reductions in PSA screening across states were associated with increased rates of de novo metastatic prostate cancer (regression coefficient per 100,000 men: 14.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 12.3 17.5, p < 0.001), suggesting that states with larger declines in PSA screening had larger increases in the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer at diagnosis. Just over a quarter (27%) of longitudinal variation in rates of metastatic prostate cancer at diagnosis within states could be explained by variation in PSA screening. The authors, therefore, conclude that reductions in PSA screening are likely to explain some of the observed increase in metastatic prostate cancer. Presented by: Vidit Sharma, MD, Resident of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Written by: Christopher J.D. Wallis, MD, PhD, Urologic Oncology Fellow, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, Twitter: @WallisCJD during the 2021 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU), February 11th to 13th, 2021 Recently, I came across a biography of Braj Kishore Prasad the foremost, but forgotten enlightened leader of Bihar. I would like to introduce your readers to the life and times of this patriot. The book - Shri Braj Kishore Prasad - The First Associate of Gandhiji in Bihar - is written by Surendra Gopal, Retired Professor of History, Patna University, published by Bihar Vidyapeeth Patna, 2012, $12. The advent of modernity in Bihar was symbolized by the establishment of schools and colleges by the zamindars for the dissemination of English education needed for the introduction of the British system of management in their territories. B Prasad was a product of this change. He was a renaissance man - erudite, liberal, jurist, social reformer, freedom fighter and philanthropist. He obtained a master and law degrees in spite of the adversity he faced after the death of his father. He encouraged the spread of English education among both sexes and promoted foreign travel for higher education. He showed his commitment to promote foreign travel by attending the dinner hosted for Dr. Ganesh Prasad after his return from England and sending Ambika Charan to Japan and meeting his expenses. While welcoming Charan, he arranged a secular dinner crossing the caste barriers. A fearless fighter for justice when people were afraid to speak against the authorities, he tried to redress the plight of the peasants through legal means even before the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in Champaran. His efforts resulted in the Settlement Report, though not very helpful to ryots, but at least it proved that the government acknowledged the grievances of the peasants. B. Prasads organizational ability, his legal acumen and familiarity with the peasants problems helped Gandhiji to redress the sufferings of the peasants. Gandhiji took him to Ranchi to meet with the Governor on at the latters invitation. The meeting led to the introduction of The Champaran Agrarian Bill of 1917, which recommended the abolition of the tinkathia system and return of the tawan (for releasing the peasants for cultivating indigo). It was a positive step, though not very satisfactory. The aftermath of the Champaran movement brought a new breed of full-time politicians with a definite ideology and methodology. The lead was taken by B. Prasad. Though he differed with Gandhiji, at times, he was his most trusted colleague. Whenever Gandhiji was away from Champaran, he deputed B. Prasad to substitute for him. Braj Kishore Prasad along with Anugrah Narayan Singh and Rajendra Prasad nurtured and strengthened the functioning of the Congress Party in Bihar. Such was his popularity and influence nationwide that he was elected as a member of the Congress Working Committee - the apex decision making body. But he confined his activities to Bihar and tried to implement Gandhijis policies in the State. As a Chairman of the Reception Committee of the Congress Session at Gaya in 1923, he exhibited his organizational ability and integrity. He was a social reformer and he supported the efforts of those with whom he differed. Though defeated by the Maharaja of Darbhanga for the membership of the Bengal Legislative Council, he supported the Maharaja for introducing the Panchayat system to minimize litigation among the villagers. Like Gandhiji, B. Prasad regarded that social reforms would improve the conditions of the peasants. He worked hard for the emancipation of women who were mainly engaged in the household affairs with no role in the society due to illiteracy prevailing among them. He provided examples by encouraging his daughters to get education discard purda and participate in the community affairs. He sent his daughter - Prabhavati- to live in Gandhijis Ashram- a bold step at that time. This had a salutary effect and people followed his example by letting their women folks to get education and involve in political and social activities. Women joined the freedom struggle and suffered imprisonment. Though indisposed, he kept a close watch on the civil Disobedience Movement and guided it from Patna. During the worst earthquake in Bihar in 1934, B. Prasad with failing health supervised the relief work. He did not live to see the independence of India as he passed away in 1946. The book -a labor of love - is based on sound principles of historical research. Written in a people-friendly language, it traces the history of freedom struggle and reform movement in Bihar, which involved masses in the social and political activities. We get a glimpse of the rise of caste and communal politics in Bihar due to the election of local bodies and provincial legislature. The book is a must on the bookshelves of those interested in Indian struggle for freedom as the history of India revolves round Bihar. The author has done a commendable service to the historical research. Several appendices relating to the Champaran movement and the speech of Braj Kishore Prasad add to the value of the book. The printing of the book is good, but the binding is bad. Editor's note: Mr. Prasad, who was born on January 14, 1877, was married at 11 years of age to Phuljhari Devi. They had seven children though two daughters and a son died at infancy. Two sons and two daughters survived. One of the daughters, Prabhavati, later married to Loknayak Jaya Prakash Narayan, while other daughter Vidyapati married to Mritunjaya Prasad, son of India's first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Farmers' Protest: Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi and his govt, says he will stand in support of farmers India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Feb 13: Slamming the Centre over the ongoing farmers' protest against the three new farm laws, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday that India's farmers were peacefully struggling for ensuring a better future for India and added that he would continue to stand by their side. Rahul Gandhi further took a jibe at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's popular slogan 'acche din' by saying that the days were neither 'acche' (good) nor 'sacche' (true). Coronavirus cases: India records 12,143 new COVID-19 cases, 103 deaths in the last 24 hours "Neither true nor good days of Modi government! Our annadatas are struggling peacefully for the better future of the country. I was and will be with them," Rahul Gandhi's tweet roughly translated from Hindi read. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Padampura on Friday, he said that almost 40 per cent of the country's population was employed in businesses associated with agriculture and the new laws would adversely impact them. Defence Ministry tears into Rahul Gandhis claims that India ceded territory to China "This is the motive of these laws. The day these laws are implemented, remember my words, the business of 40 per cent population will go in the hands of two people," Gandhi alleged during his Padampura rally. "PM Modi says in Parliament that he wants to talk to the farmers but what talks do you want with farmers? End these laws first and then farmers will talk to you," he said. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Eleven rounds of talks have been held between the Centre and the farmers' unions till now - which remain deadlocked despite the former placing an offer to suspend the laws for 18 months. Farmers have been protesting at several border points in Delhi since November 26 last year. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 11:47 [IST] Suicides in New Jersey likely fell in 2020, despite widespread fears that the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic would cause more people to take their own lives. Preliminary state data recorded 636 deaths by suicide last year, down from 757 in 2018 and 723 in 2019. And while 2020s figures are expected to rise as more suicide investigations are completed, they suggest that the strain of the past year did not translate into a rash of new suicides, as many worried it would. That deaths would instead decline is counterintuitive, considering the deep impact of COVID-19, which has altered life in countless ways, robbing many youths of their schools, many workers of their livelihoods and many seniors of warm interactions with their children and grandchildren. Yet experts highlight that suicide is preventable and that the factors driving it are complex, personal and little understood. They note that even as the pandemic brought isolation and financial hardship to many residents, it also brought a newfound emphasis on the importance of taking care of ones self. From the start of the pandemic, there was an attention and an effort paid to mental health, said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, the vice president of research for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. A lot of attention has been paid to taking care of your mental health and coping strategies, and those have been broadly disseminated. National statistics on suicide in 2020 have yet to be compiled, and New Jersey is ahead of other states in making preliminary figures public. But Harkavy-Friedman said reductions in suicide deaths have also been reported in Connecticut and Maryland, and in some other countries. I think people made the assumption that the rate would go up, Harkavy-Friedman said. But for people in the field, that was more of a worry than an assumption. The worry was shared by Evan Kleiman, a Rutgers University psychologist who researches suicide prevention. He said that as the outbreak swept the state in March and April, he expected that suicides rates would go up. That they did not may speak to the effectiveness of public health messaging that we are all in this together which could have added a sense of community and purpose to those at risk, he said. That is kind of the prevailing best guess, Kleiman said. Instead of blaming themselves for their woes, people may be beginning to think Im here because of a cause. Is the above chart not displaying? Click here. To be sure, the pandemic has added deep stresses to society, even beyond the more than 22,000 New Jersey residents believed to have died from COVID-19. There are many signs the contagion is harming mental health across the country, and health experts warn those impacts could be felt for years. In 2020, calls to the states main suicide hotlines rose by more than 20%, logging more than 57,000 calls exceeding 2019s figures by nearly 10,000, according to the Department of Human Services. Is the above chart not displaying? Click here. Weekly polling by the Census Bureau shows that 41.5% of Americans are showing symptoms of anxiety or depression. In New Jersey, 42.2% are. Risks of suicide have been cited by opponents of coronavirus restrictions, most prominently former President Donald Trump, who used those fears to urge a quick reopening of the country. State officials have also voiced concerns about suicide, including Gov. Phil Murphy, who noted as early as May that the cure for the outbreak keeping people isolated from each other could exacerbate depression. You add to that job loss, small businesses that have been crushed, its a toxic mix and were not an exception in New Jersey, Murphy said at a briefing May 9. We have that challenge just like anywhere else where its been hard hit. Experts have offered further explanations for why suicides didnt rise. Early in the contagion, New Jersey loosened restrictions to allow doctors to see patients remotely, using web-based computer platforms. Doctors and health officials say that for those at risk, that has been a boon, since someone who may struggle to get out of bed can now access psychological help from the comfort of his or her home. Experts have also said that the immediacy of the crisis may have kept suicides down in the initial months. Because residents were so involved in addressing the rudiments of life how to educate their children from home, how to ensure their elderly parents were safe, or how to keep paying the bills they may have been less likely to dwell on their own psychological troubles. Already, suicide is among the top 10 causes of death in the United States, and it has been growing nationally for the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But New Jersey traditionally has one of the lowest rates of suicide, and it placed 50th of the 50 states in 2018, the last year for which the CDC compiled rankings. Wendy Sefcik, a Montville woman who lost her 16-year-old son T.J. to suicide in 2010, said she is grateful for the emphasis on mental health during the outbreak. Now the chair of the New Jersey chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Sefcik said she is cautiously optimistic the numbers will stay down as the pandemic continues. I dont think were even close to seeing what the fallout, what the impact will be, Sefcik said. One loss of life to suicide is too much. There is help for those with suicidal thoughts. If you are in crisis, please call the New Jersey Hopeline at 1-855-654-6735 or text njhopeline@ubhc.rutgers.edu. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. With Chief Justice of India, Justice S A Bobde, due to retire in just over a month, the collegium is yet to make its first recommendation of a judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court since he took office in November 2019. According to a report in the Indian Express, one reason is the lack of consensus in the collegium comprising CJI Bobde and Justices NV Ramana, Rohinton Nariman, U U Lalit and AM Khanwilkar on recommending Justice Akil Kureshi, Chief Justice of Tripura High Court, to the apex court. The apex court is short of four judges while two retirements of CJI Bobde and Justice Indu Malhotra are due in the next two months. Additionally, Justices Ashok Bhushan, Rohinton Nariman and Navin Sinha will retire this year. Since August, there had been no Collegium meeting. No names have been discussed informally among Judges. AS the white pirogue drifted in the waters just off Belle Garden in Tobago early yesterday morning, fishermen working nearby knew something was wrong. What they saw in the small vessel stunned them. Fourteen bodies, all of them male, along with a skull and other skeletal remains, were piled inside the vessel as it floated four miles off Belle Garden, police confirmed. The bodies were all clad in tracksuits and green rain jackets and were severely decomposed, police investigators said. (CNN) In an expletive-laced phone call with US House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy while the Capitol was under attack, former US President Donald Trump said the rioters cared more about the election results than McCarthy did. "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are," Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call afterward by McCarthy. McCarthy insisted that the rioters were Trump's supporters and begged Trump to call them off. Trump's comment set off what Republican lawmakers familiar with the call described as a shouting match between the two men. A furious McCarthy told the President the rioters were breaking into his office through the windows, and asked Trump, "Who the f--k do you think you are talking to?" according to a Republican lawmaker familiar with the call. The newly revealed details of the call, described to CNN by multiple Republicans briefed on it, provide critical insight into the President's state of mind as rioters were overrunning the Capitol. The existence of the call and some of its details have been previously reported and discussed publicly by McCarthy. The Republican members of US Congress said the exchange showed Trump had no intention of calling off the rioters even as lawmakers were pleading with him to intervene. Several said it amounted to a dereliction of his presidential duty. "He is not a blameless observer, he was rooting for them," a Republican member of Congress said. "On January 13, Kevin McCarthy said on the floor of the House that the President bears responsibility and he does." Speaking to the President from inside the besieged Capitol, McCarthy pressed Trump to call off his supporters and engaged in a heated disagreement about who comprised the crowd. Trump's comment about the would-be insurrectionists caring more about the election results than McCarthy did was first mentioned by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican from Washington state, in a town hall earlier this week, and was confirmed to CNN by Herrera Beutler and other Republicans briefed on the conversation. "You have to look at what he did during the insurrection to confirm where his mind was at," Herrera Beutler, one of 10 House Republicans who voted last month to impeach Trump, told CNN. "That line right there demonstrates to me that either he didn't care, which is impeachable, because you cannot allow an attack on your soil, or he wanted it to happen and was OK with it, which makes me so angry." "We should never stand for that, for any reason, under any party flag," she added, voicing her extreme frustration: "I'm trying really hard not to say the F-word." "I think it speaks to the former President's mindset," said Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio Republican who also voted to impeach Trump last month. "He was not sorry to see his unyieldingly loyal vice president or the Congress under attack by the mob he inspired. In fact, it seems he was happy about it or at the least enjoyed the scenes that were horrifying to most Americans across the country." As senators prepare to determine Trump's fate, multiple Republicans thought the details of the call were important to the proceedings because they believe it paints a damning portrait of Trump's lack of action during the attack. At least one of the sources who spoke to CNN took detailed notes of McCarthy's recounting of the call. Trump and McCarthy did not respond to requests for comment. It took Trump several hours after the attack began to eventually encourage his supporters to "go home in peace" -- a tweet that came at the urging of his top aides. At Trump's impeachment trial Friday, his lawyers argued that Trump did in fact try to calm the rioters with a series of tweets while the attack unfolded. But his lawyers cherry-picked his tweets, focusing on his request for supporters to "remain peaceful" without mentioning that he also attacked then-Vice President Mike Pence and waited hours to explicitly urge rioters to leave the Capitol. It's unclear to what extent these new details were known by the House Democratic impeachment managers or whether the team considered calling McCarthy as a witness. The managers have preserved the option to call witnesses in the ongoing impeachment trial, although that option remains unlikely as the trial winds down. The US House Republican leader had been forthcoming with his conference about details of his conversations with Trump on and after January 6. Trump himself has not taken any responsibility in public. This story was first published on CNN.com New details about Trump-McCarthy shouting match show Trump refused to call off the rioters remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. By Ernest Scheyder (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday said he would not stop the U.S. Forest Service from transferring government-owned land in Arizona to Rio Tinto Plc for its Resolution Copper project, denying a request from Native Americans who said the land has religious and cultural import. The judge's decision is likely to escalate the clash between members of Arizona's San Carlos Apache Tribe, who consider the land home to deities, and Rio and minority partner BHP Group Plc, who have spent more than $1 billion on the project without producing any copper, the red metal used to make electric vehicles and other electronics devices. The ruling means the land transfer can now take place by mid-March under a timeline approved by Congress and then-President Barack Obama in 2014. U.S. District Judge Steven Logan, an Obama appointee, said the group of Native Americans who brought the suit lacked standing and that the government has the right to give the land to whomever it chooses. Tribal members claimed the U.S. government has illegally occupied the land for more than 160 years, but Logan sided with government attorneys by finding that Washington gained the land in an 1848 treaty with Mexico. Representatives for the tribe, Rio Tinto and the U.S. Forest Service were not immediately available for comment. BHP declined to comment. "We remain undaunted," said Michael Nixon, an attorney for Apache Stronghold, the nonprofit group of Native Americans opposed to the mine. Logan's ruling was related to an injunction request. Apache Stronghold had also asked for a jury trial to determine, in part, whether the U.S. government can give the land away. It was not immediately clear when that trial could take place as U.S. courts have prioritized criminal cases during the coronavirus pandemic. Some Native Americans work for and support the Resolution project, though many others have vowed to oppose it forcefully. Logan last month declined to block the publication of an environmental study that started the 60-day countdown for the land swap. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Chris Reese, David Gregorio and Diane Craft) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. House Speaker Ronald Mariano is sending a message about tax policy ahead of budget season on Beacon Hill. Right now taxes are not on the table. We have no intention of raising taxes, Mariano told WCVBs On the Record in an interview set to air Sunday at 11 a.m. According to a partial transcript of the interview, Mariano expressed concern that the state budget was going to be short, and said the fate of President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion COVID relief and economic stimulus bill looms large. Im not optimistic that tax revenues are going to match ... even with some surprisingly robust returns ... Im still afraid were going to be a little short, Mariano said. But we do have to wait and see what the feds do. We are watching with a high degree of intensity what goes on in Washington. If the $1.9 trillion package passes, Mariano said, I think well be able to be alright without having to do anything more than to reallocate our funds ... and maybe put some money back into the rainy day fund. Gov. Charlie Baker two weeks ago proposed a $45.6 billion fiscal 2022 budget that does not include any tax increases on residents and would trim state spending by about $300 million, or 0.7 percent, while state tax revenue is expected to rise 3.5 percent over the current budget year. Bakers budget used about $1.6 billion from the states rainy day fund. Mariano, in the WCVB interview, concurred with host Ed Harding that this is a rainy day, suggesting hes open to making further draws from the stabilization fund to support state programs and services. Tax collections in fiscal 2021 are exceeding projections so far. House and Senate budget chiefs Aaron Michlewitz and Michael Rodrigues are likely to release a schedule of upcoming fiscal 2022 state budget hearings soon. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-14 00:29:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Administration Council led by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday issued an order amending the Protection of the Citizens for the Personal Freedom and Personal Security Law. According to the order, Sections 5, 7 and 8 of the law will be suspended during the state of emergency declared on Feb. 1. The suspended Section 5 says that the relevant ministry and responsible authorities shall ensure that there is no damage to the privacy and security of the citizen except where this occurs in accordance with existing law, and when acting in accordance with existing law, the authorities shall not enter into a person's residence or private places for the purpose of search, seizure, or arrest, unless accompanied by minimum of two witnesses from local administration organizations. The suspended Section 7 of the law says that no one shall be detained for more than 24 hours without permission from a court unless the detention is in accordance with existing law. The Section 8 limited entering into a citizen's private residence or room for the purpose of search, seizure, or arrest, surveilling, spying upon or investigating any citizen which could disturb their privacy and security or affect their dignity, intercepting or disturbing any citizen's communication with another person or communications equipment in any way, demanding or obtaining personal telephonic and electronic communications data from telecom operators without order, permission or warrant in accordance with existing law or responsible authority. It also prohibited opening, searching, seizing or destroying another person's private correspondence, envelope, package or parcel, unlawfully interfering with a citizen's personal or family matters or act in any way to slander or harm their reputation and unlawfully seizing the lawfully owned movable or immoveable property of a citizen or intentionally destroying either directly or by indirect means. The one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained along with other officials from National League for Democracy (NLD) by the military on Feb. 1. The state power was handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and the State Administration Council was formed later. The military had demanded the postponement of new parliamentary sessions, citing massive voting fraud in the November 2020 general elections, which saw the NLD win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament. Myanmar's Union Election Commission dismissed the allegation. Enditem Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here A former army captain who complained that a fellow soldier placed his genitals on her head and made racist jokes about running over Asian people has taken the Australian Defence Force to court. The young woman, originally from the Gold Coast, filed a sexual and racial discrimination claim in the Federal Court following the alleged incident in October 2017. She claims they were in a class at the Defence Force school of languages when the soldier from the Brisbane-based 6th Royal Australian Regiment put his genitals on the back of her head, after she made a joke about his 'tendency to whinge'. The young woman from the Gold Coast filed a sexual and racial discrimination claim in the Federal Court claiming a soldier placed his genitals on her head in October 2017 She claims they were in a class at the Defence Force school of languages when the soldier from the Brisbane-based 6th Royal Australian Regiment put his genitals on the back of her head, after she made a joke about his 'tendency to whinge' The female army officer allegedly told the man to 'get off me', to which he then sat down and apologised, The Courier Mail reported. She further alleges that the Australian Defence Force Investigation Services (ADFIS) looked into her claims. Court documents alleged that the Inspector General of the ADF described the soldier's behaviour as 'clumsy but not unacceptable'. She said her sexual misconduct allegations were later dropped. Further to the sexual misconduct claims, the woman complained to the ADF about racism during a language learning class in Melbourne's southwest in 2017. The group were being taught Pashto, the language of the Pashtun people of Afghanistan when a solder allegedly said, 'he could not understand me due to my ''gookie language'', she claims. Soon after, the same soldier accused of sexual misconduct made a racist comment about running over Asians, the woman claimed. 'There's so many Asians in the city - if I took my car off the road I would kill like 20 gooks,' the woman claims the soldier said. Another investigation by the Inspector General of the ADF found the soldier's comments were not meant to be heard by the army captain, the woman's court documents allege. He also allegedly described the soldier's comments as 'a poor brand of humour'. The former army captain (pictured) claimed that the soldier who allegedly sexually harassed her also made racist comments The woman filed a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in March 2020. The AHRC's investigation was terminated in November and the woman then filed her complaint in the Federal Court in Brisbane representing herself. She's requested the ADF pay compensation for the 'hurt and distress' caused by the 'harassment and victimisation'. She also asked for a written apology from the ADF expressing 'concern' that the alleged behaviours by fellow soldiers were 'accepted at the highest level'. The woman has called for a written apology from the ADF after filing her claims in the Federal Court of Brisbane She fears her complaint will make her a target by the ADF and 'bring further unwarranted damage to my career'. Her lawyer Paul James, from Operational Legal Australia, is a veteran himself and said they have dealt with similar issues as his client previously. 'We have issues with the way the Inspector General of the ADF conducts investigations,' Mr James told Daily Mail Australia. 'In my client's case, she felt the internal mechanisms had failed her and had no choice but to file to Federal Court.' The ADF has not yet filed a defence and no hearing date has been set. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the ADF for comment. Immunotherapy -- targeted drug combination improves survival in advanced kidney cancer Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab yields better overall survival than single-agent sunitinib when given as first-line therapy in untreated patients with metastatic kidney cancer The combination also improved progression-free survival and overall response rate BOSTON - Patients with advanced kidney cancer, who received a targeted drug combined with a checkpoint-blocker immunotherapy agent had longer survival than patients treated with the standard targeted drug, said an investigator from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, reporting results from a phase 3 clinical trial. The survival benefit demonstrates that an immune checkpoint inhibitor together with a targeted kinase inhibitor drug "is important in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma," said the authors of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine today and simultaneously presented during American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2021 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. The senior author is Toni Choueiri, MD, director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber. The phase 3 CLEAR study results showed significant benefits from the combination comprised of lenvatinib, an oral kinase inhibitor that targets proteins involved in the formation of blood vessels supplying a tumor, and pembrolizumab, a checkpoint inhibitor given by infusion that helps the immune system attack the cancer. Another group of patients received a combination of lenvatinib and everolimus, a drug that targets a protein, mTOR. The comparison drug was sunitinib, an inhibitor that targets multiple kinases and has been the standard treatment in these patients with advanced kidney cancer, which carries a poor prognosis. However, standard-of-care options now include treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, either as a combination of two checkpoint inhibitors or a checkpoint inhibitor plus a kinase inhibitor. These combinations have achieved improved outcomes for advanced kidney cancer patients compared with sunitinib. The results of the CLEAR study showed that those receiving the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab not only had longer overall survival but also longer progression-free survival - the period before their disease worsened - and a higher response rate. In addition to lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab, the clinical trial also tested the combination of lenvatinib and everolimus, which is approved for patients with advanced kidney cancer whose disease progresses following sunitinib treatment. The primary endpoint of the trial was progression-free survival (PFS). Both combinations proved superior to sunitinib alone: lenvatinib/pembrolizumab achieved a median PFS of 23.9 months vs 9.2 for sunitinib; PFS for lenvatinib/everolimus was 14.7 months. The 24-month overall survival rate was 79.2% with lenvatinib/pembrolizumab, 66.1% with lenvatinib/everolimus, and 70.4% with sunitinib. The confirmed objective response rate (percentage of patients whose disease shrank) was 71% with lenvatinib/pembrolizumab, 53.5% with lenvatinib/everolimus, and 35.1% with sunitinib. The rate of complete responses - total tumor shrinkage - was 16.1% in patients receiving lenvatinib/pembrolizumab, 9.8% in the lenvatinib plus everolimus group, and 4.2% in the sunitinib group. "The rate of responses and complete responses, and the progression-free survival were the longest we have seen to date in a phase 3 combination of a targeted VEGF inhibitor and an immune checkpoint inhibitor," said Choueiri. The CLEAR trial is the last of the clinical trials that were launched to compare immunotherapy and targeted drug combinations to sunitinib, and sunitinib will not be the comparison drug in future trials because the combinations have proven superior in these advanced kidney cancer patients, said Choueiri. Almost all patients in the CLEAR trial experienced some adverse events from treatment. The most frequent adverse events were diarrhea and hypertension. These side effects led to stopping the treatment in 37.2% of patients in the lenvatinib/pembrolizumab group, and dose reduction of lenvatinib in 68.5% of patients. "Although the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab was associated with some notable side effects, these adverse events are often adequately managed" the researchers said. ### The study was sponsored by Eisai, Inc., the discoverer of lenvatinib, and Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Choueiri is supported in part by the Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Chair at Harvard Medical School. Choueiri's disclosures include receiving institutional research funds from AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, Cerulean, Eisai, Foundation Medicine Inc., Exelixis, Ipsen, Tracon, Genentech, Roche, Roche Products Limited, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Peloton, Pfizer, Prometheus Labs, Corvus, Calithera, Analysis Group, Takeda as well as a consulting or advisory role for AstraZeneca, Alexion, Sanofi/Aventis, Bayer, BMS, Cerulean, Eisai, Foundation Medicine Inc., Exelixis, Genentech, Heron Therapeutics, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Peloton, Pfizer, EMD Serono, Prometheus Labs, Corvus, Ipsen, Up-to-Date, NCCN, Analysis Group. About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world's leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber's mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. We provide the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 10 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care. As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials. This story has been published on: 2021-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Senate broke out in a standing ovation on Friday as it awarded its highest honour to Eugene Goodman, a US Capitol police officer who helped keep a crowd of attackers out of the Senate chamber during the 6 January riots in Washington, buying time for legislators to escape. It was a rare moment of bipartisanship, passed with unanimous consent, following days of contentious impeachment hearings. In the weeks after the attack on January the 6th, the world learned about the incredible, incredible bravery of Officer Goodman on that fateful day, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech to his colleagues on Friday. Here in this trial, we saw new video, powerful video, showing calmness under pressure, his courage in the line of duty, his foresight in the midst of chaos, and his willingness to make himself a target of the mobs rage so that others might reach safety. The leader then told the chamber officer Goodman was there observing the days proceedings, and the senators broke out in applause. Mr Goodman, along with the other Capitol officers who defended Congress on 6 January, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the bodys highest civilian honour. Read more: Follow all the latest Trump impeachment news live During the impeachment trial, newly revealed security videos showed officer Goodman helping stall the mob so vice-president Mike Pence could escape, and guiding senator Mitt Romney to safety, avoiding a close call with the violent crowd breaching the building. That day, those men and women risked and gave their lives to save ours, becoming martyrs for our democracy, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to her colleagues in a letter on Thursday. The outstanding heroism and patriotism of our heroes ... demand our deepest appreciation. Legislators had previously honoured Mr Goodman at the inauguration, where he escorted vice-president Kamala Harris. At least 140 police officers were injured during the attacks. US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died as a result of his injuries, and two other officers, Howard Liebengood and Jeffrey Smith, both died from suicide following the riots. In addition to celebrating officers bravery, four congressional committees have launched an investigation into the attacks and how security forces were caught so unprepared, despite months of open agitation from hard-core Trump supporters ahead of 6 January. Police were so outnumbered in the Capitol that most of the rioters were allowed to leave freely after storming Congress to try and overturn the election by force. Observers have noted that last summers far more peaceful, multi-racial Black Lives Matter protests were met with a harsh police response and militaristic riot control tactics, while the mostly white crowd of pro-Trump rioters were not. In 2020, the Ministry of Electronics and IT had banned TikTok and 118 more Chinese apps, including PUBG mobile game. Months after the government banned popular short video sharing app TikTok, parent ByteDance is planning to sale its India operations to rival unicorn Glance. Japans SoftBank Group Corp has initiated the discussions between the two firms. However, the talks are private, reported Bloomberg. SoftBank is a backer of Glances parent InMobi Pte as well as TikToks Chinese parent, ByteDance. Govt to continue ban on Chinese apps including Tiktok Any deal between SoftBank, Glances parent InMobi Pte and ByteDance will need approval from the Indian authorities. In 2020, the Ministry of Electronics and IT banned TikTok and 118 more Chinese apps, including PUBG mobile game, amid a stand-off between India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the Galwan valley clash. The ban was imposed under section 69A of the Information Technology Act after learning that the apps are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. With India-China tensions growing strong, SoftBank has been looking for local partners in India for ByteDance's TikTok operations. However, Chinas new rules around export of technology may make the negotiations even more intricate as any sale of TikTok could need approval from Chinese authorities, Bloomberg reported. According to Bloomberg, TikToks potential partner, Bengaluru-headquartered Glance Digital Experience is a mobile content platform started by Harvard Business School alum Naveen Tewari. He is the founder of InMobi, Indias first unicorn. Roposo, Glances short video sharing platform, saw a massive growth spurt after the TikTok ban, and it became a unicorn in December after securing backing of Google and billionaire Peter Thiels Mithril Capital. TikTok, before it was banned in India - its biggest market, had hit over 200 million users. However, following the ban, ByteDance had to start unwinding its local operations, which resulted in the firing of hundreds of Indian employees. Elon Musk, the now richest man in the world who is also arguably more popular than before as his mere tweets had large effects on the market has just made another appearance on the popular Joe Rogan show. While his previous appearance saw a lot of attention, his recent appearance after the recent accomplishment had more details to offer about SpaceX, Tesla, and even Neuralink. Elon Musk Joe Roga podcast In a certain segment of the podcast on the Joe Rogan Experience exclusive on Spotify, both Joe Rogan and Elon Musk were discussing cars focusing on Tesla. Within the conversation of speeds and models, the topic shifted into talking about car safety in which Elon Musk provided some insights to. Elon Musk actually revealed that seatbelts were not always favored in the past and historically, there were some protests against the use of seatbelts and that a number of people have died due to the lack of seatbelts alone. Instead of focusing more on seatbelts, however, the Tesla CEO then said that airbags are actually much safer in comparison to seatbelts. Elon Musk Tesla airbags Elon Musk suggested that with the right airbag technology, cars would no longer need to use seatbelts since there are certain advantages of airbags as opposed to seatbelts. Elon Musk then noted that Tesla technology allows the Tesla vehicles to update exactly how their airbags will deploy depending on the passengers location as well as weight distribution. This would then provided maximum safety for the passenger. According to the Tesla CEO's statement, it's now very dynamically updating the said airbag firing according to where the passenger is seating and even how much they weigh in real time. It was also said that the Tesla airbags are so good that it will no longer matter if the passenger or driver would be wearing a seatbelt since it reportedly won't be making a significant difference anymore if accidents happen. Read Also: Top 10 Failures of Elon Musk: The Mistakes that Made Him Elon Musk on car safety ratings Elon Musk then clarified that the Tesla vehicles do have the lowest probability of injury in comparison to any car that was ever tested. After sharing more about Tesla and its safety, Joe Rogan than asked more about star ratings for cars. Elon Musk then revealed that those stars aren't really that useful. Elon Musk made sure to clarify that generally, bigger cars are safer than small cars. He then noted that let's say a small car with five star rating in terms of safety would go head to head with a big car with a one star rating, in the end, the bigger car would win either way. Elon Musk then noted that it is actually legal to sell one star cars in the United States. He then expressed how Tesla is not only focusing on the electric side of car manufacturing but also the safety side of it as well. Other notes are available on PodcastNotes. Related Article: "Crime Against Humanity" Elon Musk's SpaceX has been met with Heat from Astronomers for the Brightness Problem their Starlinks have caused Nepals civil war (1996-2006) is a page of history that most Nepalis remember as the dark years of Nepal. Maoist rebels had started an armed agitation on February 13, 1996, to overthrow the long-running monarchy in Nepal and establish a peoples system, and it lasted for 10 years until they signed a peace agreement with the government formed after the 2006 Peoples Movement. The 10-year-long conflict resulted in the loss of lives and property, deaths of over 17,000 people and over 3,000 enforced disappearance cases. Here are a few of the most violent incidents that occurred during that time. 1. The opening attack: February 13, 1996 Different Maoist groups carried out seven simultaneous attacks in six districts. This marked the start of the infamous Nepali civil war and one of the many violent attacks that followed. 2. Simultaneous attacks in 42 districts: November 23, 2001 The Maoists walked out of the table talks with the government for peace. Later, they carried out simultaneous attacks on police and army posts in 42 districts. 3. Bhalubang attack: October 13, 2003 Maoists cadres stormed a police training centre in Bhalubang, Dang. The clash resulted in the loss of around 40 lives from both sides. Witnesses later revealed that the rebelling troop had cut telephone cables, blocked roads and blown up bridges along the highway. 4. Dhanusha attack: April 4, 2004 Maoists cadres attacked a police post at Jadukhola in Dhanusha district, killing at least nine policemen during the late evening. As many as 35 police personnel were reported missing while nine were reported dead, and seven others wounded. The rebel side also lost eight or nine people. Peoples Liberation Army. Photo Courtesy: Prakash Mathema 5. Strike in Kathmandu: April 5, 2004 They also organised demonstrations in Kathmandu where some 150 demonstrators were baton-charged by police. In different clashes of the two sides around the city, at least 140 were injured. Rebels attempted to cross barricades in front of the Narayanhiti Palace and were fired with tear gas and baton charge. 6. Rukum attack: April 13, 2005 Around 60 Maoists died during clashes at Dalphing in Rukum district. This was later dubbed as the heaviest clash between the two sides after King Gyanendra announced a coup and imposed the emergency rule in the country. 7. Siraha-Sindhuli attack: May 15, 2005 At least 50 Maoists and two soldiers died during a clash at Jarayatar in the Sindhuli District. Police had followed the rebels back to their base after the Maoist cadres attacked an army base in Siraha killing four. 8. Kalikot attack: August 9, 2005 Maoist rebels killed 40 security personnel in an attack in Kalikot, mid-western Nepal. Later, the Nepal Army released a statement condemning the rebel group for inhumanely lining up and shooting the security personnel. 9. Bandarmudhe ambush: June 6. 2005 More than 38 civilians were killed and over 70 injured in an ambush by Maoists cadres. The civilians were travelling on a bus. When the bus was crossing a small wooden bridge over a stream, a bomb placed by the Maoist group detonated at Bandarmudhe of Chitwan. This resulted in the collapse of the bridge and the bus fell into the stream. 10. Kathmandu clash: April 29, 2006 Maoists rebels stage another round of protests. In Kathmandu, they clashed with police, resulting in arrests of hundreds, and injuring dozens. Outside Kathmandu, Maoists attacked security bases in Rupandehi and Kapilavastu districts, killing four rebels and two civilians. This would be one of the Maoists last attempts before they signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord with the government on November 21, 2006. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. By Malcolm Galpern Levin galpernl@grinnell.edu As classes continue virtually and temperatures outside slip below zero, first-year Grinnell College students find themselves spending more and more time in their brand-new dorm rooms. Many are wholeheartedly embracing the art of interior design as they attempt to spice up the monochromatic white walls they were first greeted with. This week the S&B visited six unique first-year dorm rooms and got a sneak peek at the comfort students have sought out and created for themselves in their new homes. These interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Previous Next Lucia Finkelstein 24, Loose Hall Eclectic I dont think it has a theme. I like the idea that its like a bunch of different themes together. I like the look of different things that kind of dont really go together being put together. So, if that were a theme then that would be the theme: a jumble of things I think always looks cool. Ive been planning this out since when we were supposed to go in August. My room in Brooklyn, where Im from, its my childhood bedroom so I never got to fully make it look like how I want it to look now because it always will have the remnants of being a toddler. Its not designed the way I would have designed it now. Ayan Rahman 24, Loose Hall Vibey My room basically is a very calming location during the day and then at night its a very vibey area with lots of lights. I spend a lot of time in my room at home and in my room the biggest thing that I do is watch Anime, so I feel like I brought that piece of myself here in Grinnell through that. I also listen to a lot of music in my own room, so I brought out a lot of my favorite artists. Somehow this isnt what my room looks like at home but bringing all the elements of what I do in my own room to Grinnell kind of makes it feel more home-y. I made sure to bring a lot of different photos of friends and family and put them alongside my posters and album covers. They told us to be very minimal with how much we pack, but I guess its my first dorm experience, so I really wanted to go all out but then balance that with the minimal energy. Its a matter of comfort I think at the end of the day. I have this really cool skylight; at night it projects these really cool colored stars and it looks like a fricken galaxy. Lexi Hankenson 24, Norris Hall Soothing The main thing that was important to me about coming to Grinnell was still having a sense of home, which sounds super cheesy, but I cannot focus or think unless I have things around me. Im like a reverse minimalist. Above the windows I have three tapestries that are tarot cards which represent the star, the moon and the sun. I really connect with spiritual things so to have them right out the window, which happens to be southern facing exposure, it just kind of helped me have a little center where its like this is my peace center. I have my fairy lights up because I hate fluorescent lighting. I cannot stand fluorescent lighting. Peace, love and positivity to the people who can. The fairy lights just kind of help me separate the space thats more for relaxing. Maddie Healy 24, Loose Hall Colorful I knew that we were going to be here for seven weeks, and we were supposed to pack essentially, but I wanted it to be a fun place because I knew I would be spending a lot of time in here because its cold out. So, I just brought a ton of stuff to decorate, especially the walls, to kind of make it feel like home. I just go through magazines and stuff and cut out random photos because Im not trying to spend too much money. Then I just hang them up and sometimes they look ugly, but kind of the ugly ones are good. Jasper Gray 24, Norris Hall Home I was just trying to make it someplace Id be comfortable with, bringing the element of home just things that would remind me of home. A lot of these posters are from my room [at home]. The College really advised us to bring only the essentials, and I guess to me at home my room is my safe place where Im the happiest. I know that whenever Im going through something, Im always safer in my room. I can lock it and then I dont really have to deal with the outside world. I didnt want to lose that when I came to Grinnell. Having this place is so much more impactful because its my first place that my parents arent in control of. I love them but its kind of nice to be independent. Occupied El-Aaiun , Feb 13, 2022 (SPS) -. The Sahrawi Instance against the Moroccan Occupation condemned the arbitrary detention of Sahrawi civilians in the Occupied Zones of Western Sahara. The Saharawi entity reported this Friday in a statement that the Moroccan occupation forces had detained Gali Buha-la and Nafee Butasufra, Thursday, February 11. The houses of the families of the two militants were raided and their members attacked, beaten and some had their phones confiscated. The Saharawi NGO, after condemning this arbitrary detention to which the relatives of the detainees were subjected, consider that this escalation of detentions launched by the Moroccan occupation police against Sahrawi activists and citizens who peacefully demand the end of the Moroccan occupation and the independence of Western Sahara, is to silence and repress the voices against the occupation and to restrict freedom of expression. It has demanded the release of all Sahrawi political prisoners who languish in Moroccan prisons, calling on international human rights organizations to intervene in favor of the defense of Sahrawi civilians in the occupied cities of Western Sahara SPS 125/090/TRA A Republican congresswoman intervened in the last hours of Donald Trump's impeachment trial to plead with 'patriots' who were around him on January 6 to go public on his actions. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted for Trump's impeachment, made the plea with hours before a likely vote on Trump's fate after revealing how he had rejected GOP minority leader Kevin McCarthy's plea to call off the mob. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' she said. Her dramatic revelation of the call was seized on by one Democratic senator as a reason to demand witnesses. 'When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol,' Herrera Beutler recounted. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' Jaime Herrera Beutler said. Not Antifa: Trump tried to claim that the hundreds of violent supporters who stormed into the Capitol were not his - prompting a furious response from Kevin McCarthy F-word call: Kevin McCarthy pleaded with Donald Trump to call off his mob on January 6, and when Trump said 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' responded: 'Who the f**k do you think you're speaking to?' CNN's blockbuster report about the McCarthy call comes after Trump's lawyers laid out their case in the Senate impeachment trial. Trump's lawyers denied he knew people, like Vice President Mike Pence, were in harm's way 'McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Other sources told CNN that McCarthy replied to Trump: 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' and that McCarthy had phoned Trump because the MAGA mob were smashing the windows in his office. Herrera Beutler's account of McCarthy's call was also publicly supported by Republicans congressman Anthony Gonzalez, who also voted for impeachment. Herrera Butler also said that her account should not come as a surprise - and that she had told people in her Washington State district. 'Since I publicly announced my decision to vote for impeachment, I have shared these details in countless conversations with constituents and colleagues, and multiple times through the media and other public forums,' she said in a statement. 'I told it to the Daily News of Longview on January 17. I've shared it with local county Republican executive board members, as well as other constituents who ask me to explain my vote. I shared it with thousands of residents on my telephone town hall on February 8.' Her account came after Alabama Republican senator Tommy Tuberville was branded a liar by Trump's defense team for saying he told Trump just after 2pm: 'Mr. President, they've taken the vice president out. They want me to get off the phone, I gotta go.' During Friday's impeachment trial, Trump's lawyers tried to deny the president even knew that individuals like Pence were in peril. 'The answer is no. At no point was the president informed the vice president was in any danger,' Trump's attorney Bruce Castor said, despite Tuberville's remarks. Tuberville robustly stood by his account - prompting Democratic senator Sheldon Whitehouse, of Rhode Island, to say that the trial should be halted to depose both Tuberville and McCarthy. Whitehouse said that Trump's attorneys were 'under ethics obligation' to clear up the record about what Trump knew on the day of the riot. 'You don't get as counsel to make misrepresentations; if you do, you have an affirmative duty to clean it up,' wrote Whitehouse. 'Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting,' Whitehouse wrote. 'What did Trump know, and when did he know it? One way to clear it up? Suspend trial to depose McCarthy and Tuberville under oath and get facts. Ask Secret Service to produce for review comms back to White House re VP Pence safety during siege.' Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is presiding over the trial as president pro tempore of the Senate, after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts declined to participate. Senate procedures do not place a time limit on impeachment trials, and the presiding officer of the trial has the power to direct the proceedings and rule on all questions of evidence. A move to depose witnesses needs the approval of 51 senators. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the impeachment trial, issued the call to suspend the proceedings in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal Senator Tuberville of Alabama said he told Trump that VP Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate There may be other people to speak to, if Herrera Beutler's plea for people to come forward yields fruit. Some have already spoken anonymously: CNN's sources were Republican members of Congress, who believed that the contents of the call prove that Trump had no interest in calling off the deadly riot. 'He is not a blameless observer, he was rooting for them,' one GOP unnamed lawmaker said. 'On January 13, Kevin McCarthy said on the floor of the House that the President bears responsibility and he does.' 'This proves that the president knew very early on - what the mob was doing, and he knew members were at risk and he refused to act ... it's a violation of his oath of office to fail to come to this defense of Congress and the constitutional process immediately,' another GOP member familiar with the call told CNN. Meanwhile, Tuberville's conversation with Trump is of interest to Democrats because Trump sent a tweet at 2.24pm on January 6 saying that Pence didn't have 'the courage' to challenge the election results. If Tuberville's account is correct, then Trump would likely have known before sending the tweet that Pence had been evacuated and was in danger. At the time, the rioters had already broken into the Capitol, some of them calling for Pence's death. After Friday's proceedings, Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, stood by his account, paraphrasing his January 6 phone conversation with Trump. 'Mr. President, they've taken the vice president out. They want me to get off the phone, I gotta go,' Tuberville recalled telling Trump during the Capitol attack. The Senate had been scheduled to hear closing arguments in the trial on Saturday, and was also expected to vote on conviction or acquittal -- but Whitehouse's proposal raised the possibility of a delay. However, his proposal to depose McCarthy and Tuberville drew scorn from Republican strategist Matt Whitlock, who said it was too late in the process to depose new witnesses. 'This is exactly what the House was supposed to do before it got to a Senate trial,' Whitlock tweeted. 'You don't suspend an impeachment trial to go back and redo the House's job and investigate and collect sworn testimony. Compare to the first impeachment where they spent months building a case.' Kaia Gerber hugged her supermodel pal Cara Delevingne as they surfaced from lockdown in Los Angeles this week. The 19-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford, who has followed her mother's footsteps into the modeling business, was walking her dog Milo. Last summer Kaia became one of the many Americans to adopt dogs while self-isolating which is how Milo entered her life. So sweet: Kaia Gerber hugged her supermodel pal Cara Delevingne as they surfaced from lockdown in Los Angeles this week On the move: The 19-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford, who has followed her mother's footsteps into the modeling business, was walking her dog Milo For her latest outing Kaia hinted at her trim midriff in a grey crop hoodie and slipped into pair of black leggings. She made sure to take the precaution of wearing a mask as she stepped out amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Sweeping her hair into a small ponytail, she accessorized with a leather purse that complemented her cozy UGG Classic Ultra Mini boots. Origin story: Last summer Kaia became one of the many Americans to adopt dogs while self-isolating which is how Milo entered her life Off she goes: For her latest outing Kaia hinted at her trim midriff in a grey crop hoodie and slipped into pair of black leggings Kaia was seen holding a beverage that looked like iced coffee in one hand while hugging Cara with the other. Meanwhile Cara slipped into a navy sweater and complemented the top with a pair of lighter blue leggings, warding off the California rays with shades by Etnia Barcelona x Ignasi Monreal . Kaia and Cara happen to both be pals with Once Upon A Time star Margaret Qualley whose mother is Andie MacDowell. Covered up: She made sure to take the precaution of wearing a mask as she stepped out amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in her UGG Classic Ultra Mini boots Cara, whose father is a successful property developer, also has some show business in her background in the form of her godmother Joan Collins. For the past few months Kaia has been running around with 23-year-old Australian actor Jacob Elordi who stars in the Kissing Booth film series on Netflix. On her end Cara last year broke up with her longtime girlfriend Ashley Benson who rose to fame as an actress on Pretty Little Liars. Meanwhile: Cara slipped into a navy sweater and complemented the top with a pair of lighter blue leggings, warding off the California rays with shades by Etnia Barcelona x Ignasi Monreal Stuff of legend: Cara, whose father is a successful property developer, also has some show business in her background in the form of her godmother Joan Collins Gorgeous: Kaia beamed in photos shared to Instagram later on Saturday as she advertised Marc Jacobs' Daisy fragrance Pastoral: The model wore a low-cut white top and a straw hat while smiling angelically as she rested on the grass on a lovely sunny day Whoops! She goofed around in a short video posted to her Insta Stories in which she sat down in a massive Celine bag, only to find that she was stuck and couldn't get up Arizona News Tucson, Arizona - On Tuesday, Isaiah Joseph Rios, 22, of Sells, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to concurrent terms of 121 months and 120 months in prison. Rios previously pleaded guilty on November 22, 2019 to one count of Abusive Sexual Contact and one count of Sexual Abuse involving minors. Following his release from federal prison, Rios will be placed on lifetime federal supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender. In October of 2016, Rios, then 18 years of age, forcibly fondled a minor without her consent. In March of 2017, Rios forcibly fondled another minor and then engaged in a sexual act, all without her consent. The victims reported the assaults in August 2017. Rios is an enrolled member of the Tohono Oodham Nation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tohono Oodham Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-18-2416-TUC-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2021-005_Rios Dairy Princess pageant livestreamed on Tuesday County Dairy Princesses from around New York State will participate in American Dairy Association North Easts (ADANE) 58th New York State Dairy Princess Pageant, which will take place on February 16. The event will be livestreamed on the ADANE Facebook page beginning at 6 p.m. One New York State Dairy Princess will be crowned along with two alternates who will be selected to represent New Yorks dairy farmers and serve as dairy industry ambassadors throughout the next year. Contestants have served as a county dairy princess since Spring 2020, promoting milk and dairy products in their communities. Author to discuss family's history in Saratoga February marks Black History month in the United States as a way to recognize the important contributions that African Americans have made to our country. As a way to highlight this important history in Saratoga Springs, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation welcomes local author, educator, and musician Carol Daggs to speak about her familys over 120-year history as Saratogians featured in her book Saratoga Soul Brandtville Blues. Join the Foundation for this hour-long virtual program on Tuesday, February 23rd at 7PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. Carol Daggs recent novel Saratoga Brandtville Blues is this years Saratoga Reads! selection from the Saratoga Springs Public Library. This program is open to the public for a suggested contribution of $10 and pre-registration is required to attend on Zoom. For additional information or to register for the virtual program visit www.saratogapreservation.org or call (518) 587-5030. Everyone who pre-registers for this program will be emailed a Zoom link in advance. Black History Matters programs continue The National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, Peterboro, continues its daily Black History Matters programs in February. A free program, addressing a key event in our nations history that may be lesser known or the implications of which are not usually understood, is released each day on the NAHOF website and will remain available throughout February. February 15 The Great Migration Victoria Basulto, Black History Matters manager of programming, will present on the northward migration between 1916 and 1970 to industrial cities and urban centers of the estimated six million Black Americans who left behind their homes in the South. February 16 Tulsa Massacre In this program JJ Citron, the 2019 Colgate Upstate Institute fellow at NAHOF will demonstrate how both civilians and Tulsas city government collaborated to attack residents and businesses of the Greenwood District February 17 Housing Inequality: Black Residential Segregation and its Continuing Legacy Truman Hartshorn PhD, professor emeritus Georgia State University, Atlanta, will address the black residential spaces in the cities which traditionally existed as a city within a city, sometimes called a ghetto space. February 18 A Raisin in the Sun The play A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry debuted on March 11, 1959 and covered the story of a Black family, the Youngers, struggling to make their dreams a reality in the ghetto of Southside Chicago. Victoria Basulto will provide an exploration of this play. Trebek autobiography is library group topic Guilderland Public Library's Night Owls Online book discussion group will focus on Alex Trebek's autobiography, The Answer is...Reflections on My Life, on Monday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to request this selection well in advance and register on the Events tab of the library's website. Grant to help college in reintroducing beetle SUNY Cobleskills Wildlife Management Program has been awarded $140,026 through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Recovery Challenge Grant initiative to reintroduce the American burying beetle into suitable habitats in New York State. The beetle was once abundant across much of the United States but, as of the early 1900s, was reduced to only a few isolated populations, or less than 10 percent of its original range, and even these populations are now threatened. Russia has slapped economic sanctions on nine Ukrainian firms, the latest in a list of businesses that it targets with such penalties. The companies targeted by "special economic measures" under the new Russian decree, which was published late on February 12, include Ukrainian vessel builder Craneship, towage firm Donmar, cargo operator Transship, and metal producer Maxima Metal. The decree did not say why the companies had been targeted. The latest move brings the number of Ukrainian companies sanctioned by Russia to 84. Relations between Ukraine and Russia deteriorated in 2014 after Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula and began supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine. The conflict, now in its seventh year, has killed more than 13,200 people. Russia denies Kyiv's accusations that its military has been involved in the conflict. The West has slapped a range of sanctions since then on Russia, which has retaliated with its own measures. There was no immediate response from Ukraine to the move. In a sign of further strains in Moscow's ties to the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on February 12 that it was ready to sever ties with the European Union if the bloc hit it with painful economic sanctions. Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa Advertisement The simmering Tory tensions over lockdown came to a head in spectacular fashion last week when venerable backbencher Sir Charles Walker encountered Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the Commons. Sir Charles passionately believes that measures to limit the spread of the virus risk causing more harm than they prevent, particularly in terms of mental health; Mr Hancock has consistently argued that the protection of the NHS should be the over-arching priority. Sir Charles was enraged by the chaos over messages from Mr Hancock and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps over whether people should book a summer holiday and by the decision to impose a ten-year jail sentence on people who flout strict new quarantine rules, a rule introduced without MPs getting a chance to vote on it. So when Mr Hancock addressed a private meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee, of which Sir Charles is vice-chairman, he let rip at the Cabinet Minister, telling him that the Prime Minister's 'legs have been cut from underneath him as a result of the interventions' by Mr Hancock and Mr Shapps, adding: 'If the PM is let down again by his Secretaries of State, he should remove them from Cabinet'. With 'vaccines coming out of our ears', as Sir Charles has put it, impatience on the party's backbenches is growing. By last night, a total of 63 Tory MPs had signed a letter from the party's Covid Recovery Group urging a swift exit from lockdown easily enough to wipe out the Prime Minister's majority if they voted with Labour. The simmering Tory tensions over lockdown came to a head in spectacular fashion last week when venerable backbencher Sir Charles Walker encountered Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the Commons Sir Charles passionately believes that measures to limit the spread of the virus risk causing more harm than they prevent, particularly in terms of mental health; Mr Hancock has consistently argued that the protection of the NHS should be the over-arching priority In other coronavirus developments: There were claims that some care home bosses are threatening staff who refuse to have the jab with the sack; Health Secretary Matt Hancock clashed with senior Tory Sir Charles Walker over the ten-year jail terms facing those who flout new quarantine rules, with Sir Charles saying the policy was 'disastrous' and a repeat should cost the Health Secretary his job; The head of Heathrow warned that the airport is not ready to roll out the hotel quarantine scheme set to be imposed from tomorrow; AstraZeneca said it would expand trials of its Oxford vaccine to children as young as six while Janssen, another pharma firm, said it may start testing its jab on newborn babies and pregnant women; Police said officers would be carrying out spot checks on drivers today to see if they were making 'non-essential' trips to visit lovers on Valentine's Day; A video emerged of militant teachers boasting about how they used threats of strike action to keep classrooms closed, fuelling fears that hardline unions will seek to derail plans to reopen schools; Documents emerged suggesting the Wuhan laboratory at the centre of global suspicion over the pandemic planned to experiment on live bats; Additional surge testing began in Middlesbrough, Walsall and Hampshire after cases of the South Africa variant of Covid-19 were identified. Their views were summed up with the line: 'The vaccine gives us immunity from Covid but it must also give us permanent immunity from Covid-related lockdowns and restrictions'. While the increasingly powerful group looks likely to be granted its wish for all pupils to be allowed to return to the classrooms on March 8, the issue which has most divided the Cabinet has been the fate of the hospitality industry and specifically whether outside dining at pubs and restaurants should be allowed in April. Last night, senior Government sources indicated that the group's demand for what's been dubbed 'alfresco April' to start at Easter, the weekend of April 4, was also likely to be met. But the divide between the economic 'hawks' pushing for as much commercial activity as can be safely allowed led by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the more cautious doves' has opened up again. Mr Hancock and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove led calls to wait until late April or May to reopen the hospitality industry, arguing that it would be wrong to 'casually dine al fresco' until the data was clearer on the vaccine's impact on transmission. But the hand of the hawks has been strengthened by new data indicating that the Pfizer vaccine starts to work in as little as two weeks, reducing the symptomatic infection by around 65 per cent in both young adults and the over-80s. Data on post-vaccine transmission levels could be presented to the Prime Minister as soon as tomorrow. Mr Sunak was joined by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng in calling for a fast easing of lockdown. One source said: 'The difference between the two camps amounts to about three weeks basically between the beginning of April or the end.' Sir Charles was enraged by the chaos over messages from Mr Hancock and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (pictured) over whether people should book a summer holiday and by the decision to impose a ten-year jail sentence on people who flout strict new quarantine rules, a rule introduced without MPs getting a chance to vote on it. By last night, a total of 63 Tory MPs had signed a letter from the party's Covid Recovery Group urging a swift exit from lockdown easily enough to wipe out the Prime Minister's majority if they voted with Labour Last night, senior Government sources indicated that the group's demand for what's been dubbed 'alfresco April' to start at Easter, the weekend of April 4, was also likely to be met And a Minister added: 'We are in the endgame now. Firemen damping down a blaze always stay longer after it's out. You don't want the fire smouldering and then reigniting. 'We're all firemen in the Cabinet. We want to put the fire out, but won't stop [lockdown] until we are absolutely convinced that it is'. No 10 has been angered by the perception that they have been 'held captive' by over-cautious scientists on the Sage group of advisers. One source said: 'It is not true. We are all working as hard as we can to get back to normal. Do not confuse uncertainty for lack of a plan'. A handful of Ministers and scientific advisers have been drawing up the 'road map' for Boris Johnson to unveil this month, with the wider Cabinet likely to be talked through its broad points in advance of the announcement on February 22. With Mr Johnson's target of vaccinating the most vulnerable 15 million people by tomorrow within reach, the Prime Minister has ordered a celebratory 'starburst' a blitz of Ministerial visits to target vaccination centres in a final push to encourage all vulnerable people to get the jab. With Mr Johnson's target of vaccinating the most vulnerable 15 million people by tomorrow within reach, the Prime Minister has ordered a celebratory 'starburst' a blitz of Ministerial visits to target vaccination centres in a final push to encourage all vulnerable people to get the jab The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report today suggested suggested there were 695,400 Covid-19 cases in England alone by February 6, down 31 per cent from a fortnight ago in yet another firm sign the second wave is in retreat. This equates to one in eighty people having the virus The drive includes a renewed effort to persuade care home workers to take up the jab by 'appealing to their altruism and public service', emphasising it not only protects them, but the people they work with. But the pressure on the Government over the economic impact continues to mount from the backbenches: just yesterday, Nickie Aiken, the Tory MP for Westminster, says theatres in London's West End had warned that they needed between four and five months' notice before reopening, while, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the hospitality industry needed at least a month to gear up. Sir Charles has become a rallying point for backbench discontent. He declined to comment on any remarks made behind closed doors at the 1922 Committee, but he told The Mail on Sunday that introducing the ten-year jail penalty without allowing proper debate in the Commons was a 'really low and underhand thing to do'. He said: 'The idea that we are going to lock people up for ten years in a prison system already full to bursting is just not credible'. One Tory MP said privately: 'Charles has a very good point. The absurd ten-year jail sentence stuff undermines our credibility and saying no summer holidays for people was pretty demoralising.' But a government source defended Mr Hancock and Mr Shapps, saying 'enhanced border measures' were vital and that it was only wise to be cautious about booking holidays. MATT HANCOCK: I've danced a little jig at the joy the jab's giving By Matt Hancock for the Mail on Sunday Just over two months ago, grandmother Margaret Keenan, then aged 90, received the world's first clinically authorised coronavirus vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry. Since that magical day, more than 14.5 million people have joined Margaret in getting protected that's over one in four adults across the country. We have thrown everything at the vaccine rollout and the whole project has shown a can-do attitude at its best. Now we're homing in on our target of offering a vaccine to everyone in the four most vulnerable groups by tomorrow. This monumental operation across all parts of the UK has given hope and comfort to so many families. Mine is no different, and I've danced a little jig as I've seen for myself the joy it can bring, as my grandfather, mum, dad, step-parents and in-laws and many loved ones have each in turn had their jabs these past few weeks. Just over two months ago, grandmother Margaret Keenan, then aged 90, received the world's first clinically authorised coronavirus vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry I'd like to thank everyone who has played a part in this exceptional national effort demonstrating the best of British at our time of crisis. I've been thrilled to see the level of enthusiasm people have shown to get protected, with nearly all over-70s having had their first dose. This is a take-up beyond my highest hopes. Because we have made such huge strides in protecting those at greatest risk, we are now in a position to extend eligibility even further and offer invites to over- 65s this week. This will mean that millions more people in England will be eligible for vaccines and benefit from the protection it provides. 'I know people in their late 60s who have barely left the house for months and have been looking forward to this moment so much. Since that magical day, more than 14.5 million people have joined Margaret in getting protected that's over one in four adults across the country And meanwhile we will keep working to reach the people in the four most vulnerable groups who have not yet come forward. If you live in England, are 70 and over and haven't yet got an appointment to get vaccinated, please contact the NHS, either online through the National Booking Service, or if you can't get online, by phoning 119. I know there are some people who might have concerns. We're determined to do everything we can to address any questions about the vaccine because we know it is safe, and we want as many people to take up the life-saving chance to be protected against the Covid-19 virus. This weekend the Government published the vaccine uptake plan, setting out how we will boost vaccine take-up in all our communities, with a particular focus on vulnerable and under-served groups. This matters to us all. The fewer people who are left unprotected, the safer we will all be, and the more securely we will be able to release restrictions when the time is right. This programme offers a clear pathway out of the pandemic. Meantime, while the vaccinators and volunteers do their work, we must all answer our country's call, and follow the rules that will keep this virus at bay. Back in the pub garden by Easter! PM's new 'roadmap' will scrap 10pm curfew and substantial meal requirements as Boris says he's 'optimistic' about downward trend in Covid By Glen Owen and Brendan Carlin for the Mail on Sunday Lockdown misery is set to end by Easter, with people finally free to drink in beer gardens and dine outside restaurants again. Under Boris Johnson's 'roadmap' for a steady return to normality, No 10 plans to allow the beleaguered hospitality industry to lift its shutters, most likely on Tuesday March 30 or the following day. In a break from earlier pre-lockdown rules, the 10pm curfew and the requirement to have a substantial meal with alcohol will be abandoned. The news comes as the Prime Minister prepares to celebrate meeting his target of vaccinating the 15 million most vulnerable people in the UK by tomorrow. In his most upbeat assessment for weeks, Mr Johnson yesterday said: 'I won't hide it from you. I'm optimistic, but we have to be cautious.' If the downward trend for infections, hospitalisations and deaths continues, primary and secondary school pupils will return to classrooms on March 8. On the same day, picnics will be permitted within households and if one person wants to meet up with one other. Restrictions on sports such as tennis and golf, where social distancing is easier, are likely to be eased in April. Lockdown misery is set to end by Easter, with people finally free to drink in beer gardens and dine outside restaurants again. Diners are pictured above at a restaurant in Dundee, Scotland in July last year after restrictions were eased Under Boris Johnson's 'roadmap' for a steady return to normality, No 10 plans to allow the beleaguered hospitality industry to lift its shutters, most likely on Tuesday March 30 or the following day. Customers are seen enjoying a pint in Scotland last July According to the latest figures, there were 13,308 new positive cases in the previous 24 hours down 27 per cent on a week earlier. Hospital admissions fell by 26 per cent to 1,741 over the same period, while deaths were down by the same proportion to 621. The vaccination programme continued to surge towards its target up by 544,603 to a total of 14,556,827. It means 26.9 per cent of the adult population has now received at least one dose. The steady fall in new infections, and estimates that the critical R rate of infection now lies between 0.7 and 0.9, has increased the restlessness on the Tory backbenches over the economic and societal damage being caused by lockdown. This weekend, 63 Tory MPs have signed a letter to Mr Johnson urging him to use the vaccine to 'give us permanent immunity from Covid-related lockdowns and restrictions'. The letter, organised by Mark Harper, the chair of the Covid Recovery Group of Conservative MPs, argues that 'just like Covid, lockdowns and restrictions cause immense social and health damage and have a huge impact on people's livelihoods'. Urging the reopening of all schools on March 8 and of hospitality by Easter, the weekend of April 4, the MPs say: 'All restrictions remaining after March 8 should be proportionate to the ever-increasing number of people we have protected. 'The burden is on Ministers to demonstrate the evidence of effectiveness and proportionality with a cost-benefit analysis for each restriction, and a roadmap for when they will be removed... Once all nine priority groups have been protected by the end of April, there is no justification for any legislative restrictions to remain.' They conclude: 'This should be a moment of unity for our country and our party as we look ahead with confidence, hope and optimism for a much brighter future, as we reclaim our lives once and for all.' The timetable they demand for reopening schools and hospitality look set to be met amid a growing sense in Downing Street that the 'tide is turning' in the year-long Covid crisis. Speaking during a visit to the Teesside plant where the new Novavax vaccine will be manufactured, Mr Johnson said: 'Our children's education is our number one priority. 'But then, working forward, getting non-essential retail open as well, and then, in due course, as and when we can, prudently, cautiously, of course, we want to be opening hospitality as well. I will be trying to set out as much as I possibly can in as much detail as I can, always understanding that we have to be wary of the pattern of disease. 'We don't want to be forced into any kind of retreat or reverse ferret' a media term denoting a sudden reversal of direction. Echoing Mr Hancock's claim that Covid could become a 'treatable' disease, Mr Johnson predicted we will have 'to learn to live with' coronavirus. Boris Johnson has said he is 'optimistic' of being able to cautiously loosen lockdown when he unveils his roadmap on the week of February 22. Pictured on a visit to Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham, Teesside yesterday Is this finally proof the vaccine is working in Britain? Covid deaths among over-85s plummet by 41% - almost twice as fast as un-vaccinated people over-65s - as new figures show just 1% of people have refused to get the jab By Tom Pyman for MailOnline The number of Covid deaths in over-85s is falling twice as fast it is in younger Brits, raising hopes that the UK's vaccine drive is clicking into gear, with just one per cent of the population refusing jabs. The Government's target of administering 15 million doses is set to be hit this weekend, amid a backdrop of falling cases and deaths, with pressure growing on Boris Johnson to present his 'roadmap' out of lockdown. The supreme efforts of volunteers over recent weeks now appears to be paying dividends, with the number of fatalities among the oldest age group now falling on average by some 41 per cent a week. By contrast, the number of weekly deaths is falling by 22 per cent for those aged under 65. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a risk expert from the University of Cambridge, told the Sun: 'There is a statistically significant difference between the age groups. A substantial amount of this difference will be vaccines. 'And, by the end of the month, it's going to be quite dramatic. It is quite tricky to spot as deaths are falling everywhere it's just that in older groups the drop is much faster than others.' Meanwhile, data from the Office for National Statistics reveals just one in every 100 people offered a Covid jab have turned it down. The Prime Minister said today he is 'optimistic' he will be able to begin announcing the easing of restrictions when he sets out his 'roadmap' out of lockdown in England on February 22. A woman receives the AstraZeneca Covid19 vaccine at an NHS vaccination centre in Ealing, west London yesterday Speaking during a visit to the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham, Teesside, where the new Novavax vaccine will be manufactured, Mr Johnson said: 'I'm optimistic, I won't hide it from you. I'm optimistic, but we have to be cautious.' He said his first priority remained opening schools in England on March 8 to be followed by other sectors. 'Our children's education is our number one priority, but then working forward, getting non-essential retail open as well and then, in due course as and when we can prudently, cautiously, of course we want to be opening hospitality as well,' he said. 'I will be trying to set out as much as I possibly can in as much detail as I can, always understanding that we have to be wary of the pattern of disease. We don't want to be forced into any kind of retreat or reverse ferret.' Health conditions that make patients in Priority Group Six eligible for a vaccine A blood cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma) Diabetes Dementia A heart problem A chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma A kidney disease A liver disease Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as HIV infection, steroid medication, chemotherapy or radiotherapy) Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis (who may require long term immunosuppressive treatments) Have had an organ transplant Had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) A neurological or muscle wasting condition A severe or profound learning disability A problem with your spleen, example sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed Are seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above) Are severely mentally ill Advertisement There is variation in uptake between age groups, however, with five per cent of those offered the vaccine aged 30-49 deciding not to receive it, compared to two per cent for the 50-69s and less than one per cent for the over-70s. Furthermore, Professor Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), has said the uptake of the coronavirus jab among care home staff remains 'far too low'. Prof Harnden said that nationally only 66% of care home staff had taken up the offer of a first dose. 'If they are to stop potentially transmitting to those vulnerable people who they look after and care for deeply, they need to take the immunisation up. The message needs to come across loud and clear,' he told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme. However, he rejected suggestions that the vaccine could be made compulsory among staff if they wanted to carry on working in care homes. 'I would much prefer to be able to persuade by the power of argument than to force people or to make people lose their jobs because they didn't take up the vaccine.' His comments come as the Government launches a fresh drive to encourage people to accept a vaccine amid continuing reluctance among some groups. Ministers are confident they will achieve their UK-wide target of getting an offer of a vaccine to those most at risk from the virus - including all over 70s - by Monday's deadline. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped a combination of vaccines and new treatments will mean Covid-19 could be a 'treatable disease' by the end of the year. However, there is concern in Government at the rate of vaccine uptake among some communities - including some ethnic minorities. Mr Hancock issued a direct appeal to anyone over 70 who has still not had the jab to contact the NHS over the weekend to book an appointment. 'I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible,' he said. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.' NHS England said the top four priority groups in England - people aged 70 and over, care home residents and staff, health and care workers and clinically extremely vulnerable patients - 'have now been offered the opportunity to be vaccinated', while Wales said those groups had been reached. NHS England said people aged 65 to 69 can now get a vaccine if GPs have supplies, while Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said they had already begun contacting some over 50s. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she expects many in the 65-69 age group to have had their first jab by the middle of this month after the vast majority of older people were vaccinated. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health is offering everyone over 65 a vaccine by the end of February as it works its way through priority groups four and five, although it is expected to help the UK meet its overall target. Fresh Government drive to encourage people to accept jabs The Government has launched a fresh drive to encourage people to accept a vaccine amid continuing reluctance among some groups. Ministers are confident they will achieve their UK-wide target of getting an offer of a vaccine to those most at risk from the virus - including all over 70s - by Monday's deadline. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped a combination of vaccines and new treatments will mean Covid-19 could be a 'treatable disease' by the end of the year. However, there is concern in Government at the rate of vaccine uptake among some communities - including some ethnic minorities. Mr Hancock issued a direct appeal to anyone over 70 who has still not had the jab to contact the NHS over the weekend to book an appointment. 'I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible,' he said. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.' Advertisement After that, the jab will be offered to people in priority group six, which is made up of those aged between 16 and 64 who have serious underlying health conditions. This latter group, made up of some 7.3 million people, includes patients with conditions varying from morbid obesity, dementia and arthritis. Overall, uptake of the vaccine has been high, with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) reporting a 93% take-up rate among the over 75s in England. The DHSC is now seeking to work with community organisations and charities in England to address the concerns that are making some reluctant to get the jab, while seeking to dispel 'myths' circulating on social media. At the same time it is looking to raise awareness of how the vaccines are being made generally available, especially among ethnic minorities, homeless people, asylum seekers and those with disabilities. Around 30 ministers are taking part in visits and virtual meetings, including Home Secretary Priti Patel and Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi. 'We recognise that some groups feel more hesitant about getting a jab, or have more barriers, both physical and mental, preventing them from accessing one when it's offered,' Mr Zahawi said. Mr Hancock, meanwhile, expressed the hope that coronavirus will become 'another illness that we have to live with' like flu. 'I hope that Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year,' Mr Hancock told The Daily Telegraph. 'If Covid-19 ends up like flu, so we live our normal lives and we mitigate through vaccines and treatments, then we can get on with everything again.' Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, said he agreed with the Health Secretary's comments about the UK potentially living with coronavirus in the future in the same way as the flu. Matt Hancock said he hoped Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year. Prof Altmann told Times Radio: 'I agree with the 'by the end of the year' part, I think the jury's out on what the future will look like.' On news of the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals going down, he said: 'We're all following the data in the UK and from Israel, who are a little bit ahead of the curve in terms of vaccinations, and seeing those transmission graphs absolutely being quashed. 'We can't easily pick apart how much of that is lockdown, how much is vaccination, but it's certainly both of those things. 'I am cautiously optimistic that we are winning finally.' The move comes as it was announced on Friday that more than 14 million across the UK have now received their first dose of one of the approved vaccines. The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has launched the Precision Quality training programme, PQ, for the effective integration of young people into the world of work. The precision quality training programme was designed and developed in partnership with industry experts and has been accredited by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET). The PQ programme forms part of DTIs partnership agreement with the MasterCard Foundation. Under this agreement, 40,000 direct and indirect work opportunities and jobs will be created for young people within the next three years. it will be carried out through the Transforming youth TVET livelihoods for sustainable jobs intervention project under the Mastercard Foundations Young Africa Works, (YAW) initiative. The project will provide training to 1000 youth in precision fabrication. It will enhance the Competency-based learning of selected Technical Universities in TVET training to reach 5000 students. Furthermore, it will train 5000 Master Craft Persons (MCPs)in precision quality as well as 1000Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to improve their work skills and practices to meet global industry standards. At the Technical Universities, the PQ curriculum, will through the Competency-based learning TVET training, equip young people with industry demand skills. In addition, it positions Master Craft Persons (MCPs) and SMEs to operate their businesses in an organized, safe and healthy environment for growth, providing opportunities for training and career progression and creating more jobs. PQ training consists of five training modules: Change to grow, process integration, people and team development, health and safety in the workplace, and managing quality and customer relations. Speaking at the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DTI, Ms. Constance Elizabeth Swaniker emphasized the need for the development of effective policies that will facilitate the transition of young people from education and training to work, and for Academia, Industry, Policy makers and the artisans communities to work as a team for the implementation of these policies. She reiterated DTIs commitment to continue to develop programmes that will set its students apart in industry and business as well as create jobs for the youth. According to her, solving the issue of youth unemployment on the African continent is key to poverty reduction. It is possible to eradicate poverty, not as a dream, but because we have the right tools and materials to achieve that, she added. Professor Ben Q. Honyenuga, Vice-Chancellor of Ho Technical University, the guest of honour, in his remarks about the programme stated, that TVET and skills training is the future for economic growth in Ghana and Africa because of its employment potential. He urged stakeholders in academia to partner institutions like DTI to develop programmes that support employment creation for the youth. He also appealed to stakeholders in TVET to focus on developing quality educational programmes to equip the youth with the right skills and create the enabling environment for them to set up their own businesses. He believes that the youth can be positioned to lead the economic recovery process in Ghana and Africa as a whole and to leverage technology to connect with the market and expand it. Government officials, regulators in TVET, private sector organizations, educational institutions, civil society, development partners attended the event. It was streamed online in adherence to the COVID-19 protocols to protect lives and property. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Justice Minister Naomi Long says she remained fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists. There has been widespread condemnation after a Sunday World journalist was targeted in a sinister threat to shoot her. Graffiti has appeared in a number of locations in east Belfast with the name of award-winning reporter Patricia Devlin along with cross hairs. Justice Minister Naomi Long described the sick graffiti as a chilling sight. Alliance Party Leader Naomi Long said she, remained fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists. This is a chilling sight. In Northern Ireland in 2021 no reporter should be the target of such a sinister threat simply for doing their job, said the East Belfast MLA. This attempt to intimidate and divert attention from criminal activity will not succeed and I remain fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists. My thoughts are with Trish Devlin at this worrying time. Last night Peter Vandermeersch, Publisher at Independent News and Media, said it wasnt the first time Patricia Devlin has faced serious threats. In a statement he said: This is an attempt once again to intimidate a journalist who is just doing her job. The Sunday World shows no fear or favour when reporting on criminality and paramilitarism in Northern Ireland. Just two months ago, Patricia faced serious threats from loyalist paramilitaries. We will provide any support we can to our journalists and hope that those behind this are apprehended by the police. The threats come as part of a disturbing pattern which has seen a number of journalists from across Northern Ireland face death threats. Last week it emerged two BBC journalists had been targeted after being involved in the making of a Panorama documentary about Dublin crime boss Daniel Kinahan. One reporter was forced to leave his home for a period, such was the seriousness of the threat according to the PSNI. Last year a number of journalists in Northern Ireland were made aware of death threats from a number of loyalist paramilitary groups. Two reporters from the Sunday World were warned of an imminent attack from criminal elements within the UDA last November. And that came just a few days after a separate reporter working for INM were told their life was in danger. The breakaway South East Antrim UDA (Ulster Defence Association) was being linked to that threat, following a spate of similar incidents earlier last year. The reporters were told they were being targeted and were warned about bombs being planted underneath their cars. A number of reporters were visited by police officers in the early hours of Friday morning with warnings of imminent attacks. Speaking about the recent threat to Patricia Devlin Sunday World editor Brian Farrell said the authorities should take a zero-tolerance approach to such threats. He said the company was taking the threat very seriously and the Sunday World would continue to follow the truth. This is completely unacceptable, and we are fully co-operating with the police about this threat which they are taking very seriously, said Mr Farrell. Rigorous investigative journalism is a basic requirement of a democratic society and well not be intimidated from doing our job. Our readers know we will follow the truth wherever it leads us and our team of journalists will continue to do so despite this intimidation. Nitin Chandra, the budding film director from Bihar, after successfully making 'Bring Back Bihar', a documentary depicting on the plight of Biharis in Mumbai, in his next project deals with the recurring flood situation in Bihar and how the central and state governments have failed to recognize the actual reason for this annual nightmare. A former student of Don Bosco, Patna, with a Bachelor in Information Technology from Delhi and Masters in Communication Studies from University of Pune with specialization in film-making, Chandra says that his new project is funded by the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS). It is a film that is based on illogical and technically non-feasible methods of controlling floods in Bihar. {gallery}newsimages/nitinchandra{/gallery}Chandra says that the devastation which Bihar faces due to floods is caused by 'brainless engineering and spineless bureaucracy'. "The whole idea of controlling the nature by humans has backlashed in Bihar. Over the past 50 years, the damage of agrarian land because of flood has increased by 80%. Even though the government has spent millions of rupees, the government is unable to understand that in no way we can control the flood by tying a noose around rivers," the young film-maker says. Chandra contends that the cause of the flood situation in Bihar is because of ever-growing population and the lack of education. "Shaukat Khan, a villager in Supaul Basantpur Block, I met, had 15 kids. According to him, in his village the average number of children people have is 10. Harihar, a farmer with seven children, is also woefully unaware of the results of having too many kids. After the last year's flood in the Kosi region, a large area of Supaul and Madhepura district is covered with a white sheen of sand that is 3 to 6 feet deep," says Chandra. "The plight reminds me of Phanishwar Nath Renu's lines from his book Parti Parikatha: ????, ?????, ??????? ???????? | ????? ????, ????, ????, ??????? ????...| ???? ???, ???? ?? ???... Even after 50 years of writing his book, we are still there," he said. The film deals with all the techniques applied under the heading of "Flood Control Mechanism". "We have interviewed hundreds of men and women living in wretched conditions in flood-affected villages and farmers who lost their lands, government officials and social activists. We are recording all the speeches given by big political leaders in Kosi region to appease people. In the film, we have interviewed a 90-year old man from Supaul (Bairiya Manch) who says that Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru, in the wake of development built the embankments but never came back to see the plight of the people," Chandra said. The film-maker further says that the plugging-in of the breach in Kusaha is yet to be done. "The Kosi '08 was not a natural flood, it was mass genocide about which no one wants to know or talk about. Thousands of people died, hundreds are still missing. One Mumbai attack has all the media and public attention but each year Bihar faces a catastrophe in the form of flood but no one wants to talk about it. Electronic media is too busy talking about Kasab eating biryani, or his demand of perfume; they want to talk about Matuknath's election campaign but there has been no follow-up on the plight of the people who are leaving the flood-affected areas only to be disgraced and ill-treated in places like Punjab, Kashmir, and Mumbai," Chandra says. NEW FAIRFIELD About 8 percent of the towns population including 79 percent of those 75 and older has been vaccinated for the novel coronavirus, according to First Selectman Pat Del Monaco. Thats really great news, she said during Thursday evenings Board of Selectmen meeting. Im hoping that we can get that remaining 20 percent of the (75-and-older population) vaccinated. Del Monaco noted that not all of New Fairfields inoculated residents received their shots at the towns vaccination clinics the fourth of which was held Thursday. We probably vaccinated a dozen maybe dozen-and-half this week, said Selectman Khris Hall, noting that the bulk were 65 and older. New Fairfield will hold its fifth vaccination clinic Saturday morning, and there were a few slots open as of Thursday evening. The clinics are working really, really well. The volunteers that weve recruited to staff the front desk, administer the vaccines and just generally to keep the whole thing running smoothly are doing an outstanding job, Hall said. Its been successful beyond what I would have expected. The town, which received 100 doses last week and 200 this week, is being very careful to make sure every last dose is used and nothing is wasted, Hall said. She said the town has an order in for 300 doses next week and should know Friday if it will be getting them. If so, we will expand the clinic by adding a day, and probably adding an additional vaccination station, Hall said. Del Monaco thanked Hall, clinic volunteers and the towns health director, Tim Simpkins, for all they have done to get the clinic up and running. Its a good feeling to know the community really has come together in a time of need, she said. Del Monaco noted that New Fairfields COVID-19 infection rate has been on the decline. Our infection rate in New Fairfield this week is 29.9 cases per 100,000 people, which is down from 44.3 cases per 100,000 last week, she said. The town has had at least 700 confirmed cases and five COVID-related deaths since last March, according to Thursdays Connecticut Daily COVID-19 Update. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The on Saturday called on to reverse its ban on the World News television channel imposed in apparent retaliation for Britain's pulling of the licence of state-owned Chinese broadcaster CGTN. The EU said in a statement that Beijing's move further restricted freedom of expression and access to information inside its borders," and violated both the Chinese constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The statement also said that Hong Kong's announcement that its public broadcaster would also stop carrying broadcasts added to the erosion of the rights and freedoms that is ongoing" in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory since the imposition last year of a sweeping new national security law. The EU remains strongly committed to safeguarding media freedom and pluralism, as well as protecting the right to freedom of expression online and offline, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information without interference of any kind," the statement said. While Britain is no longer in the EU, it remains a member of the Council of Europe, which oversees a 1989 agreement linking broadcasting licenses. Britain, the U.S. and foreign correspondents based in have also expressed dismay over the ban. China's move Thursday was largely symbolic, because BBC World was shown only on cable TV systems in hotels and apartment compounds for foreigners and some other businesses. However, it comes against the backdrop of growing conflict between Beijing and Western governments over a slew of issues ranging from human rights to trade and the COVID-19 pandemic in which Chinese criticisms over foreign media coverage have played a prominent role. China's National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News coverage of the country violated requirements that news reporting be true and impartial, reflecting complaints over BBC reports about the government's initial response to the virus outbreak in Other complaints were over allegations of forced labor and sexual abuse in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang, home to Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. The EU statement specifically linked the ban to BBC reporting on those topics. It wasn't clear whether BBC reporters in China would be affected. Last year, Beijing expelled foreign reporters for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times amid disputes with the Trump administration and complaints over media criticism of the ruling Communist Party. Britain's communications watchdog, Ofcom, revoked the license for CGTN, China's English-language satellite news channel, on Feb. 4, citing links to the Communist Party, among other reasons. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Ofcom acted on political grounds based on ideological bias. Losing its British license was a major blow for CGTN, which is part of a global effort by the party to promote its views and challenge Western media narratives about China, into which it has poured enormous resources. CGTN has a European operations hub in London. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: An additional judge of the Bombay High Court who created a furore over her controversial verdicts in two sexual assault cases, was given a new 1-year term as an additional judge, instead of two years as was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, PTI reported. Justice Pushpa Ganediwala, whose tenure as an additional judge was to end on Friday, will begin her fresh tenure from Saturday, February 13. The Centre decided not to consider the collegium's recommendation of a fresh two year term instead the government has decided to extend the period by only one year. The Centre also did not ask the collegium, which had on January 20 approved the proposal for making Justice Ganediwala a permanent judge, to reconsider its recommendation of a fresh two year term. Though, additional judges are usually appointed for two years before being elevated as permanent judges. This decision was taken after Justice Pushpa Ganediwala created a huge row after delivering two back-to-back ruling on sexual assault cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The judge ruled that groping without skin-to-skin contact cannot come under the purview of sexual assault. Which led to the acquittal of a man accused of groping a 12-year-old girl's breast. Earlier, she had ruled that holding the hands of a five-year-old girl and unzipping the trousers does not amount to "sexual assault" as specified under the POCSO Act. Later the Supreme Court stayed the Bombay High Court order acquitting the man after Attorney General K K Venugopal said the order would set a dangerous precedent. Live TV In Montgomery, Ala., I walked the grounds of what was once a grand public pool, one of more than 2,000 such pools built in the early 20th century. However, much like the eras government-backed suburban developments or G.I. Bill home loans, the pool was for whites only. Threatened with court action to integrate its pool in 1958, the town drained it instead, shuttering the entire parks and recreation department. Even after reopening the parks a decade later, they never rebuilt the pool. Towns from Ohio to Louisiana lashed out in similar ways. The civil rights movement, which widened the circle of public beneficiaries and could have heralded a more moral, prosperous nation, wound up diminishing white peoples commitment to the very idea of public goods. In the late 1950s, over two-thirds of white Americans agreed with the now-radical idea that the government ought to guarantee a job for anyone who wants one and ensure a minimum standard of living for everyone in the country. White support for those ideas nose-dived from around 70 to 35 percent from 1960 to 1964, and has remained low ever since. Its no historical accident that this dip coincided with the 1963 March on Washington, when white Americans saw Black activists demanding the same economic guarantees, and when Democrats began to promise to extend government benefits across the color line. Its also no accident that, to this day, no Democratic presidential candidate has won the white vote since the Democrat Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. Racial integration portended the end of Americas high-tax, high-investment growth strategy: Tax revenue peaked as a percentage of the economy in 1969 compared with the average O.E.C.D. country. Now, Americas per capita government spending is near the bottom among industrialized countries. Our roads, bridges and water systems get a D+ from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Unlike our peers, we dont have high-speed rail, universal broadband, mandatory paid family leave or universal child care. And while growing corporate power and money in politics have certainly played a role, its now clear that racial resentment is the key uncredited actor in our economic backslide. White people who exhibit low racial resentment against Black people are 60 percentage points more likely to support increased government spending than are those with high racial resentment. At the base of this resentment is a zero-sum story: the default framework for conservative arguments, rife with references to makers and takers, taxpayers and freeloaders. In my travels, I also realized that those seeking to repair Americas social divides can invoke this sort of zero-sum framing as well. Progressives often end up talking about race relations through a prism of competition every advantage for whites, mirrored by a disadvantage for people of color. State exams are supposed to test your memory: their handling this year will have left many students with a memory they will never forget. If the class of 2021 fails to meet its potential in this years Leaving certificate exams it will in no small part be because of weakness on the part of both Government and some teacher unions. For almost a year the Government and unions have been committed to provide clarity for tens of thousands of anxious students and parents. Good teachers will see a students success as a reflection of their own. What they will not do is remain indifferent when they know their input is urgently needed.Thats why the baffling behaviour of The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) in withdrawing from talks at such a critical time upset so many. Thankfully it has agreed to further engagement with Education Minister Norma Foley. Read More With masterful; restraint Higher Education Simon Harris said it beyond unhelpful anyone would walk away from the process. People need to get in a room and get this sorted and stay in a room until its sorted, he added. Minister of State for Education, Niall Collins said he was shocked by ASTIs decision. ASTI havent been asked to give up their mid-term break, they havent been asked to reduce their Easter holidays, they havent been asked to push the Leaving Certificate out into July. What were trying to achieve is what the students have asked for, which is a choice and I think everyone has to pull together, he said. Earlier Astis general secretary Kieran Christie said plans being discussed were unacceptable on the basis that calculated grades would become a dominant option and the Leaving Cert exams would end up filling in assessment gaps. What most people will see is unacceptable is that another year has almost elapsed, and no agreed contingency plan has been signed on to either get pupils back to school, or for holding the State exams. Many may feel we have a national obsession with the Leaving Certificate, disproportionate to its value. But as EM Foster wrote, like it or not, until we have a better system in place there is no escaping such defining moments. As long as learning is connected with earning, as long as certain jobs can only be reached through exams, so long must we take the examination system seriously. If another ladder to employment were contrived, much so-called education would disappear, and no one be a penny the stupider, Foster said. The ultimate responsibility for getting schools open and exams held, rests with the minister and government. So far in terms of offering clarity or certainty they have failed. They say those who dont know must learn from those who do. So far the only people talking sense about the issue is the students to whom nobody seems to be paying attention. : matc (), : Military : : BBS (Fri Feb 12 11:14:46 2021, ) By Mikhail Khodarenok, a military commentator for RT.com. He is a retired colonel. He served as an officer at the main operational directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. Russia's military may soon have a new state of-the-art Unmanned Combat Ground Vehicle for use in combat, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as for providing vital engineering and logistics support to troops in the field. The operational prototype has been created by the Signal All-Russian Scientific and Research Institute, part of the countrys state-owned defense and tech corporation Rostec. Rostec Combat Systems Production Director Bekkhan Ozdoyev said, Our goal was to make the Udar a fully autonomous vehicle. Its equipped with an AI that collects data through a system of sensors and measuring devices, then processes it to generate optimal routes for the terrain its running through. The system can also calculate optimal parameters for performing combat assignments on site." The Signal group focuses on developing AI solutions for existing models of Russian combat systems, with the Udar UCGV essentially being a high-tech upgrade of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that has shown a great performance record over the past few decades. The UCGV was previewed in 2015 at the Russian Ministry of Defense-sponsored Innovations Show. Ozdoyev added that the new UCGV can interact with and carry unmanned aerial vehicles, including tethered drones powered by the vehicle, to be used for reconnaissance and data relay. Designed for combat, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as engineering and logistics support, the Udar is based on the BMP-3 armored vehicle chassis, carries a multicopter drone and comes with a mobile control unit based on the Ural 4320 chassis. The Udar system is equipped with both classic and advanced weapons. It combines a 2A42 30mm automatic cannon with an effective firing range of 4, 000m and Kornet anti-tank guided missiles with a range of up to 10,000m into a single Bumerang-BM turret, ensuring it hits its target even in the most challenging conditions. The 2A42 30mm automatic cannon has 500 rounds stored in an isolated section, meaning the platform would remain intact even if the weapons module were damaged. The Udar is also equipped with a coaxial PKT machine firing 2,000 rounds. Next-generation electro-optical equipment combined with a state-of-the-art fire control system allows the UCGV to simultaneously track multiple targets in different lighting conditions both actively and passively, helping it root out even camouflaged objects. Developers describe the Udar system as a multi-purpose robotic platform that can be outfitted with different types of equipment or weapons, depending on tactical objectives. The plan is to build three classes of vehicle: for combat and reconnaissance, field engineer support, and transportation/ evacuation. The attack and reconnaissance robot will be able to fire its weapons and mark targets for aviation and artillery, as well as other robotic systems. The Udar engineer-support vehicle will include various machines for sifting through debris and clearing rubble, while its multi-positional manipulator will work with explosives. The robot can also be used to transport cargo, personnel and C most importantly C evacuate the wounded from the battlefield. Being fully autonomous, the Udar is able to move in complete radio silence, meaning that the crew operating it will not receive any data from the vehicle and will not be required to transmit any radio signals to pilot it. This allows automation of certain routine activities, such as cargo transportation. The first time the vehicle completes a route, it memorizes it and can then shuttle between the destinations on its own. Still, some experts note that the BMP-3 chassis on which it is based is not well-protected enough against enemy weapons systems for it to be considered invulnerable. The frontal armor can only withstand 30mm rounds fired from a distance of 200 meters and the roof and the sides can withstand a 12. 7mm B-32 bullet from a distance of 100 to 200 meters. But exposing BMP-3s to enemy tank guns and anti-tank guided missiles would be suicide, as its primary use was to transport infantry to the battlefield, not engage in combat with well-armored enemy fighting vehicles. -- :iOS mitbbs.com [FROM: 142.] [] Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Molly Wright will end her hunger strike Sunday, her 24th day of fasting to bring attention to San Antonios homeless problem. For as much as she agitated for change calling out specific city leaders for the lack of policies and funding to end homelessness it comes much too slowly for any hunger strike to sustain. Over the last few days, as she has struggled physically, Wright has vacillated over whether her demands to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Erik Walsh and City Council have made a difference. She wonders whether the city will come through on an idea to buy a hotel to house homeless people more permanently, as other cities have done. She wonders whether the city will help the homeless who live in their cars while holding down jobs and for whom she has ardently advocated. She has slept in her own car when she has been homeless. She has repeated calls for safe, overnight lots where such homeless people can park. She also wonders whether future tent encampments will be demolished by city crews. On her 22nd day of fasting on all but water, vitamins and juices she calls green sludge, Wright wasnt sure of any of it. Shes exhausted. Shes not well. She has begun walking with the help of a cane. She has lost more than 35 pounds, at least since she last saw a doctor, and her critical thinking skills have suffered. On Thursday, she became violently ill after her second COVID-19 vaccine. It scared her. She has managed to continue to work but crashes afterward, and it has become harder to wake up. Thats what scares me the most, she said. Her work for a local nonprofit agency reminds her of her goal. She assists clients fighting evictions, which havent stopped despite the pandemic. Wright, who still lives precariously close to homelessness, has seen one bright spot. Earlier this month, housing activists celebrated a major reversal by the San Antonio Housing Authority on the fate of Alazan Courts, a 500-unit public housing complex on the citys West Side. Instead of razing and replacing it with mixed-income apartments, SAHA plans to rebuild it so no one is displaced. The No. 1 solution to homelessness, Wright says, is more public housing and more affordable housing that reflects the wages San Antonio companies pay. On Sunday, to end her fast, Wright will lead another protest a car caravan that will begin and end at City Manager Erik Walshs alma maters. The stretch from Central Catholic High School, with a stop at the San Antonio Water System building, to Trinity University is only a few miles. The event, titled Where is your heart City Manager Erik Walsh and Mayor Ron Nirenberg? begins at noon. She has a flair for dissing city officials. In an email to supporters, she asked whether Central Catholic, which is run by Marianists, knows that Walsh committed terrorist acts on the vulnerable in our society by allowing city crews to dismantle peaceful homeless camps. Earlier this month, a homeless encampment under Interstate 37 near downtown was destroyed, the belongings of those living there swept away. The camp contained 85 to 100 people spread over several blocks and was the largest inside Loop 410. An infant living there was removed from its mothers custody by authorities. Wright asks Catholic leaders to intervene and remind Walsh of the values he was taught. The caravan will stop at SAWS headquarters to lambaste rate hikes that will contribute to renters inability to stay in their homes and thus create homelessness. While homeless people often cant be their own advocates, Wright has articulated the vicious cycle that can keep a person homeless. She has spoken about the impact an eviction can have on future housing. Marisol Cortez, who co-edits the grassroots site Deceleration News, was part of a group that interviewed people displaced when a mobile home community was shuttered. The group offered ideas to the city on how to prevent such displacement and felt the way Wright feels now: dismissed. But Cortez said Wrights style of protest, more often used in global struggles for justice, was brave and possibly what was necessary to shake up the system. On Sunday, Wright will end her hunger strike her way, with digs at the mayor and city manager. Its unlikely to be the last they hear from her. eayala@express-news.net Bruce Castor, former President Donald Trump's defense lawyer, walks from the Senate floor through the Senate Reception room on the fourth day of the second impeachment trial of Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 12, 2021. (Jabin Botsford/Getty Images) Trump Defense Will Call Impeachment Witnesses If Democrats Do, Attorney Says Attorneys representing former President Donald Trump will call on witnesses to testify at the Senate trial only in the event the Democrat impeachment managers do, according to Trump defense attorney Bruce Castor. Asked if the decision to call on witnesses rests on how the impeachment managers decide to proceed and if the Trump team would respond by calling witnesses of its own, Castor said yes. Castor made the remarks on the fourth day of the impeachment trial, during which the defense attorneys presented their case and answered questions from senators. A decision on witnesses is to follow, although it is largely expected that neither side will call on anyone to testify. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said he doesnt expect any witnesses and noted that neither side made a motion in that regard on Friday. Thats not gonna happen. I think this is concluded at this point. The rules dont permit any further proceedings. And nobodys moved to ask for further proceedings. Trumps team had already shot down a request for the president to testify. The two sides are expected to deliver closing arguments on Saturday. Castor said Trumps team would take about an hour of the two hours allotted to each side. The senators sort of gave me the feeling that they want it to be concise, Castor said. House Democrats, joined by 10 Republicans, approved an impeachment article against Trump last night alleging that the president incited an insurrection by whipping up the mob which attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. Over the course of two days, the impeachment managers wove a narrative alleging that Trump intentionally programmed a part of his followers over the course of several years to react violently in the event he lost the election. The alleged plot culminated in Trump directing the mob to attack the Capitol, the Democrats claimed. Trumps attorneys argued that the allegations against the president fall apart when examined against the plain text of his speech to supporters on Jan. 6, during which he used common political terms like fight in relation to his teams legal election challenges and the need for Republican lawmakers to take a tough stand during the counting of the Electoral College votes the same day. With both sides having presented their evidence, no senator has publicly spoken about changing their mind about how they will vote on the ultimate question of whether Trump should be convicted. Forty-four Republicans had already voted against proceeding with the trial, which will likely be a close indicator of the ultimate vote on conviction. The Democrats need to convince at least 17 of the 50 Republicans to secure a conviction. Concrete collaborations are, and will be, undoubtedly difficult, they will face obstacles, which in the end can only help deepen bilateral relations. (Photo: AP) President Xi Jinping recently affirmed that time and momentum are on China's side. The Great Helmsman believes in the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation led by the soon-100 years old Communist Party of China; he, however, cited challenges, adding: "The world is in a turbulent time that is unprecedented in the past century. Only the future will ascertain if the momentum is indeed on Chinas side, but there is no doubt that the world is going through uncertain and difficult times. As this is bound to continue in 2021 and probably beyond, India has to find reliable and unwavering support abroad. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Xi recently asserted, somewhat ironically: The misguided approach of antagonism and confrontation will eventually hurt all countries interests and undermine everyones well-being. For over 20 years, France and India have been practising cooperation. Recently, India had supported France when the country was attacked by Islamic fundamentalists: India stands with Paris at this difficult moment and fully supports the French government on this issue, affirmed New Delhi. Trust is the key in every relationship. When President Jacques Chirac came to India in 1998, he proposed a strategic partnership. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee readily agreed to give a concrete shape to one based on shared values. The 1998 Indo-French partnership is deep for many reasons; one of them is a shared vision of the world. Further, France has never tried to bully India into accepting its views, while standing by India during the nuclear tests, in favour of a UN Security Council seat and on terrorism. This has not always been the case with other countries, including the United States. The recently-concluded Exercise Desert Knight-21 held in Jodhpur is another example of sharing. With 11 Rafale aircrafts having already joined that Indian Air Force (IAF), the collaboration has been a game-changer for India in the confrontation with China in Ladakh. Speaking in Jodhpur, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Bhadauria said the first priority had been for the IAF to integrate the fighter planes in the existing fleet: It has been done and the current exercise Desert Knight is the result of that. French Ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain, noting that the first French aircraft landed in India in 1953, observed the partnership has persisted through good and bad times. New Delhi and Paris also held their annual Strategic Dialogue on January 7. National security advisor Ajit Doval met his French counterpart Emmanuel Bonne, the French Presidents diplomatic advisor (known as the Sherpa). According to a South Block press release: The two sides held discussions on counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, defence cooperation, maritime security, regional and global issues, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. According to some sources, France agreed to an Indian request that defence technologies will not be shared with Pakistan. Further, Mr Bonne would have offered that 70 per cent of the assembly line for future Rafales could come under Make in India scheme, with technology transfer. During the recent India-France-Japan Workshop on the Indo-Pacific held in Delhi, the foreign secretary said: The Indo-Pacific has become an essential concept in international relations today. It is certainly a field where Paris and Delhi could collaborate, however, a turbulent-time partnership means more than joining a new grouping or buying a few combat aircrafts. Of course, sharing advanced technology is difficult; years ago, Safran, the French company which has developed the engine for the Rafale, tried to work with DRDO on a new engine for the Tejas, nothing has materialised. One still remembers how difficult has been the cooperation and transfer of technology under the 75 Project for six Scorpene submarines. The fifth Scorpene, INS Vagir, built by the Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) with technology transfer from France was launched in November 2020; MDL will manufacture a total of six submarines with technology assistance from the Naval Group under a US $3.75 billons deal signed in October 2005. Concrete collaborations are, and will be, undoubtedly difficult, they will face obstacles, which in the end can only help deepen bilateral relations. It is ironic that for years Paris believed in the depth of its relations with China, so much so that a P4 Lab was offered to China in Wuhan, with consequences that are suspicious today. The P4 lab episode is an example of what should never be done work with untrustworthy partners. What is required for France and India is to take their relations to the next level; for this, both nations need to work on a big research project. I am thinking of an armed drone of the next generation; another field could be quantum communication, yet another could be a sixth-generation aircraft. In Jodhpur, the Air Chief said, Our present vision is to incorporate all the latest technologies and sensors in our fifth-generation aircraft and at a later stage work on a sixth-generation plane, a project in which both nations could collaborate. For this, the thrust of the leaders of both countries is necessary but can they find time to dream in these turbulent times? New COVID-19 Vaccination Site Confirmed for Santa Ana Orange Countys latest COVID-19 vaccine site is landing at Santa Ana College, the city said on Feb. 11. Its not yet known whether the site will become the countys third super point of distribution. The county currently has two super sites; one at Disneyland in Anaheim and another at Soka University in Aliso Viejo. Santa Ana residents looking to be vaccinated can sign up on Othena, the countys vaccination platform, to book an appointment when they become available. Santa Ana College had a COVID-19 testing site that will be temporarily closed from Feb. 12 to 16 for relocation, in order to make space for the upcoming vaccination site. The exact date of the new site opening is unknown. The site comes as Hispanics continue to be the population most affected by COVID-19 in Orange County. They make up 44.3 percent of infections, despite accounting for 35 percent of the countys population. The diaspora received 11 percent of overall vaccinations so far. According to vaccine information updated by the Orange County Health Care Agency on Feb. 11, which includes data from last Dec. 15 to Feb. 8, there have been 376,735 total valid doses administered in Orange County, with 306,016 people receiving at least their first dose. An additional 70,719 people have been fully inoculated with both their first and second doses. In terms of people who have received at least one dose, 59 percent, or 179,577, are women. Men made up 41 percent, or 126,047, of the vaccinations. New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying he is becoming a "doomsday man" for India by constantly insulting constitutional functionaries and creating fake narratives on various issues. Replying to the general discussion on Budget in Lok Sabha, the FM said the former Congress chief was creating fake narratives but does not have the patience to listen to replies on allegations levelled against the government. "We need to recognise these two tendencies of the Congress party... This makes it clear that their belief in a democratically elected Parliamentary system is completely finished," FM Sitharaman said. Responding to Rahul Gandhi's speech on Thursday, during which he talked about farm laws but declined to speak on the Budget, she said, "he is probably becoming a doomsday man for India." The Finance Minister further said that Rahul Gandhi laid the "foundation" but did not speak about the Budget during the discussion on it. Sitharaman said she wanted Gandhi to speak on 10 issues but was disappointed as the Congress leader made no mention of them. "I wanted to know from the Congress why it took a U-turn on the farm laws but no reply came," she said, adding that Rahul Gandhi did not tell the House why Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh did not waive farm loans promised in their manifesto. Sitharaman further said Gandhi did not talk about the farmers' issue in Punjab where Congress is in power and the steps being taken by the government with regard to stubble burning. Gandhi also did not refer to any clause in three farm bills which was against the farmers, she said. Congress party is only concerned about "Hum Do and Hamare Do," Sitharaman said adding that she expected Gandhi to return the land which "Damadji" had taken from farmers at a pittance. Also, she added, Gandhi did not say anything about the statement of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had advocated reform of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC). She also accused Gandhi of insulting constitutional authorities recalling the incident when the Congress leader tore an ordinance promulgated by its own government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Regretting that the Congress has joined the break India fringe group and continuously creating a false narrative to demean India, she said. Live TV (With PTI Inputs) Fund to power next wave of crypto and fintech innovation Kraken Digital Asset Exchange, one of the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchanges, today announced its backing of the newly launched Kraken Ventures, an independent investment fund targeting early stage companies and protocols across the crypto and fintech ecosystem. The fund will invest in the technologies powering the next wave of crypto and fintech innovation and provide entrepreneurs with the financial resources and industry expertise needed to build and scale their business. Kraken Ventures will focus on areas including fintech, crypto companies & protocols, decentralized finance (DeFi) as well as enabling technologies such as AI, Machine and Deep Learning, Reg Tech, and cybersecurity. Kraken Ventures offers the best of both worlds in being a completely autonomous fund thats backed by the resources and expertise of Kraken. Led by a team with extensive experience in the crypto and financial services industry and leveraging its strategic partnership with Kraken, portfolio companies get access to the ideal environment for their teams to collaborate across the Kraken and broader fintech ecosystem. The fintech and crypto ecosystems will continue to be drawn closer together and Kraken Ventures will be investing at the intersection of these two dynamic industries. Jesse Powell, co-founder and CEO of Kraken said: "As we enter the crypto industrys next growth phase, Kraken Ventures will support entrepreneurs in making the financial system more open, inclusive, and transparent. With a strong team in place, Kraken Ventures offers the right combination of resources to bring the best ideas to their full potential. Weve arrived at the point where crypto is starting to show its true potential, transforming the financial services industry and creating truly global, digital economies." Kraken Ventures will be led by Brandon Gath, who has 20 years of experience in the financial services and crypto industries. He most recently served as the Head of Corporate Development at Kraken and prior to joining Kraken helped lead CME Ventures, where he was an early investor in numerous unicorn startups across fintech, AI, Deep Learning, Quantum Computing and Crypto. He led early investments in Orbital Insight, Crosslend, Digital Currency Group, Nervana Systems, Crypto Facilities, Privitar, and Fortscale. Brandon has a wealth of professional experience ranging across venture capital, M&A, investing banking, and consulting. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago in Entrepreneurial Finance. Story continues Brandon Gath, General Partner of Kraken Ventures said: "Fintech and specifically crypto technology provides the opportunity to drastically change how businesses and consumers exchange and store value, invest, lend, borrow, and conduct global commerce. We take a long-term view on investing to add value from inception through each growth phase of our portfolio companies evolution. We will take a hands-on approach with our portfolio companies to provide guidance, new commercial opportunities and additional capital support. The possibility to leverage Krakens experience building a truly global, scalable platform enables us to support our portfolio companies from inception to market leadership. Weve already identified some of the best opportunities out there and expect to announce our first investments in the near future." Brandon will be joined by Kirill Gourov and Akshi Federici. Kirill currently supports strategic investment for Kraken and previously managed blockchain investments for a New York-based multifamily office. Prior to this, he led blockchain strategy efforts at Expand Research, a subsidiary of The Boston Consulting Group. He has been actively involved in the Bitcoin community since early 2013 and has over 7 years of experience in the blockchain industry including investment, strategy development for both public and private chain applications, and business development for blockchain projects. Akshi Federici is a seasoned strategic operator with over 15 years of experience in the financial services and cryptocurrencies industries with The Boston Consulting Group, BlackRock, Conde Nast, ConsenSys, and Kraken. For more information, please visit www.krakenventures.com About Kraken Based in San Francisco, Kraken is the worlds largest global digital asset exchange based on euro volume and liquidity. Krakens clients trade more than 50 digital assets and 7 different fiat currencies, including EUR, USD, CAD, GBP, JPY, CHF and AUD. Kraken was founded in 2011 and is the first digital asset exchange to have its market data displayed on the Bloomberg Terminal and one of the first to offer spot trading with margin, regulated derivatives and index services. Kraken is trusted by more than 5 million traders, institutions and authorities around the world. Kraken is backed by investors including Hummingbird Ventures, Blockchain Capital and Digital Currency Group, among others. For more information about Kraken, please visit www.kraken.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210211005504/en/ Contacts Alex Rapoport at press@kraken.com Advertisement Boris Johnson has said he is 'optimistic' of being able to cautiously loosen lockdown when he unveils his roadmap on February 22. The Prime Minister today reaffirmed his immediate commitment to reopen schools on March 8 but also suggested he hoped to make announcements on non-essential shops and pubs. Speaking on a visit to a plant in Billingham, Teesside, where the new Novavax vaccine will be manufactured, he said: 'I'm optimistic, I won't hide it from you. I'm optimistic, but we have to be cautious.' He added: 'Our children's education is our number one priority, but then working forward, getting non-essential retail open as well and then, in due course as and when we can prudently, cautiously, of course we want to be opening hospitality as well. 'I will be trying to set out as much as I possibly can in as much detail as I can, always understanding that we have to be wary of the pattern of disease. We don't want to be forced into any kind of retreat or reverse ferret.' Praising the 'miracles of science', the PM also predicted that in the long-term we will have 'to learn to live with' coronavirus after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it could be a 'treatable' disease. Mr Johnson's bullishness came as private government data showed hospitalisation rates were falling faster than expected. Modelling by Sage presented to Downing Street and leaked to The Times predicts hospital admissions and deaths will more than halve over the next month. Patients battling coronavirus in hospital currently number around 24,000, but this figure is expected to be slashed to around 9,000 by mid-March. Yesterday 1,908 patients were taken to hospital in the UK, a massive drop in admission rates since the peak in January when around 4,500 were admitted on a single day. The R-rate has now been confirmed to be below 1 for the first time since July, with a pincer movement of vaccines and current restrictions credited for suppressing the virus. But in spite of tumbling hospitalisation, case and death rates, government advisers are urging the PM to hold off loosening the lockdown for at least another two months. The chair of the NHS Confederation Lord Adebowale said this morning the health service was still 'on its knees' and urged ministers to adopt extreme caution in any easing of restrictions. The PM is being pulled the other way by his hawkish backbenches, who have called for a sweeping away of all curbs by May. It came as: The UK recorded another 13,308 cases, down 27 per cent on last Saturday, and a further 621 deaths, down 25 per cent; The number of Covid deaths in over-85s was found to be falling twice as fast it is in younger Britons; It was revealed illegal migrants were getting the Covid jab in plush quarantine hotels in Heathrow; China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the team's investigators said; Surge Covid testing will be rolled out in Hampshire, Middlesbrough and Walsall after cases of the variant were detected; Matt Hancock said he hopes Covid will become a 'treatable' virus and a disease we can 'live with' after all adults are offered a vaccine by September. Boris Johnson has said he is 'optimistic' of being able to cautiously loosen lockdown when he unveils his roadmap on the week of February 22. Pictured on a visit to Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham, Teesside today Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask and a hair net, visits the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing hub in Seaton Delaval, in the North East Covid deaths among over-85s plummet by 41% - almost twice as fast as un-vaccinated people over-65s The number of Covid deaths in over-85s is falling twice as fast it is in younger Brits, raising hopes that the UK's vaccine drive is clicking into gear, with just one per cent of the population refusing jabs. The Government's target of administering 15 million doses is set to be hit this weekend, amid a backdrop of falling cases and deaths, with pressure growing on Boris Johnson to present his 'roadmap' out of lockdown. The supreme efforts of volunteers over recent weeks now appears to be paying dividends, with the number of fatalities among the oldest age group now falling on average by some 41 per cent a week. By contrast, the number of weekly deaths is falling by 22 per cent for those aged under 65. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a risk expert from the University of Cambridge, told the Sun: 'There is a statistically significant difference between the age groups. A substantial amount of this difference will be vaccines. 'And, by the end of the month, it's going to be quite dramatic. It is quite tricky to spot as deaths are falling everywhere it's just that in older groups the drop is much faster than others.' Advertisement The PM today acknowledged that infections were still 'at very high levels' but were now 'coming down very fast'. The UK today recorded another 13,308 cases, down 27 per cent on last Saturday, and a further 621 deaths, down 25 per cent. Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling spurred the first lockdown last year, believes the falling rates vindicated the draconian restrictions. He told Politico's Westminster Insider podcast: 'We're in a better place than I might have anticipated a month ago. The lockdown has really driven down cases quite fast. 'They're basically halving about every 17 days and that means in a month's time the Prime Minister's talked about potentially reopening schools, we might have some bandwidth to do that, at least primary schools.' Former cabinet minister David Davis also said reopening schools was 'the first thing to do'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It's probably the lowest risk as children are less likely to have serious effects if they do catch it, there's an indication young children catch it and transmit less easily.' But Lord Adebowale urged ministers to revise the March 8 date for fear of it driving another spike in infections. He said: 'I understand the pressure to open schools. We need to do so very safely. I think mid or late-March is when we should be re-assessing. 'We have had a number of false dawns when we have set dates, taken the action, then find ourselves having to row back very quickly.' Mr Johnson's roadmap could also see outdoor exercise rules eased at around the same time as schools. The plans will then lay out a timetable for wider reopening, with shops likely to be first, followed by gyms and hairdressers and, finally, pubs and restaurants. Ministers are expected to wait at least a couple of weeks between each step so they can assess the impact of lifting each measure. The PM was tight-lipped today when pressed on reports of pubs and restaurants being able to reopen outdoor areas in April. Plans have also been drawn up to save the summer sporting season with the Government 'pushing hard' to get stadiums and venues Covid safe before June, The Telegraph reports. Officials are said to be devising new plans to make sure Wimbledon and the Euros go ahead this year such as home tests for fans in advance of sporting events, asymptomatic testing sites and rapid on-site testing and temperature checks. Mr Johnson is under pressure from the Covid Research Group of backbenchers to unlock sections of the economy for fear of permanent scarring. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Conservative MP for the Cotswolds, said last night: 'It is just as dangerous for the nation to be too cautious in unlocking. 'A sufficient proportion of the population will have been vaccinated by April. 'There is no reason why the vast bulk of the economy shops, pubs, restaurant shouldn't be allowed to begin to open then.' He added that holidays in the UK should be allowed before Easter 'or if not, immediately after'. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask, accompanied by Sarah Rose (left), MD of the Northumbria healthcare PPE manufacturing hub in Seaton Delaval Praising the 'miracles of science', the PM also predicted that in the long-term we will have 'to learn to live with' coronavirus after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it could be a 'treatable' disease Door-to-door testing to start as mutant virus spreads to Hampshire, Middlesbrough, Walsall Surge Covid testing will be rolled out in Hampshire, Middlesbrough and Walsall after cases of the South Africa variant were detected. Additional surge testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed to the TS7 postcode in Middlesbrough, areas in Walsall and in specific areas in the RG26 postcode in Hampshire where the Covid-19 variant first identified in South Africa has been found. The mutant coronavirus strain which has now been spotted more than 200 times across the UK was discovered around the Bramley area, which lies six miles north of Basingstoke. Hampshire County Council said 'the risk of transmission from this single case is considered to be very low' and surge testing in the area will get underway next week. Surge testing which involves local officials going door-to-door has already been deployed in dozens of areas of England to find cases of troublesome variants. It comes as extra testing will be carried out in Middlesbrough following the detection of a case of the South African variant. Advertisement Ex-Brexit Secretary Mr Davis urged ministers to tread carefully to ensure any easing is permanent, rather than perpetuating the cycle of lockdowns. He said: 'The thing that worries me most is what I don't want to see is yet more stop-start, relaxing it and going back again. If I were running a small company and the government said they were going to relax some measures that affect you, I wouldn't necessarily rush back unless I knew it was permanent.' He added: 'It's an argument for that well-known scientific technique - suck it and see.' Discussion has also turned to life after lockdown and learning to live with Covid in the future. Matt Hancock has suggested that the UK will be dealing with coronavirus long term after revealing how he hopes vaccines and other treatments will mean we can 'live with' the virus like the flu. The Health Secretary's comments suggest that the government does not believe it can eradicate the virus completely, with it instead becoming a regular part of life. Mr Hancock also revealed that he was confident the UK could offer the vaccine to all adults by September. Speaking in an interview with the Telegraph, Mr Hancock said new drugs designed to tackle the virus should arrive this year. This means that, combined with the vaccine rollout, Covid should become a 'treatable disease'. Mr Johnson today appeared to agree with his Health Secretary: 'A nasty disease like this will roll through. A new disease like this will take time for humanity to adapt to, but we are. 'The miracles of science are already making a huge difference, not just through vaccinations but therapies as well. 'New therapies are being discovered the whole time which are enabling us to reduce mortality, improve our treatments of the disease. 'I do think that in due time it will become something that we simply live with. Some people will be more vulnerable than others - that's inevitable. 'I think the Health Secretary spoke about the autumn. Let's see where we get to.' It comes as it was revealed that the NHS is on course to reach its target of vaccinating 15million Britons. In a major step forward in the battle against coronavirus, 14,012,224 first doses of the Pfizer and Oxford jabs have been administered. The total includes more than 500,000 from Thursday, meaning the 15million target should be hit today 48 hours ahead of schedule. Mr Johnson said the Government will be providing an update on Monday - the February 15 deadline for vaccinating the top four JCVI priority groups. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report today suggested suggested there were 695,400 Covid-19 cases in England alone by February 6, down 31 per cent from a fortnight ago in yet another firm sign the second wave is in retreat. This equates to one in eighty people having the virus Is this finally proof the vaccine is working in Britain? Covid deaths among over-85s plummet by 41% - almost twice as fast as un-vaccinated people over-65s - as new figures show just 1% of people have refused to get the jab By Tom Pyman for MailOnline The number of Covid deaths in over-85s is falling twice as fast it is in younger Brits, raising hopes that the UK's vaccine drive is clicking into gear, with just one per cent of the population refusing jabs. The Government's target of administering 15 million doses is set to be hit this weekend, amid a backdrop of falling cases and deaths, with pressure growing on Boris Johnson to present his 'roadmap' out of lockdown. The supreme efforts of volunteers over recent weeks now appears to be paying dividends, with the number of fatalities among the oldest age group now falling on average by some 41 per cent a week. By contrast, the number of weekly deaths is falling by 22 per cent for those aged under 65. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a risk expert from the University of Cambridge, told the Sun: 'There is a statistically significant difference between the age groups. A substantial amount of this difference will be vaccines. 'And, by the end of the month, it's going to be quite dramatic. It is quite tricky to spot as deaths are falling everywhere it's just that in older groups the drop is much faster than others.' Meanwhile, data from the Office for National Statistics reveals just one in every 100 people offered a Covid jab have turned it down. The Prime Minister said today he is 'optimistic' he will be able to begin announcing the easing of restrictions when he sets out his 'roadmap' out of lockdown in England on February 22. Speaking during a visit to the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham, Teesside, where the new Novavax vaccine will be manufactured, Mr Johnson said: 'I'm optimistic, I won't hide it from you. I'm optimistic, but we have to be cautious.' He said his first priority remained opening schools in England on March 8 to be followed by other sectors. 'Our children's education is our number one priority, but then working forward, getting non-essential retail open as well and then, in due course as and when we can prudently, cautiously, of course we want to be opening hospitality as well,' he said. 'I will be trying to set out as much as I possibly can in as much detail as I can, always understanding that we have to be wary of the pattern of disease. We don't want to be forced into any kind of retreat or reverse ferret.' A woman receives the AstraZeneca Covid19 vaccine at an NHS vaccination centre in Ealing, west London yesterday Health conditions that make patients in Priority Group Six eligible for a vaccine A blood cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma) Diabetes Dementia A heart problem A chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma A kidney disease A liver disease Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as HIV infection, steroid medication, chemotherapy or radiotherapy) Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis (who may require long term immunosuppressive treatments) Have had an organ transplant Had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) A neurological or muscle wasting condition A severe or profound learning disability A problem with your spleen, example sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed Are seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above) Are severely mentally ill Advertisement There is variation in uptake between age groups, however, with five per cent of those offered the vaccine aged 30-49 deciding not to receive it, compared to two per cent for the 50-69s and less than one per cent for the over-70s. Furthermore, Professor Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), has said the uptake of the coronavirus jab among care home staff remains 'far too low'. Prof Harnden said that nationally only 66% of care home staff had taken up the offer of a first dose. 'If they are to stop potentially transmitting to those vulnerable people who they look after and care for deeply, they need to take the immunisation up. The message needs to come across loud and clear,' he told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme. However, he rejected suggestions that the vaccine could be made compulsory among staff if they wanted to carry on working in care homes. 'I would much prefer to be able to persuade by the power of argument than to force people or to make people lose their jobs because they didn't take up the vaccine.' His comments come as the Government launches a fresh drive to encourage people to accept a vaccine amid continuing reluctance among some groups. Ministers are confident they will achieve their UK-wide target of getting an offer of a vaccine to those most at risk from the virus - including all over 70s - by Monday's deadline. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped a combination of vaccines and new treatments will mean Covid-19 could be a 'treatable disease' by the end of the year. However, there is concern in Government at the rate of vaccine uptake among some communities - including some ethnic minorities. Mr Hancock issued a direct appeal to anyone over 70 who has still not had the jab to contact the NHS over the weekend to book an appointment. 'I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible,' he said. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.' NHS England said the top four priority groups in England - people aged 70 and over, care home residents and staff, health and care workers and clinically extremely vulnerable patients - 'have now been offered the opportunity to be vaccinated', while Wales said those groups had been reached. Fresh Government drive to encourage people to accept jabs The Government has launched a fresh drive to encourage people to accept a vaccine amid continuing reluctance among some groups. Ministers are confident they will achieve their UK-wide target of getting an offer of a vaccine to those most at risk from the virus - including all over 70s - by Monday's deadline. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped a combination of vaccines and new treatments will mean Covid-19 could be a 'treatable disease' by the end of the year. However, there is concern in Government at the rate of vaccine uptake among some communities - including some ethnic minorities. Mr Hancock issued a direct appeal to anyone over 70 who has still not had the jab to contact the NHS over the weekend to book an appointment. 'I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible,' he said. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.' Advertisement NHS England said people aged 65 to 69 can now get a vaccine if GPs have supplies, while Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said they had already begun contacting some over 50s. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she expects many in the 65-69 age group to have had their first jab by the middle of this month after the vast majority of older people were vaccinated. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health is offering everyone over 65 a vaccine by the end of February as it works its way through priority groups four and five, although it is expected to help the UK meet its overall target. After that, the jab will be offered to people in priority group six, which is made up of those aged between 16 and 64 who have serious underlying health conditions. This latter group, made up of some 7.3 million people, includes patients with conditions varying from morbid obesity, dementia and arthritis. Overall, uptake of the vaccine has been high, with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) reporting a 93% take-up rate among the over 75s in England. The DHSC is now seeking to work with community organisations and charities in England to address the concerns that are making some reluctant to get the jab, while seeking to dispel 'myths' circulating on social media. At the same time it is looking to raise awareness of how the vaccines are being made generally available, especially among ethnic minorities, homeless people, asylum seekers and those with disabilities. Around 30 ministers are taking part in visits and virtual meetings, including Home Secretary Priti Patel and Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi. 'We recognise that some groups feel more hesitant about getting a jab, or have more barriers, both physical and mental, preventing them from accessing one when it's offered,' Mr Zahawi said. Mr Hancock, meanwhile, expressed the hope that coronavirus will become 'another illness that we have to live with' like flu. 'I hope that Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year,' Mr Hancock told The Daily Telegraph. 'If Covid-19 ends up like flu, so we live our normal lives and we mitigate through vaccines and treatments, then we can get on with everything again.' Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, said he agreed with the Health Secretary's comments about the UK potentially living with coronavirus in the future in the same way as the flu. Matt Hancock said he hoped Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year. Prof Altmann told Times Radio: 'I agree with the 'by the end of the year' part, I think the jury's out on what the future will look like.' On news of the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals going down, he said: 'We're all following the data in the UK and from Israel, who are a little bit ahead of the curve in terms of vaccinations, and seeing those transmission graphs absolutely being quashed. 'We can't easily pick apart how much of that is lockdown, how much is vaccination, but it's certainly both of those things. 'I am cautiously optimistic that we are winning finally.' The move comes as it was announced on Friday that more than 14 million across the UK have now received their first dose of one of the approved vaccines. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on February 13 that the government has agreed to the 15th Finance Commissions recommendations for a non-lapsable defence fund, a move which could see states indirectly paying for a part of the countrys defence needs. Defence and National Security are the centres responsibility as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. We have agreed, in-principle, to the Finance Commissions recommendation for a non-lapsable defence fund. The modalities and the structure will be worked upon, Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha during her reply to the debate on Budget 2021-22. In its report for 2021-22 to 2025-26, the 15th Finance Commission said it had re-calibrated the relative shares of the centre and states in gross revenue receipts by reducing its grants component by 1 percent, which would enable the setting up of the fund. It recommended the government to set up a dedicated non-lapsable fund, Modernisation Fund for Defence and Internal Security, to bridge the gap between projected budgetary requirements and budget allocation for defence and internal security. This may be called Rashtriya Suraksha Naivedyam Kosh or any other appropriate name. The 15th FC said that the proceeds of the fund will be utilised for capital investment for modernisation of defence services, paramilitary services and state police forces, and a small component as a welfare fund for soldiers and para-military personnel. As per the 15th FCs report, the incremental funding will come from transfers from the Consolidated Fund of India, disinvestment proceeds of defence PSUs, proceeds from the monetisation of surplus defence land, including the realisation of arrears of payment for defence land used by state governments and proceeds from defence land likely to be transferred to states and for public projects in future. The total indicative size of the proposed Fund over the period 2021-26 is Rs 2.38 lakh crore, with a maximum size of Rs 51,000 crore per annum. Any amount exceeding the same shall be deposited into the Consolidated Fund, the report stated. The 15th FC said that the Ministry of Defence would have exclusive rights over the use of the fund, while the Home Ministry will only be permitted to use the fund that is earmarked paramilitary forces. The fund may be operated by a suitably empowered High-Powered Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary and consist of the Secretaries of Defence, Home and Expenditure and the Chief of Defence Staff, the report, tabled on the same day as the Budget on February 1, said. New Delhi: After initially voicing concern over the farmers ongoing protest against the three farm laws, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now commended the Narendra Modi government's efforts to choose the path of dialogue in dealing with the farmers issues. In his telephonic talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trudeau commended the Indian governments effort to engage farmers in talks and described it as "befitting in democracy", the Ministry of External Affairs said late on Friday. Both PM Modi and Trudeau held a telephone conversation on Wednesday, covering a range of issues including the coronavirus crisis. "On the farmers' protests, Prime Minister Trudeau commended efforts of the government of India to choose the path of dialogue as befitting in democracy," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing. His comments came following a question on the issue. "He (Trudeau) also acknowledged the responsibility of his government in providing protection to Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in Canada," Srivastava said. A readout issued by Trudeau's office on the telephonic talks mentioned that the farmer protests figured in the discussions though the Indian statement on the same had not mentioned it. "The leaders discussed Canada and India's commitment to democratic principles, recent protests, and the importance of resolving issues through dialogue," the Canadian readout said. It mentioned several other issues discussed by the two Prime Ministers. Tens of thousands of farmers have been protesting at three border points on the outskirts of Delhi demanding the repeal of the three contentious farm laws. The talks between the farmers and the government are deadlocked as the farmers are insisting on the complete repeal of the laws. In early December, Trudeau, backing the agitating farmers in India, had said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests and had expressed concern over the situation. Last week, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had made a comment on the issues related to the farmers and it was conveyed to Canada that such remarks pertaining to the internal affairs of India are "unwarranted" and "unacceptable". Live TV New York City police are looking for a man who is believed to have fatally stabbed two homeless people and wounded two others late Friday and early Saturday while riding the subway connecting Manhattan and Queens. The fatal stabbings took place on opposite ends of the A subway line, which connects the Inwood section of Upper Manhattan with Rockaway, Queens. The bodies of both of the dead victims were found in their subway seats, according to the New York Post. The wounded victims are reportedly helping police identify the assailant. Officials said they believe the attacker to be possibly a Hispanic male standing at a height of 5ft tall and wearing a face mask. A man was found stabbed to death before midnight on Friday at the Mott Avenue Beach subway station in the Far Rockaway section of Queens - the southernmost tip of the A subway line. The station was closed as police investigate 'Three of these incidents appear to be connected and the Detective Bureau is looking into the possibility that all four could have been committed by one individual,' Transit Chief Kathleen OReilly told reporters. 'We will work tirelessly to bring the individual or individuals to justice.' DailyMail.com has reached out to the New York Police Department for comment. During a news conference on Saturday, police told reporters that the violent stabbing spree started at around 11:20am on Friday. The image above is an undated stock photo of the 207th Street A line subway station in the Inwood section of Upper Manhattan, where a 44-year-old woman was found unconscious after being stabbed in the early morning hours of Saturday. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital Thats when a 67-year-old man was stabbed by an assailant at the 181st Street A-line subway station. The victim is expected to survive, according to police. The next attack took place before midnight, when authorities found a man stabbed to death in his seat on the A train at the Mott Avenue station in Far Rockaway, Queens. The victim died of stab wounds to his neck and torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Just two hours later, a 44-year-old was found unconscious after she was stabbed while riding the A train at the 207th Street Station in Upper Manhattan. The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Just a few minutes later, a 43-year-old man was randomly stabbed at the A subway station on West 181st Street in Manhattan. The man was rushed to hospital where he is listed in stable condition. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea has ordered an extra 500 officers to patrol subway stations both above and below ground beginning on Saturday. The NYPD plans to deploy an additional 865 officers to patrol the subway system on Monday. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an uptick in violent incidents inside the largely desolate subway stations as ridership has plummeted due to fears of getting infected. Transit workers have been demanding that the 24-hour subway schedule be resumed after several reported being assaulted during the overnight hours when trains are shut down for COVID-19 cleanings. The NYPD has launched a manhunt for a suspect believe to have fatally stabbed two homeless people and wounded two others late on Friday and early Saturday morning while riding the A subway line. The above photo is from January 14 The union representing Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers who operate the citys public buses and subways are assaulted, harassed, spit upon, and in severe cases nearly killed by assailants in largely empty stations. In November, the New York Police Department said that it would add around 200 cops on its patrols of subway stations after a series of disturbing incidents. Noel Quintana, 61, was on a Manhattan subway that was taking him to work in Harlem last Wednesday when an unknown attacker kicked his bag and then whipped out a box cutter and slashed him across the face from ear to ear. Last Thursday morning, another woman was pushed in front of a train at Union Station in Lower Manhattan. The woman, in her 40s, miraculously survived by rolling between the tracks as the train passed over her. A suspect, Aditya Vemulapati, was held at the scene by transit workers and is charged with attempted murder, felony assault, and reckless endangerment. His last known address is in Michigan and he is believed to be homeless. According to the NYPD, there were 16 subway pushing incidents in all of 2019. So far this year, there have been just as many. On Christmas Eve, Narinder Kumar, 70, an MTA station agent, was pushed onto the subway tracks at the Nassau Avenue G subway stop in Brooklyn at around 3am. Kumar was lucky to be alive though he suffered a fractured spine and head injuries. Fortunately, he missed the electrified third rail. The alleged assailant, Jhonathan Martinez, 27, was trying to get onto one of the trains, which are only available for first responders and transit workers during the overnight hours. MTA worker Reggie Frazier (left), 61, is seen above with his daughters Shalae, 16, and Shaleah, 7, who is holding a photo of their sister, Shaimeek, 21, who passed away in April of COVID-19. On August 5, Frazier tore a tendon in his right knee and was beaten by an assailant with a milk crate as he was sweeping up at the Dyckman Street subway station in the Inwood section of Upper Manhattan at around 2:15am Martinez was charged with assault, harassment and reckless endangerment. On August 5, Reggie Frazier, a father of three who lost his 21-year-old daughter last year to COVID-19, was sweeping up at the Dyckman Street subway stop in the Inwood section of Upper Manhattan at around 2:15am - more than an hour after the last trains stopped running for the day. Yo, man, no trains after 1am, Frazier, 61, told a man who wandered into the station, according to THE CITY. According to Frazier, the man responded: Shut the f*** up, Ill punch you in the face. I said, I dont want to fight you, man, Im at work, Frazier told THE CITY. But he grabbed a crate and started swinging. The man attacked Frazier with a milk crate. As Frazier tried to escape, he tore a tendon in his right knee. Since that day, he has not returned to work. I wasnt sworn into this job to take beatdowns, he said. The man identified as Fraziers assailant, 36-year-old Ramon Garrido, was arrested and charged. Alexander Jaiserie, a 23-year-old MTA train operator, told THE CITY that he and a conductor were assaulted in the early morning hours of July 10 after their empty No. 7 train pulled into the Flushing-Main Street station in Queens. Noel Quintana, 61, was on his way to work in Harlem last Wednesday when an unknown attacker kicked his bag and then whipped out a box cutter and slashed him across the face on a Manhattan subway The NYPD is seeking the attacker, who was wearing a Louis Vuitton face mask and fled the L Train at the 1st Avenue stop on 14th Street Leaving Willets Point, we heard of a disturbed person causing problems at Flushing Main and a request for police to come to the station, he said. So we knew there was somebody causing issues and to be aware of that. According to Jaiserie, a man on the platform blocked him and the conduct from leaving the trains first car. As they tried to walk between subway cars, the man pounced. He then lunged once again at the two transit workers as they emerged onto the platform. The man fled and no one has been charged. Subway crimes are down more than 50 percent so far in 2021 from the same period last year - but ridership is down roughly 70 percent in the pandemic, suggesting the crime rate per passenger may have actually increased. Who will be the next CM of Assam? Sarbananda Sonowal or Himanta Biswa Sarma? Assam's BJP govt fulfilled expectations of people, will return to power: CM India pti-Deepika S Guwahati, Feb 13: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said that his government has fulfilled all expectations of the people of the state and will come back to power after the assembly elections, likely to be held in March-April this year. Replying to the discussion on the governor''s address on the concluding day of the last session of the present assembly, Sonowal expressed confidence that the ruling coalition will emerge victorious because of the "the good work" it has done in the last five years. "The BJP is successful in fulfilling all expectations of the people of the state. We have worked hard and given equal respect to all people. We will come back again. Let us work together," he said. The chief minister also highlighted the achievements of the first BJP-led government in Assam and thanked the people of the state for their cooperation in all spheres. Sonowal asked his party''s MLAs not to be sad for leaving the Assembly as they will again sit on the treasury bench after forming the next NDA government in the state within a few months. After Sonowal''s speech, the House passed the ''Vote on Account Budget for 2021-22'' of Rs 60,784.03 crore for a period of six months from April to September. After that, Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami adjourned House sine-die. The last day of the three-day session was held at the new building of the Assembly, which is still under construction. It is located next to the existing structure. Sonowal and Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami inaugurated the House earlier in the day and launched a coffee table book on the history of Assam Legislative Assembly. The slate of candidates for San Antonio mayor and the citys 10 council seats on the May 1 ballot is set. After Fridays deadline for filing, city records showed 81 people are running for a spot on the City Council in a race defined by the human and economic toll inflicted on the city by COVID-19 as well as a reckoning over the power of the San Antonio Police union in the wake of a public demand for law enforcement reform. The main event is the rematch between incumbent Ron Nirenberg and former City Councilman Greg Brockhouse, who fought the mayor to a runoff two years ago and nearly ousted him. On ExpressNews.com: Police reform, economy recovery take center stage in SA mayors race Attention also will be focused on several highly competitive council races, including the open seats in District 3 and District 5 soon to be vacated by council veterans Rebecca Viagran and Shirley Gonzales, who have hit their term limits. The race for District 2 on the citys East Side has attracted nine people eager for a shot to dethrone first-term Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan. One is a former staffer of hers who already has blown past his one-time boss in campaign fundraising. Heres a breakdown of candidates in each race. Ages and occupations are listed for those that were available on the filing documents. Mayor Nirenberg is vying for a third term amid high marks for his response to the pandemic and after notching his most decisive electoral victory to date: the November passage of a $154 million sales tax plan aimed at helping tens of thousands of residents get job training and college degrees in order to land higher-paying jobs. On ExpressNews.com: Nirenberg touts success of job training plan in launching reelection bid But Brockhouse once again sees vulnerability in the mayor blasting Nirenberg for focusing too much on long-term goals instead of immediate recovery efforts. Hes also betting on a wave of pro-police voters to turn out in force to oppose a ballot measure to repeal the police unions collective bargaining rights to help him cross the finish line. On ExpressNews.com: Brockhouse focuses on economy recovery in second try for mayor Nirenberg and Brockhouse arent alone in the race; 12 other candidates also have filed for mayor. Ray Basaldua, 48, roofer Frank Adam Muniz, attorney Tim Atwood, 67, teacher Denise Gutierrez-Homer, businesswoman Gary Allen, retired teacher J.L. Miller, military Michael Commander Idrogo, 60, veteran U.S. Navy commander Antonio Tony Diaz, retail Dan Martinez, retired Justin Macaluso, director of quality and manufacturing Joshua James Galvan, self-employed John M. Velasquez, psychologist District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino has held his downtown seat since 2014, when Diego Bernal left to run for the Texas House. Trevino faces a field of five other candidates as he seeks his final council term including environmentalist Mario Bravo, who says his candidacy is less about dissatisfaction with Trevinos job performance than it is about pushing for structural change at City Hall. During the pandemic, Trevino has positioned himself as an often-lonely progressive agitator on the council pushing city leaders to pony up more dollars to help residents struggling to stay in their homes and small businesses trying to keep their lights on something his detractors say the city has been doing anyway. He was one of two council members to oppose the mayors workforce development plan. In addition to Trevino and Bravo, the other candidates in the race are retiree Raymond Zavala, environmental consultant Matthew J. Gauna, attorney Lauro A. Bustamante and financial professional Cyndi Dominguez. District 2 Seeking another two years in her East Side seat, Andrews-Sullivan faces 11 other candidates including her former communications director, 25-year-old Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, a math teacher at James Madison High School. Also on the ballot are Black Lives Matter organizer Pharaoh Clark, 33; Kristi Villanueva, 48, president of the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; Dori Brown, a 51-year-old former aide to the late state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon; community activist and business owner Nneka Cleaver, 46; and and five other candidates. Other candidates include: Walter Perry Sr., tax preparer Andrew Fernandez Vicencio, retired from the U.S. Army Carl Booker, publisher Norris Tyrone Darden, educator Chris Dawkins, business owner Michael John Good, construction and logistics District 3 This open seat, soon to be vacated by Councilwoman Viagran, who has termed out, has drawn 12 candidates to represent the Southeast Side, one of the areas of town hit hardest by the pandemic. Despite the many candidates, the race so far is looking like a showdown between a possible new South Side political dynasty and one seeking redemption. On ExpressNews.com: Nearly half of COVID-19 deaths were residents in South and West Sides Phyllis Viagran, 48, is vying to replace her sister. Meanwhile, the Uresti dynasty is attempting another comeback as former state Rep. Tomas Uresti, brother of imprisoned former state Sen. Carlos Uresti, takes a shot at the seat. The other 10 candidates are: Angela Cardona, executive assistant and community relations Marcello Martinez, architect Stephen Steve Valdez, communications Rafael C. Vela Ted Gonzalez, sales manager Mark Arthur Vargas Jr. Diana Flores Uriegas Katherine Herrera Rodolfo Rudy Lopez, self-employed Walter Murray, advertising business owner District 4 Adriana Rocha Garcia, the first woman to represent this Southwest Side district and a key ally on Nirenbergs Ready to Work initiative, is seeking a second term. The assistant professor of marketing for Our Lady of the Lake University faces mathematician Raymond Guzman, business owner David Tristan and Curtis Mueller, who works in information technology. District 5 Its open season for the West Side seat as Councilwoman Gonzales also has reached the limit of terms she can serve. Eleven candidates are running to represent the district another area hit hard by the pandemic. On ExpressNews.com: South Side and West Side have seen the most coronavirus cases Among the hopefuls are Jason Mata, 48, who sits on boards for various nonprofits; housing activist Teri Castillo of the Historic Westside Residents Association; and Norberto Geremy Landin, vice president of operations and business development for San Antonio South Texas Allergy and Asthma Medical Professionals. Other candidates include: Irma G. Barron, self employed; Marie Crabb, 34, realtor; Ricardo Moreno, 35, assistant principal; Anthony Gres, business owner; attorney David Yanez; and retirees Ray Garza, Jesse J. Alaniz and Rudy Lopez. District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, 46, who chairs the councils Public Safety committee, faces four challengers as she seeks a second term for the Far West Side seat: Robert Walker, the owner of Papas Burgers; business owner Irina Rudolph; accountant and adjunct lecturer Chris Baecker and housing liaison Robert Hernandez. District 7 As the councilwoman for this West Side district since 2017, incumbent Ana E. Sandoval has one competitor this election: Patricia Ann Varela, who is retired from the U.S. Army. District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez the councils self-styled voice of reason without a filter is running for a third term in his Northwest Side district. Hes facing self-employed Cesario Garcia, real estate broker Rob Rodriguez, pricing specialist Suzanne McCarty and registered nurse Tammy K. Orta. District 9 Once a perennial Democratic candidate, Councilman John Courage, 69, has represented the traditionally conservative North Side district for two terms. He faces four candidates in his bid to hold the seat for another two years among his challengers are two conservatives: Patrick Von Dohlen, the president of a financial group; and attorney Erika Moe, who is backed by a high-powered GOP consulting firm in Austin. The other challengers are business operations specialist Cory Dennington, 29, and college student Antonio Salinas, 18. District 10 Nirenberg and Brockhouse arent the only ones in a rematch on the May ballot. Clayton Perry, the councils lone conservative, will once again face Ezra Johnson, vice chair of VIA Metropolitan Transit. Perry and Johnson vied for the open seat back in 2017, with Perry emerging victorious in a runoff. The race will test whether Perry who is tight with neighborhood groups in his Northeast Side district is still in line with voters. The district broke for President Joe Biden in November as well as a trio of ballot initiatives Perry opposed. A bright spot for Perry: a majority of voters in his district went for downballot Republicans. The other challengers are 32-year-old educator Alexander Svehla, Emily Norwood and U.S. Army officer Gabrien Gregory. The last day to register to vote for the May 1 election is April 1. Early voting begins April 19 and ends April 27. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. A surging Greens vote in south-east Queensland coupled with the collapse of One Nation support in the regions could give federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese the leg-up in the Sunshine State he needs. While Prime Minister Scott Morrison is yet to set a date for the next federal election, both major parties are preparing for a poll in the back half of 2021 and the campaign wheels have begun to spin in regional Queensland. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Credit:: Dominic Lorrimer, Jono Searle/Getty, Alex Ellinghausen Considered One Nation heartland, Queensland voters turned their backs on Pauline Hansons party at the 2020 state election, with the partys primary vote halving to 7 per cent. Labor was the main beneficiary of the One Nations decline, picking up a 4 per cent swing in primary support. In a rather unbelievable piece of development today, two Indian climbers got banned from Mount Everest for a weird reason. The couple, as per the report in Daily Mail, have been banned from mountaineering in Nepal for six years for lying that they had reached the summit of Mount Everest. Facebook The report suggests that an investigation found that Narender Singh Yadav and Seema Rani Goswami's 2016 climb had been faked, after it was certified by the tourism department at the time. The pair, reportedly a couple from India, and their team leader were banned by Nepal after an investigation was launched when they could not provide verifiable evidence of their summit. Shutterstock Yadav was slated to win India's prestigious Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award, but when the news broke Indian mountaineers and the media reacted with outrage and rightfully so. Analysis was shared that showed photographic evidence the climber had used to 'prove' he reached the top of the world's tallest mountain was in fact doctored. And that is crazy. Consequently, the award was subsequently retracted from Yadav, and an investigation was launched leading to their summit certification being revoked. Shutterstock Speaking to AFP news agency, a spokesman for Nepal's tourism ministry said their investigation and enquiries with other climbers found the couple 'never reached the summit'. 'They couldn't produce any evidence of their ascent to the peak they even failed to submit reliable photos of them at the summit,' the spokesman said. Another ministry spokesman told The Indian Express, 'In our investigation, we found that they had submitted fake documents [including photographs]. iStock Reaching the summit of Mount Everest, standing at 29,029 feet (8,848 metres) in the Himalayas, is considered to be an outstanding feat for mountaineers globally. Climbers that reach the summit have often gone on to become motivational speakers, or have written books about their journey to reach the peak. Currently, the system requires photos and reports from team leaders and government officers stationed at the base camp as proof of reaching the summit. But the potential rewards mean the system is open to attempts at fakery, and this is not the first time climbers have been banned for doctoring photographs. In 2016, another Indian couple - both police constables - were banned for 10 years for faking photographs that they claimed showed them at the top of Everest. (Source: Daily Mail) On Friday, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu called for moderation in the use of social media to prevent its abuse and avoid controversies so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. His statement came in the background of the government expressing "strong displeasure" over Twitter's delay in taking instant action against accounts and hashtags spreading misinformation about the farmers' stir. VP Naidu while interacting with media said extreme or maximalist positions would not help in resolving the issue and called for an early resolution to the ongoing farmer's agitation through talks. The best way to effectively use social media without offending others is for the users to adopt the principle of moderation in content generation, he added in reference to restoring some accounts by Twitter regarding some comments on farmers'' agitation. READ | Anti-India Twitter Crackdown Escalates; Centre Wants 1178 Pak-Khalistan Handles Taken Down Claiming that he was against controlling social media, Naidu said such effective platforms should not be misused and abused, and social media should not be allowed to be converted into theatres of war. Wars are hazardous to all. "Content for social media should be generated in a restrained and responsible manner by keeping the reactions to such content in mind. Such reflection would minimise offensive posts. Provocation should not be the objective. Sharing of views for better perspectives should be," the Vice President said, reported PTI. Regarding the farmers' agitation, he stated that taking extreme or maximalist positions would not help in resolving the issue. "Taking extreme or maximalist positions by any side makes it difficult to resolve the issue as it makes accommodation of the other point of view difficult. Accordingly, the principle of moderation applies in this case as well," he said, reported PTI. He also said that Democracy is all about discussion and negotiated resolution of differences. It inherently calls for moderation without taking to extremes. It applies to both the issues concerning social media and farmers' agitation. READ | Centre Turns Down Twitter's Dialogue Proposal; Company Cites Action Against 500 Accounts Twitter blocks 97% of accounts Amid the tussle with the Indian government, Twitter has blocked over 97% of the accounts and posts flagged by the IT Ministry for provocative content and misinformation around farmers' protest, news agency PTI quoting its sources said on Friday. The development comes following a meeting between Twitter representatives and the Information Technology Secretary on Wednesday evening where the US-based microblogging platform was issued a stern warning to comply with local laws or be prepared for action. On February 4, Twitter was asked to take down 1,178 accounts with links to Pakistan and Khalistan supporters that were spreading misinformation and provocative content related to farmers' protest. Prior to that, the government had sought blocking of 257 tweets and handles in connection with the agitation by farmers over the new agricultural laws. Twitter had complied with the orders only to restore the accounts hours later. READ | Twitter Acts After Centre's Warning; Deletes 97% Of Accounts, Posts Flagged By IT Ministry READ | Venkaiah Naidu Upset Over YSR Congress MP's 'dysfunctional' Remark Against VP Chair (With PTI Inputs) The dull season 14 of Bigg Boss 14 seems finally set for some genuine drama, with contestant Rahul Vaidya and his girlfriend Disha Parmar adding a romantic twist in the house over the weekend, to bring Valentines Day vibes alive. When Disha enters the Bigg Boss house to meet Rahul Vaidya, he proposes her on national television. She accepts. When Disha Parmar enters the house, Rahul is naturally surprised and ecstatic. In sync with February 14 hues, Disha wears a red sari, and her hair gently falls over her shoulders. A new promo shows Rahul Vaidya gets to meet her from the other side of a glass wall, due to the pandemic and safety protocol. Then, Rahul goes down on his knees and proposes marriage. Disha says yes, literally putting up the writing on the wall! She shows a huge placard that says: "Yes, I will marry you." At one point, Rahul gets emotional when Disha tells him: "This is such a good occasion for me to be here." She is referring to Valentine's Day. The promo ends with both saying "I love you" to each other and sealing the bond with a kiss, though with the glass divider in between. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Varuzhan Nersesyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States of America, held a virtual meeting with Congressman David Valadao (R California) on February 12, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Facebook page of the Embassy. Ambassador congratulated Congressman Valadao on resuming his mission as Member of House Representative, as well as being elected as Co-Chair of Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. Ambassador briefed in detail about the Turkish-Azerbaijani recent aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and described the challenges and humanitarian crises followed by the war. In that regard Ambassador stressed the importance of repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians. Interlocutors emphasized the need to address the core issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. In new TN assembly DMK has most MLAs with pending criminal background, crorepatis Stalin asks TN people to 'punish' AIADMK govt in polls India oi-Deepika S Cuddalore, Feb 13: Launching a scathing attack on the ruling AIADMK, DMK chief M K Stalin on Saturday described its rule as 'anti-people' and 'corrupt' and urged the people to punish it in the coming Assembly polls. The government facilitated job opportunities through the 'backdoor' to people from other states affecting Tamil Nadu people's interests, he alleged during a poll campaign at Virudhachalam near here. Responding to a woman's plea in an interactive session, which was a part of the campaign, he alleged that people from outside Tamil Nadu were favoured in employment opportunties in departments like the railway too and not only in sugar mills. The woman complained local people had difficulties in getting jobs in sugar mills since workers from other states were being employed. Blaming the government for such a 'scenario,' Stalin said his party has already brought before the people the 'betrayal' of the AIADMK government and held protests as well. PM Modi to visit poll-bound Kerala and Tamil Nadu on Feb 14 'A change of government is however the only comprehensive solution,' he said and appealed to the people to dislodge the AIADMK government. The DMK leader alleged,'there is a government today which has forgotten the people. This is an anti-people regime which punished the people. Public should punish the AIADMK government.' Accusing Palaniswami of 'copying' his poll assurances to the people like waiver of farm loans availed by farmers from cooperative banks, the leader of opposition alleged the Chief Minister's crop loan waiver scheme has been rolled out eyeing the polls. The DMK leader said he had assured ryots about loan waiver on January 13 and Palaniswami came up with the loan waiver announcement this month. Stalin said people's standard of living has 'fallen' and small and micro enterprises have 'lost' their livelihood, while the ruling AIADMK indulged in 'corruption' during the coronavirus pandemic as well. Be it procurment of drugs, bleaching powder for sanitation or providing food to those infected by the virus, all such activities were marked by corruption, he claimed. 'The AIADMK government's functioning was worse than the pathogen and it looted,' he alleged. Exhorting the people to dislodge the government, Stalin said they had a 'duty' as well to end the AIADMK rule. He assured the people that their grievances would be addressed. Stalin has been visiting Assembly segments across Tamil Nadu as part of his 'Ungal Thogudhiyil Stalin' (Stalin in your constituency) campaign for the Assembly polls likely to be held in April-May. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 23:43 [IST] New Delhi, Feb 13 : A Special PMLA court has sent Rose Valley Group official Arun Mukherjee to seven years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh in connection with a money laundering probe. An ED official here said that the Special PMLA court on Friday evening sentenced Mukherjee to seven years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh and default rigorous imprisonment for another 6 months. The financial probe agency had registered a case against Rose Valley Real Estates Construction Ltd. its Chairman Gautam Kundu along with other persons related to the company in 2014. The official said that Mukherjee, who was Debenture Trustee and was responsible for the acts and affairs of the company at the relevant time had pleaded guilty to money laundering before the Special Court under PMLA in Kolkata. The official said that it was alleged in the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) that Rose Valley Real Estate Construction Limited and its Associate Companies repeatedly floated Secured Non-Convertible Debentures in 2001-2002, 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and in 2007-2008 and issued to more than 49 persons in each financial year and illegally raised a total amount of Rs 12.82 crore. "During the course of investigation conducted under PMLA it is revealed that the accused company under the direction and control of accused persons had accumulated investments from 2,585 persons, a total of around Rs 12 crores and acquired control over various securities," it said. The money so acquired was further laundered by investing it in various movable properties, the official said. The ED had attached 14 fixed deposits having a total value of Rs 12 crores. In this case two accused persons namely Kundu and Amit Banerjee were arrested in 2015 and a charge sheet was filed in 2015. The charges were framed in this case in February, 2012 and the trial of the other accused is ongoing, he added. Agencies | Cairo The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Al Assoomi has condemned the fallacies and misinformation contained in the Amnesty International report on the human rights situation in Bahrain. The report is not based on facts or evidence and has deviated from the professional and objective standards and has ignored the reality on the grounds of human rights, he said in a statement. Bahrain a constitutional and legislative system and various national agencies and institutions for protecting human rights. The Kingdom is also an active member in the international conventions concerned with promoting human rights, he said. The pan-Arab Speaker said he wondered about the real objectives behind issuing a report on protests that took place in Bahrain ten years ago. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al took the extraordinary initiative of forming a fact-finding commission comprised of international jurists to look into the events, the Bahrain International Commission of Inquiry (BICI). HM the King gave full powers to the commission as he was keen on the clarification of all the facts that surrounded the events. When the commission issued its report, HM the King formed a national commission to study its recommendations and follow up on their implementation, Al Assoomi said. The other baseless allegations mentioned in the report of the organization constitute blatant and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom, especially that the Bahraini judicial institutions are the ones that deal with cases and issue their decisions in this regard independently from any directives. Al Assoomi stressed that protecting human rights is a continuous and developing process and that no one is against reviewing situations to ensure the best support and protection, However, it is necessary to do it professionally and objectively to ensure that its real goal is a genuine enhancement of the situation. In this case, Amnesty International, as a human rights organization, should have communicated with the concerned authorities in Bahrain regarding the misinformation contained in its report, especially since the Kingdom has repeatedly affirmed its openness and cooperation with all non-governmental organizations related to human rights, he said. Unfortunately, the report issued by Amnesty International regarding Bahrain is an extension of the subjective and impartial approach with which the international organization deals with the human rights situation in the Arab world in general, Al Assoomi said. He indicated that Amnesty International has been issuing reports criticizing the human rights situation in Arab countries without directly communicating with the concerned authorities in these countries. Al Assoomi called on the organization to take into account this matter in the future so that its reports issued in this regard are credible and impartial. Bayern Munich have agreed to pay the release clause of RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano, which is 42.5 million euros. After leaving Valenciennes for Red Bull Salzburg in 2015, and spending one year with their feeder team before another in the first team, the 22-year-old made the switch to Leipzig in 2017. To this point, he has played 139 games for Leipzig. "I can confirm it, we are very happy," Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic told Bild newspaper when asked if the club had wrapped up a deal for Upamecano. The Frenchman will come in and cover the loss of David Alaba, who is set to leave Bayern when his contract expires on June 30. Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced earlier this week that the Bavarian club were interested in signing Upamecano and that it was up to the player to decide his future. "There are two clubs interested," Rummenigge said. "It all depends on when he wants to be clear about his future." Upamecano will not arrive at the Allianz Arena until the summer. On Thursday night, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and neo-fascist Marine Le Pen held an hour-long debate on France2 TV. The result was a sinister, degraded spectacle, focused on fascistic measures against Muslims and immigrants, in which the moderators admitted that it was difficult to distinguish Le Pen from Darmanin. Der franzosische Innenminister Gerald Darmanin bei einer Fernsehdebatte mit der rechtsextremen Parteichefin Marine Le Pen am Donnerstagabend [L'Obs, YouTube] Before this carefully staged event, the press published a battery of polls on potential candidates in next years French presidential elections. An IFOP poll found that 67 percent of the population expects Le Pen and President Emmanuel Macron to make it to the second round, setting up a rematch of the 2017 elections. Moreover, 70 percent would be unhappy about such an election. A Harris Interactive poll found that currently Macron would only very narrowly defeat Le Pen, who would get 48 percent of the vote. The debate thus had the character of an attempt by the French political establishment and media to frame the 2022 elections, with Darmanin standing in for Macronpresuming that Macron runs again, despite his massive unpopularity. That a debate between Frances best-known neo-fascist and its top cop could be taken as a preview of the next elections points to the increasingly fascistic course of the ruling class. Though France has seen 3.4 million of Europes 32 million cases of COVID-19 and 81,000 of its over three-quarters of a million deaths, not a word was spoken about the pandemic. Le Pen had confirmed shortly before, in an interview with Jean-Jacques Bourdin on BFM-TV, that she opposes lockdowns. Nor was there a word on Frances bloody war in Mali or the grotesque levels of social inequality produced by austerity policies imposed by Macron, the president of the rich. On these fascistic policies, there is unanimity in the ruling elite. Instead, moderators Lea Salame, Thomas Sotto and Nathalie Saint-Cricq began by pressing Le Pen to say if she supports the ultra-repressive anti-separatist law, which would allow the state to impose loyalty oaths and dissolve associations or political parties. Drafted under Darmanins authority at the Interior Ministry and presented as a measure targeting Muslims, this bill is now under discussion at the National Assembly. Le Pen floundered as she tried to criticize this fascistic bill, claiming she was disappointed in the law, and complaining that it does not openly declare that it targets Islam. She also obliquely referred to the dangers the law poses not only to Muslim associations, but to the entire public. She said: We needed a great, fighting law, not an administrative text. You are limiting the liberties of everyone, but you are not struggling against Islamist ideology. Darmanin responded by attacking Le Pen from the right, as soft on Islam. You are acting with softness, Mrs. Le Pen, you have gone so far that you say that Islam is not a problem, he saidan astonishing and sinister statement about a religion practiced by an estimated 3.5 million people in France. He later added: Mrs. Le Pen, as she attempts to de-demonize her party, has come to act with softness. You should take vitamins, I find that you are not tough enough! There ensued a debate on whether the Macron administration has been successful in limiting immigration. The moderators also speculated about whether Le Pen is mature or presidential enough to serve as president, and Darmanin repeatedly insisted that Le Pen is poorly prepared. Le Pen also hailed Darmanins book, Islamist Separatism: A Manifesto for Secularism, just out in bookstores. I could have signed this book. You define Islamism very clearly, she said, adding: But what of all that remains in the law? Very little. She called to ban publicly wearing the headscarf, making it virtually illegal to be a practicing Muslim. Darmanin advanced the fascistic argument that French law can ban burqas or headscarves, but only that its principles prevent it from openly stating it is targeting a religion. Secularism, that means precisely not recognizing them, Darmanin claimed. Referring to the 1905 secularism law, he claimed: Everyone knows it was made against the Catholic Church, but it is not called the Law against the Catholic Church. It is called the law of separation of church and state. This is a travesty of French law. The principle of secularism mandates state neutrality on religious issues and prevents the state from instituting or favoring a religion. It does not allow the state to target a religion or its members. Darmanins characterization of the 1905 law as an attack on Catholicism, which still exercises vast influence in France over a century after the 1905 law passed, reflects Darmanins own far-right views. It was confirmed last week that Darmanin is a former sympathizer and writer for the Action francaise , the fascist, monarchist group that opposed the 1905 secularism law and supported the Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime. Re-established in 1955, it took back its original name in 2010. The fact that French law on religious affairs is being rewritten under the authority of an Action francaise sympathizer is another warning to the far-right turn of official politics. When Macron and Le Pen emerged as the candidates in the second round of the 2017 elections, the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES), the French section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, called for an active boycott. It warned that Macron was no alternative to a neo-fascist. Its warning had nothing in common, however, with an abstentionist position. The only way forward, it stressed, was to build a politically independent movement in the working class against whichever reactionary candidate won. Nearly four years later, this assessment has been fully vindicated. Macron, who in 2018 hailed Frances Nazi-collaborationist dictator and convicted traitor Philippe Petain as a great soldier in the face of mass strikes and yellow vest protests, has pursued a fascistic course. Ramming through labor reforms, rail privatizations and pension cuts in the face of mass popular opposition, he came to rely virtually entirely on the police forces as his social base. The ruling elites murderous herd immunity policy on the pandemic has vastly accelerated the turn towards fascism internationally. In Washington, on January 6, US President Donald Trump incited a coup attempt on the US Capitol in Washington, in an attempt to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential elections. In France, Macron is trying to pass a global security law, authorizing the use of drones against protesters and to ban taking videos of police, in addition to the anti-separatist law. Pseudo-left parties of the affluent middle class that backed Macron, openly or tacitly, in 2017 are complicit in this. All helped implement Macrons herd immunity policy, overseeing the return of workers to work and of children to school, leading to a resurgence of the virus that cost tens of thousands of lives in France alone. The Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) and Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France underscored their political complicity last week by supporting or abstaining in votes on the anti-separatist laws reactionary provisions. Former Green Party leader Cecile Duflot was virtually alone in this milieu in warning on Macrons fascistic policy. Historically, those in power were the most blind at great tipping points: this was true in World War I, when Nazism took power or in pre-Mussolini Italy, Duflot wrote in Le Monde. She added: Democrats do not seem to realize that France can easily turn into a quasi-dictatorship. The bill on separatism has very dangerous limitations on civil society. Adding to that measures on the state of emergency and general laws, I let you imagine the disaster that can unfold in a few days if [Le Pen] gets power. In reality, France has turned into a quasi-dictatorship under Macron. Even if the now entirely plausible scenario of a neo-fascist victory next year is averted, it could still become a fascist regime under Macron or one of his allies. The defense of workers lives and democratic rights against Macrons fascistic laws and policies requires the independent political mobilization of the working class. Only the preparation of a European-wide general strike to impose a scientifically-guided confinement policy, independently of unions who support herd immunity policies, can halt the pandemic. Such a movement would pose the question of developing a mass socialist political movement to transfer state power to the working class. We may not definitely know "rasode mein kaun tha?" but we do know where 'pawwri ho rahi hai' for sure. Yashraj Mukhate, the music composer behind iconic viral tracks like 'Rasode mein kaun tha,' 'Biggini shoot' and 'Tuadda kutta Tommy.' has come up with one more hit, and this one's about a party. And not just any party, it's a 'pawwwri.' Mukhate uses a clip from a video of an influencer from Pakistan, which went viral. In the video, she is seen vacationing in a hilly, beautiful location of Pakistan and is heard saying, "Ye humari car hai," and panning to the car, "aur yeh hum hai" and panning to her friends and ending with "aur ye humari pawry ho rahi hai." As soon as the video went viral, netizens couldn't hold themself from taking a dive into these wholesome 'pawry' memes. Mukhate had soon made a mashup of the video, adding 'Aajse me party nahi karunga sirf pawri karunga. Kyuki party karneme wo mazaa nahi jo pawri karneme hai,' in the caption. After Yashraj shared the video, many celebrities started flooding the comment section with positive comments. The Gully Boy actor Siddhant Chaturvedi wrote, "You and I.. it's a pawrryyy.." "Petition to change party to PAWRI. let's make it happen," wrote Kusha Kapila. Dananeer's original video has also got over 50k views. Mukhate's has so far garnered over 18,00,000 views at present. Earlier, the popular musician had converted some of the most snappy dialogues said by Shehnaz Gill. The video picked by him is the scene when Shehnaaz had an argument with her friend and Bigg Boss 13 winner Sidharth Shukla. Shehnaaz, in a very distressed mode, conveys her feelings to other housemates and compares herself with a dog. Yashraj Mukhate's last viral track was based on Rakhi Sawant who shares her grievance against the 'Bigg Boss' housemates who had apparently dunked her water bottle in the swimming pool. A Wicklow artist has set up an online group for creative people to share their ideas with one another. 'Our Art Crew' was created by local artist Elaine Tobin as an inclusive group where creative people of all levels can come together online to talk about each other's work and develop creative pursuits. Other local artists have joined the creative group, which has attracted members from as far away as New Zealand thanks to its online format. Niki Keane, Sarah Eva Manson, Melanie McInerney and Melanie from Krafty Fox are some of the Wicklow-based artists who are members of the online creative group. They have also curated a selection of their art in a variety of forms that may be suitable as gifts for Valentine's Day. More details about each artist's work is available on their individual social media pages. More information about Our Art Crew and its virtual meetings are available at www.elainetobinart.com. El Paso Police have charged a Fort Bliss, Texas soldier with murder in the Feb. 8 shooting death of a former Bliss soldier. Police arrested 23-year-old Sgt. Marcus Lamar Hill for shooting 26-year-old Darion Marquez Williams after a fight broke out in the parking lot of a downtown El Paso-area bar after midnight on Feb. 8, according to an Feb. 11 news release from the City of El Paso. Williams was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police arrested Hill and Sgt. Brandon Rishad King, 29, of Ft. Bliss at a traffic stop at 2 a.m., the release states. Read Next: Pentagon Taps 3,600 More Troops to Support 'Mega-Vaccination Sites' Hill, who is charged with Williams' murder, is being held on $750,000 bond. King was charged with unlawfully carrying a handgun and released on personal recognizance, the release states. Fort Bliss spokeswoman Lt. Col. Allie Payne confirmed that Hill and King were both assigned to Bliss and that Williams was a former soldier at Bliss, according to a Fort Bliss statement. "This behavior is an affront to the values of the U.S. Army," Payne said in a statement. "Our sympathies are with those affected by this terrible incident." Williams completed his active-duty requirements on Jan. 28, Payne added. Fort Bliss officials, law enforcement, and Army Criminal Investigation Command are cooperating with the El Paso Police Department's investigation, Payne said in the statement. Meanwhile, Army officials in Hawaii charged Spc. Raul Hernandez Perez on Feb. 4 with the murder of his 25-year-old wife, Selena Roth, a former soldier who was found dead Jan. 13 in on-post housing Jan. 13. Hernandez Perez, 25, who is assigned to the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, had filed for divorce from Roth in October. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@miliary.com. Related: Hawaii-Based Soldier Charged with Killing Wife Is in Pretrial Confinement, Officials Say New federal guidelines and money are headed to Alabama as officials push to get more children back into classrooms. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted a growing consensus that schools can safely open if they have layered mitigation measures and if other pieces of society are making an effort to minimize community spread. The agency encouraged some level of in-person learning for elementary students, even in communities with high transmission rates, and said schools didnt need to wait for staff to be vaccinated. A majority of Alabama schools have offered in-person options all year, with an estimated 75% of children attending hybrid or all-face-to-face classes by February, according to Burbios School Opening Tracker. Despite occasional, apparent outbreaks, many superintendents said they felt it was important to reopen even knowing they wouldnt always be able to keep much distance between students. Saraland, a small district near Mobile, was the first in the state to reopen for in-person learning in August. The district used a large chunk of the more than $353,000 in federal funding anticipated to conduct training in the summer needed to get virtual options up and running, according to Superintendent Aaron Milner, and to hire additional nurses. It budgeted nearly $100,000 for PPE and cleaning supplies. We tried to just overwhelm people with PPE, and put them at ease, he said. We have to get back to face-to-face learning, and Im in support of trying to find any way to mitigate exposures because if anything, this has shown us that there is no substitute for face-to-face learning with a teacher. The new CDC guidance emphasizes consistent and correct mask-wearing, physical distancing, handwashing, cleaning and ventilation and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantining. A failure to consistently wear masks indoors was pointed to as the likely culprit for several school outbreaks elsewhere in the country, officials said. The CDC considers the risk of community transmission to be substantial to high if more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people are reported in an area in the last 7 days. By that measure, nearly every county in Alabama is likely to currently have high risk of community spread, even though overall case counts are falling, according to the Alabama Department of Public Healths dashboard, which tracks rates of cases on a 14-day time span. In June, Alabama offered a roadmap of best practices for schools, but did not offer guidance as to how local districts should handle reopening, beyond telling each district to offer an in-person and virtual option. Most have offered some level of in-person learning throughout the year; a few districts, including Birmingham and Montgomery, have been virtual most of the year. Recent deaths of several educators in Montgomery have been linked to COVID-19, and contributed to the districts decision to jump from in-person back to virtual learning last month. READ MORE: Montgomery moves to virtual school after spate of recent deaths Alabamas statewide mask order asks students age 7 and older to wear masks at school. The Department of Education also did not mandate a six-foot distance between students or desks; instead, it recommended schools try to place a little distance. Officials recommended schools ask parents to check temperatures and consider frequent cleaning of classrooms and common spaces. Superintendents, rushing to make decisions that made sense for their students, teachers and physical classrooms, have in some cases faced the reality that distancing isnt always possible in small or crowded facilities. Theres just no way to have six feet between them in a small classroom, said Johnny Berry, the superintendent for Arab City, a district with 2,500 students. By keeping students in small groups at individual tables, Berry said, and asking those groups to stick together throughout different classes and breaks, he feels the district has been able to minimize transmission. If someone is exposed, its easier to send that small group home than a whole classroom. As of Feb. 5, the district has kept reported cases to 25 students or less in the spring semester. Alabama K-12 schools initially received $411 million in federal coronavirus relief aid from several different sources; an initial $170 million had to be spent on health-related services, like PPE, and technology improvements by Dec. 30, 2020, while other buckets can be used through 2022. The largest pot of all relief aid is in the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER. Alabamas schools split $196 million, with each district getting an allocation proportional to its number of students who live in poverty. The money can be spent on a wide range of activities and items, including laptops, personal protective equipment, salaries for additional employees to help with academic struggles, custodial services and more. Mobile County schools, the largest district in Alabama with 53,000 students, budgeted $2.5 million for cleaning, social distancing and building updates. Spokeswoman Rena Phillips said the district, which has 89 schools and students learning both remotely and in-person, used the money for PPE, custodial salaries, shields and cleaning supplies. It also bought portable misters to disinfect gyms and classrooms, at $5,000 apiece. Schools will soon be able to apply for a new batch of nearly $900 million in ESSER II funding as they look ahead to the 2021-22 school year, state education officials told Board of Education members Thursday. Facilities and ventilation Children are thought to be at lower risk to transmit COVID-19, a point the CDC reiterated Friday, and student-to-staff transmission, and vice versa, appears to be low. But schools, if not modified, are also the perfect environment large groups of people packed into rooms, frequent talking and shouting and poor ventilation in many buildings to transmit small, disease-carrying droplets through the air, according to experts. Old and outdated facilities make the job harder, according to Justin Vincent at the University of California-Berkeley, who studies the impact of schools physical space on learning. School officials can have the most impact by enforcing mask wearing, distancing as much as possible and cleaning the air, he agreed. We should be focusing mostly fundamentally on cleaning the air inside schools, and far less on cleaning surfaces, he said. If a school has the ability to do both, fine. But both are time-consuming, requiring cost and logistics. Scientific evidence to date seems to strongly suggest that cleaning the air has a much greater impact on reducing transmission. In the new guidance, CDC officials barely addressed ventilation concerns. The Alabama Education Association reviewed each schools reopening plans and has monitored their implementation, but has not focused on any monitoring federal guidance, a spokeswoman told AL.com earlier in the month. So far, Alabama districts have largely figured out, on their own, how to spend the money and whether to focus on surface cleaning, air cleaning, remote learning or staffing. An analysis by AL.com indicates districts planned to put roughly $1.4 million of their ESSER funds toward air quality and social distancing infrastructure. Arab budgeted $132,775 in federal money to install ionized air filters in every school building. Berry, the superintendent, said he asked the nearby Marshall Medical Center what types of filters are used in its facilities, and installed the same model. I feel its one of the reasons weve been successful, he said. Instead of, you know, temperature checks at the door. We decided not to do that. I just didnt know how reliable those would be. Elba City, another small district, told the state it intended to use nearly $30,000 of its allocation toward building needs; Superintendent Chris Moseley told AL.com that the district ended up installing touchless sink faucets and hand dryers. Were a small community and kids need to be in-person, he said, saying that as the year has worn on, more and more parents who initially chose to keep their children at home for virtual school have sent them back to the classroom. Everyone weve needed to quarantine this semester due to a possible exposure has tested negative, which to me demonstrates the success of what were doing here. As of Feb. 5, the district of about 600 students had reported six or fewer COVID-19 cases each week over the course of the school year. Some schools also used local dollars, or piggy-backed off planned HVAC improvements, to add air filters or air purifiers. Mountain Brook spent $65,000 to install air ionizers in each school and upgraded air filters, according to a spokesman. Districts will be able to apply for ESSER II money in March and should begin receiving money at the end of the school year, according to officials. Oxford and Cambridge universities have halved the number of offers given to Eton College pupils, it has been revealed. The universities have offered just 48 places to pupils at the prestigious public school this year, compared to 99 in 2014. It comes as part of the universities' attempts to increase the number of state school-educated students admitted on their courses. A record high proportion of state school students started courses at the University of Cambridge this year, after the world institution increased its intake in the wake of the A-Level results fiasco. Oxbridge universities have halved the number of offers given to Eton College (pictured) pupils from 99 in 2014 to 48 this year But parents at 42,500-a-year Eton are said to be 'shocked' by the school's 'head in the sand' response to Oxbridge's diversity drive, reported the Daily Telegraph. Writing in a letter to parents, the schools deputy head Tom Hawkins tried to appease disappointed families. He said: 'Each year we see very strong Etonian applicants disappointed, and unfortunately there have been more boys in this position this year. 'Whilst the admissions process has some way to run, there are strong results at other leading UK universities.' Higher education regulator have pressured Oxford and Cambridge to boost the diversity of their undergraduate intake. Cambridge has pledged to reduce the ratio of students from the wealthiest areas of the country compared to poorest from 14 to one to around 6.7 to one by 2025. Pictured: College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Cambridge State school intake has gone up from 62.3 per cent to 70 per cent at Cambridge and 55.6 per cent to 68.7 per cent at Oxford from 2015 to this year. More students from the most deprived areas in the UK are now attending Cambridge, increasing from 13 per cent to 14 per cent of the undergraduate cohort. An Oxford admissions source told The Telegraph an increase in comprehensive students from poorer areas of the country has resulted in 'a net loss to the posh independent schools in the south-east'. The source said: 'It could be that subconsciously, admissions tutors identify Etonians as the definitive top hat privilege and you get lefty dons thinking "oh no, we dont want more Etonians".' One Etonian parent said the school had 'taken its eye off the ball' and urged the school to come up with a strategy for 'the changing times'. Around 70 per cent of UK undergraduates starting at Cambridge University (pictured) this autumn will have been educated in the state sector, according to its early admissions data Cambridge has pledged to reduce the ratio of students from the wealthiest areas of the country compared to poorest from 14 to one to around 6.7 to one by 2025. And Oxford has committed to reducing it from around 15 to one to eight to one by the same year. A Cambridge spokesperson said the university admits students 'of the greatest academic ability and potential, regardless of their social background'. And Oxford said the admission figures 'show that our outreach activities are working'. It comes after last year it was revealed a dozen colleges at Oxford University have accepted five or fewer black undergraduates over the past three years. The university's Undergraduate Admissions Report data reveals that the number of black students studying at Oxford has gone up but remains low in some areas. Data from Oxford University (pictured) revealed that 12 of its colleges have accepted five or fewer black UK students over the past three years The number of black British students admitted into the university compared to other ethnic backgrounds increased from 18.3 per cent to 22.1 per cent, while 3.2 per cent of students enrolled between 2017 and 2019 had Black African or Black Caribbean heritage. The university's vice-chancellor Professor Louise Richardson said: 'The data presented clearly demonstrates steady progress towards diversifying the make-up of our student body.' 'The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the deep education inequalities in our society. 'We are acutely conscious of its differential impact both on our current students and on those considering applying to Oxford. 'Notwithstanding the major challenge of adapting to the constraints posed by the pandemic we fully intend to continue our progress towards ensuring that every talented, academically driven pupil in the country, wherever they come from, sees Oxford as a place for them.' Saturday, February 13, 2021 Breck Wall was an entertainer in Dallas who developed, with his partner and lover Joe Peterson, a musical revue called Bottoms Up. For a while, they performed this revue at Jack Ruby's Sovereign Club, which later became the Carousel Club. Wall was one of Jack Ruby's friends, and Wall visited him in jail after he killed Oswald. Breck Wall during his oral history interview at the Sixth Floor Museum on December 28, 1993. Breck Wall testified before the Warren Commission and you can read his testimony here. On November 23rd, Wall drove to Galveston, which is fifty-one miles southeast of Houston. He wanted to get away from Dallas for a few days and visit friends. He stayed with Thomas and Nonie McKenna, a couple who had lived next to his family when he was growing up. He was always very close with them. Wall left their phone number with the operator so that he could be reached, and that night at 11:44 PM, Jack Ruby called him from Dallas. He wanted some help from Wall who was then the President of the Dallas office of the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). There was nothing unusual in any of this. Except that on that very evening, David Ferrie and his two buddies, Al Beauboeuf and Mel Coffey, drove to Galveston, from Houston, looking for some fun. For Jim Garrison, this was extremely suspicious. Particularly if you believe in the theory of propinquity. Here is what Garrison told reporter James Phelan (from his book Scandals, Scamps and Scoundrels, page 148). Yesterday, we posted Andrew Sciambra's memo to Garrison on his interview of Chuck Rolland, the manager of the Winterland Skating Rink. At the bottom of the memo, there was a paragraph on the homosexual conection: The homosexual angle really interested Garrison. Here is an excerpt from the February 11th diary entry of Richard Billings, an editor at Life Magazine, who was working with Garrison: You can see that Garrison described Wall as a "queer ex-roommate of Jack Ruby." Here is the diary entry for February 23rd, 1967: Does any of this make any sense? Breck Wall moved his play to Las Vegas. And so Jim Garrison decided to send William Gurvich to check it out. Here is an excerpt from Gurvich's testimony at the Christenberry Hearings: And, I found a reference to the Life Magazine photographs in the Richard Billings papers: In an interview with Patricia Lambert, James Phelan said the photographer "had a camera disguised as a cigarette package." Phelan add that "And Gurvich said, you know, I kept thinking, I'm sitting here and my photographer is standing up there holding his cigarette package up to his eyes, what are we gonna do if the bouncers come?" Breck Wall, in his oral history for the Sixth Floor Museum, said that he was followed for a week in Las Vegas by Garrison and Gurvich. He said the possibility of being named as a suspect was a "fear that I lived with." All of this was irresistible to William Turner who wrote another one of his crazy memos. Turner names Thomas McKenna as a suspect, for no apparent reason. Needless to say, this 'lead' went nowhere. And Garrison had yet another reason to be suspicious of Wall. Here is an excerpt of an undated Garrison memo on Open Dallas Leads: Yes, Breck Wall had the temerity to list Earl Cabell as a personal reference. Garrison elaborated on this at a conference in New Orleans with his investigators in September 1968. Garrison is referring to Lewis McWillie who ran casinos for the mob in Las Vegas (including The Thunderbird) and in Cuba. One could almost hear Garrison leading the cheers - "Lock him Up, Lock Him Up." Years later Breck Wall was asked about Garrison: "Garrison was a real jerk. Everyone hated him. Every day, his staff would make up absolute lies - about me, about Jack. We were never roommates. I lived at The Adolphus. And Jack Ruby never visited me there. And I never went over to Jack's apartment. I don't think Jack every allowed anyone to to visit him at home." Breck Wall is not mentioned in Jim Garrison's book, On The Trail of the Assassins. I wonder why? Here is a good profile of Breck Wall. Breck Wall died in November 2010 at the age of 75. He was beloved in Las Vegas. Trivedi is likely to cross over to the BJP, with media reports quoting him as saying that joining the BJP would be a 'privilege' The exit of Dinesh Trivedi from the Trinamool Congress is the latest major jolt for the regional party, as it readies itself for a no-holds-barred electoral contest in West Bengal. Trivedi is almost certain to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, with media reports quoting him as saying, "I am very grateful to BJP and its senior leaders, I was told they have said that I am welcome. It would be a privilege, no question about it. But, let me settle down." Speculation is rife that Trivedi may be given a Rajya Sabha seat, according to PTI. Two seats in the Upper House from Gujarat are presently vacant and will go to the polls next month. With Trivedi leaving the TMC, the party has lost a prominent urban face and a leader who made his mark as a parliamentarian and Union minister. The TMC has already suffered multiple similar setbacks, in the form of the exits of Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee. Political career Dinesh Trivedi started his political career in the Congress in the 1980s, then moved on to the Janata Dal, before switching over to the Trinamool Congress in 1998. He was elected as a member of the Upper House of the Parliament for the first term in April 1990 and for another term in May 2002. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the third time in July 2020, and had over five years remaining in his term. Trivedi was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009. During the tenure of the UPA-II government, he served first as the Union Minister of State for Health and later as the Minister of Railways. However, in a rather unusual turn of events, he was made to resign as the Union Railway Minister by party chief Mamata Banerjee in March 2012. Banerjee was reportedly upset with Trivedi over his plan to hike train fares announced in the rail budget. However, Trivedi later contested and won the Lok Sabha election from Barrackpore on a TMC ticket. Recently, he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Barrackpore to former TMC MLA and BJP candidate Arjun Singh. As a TMC MP, Trivedi has fiercely attacked the BJP in the past. During a debate on demonetisation in February 2019, he had slammed the note ban and hailed Mamata Banerjee as todays Jhansi ki Rani, as noted by Times Now. Nevertheless, Trivedi, who has Gujarati roots, has been known to share good personal relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. In January 2015, he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express, "He (Modi) has a vision. Something is changing about the way the world looks at India. That is because of Modi. This is not a time for negativity but to work positively." Differences with TMC On Friday, while talking to reporters after submitting his resignation, Trivedi said, "TMC is no longer in Mamata Banerjee's hands. It has been taken over by a corporate professional, who doesn't understand politics. And there is no forum within the party to air our views." He further said, "I am grateful to my party that it has sent me here (Parliament), but now I feel a little suffocated. We are unable to do anything and there are atrocities (going on). My voice of conscience is saying what Swami Vivekananda used to say arise, awake, and not stop till the goal is reached." He also cited 'violence' in West Bengal as a reason for his decision to quit, and was quoted by The Hindu as saying, "I cannot keep quiet when there is corruption in the party and violence on the streets of Bengal. Now when BJP president JP Naddas cavalcade was attacked I was condemned by the party because I didnt condone the violence. Every day I was asked to abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That is not my value system." Recently, Trivedi had endorsed Modi's Lok Sabha speech on Twitter, saying: I am personally in agreement with this. The way forward is to let our young talented mind innovate, create and distribute wealth. Pay Govt levies, create jobs. For that, our Govt officers (babus) too, need to encourage the youth . https://t.co/iyDIP6NR4D Dinesh Trivedi (@DinTri) February 10, 2021 Trivedi's disenchantment with the TMC is believed to be rooted in several factors from tussles with fellow MP Derek O'Brien and disagreements over the party's association with Prashant Kishor's IAPC. An article in The Print quotes a close associate of Trivedi as saying that he "rued the way in which the Trinamools poll strategist had taken over social media accounts of senior party leaders and controlled every political decision". After the TMC MP announced his sudden resignation from the Rajya Sabha, TMC leaders called Trivedi "ungrateful" and said that he has betrayed the trust of the masses. TMC Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray was quoted as saying by PTI, "For the last so many years he (Trivedi) did not say anything. Now, all of a sudden just months before the state Assembly poll, he has complaints. This shows his true colours." Mamata Banerjee's nephew and MP Abhishek Banerjee reacted to Trivedi's departure in an even more acerbic tone, as he said, "Trivedi was saying he was feeling suffocated... let him go and get admitted to BJP's ICU." While the TMC may seek to downplay the importance of Trivedi abandoning ship, the senior leader's exit may well turn out to be yet another major jolt to the party ahead of the crucial Assembly polls. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating NIC Inc. ("EGOV" or the "Company") (EGOV) relating to its proposed acquisition by Tyler Technologies, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, EGOV shareholders are expected to receive $34.00 in cash per share. The investigation focuses on whether NIC Inc. and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, and 2) whether the proposed transaction undervalues the company. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/nic-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. About Monteverde & Associates PC We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2019 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases. If you own common stock in NIC Inc. and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405 New York, NY 10118 United States of America [email protected] Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC Related Links http://www.monteverdelaw.com My reputation as a problem solver seems to have never died down even though it has been years since I last showed my abilities. (For the information of the ignorant few I have described my heroic feats in quite unheroic terms on my blog.*) In fact, it is only I who seem to have put aside that glorious chapter of my life behind me, the rest of the world remembers. The other day a whole lot of people trooped in to my house demanding an audience with me. Everyone wanted to speak to me all at once, the entire surging sea of humanity. Out of that lot a significant number said they were having a problem in taking out their cars out of the parking lot because my driver had parked it in the middle of the exit road. I immediately handed one of them the key to my car to do the needful and they went back seemingly satisfied. Do not quite know why their satisfaction was not full and final. But there were still some people who would not go away. Their faces seemed familiar and unaccountably in my minds eye they were always hoist on high places - seated on a dais, podium, prime time, media etc. I magnanimously walked up to them and encouraged them to speak to me without fear or reserve. They said, "Could we sit down for a while, they had some more serious issues?" There was an awkward silence and each one of them hoped to open up after the others had left. Finally a nervous, fidgety fellow spoke. He said in a sepulchral tone, "It is the problem of black money." Ah! Big problem with international ramifications, a problem which others had tried their hands on and failed, a problem which occupies the national mind. That is quite up my street. "What about the others?" In a unique manifestation of "a revolution of moral concern" they said, their problem was also the same. The gathering had barely seated itself when a man who distinctly smelt of money, without any preamble started reeling out figures related to black money. "Yes, but are these figures inclusive of the black money that you gentleman have secreted at various locations?" He was not clued on to this. All that he wanted was that the money should be brought back without delay. He said that half a dozen times, to underline the urgency of the problem. He kept his two hands in his trouser pocket throughout, not taking them out even once. I thought he had already taken out his hoard of black money and secreted it in his deep pocket. Secretly in some corner of his mind he also wished for his promised 15 lakh out of other peoples black money. But I could see the logic. I could also see that he was speaking for all of them. I assured them that the problem of locating and confiscating black money was quite a childs play for me but would they like me to go down in history as the biggest bumbling idiot who ever lived. They were shocked beyond words. "You see it is not for the first time in the history of our great nation that such an idea shall we say Quixotic before Quixote - has come up. In the golden age of Vikramaditya, Kalidas had authored such a proposal to weed out black money and nearly sank the ship of his state. He was immortalized as a fool sawing off the branch he was sitting upon. The rhyme Kalidas kate ghaas (Kalidas cuts grass) became a national ditty. It was the revisionist historians who in order to refurbish the image of Vikramaditya ascribed to Kalidas the authorship of the books he is credited with and the foolish project was consigned to the memory hole. After painstaking research I had been able to establish this little known but very instructive fact of history. The penny dropped for them instantly. The spokesman said with great finality "We see the point of it."Then he became conspiratorial. "I know, it is difficult; not only difficult it may even be suicidal but my new party is sworn to the idea of doing away with black money." "That is simple", I said, "make another promise, change the party, change your name, your parents, your face or simply deny that you had made any such promise. Better still say that investigations have revealed that nothing called black money ever existed. "I have tried each one of the options, except the last one, several times during the course of this campaign itself. I will be found out. And I cannot say that black money never existed because like poverty, secularism, nationalism, development etc we will need to exhort the liquidation of black money to lure the masses in all future elections. Parties irrespective of ideological leanings make these promises. Unity in diversity. Please, please do something." There was a pin drop silence. He was clearly speaking for the collective! "You mean you just want to be seen to be doing your utmost to clean up, right? Cheat people out of their votes." "Is it not what democracy is all about, a competitive fraud where the cleverest con man wins?" "Well said. Let us go." "Where to?" "To locate, unearth and confiscate black money". "Yes but let us first inform the income tax, enforcement department, the media." "The law ministers famous raid on drug peddlers has already laid down the precedent .Now every law abiding citizen can take upon himself the task of enforcing law according to his own interpretation of it." As if guided by some demiurge we were standing in front of a modest looking house nestled among imposing palatial houses in a famous colony. An old man came out to investigate what it was all about. My God! Is not he the man I had seen yesterday, on my way to the bank, clutching something close to his chest and looking utterly watchful? Spurred on we searched his house with a fine tooth comb and soon enough the precious horde of black money, secreted in a black bag ,wrapped in a black shawl and kept in a black box was winking at us. I smiled at my own problem solving ability which now seemed to be getting automated. Four hundred seventy eight thousand rupees in all! The media was not far behind and my beaming interlocutor was exploiting it as good photo op was struggling to be seen in the forefront of this campaign. "Four hundred seventy eight thousand million, is that the figure you quoted for black money? We have unearthed the four hundred seventy eight thousand - the million that remains is now childs play, I think the tax authorities can take the small stride after the giant step we have taken today. Let them also claim the credit." The old man who happened to be a primary school teacher came up with all kinds of receipts to prove its legitimate origin. My interlocutors became nervous. "Now the media will nail our lie." "Impossible, I said; the media have money so much on their minds that on matters concerning money they cannot distinguish black form white." I was ready for them. "Sir, but on the basis of papers furnished by the old man it seems to be white money." It appears to be white money alright, but actually it is black money gone white, out of fear." The media got more than it had asked for. Not only was the issue clarified, they had got a catchy headline for tomorrows dispatches. *http://www.manojenath.in/2009/12/modest-proposal_12.html India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. McCoo & Davis made history as the first African-American couple to star in a network series for CBS. McCoo revolutionized television again, as a mature Black woman with a younger Caucasian man, Andy Gibb, with Solid Gold & Davis as a frequent guest. The couple tours the world in 'Up, Up & Away! a musical fable' based on their classic hits, including Grammy-winning 'You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)'. Icon Dolly Parton said, "Congratulations on this beautiful new recording of 'Silly Love Songs' by my friends, Marilyn & Billy, for all to enjoy!" "'Silly Love Songs' by Marilyn & Billy, is fun, bright, & danceable. This couple paved the way for so many artists, including me. They deserve continued success." said Grammy, Emmy, Tony nominee & icon, Vanessa Williams. Anita Pointer, founder of The Pointer Sisters said, "I love Billy & Marilyn, & their beautiful version of this song. Congratulations!" CBS SWAT star Shemar Moore & former host of Soul Train said, "My mother introduced me to the music of Marilyn & Billy. This resonates with me, & keeps me very close to my Momma.". Al Jazeera host Richelle Carey said, "Marilyn & Billy's elegance is simply timeless. I'm excited. Younger generations will experience their great music." McCoo & Davis are enjoying a Renaissance, appearing in Questlove's 'Summer of Soul', which won the Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival. Available worldwide for Valentine's Day streaming & purchase at https://mccoodavis.lnk.to/SillyLoveSongs SOURCE EE1 / BMG Related Links https://mccoodavis.lnk.to/SillyLoveSongs The court's chief and a number of judges are under investigation President Volodymyr Zelensky will propose that the Verkhovna Rada back a package of three bills his office has authored to resolve a number of issues in the judicial system, his press service reports. The debate on the bills will start as early as next week, the report reads, adding that, if adopted, new legislation will "strengthen the rule of law and accelerate transformation of Ukrainian courts in people's interests." The first draft law put forward by President shall take from under the jurisdiction of the Kyiv District Administrative Court (OASK) all judicial disputes where acts are challenged, issued by central executive bodies, state regulators, and any other government actors, applicable to the entire territory. Such cases shall be heard by the Supreme Court and appealed in its Grand Chamber. This will disallow manipulation regarding norms and regulations by government actors, which could be the case through lawsuits filed with the OASK, the report noted. Read alsoUkrainian judge targeted in major probe to be forced to appear in courtThe second bill provides for mandatory integrity vetting of current and future members of the High Council of Justice, also regulating operations of the Disciplinary Inspectorate as a permanent structural unit of the Verkhovna Rada Secretariat. The third bill is about the amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, introducing liability for failure to provide information at the inquiry of HCJ disciplinary inspectors. The President insists that the Rada considers the package as soon as possible, the Office stressed. "The work of the judiciary must be fixed. Law and justice should be the main words for Ukrainian courts. Current legislation provides the necessary framework for introducing changes. However, concrete steps require confirmation from parliament," Zelensky explained. Charges against OASK Chief Judge Pavlo Vovk: Background On July 26, 2019, transcripts and audio of wiretapped communications were published on NABU's website, purporting the unlawful interference by judges of Kyiv's District Administrative Court (OASK) in the work of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. This included creating obstacles to the qualification assessment of judges of the said court for compliance with the position held. During the vetting, it is not only the level of professional skills that is checked but also the origin of the judges' assets and their involvement in corruption scandals. The Prosecutor General's Office said the unlawful influence was recorded on decision-making by the Constitutional Court, the High Qualification Commission of Judges, the High Council of Justice, as well as the impact on Ukraine's ministries, departments, and the State Bureau of Investigation. On August 2, 2019, the PGO filed charges against Chair Pavlo Vovk, judges Yevhen Ablov and Ihor Pohribnychenko, as well as a judge of the Suvorov District Court of Odesa, Ivan Shepitko, all of whom appear in the NABU wiretaps. In November, the then Prosecutor General Ruslan Riaboshapka said the investigation targeting Vovk had been completed and the case had been forwarded to court. However, the High Council of Justice dismissed the prosecutor general's motion to deprive Vovk of the functions of administering justice in connection with the ongoing criminal proceeding targeting him. On January 21, 2020, Vovk was re-elected as Chairman of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv. On July 17, 2020, searches were held at the OASK premises in Kyiv, as well as at the State Judicial Administration. According to the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), the investigation targets a 12-strong criminal organization, led by the OASK chairman, who aimed to seize state power by establishing control over the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, the High Council of Justice, and by creating artificial obstacles in their work. On August 11, NABU put on the list of wanted persons seven defendants in the case of the alleged power seizure conspiracy by the leadership of Kyiv's District Administrative Court who the agency believes grabbed control of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. Reporting by UNIAN By Keith Burbank Bay City News Service BERKELEY (BCN) A filly died Thursday at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, the second this year, according to the California Horse Racing Board. Munny, nearly 3 years old, likely died from a gastrointestinal or neurological disease, according to a board report and website that discloses the deaths to the public. Two weeks earlier, a three-year-old gelding named Staredown died at Golden Gate Fields during training. "It is unusual for a young horse to pass away, and they are dying at concerning rates at Golden Gate Fields, whether they are training, racing or in the stable," said Berkeley veterinarian Dr. Crystal Heath. By this time last year, three racehorses had died at Golden Gate Fields. In 2020, 27 horses died at the track. Both Staredown and Munny were trained by Blaine Wright, who is licensed with the state horse racing board. The board issued a report following the deaths of 23 horses at Santa Anita Park in Southern California over three months in early 2019. The deaths gained widespread media attention. The report details an investigation into each of the deaths. The report can be read at http://www.chrb.ca.gov/veterinary_reports/CHRB-Santa-Anita-Fatalities-Report-3-10-20.pdf. "This problem is wider than one trainer or one track," says Almira Tanner, lead organizer of the Berkeley-based animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere. "The entire horse racing industry puts profit above the lives of the animals and workers." Tanner added, "This poor horse's name says it all." Wright has earned nearly $16 million in his career, according to Equibase, which provides horse racing statistics. Todd and Shawn Hansen were the owners of Munny, according to Equibase. The pair has won more than $1.8 million in racing since 2004. A spokesperson for Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin did not respond Friday to a request for comment from the mayor. City Council Vice President Lori Droste did not respond to a request for comment, either. Albany Mayor Ge'Nell Gary was asked whether someone needs to investigate the deaths at the track. "The California Horse Racing Board has exclusive authority to regulate the operations of horse racing facilities and we encourage any concerns to be directly raised with the Board," she said. She also said while she has compassion for animals and "their well-being. Although it truly breaks my heart, again I have no authority over" the track's operations. Two attempts Friday afternoon to reach Trainer Blaine Wright were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for Golden Gate Fields did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. {{copyrightnotice}} Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. The boss of the BBC has criticised China for its moves to block the broadcaster's global news coverage, saying that 'media freedom matters'. Director-general Tim Davie said the broadcaster 'should be able to do its reporting without fear or favour', in a statement posted on Twitter. BBC World News has been banned by China after the country threatened to retaliate over UK regulator Ofcom stripping state TV channel China Global Television Network of its UK broadcasting licence. The decision was based on technical issues but rooted in complaints about CGTN's role in persecuting critics of the ruling Communist Party. Director-general Tim Davie said the broadcaster 'should be able to do its reporting without fear or favour', in a statement posted on Twitter Meanwhile in Hong Kong, public broadcaster RTHK will reportedly also stop relaying the BBC World Service to listeners. In mainland China the BBC is only available in some hotels, businesses and residential compounds for foreigners. Mr Davie said: 'The latest developments in China, including the banning of the World Service in Hong Kong, are deeply worrying developments. 'The BBC should be able to do its reporting without fear or favour. 'It is of deep concern when our journalists are restricted and their work curtailed.' BBC World News has been banned by China (pictured, Xi Jinping) after the country threatened to retaliate over UK regulator Ofcom stripping state TV channel China Global Television Network of its UK broadcasting licence He added: 'This is not just about stopping the BBC from broadcasting news in China, there are significant and growing global threats to the free media as some seek to increase their control of information. 'Now, more than ever, it is important that we speak out to demand free and fair journalism.' Beijing has previously criticised the BBC's reporting on coronavirus in the country, as well as allegations of human rights abuses against the Uighur minority in Xinjiang. Earlier this week Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab criticised China's moves to block the BBC, labelling it an 'unacceptable curtailing of media freedom'. The European Union has also called on China to reverse its decision. While rioters engulfed the Capitol on Jan. 6, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy phoned President Donald Trump. A worried McCarthy called on Trump to urge him to get his supporters under control. But Trump didnt seem interested at first saying that it was antifa, and not his supporters who were responsible for the riot, according to Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a GOP lawmaker from Washington. When McCarthy pushed back against that interpretation, Trump got angry. Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are, Trump reportedly said. Advertisement What followed was a shouting match between Trump and McCarthy. The House Minority Leader furiously told Trump that rioters were breaking into his office. Who the fuck do you think you are talking to? McCarthy reportedly said. It was only hours after the violent riot had started that Trump called off his supporters after his top aides urged him to do something. Go home. We love you. Youre very special, Trump eventually said in a video he tweeted later that day. Advertisement Advertisement Herrera Beutler, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, recounted the call in a statement in which she called on others to come forward and reveal what they know about what went on that day. To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time, she said in a statement. Advertisement The new details about the call first reported by CNN bring to the forefront the key question of what Trump was doing and what he was thinking as his supporters forced their way into the capitol in a violent riot that ended up killing five people. I think it speaks to the former Presidents mindset, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio Republican who also voted to impeach Trump last month, said. He was not sorry to see his unyieldingly loyal vice president or the Congress under attack by the mob he inspired. In fact, it seems he was happy about it or at the least enjoyed the scenes that were horrifying to most Americans across the country. During the impeachment trial, Trumps lawyers insisted that the then-president did not know that his vice president, Mike Pence, was in danger. But people close to Pence say that isnt true. Pences top aides are still angry at how little Trump seemed to care about what was happening to his vice president as his supporters stormed the Capitol. Imperial Valley News Center Indian Cancer Drug Manufacturer Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $50 Million for Concealing and Destroying Records Washington, DC - Indian drug manufacturer Fresenius Kabi Oncology Limited (FKOL) has agreed to plead guilty to concealing and destroying records prior to a 2013 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plant inspection and pay $50 million in fines and forfeiture, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday. In a criminal information filed in federal court in the District of Nevada and unsealed today, the United States charged FKOL with violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by failing to provide certain records to FDA investigators. As part of a criminal resolution, FKOL agreed to plead guilty to the misdemeanor offense, pay a criminal fine of $30 million, and forfeit an additional $20 million. FKOL also agreed to implement a compliance and ethics program designed to prevent, detect, and correct violations of U.S. law relating to FKOLs manufacture of cancer drugs intended for terminally ill patients. By hiding and deleting manufacturing records, FKOL sought to obstruct the FDAs regulatory authority and prevent the FDA from doing its job of ensuring the purity and potency of drugs intended for U.S. consumers, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the Justice Departments Civil Division. FKOLs conduct put vulnerable patients at risk. The Department of Justice will continue to work with FDA to prosecute drug manufacturers who obstruct these inspections. Pharmaceutical companies that obstruct FDA inspections jeopardize patient safety, said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. Maintaining the integrity of records and data is a critical part of drug manufacturing, and our office will continue prosecuting those that obstruct FDA inspections by destroying records or other means. FDA inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities help ensure the strength, quality and purity of our medicines. Any attempt to obstruct or interfere with these inspections threatens the public health, said Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D., Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs of the FDA. We will continue to aggressively investigate and present any such obstruction for prosecution. According to court documents, FKOL owned and operated a manufacturing plant in Kalyani, West Bengal, India, that manufactured active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in various cancer drug products distributed to the United States. The government alleges that prior to a January 2013 FDA inspection of the Kalyani facility, FKOL plant management directed employees to remove certain records from the premises and delete other records from computers that would have revealed FKOL was manufacturing drug ingredients in contravention of FDA requirements. Kalyani plant employees removed computers, hardcopy documents, and other materials from the premises and deleted spreadsheets that contained evidence of the plants violative practices. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director Clint Narver and Trial Attorney Natalie Sanders of the Department of Justices Consumer Protection Branch, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Dickinson of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Nevada. The FDAs Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office, investigated the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation in India provided invaluable assistance to U.S. authorities in the investigation of this matter. Taoiseach Micheal Martin will not travel to the US next month with officials instead scoping out the details of a virtual St Patricks Day meeting with US President Joe Biden. The move follows contact between the White House and Irish diplomats in Washington DC on Thursday. Both sides are understood to have accepted that due to Covid-19, the annual bilateral meeting at the White House will more than likely take place virtually. A spokesman for the Taoiseach confirmed last night they now expect there to be a programme of virtual events to mark St Patricks Day and close Ireland-US relations. It is understood the White House has provided assurances to Irish officials that a virtual event would be a one-off due to Covid-19 and would not setting a precedent for future engagements between the Taoiseach and senior US politicians, including the President, around St Patricks Day. Read More Irish diplomats are understood to be seeking engagements with the President, vice-president Kamala Harris, as well as the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Friends of Ireland caucus in Congress - all of which would take place virtually. A virtual shamrock ceremony where both the Taoiseach and President Biden deliver public remarks is also being discussed. The traditional bowl of shamrock presented every year since 1952 will be provided to the White House via the Irish Embassy in Washington DC, a Government source confirmed. As to a possible press opportunity as usually follows the meeting, officials are looking at how it could be worked out and that both sides are open to it. Speaking in Cork yesterday evening, Mr Martin said officials from both administrations have been engaging on the issue in the context of the pandemic. It is the number one challenge facing President Biden and it is our number one challenge here. What matters to us is not so much the location of how we mark it but rather the substance of the relationship between our two administrations, he said. I want to stress that is my emphasis. That is the emphasis of the US administration as well because there are very strong economic dimensions to this as well the undocumented in America that we constantly advocate for, developing partnerships with members of the Biden administration. Mr Martin had said earlier this week he would be prepared to undergo vaccination against Covid-19 and travel to the White House if invited. Yesterday, he signalled he would be willing to have his vaccination conducted publicly to underline confidence in the inoculation regime. There wouldnt be too many Doubting Thomases, would there? But of course you have been asking that question for (some time). Mr Martin also insisted what was important was marking St Patricks Day with the US not the ceremonys locatio n. On February 2, Dunedin City Council (DCC) warned about 1,500 residents of the coastal towns of Waikouaiti and Karitane, in the Otago region in the South Island, not to drink tap water, after tests found it was contaminated with lead. [Credit: Flicker.com, Steve Johnson] The council initially said a sample taken on December 8 showed 39 micrograms of lead per litre, four times the Ministry of Healths acceptable limit of 10 micrograms, based on guidelines from the World Health Organisation. Two days later, the council issued a correction: the sample in fact showed 394 micrograms per litre, a shocking 40 times the limit. Asked by Radio NZ (RNZ) why it took so long to issue the warning, DCC officer Tom Dyer said the result was emailed from the laboratory to a staff member on December 18, but was left unopened because the individual was away on leave. Due to this extraordinary negligence, the population of the two towns may have been needlessly exposed to the contaminated water for nearly two months. On February 4, Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins admitted to RNZ that the first elevated spike was reported to the health authorities back in August of last year. There had been six elevated results across 90 samples that were taken since then. Hawkins defended not notifying residents until February 2021, saying the council had followed advice from public health authorities. The source, extent and duration of the contamination in Otago all remain unknown. Residents are being offered blood tests to determine the severity of their exposure. Lead exposure can cause severe health defects, including life-threatening conditions. In children, it can cause neurological damage, behavioural and learning difficulties, anemia and slowed growth. In pregnant women, consumption of lead can heighten the risk of premature births. In adults, it is linked with kidney disease, cardiovascular problems, increased blood pressure, hypertension and infertility. Moreover, it is a cumulative poison that builds up over time in the teeth and bones. In Flint, Michigan, 100,000 people were exposed to lead-contaminated water for 18 months from mid-2014, due to government cost-cutting and negligence. This caused as many as 276 miscarriages and a 12 percent drop in the fertility rate, according to one study. Thirteen people died from Legionnaires disease due to the polluted water supply. Residents in Karitane and Waikouaiti are outraged and demanding answers. On February 5, the Public Health South agency held a public meeting in Waikouaiti, addressed by Otago Regional Council chairman Andrew Noone, mayor Hawkins and others. Hundreds of people attended with many expressing anger at the lack of information and the councils slow response. The Otago Daily Times reported that residents told the assembled officials: Were pretty bloody angry about the whole situation and Your reassurances dont mean much. DCC infrastructure services committee chairman, Councillor Jim OMalley, said the water appeared to be fine most of the time, but added that towns around the country did not frequently test for heavy metals such as lead. One resident told TVNZ: I think its absolutely disgusting because its been two months since weve known anything about it, and Im a great tea drinker. Boiling water heightens the concentration of lead. Waikouaiti resident Ashleigh Barry told RNZ she was pregnant when she moved to the town with her husband and their baby about six months ago. Last month, she learned that her unborn child had kidney problems. If my childs kidney issues are in relation to lead then I dont know how Im going to have any sort of easy time accepting that [the council] down-talked it and downplayed the seriousness of it so much, she said. Karitane mother of three, Jazhr Hansen, told TVNZ her children and her mother had been having really bad stomach pains. She said: Im genuinely scared for my family and their health ... it feels like an absolute nightmare I cant wake up from. Whatever the source of Otagos lead contamination, it highlights the criminal lack of investment by successive National Party and Labour Party governments to ensure safe drinking water, particularly in rural areas. While lead contamination is rare in New Zealand, scientists have for years warned about excessive toxins in drinking water, such as nitrate from nitrogen fertiliser used in farming. According to ecologist Dr. Mike Joy, the high levels of nitrate in drinking water could be linked with New Zealands high incidence of colorectal cancer. In December 2017, a government-commissioned inquiry found that 20 percent of New Zealands drinking water was not demonstrably safe, meaning at least 759,000 people could be exposed to disease-causing contaminants. It found that there were about 35,000 cases of acute gastrointestinal illness contracted via reticulated drinking water each year. The inquiry was prompted by a campylobacter outbreak in the town of Havelock North in 2016, probably caused by sheep faeces in the water supply, which made thousands of people sick and was linked to four deaths. In response to the inquiry, Attorney-General David Parker, part of the recently-installed Labour Party-led government, told the media that the previous National Party government has for at least five-years known that water supplies have not been doing their duty and the Ministry of Health and those responsible for them have effectively failed New Zealanders. However, three years later, thousands of people remain at risk from contaminated water. The Ministry of Healths 2018-2019 report on drinking water quality, published in June 2020, stated that only 76.2 percent of water supplies met all standards for drinking water quality. A report from the Ministry for the Environment, Our Freshwater 2020, released last April, revealed that the majority of rivers and lakes in both urban and rural areas are polluted, raising the risk of illness if councils fail to properly test and treat drinking water taken from rivers. Sarah Bloom Raskin and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) in the front yard of their home in Takoma Park, Md. on May 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Yellen Seeks to Name Climate Czar to Advance Bidens Green Energy Agenda WASHINGTONTreasury Secretary Janet Yellen is reportedly looking to appoint an Obama administration veteran as climate czar at the Treasury Department to lead efforts in assessing the effects of climate change on financial markets as well as pushing tax incentives for renewable energy. Yellen is expected to appoint Sarah Bloom Raskin, former deputy Treasury secretary under the Obama administration, to head the newly formed Treasury climate hub, The Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 12. Raskin, who is also a former member of the Federal Reserve Board, is married to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who was the lead House impeachment manager in the recent impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. During her Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 19, Yellen pledged to appoint someone at a very senior level to lead the departments climate efforts and to create a hub that will solely focus on addressing risks related to climate change. Yellen made it clear that President Joe Bidens climate agenda would be a major focus of her tenure as Treasury secretary. Climate change is an existential threat and one of the dominant forces shaping the world and our economy, Yellen stated on Jan. 21, in a written response to questions from the Senate Finance Committee. Meeting this challenge is an urgent need, and I am committed to doing whatever I can to address this impending crisis. Yellen added that she would support using the tax code to set incentives for businesses and individuals to adopt climate-friendly policies. In addition, climate change poses a potential systemic risk to the U.S. economy, according to Yellen, who believes that appropriate processes and regulations should be adopted to assess and mitigate this risk. Yellen is expected to push financial institutions to run stress tests on their exposure to climate risk, which may eventually require them to hold more capital to mitigate any effects. Stress testing emerged from the Great Recession as a way to determine whether a bank has enough capital to weather various economic risks. Raskin is currently a visiting professor at Duke University School of Law and teaches a class called The Impact of Climate Change on Financial Markets. She was a key contributor last year to a report by Ceres (pdf), an advocacy group that has outlined more than 50 recommendations for financial regulators to protect the U.S. economy from climate-related shocks. She had also called on the Fed to implement climate stress testing. The Treasury Department didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. The Fed announced in December that it had joined a network of central banks that advocate for using levers of financial regulation to address climate change. The central bank also hired the New York Feds top bank oversight official to lead its newly created Supervision Climate Committee in Washington, according to The Wall Street Journal. Republicans have raised concerns about the Biden administration potentially using financial regulation as a back door to achieve its policy objectives. Theyre concerned that the administration and the regulators including the Fed could politicize access to capital and choke off bank financing for sectors they disapprove of, such as coal, oil, and gas. The assault by the Biden Administration on the energy industry is a threat to jobs and households energy costs in a time of widespread economic uncertainty, Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) told The Epoch Times in an email. It is wrong for the Biden Administration to put a radical environmental agenda led by [his top climate advisers] John Kerry and Gina McCarthy ahead of the interests of families in Kentucky and throughout the United States. A group of Republican lawmakers led by Barr sent a letter on Dec. 9 to the Fed, raising concerns about the central bank potentially introducing climate-related scenarios to its stress tests for regulated banks. The group urged the central bank not to entertain implementation of such scenarios without considering their shortcomings and challenges as they rely on speculation and long-term projections. According to John Cochrane, an economist at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, climate change does not pose any financial risk at the one-, five-, or even ten-year horizon at which one can conceivably assess the risk to bank assets. That banks are risky because of exposure to carbon-emitting companies; that carbon-emitting company debt is financially risky because of unexpected changes in climate, in ways that conventional risk measures do not capture; that banks need to be regulated away from that exposure because of risk to the financial systemall this is nonsense, he said in a report. U.S. companies are closely monitoring the new administrations climate policies and their impact on earnings. According to FactSet, 28 S&P 500 companies, including large banks, mentioned Bidens climate change and energy policy on their fourth-quarter earnings calls. Of these 28 companies, 17 expressed support for his climate policies and they discussed how they have been adjusting their operations to help reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. However, four companies expressed concerns about the administrations executive order pausing new oil and gas leases on federal lands. Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, predicted during the financial services companys earnings call on Jan. 15 that there would be new demands from regulators under the new administration. Obviously, we want to satisfy all of our regulators. So I do expect that therell be a new set of regulators, theyll have a new set of demands. Some we agree with. Now we want to do a better job in climate for the world. We want to be more green, Dimon said. An A-10 Thunderbolt II flies over Osan Air Base, South Korea, Feb. 4, 2021. The A-10, assigned to the 25th Fighter Squadron, participated in a joint training effort over the installation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Betty R. Chevalier) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: Dorota Blumczynska remembers her first visit to the Manitoba Museum in 1989. She was nine years old, a recent newcomer to Winnipeg with her family, refugees from Communist Poland, and she didnt understand much English at all. Dorota Blumczynska remembers her first visit to the Manitoba Museum in 1989. She was nine years old, a recent newcomer to Winnipeg with her family, refugees from Communist Poland, and she didnt understand much English at all. But with her mother leading the way, translating and explaining as best as she could the written statements under the exhibits, Blumczynska and her siblings wandered for hours through the museum, then called the Museum of Man and Nature. Three decades later, Blumczynska has been appointed the museums next chief executive officer and executive director, a role the longtime refugee advocate and community worker says comes with immense responsibility. "I never could have imagined this," she says. "Its such an honour, and I mean that in the deepest way. Ive been so humbled by this that Im almost struggling to make sense of it." Blumczynska will officially begin her tenure this May after Claudette Leclerc, who held the role for 23 years, retires as the longest-serving CEO and executive director in the museums history. SUPPLIED Dorota Blumczynska with brother Jan at the Manitoba Museum in the early 1990's. Blumczynska is the new CEO of the museum. For the past 10 years, Blumczynska was the executive director of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM), and was elected president of the Canadian Council for Refugees in 2019. She says it was hard leaving that job, one she was "madly in love" with, but she sees her new one at the museum as a continuation of that work, which was always centred on sharing stories, advocating for people and humanizing experiences. As a former refugee herself, that takes on even more meaning. "Cultural institutions in particular are the authors of our shared stories," she says. "I dream of the museum being a place that tells everyones story, and for that to include a current and living history." Blumczynska said it will be important as she moves into the new role to remember the influence the museum has in shaping narratives and ways of thinking. She points to the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions calls to action related to museums, which emphasize the involvement and leadership of Indigenous people, as a way to ensure thats done properly and truthfully. "I recognize that we have a very important responsibility to be allies in reconciliation and truth-telling," she says, identifying herself as a settler. "We cannot be complacent and we cannot be neutral (in that regard.) We have a very specific role to fill as treaty people." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dorota Blumczynska, new CEO of the Manitoba Museum, says there are challenges facing the institution that she's excited to tackle. That work has been ongoing for years, with people like Leclerc pushing the museum forward to more accurately reflect the history of the province and the land it exists on, she says. And Blumczynska adds that moving forward, there will be more internal reflection and community engagement as the institution progresses. "Theres a recognition that were charting a different course for the future," she says. In a release, board chairwoman Penny McMillan says the CEO search was undertaken knowing how important it was to "find a candidate who embodies a passion for our community and the things that make it special. "Dorota is that candidate, and the board is looking forward to working with her." For Blumczynska, the work of leading the museum as it navigates the pandemic comes with more challenges: the museums 50th anniversary is coming up next year, and its hard to say whether any in-person celebration will be permitted. The museum is also set to reopen to the public March 4, Thursday to Sunday, after months of closure. There are lots of variables yet to play out, but Blumczynska says her work has already begun, with Leclerc and the board offering guidance as she transitions into the new role. "Claudette told me were going to do a walk through the museum," Blumczynska says. "She said to bring sneakers, because I think youd be surprised how many kilometres we can walk. "Im very excited to do that," she said. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca Former Sainsbury's boss Justin King has said the Czech firm vying to run the National Lottery could help to revive Britain's ailing high streets. King, who stepped down from Sainsbury's in 2014, is advising Sazka Group on its tilt for the lottery. He told The Mail on Sunday that Sazka intends to add its 'technological savvy' to the lottery's online offer and drive more players to independent stores. He said: 'If you look at the lottery as it stands, one of the trends that is not good is that its growth has been achieved largely by fewer players playing much more often. 'The lottery was billed as one of the saving graces of the independent corner shop it would be a footfall driver, a reason for regular visits, which perhaps those corner shops have lost.' Luck of the draw: The Gambling Commission will decide later this year whether to hand the remit to incumbent Camelot or one of several contenders The Gambling Commission will decide later this year whether to hand the remit to incumbent Camelot or one of several contenders, including Indian firm Sugal & Damani. It is understood bidders are looking at technology that uses localised marketing to tell players of nearby ticket sellers. Sazka was founded in 2012 and runs lotteries in Austria, Greece, Italy and the Czech Republic. King is advising the group with Lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman and London 2012 Olympics deputy chairman Sir Keith Mills, who is leading the bid. Camelot has run the lottery since its inception in 1994. King is deputy chairman of Guy Hands' Terra Firma private equity firm and a non-executive director at Marks & Spencer. Asked why he took the role, King said: 'I think I'll find it quite intriguing, stimulating and I am plural now so it's always about finding things that add a little bit to the variety and mix and also that you can do, that fits in your life, it passed all those personal criteria. 'I think it really matters. I have a general view that incumbency is never a good thing, I lived by that in my own leaving Sainsbury's after 10 years, I have always had a view that people have a shelf life of their time in a role and I thought I'd reached mine. There is a compelling case as to why the lottery needs a shot in the arm.' He added: 'I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think that there was a real possibility that a change could happen and Sazka wasn't the horse to back. 'I don't like losing and I think they have got an incredibly strong case to make. Clearly the Gambling Commission are running a process where change is a real prospect. 'I think if you look at the history of the lottery perhaps that's not always been true in the bidding process and Sazka make a compelling case for being the next organisation to be trusted with the lottery.' Last month Leon Black, founder of Apollo Global Management, announced he is to step back from the private equity fund following a review of his links to the late paedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein. Apollo invested 500 million (437 million) in Sazka late last year. King said Black's conduct had no bearing on Sazka. He said: 'There is not a FTSE 350 company that couldn't go to, look at their share register and then ask them a question about someone that owns shares in their company. 'I understand completely the concerns that are being raised with Apollo but they are concerns for Apollo and their shareholders, their leadership and for their regulator.' Lehigh University is warning students the school may be forced to lock down the entire student body if students dont act to reduce the spread of COVID-19 immediately. Since bringing students back to campus two weeks ago, Lehighs undergraduate daily test positivity rate jumped from 2% in pre-arrival testing to a high of 10.2% Monday, according to a campus alert. The cumulative surveillance testing positivity rate is 5.3% since testing began Feb. 3. New cases first started popping up with off-campus undergrads and are now rising comparably among on-campus students, according to the university. Lehigh laid some blame on unsanctioned indoor gatherings last week and weekend where students got together without masks. We urgently need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our campus community, the universitys COVID-19 task force wrote in the alert. If we do not, we may need to require all undergraduate students to quarantine on and off campus, as has similarly occurred recently at several universities, including the University of Michigan and Berkeley. UC Berkley required students to stay in their dorms, and they are forbidden from even exercising outside. Currently, there are a total of 368 active COVID-19 cases 133 on-campus and 235 off-campus amongst the Lehigh student body. There have been 430 positive cases since Jan. 1 and 72% of cases have been caught via surveillance testing. There were only 658 positive cases all of the fall semester, when the student population was more limited. There are seven positive cases among staff now and 32 since Jan. 1. There are 476 students currently quarantined and 233 students isolating currently. Positivity rates this high impact our campus operations, including isolation and quarantine capacity, Health and Wellness Center capacity, and continued contact tracing efforts, as well as our ability to protect the Lehigh and Bethlehem communities, Lehigh said in the alert. In addition, the continuation and expansion of in-person activity this spring will not be possible unless we reverse this trend. Limited classes will occur in person and dining is now takeout only. Gyms are closed and gatherings are limited to five people within the same household. The university urged students to limit their contacts, social distance and follow existing health and safety protocols. The alert notes that given the universitys 5% positivity rate, if students gather in a group of 50, they have a 92% chance of contacting someone with COVID. Starting Monday, Lehigh is expanding surveillance testing. They will continue to test 100% of the designated undergrad students and extend it to graduate students. Faculty and staff with frequent campus interactions are being offered a chance to be tested, too. The university is now strongly suggesting double masking, as is now recommended by the CDC, and will make more disposable masks available around the campus. Lehighs clarified enforcement policies and outlined how anyone can report violations of the universitys COVID policies. Students with symptoms should contact the Health and Wellness Center (610-758-3870) or call the Lehigh Valley Health Network 24/7 nurse triage line at 888-402-5846 (888-402-LVHN) to arrange to be tested and to get additional guidance. Faculty and staff should contact Terri Latvis, the universitys employee health nurse case manager from Lehigh Valley Health Network, at 610-861-8080, Ext. 21237, or Teresa.Latvis@lvhn.org. Lehighs revived its COVID-19 hotline and it will be available 9 a.m. until noon Saturday. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel.And Russia? President Vladimir Putins government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of the commodity. Authorities will use prisoners to help speed the work, reviving a reviled Soviet-era tradition.The project to modernize and expand railroads that run to Russias Far Eastern ports is part of a broader push to make the nation among the last standing in fossil fuel exports as other countries switch to greener alternatives. The government is betting that coal consumption will continue to rise in big Asian markets like China even as it dries up elsewhere.It's realistic to expect Asian demand for imported coal to increase if conditions are right,'' said Evgeniy Bragin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UMMC Holding, which owns a coal company in western Siberias Kuzbass region. We need to keep developing and expanding the rail infrastructure so that we have the opportunity to export coal.The latest 720 billion ruble ($9.8 billion) project to expand Russias two longest railroads the Tsarist-era Trans-Siberian and Soviet Baikal-Amur Mainline that link western Russia with the Pacific Ocean will aim to boost cargo capacity for coal and other goods to 182 million tons a year by 2024. Capacity already more than doubled to 144 million tons under a 520 billion ruble modernization plan that began in 2013. Putin urged faster progress on the next leg at a meeting with coal miners in March.Russia is trying to monetize its coal reserves fast enough that coal will contribute to GDP rather than being stuck in the ground, said Madina Khrustaleva, an analyst who specializes in the region for TS Lombard in London.Putin is betting that his countrys land border with China and good relations with President Xi Jinping make it a natural candidate to dominate exports to the nation that consumes more than half of the worlds coal. His case is helped by the fact that Australia, currently the number one coal exporter, is facing trade restrictions from China amid a diplomatic dispute over the origins of the coronavirus.But the plan is fraught with risk, both for Russias economy and the planet. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends immediate phasing out of coal to avoid catastrophic global warming and the effects of climate change are expected to cost Russia billions in coming decades. Earlier this month the International Energy Agency went one step further and said no new fossil-fuel infrastructure should be built if the world wants to keep global warming will below 1.5 degrees Celsius. With all but one of the top 10 economies committed to reaching net-zero emissions within decades, the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap calls for phasing out all coal power plants without carbon capture as soon as 2040.Its also not a given that Asian coal demand will keep growing. Coal consumption in China is poised to reach a record this year and the country continues to build coal-fired power plants, but it also plans to start reducing consumption starting in 2026. At the same time it's increasing output from domestic mines, leaving less room for foreign supplies. Even in the IEA's least climate-friendly scenarios, global coal demand is expected to stay flat in 2040 compared to 2019.A coal strategy approved by the Russian government last year envisages a 10% increase in coal output from pre-pandemic levels by 2035 under the most conservative scenario, based on rising demand not just from China, but also India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and possibly Indonesia.The relatively low sulphur content of Russian coal might give it an edge in Korea, which has tightened pollution laws in recent years, but other Asian countries have struggled to secure funding for proposed plants and Indonesia said this week it wont approve any new coal-fired power plants. At a Group of Seven nations meeting, environment ministers agreed to phase out support for building coal power plants without carbon capture before the end of this year.For Putin there is more at stake than just money. At a video conference in March, he reminded government officials that the coal industry drives the local economies of several Russian regions that are home to about 11 million people. Unrest among coal miners helped put pressure on the government before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though the sector is now a much smaller and less influential part of the economy.We need to carefully assess all possible scenarios in order to guarantee that our coal mining regions are developed even if global demand decreases, Putin said. The countrys biggest coal producers are privately run, meaning they arent facing the kind of financing problems currently being encountered by listed companies elsewhere as banks pull back funding for dirty energy. Suek Plc, owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and Kuzbassrazrezugol OJSC, controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, are both planning to increase output. Russia also plans to boost coal production for steel making. A-Property, owned by Russian businessmen Albert Avdolyan, bought the Elga coal mine in Russias Far Eastern region of Yakutia last year and plans to invest 130 billion rubles to expand output to 45 million tons of coal from the current 5 million tons by 2023. A third stage of Russias railroad expansion project will focus on boosting infrastructure for shipping coal out of Yakutia, a Russian Railways official said last month.In 2021, many Asia Pacific states have seen their economies recover from the pandemic, said Oleg Korzhov, the CEO of Mechel PJSC, one of Russias biggest coal companies. We expect that demand for metallurgical coal in Asia Pacific will remain high in the next five years.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... SANTA FE A bill that would allow the names of applicants for top public school, law enforcement and other taxpayer-funded positions to be kept secret stalled Friday in a Senate committee. The legislation, Senate Bill 39, is similar to legislation that passed the Senate in 2019. But it was tabled Friday by a decisive vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, with at least six senators voting in favor of the motion and Senate Majority Whip Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, casting the lone dissenting vote. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The vote means the bill is unlikely to move forward during the 60-day session that ends March 20, though it could still be revised and brought back up for consideration. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Bill Tallman, an Albuquerque Democrat, generated opposition from several government transparency groups. Melanie Majors, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, said Friday the bill would make the hiring process more secretive. And she previously said there has been no empirical proof shown that an open hiring process affects the ability of school districts, universities and government agencies to hire qualified candidates. But Tallman claimed the current requirement that all candidates for top public positions be disclosed under the states Inspection of Public Records Act has led to a dearth of qualified candidates in some instances. At least three finalists for any such positions would still have to be disclosed under his bill, which was introduced as searches are underway for several high-profile Albuquerque jobs. Albuquerque Public Schools recently resumed its search for the districts next superintendent, after previously putting it on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The APS board is aiming to pick a superintendent in March so the new leader can start working by June. In addition, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Kellers administration has launched a national search for the next Albuquerque Police Department chief and a public safety chief. The city recently selected three finalists for the APD chief position: Interim chief Harold Medina; Clinton Nichols, the chief of police in Commerce City, Colo.; and Joseph Sullivan, a retired deputy commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department. A 38-year-old man was fatally wounded in a shooting Friday afternoon in the citys Strawberry Mansion section, police said. About 1:50 p.m., the man was at a Sunoco gas station at 33rd and York Streets when he was shot six times. Police took him to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:20. His name was not released, and police reported no arrests and no other details. Govt may soon come out with definition of essential supplies by e-tailers Not working for cronies, working for the common people: Sitharaman India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: The Union Budget has set the pace for India to become Atmanirbhar, Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman said today. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, she said that the challenges of the pandemic did not deter the government from undertaking reforms for maintaining long term goals of the country. Reforms will lay the path for making India one of the top economies of the world, the Fm said in her reply to the Budget 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha. In the Budget speech, I very clearly said, we are taking a holistic approach to health. It is addressing preventive health, it is addressing curative health, it is also addressing well-being. Otherwise, you are not going to get holistic health-related governance, Sitharaman further added. I will firmly establish that in spite of bringing water and sanitation, the allocations to the core health has not come down. On the contrary, it has gone up, the finance minister also said. Govt will allocate more funds for rural job scheme MGNREGA for 2021-22 if needed, as against Budget estimate of Rs 73,000 crore, the minister also said. The FM also said that this government is not working for cronies, but for the common people. On Friday, while replying in the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister attacked the Opposition parties for creating a false narrative around her Budget of being pro-rich, saying from free food grains, gas to building roads and houses have been for the poor. "Attempt made in this Budget is to provide stimulus, strong stimulus which can bring about a multiplier effect and therefore instead of finding quick short term solutions-even as we provide short term quick relief for those people who so desperately need it-we are looking also at medium and long term sustainable growth which will keep India in that kind of growth trajectory, which will maintain us as one of those fastest-growing economies in the world," she said. She said that despite government scheme and initiatives ranging from roads to agriculture, housing, scholarships to electricity benefiting lives of people, a false narrative was being created by the Opposition that the government was working for cronies. "It has now become a sort of a habit for some in the Opposition to constantly allege whatever this government is doing -- in spite of what we are doing for the poor and more needs to be done, and that is not denied at all -- in spite of the obviously seen steps taken for helping poor and needy of this country, a false narrative is created to accuse, saying this government works only for cronies," she said. Houses completed under PM Awas Yojana stands at more than 1.67 crore, while households, which have been electrified under Saubhagya scheme since October 2017, is more than 2.67 crore, she said. "The length of road sanctioned under PM Gram Sarak Yojana between 2014-15 and those years...2,11,192 km...those roads go to villages...are they villages for the rich? Are they villages where the poor do not live? Whose lifeline are these roads," she said, asserting that those throwing allegations unthinkingly must answer these questions. Sitharman said the NDA government has removed all ills from the rural-employment guarantee scheme MNREGA and spent highest ever about Rs 90,500 crore so far this fiscal. She said during the COVID pandemic year, the government has spent Rs 90,469 crore under the MNREGA rural employment scheme, which highest ever. Sitharaman said for 2020-21, the Budget estimate was Rs 61,500 crore for the scheme, which has been increased to Rs 1,11,500 in the revised estimates. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News "Your track record is bad. Never your Budget estimate was met," the finance minister said as she reeled out data from 2009-10 and subsequent years under the Congress-led UPA regime. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Community Board 2 will vote on an amended variance application for construction at the Duane Reade pharmacy in Grant City during its virtual meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. The full board will also consider a land use review application for 35 Pearsall St., in South Beach, requesting zoning changes affecting the development of a detached two-family residence. The public is required to fill out the Webinar Registration Form on www.cb2si.com to receive the zoom link to join the meeting. Community Board 1 will host a virtual meeting of its Mariners Harbor/Port Richmond area committee at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. To participate in the Zoom meeting, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81740136842. The meeting ID is: 817 4013 6842. Community Board 3 has no meetings scheduled this week. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC All Community Board meetings and meetings of their committees are open to the public. They provide an excellent opportunity for residents to learn about happenings in their neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Below is more information about the Islands three Community Boards: COMMUNITY BOARD 1 Arlington Castleton Corners Clifton Concord Elm Park Fort Wadsworth Graniteville Grymes Hill Livingston Mariners Harbor New Brighton Port Richmond Randall Manor Rosebank St. George Shore Acres Silver Lake Stapleton Sunnyside Tompkinsville West Brighton Westerleigh The district manager is Joseph Carroll. The Board chairman is Nicholas Siclari. The telephone number is 718-981-6900. COMMUNITY BOARD 2 Arrochar Bloomfield Bulls Head Chelsea Dongan Hills Egbertville Emerson Hill Grant City Grasmere High Rock Lighthouse Hill Midland Beach New Dorp New Springville Oakwood Ocean Breeze Old Town Richmond South Beach Todt Hill Travis. The phone number is 718-568-3581. The fax number 718-568-3595. The chairman is Robert J. Collegio, P.E. The district manager is Debra A. Derrico. COMMUNITY BOARD 3 Annadale Arden Heights Bay Terrace Charleston Eltingville Great Kills Greenridge Huguenot New Dorp Oakwood Pleasant Plains Princes Bay Richmond Valley -- Richmond -- Rossville -- Tottenville -- Woodrow. The office phone number is 718-356-7900. The Board chairman is Frank Morano; the district manager is Charlene Wagner. 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. At least four Afghan security force members, including a commander, were killed and seven were critically injured in blasts in eastern and southern provinces on Saturday, officials said, adding that three civilians were injured in the east. No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the three attacks, which come amid an upsurge in violence in Afghanistan as clashes intensify between government forces and Taliban insurgents. A string of near-daily roadside bombings in recent weeks has killed government officials, judges, journalists and activists. The bloodshed comes as U.S.-brokered peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and representatives of the Afghan government have staggered in recent months. President Joe Bidens team is reviewing a peace-building deal that the government of his predecessor Donald Trump sealed with the Taliban in February 2020. The pact requires all American and allied forces to leave the country by May 1. The United States has reduced the number of troops in Afghanistan to 2,500 from the 12,000 there when the agreement was signed. But violence remains high, with the U.S. and Afghan governments largely blaming the Taliban. On Saturday, a police spokesman in southern Kandahar province said a blast there was caused by a Humvee packed with explosives that targeted a police outpost, injuring seven police personnel. Afghanistans Defence Ministry said 18 Taliban terrorists were killed and 9 others were wounded in an operation in Arghandab district of Kandahar province on Friday night. An explosion targeted the police commander in the Chapa Dara district of eastern Kunar province, killing four local police personnel, including the commander, said a provincial police spokesman. A roadside bomb blast injured three civilians in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province. Short link: A chef has appeared in court after 300,000 worth of cannabis and thousands of suspected smuggled cigarettes were discovered by police in the university area of Belfast. Tandragee-based Jack Zhong Chen, also known as Bin Lin, is accused of evading customs duty, possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and breach of an immigration restriction barring work. A police officer told Belfast Magistrates Court on Saturday morning that the 43-year-old was arrested after police stopped a black BMW 7 Series on the Donegall Road in Belfast on Thursday. He said the car was being driven by Chen, accompanied by an unknown woman, who was on his way to a house on nearby Virginia Way. Keys to the property were found on Chen and when police entered they discovered several thousand more cigarettes and tenancy documents relating to a house on Camden Street, off the Lisburn Road. There they found herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of 300,000 and the flat appeared unoccupied. The officer explained that they dont know for certain who Chen actually is as he has a number of aliases, including Bin Lin, and he may use these to flee the jurisdiction. Chens lawyer told the court both the Home Office and the police should know exactly who he is because his fingerprints and name, Bin Lin, were taken during an asylum application process in 2014 and 2018. He explained that Chen was unlikely to flee Northern Ireland as he has three children with his partner and works as a chef in a Chinese takeaway she operates in Co Armagh. The lawyer added he could also show the court an EU residency card which is marked work permitted. While his lawyer accepted there was a case to answer in relation to the cigarettes and drugs found he said the key to the flat in which the drugs were found was in the car but not on his person. However, District Judge Mark McGarrity refused to released Chen, of Market Street in Tandragee, saying there was evidence of seriously criminality. The case was adjourned to March 8 to be heard via videolink. The Senate has voted to give the Congressional Gold Medal to Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police officer who led a violent mob away from the Senate doors on January 6 as they hunted for lawmakers during the presidential electoral count. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the vote at the end of the day's impeachment proceedings, noting Goodman's 'foresight in the midst of chaos, and his willingness to make himself a target of the mob's rage so that others might reach safety.' The Senate voted to award Goodman the medal - the highest honor Congress can bestow - by unanimous consent. Goodman, 40, has also been promoted to Acting Deputy House Sergeant-at-Arms. Senators and staff give a standing ovation to U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman Goodman was awarded on Friday the highest Congressional honor for his bravery Goodman was in the Senate chamber as Schumer spoke, and the entire Senate stood and turned toward him, giving him a standing ovation. He put his hand on his heart. Goodman has been in the chamber for much of the impeachment trial, in which House Democrats are charging that former President Donald Trump incited the January 6 insurrection. New evidence introduced in the trial this week showed additional video of Goodman leading Republican Senator Mitt Romney to safety as he unknowingly headed toward a location where the mob had gathered. Goodman is seen on Friday speaking with other members of the Capitol Police Chuck Schumer on Friday led tributes to Goodman, who was in the Senate to hear proceedings Goodman (center) is seen urging Mitt Romney (right) to turn, just as the mob comes along Romney said Wednesday that Goodman took in a lot of bear spray and tear gas while defending the Capitol from the MAGA mob. 'I don't think my family or my wife understood that I was as close as I might have been to real danger,' Romney told reporters on Thursday, after video was shown during the impeachment trial on Wednesday of him running to a safe place at the direction of Goodman. 'They were surprised and very, very appreciative of Officer Goodman, in his being there and directing me back to safety,' he continued. Romney and Goodman were seen talking Wednesday after the senator saw footage for the first time of the officer getting the senator 'out of harm's way' as pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol. 'I didn't know it was him [Goodman] until I saw the video yesterday,' Romney said on Thursday. 'There was also a third person in the video. I don't know who that was.' The clip was shown on the Senate floor as part of the House impeachment manager's prosecution of Donald Trump claiming he 'incited the insurrection' of the Capitol. 'I expressed my appreciation to him for coming to my aid and getting me back into the path of safety. And I expressed my appreciation for all he did that day,' Romney added. Goodman is already known for his heroic acts during the storming where he was heavily outnumbered Goodman is seen luring the mob away from the open door of the chamber on January 6 Goodman's efforts were recognized by Kamala Harris, who on inauguration day requested that he be the one to escort her. Goodman has not spoken publicly about January 6, but friends who have spoken with him in the days after the riot, including two fellow officers and a former colleague, told the Washington Post that he is private and reserved, and is finding the limelight 'a little scary'. 'He said he'd do the same thing again. He's not looking for any accolades,' an anonymous friend and fellow Capitol officer told the Post. 'But the attention is a little scary for him.' Goodman has reportedly downplayed his label as a hero telling his colleagues he was just doing his job after footage of the incident was circulated worldwide. 'My job is to protect and serve,' he reportedly told them. 'And on that day, I was protecting.' Goodman, from Southeast Washington, served in the US Army from 2002 to 2006. He was deployed to Iraq as part of the 101st Airborne Division and was awarded a combat infantryman badge. The European Union's food regulations are to blame for thousands of avoidable cancer deaths, a bombshell new book has claimed. Who Poisoned Your Bacon Sandwich by journalist Guillaume Coudray says it is to blame for cancer-causing nitrites being added to bacon and ham. Nitrite-cured processed meats have been directly linked to 34,000 cases of bowel cancer every year by the World Health Organisation. The book says nearly half the EU's scientists - who until January 1 had power over Britain's food additive rules - have financial links with the European food industry. And documents unearthed from French archives show European 'harmonisation' forced France to allow nitrites despite warnings from its own health experts in Paris. Who Poisoned Your Bacon Sandwich by journalist Guillaume Coudray says it is to blame for cancer-causing nitrites being added to bacon and ham Mr Coudray, himself a Frenchman, has hailed Britain's golden Brexit opportunity to cut ties from the EU's 'unsafe' set of regulations that are 'costing lives'. Who Poisoned Your Bacon Sandwich slams the EU's claims nitrite-cured processed meats are safe. It also reveals how European nations had banned the toxic chemicals before the birth of the Common Market forced them to allow poisonous toxins in their meat. The bombshell revelations are likely to prompt further calls for nitrite-cured meat to be banned in Britain. It could also turbocharge efforts already underway in the French parliament to overturn Brussels diktats and outlaw the dangerous toxins. The book says nearly half the EU's scientists - who until January 1 had power over Britain's food additive rules - have financial links with the European food industry Mr Coudray said: 'The links between influential members of the EFSA's committee of experts and prominent players in the agri-food and agri-chemical industries are clear. 'From 2012 to 2018, close to half the members of the EFSA expert panel on food additives had a financial conflict of interest. 'The EU and its food standards agency have proven faithful allies of the processed meat industry. 'They have been reluctant to encourage reform, systematically defended the status quo and taken no action to reduce the carcinogenicity of processed meats. 'The European Food Safety Authority never stops going on about the dangers of botulism posed by nitrite-free alternatives. 'They say nitrites are ''essential''. But their head office is in Parma, Italy, the Mecca of nitrite-free meat curing. The Parma Ham Consortium decided in 1993 to ban nitrites. 'The 150 Parma ham producers make nine million hams every year and in 27 years there has not been a single case of botulism detected. 'Nitrite-free alternatives are now widely available. Britain's biggest bacon brand is completely nitrite-free. 'Britain and Parma have shown it can be done. And now Brexit provides a golden opportunity to reform sub-standard Brussels regulations and make food safer for British consumers.' In June 2017 the European Food Safety Authority published two reports on the use of nitrate, which followed some of the arguments made by the nitro-meat industry. At the time of publication, nearly half of EFSA's expert panel had a financial conflict of interest. The European Commission has said it has not taken any measures against nitrites because of the 'need for certain traditional foods to be maintained on the market'. Mr Coudray's book dispute this. His new research shows processed meats in the UK and Europe were traditionally made without nitrites until the birth of the European Common Market beckoned in widespread liberalisation that allowed the 'chemical curing' method to be used instead. In France, permission would not come until a decree on December 8, 1964. The policy was reluctantly accepted by the French public health body, the Academie de Medecine. It concluded: '[We need to] harmonise our regulations with those of the other countries in the EEC so as not to put French meat curers and butchers in a disadvantageous position. '[However], the absence of [our] refusal does not imply that the academy is in favour of such process'. Leading NHS and Harley Street consultant Dr Aseem Malhotra (pictured with Matt Hancock) said: 'It's truly extraordinary that food we have known for decades to be carcinogenic - and was previously banned in Britain - is now allowed on our supermarket shelves' Leading NHS and Harley Street consultant Dr Aseem Malhotra said: 'It's truly extraordinary that food we have known for decades to be carcinogenic - and was previously banned in Britain - is now allowed on our supermarket shelves. 'Unprocessed red meat is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, being high in protein, iron, Vitamin B12 and zinc. 'But processed meat is different and particularly processed meat that contains nitrites.' He added: 'It's time all of our processed meat manufacturers embraced nitrite-free alternatives.' Former cabinet minister and deputy-chair of the European Research Group, David Jones MP, said: 'Project Fear claimed Brexit would allow dangerous food into Britain - and that the EU's standards were vital in keeping us safe. 'This book reveals the EU's standards are by no means world-leading and rightly says we can do things so much better now we are free from the stranglehold of Brussels.' Former MEP and ex chairman of the British Chambers of Commerce John Longworth said the book proves Project Fear was scaremongering over post-Brexit standards. Former MEP and ex chairman of the British Chambers of Commerce John Longworth said the book proves Project Fear was scaremongering over post-Brexit standards Longworth, who chairs the Centre for Brexit Policy and is an ex director of Tesco and Asda, added: 'For years we were told the EU was the ultimate safeguard of our food standards. 'We were told that food in the Anglosphere was riddled with chemicals and bad for our health. 'And Project Fear said if we were brave enough to take back control of our country, we would be flooded with swathes of 'unsafe food' from the United States. 'Now we learn that the EU's food standards are not all they have been cracked up to be. 'And we are a told by a leading French food journalist that Britain can do things better and smarter because of Brexit. This is exactly what I've been saying all along.' Of the 110 new cases of colorectal cancer that appear on average each day in the UK, about ten are related to the consumption of nitrite-cured processed meats. The Duchess of Cambridge was left delighted after a little girl introduced herself as a 'princess' during a video call about the 'lifeline' provided by a baby bank that has become a vital service for parents during the pandemic. Kate, 39, who is based at her Norfolk home Anmer Hall, highlighted the emotional as well as practical support mothers have received from London-based charity Little Village, which provides clothes, toys and equipment for babies and children up to the age of five. During a video call chat with the charity's clients on Tuesday, three-year-old Isla upstaged her mother Vicky Jones by saying hello to the duchess and telling her 'I'm a princess today'. Ms Jones described how the charity's volunteers welcomed her like a friend and she did not 'feel judged' when she walked through the door. The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) has praised the 'lifeline' provided by a baby bank that has become a vital service for parents during the pandemic During a video call chat with the charity's clients on Tuesday, three-year-old Isla (pictured right with her mother) upstaged her mother Vicky Jones by saying hello to the duchess and telling her 'I'm a princess today' The duchess, dressed in a 125 white jumper by L.K. Bennett, said: 'It must be such a lifeline to you to have a support network like this, not only for you but also for your daughter as well. 'Because, you know, looking after yourself as a mum is just as important and it's (great) Vicky that you've got the supportive Little Village for the practical things but also the emotional things as well... help you do the best job you possibly can.' Ms Jones had introduced her daughter after saying she 'entertains me to keep me happy' and 'I'm surprised she's sitting quietly at the minute'. Kate said: 'Hi Isla, you look very nice, I love your hairband.' And the little girl replied: 'I'm a princess today, it's snowing outside.' Ms Jones said her midwife recommended Little Village after her apprehension at becoming a single parent: 'I didn't know what I was going to do, where I was going to go. I was thinking like "it's my first child, I'm so scared".' Kate (pictured), 39, who is based at her Norfolk home Anmer Hall with Prince William and their three children, highlighted the emotional as well as practical support mothers have received from London-based charity Little Village She said: 'Literally, the minute I walked in, it was like a huge family unit, it was absolutely amazing, and you didn't feel judged.' The mother added: 'You look around and you think like, we're all in this same situation, but different circumstances.' The duchess spoke to Little Village founder Sophia Parker on a separate video call and was told the charity has adapted to the pandemic by retraining their volunteers who have made more than 7,000 calls to families. Since its launch in 2016, Little Village has supported more than 11,000 children and grown into one of the largest baby banks in the UK. The duchess spoke to Little Village founder Sophia Parker on a separate video call (pictured) Ms Parker added: 'Families simply don't have enough money to cover the basics so I think it's really important that we address those needs. 'But equally I also think we have to be really mindful about the mental health of the parents of young children, and the mental health of the children themselves as well.' She said the lack of resources some parents were experiencing and the problems associated with lockdown - living in cramped accommodation or not having outside space - meant the charity was seeing the impact this was having 'on levels of anxiety, of feeling low or feeling depressed and actually feeling very isolated as well'. Last summer, the duchess brought together nineteen British brands and retailers to donate over 25,000 new items to more than 40 baby banks nationwide, including Little Village, to help support the most vulnerable families in the UK. During the pandemic demand has increased substantially, with Little Village supporting double the number of children in 2020 than they had the previous year. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 19:51:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIYADH, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday that it foiled a new attack launched by the Houthi militia on the Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the country's official Saudi Press Agency reported. The coalition spokesperson Turki Al Malki said that a bomb-laden drone launched by the Houthis toward the airport on Saturday morning was destroyed. Also using bomb-laden drones, the Houthis on Wednesday attacked the Abha airport, causing a civilian plane on the tarmac to catch fire. No injuries were reported. The Houthi militia has been targeting Saudi cities near the border with missiles and drones. Most of the attacks were foiled before reaching their targets. The coalition will complete in March its sixth year of war in Yemen against the Houthis in support of the government of the Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Enditem Gibril Massaquois frustration at facing war crimes charges that could send him to jail for life came through on his second day of testimony Friday. The 51-year-old, who must have thought his risk of war crimes charges ended when he was settled in Finland in return for testimony that helped convict former Liberian President Charles Taylor and others in the Special Court for Sierra Leone, snapped at Finnish State Prosecutor Tom Laitinens questions. You are the one thats missing the point, he snapped at Mr Laitinen, saying that the prosecutor was mixing the roles that different parties to the conflict had played. Mr Laitinen was challenging the defences description of the routes taken by Mr Massaquoi as part of delegation for the Sierra Leonean rebel group the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) that travelled between Sierra Leone and Liberia during Sierra Leones peace process in 2000 and early 2001. Mr Massaquois defence is seeking to show from his travel that the defendant could not have been at the scenes of the crimes he is alleged to have committed in the case. A Sierra Leonean national and former commander and spokesman for the RUF who worked closely with Charles Taylor, Mr Massaquoi is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder and aggravated rape, allegedly committed during the Second Liberian Civil War 1999 2003. Mr Massaquoi denies all charges, saying he was not in Liberia when the alleged crimes took place. From safe house to Finland The charges against Mr Massaquoi, cover a period between January 7, 1999 and March 10, 2003. The judge heard that on March 10, 2003, Mr Massaquoi and his family were moved to a safe house by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). On Friday morning, the defence team turned to the events leading up to that day. Mr Massaquoi spoke of how he became involved with the OTP and agreed to inform it on the inside workings of the RUF. In the second half of 2002, Mr Massaquois meetings with OTP representatives in Sierra Leone were frequent. The process went on almost on a daily basis, sometimes once in every two days, he said. Mr Massaquoi signed a witness protection agreement that promised safety for himself and his family, he said. It also provided immunity from prosecution for the role he had played in the conflict in Sierra Leone. Did the witness protection agreement limit your future activities in any way? defence lawyer Kaarle Gummerus asked. One thing that was made clear was that if they take notice that I have committed, for instance, war crimes or crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone or in another country, outside of what I have explained, they might withdraw the agreement, Mr Massaquoi replied. Mr Massaquois involvement with the OTP eventually led him to Finland. He relocated to the Northern European country with his family in 2008 after the country signed a law allowing the settlement of such informants. A representative of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone was in the court this week but he did not disclose his name and said he was not authorized to speak to the media. He didnt believe anything I said Mr Massaquoi has been detained by Finnish law enforcement since his arrest in March of 2020. On October 1, 2020, following his meeting with family, a cleaner at the Vantaa prison where he was being held found notes in the toilet of the visiting area. The notes were handwritten by Mr Massaquoi. Last week, the prosecution alleged that the notes were meant to direct witnesses on what they should say. Mr Massaquoi denied this on Friday. It was not a matter of influencing my own witnesses, it was just a reminder. Thats different. Not everyone can remember what happened after 5 years, let alone 20 years, he said. Was there something in the investigation that made you want to write such a note? defence lawyer Gummerus asked, referring to the pre-trial investigation carried out by Finlands National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in 2018-2020. Yes, Mr Massaquoi replied, right at the start of the investigation, the police did not ever believe whatever I was telling them. A noticeably agitated Mr Massaquoi said that the head of the investigation, Thomas Elfgren, paid him a surprise visit in prison in the summer of 2020. During the meeting, Mr Massaquoi alleged, Mr Elfgren informed him of a court decision to continue to keep him in detention and also criticized his selection of defence lawyers questioning their preparedness for such a trial. Not only that, but I also felt that Elfgren was the court I was facing. Whatever I said he never believed me, Mr Massaquoi said. In his telling, he ended the meeting by asking to be taken back to his cell. ADVERTISEMENT Head investigator Elfgren replied to Mr Massaquois allegations by text message from Monrovia. Its not appropriate for me to begin regularly commenting on allegations made in court. When it comes to the lawyers and their selection its not the polices business. I recommend that Massaquois very capable lawyers clarify this and the selection process to him once more, he wrote. On the question of beliefs, Mr Elfgren said: In the pre-trial investigation, what the police believe is quite irrelevant. The investigation is conducted in order to obtain information that is possibly or likely relevant for the process. Its the job of the court to evaluate what meaning or value it ascribes to the stories. Defence lawyer Gummerus said that he and colleague Paula Sallinen did not plan to pursue the incident as a line of defence. Poking holes in the narrative During his turn at questioning, prosecutor Laitinen focused on the differences between the statements Mr Massaquoi made in the pre-trial investigation and the answers he gave to the defence lawyers earlier in the day and on Thursday. Mr Laitinen also cited a manuscript for a book, an autobiography of sorts, that had been found by investigators on Mr Massaquois computer. Titled The Secret Behind the Gun: Understanding the RUF Insurgency and the Socio-Economic and Political Problems of Sierra Leone, the book is written by Mr Massaquoi, but with contributors, the accused told the court on Thursday. Pointing to a number of contradictions between statements in court and the stories in the manuscript and the pre-trial investigation, Mr Laitinen asked Massaquoi whether his version of events had changed at some point. In answer to a number of questions, Mr Massaquoi said that he could not remember the exact details of some events, due to the long time that has passed since the early 2000s. Next steps take the court to Liberia and Sierra Leone The court will now travel to Liberia and Sierra Leone, where they expect to hear from up to 80 witnesses. Because of concerns about his security in Liberia, Gibril Massaquoi will remain in Finland. He will be accompanied by one of his defence lawyers and participate in the hearings via a video link. To conclude the first two weeks of trial, district judge Juhani Paiho uttered words surely never before heard in a Finnish courtroom: We will continue next week, on Wednesday, in Monrovia. This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project A total of 19 people have been reported dead in the massive fire that broke out at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The incident occurred while some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks and led to the destruction of four cracker-making sheds. As per reports more than 26 people sustained severe burns and were admitted to the Sivakasi government hospital. Ten firefighting units from various locations were rushed to the spot to douse the fire. However official sources stated that the death toll is expected to rise manifold on account of the critical condition of those injured. Also read: 16 Dead, Dozens Injured As Explosion Rips Through Fireworks Factory in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a tweet expressed grief and said authorities are working to assist those affected by the fire. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each has been approved from the PMNRF for the families of the victims and Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured, the PMO said in another tweet. Chief Minister K Palaniswami has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each for those critically injured. "I have instructed the district authorities and medical experts to give the best treatment to the injured and have asked the local administration to ensure families of deceased and injured are informed and necessary arrangements made," said Palaniswami. "I have also asked district authorities to inspect such industries on regular basis." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed condolences to the victims of the fire, urging the state government to provide immediate rescue, support and relief. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Tupelo Clear 75 Hi: 76 Lo: 55 Feels Like: 75 More Weather Columbus Clear 74 Hi: 76 Lo: 57 Feels Like: 74 More Weather Oxford Partly Cloudy 70 Hi: 74 Lo: 51 Feels Like: 70 More Weather Starkville Clear 74 Hi: 76 Lo: 56 Feels Like: 74 More Weather After seeing a well-below average day, high temperatures will begin to rise as we go through the next couple of days reaching the high 80s by mid-week. We will also remain dry through Memorial Day. Clark County declared a state of emergency Saturday as multiple roads across the county became obstructed because of deteriorating weather conditions. Six county snowplows were stuck in deep snow and ice in the Washougal area as of 6 a.m. One has since been recovered, the county said. Crews are working to recover the remaining five. Southwest Washington remains under a winter storm warning through 4 p.m. Saturday, and temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until Sunday. But another winter blast is expected to arrive Sunday night. The storm may bring a quarter of an inch of freezing rain to parts of Camas and Washougal near the Columbia River. Clackamas County has also declared a state of emergency. -- Jaimie Ding jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding At the moment, it is unclear if Ireland's taoiseach (tei-shuh, prime minister), Michael Martin, will be attending the White House during March 17 for the annual St. Patrick's Day visit. The idea that Mr. Martin would go to Washington, D.C. in a pandemic was not well received within the Republic of Ireland. Journal.ie, a popular online media outlet in Ireland, asked whether the taoiseach should visit Washington for St. Patrick's Day. Out of over 30,000 responses, 72.9% said no. The reason the trip's proponents give in favor of the trip is the unique access to the president of the United States. Given the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would have to be an extraordinary encounter. Such a conversation between Michael Martin and Joe Biden can be justified only by the telling of harsh truths. Considering that Martin called Biden "a true friend of Ireland," he is obviously not heading to D.C. to give the new president a piece of his mind. This is in stark contrast to when then-taoiseach Enda Kenny came to D.C. in 2017 to tell President Donald Trump why his views are racist and dangerous. Trump's affinity for Ireland is much quieter than Biden's, but he is no stranger to Irish politics. He once attended a Sinn Fein fundraiser in New York, where he shook hands with former long-serving party leader Gerry Adams. This is more significant respect than Martin ever gave Adams. After the February 2020 general election in Ireland, Martin's party, Fianna Fail, refused to talk to Sinn Fein about governing together, despite Sinn Fein winning the popular vote. On issues of personal morality, there now exists a wide divide between Irish opinion and that of U.S. Republicanism. Irish voters overwhelmingly voted to redefine marriage, 62%-37%, in the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum. Compare this to 51% of Republicans opposed, according to a survey released in 2018 by the Public Religion Research. On abortion Ireland pretty much made it legal in 2018 with 66% in favor. On the contrary, 62% of U.S. conservative Republicans want it abolished in all or most cases. Martin should be made aware that he needs to try to understand why Republicans hold the views they do, especially when the next Irish-American president could be Mike Pence, Republican. Martin's likely coalition successor, Leo Varadkar, leader of Fine Gael, previously labeled Fianna Fail members "backwoods men" for holding socially conservative views. Imagine what he thinks of more socially conservative Republican Party members. A most memorable visit to the White House in recent years was when Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited Donald Trump. Kenny got a lot of attention in liberal media. His words "it's fitting that we gather here each year to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and his legacy. He too of course was an immigrant" were interpreted as criticism of Trump's immigration policies. The percentage of Ireland's immigrant population reached a high of 17% in Census 2016. Trump could have told Kenny that there is a difference between sending and receiving people. Ireland now has foreign gangs; Gardai (Irish police) in one example arrested six people and seized 135,000 in cash during a series of raids across two counties targeting a Vietnamese crime gang. Ireland's political elite need to stop viewing immigration through rose-tinted glasses. Their own citizens have not, with a report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in 2018 saying 58% of those surveyed showed support for immigrants of the same ethnic group as the majority population in Ireland, in contrast with 41% support of Muslim and 25% support of Roma migrants. This set of statistics suggests that Irish political leaders should speak with more humility, instead of lecturing any American president about the state of his own house. Ireland's 12.5% corporate tax rate has long been recognized as a pillar of its economy. Joe Biden intends to increase the US rate from 21 to 28%, which is very uncompetitive. Trump would have been wise to articulate an intention to lower the rate further and cease taxing overseas income entirely. As long as the Irish government thinks its corporate tax take is secure there will be complacency in dealing with Ireland's wretched rentier capitalism. Fifty-four percent of 18- to 34-year-olds in Ireland live with their parents. America reducing its corporate tax rate to relative parity would force a battle on the cost of living, in order to attract foreign workers, to the benefit of young Irish citizens. President Trump should have made it clear that Irish priorities in America are not likely to have the same amount of official interest in the future. While the U.S. Census, in 2010, showed that 34.7M Americans claimed Irish ancestry, that figure was 40.2M in 1980. Fewer Irish-Americans means reduced interest in Irish affairs. Ireland will be competing with Latin America for attention, with 21.1% of the U.S. population forecasted to be Hispanic by 2030. Irish affairs risk falling lower down the U.S. political agenda. There will be fewer Bidens and more Garcias, Rodriguezes, and Martinezes. There is need for a significant conversation to be had, but it is not going to happen on March 17. Donald Trump could have shaken Ireland's political class out of complacency. Joe Biden and Michael Martin will exchange another bowl of shamrock. The words will be pleasant, but they are not what Ireland needs to hear. Michael Martin needs to be knocked off his political high horse when it comes to talking to Sinn Fein. He needs a warning not to become smug toward American conservatives and a lesson that Ireland will have to learn that immigration comes with problems, too; that the United States cannot be expected to maintain a high corporate tax rate forever; and that the Irish-American lobby in America is going to shrink significantly. As much as Irish citizens might dislike Donald Trump, Trump is not a man to back down. With the same old boring encounter likely, Michael Martin should stay home this St. Patrick's Day. Maybe next next year can be in Mexico City. Mexico needs a visit from the taoiseach, too. Image via Pxhere. CEAT Tyres, Indias leading tyre manufacturer, has signed Bollywood star Rana Daggubati as its brand ambassador for promoting the Puncture Safe range of bike tyres across media platforms. As part of an integrated marketing campaign across all five southern states of India, Rana Daggubati will feature in the new commercial for Puncture Safe tyres to be aired across TV and digital platforms. The new commercial will also be aired during the currently ongoing India-England Test series. The campaign based on the theme CEAT Puncture Safe Sealant technology highlights the safety and convenience even while riding on a difficult terrain. Created by O&M, the campaign, is based on an interesting storyline set in the ashram of keel wale baba portrayed by Rana Daggubati, living on a bed of nails. On being invited to visit a village by some followers, baba is seen riding out from his ashram on a nail clad floor without being overly worried about punctures which is the highlight of the puncture safe tyres. The idea is to propagate the innovative initiative from CEAT that brings in convenience of worry-free rides even in difficult riding terrains. Mr. Arnab Banerjee, Chief Operating Officer, CEAT Tyres, said, We at CEAT have always believed in our vision of Making Mobility Safer and Smarter Every day. The launch of our new campaign articulates the same for motorcycles. The central idea is to highlight the importance of using durable tyres to prevent disruptions on any terrain. We are delighted to have Rana Daggubati on board for this campaign as he perfectly embodies the strength and durability of CEATs Puncture Safe technology. The India-England test series offers an ideal opportunity for us to connect with our customers as it is one of the most widely watched event in India with a massive viewership. Indian actor, Mr. Rana Daggubati said, I am proud to be associated with one of the most respected brands in India. Playing a character of Keel wale baba was a unique experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the shoot. I am looking forward to an exciting journey with CEAT Tyres Mr. Rohit Dubey, Group Creative Director, O&M said, As privileged creative partners of Brand CEAT, we believe that the only predictable thing about a CEAT tyre commercial should be that it should not follow hackneyed codes of tyre advertising. Keel wale baba, is another essential brick in bolstering CEATs brand voice. On this project, we dug into our Indian cultural references of nails, godmen, and connected the dots leading to innovative puncture safe technology. And as always, it was an absolute joy creating it with the ever positive and courageous CEAT marketing team. CEAT has launched the unique Puncture Safe Tyres for motorcycles in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. These tyres dont lose air by sealing themselves on their own even after getting punctured. The technology can seal punctures for nails up to 2.5 mm in diameter. This property is provided by a patented Sealant developed inhouse by CEAT which seals the punctures and lasts the entire life of the tyre. Every leak out of quarantine jeopardises our health, including our mental health, and our economy. This is why the federal government has focused so much of its resources on getting the vaccine rollout happening and getting it right. COVID-19 will not loosen its grip on us until an effective vaccine is rolled out across the country, providing an even stronger wall of defence than the hotel quarantine system, from which the virus has now escaped in every Australian mainland state. Even when we have no local transmission in our communities, the continued repatriation of Australians from overseas means the threat of another outbreak is ever-present. The latest COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne, which triggered a Victoria-wide lockdown on Friday, has once again illustrated the unwavering stranglehold the virus has over our health, our way of life and our economy. It might not be as sexy as the rollout itself but creating an accurate and efficient record of who gets a vaccine, and which one, is just as important if we are to regain some semblance of pre-pandemic life in Australia. The government plans to issue digital vaccination certificates to those vaccinated, through MyGov and the Medicare Express Plus app, as well as printed ones. Proof of vaccination could allow those vaccinated greater freedom of movement be it across state borders or international ones and easier access to vulnerable places, such as nursing homes. However, this risks creating a two-tiered society, where those lucky enough to receive an early vaccine have much greater freedom than others. It also poses ethical questions around how to treat those who cannot receive a vaccine for health reasons (like allergy). These questions are not easy and the government has considered them, to ensure the vaccine rollout is not a cause of social animosity. Key to greater harmony is the governments vaccination strategy, available online, which outlines which groups will receive the vaccine first, based on scientific advice. Ensuring this information is well publicised will help people understand the reasoning behind the priority list and make them more likely to accept their place in the queue. There would hardly be much push-back, for example, over the decision to put those who work in the hotel quarantine system at the top of the list as this will help protect all of us from infection. Of course, any greater freedom of movement depends on the vaccine working. The AstraZeneca vaccine was the subject of controversy last month when initial studies suggested it was only about 65 per cent effective in preventing infection, prompting calls to pause its rollout (new figures suggest a higher efficacy). Another small study last week also suggested it provides minimal protection against the new South African variant of COVID-19. But the vaccine has so far proved successful in stopping severe disease for older strains of the virus, meaning COVID-19 becomes a milder virus that poses little threat to a society that has vaccinated its vulnerable members. The Defense Department announced Friday that it has put around 3,600 service members on orders to be ready to deploy around the country to help with mass vaccination efforts. "Twenty teams are being organized to support FEMA-identified sites and will be deployed as requirements evolve. This will bring our total now to more than 4,700 active-duty personnel supporting or preparing to support FEMA," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said. The boost comes after multiple defense officials told CNN on Thursday that the Biden administration's rollout of active-duty troops to boost vaccination capacity is off to a slow start as the Federal Emergency Management Agency sorts through requests from individual states. With 1,110 troops already on alert to deploy, around 4,700 personnel are now on orders to be ready to move within 96 hours of receiving final orders after designated vaccination sites are approved by FEMA and the states. By establishing a large pool of military personnel, the Pentagon can respond more quickly as FEMA reaches agreements with states on vaccination sites. The troops cannot move to locations until those agreements are finalized. Now troops will be automatically drawn from the pool without the delay of deployment orders each time, officials say. Of the 1,110 troops already on alert to deploy, a team of 222 is going to Los Angeles from Fort Carson, Colorado. That team should begin vaccination operations in Los Angeles early next week. Of the 20 additional teams there will be 10 teams of about 220 personnel expected to go to large-scale vaccination sites and 10 smaller ones of about 139 people. "I want to stress the very deliberate and phased approach that we're taking here, working in lockstep with FEMA and with other federal government authorities here to make sure that what we're trying to do is be ready when we're needed," Kirby said. Establishing standing pools of troops to be ready to quickly move is already underway. For months, hundreds of medical personnel have been on standby and deployed in groups at various times around the country to help civilian hospitals overwhelmed with caring for Covid-19 patients. Tax season begins Friday and precautions are already in place if you choose to file in person. We spoke with a representative from Jackson Hewitt to learn what their precautions are. "Normally, I like to do the in-person thing because you know right away what your results are. You're able to see that tax professional in person doing all your taxes," said Carla Johnson. Johnson is filing her taxes online this year, and the pandemic was a factor in that decision because her tax adviser is in Dothan. "You don't know whether they have it, they're caring it or whatever," said Johnson. Businesses like Jackson Hewitt are taking necessary precautions so people can safely file their taxes in person. "We went through great lengths over the summer to set up contracts and partnerships with companies to make sure we had all the necessary cleaning tools, sneeze guards, you know, PPE, you know, face masks and everything," said Cook. People can also file their taxes remotely with the company. "If the customer is concerned about COVID or even being outside the home right now, they can make arrangements with a local office where they can securely email documents to us through a portal," said Cook. Johnson says you should still be careful at any business, though, because the virus is still out there. "Don't expect all businesses to follow the COVID protocol, like, you know, let's say they're making everyone use the same pen, right? To wash it, don't expect that, so please make sure you wash your hands," said Johnson. Jackson Hewitt is also having customers fill out COVID screening forms so they can make sure that anyone who could potentially have COVID is not inside. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. 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Lopez Obrador also welcomed Biden's proposal to set up a visa system for Mexican and Central American migrants. Both measures are among Biden's first actions since taking office in January, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday. "It is an issue that we celebrate because the wall has been under construction for some time ... so it is a historical step," Lopez Obrador told reporters during his usually daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. Instead of building walls, said Lopez Obrador, the United States should join his government's initiative of "cooperation for development," which seeks to curb migration by attacking the poverty that drives would-be migrants to seek a better life abroad. He also proposed that the United States establish a channel for the legal entry of migrants, because "the workforce of Mexico and Central America is required" in the United States. In recent months, the flow of mostly undocumented migrants travelling to the US border returned to pre-pandemic levels, after border closures in Central America to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease served to reduce immigration between April and June of last year. According to analysts, immigration issues will be a challenge for the bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States, following the hostile anti-immigrant policies of Biden's predecessor Donald Trump. For the vast majority of human existence, international trade was fuelled by renewable energy. Trade winds were used to cruelly bring enslaved labour from Africa to grow cane, limes, bananas, and cocoa in the Caribbean and powered the windmills that turned the cane into molasses and sugar. The Gulf Stream took the finished products to market. If the earth spun on its axis in the opposite direction like Venus and Uranus and the winds followed suit, the rest of the world would not have enjoyed Demerara sugar, Blue Mountain coffee, and Roses Lime Juice Cordial. The sun made it all grow productively, in not always deep soils or level ground. Today, however, most energy in the Caribbean and other developing regions is generated through importing dirty fossil fuels. Electricity prices are generally higher than in industrial economies, stifling economic development. Between the tropics of cancer and capricorn, countries are increasingly racked by climate disasters that make dependence on imported fuels partly a question of poor energy security. Therefore, rapid investment in turning renewable resources in the developing world into energy seems natural and obvious. But just because something is obvious, it does not make it happen. A few developing countries can boast to almost entirely turning over to renewable energy, like Belize, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and especially those with hydroelectric potential. Elsewhere, the pace is slow. Too slow for the planet, but also too slow to drive sustainable development, which begs the question: What are the obstacles and how to remove them? Priyanka Chopra Remembers When Hrithik Roshan Proved To Be A Real-Life Superhero For Her Indian superstar, Hrithik Roshan is known to be a kind-hearted soul. His co-stars have always spoken highly of him and his supportive ways. His generosity has been witnessed by his friends and co-workers on numerous occasions in the last two decades. And now, it's none other than Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who's worked with Hrithik in Krrish (2006), Agneepath (2012) and Krrish 3 (2013) reinstating that fact by sharing her own experience with Hrithik's exemplary helpful nature during her father's medical crisis. In her recently published autobiography, Unfinished, Priyanka reminisces her early days when she had just about stepped foot in the industry. She has shared how it was her co-star, Hrithik, who had been the savior and her biggest support when her father, Dr. Ashok Chopra, was detected with a life-threatening medical complication during the time when she was shooting for Krrish, her biggest film until then. When Hrithik got to know about her father's critical condition and the fact that he needed to be shifted to a hospital abroad, Hrithik left no stone unturned and did the needful. Shared PC, "Incredibly, Hrithik who is hugely successful in the Hindi film industry, got on the phone and used his connections at Air India to arrange for my father's immediate flight to London." Thanks to Hrithik's timely help, Dr. Chopra was shifted to London and the necessary treatment and surgery was carried out. And he survived. A grateful Priyanka expressing her appreciation towards Hrithik, wrote, "If we hadn't had people around us who were so kind and so willing to act on our behalf - Hrithik and his father, Rakesh Sir, our family in Boston - I doubt that my father would have made it. There's no way I can ever express my gratitude adequately to them, but it is deep and it is enduring." Hrithik Roshan is probably the only Indian superstar who has a couple of successful superhero films to his credit. And he is quite a superhero in real-life as he is in his films. Just like Priyanka, there are several other co-stars, crew members and their families who are grateful to Hrithik for his kind deeds. There have been several occasions when Hrithik has stepped in to help the crew members who were injured on the sets, provide them with monetary help and supported their families too in times of crisis. His philanthropic side was seen loud and clear during the Covid-19 pandemic. He joined hands with an NGO providing 1.2 lakh nutritious cooked meals to old-age homes, daily-wage labourers and low income groups across India. Recognizing the efforts of the BMC workers during the pandemic, Hrithik not just donated Rs. 20 lakh but also contributed N95 and FFP3 masks to them. What's more, the superstar also came forward and supported the paparazzi photographers who hail from lower-middle-class families. That wasn't all. Hrithik deposited money in the bank accounts of 100 Bollywood dancers who were out of job and going through a tough time during the dreadful pandemic. Woah! Hrithik's tales of kindness are just endless. From Priyanka Chopra Jonas to the commoners, everyone has memorable instances to share about the actor's kindness. No doubt that this superstar is as beautiful on the inside as he is outside. In the past, British Columbia has served as an example of how carefully protected area planning can and should be applied. However, there are still key zones, such as the Okanagan region, that should be prioritized to safeguard wildlife both now and in the future. World Wildlife Fund Canada used the best available science and data to document how well Canadas ecosystems, wildlife habitats and natural carbon stores are (and are not) protected, and then identified where new protected areas could provide maximum benefit for wildlife and for slowing climate change. They found that across Canada, major opportunities to protect habitat and combat climate change are being overlooked. Half of Canadas monitored species are in decline, by a staggering 83%, and even wildlife protected under Canadas Species at Risk Act are failing to recover. Wildlife simply cant survive with increasingly degraded or destroyed habitats. They need to find food, mate, migrate and raise their young. Climate change will only makes matters worse. High numbers of at-risk species are found in areas where there are many human pressures. One of their top 5 areas of concern is the Okanagan Valley. Unlike six other provinces and the United States, which shares trans-boundary and migratory species with BC, British Columbia has no stand-alone endangered species legislation. Many British Columbia residents feel that it is time to protect BCs most vulnerable species with a stand alone Species at Risk Act, rather than a set of vague or voluntary guidelines. BC now has 43% of its assessed species at risk of extinction so time is of the essence if we want to ensure that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy what we have taken for granted. Jane Weixl on behalf of the Sustainable Environment Network Society Sweeping to victory on the first count when re-elected to Dail Eireann a year ago, Deputy John Brady didn't even begin to foresee what the coming 12 months would hold. Opposition TDs had an unusual challenge before them throughout the first year of their current term of office. Around a month after being elected, they saw a country grind to a halt as a result of a global pandemic, and were forced to row in behind the Government in many ways. 'It was a huge roller-coaster,' said Deputy Brady, reflecting on the past year. 'Let's not forget how the election came about,' he said. 'There was huge pressure on the health service and the then Minister for Health (Simon Harris). A motion of no confidence was due to be tabled and that's ultimately what brought about the election.' That was what Mary Lou McDonald thought too, on her visit to Bray to launch Deputy Brady's campaign in January 2020. The Sinn Fein party leader addressed a tight press pack at close quarters, shook hands with the locals on the streets, and sat down for a cuppa in Purple House. Expand Close John Brady celebrates after being re-elected to Dail Eireann in 2020 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Brady celebrates after being re-elected to Dail Eireann in 2020 There was no such thing then as social distancing. While cases of Covid-19 had already been identified in Ireland, everyone proceeded in blissful ignorance, thinking it would be but a storm in a teacup. 'I did exceptionally well and exceeded all expectations,' said Deputy Brady, who got over 17,000 first preference votes. The election brought a number of changes to Wicklow with a new Social Democrat TD (Jennifer Whitmore), a seat for the Green Party in Steven Matthews, and the loss of Pat Casey (FF) and Andrew Doyle (FG). It also left a concentration of TDs based in the north of the county. 'I think there was a lot of hope that the result of the election would bring about the change that people voted for,' said Deputy Brady. 'In the subsequent negotiations around government formation that didn't transpire in terms of people's hopes and aspirations. We saw a jockeying for position by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael with the Green Party, much to the dismay and disappointment of so many.' Much water, though, has passed under the bridge since that point, the TD said. Before a government had even formed, Covid-19 stepped in to change everything. 'It brought huge challenges for everyone,' said Deputy Brady. 'It really makes the election feel like a lifetime ago.' People had been talking about a virus in China that had only really just made its way to these shores. 'Nobody really understood at that point the implications of it and how much life would change.' With public health the only item on the agenda, opposition parties' hands were somewhat tied. 'It certainly did change the political arena,' said Deputy Brady. 'The big issues going into the election weren't relegated or they didn't have less focus. But the biggest issue was and is Covid, and the protection of our citizens.' With people losing jobs and businesses closing, huge numbers of people being made unemployed in both the short and long term, that became a priority. 'We wanted to ensure protections were in place,' said Deputy Brady, who is his party's spokesman for social protection, as well as foreign affairs. 'There was very much a sense of everyone needing to put on the green jersey and roll up our sleeves,' he said. 'That didn't preclude critically engaging with measures in place. 'A big issue at the outset was that the PUP didn't include people who are self-employed or people over 65. 'A lot of work would have been done on holding the government to account,' he said. 'There were a lot of concerns around how the Dail was going to operate and do business, and how it would sit, how as an opposition we would question Government and question ministers.' There were plans to be made regarding how the 33rd Dail would be able to sit while still adhering to all public health guidelines. 'It was important not just as the right thing to do, but we needed to show the people that as public representatives we were behaving correctly. The virus doesn't distinguish between positions. 'We were able to lead by example and hold the Government to account, whether that be on social welfare payments, putting a stay on residential evictions, or questioning capacity with the health service.' Things evolved over the course of the year, and the nation is now in its third lockdown and the Dail is sitting twice a week. 'I'd argue it needs to sit for all amount of scheduled time,' said Deputy Brady. Outside of Covid, which the TD himself has had, along with his whole family, other pre- election issues remain on the table, he said. Major issues prior to and during the election included housing and homelessness and health service reform. 'Unfortunately, things haven't changed that much. We do have some changes in terms of accessing some of the housing payments, and stays on evictions,' Deputy Brady said. Homelessness continues to be a major issue, and house builds have taken a huge knock in terms of restrictions construction.' While some social housing construction can continue, private rental and purchase supply has an impact on the situation as a whole. 'Covid has put a huge spotlight on the health service,' he said. 'Covid has deepened the problem in many ways, such as women accessing smear tests, diagnosis of cancers and outpatient appointments.' Being one of five TDs of different parties in County Wicklow, Deputy Brady said that while they differ in many ways, they have been able to collaborate on matters important for the county such as housing, public transport and education. He said that there are challenges right around the county around school places and new school buildings. 'Public transport is a massive issue. While some pressure has been eased by Covid, it's inevitable that roads will fill up again.' He said that while pressure on the N11 and N81 eased during the last recession, once the country got back to near full employment the traffic returned. 'The N81 isn't fit for purpose,' he said. 'I'm conscious that the Green Party focus has completely gone off road construction. There are no alternatives for the N81 that can be delivered in the short or medium term.' Mr Brady's concern is that funding for the future development of the N11 hasn't yet been ring fenced. Plans to extend the Luas to Blessington were shelved, with no discussion planned for the future of the government, and, said Brady, the rail infrastructure is in need of an upgrade. 'We're waiting on additional carriages which had been ordered. But irrespective of how many carriages there are, there is still just a single line from Bray south. That needs to be addressed if we are serious about addressing the public transport issue. 'I said in my speech at the count centre in 2016 that it's really important that the five TDs work together. We will have disagreements, but we are putting on the county colours and working collectively on issues of importance. 'Leaving aside how we got to this point, there has been so much uncertainty regarding school places in Greystones' said Deputy Brady. While he put it down to a failure in planning by the Department of Education, he said that the Wicklow TDs have worked alongside each other to address the problem. West Wicklow, said Deputy Brady, has been neglected in terms of public amenities, primarily the lack of a swimming pool. 'By collaborating on certain issues, we can push them forward,' he said. 'The power to move things forward ultimately lies with the Government in terms of providing funding for it.' Another important ambition he has for Wicklow is the East Coast Greenway between Greystones and Wicklow Town. 'I think this is a shared view,' said Deputy Brady. 'We can and should continue to work together on issues such as that. 'As an opposition TD it can be challenging in terms of accessing ministers and key people in departments. In Wicklow we have two senior ministers. Three of the five TDs are in Government parties. We need to exploit that for the betterment of Wicklow to ensure all voices are heard.' Meanwhile, Wicklow still doesn't have any affordable housing schemes, something Deputy Brady said can be addressed. Potential sites include the former Rockbrae land in Bray, Lott Lanelands in Kilcoole and Burnaby Mills in Greystones. 'There's an opportunity to develop a scheme that will utilise publicly owned land, rather than hand it over to a private developer. Only a small percentage of units would be social or affordable, and the vast majority would be on the open market at unaffordable prices. Each day as a TD is interesting, said Deputy Brady, who has major commitments with his party portfolios. Not being able to hold clinics and meet constituents in person has been tough, he said, as well as knowing the mental health impact the lockdowns will be having on people. 'Mental health resources were limited even before Covid and need to be addressed,' he said. 'It has been a challenging year. It's a huge honour to represent your county at either a local or national level. And rightfully so there's a lot of expectation to deliver and work for the people,' Deputy Brady added. * Read further coverage in the February 10th edition of The Bray People The outspoken chief of Australia's biggest travel agency has accused Victorian premier Daniel Andrews of 'over-reacting' after he ordered the state's snap five day lockdown. Flight Centre co-founder and CEO, Graham Turner, has argued that low case numbers in similar lockdowns in Brisbane and Perth showed that the existing contact tracing regime worked. The lockdown was ordered after an outbreak of the highly contagious UK strain of coronavirus was discovered at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport. Victoria has been put under a snap five-day lockdown to battle an outbreak of coronavirus in stemming from hotel quarantine (pictured, Melburnians at the airport) The Australian Open (pictured on Saturday morning) will progress with empty stands as crowds are barred from attending the event 'I think its sheer lunacy. They saw what happened in the Brisbane lockdown and Perth lockdown. They had no cases,' he told Newscorp. The Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport cluster sits at 14 cases as of Saturday morning and consists of returning travellers, hotel workers and their close contacts. A number of states have slammed their borders shut to in response to the outbreak, throwing the travel plans of thousands of Australians into disarray. South Australia closed their border to Greater Melbourne early on Friday morning, requiring anyone travelling from the city to quarantine for 14 days and be tested on days one, five, and 12. Queensland also closed their border to those travelling from Greater Melbourne on Friday afternoon, while the rest of Victoria will need to fill out a border declaration pass stating they have not been to any known virus hotspots. Western Australia then followed suit, slamming their border shut to Victoria for 72 hours, while the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory are not allowing travelers from known hotspots. A deserted Melbourne CBD on Saturday (pictured) as the city's lockdown begins Melbourne residents are allowed to leave their houses for essential reasons (pictured: Melburnians on Saturday morning) Mr Turner has said he does not think lockdowns and border closure are the best response and would rather see a strategy of suppression adopted on a national level, adding that this has been shown to be successful in NSW. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has been one of the few state leaders to advocate for more open borders with resources instead focused on contact tracing. Mr Turner claimed that even though the Melbourne outbreak was shown to be the highly contagious UK strain border rules and lockdowns 'defied logic'. 'Keep the borders open. If they can't do anything else keep the borders open for the economy and ensuring people have jobs should be a high priority,' he said. The outbreak of the UK strain was detected at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport (pictured) On Friday, Victorian authorities revealed a case linked to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport cluster had worked a shift at a busy cafe at Melbourne Airport while infected with Covid-19 - raising fears Victoria's coronavirus outbreak may already have spread across Australia. State health officials said early on Friday morning customers and staff at Terminal 4's Brunetti cafe may have been at risk at any time between 4.45am and 1.15pm on February 9. Anyone who was at the cafe during that nine-hour window must get tested and remain isolated for 14 days regardless of the result. About 3,591 passengers from 29 different flights traveled through the airport during this window. Customers and staff at the Brunetti cafe at Melbourne Airport (pictured) may have been exposed to the coronavirus for up to nine hours on Tuesday NSW has issued alerts over the Melbourne airport case but has chosen not to close the border to Greater Melbourne or Victoria. Authorities said anyone in NSW who was at Melbourne Airport, Terminal 4 from 4:45am 2pm on February 9 needs to isolate for 14 days, get tested, and keep isolating regardless of the result. Those who were there on February 7 and 8 will also need to isolate until they get a negative test result. Mr Turner said his industry is now eagerly looking to how effective vaccination programs currently being rolled out in the UK and Israel are - with Australia's first batch of vaccinations set to be ready later this month. WILLIAMSPORT- A 38-year-old man fatally shot by state police Thursday night originally was from Texas, but had been staying in a trailer park in Woodward Township for three weeks, according to online records. Clifford E. Wilbur Jr. was living in the Harvest Moon Trailer Park at 38 Harvest Moon Park, west of Williamsport, where police were called at 8:04 p.m. Thursday night on a reported domestic incident involving a gun. Many questions about the incident and shooting remain unanswered but police provided a few more details Friday afternoon about the series of events. Police would not describe the domestic incident, but confirmed the victim was a relative of Wilbur. State police fatally shot Clifford E. Wilbur Jr. after a chase Feb. 11, 2021. Wilbur left the trailer park before troopers arrived but they say he then committed an armed robbery at a nearby Sheetz convenience store along Route 220. Police have not released any information on the robbery, including how they linked it to Wilbur. Police said they later spotted Wilbur driving east toward Williamsport and started chasing him. The pursuit ended about 10:35 p.m. in the 3500 block of West Fourth Street in the city when his vehicle struck a utility pole. Police say Wilbur brandished a handgun troopers and officers fired their weapons, according to a state police news release. Williamsport police were on the scene but Chief Damon Hagan would not say if any officer fired a weapon. State police would not disclose how many troopers fired at Wilbur or if he discharged his. Those who fired are on administrative leave, they said. Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan C. Gardner, who will decide if the shooting was justified, said Friday he has not been fully briefed on the incident. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, Corner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. said. He lists Wilburs address as Leesburg, Texas. Texas court records show Wilbur was sentenced in 2000 to five years in prison on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child with the female victim being 12 years old. The sentence included a lifetime registration as a sex offender. The status of his registration was changed on Jan. 20, listing his address in the trailer park. READ: 28 counts dismissed against ex-Williamsport cop charged with using records system for personal use Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, and Health Ministers Roberto Speranza retained their mandates in the new government formed by Former head of the European Central Bank officially accepted the post of prime minister after the meeting with President Sergio Mattarella, to whom he presented the list of ministers of the new government. The new cabinet will be sworn in on Saturday noon (11:00 GMT). The names of the new ministers were read out by Draghi. In the new administration, Di Maio (the Five Star Movement, M5S), Lamorgese (independent) and Speranza have kept their posts. Dario Franceschini (Democratic Party, PD), who used to be the minister of tourism and culture, will now be responsible only for cultural issues, and the minister of tourism is going to be Massimo Garavaglia (Lega). Elena Bonetti (Italia Viva), who was the minister of family in the previous government and stepped down, which was one of the factors that led to the crisis and the subsequent breakup of the government, retained her post. The post of justice minister has been given to Marta Cartabia (independent), of defense minister to Lorenzo Guerini (Democratic Party), of economy and finance to Daniele Franco (Bank of director general), of economic development to Giancarlo Giorgetti (Lega), of agriculture policies to Stefano Patuanelli (M5S, he was responsible for economic development in the previous government), of ecological transition to Roberto Cingolani (independent), of transport and infrastructure to Enrico Giovannini (independent), of labor and social policies to Andrea Orlando (PD), of education to Patrizio Bianchi (independent), of universities and research to Cristina Messa (independent). As for the ministers without portfolio, Federico Dinca (M5S) was nominated for relations with the parliament, Vittorio Colao (independent) for technological innovation and digital transition, Renato Brunetta (Forza Italia) for public administration, Maria Stella Gelmini (Forza Italia) for general affairs and autonomies, Mara Carfagna (Forza Italia) for south and territorial cohesion, Fabiana Dadone (M5S) for youth policies, Erika Stefani (Lega) for disabilities, and Massimo Garavaglia (Lega) for coordination of touristic initiatives. As a result, the new government is a true blend of political forces from the whole range of political spectrum (Forza Italia, Lega, PD, Italia Viva and M5S) and independents. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Still Life Josie George Bloomsbury 16.99 Rating: If youve been suffering from lockdown cabin fever, spare a thought for Josie George. Since early childhood, the first-time author has lived with chronic illness that leaves her unable to walk more than a dozen steps without courting exhaustion and a barrage of excruciating symptoms. Shes now in her late 30s and her condition continues to baffle doctors, who over the years have offered diagnoses from lupus to mental health disorders. Her dynamic memoir is about far more than sickness, however. Written largely from her bed in Staffordshire, it splices her intent to document a year of her life, beginning on January 1, 2018, with flashbacks charting her self-discovery, moving through an abusive teenage relationship and early failed marriage to single motherhood and her determination to scrape a living from her passions. If youve been suffering from lockdown cabin fever, spare a thought for Josie George (above). Since early childhood, the first-time author has lived with chronic illness As winter gives way to spring, unexpected romance renews her sense of whats possible. There are, inevitably, bouts of crushing fatigue and continuing pain. Chronic illness is a terrible narrator, she notes drolly. But desire, birdsong and lessons on learning to love the body youre in crowd these pages, as do knitting, hope and friendship. Crucially, there is nothing woolly about Georges insistence on finding joy in the everyday. As she explains: I dont think the purpose of mindfulness is to feel reassured or relaxed or to distract you conveniently from fear. I think its purpose is to wake you up, to make you brave and powerful, to make you a revolutionary who wants to live differently, act differently. This book would always have found a loyal readership its vivid prose and meticulous, kindly candour ensure it. But coming now, at a time when record numbers have been struggling with their own ill-health and when many more have been forced to slow down, it feels like a manifesto for recalibrating. Notes From Deep Time: A Journey Through Our Past And Future Worlds Helen Gordon Profile 20 Rating: In a world where we are all essentially housebound for what feels like an interminable age, its a real treat to travel through space and time. To be reminded of the worlds immensity, of its infinite capacity for change and possibility puts humanitys current situation into context as the tiniest pinprick of a moment which will pass. This is a beautiful and deftly written book, essentially on geology. Not the sexiest subject; even though Im one of those people who stop to admire rock strata on holiday, I know rocks arent for everyone. However, with considerable skill, sound research and lovely sprinklings of literary and human insight, Helen Gordon has elevated what might be a dry subject for some to the appropriate level of awe-inspiring reverence that deep time deserves. What exactly is deep time? We arent talking about 10,000 years, or even 100,000 years these are mere nanoseconds on a geological timescale. We are talking about millions and billions of years. It might sound beyond the reach of the human imagination, but the echoes of deep time are never far away. In fact, you can see back two million years in the sandy gravel of a building site on Cambridge Heath Road in East London, 55 million in the London clay beneath that, up to 100 million in the chalk of the North Downs. IT'S A FACT The zircon crystals from Australias Jack Hills are thought to be the oldest object ever found on Earth, dating from about 4.375 billion years ago. Advertisement Gordon takes us scrambling down cliffs to reach Siccar Point, a headland in Berwickshire that gave 18th Century geologist James Hutton evidence to argue for deep time that the Earth was much older than then thought. We also join a fault-finder on a tour of Hollywood looking for everyday evidence of the San Andreas fault; and we walk with Gordon through sunny Naples, examining the stonework of beautiful, historic buildings. As well as providing for buildings, and being the literal bedrock of our existence, geology has many other contributions to human life. For example, the first comprehensive geological map of Britain by William Smith in 1815 helped spur the Industrial Revolution by revealing seams of coal. On a more individual level, it can even have forensic uses. In 2002, the type of microfossils found in a fragment of chalk helped to convict Soham murderer Ian Huntley geologists were able to link the chalk found under Huntleys wheel arch to a farm track where he said he had never been. Fascinating stuff, but its Gordons background as a literary writer that takes Notes From Deep Time to the next level. She has imbued geological tales with a beauty and humanity. In the far reaches of north-west Scotland, ancient boulders (a mind-boggling three billion years old) break through the grass and bracken like the backs of grey whales in a green sea. As a pregnant Gordon sits on these rocks, thoughts of the beating heart of her unborn child segue to one of the earliest hearts found in a 520 million-year-old arthropod from the same geological time as the quartzite hilltops that surround her. Life resonates through the ages. Shaoni Bhattacharya-Woodward Thousands of student apartments are sitting empty across Melbourne, with the loss of international students cutting occupancy rates by 80 per cent, amid fears the sector is yet to hit the bottom. Melbournes CBD has already lost 17.2 per cent of its residential population with 8900 fewer international students as a result of the pandemic, according to analysis by Dr Peter Hurley from the Mitchell Institute. Tiarna Condren, an RMIT University student, has moved into Scape student accommodation. Credit:Simon Schluter Dr Hurley used data from Home Affairs and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to estimate the number of international students has also dropped by 4660 in Clayton, 4550 in Carlton, 2100 in North Melbourne, 1770 in Southbank and 1590 in Box Hill as of this month. Although optimistic about the medium to long term, Dr Hurley said 2021 would probably be worse for the sector than 2020 because international students who finish their studies are not being replaced. A judge has approved a 25,000 settlement for a toddler who fell 10 feet onto concrete paving through a gap in glass panelling where one of the panels was missing. Barrister Eavanna Fitzgerald told the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that, as Ewa Stecyk tried to unlock an entrance gate to a Dublin apartment building, her son, 19-month-old Alex Szabo, decided to peek through a glass-panelled barrier. Ms Fitzgerald, who appeared with Maguire McClafferty Solicitors for Alex and Ms Stecyk, said the child and his mother were unaware that one of the large glass panels was missing. The boy walked through the space and fell three metres onto a concrete surface, Ms Fitzgerald told Judge John OConnor. Luckily, despite the very serious circumstances, there was a good outcome as he landed on his feet, falling forward on his hands and knees. Judge OConnor heard the accident happened in October 2017 at The Concert Building, within a block of apartments at Parkwest, Dublin 12. Ms Stecyk had been trying to open an entrance gate at the time. Counsel said the boy had injured his feet, knees and hands, and had also hit his head. His mother, who lives at Clear Water Court, South Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, Dublin 15, subsequently brought him to Crumlin Childrens Hospital where x-rays revealed he had not suffered any fractures. Ms Fitzgerald told Judge OConnor that his colleague, Judge Kathryn Hutton, had adjourned the case last year and asked for further medical reports when a settlement of 20,000 had been offered. Paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr Paula M. Kelly had since reported that Alex did not suffer any long-term orthopaedic injuries. Counsel recommended the offer. The boy, through his mother, had sued a number of Parkwest Management companies which have registered addresses at Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, and were the legal occupiers of The Concert Building in Parkwest. Judge OConnor, approving a new 25,000 settlement offer, said that while the boy had walked with a limp for a number of weeks, he had made a full recovery. New Delhi: The Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Saturday (February 13) took actor-activist Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh to Red Fort to recreate the scene of events that unfolded at the historic monument on Republic Day during the farmer's tractor parade, a police officer said. Sidhu, according to police, was a "prominent player" behind the January 26 violence and vandalism at the Red Fort. He was arrested from Karnal bypass in Haryana on Monday night (February 8) by a team of Delhi Police's Special Cell and was sent to seven-day police custody by a city court the next day. The team probing the case will inspect the historical monument to ascertain and corroborate the route taken by them, their activities at the spot and how things unfolded at the monument on Republic Day when the violence broke out, the officer added. Iqbal Singh, who was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, was nabbed from Hoshiarpur in Punjab on Tuesday night (February 9) by the northern range of Delhi Police's Special Cell. The Delhi police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information that can lead to the arrest of actor Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh who hoisted flags at the Red Fort or were involved in the act. A cash reward of Rs 50,000 each was also announced for Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jajbir Singh and Iqbal Singh for allegedly instigating protesters. Of them, Sidhu, Iqbal Singh and Sukhdev Singh have been arrested. Police said raids are being conducted to nab the other accused. Thousands of farmers protesting the Centre's new agriculture laws had clashed with the police during their tractor parade on January 26. Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument. Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and a flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled on Independence Day. Over 500 police personnel were injured and one protestor died on that day. BATON ROUGE Gov. John Bel Edwards highlighted the creation of Avant Organics LLC, a new specialty chemicals company that plans to manufacture innovative products at the Central Louisiana Regional Port in Alexandria, subject to a final lease agreement. Parent company Crest Industries will make a $4 million capital investment and create 40 new direct jobs through the project. Avant Organics represents a new business sector for Crest Industries. Based in Pineville, Louisiana, Crest Industries employs more than 800 people in a diverse slate of companies serving customers in electrical infrastructure, distribution, industrial services and natural resources. Avant Organics will apply advanced scientific research to enhance attributes, such as flavor and fragrance, for products in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and other sectors. The companys new direct jobs will feature an average annual salary of $75,000, plus benefits, and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will yield another 215 new indirect jobs, for a total of 255 new jobs in Central Louisiana. Since its founding more than 60 years ago, Crest Industries has grown through a commitment to customer service, continuous improvement and creativity, Gov. John Bel Edwards said. That dedication has produced one of Central Louisianas leading business success stories. The latest venture by Crest Industries demonstrates the value of innovation for our economy, and the value of leveraging Louisianas transportation strengths. Were encouraged by the decision to locate Avant Organics at one of our key ports on the Red River. Avant Organics would be the second Crest Industries company with a permanent facility at the Central Louisiana Regional Port. DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations operates at the port and has produced thousands of customized electrical substations for the nations power grid. Though Avant Organics will operate in a different industry sector, the Red River location complements the import-export and workforce needs of each business. We empower our people to be innovators and find solutions that have a lasting impact on the industries and people we serve, said Kenny Robison, Crest Industries CEO and owner. At Crest, we believe and teach the concept of having a founders mentality. By empowering the frontlines of our company with the tools and resources they need, they will help lead Crest into the future. And that is exactly how Avant Organics was created. Brad Fontenot, the president of DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations, also will serve as the chief executive within the Avant Organics organization. LED began formal project discussions with Crest Industries, Avant Organics and the Central Louisiana Regional Port about the new project at the beginning of 2021. To secure the Avant Organics project, the State of Louisiana offered a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive workforce solutions of LED FastStart the nations No. 1 state workforce training program. In addition, Avant Organics will be eligible for a $500,000 performance-based Economic Development Award Program grant for site infrastructure costs, and the company is expected to utilize Louisianas Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. Crest Industries is an important component of the Central Louisiana economy, said President and CEO Jim Clinton of the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. We applaud their leadership and commitment to the region with the addition of new jobs and capital investment here in Rapides Parish. Investments like this one continue to diversify our economy and showcase the ability and capacity of our people. CLEDA is proud to work alongside our valued partners to grow the number of great Central Louisiana manufacturers throughout the region who underscore our brand, Central Louisiana: We Make Good Stuff." The Central Louisiana Regional Port and its tenants benefit from a Foreign Trade Zone associated with nearby England Airpark. Through the FTZ designation, Avant Organics will be able to import raw materials at the Alexandria port and convert them into manufactured products without paying customs duties. In addition to nearby Alexandria International Airport and interstate highway access, the ports tenants benefit from Class I rail service provided by Union Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads. The Central Louisiana Regional Port is proud to call Crest Industries a partner, said Ben Russo, the ports executive director. Crest, time and time again, proves its ability to adapt to ever-changing markets through innovation and by leveraging great talent across Louisiana. Theyve used their current location at CLRP to revolutionize the electrical substation market and I am certain they will do it again in this next venture. Crest Industries officials expect to begin production at the Avant Organics port facility by the third quarter of 2021. Job seekers interested in future work at Avant Organics may submit resumes and search for positions as they become available at www.CrestOperations.com/careers. As teachers in Sao Paulo take a stand against the murderous herd immunity policy of the ruling classes internationally, speaking for millions of workers who refuse to accept the alternative between starvation and exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, local authorities are organizing a media blitz to slander them as lazy and opposed to science. They are attempting to convince parents that it is safe to send their children back to chronically underfunded and precarious schools. Teachers striking against pension cuts march in Sao Paulo last year Two unions, representing a total of 250,000 teachers in the state of Sao Paulo (APEOESP) and the capital city of the same name (SINPEEM), were forced by overwhelming membership votes to declare a strike which they are already seeking to sell out through bogus negotiations over safe conditions for a return to in-person classes. The government propaganda blitz for school reopenings is enthusiastically supported by the corporate media, even as the state of Sao Paulo records a rolling average of 245 COVID-19 deaths a day, the highest since August. Brazil as a whole has so far recorded over 237,000 COVID-19 deaths and 9.7 million cases, the second worst toll internationally after the United States. And despite the horrific scenes emerging daily from the Amazonian capital of Manaus, the state of Sao Paulo remains the countrys pandemic epicenter, with over 55,000 deaths. Instrumental in the push to reopen schools is the back-to-back promotion by the government and corporate media of popular movements of parents and education think-tanks that have adapted the herd immunity policy promoted by Brazils fascistic President Bolsonaro to school reopenings. Echoing the mantra that the cure cannot be worse than the disease, they have insisted that school shutdowns are provoking an unprecedented wave of mental health and nutrition problems for the most impoverished students. These efforts reek of hypocrisy, coming from forces that have no interest in controlling the pandemic, and have previously concentrated their main efforts on promoting the privatization of education and the slashing of teachers wages and pensions. They are following a common script which stresses the social burden of isolation for children, while claiming that in-school transmission is low if a number of protocols are in place, and that pupils are not subject to serious repercussions from the disease. In Sao Paulo, these efforts have been spearheaded by a handful of lobbies that are old acquaintances of teachers and parents, including the Todos pela Educacao (All for education) NGO and the Ayrton Senna Institute. In addition there is the newly-formed Open Schools movement. The first two entities have been at the forefront of the promotion of World Bank-backed reforms in Brazilian schools. As early as April, these same forces were promoting the permanent adoption of distance learning, with the World Bank area coordinator for Brazil writing that In educational terms, its crucial to evaluate which distance education practices could be maintained after the reopening of schools, benefiting from the structure put in place during the pandemic. Priscilla Cruz, the president of Todos pela Educacao who today sheds crocodile tears about the impact of the pandemic on children, declared in an April online conference, where she was strongly opposed by teachers, that People say that distance education can generate inequality. It could produce some inequality, but we need to measure what the impacts are. Priscila Cruz, head of Todos pela Educacao [Twitter] Now Cruz has ditched her earlier promotion of distance learning in order to back the reopening of schools as the pillar of support for economic recovery, i.e., the restoration of capitalist profits through the unrestrained economic activity sought by the ruling class. The Ayrton Senna Institute had promoted the reopening of schools in September, a prescription that was followed most significantly by Manaus, leading to the uncontrolled resurgence of the pandemic in that city. This resurgence is viewed by experts as the fundamental process behind the emergence of the new Brazilian variant of the virus now spreading throughout the country and internationally, with the deadly potential of overwhelming current vaccines. For its part, the Open Schools movement is the most recent addition to this pack of lobbyists, and purports to represent a majority of parents who want a reopening of schools, but whose demands are supposedly silenced by the corporate media. The movement is petitioning the Sao Paulo courts for the full reopening of schools in the city. It also promoted a staged demonstration of 50 people in front of the apartment of Sao Paulo Mayor Bruno Covas on January 13 against what they derided as the slow reopening of schools. The movement has posted a lavishly produced ad on social media to gather support for its petition. It features less than a handful of workers from the impoverished Agua Branca housing project in the western sector of the city declaring that they cannot work because they have to look after the kids. They add that a few weeks into the pandemic they had run out of resources to pay for internet, and so their children were not able to follow classes anymore. Far outnumbering these workers among the original signatories of the petition featured in the video are wealthy representatives of the capitalist ruling elite. It was first launched in the WhatsApp group for the parents of students at the elite private Saint Pauls School, which is attended by the children of Sao Paulos multimillionaire governor Joao Doria. They include Tide Setubal Souza, heir of Brazils largest private bank, Itauwith 90,000 workers and 60 million clientsand Ilona Becskehazy, a Bolsonaro loyalist who worked in the Education Ministry under the fascistic minister Abraham Weintraub, who was fired last year to appease the Chinese embassy after promoting theories that China had deliberately created the new coronavirus and for using anti-Chinese racist slurs. The concerted media blitz is designed to break the resistance of teachers and workers more broadly to the deadly herd immunity policy, against which scientists have expressly warned. Reviewing scientific data on the carnage being produced by the ruling class in Manaus, where patients are being given morphine to alleviate the pain of death by suffocation, British health experts Devi Sridhar and Deepti Gurdasani wrote in Science magazine less than a month ago: Even a mitigation strategy whereby the virus is allowed to spread through the population with the objective of keeping admissions just below health care capacity, as is done for influenza virus, is clearly misguided for SARS-CoV-2. Those promoting the reopening of schools in Sao Paulo and seeking to spread such a policy throughout the whole of Brazil, amid an uncontrolled pandemic that is breeding and evolving through new variants, have blood on their hands. The striking Sao Paulo teachers, for their part, speak for the millions who stand opposed to this policy and have no trust in the government protecting the lives of their children. In the September interview with the head of the Ayrton Senna Institute first promoting the reopening of schools, Brazils largest daily Folha gave a backhanded acknowledgment of popular sentiment, declaring that among groups of parents, there is little impact of content favorable to the reopening [of schools], while alarming news is highlighted. The struggle to place the defense of human life over capitalist profits must be carried out through the formation of rank-and-file committees to organize teachers in conscious opposition to all those seeking to facilitate the herd immunity policy of the ruling class by negotiating a safe reopening of schools that the ruling class has absolutely no interest in assuring. Chief among these forces are the APEOESP and SINPEEM unions and their pseudo-left apologists, which are doing everything in their power to sabotage the strike by Sao Paulos teachers. The Innovative Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection System is Easy to Use and is Designed to Help Protect Homes and Small Buildings SANTA CLARA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / The founders of Link Corporation are pleased to announce the launch of their Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems. To learn more about the Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems (LFSPS) and how it works, please visit https://linkfireprotectionsystems.com/ As a company spokesperson noted, the creators of the Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection System know that wildfires break out every year in different parts of the country. In many cases, homes are threatened and/or destroyed by the flames, leaving families with nowhere to go. This knowledge inspired the company's founders to discover a way to help eradicate the devastation caused by wildfires before they could happen. The team put their heads together and created the Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection System, an external fire safety protection system designed for homes and small buildings. "Firestad's 'LFSPS' is an exterior water dispersion system with specially designed water spigots that integrates an innovative approach to fight wildfires for property owners to protect their property from catching fire," the spokesperson noted, adding that all of the components are high quality and durable in order to withstand harsh conditions. "It is operable manually or can be set up automatically through its smart water control system. It is Alexa and Apple home-kit compatible with hyper-local weather intelligence plus rain, freeze and wind-skip features." In addition to putting out fires before they start, the Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems can help reduce homeowner fire insurance costs and the insurance company's fire liability claims, help keep firefighters and other first responders safe, and lower the chances that homeowners will lose personal documents and precious heirlooms. As the spokesperson noted, the Firestad LFSPS can lower the probability of a structure burning down by an impressive 96 percent. To provide homeowners with added security, the Firestad system can be powered by a smart high-pressure PSI water pump to increase and provide adequate water pressure when pressure is down or in low water pressure areas. In addition, a smart generator can be added as a value-added add-on to protect homes from power outages. About the Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems: Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems was launched to help people protect their homes from wildfires. For more information, please visit https://linkfireprotectionsystems.com/ Media Contact: Name: Kelly Landers Email: staff@ideazon.com Phone: (408) 647-2126 SOURCE: Firestad Link Fire Safety Protection Systems View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629568/Link-Corporation-Announces-the-Launch-of-their-FirestadTM-Link-Fire-Safety-Protection-Systems The Biden administration asked a US court on Thursday to suspend litigation connected to former President Donald Trump's proposed ban on WeChat while it reviews the policy. The Justice Department filed a request with the US Court of Appeals seeking a suspension of the case. That follows action on Wednesday when the department asked a federal court for a pause on proceedings aimed at banning TikTok. Newly installed Commerce Department officials have begun a review of the prior administration's actions on WeChat, including "an evaluation of the underlying record justifying those prohibitions," the DOJ said in the filing. "The government will then be better positioned to determine" whether "the regulatory purpose of protecting the security of Americans and their data, continue to warrant the identified prohibitions," the filing added. Trump issued an executive order last August declaring both WeChat and TikTok as threats to national security. However, US courts have blocked the bans from going into effect, leading to appeals lodged in the final months of the Trump administration seeking to override the lower courts. The DOJ said the Commerce Department "remains committed to a robust defense of national security as well as ensuring the viability of our economy and preserving individual rights and data." Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day. The Union Health Ministry said the cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against in the country surpassed 8 million on Saturday. It said 80,52,454 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,69,215 sessions, according to the provisional report till Saturday 6 pm. These include 59,35,275 healthcare workers and 21,17,179 frontline workers. "The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from today for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose. As many as 7,668 healthcare workers received the second dose of vaccine today," the ministry said. On Saturday, 84,807 beneficiaries were inoculated till 6 pm, the 29th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination as per provisional data. As many as 4,434 sessions were organised on Saturday till 6 pm, the ministry said. Thirty-four states and Union Territories conducted COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday. Twelve states UTs have vaccinated more than 70 per cent of the registered heathcare workers. These are -- Bihar, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Sikkim. On the other hand, seven states and UTs have reported less than 40 per cent coverage of registered healthcare workers. These are Meghalaya, Punjab, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Puducherry. Ten states that recorded the highest number of vaccinations are Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Delhi. Total 34 people have so far been hospitalised after being administered COVID-19 vaccine. It comprises 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these cases of hospitalization, 21 were discharged after treatment, while 11 died and two are under treatment, the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, no person has been hospitalized, it stated. "Total 27 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0003 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these, 11 died in the hospital while 16 fatalities were recorded outside the hospital. "No case of serious/severe adverse effect after immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination till date," the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported. A 38-year-old person of Harda in Madhya Pradesh died due to myocardial infarction nine days after vaccination. Another is a 35-year-old resident of Panipat in Haryana who suffered from pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and died eight days after vaccination. A 58-year-old resident of Dausa in Rajasthan, who had received vaccine, collapsed on duty and was brought dead to a hospital. Post-mortem details of all are awaited. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed in detail the status and progress of COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged all states and Union Territories to adhere to timelines for covering all healthcare and frontline workers with first dose of vaccines and schedule their mop-up rounds. The standard operating procedure for second dose scheduling on Co-WIN software have been shared with states and Union Territories. In a letter to all states and UTs, Bhushan pointed out that according to the rapid assessment system only 88.9 per cent beneficiaries have indicated that they were provided information regarding adverse event following immunization (AEFI) at the session site. The states and UTs have been advised to ensure that all vaccination officers are trained and informed regarding AEFI and they should provide such information to all beneficiaries. In order to strengthen surveillance following COVID-19 vaccination, the Union health secretary has also urged states and UTs to ensure that AEFI committees at the state and district levels meet regularly to oversee the overall performance of AEFI Surveillance System. The Bombay High Court's judge Justice Pushpa Ganediwala, who had delivered two controversial verdicts in sexual assault cases, on Saturday took oath as the high court's additional judge for one more year. Justice Ganediwala's earlier tenure as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court ended on Friday. Justice Nitin Jamdar, the senior-most judge at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, administered the oath of office to her. The oath-taking ceremony was attended virtually by the Bombay High Court's Chief Justice Dipankar Datta. Last month, the Supreme Court collegium had withdrawn its approval to a proposal for the appointment Justice Ganediwala as a permanent judge of the court following her two controversial verdicts. The collegium had recommended that she be given a fresh term as an additional judge for two years. However, the government issued a notification on Friday saying she has been given a fresh term as an additional judge for one year. Additional judges are usually appointed for two years before being elevated as permanent judges. The decision was taken after the judge faced flak for her interpretation of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Justice Ganediwala had recently acquitted a man accused of groping a 12-year-old girl's breast because he did not make any "skin-to-skin contact" with the minor and days earlier, ruled that holding the hands of a five-year-old girl and unzipping the trousers do not amount to "sexual assault" under the POCSO Act. On January 27, the Supreme Court stayed the Bombay High Court order acquitting the man after Attorney General K K Venugopal said the order would set a dangerous precedent. The collegium headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, at a meeting held on January 20, had okayed the proposal for making Justice Ganediwala a permanent judge. Besides the CJI, justices N V Ramana and R F Nariman are part of the three-member collegium, which takes decisions with regard to high court judges. Covid vaccination package: Private hospitals tie up with luxury hotels against rules, says Centre Can fully vaccinated people against COVID-19 still spread the coronavirus? Nearly 12 crore doses of Covid vaccine to be available in June: Health Ministry COVID vaccination drive: Over 7,000 get 2nd dose, total 80 lakh vaccinated so far India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 13: Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day. The Union Health Ministry said the cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against coronavirus in the country surpassed 80 lakh on Saturday. It said 80,52,454 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,69,215 sessions, according to the provisional report till Saturday 6 pm. These include 59,35,275 healthcare workers and 21,17,179 frontline workers. "The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from today for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose. As many as 7,668 healthcare workers received the second dose of vaccine today," the ministry said. On Saturday, 84,807 beneficiaries were inoculated till 6 pm, the 29th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination as per provisional data. As many as 4,434 sessions were organised on Saturday till 6 pm, the ministry said. Thirty-four states and Union Territories conducted COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday. Twelve states UTs have vaccinated more than 70 per cent of the registered heathcare workers. These are -- Bihar, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Sikkim. On the other hand, seven states and UTs have reported less than 40 per cent coverage of registered healthcare workers. These are Meghalaya, Punjab, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Puducherry. Ten states that recorded the highest number of vaccinations are Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Delhi. All over-70s urged to get COVID-19 jabs as United Kingdom nears vaccine target Total 34 people have so far been hospitalised after being administered COVID-19 vaccine. It comprises 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these cases of hospitalization, 21 were discharged after treatment, while 11 died and two are under treatment, the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, no person has been hospitalized, it stated. "Total 27 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0003 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these, 11 died in the hospital while 16 fatalities were recorded outside the hospital. "No case of serious/severe adverse effect after immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination till date," the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported. A 38-year-old person of Harda in Madhya Pradesh died due to myocardial infarction nine days after vaccination. Another is a 35-year-old resident of Panipat in Haryana who suffered from pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and died eight days after vaccination. A 58-year-old resident of Dausa in Rajasthan, who had received vaccine, collapsed on duty and was brought dead to a hospital. Post-mortem details of all are awaited. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed in detail the status and progress of COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged all states and Union Territories to adhere to timelines for covering all healthcare and frontline workers with first dose of vaccines and schedule their mop-up rounds. The standard operating procedure for second dose scheduling on Co-WIN software have been shared with states and Union Territories. In a letter to all states and UTs, Bhushan pointed out that according to the rapid assessment system only 88.9 per cent beneficiaries have indicated that they were provided information regarding adverse event following immunization (AEFI) at the session site. The states and UTs have been advised to ensure that all vaccination officers are trained and informed regarding AEFI and they should provide such information to all beneficiaries. In order to strengthen surveillance following COVID-19 vaccination, the Union health secretary has also urged states and UTs to ensure that AEFI committees at the state and district levels meet regularly to oversee the overall performance of AEFI Surveillance System. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, February 14, 2021, 0:10 [IST] E-commerce car platform Carvana plans to hire 150 workers for its Bessemer inspection facility and is holding a two-day hiring event at Lawson College that includes on-the-spot job offers. Carvana is seeking to fill 150 entry-level positions, including automotive technicians and autobody and paint technicians for its vehicle inspection center in Bessemer. The two-day event kicks off next Tuesday at Lawson State Colleges Ethel Hall at 1100 9th Ave. SW in Bessemer and extends into Wednesday. Hours for both days are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Bessemer hub handles fulfillment activities for Alabama and surrounding states, as part of the companys inventory network. The center has inspection, maintenance and photography operations. Qualified potential employees may get same-day job offers during the event, Carvana said. Turkey is eager to see a revival of the nuclear deal between Iran and the United States as the region adapts to President Joe Bidens arrival in the White House. As Ahval News reports, on Jan. 29, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke to this during a press conference alongside his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. He said that Turkey hopes that with the Biden administration, the United States will return to this agreement and cooperation on the (nuclear) issue is restored. He added that it was his hope that the sanctions and embargoes imposed on brotherly Iran are lifted.This sentiment sets Turkey apart from its neighbours in the Middle East, such as Israel or Saudi Arabia, said Dr Hamidreza Azizi, a Berlin-based research fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Unlike some other countries in the region, Turkey is really in favour of the revival of the nuclear agreement, Azizi told Ahval in a podcast. For Ankara, a return to diplomacy would reduce its insecurity amid simmering tensions between its neighbour on one hand and most important NATO ally on the other. In the final year of Donald Trumps term as U.S. president, acrimony between Washington and Tehran reached a fever pitch that unsettled Turkey. After the drone strike that eliminated Irans General Qassem Soleimani last year, Turkey called quickly for a de-escalation, something it repeated after Israels alleged assassination of Irans top nuclear scientist later that year. Trumps maximum pressure campaign squeezed Turkey into cutting the amount of energy imports from Iran, previously one of its largest suppliers. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan railed against this at the time, but ended up having to comply. Azizi said that a reduction of tension would be welcome, especially if it headed off any instability that would inevitably become a problem for Turkey as Irans neighbour. For this reason, I think the revival of diplomacy between Iran and the United States would serve Turkeys security interests, he explained. Under the shadow of the U.S. pressure campaign, Turkeys position has been undermined indirectly by other moves to contain Tehran. The most notable of these may be the normalisation of relations among Irans Arab rivals and Israel. Observers saw the Abraham accords signed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel as a serious blow to Irans position in the Middle East. However, others noted that Turkey had been marginalised by these developments too, given its poor relationship with the countries in question. Azizi told Ahval that this process had always been an important factor for Iran and Turkey. Any improvement in Turkeys relations with Arab countries and Israel has translated into more pressure for Iran, and vice versa, he said.In recent years, Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have all identified Turkey as a threat comparable to Iran. Last year, the director of Israels Mossad intelligence service described Turkey as the real threat, while the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman once cited the two together as part of a triangle of evil. Iran and Turkey had found themselves on the same side when Gulf countries started a blockade on Qatar. They also worked together diplomatically in Syria with Russia under the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the decade-long civil war. Short of their geopolitical aims, Turkey and Iran are drawn together by more factors. Azizi noted that there had been a long period without open conflict between the two neighbours, which was longer than the history of some countries, and that could be attributed to strong social, historical and cultural links. That said, competing geopolitical ambitions do exist, which does keep some distance in this relationship. This is not realpolitik that holds this relationship together, but realpolitik prevents the two from becoming as close as they can be, said Azizi. This was apparent in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh when Turkeys ally Azerbaijan fought to regain the disputed territory from Armenia. Iran was caught in a bind over the war with some factions advocating it back fellow Shia Azerbaijan and to support it on ethnic grounds - more than 20 million Iranians have an Azeri background. The government in Tehran took a middle position: It disapproved of Ankara enabling Baku to engage in a military campaign it saw as strengthening Israels presence in the region given the latters closeness to Azerbaijan. There is a strong belief in Iran that the war was Erdogans initiative, Azizi said, and not Azeri President Ilham Aliyevs. Iran endorsed the Russia-brokered truce that ended the fighting on Nov. 11, but it laid bare both its suspicion of Turkish ambitions and socio-cultural sensitivities involved. For instance, Erdogan recited a poem in Baku that Tehran saw as advocating Azeri separatism, prompting anti-Turkey riots in the Iranian city of Tabriz. Azizi described this episode as a good example of how Iran sees its position after the conflict, and said that the reaction to Erdogans speech was indicative of its unease.Maybe Iran overreacted to the issue, but when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh Iran is concerned that Turkeys growing influence will come at the cost of its own, he said. A political settlement of the Yemen crisis seemed more plausible than ever last week when American President Joe Biden outlined his administrations foreign policy. In a speech at the State Department in Washington, Biden said, This war has to end... And to underscore our commitment; we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales. Yet the American president reiterated Washingtons position in support of Saudi Arabia defending itself in the face of external threats. That meant all defence arms deals will still go ahead. Every party in the region interpreted Bidens statement the way they liked, but realistic analysts concluded that ending the war in Yemen would require much more than a Biden call. As one Western diplomat who has previously served in the region put it, The anticipated change in the US position on Yemen would not have much impact on the dynamics of the conflict in the war-torn country. Many are drawing an analogy with Barak Obamas policy in the region, which actually made no difference. When Iran-backed Houthi rebels ended up controlling most of the country, ousting a legitimate government in 2014, a Saudi-led coalition backing said government intervened militarily in the country to push the rebels and reinstate it. All this took place under Obama, when Biden was vice president. Prominent columnist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed wrote in Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Bidens stand on Yemen could be the best approach to the most difficult issue in Saudi-American relations. We were surprised by Bidens vow to protect Saudi Arabia from attacks by Iranian Houthis. It is a step forward, even beyond Trumps administration we expect one of two things: either the Houthis will stop targeting Saudi cities, which would be a positive development making a political solution more viable, or they will send drones and rockets over the border, enabling Saudi F-15 fighters to respond. The Houthis would then be violating an American ceasefire. Al Rashed suggests that then US would be part of the escalation and stand by its promise to support Saudi Arabia. But the Houthis went for the second option. Just 48 hours after the American administration notified Congress that it would remove the Houthis from its list of foreign terrorist organisations, Saudi defences intercepted drone attacks from Yemen. The Biden administrations response was to warn the Houthi rebels against ongoing attacks on civilians. A State Department statement on Sunday said, As the president is taking steps to end the war in Yemen and Saudi Arabia has endorsed a negotiated settlement, the United States is deeply troubled by continued Houthi attacks We call on the Houthis to immediately cease attacks impacting civilian areas inside Saudi Arabia and to halt any new military offensives inside Yemen, which only bring more suffering to the Yemeni people. For many Saudis, that is not so different from the Trump administrations reaction to attacks on Saudi oil installations in 2019, claimed by Houthis and believed to be launched by Iran. Riyadh expected the Americans to strike Iran, but Trump just expressed verbal support. But diplomatic rhetoric will not solve the Yemen debacle; even if Yemen is included in an American-Iranian deal on the latters nuclear programme and regional interference. More than six years of war and destruction in the country have left it close to irreparable. Whether it is Trump or Biden in the White House, it might not make that much difference as the internal scene in Yemen has become more complicated and local parties are now entrenched in a destructive course. Fragmentation on tribal, sectarian and to a lesser extent political lines is wiping out even the small changes external military intervention achieved mainly weakening the presence of terrorist groups, especially in the south of the country. The Biden administrations policy might even add to that complication if its anticipated deal with Iran is not comprehensive. From the start of the war in Yemen, the coalition knew there would be no military solution. At the end of the day, local Yemeni parties would settle the conflict politically. But the Saudis are wary of the Iranian presence on their southern borders via their proxy, the Houthi militia. Saudi commentator Abdul-Aziz Alkhames told Al Ahram Weekly, It was the initial goal of the coalition to support the legitimate government. [There was] no military solution in Yemen and the crisis would be settled politically. The military campaign was mainly in opposition to Iranian interference through the Houthi militia. But Alkhames sees the new American position as an opportunity is a different way. Washingtons disengagement makes room for other powers to play an active role in the region. France is a good example, and President Macron is working closely with allies like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE to sort out many regional issues. The Biden administrations restrictions on arms sales to Saudi Arabia give us to diversify our sources. Yemenis inside the country welcomed the change in Washington, the main beneficiary of which will probably be the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate Islah Party, now a component of the Saudi-backed government. Some 80 per cent of the Yemeni population cannot satisfy their basic needs, and they only care about retrieving normality. As one Yemeni commentator put it, They are less interested in Trumping or Bidening the crisis. *A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: She rose to fame as Linda Shelby in Peaky Blinders. And Kate Phillips cut a more casual figure as she stepped out with her baby for a stroll alongside a friend in London on Saturday. The actress wrapped up against the winter chill by wearing a navy blue pea coat and a pair of yellow gloves. Outing: Peaky Blinders' Kate Phillips wrapped up in a navy coat as she took her baby for a stroll alongside a friend in London on Saturday Kate also wore a dark blue scarf and covered her blonde locks in a pink beanie as she stepped out for a quick walk around the city. Keeping her look casual, the Downton Abbey star complemented her look by wearing a pair denim jeans, and she stepped out in white trainers. Kate's little one was equally wrapped up during the outing, as Kate had given them mittens, a hat, and wrapped them up in blankets. The actress is fiercely protective of her personal life, and has not revealed the gender of her child or who she shares them with. Cosy: Kate kept off the winter chill with yellow gloves and she also wore a dark blue scarf Warm: Kate covered her blonde locks in a pink beanie as she stepped out for a quick walk around the city Sweet: Kate's little one was equally wrapped up during the outing, as Kate had given them mittens, a hat, and wrapped them up in blankets Peaky Blinders centres around its eponymous gang which is run by the ruthless Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his family, and sees them build their power and influence over Birmingham and beyond. The fifth season ended on a cliffhanger, with Tommy seeing visions of his late wife Grace and turning a gun on himself following his botched assassination attempt of British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosely (Sam Claflin) at a rally. Kate's character Linda was banished from the Shelby family when she attempted to kill her husband Arthur (Paul Anderson), Tommy's older brother and right-hand man, after he beat up her male Quaker friend. Essential viewing: Peaky Blinders centres around its eponymous gang run by the ruthless Tommy Shelby (Murphy) and his family Drama: Kate's character Linda was banished from the Shelby family when she attempted to kill her husband Arthur (Paul Anderson, pictured) after he beat up her male Quaker friend Production on the show was delayed last year by the Covid-19 crisis, but shooting was able to begin last month with cast and crew adhering to strict coronavirus restrictions. The BBC drama has been running for eight years and has enjoyed huge popularity but the sixth season has been confirmed as the final one, with creator Steven Knight confirming the story will return 'in another form'. Steven believes the programme can be extended, possibly as a feature length spin-off, as he said in a statement: 'Peaky is back and with a bang. After the enforced production delay due to the Covid pandemic, we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher. Dramatic: The fifth season ended on a cliffhanger, with Tommy seeing visions of his late wife Grace and turning a gun on himself following his botched assassination of Oswald Mosely 'We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it. While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form.' Meanwhile, Executive Producer for the BBC Tommy Bulfin said of the show: 'We are very excited that filming for Peaky Blinders has begun and so grateful to everyone for all their hard work to make it happen. 'Steve's scripts for series six are truly remarkable and provide a fitting send-off which we are sure will delight fans.' By order of the Peaky Blinders! It was confirmed last month the show would return by sharing an image of lead actor Murphy getting the character's signature skin fade It was confirmed last month that Tommy Shelby and his gang would return by sharing an image of lead actor Murphy getting the character's signature skin fade from a production stylist. Speaking to LADbible at the Peaky Blinders Festival in Birmingham in 2019, Steven said of his hopes for the show: 'I would [consider doing a film]. 'The end scene is the end of this as a television series the way it is now, but it's certainly not ruling out spin offs or a movie. 'So I think there's something about Peaky where it's a world, lots of people have different interpretations of that world, so I'm all for keeping the spirit going.' Director Anthony Byrne, who previously worked on series five and will contribute to the sixth, also recently insisted the show could work as a big-screen theatrical production. He said: 'I think a film 100 percent could work, but I'd rather watch six hours than two. Simple as that. You can go deeper into characters and spend more time in their world I think.' Not treating Trivedis resignation as a setback:TMC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi did not discuss the issues plaguing him with West Bengal Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee before his resignation in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the party's official spokesperson and former RS MP Vivek Gupta said. Gupta also said Trivedi's resignation was not a setback for the TMC and will not affect the party's poll campaign in the state. We are all trying to speak to him but instead he is busy talking to others. This is the first time that we have heard that he is feeling suffocated or claustrophobic or he is affected by the violence," Gupta said. Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi resigns from Rajya Sabha "In his constituency which is Barrackpore from where he lost the last election, it is BJP's Arjun Singh who won. So, if he is really affected by the violence then is his indication towards the violence perpetrated by the BJP?, Gupta said while addressing a press briefing. The leader further said from 2010-2019, violence, specially political violence was absent from the state. By nature we Bengalis are peace loving. We believe in fighting with brains and not physically. We have no tradition of wrestling or contact sports. We are into arts culture and we have a creative spirit. We are shocked at Dinesh Trivedi's statement. He is one of the founder members of the party, a four-time RS member and (former) railway minister. Mamata Banerjee has given him respect... Last year, after he lost the election, he was nominated as Rajya Sabha member by the party. So I don't think he has any reason to be upset with the party, he said. Gupta also said maybe during the last year when people had to wear masks, Trivedi had found a "more suitable mask . His resignation is not a setback for the party, maybe personal loss for people like me who have worked closely with him or have learnt from him. Our campaign will go on as usual. Someone else will take his place," he said. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Gupta further said, I do not think he has discussed his issues or resignation with (Mamata) didi. Before taking such a stand he should have discussed with the party leader. Maybe he was driven by some other agenda or he took an emotional decision . For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 10:24 [IST] Collaboration Tools Microsoft Intros New Hub for Work Learning Microsoft has set up a new hub for work and learning that works through Microsoft 365 and Teams, placing learning, well-being and collaboration resources closer to the user and the organization he or she works for. Microsoft Viva, as it's called, is intended to get rid of the separation that exists among work elements. According to the company, the application unifies the employee experience in four areas engagement, well-being, learning and knowledge and belongs to a newly identified technology segment, the "employee experience platform." Viva's initial set of modules include: Viva Connections, a portal or "digital gateway" for the workplace that delivers company communications, resources such as policies and employee communities. A public preview of Connections will be available in the first half of 2021, with a mobile app coming out later in the year. Viva Insights is viewable only by individual employees, to help them balance well-being and productivity, by encouraging them to take regular breaks, make time for focused work and push learning. Employers will be able to view trends at a team and organization level. A new dashboard integrates employee feedback data from LinkedIn's Glint with Insights data, to identify areas where teams might be struggling. Companies can also pull in data from other services, such as Zoom, Slack, Workday and SAP SuccessFactors. Insights functionality is already available in public preview. Viva Learning combines professional development and learning resources into one place. That can include content from LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, Skillsoft, Coursera, Pluralsight and edX, as well as an organization's own content library. The Learning app is already available in private preview. Later this year, according to the company, there will be integrations offered for specific learning management systems, including Saba and Cornerstone OnDemand. Viva Topics is a "knowledge discovery" module to help people find information and experts across the organization. The program is generally available as an add-on to Microsoft 365 commercial plans. "We have participated in the largest at-scale remote work experiment the world has seen, and it has had a dramatic impact on the employee experience," said Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, in a press release. "Every organization will require a unified employee experience from onboarding and collaboration to continuous learning and growth. Viva brings together everything an employee needs to be successful, from day one, in a single, integrated experience directly in Teams." Supporters of Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli participate in a rally in support of the government in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. Nepals prime minister, facing growing protests against him, gathered his supporters in a rally in the capital on Friday in an attempt to show he still has support. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) Nepals prime minister has responded to growing protests by gathering his supporters in a rally in the capital in an attempt to show he still has support. Tens of thousands of people waving red Communist flags gathered in the heart of Kathmandu cheering and chanting slogans in support of Khadga Prasad Oli. We love KP Oli. Oli is our hero. Oli for the prime minister for the next 10 years, the crowd chanted. A splinter faction of his governing Nepal Communist Party and opposition parties have been holding protests against him since he decided to dissolve parliament on December 20 and hold new elections on April 30 and May 10. Expand Close Supporters of Khadga Prasad Oli in Kathmandu (Niranjan Shrestha/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Supporters of Khadga Prasad Oli in Kathmandu (Niranjan Shrestha/AP) The splinter faction led a nationwide general strike on Thursday, shutting down schools, markets and transportation. Mr Oli and the splinter group both claim to control the Nepal Communist Party and the issue is being disputed at the Election Commission. The splinter faction even announced that it had ousted him from the party at a meeting last month. He became prime minister after the party won elections three years ago. His party and the group of former Maoist rebels had earlier merged to form a unified communist party. Tensions have grown between Mr Oli and the leader of the former rebels, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also co-chairman of the party. The two had previously agreed that they would split the five-year prime ministers term between them, but Mr Oli has refused to allow Mr Dahal to take over. The opposition has also accused Mr Olis government of corruption, and his administration has faced criticism over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Aside from the Salt-N-Pepa biopic receiving backlash for its minimal inclusion of DJ Spinderella and fans of the group reacting to casting choices, much of the chatter involves Pepas past marriage to Treach. Treach and Pepa | Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images The movie depicts Pepa and Treachs volatile relationship, often infused with physical abuse. Treach admitted in a recent interview that hes not a fan of the film due to it not exploring the groups true struggle on their rise to hip hop icon status. Treach and Pepas tumultuous relationship was documented in the Lifetime biopic Pepa and Treach were together for nearly a decade before their 2001 divorce. Rumors about Treach being physically abusive and controlling ran rampant for years in industry circles. The Lifetime biopic seemingly confirmed the rumors of Treachs behavior toward Pepa. Source: YouTube Related: Which Salt-N-Pepa Member Has the Highest Net Worth? Treach is depicted as a jealous, controlling, and raging alcoholic who turns to physical violence. Throughout the film, Pepas bandmate Salt, and others warn her of his behavior but Pepa sticks it out because of her love for Treach. Shes also invested due to the relationship Treach built with her son from a previous relationship. But Pepa told The New York Post in an interview about the film that she tried her best to show balance in the relationship between her and Treach. In the movie, I didnt just want to focus on the negative things between us. I wanted to be fair to [Treach] and show that despite the bad, he was a good guy, too, she said, per Hot New Hip Hop. Treach previously denied Pepas allegations of abuse The film only depicts a portion of the abuse Pepa alleged to have suffered from Treach. She detailed her harrowing experience in their relationship in her 2008 memoir Lets Talk About Pep. Per The New York Daily News, Pepa recalled one beating that left her with an eye patch. I had the hot iron in my hand and he had a handful of my hair. He grabbed the hand with the iron in it and was pushing [it] toward my face. He ended up pressing that hot iron against my other arm. I heard my flesh sizzling, and the smell was sickening. I started screaming from the pain. He dropped the iron and I turned to run, and his nail swiped across my eyeball and shredded my cornea. Excerpt from Lets Talk About Pep Source: YouTube Treach however claims Pepa has exaggerated certain parts of their relationship. He told Vlad TV in 2014, We all have fought our demons or done things that we arent proud of in life and relationshipsbut when certain things are taken and youre just being attacked, and when certain things have no merit, its disappointing. Treach says the Salt-N-Pepa biopic should have explored more of the groups career struggles Pepa and Treach have since made peace. The two co-parent their adult daughter, Egypt. They also appear together on the We TV reality series Growing Up Hip Hop. In a recent interview with Bevy Smiths podcast Bevelations, Treach explained that he was not the biggest fan of the biopic. Per Treach, the film should have focused more on the groups career struggles and fight of solidifying their place in hip hop versus their personal romantic relationships. Source: YouTube Related: Salt-N-Pepa Lifetime Movie: Spinderella Slams the Project Their legacy is so much on their struggle past me and Pepas relationship in movies everyone is going to have their story told to make them look in the best light, I guess but their accolades and their struggles were so much deeper than even before I came into the picture, he said. Treach further explained that he was upset the film did not showcase DJ Spinderellas contributions. He also would have preferred that the film explored the groups legal battle against their former manager for equal pay and creative rights. Senators demand Planned Parenthood return $80M in Paycheck Protection loans Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Republican Senators are demanding that the nation's largest abortion business return $80 million in coronavirus relief loans that its affiliates applied for and received despite their ineligibility. Thirty-seven Planned Parenthood affiliates received Paycheck Protection Program loans even though the organization has over $2 billion in net assets and doesn't meet the qualifications for the program which was intended for small businesses. Planned Parenthood, the nations largest abortion business, tried to defraud taxpayers during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said Wednesday. The Paycheck Protection Program is supposed to be a lifeline for small businesses, not a slush fund for Big Abortion. The administration needs to reclaim that money and fire the bureaucrats who signed off on this scam. The reason why Planned Parenthood was ineligible to receive the loans is because affiliates of larger organizations with over 500 employees were not allowed to accept PPP funds, according to the Small Business Administration. The SBA wrote a letter to Planned Parenthood explaining that, in addition to mandatory repayment, "severe penalties" were possible, even criminal or civil sanctions, if the agency determined the group made knowingly false statements in its application. There is no ambiguity in the legislation that passed or public record around its passage that organizations such as Planned Parenthood, whose parent organization has close to half a billion dollars in assets, is not eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a statement. Those funds must be returned immediately. Furthermore, the SBA should open an investigation into how these loans were made in clear violation of the applicable affiliation rules and if Planned Parenthood, the banks, or staff at the SBA knowingly violated the law, all appropriate legal options should be pursued, he added. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., tweeted in response to the development that the funds must be recovered "and if anybody knowingly falsified applications, they need to be prosecuted." Similarly, the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life political action committee that works to elect pro-life female politicians, said in a statement to The Christian Post on Wednesday that around the country the abortion giant has "refused to cease its abortion operation in the wake of the pandemic, hoarding personal protective equipment and putting its staff and women at risk. "It is rich that they, in turn, feel entitled to taxpayer dollars meant to help businesses in need. After decades of feeding at the taxpayers trough while running the nations largest abortion operation, they have nearly $2 billion dollars in net assets. They should return this funding immediately. We thank President Trump for his strong commitment to stop taxpayer funding of abortion and abortionists like Planned Parenthood," the SBA-List said. In August 2019, Planned Parenthood announced it was leaving the Title X federal family planning program over the Trump administrations Protect Life Rule that prevents clinics that receive Title X funds from referring patients for abortion. An attempt to defund the organization entirely a longtime goal of pro-life advocates failed by one vote as part of an unsuccessful healthcare reform package in 2017, when the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., cast the deciding vote against the measure. Amid state lockdown orders that forced businesses to close and scheduled surgeries to be canceled, Planned Parenthood argued that its abortion facilities provided "essential" services and should remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. In some conservative states, such as Texas, the clinics were temporarily closed, whereas in more liberal states, such as Illinois, the abortion clinics were allowed to remain open. New Delhi: The Delhi Police has increased patrolling after reports of thieves stealing pricey side rearview mirrors of the vehicles have come up in the national capital. The theft of the rearview mirrors of high-end cars like Audi, Jaguar in places like Lajpat Nagar and Greater Kailash in Delhi has also been recorded in the CCTV cameras. Watch the video here: #CaughtOnCamera | Theft of rearview mirrors of high-end cars like #Audi & #Jaguar in #Delhi's Greater Kailash. In the past month, at least 15 such thefts have been reported by locals. pic.twitter.com/XYECXj7aZ3 Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) February 13, 2021 In the video above, the covered car is a Jaguar, whereas the other one is an Audi Q3. These incidents took place in Lajpat Nagar's Vikram Vihar colony. In the Greater Kailash area, at least 15 such thefts have been reported by the locals in the past month. The side rearview mirrors were taken off from the cars that were reportedly parked in C, E, S and R blocks. MK Gupta, President of S block Residents Welfare Association (RWA), told Times of India, "Each mirror costs upwards of Rs 40,000. Despite reporting matters to the police, there has been no respite." Gupta added, "Though police have increased patrolling and engaged staff in night and morning hours, incidents continue in the area. It seems these people come early in the morning on three-wheelers and complete their task in a few minutes." "We are tracking the cases and will soon resolve them," a Delhi Police official was quoted as saying by Times of India. Live TV Victorian government minister Lisa Neville is receiving treatment in hospital for a serious medical condition. Ms Neville, who oversees COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, issued a statement on Saturday saying she was admitted to hospital on Friday with a 'previously diagnosed medical condition' unrelated to coronavirus. 'I have been living with and managing this condition for some time but the complications that have now arisen are serious and require a period of time in hospital for treatment and subsequent respite and recovery,' she said. Victorian government minister Lisa Neville (pictured) is receiving treatment in hospital for a serious medical condition The senior minister in Daniel Andrews' government said she intended to return to work on Monday February 22, subject to treatment and medical advice. In the meantime, Health Minister Martin Foley will manage her police and emergency services portfolio, including oversight of CQV. Planning Minister Richard Wynne will cover Ms Neville's water portfolio. Mr. Speaker, the transition to renewable energy in Africa has accelerated impressively over the last decade with countries like Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa working to increase renewable energy capacity in recent years. Ghana with its significant renewable resources and robust policy framework cannot afford to be left behind. A well-resourced and properly constituted renewable resource authority is needed to drive Ghanas renewable agenda and support post-pandemic recovery through targeted and deliberate action. The time is now! Mr. Speaker, a report by International Renewable Agency in 2019: Scaling up Renewable Energy Deployment in Africa, noted that the continent is endowed with substantial renewable energy resources, and it positioned to adopt innovative sustainable technologies and play a leading role in global action to shape the future of sustainable energy. Ghana is in this position as well. Mr. Speaker, Several African countries have already taken the steps needed to scale up renewables. They have adopted support policies and promoted investment and regional collaboration. Countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa have shown firm commitment towards accelerated use of modern renewable energy and are leading energy transition efforts, while some of Africas smaller countries including Cape Verde, Djibouti, Rwanda and Swaziland have also set ambitious renewable energy targets. Kenya is set to install 1.4 gigawatts, Ethiopia is installing almost 570 megawatts while South Africa installs 3.9 gigawatts of renewable energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that two-thirds of the mini-grid and off-grid systems in rural areas would be powered by solar photovoltaics, small hydropower or wind by the year 2040. Mr. Speaker, according to the Tracking SDG7 Energy Progress Report, Nigeria had the largest electricity access deficit in terms of population globally behind India in 2017 and the highest across all of Africa. It is no surprise that their investments are targeted at mini and off grid renewable installations. While hydropower is the main source of renewable energy in Nigeria today, given the risk of drought, the country is looking to diversify its energy resource mix with a strong focus on solar. Indeed, Nigeria boasts over 2,600 hours of sunlight per year higher than the global leader in solar power, Germany. To this end, over the period of 2017 and 2018, Nigeria invested more than US$20bn in solar power projects to boost the capacity of its national grid and reduce overreliance on it by building mini-grids in rural areas without access to electricity. In a more recent move, in 2020, their government launched a US$75 million grant to encourage off-grid solar projects, while a US$350mn World Bank loan is currently being used to build 10,000 solar-powered mini-grids in rural areas. Similar to Kenya, beyond helping it reach its climate goals, boosting solar power in Nigeria will help the country bridge its large deficit gap. Mr. Speaker, Kenya is a continental and global leader in renewable energy exploitation, as these sources already contribute significantly (85%) to the overall energy mix in the country, largely as a result of their utilization of geothermal and hydro power. This East African nation is already on track to meet or exceed its Paris Agreement pledge. It stated goal is to achieve 100% of renewable energy power generation by 2030 complemented by a diverse technology mix. Although hydropower contributes significantly to energy production currently, again with the risk of drought, the government is looking to enhance solar, wind, thermal and geothermal generation in its long-term plans. Geothermal generation specifically is expected to be prioritised over the next decade. Mr. Speaker, one of the ways in which Kenya is looking to achieve these goals is by entering into major public-private partnerships. This was demonstrated in August 2019 when the Kenyan Investment Authority and Meru County Government entered into a memorandum of understanding with global renewable energy developers to build Africas first large scale hybrid wind, solar PV, and battery storage project the Meru County Energy Park. The park, for which construction began in January 2020, will provide up to 80MW of renewable energy and consist of up to 20 wind turbines and more than 40,000 solar panels. Power generated from the park is expected to supply 200,000 homes. Mr. Speaker, harnessing renewable energy in Kenya will not only enable the country to meet its long-term climate goals but will ultimately help realise its ambition of becoming a middle-income country by the end of the decade. Part of this requires realising universal electricity access for its people and Kenya has made significant strides in this regard. Between 2010 and 2017, for example, Kenya was the fastest electrifying country in Sub-Saharan Africa according to the Tracking SDG7 Energy Progress Report by the World Bank. This was largely driven by last-mile electrification projects targeted at informal settlements and rural communities. Mr. Speaker, Renewable energy is also set to boost job creation in the country. According to a job census report by Power for All, a non-governmental organisation, growth in the renewable energy sector is already having a positive spinoff as the sectors workforce is now comparable with traditional power grids and utilities. The sector currently employs around 4,000 informal workers compared to 10,000 employed across the countrys traditional energy sectors. Jobs in renewable energy are expected to grow by 100% in the next four years. Mr. Speaker, South Africas Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), approved and made public on October 18, 2019, maps out the scale and pace of new electricity generation capacity to be commissioned until 2030 and has a strong focus on renewables. The IRP provides for 14,400MW of new generation to come from wind, 6,000MW from solar PV, 3,000MW from gas, 2,500MW from hydro, 2,088MW from storage and 1,500MW from coal. Solar and wind alone is expected to make up 25% of electricity generation by 2030. The IRP also makes provision for the inclusion of nuclear power. The countrys Koeberg Power Station is expected to reach the end of its design life in 2024, and as part of the IRP, South Africa has made a decision to extend it. Given the long lead times, preparation will start now for new nuclear builds that will come online after 2030. Thereafter, modular nuclear power stations would be built to replace the decommissioning of coal-fired plants. As demonstrated, there is a strong focus on renewables in the plan with 48% of new energy capacity to come from wind, 20% from solar, 10% from gas, and 8% from hydro. Moreover, the private sector is expected to largely fill this gap, as there will be no more complex and expensive base load infrastructure projects that the country previously pursued. Indeed, upon the launch of the plan, energy minister Gwede Mantashe confirmed this when he noted that government urgently needed another 4,000MW installed as quickly as possible. As such, it is expected that more independent power producer bidding rounds will be launched. Mr. Speaker, Ghana is endowed with substantial renewable energy potentials including solar, wind, biomass and hydro resource but its full potential is yet to be tapped except in the case of biomass which provides over 60% of the countrys energy resources. Government is committed to the sustainable development and productive use of renewable energy to address energy access issues, contribute to the fight against climate change, and resolve sanitation problems to create green jobs for Ghanaians. Mr.Speaker, private participation in renewables overtime has been impressive with Ghana expected to soon have one of Africas largest solar farms, which construction of a 100 MW of energy to support industrialisation and job creation started in March 2019. According to Salma Okonkwo, CEO of the Ghanaian group UBI (Petroleum Company in Ghana and West Africa), the project was expected to be completed in December 2020. She estimates that implementing the project Blue Power Energy, would cost $100 million, financed by roughly $30 million in loans. Mr. Speaker, as part of governments one district one factory policy to create favourable conditions for foreign investment and job creation, Meinergy Ghana, a local company specialising in electrical installation financed and built a 20 megawatts solar power plant in the Gomoa Onyaadze District consisting of 40,480 polycrystalline silicon panels, 64,400 solar panels, 400 smart inverters and 15,000 DC cables at a cost of $30 million to supply electricity to about 50000 inhabitants in the Winneba enclave, located 60 km from Greater Accra. This project was inaugurated by H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo on Sunday, September 16, 2018. Mr. Speaker, H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana on February 2020, in commitment to diversifying renewables, cut the sod to begin construction of two solar power plant projects at a cost of US$ 25M, funded by Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), a German development agency. The 6.5MW at Lawra and 13 MW Kaleo renewable projects located in the Upper West Region are expected to provide electricity for 15000 households in the region in addition to helping increase the renewable energy component of the countrys energy mix and contribute to the fight against the effects of climate change. This calls for an urgent need to seek cooperation on energy projects as well as better resource and energy-based revenue management. There is the need to make conscientious efforts to unlock our vast renewable energy resources, capitalise on them to meet our socio-economic demands. Mr. Speaker, Government of Ghana has effective policies in place to drive the renewable energy agenda. These include (i) the Strategic National Energy Plan of 2006-2020; (ii) the Energy Sector Strategy and Development Plan of 2010; (iii) the Renewable Energy Act of 2011; (iv) the Sustainable Energy for All Action Plan of 2012; and subsequently, (v) the Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) presented to the Ministry of Energy in 2019. As we transition to the final decade set out in the REMP, one essential component of the development of renewable energy still remains mere ink on paper, the establishment of the renewable energy authority. Mr. Speaker, without prejudice to the immense contributions of our stakeholders in the energy sector, right from the Ministry responsible for Energy and the Energy Commission of Ghana, to representatives in the community of academia who continue to provide scientific research support towards the development of renewable energy, it is undeniable that the absence of the Renewable Energy Authority belies all of our achievements under renewable energy in Ghana. Mr. Speaker, even though Parliament recently amended the Bui Power Authority Act (Act 740) to empower the Bui Power Authority to develop renewable energy and other clean energy alternatives in the country, the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832) is resolute in its purpose for renewable energy, which will also ensure that projects undertaken by government in renewable energy will be better organized It is certainly not misplaced that the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832) of 2011, in its preceding description mentions management, utilization, sustainability of renewable energy as part of the purpose of the Act itself. Moreover, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) identifies four categories of policy instruments used to promote renewable electricity generation anywhere in the world, being (i) fiscal incentives; (ii) public finance, (iii) regulations; as well as (iv) policies that ensure widespread access to power, from renewable sources. Our emphasis however being on the policies that ensure proper regulation of the renewable energy industry. Fortunately Mr. Speaker, the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832) under the transitional provisions recognizes the importance of a self-standing Renewable Energy Authority, stating in section 53 Until such time that a Renewable Energy Authority is established, the Renewable Energy Directorate under the Ministry of Energy shall (a) oversee the implementation of renewable energy activities in the country; (b) execute renewable energy projects initiated by the State or in which the State has an interest; and (c) manage the assets in the renewable energy sector on behalf of the State. Mr. Speaker, when Indias National Renewable Energy Act was drafted in 2015, the adoption of renewable energy was reported to have significantly increased. According to Indias Renewable Energy Act, and since India is in fact a federal republic, their central government is most responsible for the development of renewable energy with policy obligations of the central government prefixed by shall binding it by law to undertake certain roles relating to the Act. Mr. Speaker, if we wish to make any comparisons to practices elsewhere in the world that position governments to come to the realization of their renewable energy objectives, Indias Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, responsible solely for renewable energy is a stark difference to the institutional set-up presently in Ghana. In any event, all these serve as a signal to us about the need for the establishment of our Renewable Energy Authority which will take up the full responsibility of meeting Ghanas renewable energy objectives. Mr. Speaker, there are however a host of other barriers identified in published research articles describing the negative effects on the development of renewable energy not only in Ghana, but also in countries like United Arab Emirates. Studies in the UAE reveal that some of these barriers relate to economic and political complications in the implementation of feed-in-tariff and quota systems for generated renewable energy. Similarly, poor financing of renewable energy investments, lack of affordability of renewable energy systems, cumbersome licensing processes, and unbalanced emphasis on on-grid renewable energy systems, persisted as challenges in countries like Kenya and South Africa, and Ghana is no exception. Expectedly these challenges take a great deal of effort to overcome. In conclusion Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that there is a focus on the development of renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Growth at this sector promises not only to plug the gap with regard to electricity generation, but to help the continent achieve its climate goals in this era of covid. Setting up the renewable energy authority would facilitate implementation of the renewable energy master plan which among other benefits would expedite the installation of1363.63 MW of electricity (with grid connected systems totalling 1094.63 MW. This has the capacity to create 220,000 job opportunities, and carbon savings of about 11 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. I believe that with the developments we have made in respect to robust policy framework that supports renewables, we can transform our energy sector impressively if we place priority on renewable energy development. As a matter of importance Mr. Speaker, all our tertiary and secondary institutions should be installed with SOLAR panels. All Governments outfits should have SOLAR panels. Taking all these institutions off the national grid would afford space to industry and other critical areas of the economy. It is time for us as a nation to get drastic and lead in the sub-region towards the transition of the continent using renewables. I thank you, Rt. Hon. Speaker for the opportunity Source: Frank Annoh-Dompreh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a video last Wednesday, Coles chief operations officer, Matt Swindells, announced an indefinite extension of a three month lockout of 350 workers at the companys Smeaton Grange warehouse in southwestern Sydney. Swindells revealed the real battle lines at Smeaton Grange. He praised the United Workers Union (UWU) for seeking to ram-through an enterprise agreement that would result in the closure of the warehouse and the destruction of all of the jobs there, and bitterly denounced workers for repeatedly voting down the union sell-out. Swindells, one of the top managers at Coles, among Australias largest corporations, angrily condemned anti-union extremist socialists, by which he meant the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS), for disrupting the company-UWU operation against the workers. In the video below, SEP member and WSWS writer Oscar Grenfell outlines the significance of Swindells comments, and responds to his claims. Read more here. SEP (Australia) responds to Coles denunciation of extremist socialists San Francisco announced a $125 million surplus in the citys budget halfway through the current fiscal year on Friday, reversing the citys short-term financial fortunes from a $116 million deficit three months ago. The gap was filled by higher-than-expected property tax revenue, increased federal reimbursements and lower expenses. Fridays update was a rare bit of good news for the citys $13.1 billion budget, which has been ravaged by the pandemic over the past year. But the city still likely faces a more than $500 million deficit over the next two years, which will need to be bridged somehow. The Board of Supervisors and Mayor London Breed struggled to fill two massive holes in the fall and winter, but still managed to avoid service cuts and layoffs whether that will be possible over the next few years isnt yet clear. The city has 36,000 employees. These are tough times, but could be much worse, Supervisor Aaron Peskin said. Weve fallen off a cliff, it just turns out to be a shorter cliff. Supervisor Matt Haney, chair of the budget committee, said in a statement Friday that the $241 million swing from late last year comes as a huge relief for our citys struggling residents and small businesses who need our support right now to rebuild and recover with urgency. Although the unexpected glut saves the city in the short-term, an uncertain economic future remains, especially with more permanent shifts to remote work that will likely leave downtown offices emptier and diminish San Franciscos tax base. In December, Controller Ben Rosenfield projected the city would face a $650 million deficit over the next two fiscal years, starting in July, due to lower-than-expected sales, hotel and business taxes. The new surplus could reduce that deficit to $528 million, the six-month budget report said, unless the Mayor and Board of Supervisors decide to spend it on other priorities in the current year. The Mayors Office said Friday Breed intends to use the new surplus responsibly on helping small businesses, supporting arts and cultural programs, and reducing future deficits. This revenue is a welcome surprise that will help us address the immediate impacts caused by the pandemic, a statement read. Unfortunately, we dont expect these funds to continue in future years and we still have a number of difficult choices ahead of us in order to avoid layoffs and maintain City services. In December, Breed asked departments to propose cuts of up to 10% in the upcoming budget cycle. The mayor will review all the proposals and weigh the trade-offs against any new financial news, spokesman Jeff Cretan said. Half a dozen supervisors who spoke to The Chronicle Friday expressed optimism and a desire to support small businesses and struggling residents. Haney said that the city has a $507 million COVID-19 reserve fund to help cover deficits over the next two years and expects hundreds of millions more in new federal stimulus funds. He said the city should cut the wasteful and inefficient spending, but get money immediately to those residents and small businesses that need it. Our city is still in crisis, and this is a time for action, Haney said. Too many of our residents and small businesses have been told over the last year that despite their suffering, our city didnt have the resources to support them. Now, we have a chance to begin recovering now. Supervisor Hillary Ronen said she would fight to provide more assistance to small businesses, artists, low-income families, and individuals battling mental illness, addiction or homelessness. Supervisor Ahsha Safai wanted to support business fee waivers and a city program thats been successful in helping people infected with or exposed to COVID-19 stay home. Supervisor Shamann Walton listed tackling the pandemic, homelessness, food insecurity and violence among his priorities. Peskin supported immediate relief for small businesses, but also urged caution with the amount of more federal funding uncertain. You cant spend it all at once unless you know youre getting more in the future, he said. The budget got a boost from the Biden administrations announcement last month that it would fully reimburse cities for pandemic-related emergency programs, such as testing, personal protective equipment and emergency shelters like the citys homeless hotel program. The order is retroactive, which means all eligible expenses starting in January 2020 will be reimbursed. News about the extra federal support renewed calls from some supervisors to expand the citys homeless hotel program. The citys homeless department originally planned to begin winding down the program last year, concerned that the funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency would suddenly end, but now the Biden administration has assured the city that most of the program will be funded through September. That news prompted Haney to propose legislation this week that would force the city to bring more people inside from off the streets. Another unexpected budget bright spot was funding from Prop. I, the citys 2020 voter-approved tax hike on the sale of properties worth more than $10 million. The six-month budget report lists increased revenues of $26.1 million from that tax. Supervisor Dean Preston, author of the measure, was adamant Friday that the tax revenue be spent on its stated purpose: affordable housing and rent relief for those hurt by the pandemic. As we navigate this budget cycle, we need to make sure our city delivers for those struggling the most in this economy, he said. Trisha Thadani and Mallory Moench are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com, mallory. moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani, @mallorymoench When it opened in 1994, it was hailed as the greatest engineering feat of its time. The 31.5-mile Channel Tunnel, often called the Chunnel for short, links southern England and northern France, carrying more than 10 million passengers and more than a million tons of freight each year. With 23.5 miles of the passageway running under the English Channel, the Chunnel is the worlds longest undersea tunnel. Elon Musk. Photo: The Associated Press While a tunnel underneath the Miami River being proposed by the worlds richest man, business magnate Elon Musk, wouldnt be nearly as long or elaborate, the rewards for a city now infamous for having some of the worst traffic in the nation would be immense. And the technology to build a structure that would prevent water from leaking through Miamis porous limestone and be strong enough to stand up to sea level rise already exists, according to two University of Miami College of Engineering professors. In a nutshell, yes, its a feasible project. This is not an idea thats full of holes, said Jean-Pierre Bardet, a professor of civil, architectural, and environmental engineering. There are already tunnels in Florida that go beneath the seabed, he said, noting the 4,200-foot Port of Miami Tunnel, which runs beneath Biscayne Bay, connecting the MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island with PortMiami on Dodge Island; and the New River Tunnel in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The challenges are not too great, as limestone, such as that which underlies the City of Miami, is easily worked, as the PortMiami tunnel demonstrates, said Sam Purkis, professor and chair of marine geosciences at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. The challenge is that the limestone is so permeable and porous, that any subsurface structure will be immersed in the water table. This is quite typical for tunnels that have to be sealed in such a way that the water does not flood them. A plus of Miami is that its an area which isnt particularly seismically active, so no earthquakes to worry about. To solve the problems posed by limestone, engineers employed innovative technology to build the Port of Miami tunnel, Bardet noted. Ground freezing, a construction technique used in circumstances where soil needs to be stabilized so that it will not collapse next to excavations, and rapid grout injection, which helped solidify the earth before the massive tunnel boring machines even started drilling, were used. Such techniques, said Bardet, would conceivably be used to build the tunnel underneath the Miami River, an idea that Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla, has discussed with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez as a solution to the citys traffic gridlock. Cars & trucks stuck in traffic generate megatons of toxic gases & particulate, but @boringcompany road tunnels under Miami would solve traffic & be an example to the world, Musk tweeted recently. With tunneling projects underway in California and Las Vegas, the billionaire tech moguls Boring Company constructs safe, fast-to-dig, and low-cost transportation, utility, and freight tunnels, touts the firms website. But tunnels are extremely expensive to dig, costing between $100 million and $1 billion per mile. In order to make vast tunnel networks feasible, tunneling costs must be reduced by a factor of more than 10, The Boring Companys website states. Musk said he could build a 2-mile tunnel under Miami for as little as $30 million. The fact that he [Musk] mentioned this and that the mayor of Miami picked up on it and that there has been discussion is extremely positive, said Antonio Nanni, professor and chair of civil, architectural, and environmental engineering. We need the public to think about what can be done to address the issue of transportation. And irrespective of the outcome, you need to have a dialogue. The project would involve building a tunnel for electric vehicles that would connect Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard. Such an endeavor would need to be broken into two parts, according to Nanni, an expert on concrete and advanced composite-based systems. There are the technological issues: Can we do it in Florida? Do we have the technology? Can we address the issue of potential flooding? And the answer is, no doubt, we can, he pointed out. Approximately two years ago, Nanni served on a special committee that studied the feasibility of drilling a tunnel under the Miami River to alleviate traffic congestion, concluding with other members on the panel that such a project could be done. The tunneling itself, the technology of digging and making a structure safe, exists. Its state-of-the-art, Nanni said. And the advantage of working underground is that you would not, apart from the entry and exit points, impact the communities above ground. But the overarching planning for the project would need to be clearly spelled out, he said, noting that questionssuch as whether the tunnel would be a passenger-only passageway or include a dedicated rail line for freight and cargo companiesneed to be answered. These are the big questions policymakers need to address, he explained. Still, as intriguing as a tunnel under the Miami River sounds, viable, well-deigned transit alternatives such as extensions to the Metrorail, the reintroduction of light rail, safer bike lanes, and strategically placed water taxi networks shouldnt be abandoned, said Sonia Chao, a research associate professor in the School of Architecture, who teaches in the area of sustainable architecture and urbanism, resilient design, and historic preservation. Creating more road lanes, above or below ground, shouldnt be the end game, she stated. But, if a tunnel were to be introduced, one would hope it could be strategically placed so as to potentially mitigate storm surge wave action, as these destructive forces of nature may accompany an increasing number of stronger hurricanes. Joanna Lombard, a professor of architecture who is a founding member of the Built-Environment Behavior and Health Research Group at the University of Miami, said that while tunnels typically work best when they have a clear, utilitarian purpose, other initiatives such as creating safe and diverse neighborhoods, reliable infrastructure, and walkable access to parks, schools, businesses, and health care should continue to be addressed. A city needs life. Tunnels are basically connecting two points, and they dont necessarily enhance the urban fabric, Lombard said. We know that what makes great cities are great places. The character and dynamism of a great place has typically depended on the density of activity and the multiple layers of choice embedded in the urban grid. What that looks like in a post-pandemic world is still to be determined, he added. For many people, commuting in person is less necessary than was once assumed. Having destinations within walking distance in ones own neighborhood has always been a new urbanist standard. And now that just about everyone understands that indoor air ventilation systems can be sources for viral transmission, open spaces, landscape, and parks are more important than ever. Nigerian Nobel literature laureate Wole Soyinka has come out with an alarming prediction if the increasingly deadly conflict between cattle herders and others does not cool down. If were not careful were going to have a famine when farmers cannot go to their farms, he told the BBCs Focus on Africa programme. This is serious right on my doorstep were having food producers being thrown out of their livelihood. He alleged that farmers were being kidnapped and killed. Soyinka himself said he had got into a row with some herders after some cattle had been driven into his compound. He said that better community policing could help solve the problem. The government has proposed the establishment of large ranches for the herders to prevent them from the cattle straying onto farms. But some governors in south-western states have rejected the proposal. They have set up their own security unit Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Valentine's Day is around the corner and the couples in love are all set to bring in the day with something special. While many of them feel Valentine's Day is a day to love yourself and make their loved ones feel special. We asked former Bigg Boss contestant Sofia Hayat what Valentine's Day meant to her and she gave us some surprising answer! Sofia told Filmibeat, "Valentine's Day is a cute day where people can show their love for each other. I think that we should show love for ourselves every day. I think there are two Valentine's days." Elaborating the same, she said, "The first is February 14 that originated from Rome, but it is not a real valentine's day. There is no real cosmic energy behind February 14's Valentine's Day. The true Valentine's Day is on April 1, and that is celebrated in the name of goddess venus, which is cosmic and it is about love." She further added, "And that was the day when women would worship venus, go to temple and bath in the water in front of the temple naked and take flowers from goddess and put it around their neck and parade in front of men which would bring them luck to have a husband who is loving. For me the real Valentine's Day is on April 1- the true Valentine's Day of love, whereas Feb 14th isn't. None-the-less everyday is a day to celebrate love." A couple of months ago, Sofia had revealed that she is dating an athlete and is in a happy space in her life. She also celebrated her birthday with her friends and boyfriend in London. The British model-turned-actress was married to Romanian interior designer Vlad Stanescu in 2017, but the duo parted ways after she accused him of being a con man. Also Read: Exclusive! Ishqbaaz's Kunal Jaisingh Wants To Surprise His Wife Every Hour On Valentine's Day Also Read: Indian Idol 12: Bharti-Haarsh, Aditya-Shweta & Neha-Rohan Celebrate Love In Valentine's Day Special Episode TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Health Ministry welcomes citizens and residents who wish to receive the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccination to register online at healthalert.gov.bh or via the BeAware Bahrain mobile application, in line with Bahrain comprehensive COVID-19 response, and part of its ongoing National Vaccination Campaign. The ministry highlighted that the Sputnik V vaccine, produced by the Jamalaya National Center for Epidemiological and Microbiology Research of the Russian Federation's Health Ministry, is the fourth vaccine approved for emergency use in Bahrain, following the approval of three other vaccines; Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech and Covishield AstraZeneca, all four are available free of charge to citizens and residents. The ministry emphasised that after completing the online registration process, individuals will be contacted via SMS text message to receive appointment details for their first dose of the vaccination. Syracuse, N.Y. A Syracuse man, wanted for murder and attempted murder in connection to a homicide from last summer, has been arrested. Jariel A. Pinet, 19, was arrested this morning, Onondaga County jail records show. Pinet is the fourth person to be arrested in connection to the July 26 shooting death of 24-year-old Draquan McDonald and attempted murder of a 55-year-old woman on the citys North Side. Syracuse police publicly identified Pinet as a suspect earlier this week and asked for the publics help in locating him. Jonathan Sanchez, 19, and Angel Rosario, 15, were indicted by an Onondaga County grand jury in early February. They both face murder and attempted murder charges, as well as illegally possessing two 9mm handguns and one .40-caliber gun, according to the indictment. A third person, 22-year-old Christopher Ayala-Pizarro, was charged earlier this week in McDonalds death. Members of the Syracuse Police Department investigate a shooting on Park Street, near the intersection with Wolf Street. Pinet was charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree criminal facilitation. He is currently being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail. Sanchez and Ayala-Pizarro also remain in jail without bail Saturday. Rosario, a juvenile, is not listed as an inmate, records show. The names of juveniles held in custody are not normally listed in the countys public inmate records. Contact Jacob Pucci at jpucci@syracuse.com or find him on Twitter at @JacobPucci. Mumbai, Feb 13 : Actress Parineeti Chopra is out with her third song, Matlabi yariyan unplugged, which features in her forthcoming film The Girl On The Train. She feels privileged to be an actress who she can sing. "I love singing and sing at whatever opportunity I get. Today, as an actress, I am just privileged that I can sing, I have the opportunity and I get a chance to sing behind a mic and have the world to hear it. So, when I had heard this song back in London one and half years ago when we were shooting it, Ribhu and I had discussed that we would do a version in my voice." Parineeti said. The song has been composed by Vipin Patwa, and Kumaar has written the lyrics. "I am so glad that I got to do it. People have given love to (her earlier songs) Maana ke hum yaar nahin (in the film Meri Pyaari Bindu) as well as Teri mitti in Kesari. So, I hope it's third time lucky for me as well," she added. The film is an official Hindi remake of the Hollywood thriller The Girl On The Train, which is based on Paula Hawkins' 2015 bestseller of the same name. The Hollywood version by Tate Taylor featured Emily Blunt in the lead role. The Hindi remake follows the story of Meera (Parineeti), who fixates on the perfect lives of a couple she watches from afar during her daily train commutes. One day, she witnesses something out of the ordinary that shocks her. The film also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Kirti Kulhari and Avinash Tiwary. The Ribhu Dasgupta directorial premieres on February 26 on Netflix. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Berger said when he read the findings of the first probe, "it was pretty clear to me we needed to do a follow-on... (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th February, 2021) South Africa will receive the first 80,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine next week to begin an inoculation campaign, after the nation abandoned the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday. Earlier this week, the South African government announced suspending the rollout of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine due to its "minimal protection" against the new variant, which is currently prevalent in the country. "While it should not delay the start of the vaccination program by March, it will affect the choice of vaccines and the manner of their deployment. The first phase of our vaccination program, which is targeted at health and other front-line workers, will now use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which has been shown to be effective again 501. V [South African Variant]. We have secured nine million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The first batch of some 80,000 doses will arrive in the country next week. Further consignments will arrive over the next four weeks totaling half a million Johnson & Johnson vaccines," the president said at the State of the Nation Address to lawmakers. The South African variant was first detected last October. Like the UK variant, detected approximately at the same time, it has proved to be more contagious than the original coronavirus strain, but data is lacking as to whether it is more deadly or causes worse symptoms. A family of six were killed after their car collided with a truck near the Talgram police station on Uttar Pradesh's Agra-Lucknow expressway. They were travelling from Lucknow to visit the Mehandipur Balaji temple in Rajasthan, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vinod Kumar. Passersby on the expressway informed about the accident to the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) and the police who reached the spot. The persons trapped in the car were shifted and rushed to the Medical College Hospital. However, after examining the bodies, the doctors declared all the six victims dead. The police identified the deceased present in the car with the help of a form recovered near them and informed the Lucknow police about the accident. Govt may soon come out with definition of essential supplies by e-tailers Sitharaman is harmful for Indian economy: Adhir India pti-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 13: The Congress on Saturday alleged that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was harmful for the economy of the country and had pulled down the economic indicators while profiting a few capitalists. Reacting to the FM''s reply to the Union Budget discussions in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, Congress leader in the Lower House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also said that the FM, instead of answering queries, kept hurling "derogatory remarks at Rahul Gandhi". "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is harmful for the economy of the country. How does she explain Oxfam report revelations which said the lockdown made India''s billionaires 35 per cent richer, while 84 per cent of households'' support income suffered a loss and 1.7 lakh people lost their jobs every hour in April, 2020 alone," Chowdhury said. The Congress leader asked how does the FM explain that income increase for India''s top 100 billionaires since March 2020, which is enough to give each of the 13.8 crore poorest people a cheque of over Rs 94,000 each. "The finance minister''s misplaced priorities include tax concession for corporate in financial year 2019-20 that amounted over Rs 1.4 lakh crores. Instead of creating jobs, they used the money for trimming up their balance sheets," alleged Chowdhury, asking how does she explain reducing the outlay for agriculture. He said the budget for agriculture had been reduced from Rs 1.54 lakh crore in the previous budget to 1.48 lakh crores in this budget, a cut of 6 per cent. "It has been reduced from 5.1 pc to 4.3 pc of overall budget. What could be the possible explanation for slashing the MGNREGA fund in her budget? The allocation to MGNREGA has been cut from Rs 1.66 lakh crores this year to Rs 96,773 crores in 2021, a cut of around 42 per cent," Chowdhury said, attacking the FM for petroleum subsidy which, he said, had hit everyone. The Congress leader said that instead of answering their queries, the FM "kept hurling derogatory remarks at Rahul Gandhi". "This is the government which does not honour the leaders and workers of the opposition party. By riding roughshod over the opposition, they have been trampling each and every demand of our party," said Chowdhury. Asked about whether Rahul Gandhi would visit the LAC if a related proposal of the parliamentary standing committee on defence goes through, Chowdhury said when the opposition wanted to visit Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, they were not allowed. "When we sought that the government send an all-party delegation to J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 we were not allowed to go. But the government allowed European Union leaders under an orchestrated visit. Even later they kept sending ambassadors of other countries to Kashmir for picnics but did not allow their own MPs to go," he said. More arrests and the crackdown on alleged white supremacist extremists is supposed to inspire condience. For the most part we don't have much sympathy for people who allowed themselves to be suckered into a panty raid riot without a plan on behalf of a TV game show host. However, even a cursory look at the participants reveals that these dudes aren't so out of the ordinary. In fact, they're not exceptional in any way and that's kind of the point . . . In a nation of angry white dudes, making white dudes even angrier might have unintended consequences. To be fair, there's probably some pretty important distinctions that I'm missing . . . But they all look alike to me. Show-Me Crackdown Two Springfield men arrested, charged for involvement in Capitol riot SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Two Missouri brothers have turned themselves in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation after arrest warrants were issued for their roles in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Michael Aaron Quick and Stephen Brian Quick, both from Springfield, both surrendered to FBI agents after the warrants were issued by [...] Veteran Charged Olathe man charged in U.S. Capitol riots served in Marine Corps KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An Olathe man facing federal charges for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots , served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years. Thursday, Christopher Charles Kuehne, was charged with conspiracy, civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Former Council Candidate FBI Arrests A Topeka Man On Charges Stemming From The Attack On The U.S. Capitol Federal agents and Topeka police arrested a man Friday morning on charges related to the riot in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. William Pope, who ran for Topeka city council in 2019, was "taken into custody without incident," a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Kansas City said in an email. Big Picture "Unprecedented" in FBI history: What we know about the Capitol riot arrests America watched as hordes of rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6 - crushing through windows, pressing up stairways, and sending lawmakers and law enforcement running for their lives. The flood of protesters who streamed into the Capitol that day left federal authorities with an equally immense task: finding and charging those responsible. Developing . . . A strategic review of the National Parks and Wildlife Service is underway. One of their remits includes oversight of many nature reserves in the country including the Gearagh near Macroom. Photo by Kevin Healy Ireland's National Parks and Wildlife Service, which is part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has a number of key roles. One of these roles is securing the conservation of a range of ecosystems to maintain and enhance populations of flora and fauna in Ireland and to designate and advise on the protection of habitats and species identified for nature conservation (for example, Natural Heritage Areas (NHA), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPA)). The NWPS is also responsible for the management, maintenance and development of State-owned National Parks and Nature Reserves and also sets out to promote awareness of natural heritage and biodiversity issues through education, outreach to schools and engaging with stakeholders. In relation to Ireland's 76 Nature Reserves, 6 of these are located in County Cork: Capel Island and Knockadoon Head; Glengarriff Woods, Kilcolman Bog, Knockomagh Wood, Lough Hyne and The Gearagh. Announced recently is that the NPWS is now undergoing a strategic review, which has just commenced. The review will assess the remit, status and funding of the NPWS division of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in the context of unprecedented ambition for the protection, conservation and restoration of biodiversity in Ireland. It will be led by Dr Jane Stout, Professor in Botany at the School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin (Chairperson) and former EPA Director Dr Micheal O Cinneide (Deputy Chair). The purpose of the review is to appraise the current operational model of the NPWS and to identify any issues, including structure, resourcing, staffing and governance, which need to be addressed in order to better equip the NPWS to meet its operational objectives. The review was a key commitment in the Programme for Government and its recommendations will inform the future development of the NPWS to enable it to support Ireland's biodiversity objectives in alignment with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and the forthcoming post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, said: "Ensuring that the National Parks and Wildlife Service is properly resourced, staffed and equipped to lead Ireland's response to the biodiversity emergency is one of my key priorities as Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform. "In 2020, NPWS's funding was 70% down on what it had been before the financial crisis in 2008. I increased its funding by 80% in Budget 2021, but there is much more to do. "The scale of this Government's ambition for nature is unprecedented, and the recommendations of this strategic review will be critical in enabling us to meet that ambition." The review will comprise three phases, including 1) an extensive stakeholder engagement process (both internal and external), 2) an assessment of NPWS capacity, resourcing, staffing, governance and other key operational aspects, and 3) a comparative desktop analysis of resources/structures of similar organisations in other jurisdictions and an overview of the role and responsibilities of other state bodies and their relationship with NPWS. It is anticipated that the review process will be completed this summer, with publication of the report and its key recommendations to follow. 'Ireland is home to 28 species of land mammal, over 400 species of birds, more than 4,000 plant species and over 12,000 species of insect. If we want all of this to survive, we must ensure that there are enough suitable areas for all these species to flourish' (www.npws.ie). The review of the NPWS has significant bearing with regard to Ireland's flora and fauna and the many land types throughout the country that support high levels of biodiversity. Land Development Agency Speaking of land, there has been another big announcement at the national level, and that is the publishing of the Land Development Agency (LDA) Bill 2021. Launched by Darragh O'Brien T.D. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, last week, the Bill establishes the LDA on a statutory basis and sets out the core goals of the LDA to undertake strategic land assembly and fully utilise state lands to build affordable homes and sustainable communities. It will focus initially on public lands in towns of over 10,000 people. It provides that the LDA will periodically report to Government on public lands which could be suitable for housing or urban development and the Government may direct that such lands be transferred to the LDA. The Bill also provides that the LDA will have first refusal to purchase public lands being put up for sale. Commenting Minister O'Brien said, 'There is a specific commitment to sustainable communities and best environmental practice, while the agency will be subject to FOI and enhanced Oireachtas committee accountability. Local Authorities can transfer lands to the LDA without requiring a council vote, accelerating the process, clearing blockages and driving on development. 'Ultimately, through this Bill, the LDA will be empowered to provide homes for affordable purchase, cost rental and social housing - another step in the Government's direction of 'Housing for All'," he concluded. The Bill is available to see at https://www.gov.ie/. Irish Georgian Society Grant Scheme In relation to housing, many of the houses that occupy us have been built in the past 50 years, however, there is a great number of further houses, both in rural and urban settings, that have significant heritage value, some many hundreds of years old. Such historic homes, together with churches, mausoleums, and other such buildings of significant architectural merit, are all eligible in principle under the 2021 Irish Georgian Society's (IGS) Grant Scheme. Funding totaling 30,000 is available with priority given to older buildings on the basis of rarity and potential fragility relating to age. The Irish Georgian Society's Conservation Grants Programme is funded by IGS London. Over the last seven years, the Society has supported over thirty significant conservation projects from around the country, that have included works to country houses and castles, thatched cottages and historic townhouses, architectural follies, and churches. In 2020 a range of projects were supported, from Bessmount Park in Monaghan; Coastguard Cottages in Dublin and Seyour's Mausoleum in Galway, to St. Carthage's Cathedral in Waterford and St. George's Arts and Heritage Centre in Mitchelstown. Owners interested in applying under the Scheme this year should note that application forms must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 5th March; these can be downloaded at www.igs.ie. Decisions on the allocation of grants will be made by early May at which time applicants will be informed. Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Saturday said bigger projects and investments with India would continue, after the neighbour scrapped the trilateral deal with India and Japan to develop the Colombo Port's Eastern Container Terminal (ECT). In an exclusive interview to CNN-News18's Maha Siddiqui, Gunawardena spoke about his recent meeting with the Indian High Commission, the country's deals with China, and much more. ALSO READ | A Sea Change: Chinese Hand Behind Sri Lanka Breaking Off ECT Pact at Colombo Port With India and Japan When asked about claims that the trade union protests against the project were orchestrated with the help of China, he said that all types of trade unions - from right to the left and of various ideologies had agitated against the matter. "As I've mentioned before, bigger projects and bigger investments and with India will continue. About China's involvement... I don't think so. That is not the position," he said. RELATED NEWS As Sri Lanka Reviews Handing over East Container Terminal to India, China Watches Closely #EXCLUSIVE |Sri Lanka Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena (@DCRGunawardena) speaks to @SiddiquiMaha over India raising concerns on Chinese firm carrying out three energy projects in Sri Lanka. He says, "Relationship with India not based on one project." pic.twitter.com/3IOJ5sk3FM News18 (@CNNnews18) February 13, 2021 India & Sri Lankas Diplomatic Fallout.Sri Lanka opts out of Port DealRelationship with India not based on one project: Sri Lanka Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena (@DCRGunawardena) tells @SiddiquiMaha on #World360 pic.twitter.com/Vof3ffZz5Z News18 (@CNNnews18) February 13, 2021 ALSO READ | India-Sri Lanka Relationship Hits Roadblocks. Is China Playing Dirty Games in Indian Ocean? Asked about how deals with Japan and India had not gone through, and projects with China had, despite the trade unions protesting against foreign partnership, Gunawardena said that many projects were being carried out by China's assistance, and that there was always criticism by trade unions. On how the ECT project scrapping would affect India and Sri Lanka's position, he said the countries' relations were very strong and had been so for many years. He added that the recent meeting with the Indian High Commission had been a friendly and fruitful one. "We will continue keeping this dialogue with regards to many areas that India is involved in," he said, signalling that the future relationship between the neighbours would be towards progress. Srinagar, Feb 13 : Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said she was prevented from moving out of her residence on the Gupkar road in Srinagar for going to South Kashmir's Pulwama district to meet the family of Athar Mushtaq, killed in encounter with the security forces, on the outskirts of Srinagar on December 30, 2020. In a video tweeted by Mufti, she is seen arguing with a security officer at the gate of her residence asking reasons for stopping her from moving out. "Placed under house arrest as usual for trying to visit family of Athar Mushtaq, killed allegedly in a fake encounter. His father was booked under UAPA for demanding his dead body. This is normalcy GOI wants to showcase to the EU delegation visiting Kashmir," Mufti tweeted. "This reign of suppression and terror in Kashmir is the unvarnished and unpalatable truth that GOI wants to hide from the rest of the country. A 16 year old is killed & then hurriedly buried denying his family the right and chance to perform his last rites." Three persons, Aejaz Ganai from Pulwama, Zubair Lone from Shopian and Athar Mushtaq from Pulwama were killed in an encounter at Lawaypora in Srinagar. The Army said they were repeatedly given a chance to surrender which they did not do and instead fired at the security forces and threw grenades. The families of those killed have been contesting the version of security forces, claiming that their sons are not militants. They have been demanding that the bodies of the deceased be returned. Denton, TX (76205) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 75F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. A man who claims there was a grand conspiracy against him was found guilty on a number of firearm charges on Thursday after an August 2018 incident in Killarney. Advertisement Advertise With Us A man who claims there was a grand conspiracy against him was found guilty on a number of firearm charges on Thursday after an August 2018 incident in Killarney. Justice Sandra Zinchuk found Brian Geer guilty on six charges, including possessing a loaded prohibited firearm without a license, two counts of improperly storing or transporting a firearm, careless storage of a firearm, resisting arrest and possessing a firearm without a license. Geer initially pleaded not guilty to all charges and represented himself in the trial. On Aug. 3, 2018 Killarney RCMP received a report Geer was seen with a shortened shotgun near Chapman Motors, said Zinchuk. Officers began patrolling and found Geers truck outside a credit union. Const. Matthew Steven Fox got out of his vehicle and approached Geer, who also left his truck to head into the credit union. Fox and Acting Cpl. David Kennedy remained at the vehicle and Fox saw through the window an altered firearm on the seat. Once Geer left the credit union, Kennedy approached Geer and told him he was under arrest. Geer wasnt receptive, so Kennedy took him by the arm as he pulled away. "There was an altercation and Const. Fox took physical control of Mr. Geer by taking him to the ground and handcuffing him," said Zinchuk. The two RCMP officers searched his vehicle and found a shortened Remington 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge shotgun, which was loaded, a rifle bag with a loaded Remington 7600 6mm pump action rifle, a box of shells with 11 rounds in it and a box with 15 rounds of Winchester 12-gauge shotgun shells in the front console. "Aside from the fact there is no legal way to possess a sawed-off shotgun, the gun was found loaded, was not rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device and was not in a non-visible locked container as required by the regulation," Zinchuk said as she read her decision. After arresting Geer, Fox testified he entered his holding cell and saw Geer had written the word "persecution" on the floor using toilet paper. The next day, police obtained a search warrant for Geers home, where they found a loaded Remington 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge shotgun in a gun case under the bed in the master bedroom. Officers also found shotgun shells. During his three-day trial in November 2020, Geer told the court he believed there was a grand conspiracy against him, which stretched to the highest levels of the Canadian and American governments and the courts. Geer cited examples of the alleged conspiracy during his testimony, including the RCMP refusing to investigate a dead dog he found in his garage, repetitive problems in his farming operation and damage on his vehicles after he brought them in for repair. In another incident, he said he went for a root canal, but the dentist swabbed his mouth with a virus that made his mouth feel like it was on fire. "People were doing me harm multiple businesses, multiple people, multiple times, multiple months, multiple years thats conspiracy, thats people working together to do harm to you," he said during his testimony. Geer told Crown attorney Rich Lonstrup during cross-examination that he felt threatened wherever he went. Zinchuk said Thursday she saw no evidence for the existence of a conspiracy against the accused. "He argued the charges against him were drummed up, manufactured, coerced and arbitrarily done to him. The evidence does not support Mr. Geers contention and there is no basis to exclude any of the Crowns evidence" Zinchuk said. Geer brought with him a letter he wanted to read, but Zinchuk said he should save it for his sentencing arguments. He also said he didnt want to have a pre-sentence report prepared as he didnt want other people speaking for him. "Once again, my Constitutional rights are trampled on. The same people that conspire against me then get to speak I will not have any of that," he said. Geer is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ (Newser) A Colorado ski resort has reported at least 109 confirmed coronavirus cases among employees. That amounts to 6.4% of Winter Park's 1,700 workers, the Denver Post reports. In a joint statement with local health officials, the resort said investigations have found that "these cases have not been traced back to transmission through interaction with visitors but, rather, from social gatherings outside of the workplace and congregate housing." The virus outbreak was declared Jan. 23 but not reported until this week. Winter Park said it's working with medical experts to find ways to prevent future spread among employees, per People. story continues below But because of the low number of people tested, per KOAA, it's possible the real number of infections is higher. It's the largest outbreak so far this season at a Colorado ski resort, per CNN. A spokesperson for the resort said, "We did extensive planning and had to get approval from the state on our operations before we could open on December 3." Measures put in place by by the resort include a mask mandate, limits on dining and the number of people allowed in, contactless lodging, more employees and more testing for them. An aide to Gov. Jared Polis said Colorado ski resorts need to "do a better job planning for and managing surge weekends." (Read more coronavirus stories.) GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- More than 100 people gathered Friday at Calder Plaza, voicing their dismay over a military coup in the Southeast Asian country to which most have strong ties. The Protest for Myanmar event was meant to draw attention to the ongoing political upheaval in Myanmar, also known as Burma. Less than two weeks ago, and just hours before the Myanmar Parliament was scheduled to swear in officials elected in a November vote, the military detained leaders with the National League for Democracy and declared a state of emergency slated to last a year. Military officials alleged voter fraud. The development sparked protests from around the world. Ruby Tiancer of Grand Rapids helped organize the protest at Calder Plaza. Right now were doing this protest to show our support and standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Myanmar, she said. Tiancer spoke of a much earlier military crackdown in Myanmar, in 1988, that left some 3,000 people dead and another 3,000 in prison. A lot of our older generation, they saw this happen back in 1988. We dont want this to happen again to our future generations, she said. So were letting our voices out and fighting this oppression from the military, she said. Among the actions taken by the Myanmar military recently was the detainment of President Win Myint and well-known State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Some people at the Grand Rapids protest carried photos of Aung San Suu Kyi. Tiancer said she was encouraged by the many people across the United States and the world showing concern about Myanmar. All around the nation, protests have been taking place in major cities, she said. More from MLive President Biden to visit Pfizer coronavirus vaccine plant in Portage in near future Kent County can now host DeVos Place vaccine clinic rent free following pushback over $12K daily fee We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Students at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have been banned from walking around campus or hanging out in each other's dorm rooms as cases of COVID-19 surge on campus. Campus officials have ordered students to self-sequester 'at the encouragement of state public health officials,' according to the school's website. Students who leave campus for any reason may not be able to return, and students planning to leave campus have been directed to email the school for 'guidance and instruction concerning your final move-out.' 'It may further spread the virus through your travel and would also require additional isolation/quarantine time and resources,' according to the website. Students who remain on campus are expected to stay in their rooms 'at all times.' According to the school, there were 51 new cases reported on February 10. The school has a total of 500 active cases with a 7-day cumulative positivity rate of 2.12%. The only times students are allowed out of their rooms are to go to the bathroom on their floors or get food, and to get tested for the coronavirus twice a week. Pet owners can take short walks while wearing a mask to meet their needs as long as they practice social distancing. Students walk on the campus of UMass Amherst in January, before a ban on walking the campus went into effect Students who have had exposure to COVID-19 have been directed to live in these apartments, pictured, to quarantine According to the school, there were 51 new cases reported on February 10 as the self-sequester order went into effect 'Some of these activities represent opportunities to walk and get exercise outside, so please also view them in this way,' the website reads. Students who have 'critical on-campus employment' can work, but those with off-campus jobs are expected to obey the order. 'We also understand that the directive to self-sequester may present financial hardship for students who rely on income from their employment,' the school said on its website. 'As a result, we have set up an Employment Assistance Grant program to support students in need.' A fraternity at the school has faced an interim suspension after it was revealed it hosted large gatherings in late January, according to the school. Theta Chi was suspended 'pending investigation by the Student Conduct and Community Standards Office. The chapter has been directed to cease all chapter-related functions,' campus officials said. 'Student socialization in large and small groups, both on-campus and off-campus, contributed to the recent increase in cases of COVID-19 at UMass Amherst.' The national Theta Chi chapter issued a statement disputing allegations, obtained by the Daily Hampshire Gazette. UMass officials reportedly responded on February 4 that the comprehensive review had already found no wrongdoing. The lockdown at UMass Amherst comes just days after UC Berkeley took similar action on Wednesday. Students in California are also not allowed to exit their dorms to conduct solo outdoor exercise, and a self-sequester mandate that was put in place for the campus has been extended until February 15. An email from UC Berkeley student affairs to the student body obtained by The Daily Californian also announces an potential increase in campus security officers around the dorms. NEW YORK (AP) The Philadelphia Phillies will defer $9.5 million of the $28 million owed to Didi Gregorius under the shortstop's $28 million, two-year contract. Gregorius receives a $1.5 million signing bonus under the deal announced Wednesday, payable in $500,000 installments on each Feb. 1 from 2024-26, according to details obtained by The Associated Press. He has a $12 million salary this season, of which $7 million is deferred, and a $14.5 million salary in 2022, of which $1 million is deferred. Philadelphia will pay the deferred salary in $2 million installments each Feb. 1 from 2023-26. Gregorius, who turns 31 next week, batted .284 with 10 homers, 40 RBIs and an .827 OPS in 60 games in his first season with the Phillies. He had a $14 million, one-year contract, which became $5,814,815 in prorated pay. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The latest Covid-19 case to hit Melbourne is a friend of an infected Holiday Inn worker, with 20 active cases now in Victoria as the state enters a brutal five day lockdown. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews revealed the latest case found late on Friday is a Point Cook man in his thirties - with 38 of the man's close contacts now in isolation. The Holiday Inn cluster now sits at 14 cases as of Saturday afternoon with nearly 1,000 close contacts of those infected currently in isolation. Mr Andrews also said 11 of the 12 workers at Melbourne Airport's Brunetti cafe had tested negative for coronavirus - easing fears over an infected staff member who worked a nine hour shift on Tuesday. 'That is very significant given they were at the highest risk of exposure, given their proximity to the infected coworker,' Mr Andrews said. Customers and staff at the Brunetti cafe, Melbourne Airport (pictured) were asked to get Covid tests immediately after an infected staff member worked for up to nine hours on Tuesday A florist works on an order on Saturday morning in Melbourne (pictured) as Victoria's five-day lockdown gets underway, with residents allowed to leave their homes to attend workplaces A deserted Melbourne CBD on Saturday (pictured) as the city begins a five day Stage Four lockdown to allow contact tracers to get ahead of a cluster stemming from the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport The cafe worker's case is of considerable concern as about 3,500 passengers on 29 different flights travelled through Melbourne Airport's Jetstar hub terminal 4 while the staff member was at the cafe. The test result for the 12th staff member at Brunetti's is set to be received later on Saturday afternoon. New exposure sites announced on Saturday include Coates Hire at Werribee, Caltex Woolworths at Hoppers Crossing, the 901 bus route from Melbourne airport to Broadmeadows, the Craigieburn line from Broadmeadows to Glenroy station, and the 513 bus route from Glenroy station to Eltham. Mr Andrews said on Saturday that 20,116 tests results were received overnight. He said while the low number of cases found in the last 24 hours was a positive sign, authorities were expecting the bulk of potential cases to surface on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. He said these would then provide an indicator as to whether Stage Four lockdown can then be lifted on Wednesday night. The Australian Open (pictured) has been given the greenlight to continue under Melbourne's Stage Four lockdown, however, crowds are barred from the event A cafe remains open on Saturday morning in Melbourne (pictured) but sits empty as city residents adhere to stay-at-home orders Masks are mandatory in Melbourne with residents allowing to venture outside for exercise (pictured: Melburnians on Saturday) Many businesses across the city were seen locked up (pictured) in response to the five-day lockdown NEW RESTRICTIONS FOR VICTORIA FROM 11.59PM ON FRIDAY FEB 12 From Friday February 12 at 11.59pm, new rules apply to Victoria for five days until 11.59pm on Wednesday February 17 due to a worrying new outbreak of the UK mutant strain of Covid-19. Stage Four lockdown for the entire state Only four essential reasons to leave the house - essential shopping, essential work/education, care-giving or two hours of exercise per day All residents must stay within 5km of their home other than essential work or shopper Outdoor exercise must be with your household, intimate partner or one other person not from your household Mandatory masks everywhere except your home No visitors to anyone's home All non-essential shops will be closed Public gatherings banned Work from home Schools closed except for vulnerable children Places of worship closed Weddings banned Funerals capped at 10 people Community spaces including swimming pools and libraries closed Advertisement 'I want to thank every single Victorian who got tested. It is the most important thing,' Mr Andrews said. 'Any symptoms whatsoever, get tested and do it as fast as you can, we will get your results in 24 hours and you will played an important part in keeping us safe and ensuring this is a short circuit that can bring a sense of confidence and control to our coronavirus circumstances.' Almost every state and territory with the exception of New South Wales has brought in border restrictions for people travelling from Greater Melbourne in response to the Holiday Inn outbreak. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also agreed to suspend International flights to Melbourne for the five-day lockdown. Skateboarders in masks in the Melbourne CBD on Saturday (pictured) A mix of light snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected to arrive Saturday in New Jersey, bringing the possibility of dangerous road conditions. In an early Saturday morning update, the National Weather Services Mount Holly office expanded its widespread winter weather advisories to include Morris County. The agency on Friday issued similar alerts for 13 other counties. In addition, the weather services New York regional office has issued winter weather advisories in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties, along with New York City. (See full list of updated alerts below.) While snow accumulation is likely to be limited, forecasters say ice and freezing rain could pose the biggest weather challenge for drivers. A wintry mix is expected to hit Saturday morning before changing to freezing rain in the afternoon and lasting into early Sunday. Northern New Jersey could see snow Saturday before mixing with sleet at night, according to the weather service. Light snow, freezing rain and sleet are also in the forecast for Sunday morning. Good Morning Everyone! We have updated our briefing package for the wintry mix that is expected today (Saturday) into... Posted by US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly on Saturday, February 13, 2021 In addition to the precipitation, forecasts called for frigid temperatures. The Newark area could see wind chill values between 5 and 15, with highs in the 20s across the state. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation reaching less than a half inch are possible in New Jersey on Saturday, according to forecasts. Its definitely not a big storm, Jonathan OBrien, a meteorologist at the weather services regional forecast office in New Jersey told NJ Advance Media on Friday. The main concern is the freezing rain is going to be a factor. It only takes a light glaze of ice to make roads slippery, he said. Forecasters said the state could see another round of winter weather through the upcoming week. This is the first of several systems which will affect the region with potential wintry precipitation into the new week. The main periods we are concerned about are Monday night into Tuesday and again Wednesday night through Friday, the weather services Saturday briefing said. The National Weather Service's forecast calls for ice accumulations across many parts of New Jersey and southeast Pennsylvania on Saturday and Sunday.NWS Counties under winter weather advisories (updated Saturday night) Atlantic County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Bergen County Winter weather advisory 6 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday (new advisory) Burlington County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Camden County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Cape May County Winter weather advisory 8 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday Cumberland County Winter weather advisory 8 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday Essex County Winter weather advisory 4 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday (new starting time) Gloucester County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Hudson County Winter weather advisory 4 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday (new starting time) Hunterdon County - Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Mercer County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Middlesex County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Monmouth County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Morris County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Ocean County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Passaic County Winter weather advisory 6 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday (new advisory) Salem County Winter weather advisory 8 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday Somerset County Winter weather advisory 1 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Sussex County Winter weather advisory 4 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday (new advisory) Union County Winter weather advisory 4 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday (new starting time) Warren County Winter weather advisory 4 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday (new advisory) Even a thin coating of ice from rain or drizzle on cold surfaces can cause dangerous driving conditions.National Weather Service Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NJ Advance Media staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. The 5,300 people employed by the St. Tammany Parish public school district will soon have more money in their pockets. The School Board on Thursday signed off on a reorganization plan pushed by Superintendent Frank Jabbia that will provide a pair of $1,000 stipends to all employees this spring and sets up a two-step pay increase. The stipends will be paid on March 15 and again on May 31. On top of that, employees who are quarantined due to exposure to coronavirus on campus will be eligible for up to 10 additional days of pay. The pay issues were included in a sweeping reorganization that Jabbia pushed for the district's administrative hierarchy. Among the big changes: a revamping and renaming of the Special Education Department and adding two new directorships in the Curriculum and Instruction Department. Jabbia told the board the plan and pay bumps are essential to lifting the district back to the level of success it achieved in previous decades. "The people in the trenches deserve everything we can give them, Jabbia said. Weve asked our employees to do more this year because of COVID then weve ever asked of them before. Same thing with our supervisorsWe have to reward the people who are willing to get that extra degree, to go that extra mile, that want to see this entire system ascend. While the stipends are one-time payments, the two-step pay increase -- $1,000 for teachers and $700 for non-certified personnel -- will be permanent. The financial moves have the support of the St. Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Employees. The employee stipends, which will cost $15.6 million, will be paid with some of the $28.5 million in federal Pandemic Relief Allocation funds the district has received. Permanent pay raises, with a projected cost of $6 million, will mostly be covered by the general fund. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up New administrative hires and salary upgrades will cost an estimated $2 million, which will be covered by budget surpluses that totaled more than $6 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year alone. December brought record sales tax collections, officials said. Neither Jabbia nor his associate or assistant superintendents will receive salary upgrades as part of the reorganization. Jabbia added that the role of associate superintendent, held now by his father, Pete Jabbia, will be phased out once the elder Jabbia retires. The reorganization plans breadth impressed many board members, but admittedly caught some by surprise. Several noted they had only received an overview two days earlier and wanted more time to get public feedback from constituents before voting. Jabbia pressed the issue, however, saying it was imperative to put the process in motion as soon as possible. Under the plan, the Special Education Department will be renamed "Students With Exceptionalities" and will be overseen by an assistant superintendent and a pair of directors one who will focus on working with federal funding and pursuing grants. All three positions will be new to the St. Tammany system. Jabbias reorganization also creates two directorships in the Curriculum and Instruction Department, one to oversee Pre-K-6th grade education and another for the 7th-12th grades. That will allow supervisors to spend more time working in schools to boost student performance, he said. The reorganization becomes effective on July 1, when the districts 2021-22 fiscal year begins. The St. Tammany school district, the state's fourth largest, currently operates with a $439 million budget. NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO). On October 12, 2020, The New York Times reported that the Company's CEO, Leon Black, had an extensive business relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including at least $75 million in payments that Mr. Black had paid Epstein in the years after Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a teenage girl, resulting in an outside review ordered by the Company's board. Then, on January 25, 2021, the Company disclosed that Black would step down as CEO but would remain on the Board. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Apollo's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Apollo's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Sequential shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-apo/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com Mumbai, Feb 13 : The murder mystery Silence has been confirmed for an OTT release on March 26, tweeted lead actor Manoj Bajpayee on Saturday. The film also features Prachi Desai and Arjun Mathur in pivotal roles. "When everyone is hiding the truth, justice will thrive despite the Silence. Prepare for a murder mystery that will keep you guessing till the end. #SilenceCanYouHearIt premieres 26th March on @ZEE5Premium," he tweeted. The film traces the story of the mysterious disappearance of a woman, whose corpse is discovered by trekkers a day later. Meanwhile, Manoj will also be seen in the second season of "The Family Man", which has been slated for release in summer. He is also working on his upcoming film Dispatch, a thriller set against the backdrop of crime journalism. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A man charged with the murder of gangland boss Robbie Lawlor must remain in custody, a judge ruled on Friday. Patrick Teer, 45, was refused bail over his alleged role in the underworld figure's assassination in north Belfast. Lawlor, 36, was shot dead in broad daylight on April 4 last year as part of a deadly drugs feud. According to police a gunman emerged from 37-year-old co-accused Adrian Holland's house at Etna Drive in the Ardyone district and opened fire. Lawlor died at the scene after being shot in the head and body. Originally from Dublin, the victim had been heavily involved in a bitter dispute between rival Drogheda-based factions. He was linked to the abduction and killing of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods in January last year. Previous courts were told Lawlor may have travelled to Northern Ireland because he feared he was going to be attacked. Detectives believe he went to the scene of his killing following a pre-arranged appointment to collect cash. The unidentified gunman then escaped in one of two cars parked in the area as suspected getaway vehicles. Teer, of Thornberry Hill in Belfast, and Holland were charged as part of a joint enterprise, based on their alleged involvement in events surrounding the killing. Evidence in the case centres on telephone cell site analysis, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and CCTV inquiries. Mounting a fresh application for bail at Belfast Magistrates' Court today, Teer's lawyer claimed he made no comment in police interviews on the advice of a previous legal representative Arguing that there was a change in his client's circumstances, solicitor Ciaran Toner said: "The key is he wishes to give an account." But prosecution counsel submitted that police have limited powers to interview someone after they have been charged. "There's absolutely nothing to prevent the accused from providing a written account via his solicitor," he added. Denying bail, however, District Judge George Conner said: "While I have some sympathy for anyone trying to pick up after charges, I'm not persuaded that's a sufficient change in circumstances." He remanded Teer in custody for a further four weeks. (CNN) Italy's next government has taken shape, after Mario Draghi was named Prime Minister and announced a cabinet selected from across the country's political spectrum. Draghi, a prominent economist, accepted the top role on Friday and later that day read out a list of ministerial picks designed to create buy-in among political parties that have battled on practically every topic. However, many in Italy will be disappointed by the lack of women of the 23 names, only eight are women. The anti-establishment Five Star Movement's Luigi Di Maio is expected to remain in place as Italian Foreign Minister. Current Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza, of the left-wing Free and Equal party, is also expected to remain in place. Daniele Franco, the current director-general of the Bank of Italy who belongs to no political party, has been tapped as the new Finance minister. Three ministers belong to Go Italy, the party of former media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. Another three are from the The League, the right wing party lead by Matteo Salvini who has in the past strenuously declared himself anti-immigrant and anti-European. In a TV interview, Salvini explained his participation in Draghi's government. "Italians ask me to solve problems, even if this means working alongside people with whom I did not get along," he said. Draghi himself belongs to no political party. A former European Central Bank chief, he won the moniker "Super Mario" for saving the euro during Europe's sovereign debt crisis, and will likely work closely with Franco, his finance minister, to prepare a reforms plan for Italy that will allow it to obtain 209 billion euro from the European recovery found. He succeeds former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who lost his governing majority in the Senate over frustrations with the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and attendant economic recession. Draghi's ministers will need to formally swear in on Saturday before the new government will start to fully function, and will face votes of confidence in parliament the following week. All Italian political parties, apart from the right-wing party Brothers of Italy, have said they will support the new government. This story was first published on CNN.com Mario Draghi is named Italy's new prime minister, announces a political rainbow of cabinet picks Story updated on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2020. The Oregon Health Authority announced 517 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday along with 38 new deaths, raising the states coronavirus death toll to 2,094. The new cases come as four people in Oregon tested positive for COVID-19 even though theyd been fully vaccinated and enough time had passed for their second doses to become fully effective, state public health officials announced Friday. Oregon is one of the first states in the nation to identify such so-called breakthrough cases where people who were considered immune have now been sickened with the disease. Given that both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are thought to be close to 94% or 95% effective, the breakthrough cases werent unexpected, state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said. State health officials are in the process of testing samples taken from the four fully vaccinated people who tested positive. They either had no symptoms or mild symptoms. The snow blanketing the Portland area forced the state to close mass COVID-19 vaccination sites at the Oregon Convention Center on Friday and Saturday and the Portland International Airport or Saturday and Sunday. More than 12,000 Oregonians were scheduled to be inoculated at these two sites and will be contacted by staff to reschedule them for a later date. Where the new cases are by county: Benton (31), Clackamas (43), Clatsop (1), Columbia (3), Coos (8), Crook (5), Curry (5), Deschutes (32), Douglas (18), Harney (3), Hood River (2), Jackson (35), Jefferson (11), Josephine (16), Klamath (10), Lake (7), Lane (48), Lincoln (4), Linn (13), Marion (59), Morrow (4), Multnomah (57), Polk (13), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (19), Union (3), Wallowa (2), Wasco (1), Washington (50) and Yamhill (13). Who died: The 2,057th death is an 89-year-old Clackamas County woman who tested positive Jan. 15 and died Jan. 24 at Providence Portland Medical Center. The 2,058th death is a 67-year-old Clackamas County woman who tested positive Dec. 31 and died Jan. 17 at Providence Portland Medical Center. The 2,059th death is an 87-year-old Clackamas County woman who tested positive Dec. 21 and died Jan. 23 at her residence. The 2,060th death is a 61-year-old Clackamas County man who tested positive Dec. 14 and died Jan. 14 at Adventist Hospital. The 2,061st death is a 103-year-old Clackamas County woman who tested positive Dec. 13 and died Dec. 30 at her residence. The 2,062nd death is a 74-year-old Deschutes County woman who tested positive Jan. 6 and died Jan. 13 at her residence. The 2,063rd death is a 74-year-old Deschutes County woman who tested positive Jan. 4 and died Jan. 15 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. The 2,064th death is a 76-year-old Deschutes County man who tested positive Dec. 28 and died Jan. 8 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. The 2,065th death is a 92-year-old Josephine County woman who tested positive Dec. 31 and died Jan. 16 at her residence. The 2,066th death is a 74-year-old Josephine County man who tested positive Dec. 28 and died Jan. 10 at his residence. The 2,067th death is a 98-year-old Josephine County man who tested positive Dec. 19 and died Jan. 7 at his residence. The 2,068th death is an 82-year-old Klamath County woman who tested positive Dec. 20 and died Jan. 18 at her residence. The 2,069th death is an 83-year-old Lane County man who tested positive Dec. 7 and died Jan. 3 at his residence. The 2,070th death is a 48-year-old Lane County man who tested positive Feb. 10 and died Feb. 10 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center. The 2,071st death is a 95-year-old Linn County man who tested positive Jan. 9 and died Jan. 20 at his residence. The 2,072nd death is an 85-year-old Linn County woman who tested positive Nov. 12 and died Dec. 7 at her residence. The 2,073rd death is a 78-year-old Malheur County man who tested positive Dec. 4 and died Jan. 12 at his residence. The 2,074th death is a 98-year-old Marion County woman who tested positive Nov. 30 and died Jan. 4 at her residence. The 2,075th death is an 84-year-old Marion County man who tested positive Jan. 7 and died Feb. 10 at Salem Hospital. The 2,076th death is an 85-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Nov. 15 and died Dec. 29 at her residence. The 2,077th death is a 75-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Dec. 2 and died Jan. 5 at his residence. The 2,078th death is a 73-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Dec. 9 and died Jan. 1 at Adventist Hospital. The 2,079th death is a 91-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Dec. 7 and died Jan. 23 at his residence. The 2,080th death is a 93-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Dec. 13 and died Dec. 30 at her residence. The 2,081st death is a 75-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Dec. 10 and died Jan. 10 at her residence. The 2,082nd death is a 97-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Dec. 25 and died Jan. 8 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. The 2,083rd death is an 84-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Dec. 20 and died Dec. 28 at his residence. The 2,084th death is a 76-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Jan. 6 and died Jan. 25 at his residence. The 2,085th death is a 75-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Dec. 31 and died Jan. 12 at his residence. The 2,086th death is a 69-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Jan. 12 and died Feb. 10 at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. The 2,087th death is an 84-year-old Washington County man who tested positive Nov. 23 and died Dec. 20 at his residence. The 2,088th death is a 91-year-old Washington County man who tested positive Nov. 20 and died Jan. 18 at his residence. The 2,089th death is a 75-year-old Washington County man who tested positive Dec. 9 and died Dec. 29 at his residence. The 2,090th death is a 79-year-old Washington County woman who tested positive Dec. 17 and died Jan. 13 at her residence. The 2,091st death is an 86-year-old Washington County man who tested positive Dec. 13 and died Dec. 19 at his residence. The 2,092nd death is a 95-year-old Washington County woman who tested positive Jan. 7 and died Jan. 18 at Providence Portland Medical Center. The 2,093rd death is a 71-year-old Umatilla County man who tested positive Jan. 19 and died Jan. 21 at his residence. The 2,094th death is a 95-year-old Yamhill County man who tested positive Nov. 23 died Jan. 3 at his residence. Unless noted above, each person who died had underlying health conditions or state officials were working to determine if the person had underlying medical conditions. The prevalence of infections: On Friday, the state reported 622 new positive tests out of 19,326 tests performed, equaling a 3.2% positivity rate. Who got infected: New confirmed or presumed infections grew among the following age groups: 0-9 (17); 10-19 (126); 20-29 (90); 30-39 (79); 40-49 (69); 50-59 (62); 60-69 (48); 70-79 (35); 80 and older (9). Whos in the hospital: The state reported 202 Oregonians with confirmed coronavirus infections were hospitalized Friday, seven fewer than Thursday. Of those, 48 coronavirus patients were in intensive care units, two fewer than Thursday. Vaccines administered: Oregon has administered 649,602 first and second doses out of 884,275 received, which is about 73.5% of its supply. Oregon reported 25,772 newly administered doses, which includes 16,877 on Thursday and the remainder from previous days. Since it began: Oregon has reported 149,576 confirmed or presumed infections and 2,094 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported over 3,383,703 lab reports from tests. -- Jaimie Ding jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding In the predawn hours of Feb. 5, an Israeli settler working as a guard at the Sadeh Ephraim Farm outpost near Ramallah shot dead Khaled Maher Nofal, 34, on the hilltop of Mount al-Risan, just outside the Palestinian village of Ras Karkar. According to Israeli accounts, Khaled, a resident of Ras Karkar, had stormed the outpost and attacked one of the settlers before he was shot. In the past weeks, the streets, villages and towns of the West Bank have turned into arenas of real terror and fear, with daily assaults by settlers against Palestinians, whether in their vehicles, on the streets or in their homes. On Jan. 17, Mashhour al-Qut, a Palestinian from Madama village south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, received a painful phone call from his wife while at work. Hala is dead. She is gone now, she cried. The phone call broke him. He could not believe what he heard. How? he asked. By the settlers, she replied. But that was before she learned that her daughter Hala, 10, was not dead but had fallen into a coma after getting hit in the face with a stone. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Qut recounted that Israeli settlers from the settlement of Yitzhar, only 3 kilometers from his house, attacked his two daughters, Hala, 10, and Masa, 5, who were playing around the house. When a stone hit Masa on the leg, she rushed into the house, while Hala was hit on the face. The settlers tried to drag Hala away in an attempt to kidnap her before she lost consciousness, he added. Their mother rushed out of the house after learning from Masa that they were attacked with stones. The settlers had escaped, and she found Hala unconscious, lying facedown on the floor. She screamed out for help from the neighbors to take Hala to the hospital, he said. Other settlers then rushed to the area near his house to support the attackers who failed to kidnap his daughter. His wife was also hit in the leg by a stone, the houses windows were smashed and fragments caused minor injuries to his baby daughter inside the house. Hala was diagnosed with a broken nose and mouth and has been receiving treatment since the attack. On Jan. 27, she had nose surgery at the Rafidia Surgical Hospital in Nablus city, and she has to attend a series of medical appointments in the next few weeks. Although the family survived the attack, the attack rang an alarm among Palestinians. This is the first time that settlers dare to get close to the citizens houses in our town. That is a dangerous indicator, said Qut, suggesting the formation of guard committees to protect citizens. Fear prevails on West Bank streets and towns due to settlers daily attacks against Palestinians vehicles and houses. On Jan. 21, a group of settlers injured 3-year-old Jad Sawafta in the face. The toddler was in his fathers car near the entrance to the town of Burqa northeast of Ramallah while on his way to the Tubas governorate when the settlers attacked them. Sawafta was admitted to the hospital for treatment. Also on Jan. 21, a group of Israeli settlers conducted multiple attacks in different parts of the West Bank. Some of them threw Molotov cocktails at two houses in the Burin village in south Nablus, which caused suffocation injuries to a number of people. Another group blocked the Gush Etzion Junction and a street close to Tekoa east of Bethlehem, and threw stones at citizens' vehicles. The same attack was repeated on other vehicles in north Hebron and near al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya south of Nablus. According to a report by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem released on Jan. 28, about 49 violent attacks by settlers (the attacks do not include protest marches and roadblocks by settlers who did not throw stones) were documented from Dec. 21, 2020, until Jan. 24, 2021. The report said 28 of the attacks involved physical assaults, including 19 stone-throwing assaults at passing cars, three shooting assaults and six other types of attacks. As for the remaining cases, they consist of attacks on Palestinian houses, agricultural crops and other property. Fifteen Palestinians were injured in stone-throwing attacks, including four children during the abovementioned period, according to the report. Walid Assaf, head of the Palestinian Authority's Commission on Apartheid Wall and Colonization Resistance, told Al-Monitor the settlers attacks have increased dramatically in conjunction with the Israeli armys attacks, as they doubled in January compared to previous years. He said the Israeli army and settlers have uprooted more than 10,000 forest trees and 300 olive trees since early 2021 in the Ainun area east of the Tubas governorate. Meanwhile, in 2020, the number of trees uprooted by the Israeli army amounted to nearly 8,500, and about 4,000 in 2019, Assaf said. Assaf said these attacks seek to implement the Israeli governments decisions to eliminate the Palestinian presence in Area C of the West Bank in an attempt to impose a new fait accompli, after the term of Israels main ally, former US President Donald Trump, ended and US President Joe Biden took office. Commenting on the options Palestinians have to protect themselves from these attacks, Assaf said, We need to form popular protection committees in all towns tasked with protecting citizens and villages and barricading the houses, particularly those located on the outskirts of villages that are under constant attacks. Also, surveillance cameras and lighting towers must be installed in the neighborhoods. A popular resistance should also be activated while responding to the settlers by blocking the main streets and roads. On Jan. 28, a number of Palestinian resistance activists closed the Nablus-Qalqilya road in the northern West Bank in the face of settlers. Clashes erupted between the activists and the Israeli army, leading to a number of injuries. According to Assaf, similar action will be taken in the coming days. Assaf noted that protection committees made up of volunteers were set up in the past, but the committees they are currently seeking to establish will enjoy full political support and will be provided with the necessary capabilities. Such a dossier is being discussed at the highest political level, he added. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: A man who stole four German Shepherd puppies from a farm and buried or burned them on a Howell property was sentenced Friday to five years in state prison, authorities said. Daniel McDonald, 26, of Freehold, pleaded guilty in November to four counts of third degree animal cruelty and also agreed to never to own, reside with, or take into his care or custody any living animal, according to a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office. He was also ordered to perform 30 hours of community service on each of the four animal cruelty counts and to pay $800 in restitution to the owner of the puppies. In handing down the sentence Judge Vincent N. Falcetano told McDonald, he cant conceive of any more depraved act. A joint investigation by the Howell Police and Monmouth County SPCA revealed that the puppies were stolen on or about May 12 from a farm in Somerset County where McDonald was staying when the animals were only three weeks old, the office said. The remains of two of the dogs were found six days later in a fire pit on a property in Howell where McDonald was temporarily staying, authorities said. Investigators then searched the area and ultimately found the remains of two more dead puppies which had been buried on the property, the office said. The puppies were sick, in distress and were struggling to breathe before they died and a necropsy performed on the two buried puppies showed that they suffered from parasites and were severely emaciated and malnourished with no indications of recent nutritional ingestion, according to the statement. Tricia Jaccoma, 24, of Howell, was also charged with animal cruelty in the case and was arrested last September, but because McDonald took full responsibility for not getting the puppies the proper care, her charges were dismissed Friday, authorities said. McDonald also pleaded to guilty one charge of third degree receiving stolen property for being in possession of a stolen tractor out of Monroe Township, the office said. The judge ordered him not to return to the scene from where the tractor was stolen. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Ofcom fines KTV 50,000 for serious broadcasting breaches Ofcom has today imposed fines totalling 50,000 on Khalsa Television Limited (KTV) for serious breaches of our broadcasting rules. KTV broadcasts a range of cultural, religious and educational programmes to the UKs Sikh community. Our first investigation found that KTV aired a music video on three separate occasions, which indirectly encouraged Sikhs living in the UK to commit violence, including murder, against people opposed to the Khalistan Liberation Front. We also found that the music video contained subliminal harmful messages in an apparent attempt to influence viewers without them being aware. A second investigation found that a live discussion programme, Panthak Masle, featured a number of statements which were likely to incite crime or lead to disorder. This included material which amounted to implicit threats of violence towards Harnek Singh, a Sikh radio presenter living in New Zealand. We concluded that these were serious breaches which warranted the imposition of statutory sanctions. We are fining KTV 20,000 in respect of the music video and 30,000 in respect of the discussion programme, both payable to HM Paymaster General. In addition, KTV must not repeat either the music video or the discussion programme, and must air a summary of our decisions on a date and in a form set by us. More details on these sanction decisions are available. I woke up the next morning to a torrent of online abuse, as did my editor, who was named in the farewell note. My address and phone number were shared by the blogs readers on Twitter. Protecting the identity of the man behind Slate Star Codex had turned into a cause among the Rationalists. More than 7,500 people signed a petition urging The Times not to publish his name, including many prominent figures in the tech industry. Putting his full name in The Times, the petitioners said, would meaningfully damage public discourse, by discouraging private citizens from sharing their thoughts in blog form. On the internet, many in Silicon Valley believe, everyone has the right not only to say what they want but to say it anonymously. Amid all this, I spoke with Manoel Horta Ribeiro, a computer science researcher who explores social networks at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. He was worried that Slate Star Codex, like other communities, was allowing extremist views to trickle into the influential tech world. A community like this gives voice to fringe groups, he said. It gives a platform to people who hold more extreme views. But for Kelsey Piper and many others, the main issue came down to the name, and tying the man known professionally and legally as Scott Siskind to his influential, and controversial, writings as Scott Alexander. Ms. Piper, who is a journalist herself, for the news site Vox, said she did not agree with everything he had written, but she also felt his blog was unfairly painted as an on-ramp to radical views. She worried his views could not be reduced to a single newspaper story. I assured her my goal was to report on the blog, and the Rationalists, with rigor and fairness. But she felt that discussing both critics and supporters could be unfair. What I needed to do, she said, was somehow prove statistically which side was right. When I asked Mr. Altman if the conversation on sites like Slate Star Codex could push people toward toxic beliefs, he said he held some empathy for these concerns. But, he added, people need a forum to debate ideas. In August, Mr. Siskind restored his old blog posts to the internet. And two weeks ago, he relaunched his blog on Substack, a company with ties to both Andreessen Horowitz and Y Combinator. He gave the blog a new title: Astral Codex Ten. He hinted that Substack paid him $250,000 for a year on the platform. And he indicated the company would give him all the protection he needed. In his first post, Mr. Siskind shared his full name. (Natural News) A prestigious professorship of physics at the University of Oxford is getting a name change after communist China donated less than a million dollars to the program. From now on, Oxfords Wykeham chair of physics will officially be known as the Tencent-Wykeham chair in honor of the Chinese Tencent corporate conglomerate, which owns Chinas WeChat messaging app. Tencent reportedly gave 700,000, or about $968,000, to Oxford in exchange for Oxford public recognizing the partnership. First established in 1900, the Wykeham chair of physics comes with a fellowship at 14th-century New College. Under its new designation, the Tencent-Wykeham fellowship will pay new homage to its Chinese overlords. When asked about the new name, Lord Patten, Oxfords Chancellor and the last British governor of Hong Kong, said he did not even know about it until he was contacted by the Daily Mail. Im strongly in favour of the proposal to do a comprehensive survey of relationships between China and all our universities, Patten said. Given that China has become a surveillance state, is probably guilty of genocide against the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and is snuffing out freedom in Hong Kong, we should be looking at these relationships very beadily. Communist China wants to own the world Patten added that he has no doubt communist China represents a threat to liberal democracies all round the world. This includes companies like Tencent, which CIA sources say was bankrolled by the Ministry of State Security, Chinas main intelligence agency. According to the Pentagon, Tencent is also working on artificial intelligence (AI) programs with Chinese security agencies. Last year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring WeChat to be a security threat because it collects vast swathes of data on Americans and other users, allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens who may be enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives. WeChat, like TikTok, also reportedly censors content that the Chinese Communist Party deems politically sensitive and may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party, the order went on to read. Tencent, meanwhile, denies all claims of wrongdoing, insisting its finances are transparent. When asked why Tencent is sponsoring the Oxford chair, Ling Ge, the companys Chief European Representative, declined to answer. It remains unclear as to whether she personally played any role in negotiating the grant. There seems to be no end to the degree that universities will bend the knee to China for money, lamented former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, urging Oxford to reconsider the partnership. The reality is Chinese companies are obligated to the Chinese security apparatus to pass on information on demand, and for Oxford to celebrate Tencent by renaming this professorship is grotesque. Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said much the same thing, calling the partnership a very unwise decision. The former head of MI6 also expressed shock that Oxford would agree to rename a prestigious chair like this for a paltry 700,000 cash payment. The usual price for such things is in the millions, Davis is quoted as saying. Having a foothold in the Oxford physics department is obviously of strategic interest to the Chinese government, and we should be very wary indeed of this kind of investment. Tencent is currently the worlds largest computer gaming platform. It has a huge presence in social media and online shopping, just like WeChat, and is said to be worth upwards of 500 billion, or about $6.9 billion. During the early days of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, WeChat played a critical role in spreading fearmongering propaganda to the masses. To keep up with the latest news about communist Chinese infiltration of the West, visit Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com MINISTER Patrick ODonovan is to write to government colleague Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly in relation to the vaccine roll-out for priests and undertakers. They are essential workers on the frontline and should be recognised as such, said Minister ODonovan, who isnt advocating for anybody to be queue jumped. He said he has been contacted by undertakers carrying out their duties during this pandemic. They have said to me that if they go down with Covid who is going to take up the slack for them. It is a big concern to me, said Minister ODonovan. Undertakers and priests work hand in hand in laying our loved ones to rest. The Leader spoke to three elderly clergymen working in Limerick about their experiences and apprehensions of working under Covid. Ive officiated at a number of Covid related funerals, albeit apprehensively. In addition, and not being aware, that not only the deceased having died with Covid, but also, family members who are in attendance at the funeral being infected. I was not informed of such until the 11th hour. I had to seek advice from my GP before celebrating the requiem Mass, he told the Leader. The priest said he has administered the sacraments to parishioners with Covid in their homes and in hospitals. It was only the other night I was called to the hospital to administer the sacraments. I had my temperature taken on arrival, put on full PPE gear and did what was necessary. When I got home. The minister for health was on the television. He said and I quote, Anyone from receptionists to administrative staff, porters, doctors, nurses and anyone working in a hospital setting are considered frontline workers and should be treated as such re the vaccine, said the priest. A different priest said: I imagine most priests out of humility would not want to push the boat out there. I gather some priests connected with nursing homes / hospitals are getting the vaccine I think HSE regard chaplains as part of the staff but there is no public knowledge of this. It is interesting to note that the bishops are not pushing the government for their priests to get vaccinated! The third priest told the Leader he has officiated at sixty funerals to date which in an aging community might be expected. Close on half have been Covid related, so I find myself struggling to put together a liturgy and try to engage with the bereaved families and plan a dignified service Priests are slow to seek a special status. It is an integral part of our ministry to care for the sick and bereaved. Nevertheless, I am vexed by a department that seems at best to barely acknowledge the input of priests in this regard, he said. Minister ODonovan said undertakers and priests are two groups of people that havent up to now had their case articulated. There are no trade unions representing them. There is nobody going into government buildings advocating on behalf of undertakers and priests. I know there are a lot of people advocating for particular cohorts of workers. I am not looking for any preferential treatment or anything like that. I am merely saying that this should be looked at in the case of both of them. If we have a situation where they go down with this disease - who picks up the slack and thats a big difficulty, said Minister ODonovan. He points out that some undertakers and many priests are over a particular age and would themselves be in the vulnerable category. They are still fulfilling their duties and fulfilling their obligations to their communities which needs to be admired. While we all have our differences and everything else with the church and we will fall in and out with them, but when we come to our lowest and we are in our grieving processes they are always the people we turn to and they are always there. Im talking about all denominations, said Minister ODonovan. He concluded by saying he is really strong on the view that nobody needs to be bumped down the list. We have enough people talking about preferential treatment. Thats not what I am saying. What I am saying is I think we need to look at it. I think it is only right and proper that their concerns would be articulated and they would be on the radar. I dont think to be fair, up to now they have been. Truesee's Daily Wonder Friday, February 12, 2021 Archives Truesee presents the weird, wild, wacky and world news of the day. May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 Subscribe A poster is displayed on a street in Pyongyang marking the 73rd anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People's Army in this Feb. 8 photo. AFP North Korea ranked the lowest in a world democracy index last year for the 16th consecutive year, according to a recent report. The reclusive regime placed at the bottom among the 167 countries reviewed, with an overall score of 1.08 out of 10, according to the Democracy Index 2020 published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research division of the British weekly The Economist. The North has ranked the lowest in the EIU index since the agency began compiling related data in 2006. The agency classified Pyongyang as an "authoritarian regime" out of four designations, which included "full democracy," "flawed democracy" and "hybrid regime." The Parliamentary Committee on Defence has decided to visit Galwan Valley and Pangong in Eastern Ladakh, a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese. However, it may seek the permission of the government before visiting the strategically-located areas, sources said. Interestingly, Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and Sanjay Raut are members of the panel chaired by senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Jual Oram. The 30-member committee intends to visit the eastern Ladakh region in the last week of May or June, the sources said on Friday. The decision to visit these areas was taken in the panel's latest meeting, they said. Gandhi did not attend it. The panel's visit to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) depends on the approval from the government, the sources added. After a nine-month standoff, militaries of Indian and China reached an agreement on disengagement in the north and south banks of Pangong lake that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner. Addressing a press conference earlier, Gandhi questioned why the prime minister did not make a statement on the LAC situation, and said Defence Minister Singh "sheepishly" made a statement on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. "Why has he asked the Defence Minister to make the statement, the Prime Minister should say - I have given Indian land to China, this is the truth," he alleged. He said it has emerged that Indian troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3 at Pangong Tso lake. "Finger-4 is our territory, that is where our post used to be. So, now we have moved from finger-4 to finger-3. Why has the Prime Minister Modi given up Indian Territory to the Chinese? This is the question that needs to be answered by him and by the Defence Minister," Gandhi said. Why have Indian troops, after the hard work that they had done in capturing Kailash ranges, been asked to move back, the Congress leader asked. What has India got in return for this? Most importantly, the more important strategic area, Depsang plains, why have the Chinese not moved back? These are the real questions. Why have they not moved from Gogra-Hot Springs, the former Congress chief asked. "It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to protect the territory of the country. The Prime Minister has ceded Indian Territory to the Chinese. It is his responsibility to solve the problem," he alleged. "GOI must explain - Why our forces are withdrawing from dominant positions in Kailash Ranges? Why we are ceding our territory & withdrawing from forward base at Finger 4 to Finger 3? Why has China not withdrawn from our territory in Depsang Plains & Gogra Hot Springs," he asked in a tweet. After Gandhi's attack, alleging that the government has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese and raised questions over the agreement, the Ministry of Defence issued a strongly-worded statement saying it has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement finalised with China for disengagement of troops in Pangong lake areas in eastern Ladakh. It said effective safeguarding of country's national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the government reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. "Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them", the statement said. The ministry also made certain clarifications in the statement, and said, "the assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962." "Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China," the MoD said. ADVERTISEMENT Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has imposed an indefinite curfew in Sasha market where traders clashed on Friday. The decision of the governor is to forestall breakdown of law and order in the market and its environments. PREMIUM TIMES reported how one person was confirmed dead on Friday as a result of a fight between a cobbler and a cart pusher in the market located at Ibadan, Oyo capital. A witness said a cart pusher stabbed the cobbler with a knife following a misunderstanding between the two on Thursday and the victim was confirmed dead in hospital on Friday morning. This led to a fight between cart pushers and cobblers, who tried to avenge the death of their colleague. Some shops and houses were burnt while the market was deserted in the process. Mr Makinde in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, on Saturday imposed an indefinite curfew in the market from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. He also warned that anyone caught perpetrating violence will face the wrath of the law. His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde has directed the immediate closure of Shasha market indefinitely following reports of a breach of peace in the area. The governor has also approved the imposition of (a) curfew on Shasha. It will run from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Residents of the affected area are enjoined to go about their legitimate businesses within the hours stipulated by the law. Anyone caught disrupting the peace of the community will be made to face the wrath of the law, the statement read. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Guest Column In Myanmar, Its Back to the Future but Not Quite Anti-coup protesters in Yangon's Hledan on Feb 9. / The Irrawaddy The image of the crumpled body of Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine, a 20-year-old student shot in the head by the Myanmar army in Naypyitaw in the aftermath of this months military coup, brought to mind another emblematic killing. In September 1988, Win Maw Oo, a 16-year-old schoolgirl, was gunned down in the streets of Yangon, along with hundreds of unarmed protesters. Her sacrifice became an icon of the 88 movement; a symbol of mans inhumanity to man. In some ways, history is repeating itself, as it has done since 1962 when the army under General Ne Win killed dozens of students, peacefully protesting against his overthrow of a democratically elected government. As it did in 62 and 88, army brutality today has united the country against the military. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is more popular now than in November when her National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide. As in 1988, her role is defining the national agenda, in a country where millions still revere General Aung San, their founding father, and are grateful for his daughters single-minded courage. As in 88, international reaction to the military crackdown has been hopelessly divided. Now as then, Western sanctions will be undermined by China and ASEAN. Myanmars neighbors are interested in stable markets, not democracy or human rights. And the Chinese need access to the Indian Ocean for their exports. As in 1988, far from establishing order and unity, the armys action coupled with its financial incompetence is wreaking havoc on the economy, which has already been battered by COVID-19. As in 1990 when elections were similarly overturned, the army is moving to destroy the NLD and may hold elections, while Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is serving her sentence on trumped-up charges. The military will be praying that a decapitated NLD boycotts the election as it did in 2010. As in the 1990s, with an ongoing crisis to contain at the center, the army may pursue a more conciliatory strategy in the wars with the ethnic insurgents. In places like Kachin State, where villages are regularly bombarded from the air, this will be welcome respite. But things are very different this time round. Myanmars Generation Z and the 88 Generation are worlds apart. This time round, millions of apps have been downloaded to circumvent social media restrictions. This time round, Myanmars youth, particularly the urban middle-classes, have tasted freedoms as the 88 generation never did. They have seen one free(ish) election and relative political liberalization and prosperity. For many theres no going back. Hearteningly, the young have united with the rest in demanding a new political order in which military participation in government is massively reduced or removed once and for all. Whatever the outcome of the current turmoil, the people of Myanmar have passed the point of no return. The debate has shifted. Putting the democratic genie back in the bottle will not be as easy as it was in 1988 when the army arrested, tortured and killed. Brutality worked back then. Now it doesnt. Todays protesters are in this for the long haul and digital demos are not just lengthy, they are persistent. And they deploy weapons the army is ill equipped to countersuch as humor. One placard which went viral read I will fight for democracy until Arsenal wins the Champions League. The struggle could indeed be lengthy! Generation Z is nimble, organizing demos on their mobiles. Confrontation lines are now on-line. Arresting anonymous internet group leaders is problematic. To make matters worse for the army, digitization ensures instant transparency. A massacre in Mandalay can be livestreamed in London. The army may not care, but unlike in 88, recording their atrocities has never been easier. Though these new tools are powerful drivers for civil disobedience and economically disempowering a kleptocratic military, much more is needed. And here the outside world must play a role. Old approaches by the international community should be scrapped. Governments should not get fixated on civilian-military relations, elections or even democracy. History has shown the outside world has almost no influence over this in Myanmarexcept to make things worse. Focussing pre-eminently on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has its limitations. She came to power on the back of oppressed people in 1988, but once in power, failed to speak out against oppression, even during the genocide against the Rohingya. Important as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be in any future political dispensation, there are 55 million people in Myanmar, each with a dignity and destiny that must be respected and nurtured. There must be a focus on poverty and economic rights. The number of people making less than US$2 a day (2,820 kyats) was at 63 per cent at the end of last yearan international disgrace. Social justice must be the objective of all diplomatic and humanitarian interventions, particularly in the periphery where the ethnic minorities have been deprived of peace in its fullest sense for far too long. On that basis Myanmar might begin to build the foundations of a new political dispensation instead of being trapped in the ruinous cycles of over half a century. Chris Gunness was a reporter at the BBC for 23 years and covered the 8888 uprising. In 2005, following the death of his partner he moved to the Middle East and worked as a Director of Communications for the United Nations for 15 years. He is now a podcaster and lives with his husband in London. You may also like these stories: Whos Culpable for Myanmars Coup? Power Grab Brings Myanmar to Standstill The Mekong Reports China Doesnt Want You to See The Telegraph The partner of Lord Ashcroft's son is in custody after a police officer was shot in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Andrew Ashcroft, whose father is Lord Ashcroft the former deputy chairman of the Conservative party was detained after police say she was found near where superintendent Henry Jemmott's body was discovered on Friday. Mr Jemmott, a father of five, was found floating in the sea next to a pier off the eastern coast of Belize after being shot. Investigators said his police-issued firearm was found on the pier. Police say the pair were alone together before he died. However, Marie Jemmott Tzul, the officers sister, told The Telegraph they were not having an affair. "There was no romantic relationship at all," she said. Mr Jemmotts family claimed that the post-mortem examination had ruled out an accident or suicide. But the police have not confirmed this claim and the results of the inquest are due to be released on Monday. In a major breakthrough, a terrorist was arrested at midnight in a joint operation of the Anantnag Police and the Samba Police from the outskirts of Jammu city. Anantnag Police arrested Zahoor Ahmad Rather, alias Khalid alias Sahil, a terrorist of TRF or The Resistance Front, a frontal name for Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, from Bari Brahmana in Samba district. The operation was assisted by Samba Police. Zahoor had killed three BJP workers in Vessu, Kulgam district last year and one policeman at Furrah in the same district. The terrorist is the second-in-command at TRF after Abbas Sheikh. Anantnag Police SSP Sandeep Chaudhary confirmed the development but refused to divulge further details. Anantnag Police would seek transit remand of Zahoor in a Jammu court on Saturday. Top sources in the security establishment suggest that terrorist Zahoor was in Samba to collect a weapons consignment which was to be routed via Pakistan through a drone. The international border in the Samba sector has been a major route for weapons dropping. With the arrest of Zahoor, a major terror conspiracy has been foiled by J&K Polices Anantnag team. Joint multiple-agency interrogation of the terrorist is underway in Jammu. Born in 1985, Zahoor was raised in South Kashmir and was a surrendered terrorist. Zahoor had received terror training by Hizbul Mujahideen in PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) around 2004 and later surrendered in 2006. In 2020, he again became active after joining Lashkar-e-Taibas TRF. Last week, Hidayatullah Malik, a categorised terrorist from Shopian district, had been caught in a joint operation led by Anantnag Police. Hidayatullah is the chief of Lashkar-e-Mustafa, a front for Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad in Kashmir valley. Hidayatullah was involved in making an explosive-laden vehicle last year which was intercepted by security forces. A major terror attack by a vehicle-borne IED blast was averted by the timely input and action of Pulwama Police, the CRPF and the Army on May 28 last year, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar had confirmed. The drone footage of how the bomb disposal squad exploded the vehicle after evacuating the area was released by J&K Police last year. The arrests of Hidayatullah and Zahoor have broken the backbone of Pakistans terror conspiracy in Jammu and Kashmir. Multiple raids are underway across Jammu and Kashmir based on their interrogation. Multiple-agency interrogation of Hidayatullah has also revealed startling details of a terror threat to Indias National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval. The interrogation of Jaish terrorist Hidayatullah Malik, who was arrested from Kunjwani, Jammu, has revealed that Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad was planning to target NSA Ajit Doval and his office at Sardar Patel Bhawan in New Delhi. Hidayatullah had conducted reconnaissance of the Sardar Patel Bhawan office in New Delhi in May 2019 and the video of the recce was transferred to his handlers in Pakistan. Security, meanwhile, has been beefed up at the office and residence of the NSA. CNN-News18 had first shared the details of the arrest of Hidayatullah by Anantnag Police last week after following him for three days. Hidayatullah is being probed in the Pulwama terror attack and related cases as well. The developments come on a day when Network18 travelled to Samba sector and spent considerable time along the India-Pakistan International Border. Network18 at Ground Zero On the eve of the second anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack in J&K, Network18 exclusively reported from the Samba sector, at the India-Pakistan international border, on the high-security grid and preparedness of the Border Security Force (BSF) to thwart nefarious designs of Pakistan. Contributing Editor Aditya Raj Kaul reports from Samba sector on the eve of Pulwama attack anniversary. Contributing Editor Aditya Raj Kaul travelled across several border outposts at the International Border where the BSF recently shot dead a Pakistani intruder and unearthed a tunnel, which was used by terrorists with support from Pakistani Rangers and the ISI to infiltrate into India. The intruder was killed at the Chak Faquira border outpost in the Samba sector, on the morning of February 8. On January 13, the BSF had unearthed a tunnel in Bobiyaan village along the International Border in Samba sector. Sources indicate it was earlier believed that terrorists were increasingly using a Nallah (riverine route) to infiltrate over the last few years, now there is a change in strategy with more use of underground tunnels for infiltration. Terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad have often used these tunnels to infiltrate terrorists into India in recent months. Months before the Pulwama terror attack shook India on February 14, 2019, in which 40 CRPF men were killed, Jaish-e Mohammad terrorist Ashaq Nengroo, according to sources within the National Investigation Agency (NIA), used his three trucks to ferry freshly infiltrated terrorists from Jammu border to the Kashmir valley. From October 2017 to September 2018, before fleeing to Pakistan, Ashaq transported 33 Jaish-e-Mohammad Pakistani terrorists from Jammu border to Kashmir valley in his trucks. Sources indicate that Ashaq fled India along with his family in December 2018 using one of the tunnels at the India-Pakistan International Border. The tunnel unearthed by the Border Security Force in Bobiyaan village along the International Border in Samba sector. Today, sitting at an undisclosed location in PoK, (Ashaq) Nengroo is actively working with JeM leadership and is instrumental in infiltration of several Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists through Jammu and Punjab borders along with arms and ammunition, reveals a senior investigator of the NIA investigating the case. Security top brass in New Delhi now believes that terrorist Ashaq Nengroo, who is well-versed with the Jammu and Punjab international borders, has been introduced to Khalistani groups by the Pakistan ISI to push arms and ammunition using drones through Jammu as well as the Punjab border. Intelligence agencies also believe that Pakistan is desperate to instigate and provoke internal violence in the Kashmir valley after it saw no negative response to Indias abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir. The Border Security Force (BSF) continues to use latest technology including thermal imagery to detect movement along the border. While memories of the Pulwama terror attack remain fresh, security forces including the BSF remain vigilant and more than prepared to tackle prevailing threats and terror conspiracy of the Pakistan deep state. Aditya Raj Kaul is Contributing Editor, News18 group with more than a decade long experience in covering Conflict, Foreign Policy and Internal Security. Germany will again set a record level of defence spending this year. According to information from the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, the German government has told NATO it will spend 53.03 billion in 2021. Actual military expenditure is thus far higher than the official defence budget of 46.93 billion passed in December. The massive escalation of military spending in recent yearsin 2014, the defence budget amounted to 32.4 billionis just the beginning. A position paper published on 9 February by the Defence Ministry, titled Thoughts on the Bundeswehr [Armed Forces] of the Future, shows what the ruling class is preparing behind the backs of the population: the biggest German arms offensive since Hitlers build-up of the Wehrmacht in the 1930s. The paper comes directly from the pens of Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) and the senior-most member of the military brass, Inspector General Eberhard Zorn. In several respects it is reminiscent of the megalomaniac plans of German imperialism in the first half of the 20th centurythreatening other powers, above all Russia and China. At its centre is the demand that Germany, given its geographical location and economic strength, must not only lead Europe but also play a central role worldwide, and that it must acquire the appropriate armed forces to do so. Kramp-Karrenbauer and Zorn (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Under the heading, Time for new thinking, it says, Now, in spring 2021, is the ideal moment to deepen the debate on our security and to push forward with decisions. In Germany, a new Bundestag [federal parliament] will be elected in September and in some places discussions on defence issues have already begun... Our focus is therefore on the tasks we must tackle today to safeguard Germanys security tomorrow; on the role Germany must assume in Europe and beyondand on the armed forces it needs for both. Preparing for war In the section, What this means for Germany, Kramp-Karrenbauer and Zorn bluntly state that the planned rearmament is in preparation for full-scale wars. Germany, they say, has a special duty towards Europes security because of its geographical position in the centre of Europe and its economic strength and must make a contribution to security and peace that is commensurate with its situation and capabilitiesincluding in the military sphere. The defence minister and Germanys top general then write: Germany bears responsibility for securing its own territorynational defenceas well as for the equally important task of defending the alliance. For both, credible military deterrence, and defence capability in all dimensionsland, air, sea, space and cyberare fundamental. ... The mission of national and alliance defence requires our soldiers to be ready and able to stand up in combat as well. It continues in this tone. To live up to its dual responsibility, Germany must have a broad mix of military capabilities. A broad military profile is not a luxury, but a strategic necessity. Without a Bundeswehr [Armed Forces] that can be deployed in a variety of ways, there can be no Europe capable of action. The section on Roles deals specifically with Germanys role in future conflicts and potentially wars of total annihilation. Due to its central location, Berlin, as a first responder, must be on the spot faster than anyone else in the event of crises, especially at the external borders of NATO and the EU. This applies to the Baltic as well as to the Balkans, to the Mediterranean as well as to the North and Baltic Seas. Further barely concealed threats of war against nuclear-armed Russia follow. As a hub in the Alliance, Germanys role in the centre of Europe is crucial for the mobility of allied forces. The Bundeswehr must, therefore provide infrastructure and logistics and make its contribution to coordination and protection so that operations can be carried out smoothly throughout the Alliance area. In addition, there is the role as a troop provider in international crisis management also beyond the territory of the Alliance, i.e., in neo-colonial wars of conquest in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Especially for this task ... specialised high-value capabilities are often needed, such as reconnaissance, air-refuelling and transport, electronic warfare or special forces. Militarisation at home Kramp-Karrenbauer and Zorn name the deployment of the army at home as another task of the Bundeswehr. Homeland security in peace as well as in crisis includes a strong reserve that is available in the event of a disaster to support the authorities in Germany, as well as an important force multiplier for the other roles mentioned. The WSWS has already described the planned voluntary military service in homeland security in an earlier article as an invitation to neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists to receive military training from the state in return for payment. The reactionary plans that the ruling class is pursuing with this are clear. In the Kaiserreich (Imperial Empire), the Weimar Republic and under the Nazis, military and fascist militias were used to crush social protests and revolutionary uprisings at home. As on the eve of the First and Second World Wars, the policy of war abroad is accompanied by the extensive militarisation of society at home. Zorn and Kramp-Karrenbauer announce that they will promote strategic capability and strategic culture in our country. Among other things, they plan the further development of the Federal Security Council into a National Security Council, the creation of a Federal Security Advisory Council, the establishment of a Security Week in the German Bundestag and a Federal Armed Forces Planning Act placing the financing of the armed forces on a solid, multi-year foundation, as in other countries, without restricting the financial sovereignty of the Bundestag. In several places, the paper calls for a massive increase in defence spending. At the same time, funds from other departments are to be tapped to finance the far-reaching rearmament and war plans. For example, Kramp-Karrenbauer and Zorn point out with particular emphasis that defence is a task for the entire state which cannot be reflected in the defence budget alonethe federal government is jointly responsible for the financing of major political projects. The states core task of security must be broadly supported. Immediate armament plans When it comes to the militarisation drive, it cannot move quickly enough for the ruling class. We now feel that in addition to capabilities and equipment, structures and command organisation must also be rapidly adapted to the situation, the paper says. Concerning national and alliance defence, the recent support provided by the Bundeswehr in the coronavirus pandemic clearly shows the weaknesses concerning territorial structures and command processes. In the very immediate term, it is a matter of further modernising the capabilities of the armed forces for all roles in our country and across the board, adapting them to technological change, filling the gaps in equipment and facilities, creating leaner, more functional, more resilient structures as well as shorter and thus faster processes in the military command structure, in the procurement and utilisation organisation and in the Ministry of Defence. In the coming weeks and months, numerous major projects worth billions are to be launched, and recruitment for the essentially fascist homeland security begun. By the end of March, a comprehensive evaluation of the issue of ground-based air defence will be available, by the end of the first quarter, along with the procurement proposal for the Eurodrone; and in the second quarter, the decision on the procurement of a heavy transport helicopter. Also, in April, the outlines for a modern and up-to-date homeland security will be presented; and in May, key points for the Bundeswehr of the future, i.e., concrete proposals for the further development of the armed forces concerning their capabilities, structures and operational readiness. Other issues not yet ready for decision would be prepared in such a way that they can be decided at the beginning of the new legislative period. Among other things, the Bundeswehr plans to press ahead with numerous major projects, including new tanks, warships, and the FCAS European combat aircraft system, whose implementation alone will consume several hundred billion euros. The Ministry of Defence and the Bundeswehr leadership can only push ahead so aggressively because they are supported by all the parties in the Bundestag, from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to the Left Party. Above all, the supposedly left opposition parties have made it clear time and again that they fully support the war course of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats in the grand coalition. For example, in their new party programme, the Greens plead for massive rearmament of European imperialism under German leadership, and in a recent paper, the Left Party also calls for the building of a European army and for the Bundeswehr to be armed to the teeth. Only the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) opposes the return of German militarism and fascism and arms the widespread opposition among workers and youth with a socialist programme. Our election appeal declares: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the great powers are preparing for new wars in order to pursue their economic interests... Millions are to die so that the German financial elite can pursue its imperialist interests with military force. We demand: An immediate end to all foreign interventions! Dissolution of NATO and the German armed forces! Billions for education and jobs instead of rearmament and war! Deputy Jennifer Whitmore has called for the national roll-out of local wastewater testing of Covid-19 across the country. Pilot testing is currently being done in Enniskerry and Bray. Wastewater surveillance involves the analysis of the presence of Covid-19 in samples collected at treatment plants. 'Wastewater testing, or surveillance as it's known, is taking place in other countries such as the UK, France, US and Australia, but is only at pilot stage here in Ireland,' said Deputy Whitmore. Scientists at UCD are testing wastewater samples collected from Ringsend in Dublin and treatment plants in Enniskerry and Bray. These samples are analysed by the National Virus Reference Laboratory, which is gathering data on the spread of new variants. The pilot has already been successful with levels of the virus detected at these plants closely matching the level in the community. Because it lasts for a number of days in wastewater without being infectious it's a useful way to determine infection rates. 'I questioned the Minister that since it's been so successful in other jurisdictions and this pilot project has been ongoing since June, why this screening has not been rolled out nationally?' said Deputy Whitmore. 'The Minister did inform me that the NPHET had recommended that local authorities test wastewater around the country to check for the presence of Covid-19,' she said. 'I have since urged the Minister to take on board NPHET's recommendation to roll this out and am awaiting a response. Expanding it out to allow authorities to screen check would indicate the status of Covid-19 in about 84 per cent of the population, leaving out only those living in homes serviced by their own septic tanks.' She said that other plants which service Wicklow and could be incorporated into the national scheme include Shanganagh treatment plan in Shankill. Deputy Whitmore said its inclusion would cover a larger population sample. 'Screening would allow local authorities to see trends in infection rates enabling them to focus their attention and resources on specific areas. It would also be very useful for detecting the levels of new variants in circulation. 'I am urging the government to start a national testing regime as quickly as possible. This provides a long-term, cost-effective, and highly efficient means of testing the country. If this monitoring data was partnered with a series of scenario-based plans that factored in responses to our health, education and business sectors, it would mean we were better prepared for many eventualities. We must not only think about how we are dealing with the current crisis but also how we might deal with future crises.' BSP backs government on Jammu and Kashmir Bill, lashes out at Congress India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 13: The Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday supported the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha and lashed out at the Congress for its opposition to the government's measures that it said are in "support" of the poor, Dalits and other deprived communities in the union territory. Its MP Malook Nagar said backward communities like Gujjar and Backarwal had been deprived of their rights in Jammu and Kashmir for long and are now getting their due, a reference to the Modi government's move to roll out reservation for them in line with the national quota after the erstwhile state's special status was revoked with the annulment of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019. Mayawati-led BSP had also backed the government on its move to abrogate Article 370. Her party is not part of the BJP-led alliance and had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the SP against the BJP. It has since nuanced its position. Participating in the discussion on the bill, Mr Nagar was spirited in support of the government and was equally strong in his criticism of the Congress, saying its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra eat meals in poor households but oppose the Centre's pro-poor policies. Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood at the right time: Amit Shah They are not opposing the government but the poor, he alleged. He also mocked Rahul Gandhi for his speech during a discussion on the Union budget, saying he delivered his address and then left as a professor does after giving a lecture to students. "We (BSP) are also in the opposition but are getting a bad name," he said, as the treasure benches repeatedly cheered at his remarks. What is the harm if good officers from other parts of the country serve Jammu and Kashmir, he asked, supporting the bill that seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of civil services officer with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. DMK's T Sumathy Thamizhachi Thangapandian opposed the bill and alleged that the government has imposed a host of "draconian" laws on the country. It is a serious blow to a state's rights, she asserted. BJP's Satya Pal Singh said the proposed law will help the Centre usher in all-round development of the union territory and push its full integration with the rest of the country. This will allow the government to punish those officers who do not act properly by transferring them outside. TMC's Saugata Roy opposed the bill, saying it is against the principles of the Constitution. It will also affect the career prospects of the J&K cadre officers, he said. He also spoke about the revocation of Article 370, wondering what it has brought to Jammu and Kashmir and noting that for the first time a state was reduced to the status of a union territory. Democratic rights of people were taken away, he said. YSR Congress' Chinta Anuradha supported the bill "wholeheartedly", and said it will allow the government to fill up the big deficiency of officers there and boost development activities. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 16:59 [IST] Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Thirteen people, mostly from Philadelphia, sentenced to life in prison will soon be freed to a Community Corrections Center, and then eventually, they will be paroled, according to Gov. Tom Wolf. After thoroughly reviewing each of the recommended clemency applicants, Wolf signed off on their commuted sentences Thursday. The Pennsylvania Board of Pardon, led by Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, recommended each of the 13 for approval. These 13 individuals have served time for their crimes and deserve now a second chance, Wolf said. They now have a chance to begin a life outside of prison that I hope is fulfilling for each of them. Commutations are different from pardons. Pardons are also approved by the governor and are considered state forgiveness of a crime. They are the first for people to petition their charging counties for expungement of their record, which is not automatic with a granted pardon in Pennsylvania. Fetterman chairs the five-person board that hears applications for pardons and commutations. The vote must be unanimous for a commutation of life sentences to pass the recommendations to the governor. Each of these Pennsylvanians is fully deserving of the chance to return to their families and start a new life, Fetterman said. The Board has recently implemented several changes to improve the clemency process in Pennsylvania, including rewriting the application to make it more user-friendly, reducing the required application fee to zero dollars, and expediting the application process for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses. A commutation of a life sentence means a reduction of the sentence to life on parole. These individuals will be released from prison with time served: George W. Burkhardt, 83, Lancaster, served 30 years for Murder 2, recommended in Dec. 2020 Daniel Cummings, 75, Philadelphia, served 38 years for Murder 1, recommended in Sept. 2020 Eric I. Eisen, 52, Allegheny, served 26 years for Murder 2, recommended in Dec. 2020 Reid Evans, 57, Philadelphia, served 39 years for Murder 2, recommended in Sept. 2020 Wyatt Evans, 58, Philadelphia, served 39 years for Murder 2, recommended in Sept. 2020 Charlie J. Goldblum, 71, Allegheny, served 42 years for Murder 1, recommended in Sept. 2019 Charles M. Haas, 72, Philadelphia, served 41 years for Murder 2, recommended in Dec. 2020 Dennis Horton, 51, Philadelphia, served 27 years for Murder 2, recommended in Dec. 2020 Lee A. Horton, 55, Philadelphia, served 27 years from Murder 2, recommended in Dec. 2020 Avis Lee, 59, Allegheny, served 40 years for Murder 2, recommended in Sept. 2020 Francisco Mojita, Sr.,58, Philadelphia, served 28 years for Murder 2, recommended in Sept. 2020 Mildred Strickland, 75, Philadelphia, served 31 years for Murder 1, recommended in Sept. 2020 Gregory Stover, 55, Philadelphia, served 32 years for Murder 1, recommended in Sept. 2020 The statement released by Wolfs office on Friday explained: Among them are two sets of Philadelphia brothers, who were sentenced to life in prison under separate second-degree murder cases. Reid Evans and Wyatt Evans have served nearly 40 years since their 1981 convictions. The brothers robbed a 68-year-old man at gunpoint and forced him out of his car, stealing the vehicle. The man later had a heart attack and died early the next day, making the robbery a murder under the felony murder law. Dennis Horton and Lee Horton have served 27 years for a 1993 robbery and fatal shooting that both men have maintained they didnt commit. Convinced they would be acquitted, they turned down plea deals for 5-10 years in prison. Found guilty; however, they have continued to proclaim their innocence while serving more than five times the minimum sentence they were offered. Also, among the cases are women, Avis Lee, 59, and Mildred Strickland, 75, who were both sentenced to life for murder in separate Philadelphia County cases. Read more from PennLive Pa. man convicted of killing in what prosecutor calls miscarriage of justice to be freed after 40 years Gov. Wolf proposes paying anyone wrongly convicted $50K for every year spent in prison To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. 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Green: Commerce Nominee Should Commit to Keeping Huawei on Blacklist President Joe Bidens nominee for commerce secretary should commit to keeping Chinas Huawei Technologies on a blacklist that blocks it from some activities in the United States, Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said. Green and other House Republicans urged the Senate to delay the confirmation of Gina Raimondo because she refused to say the Chinese maker of telecommunications gear would remain on the Department of Commerces Entity List, where it and 68 affiliate firms were placed during the Trump administration because of national security concerns. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) then placed a hold on the nomination over her reluctance to commit on the Huawei matter. I hope that Senator Cruz will hold on until they give, not assurances that theyre going to consider it, but assurances that they wont allow Huawei to be a part of those networks in the United States, Green said on NTDs The Nation Speaks. Thats really what we want to hear. And thats what the list does. The list has companies that basically cant do business in the United States and with other companies inside the United States, protecting our national security. Major companies based in China are tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and are compelled, even if executives resist, to share information with the regime. Huawei is not necessarily a state-owned enterprise, but the CCP passed a law, their national intelligence law in 2017, that requires every single company in China to share their data and their information, anything that relates to intelligence, which is defined by the CCP, with the government, with with the Communist Party. So that puts all of our data at risk, Green said. The Pentagon last year listed Huawei as one of 20 companies backed by the Chinese military. Huawei has big ambitions, particularly in the 5G arena. The company has tried to win or successfully won bids for contracts to build out networks for fifth-generation mobile technology in countries around the world, but its efforts have faced stiff opposition in the United States and other Western powers. Sweden, for instance, banned Huawei and China-based ZTE from bidding to build its 5G networks. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) (R) confers with an aide during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing in Washington on March 11, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Huawei has fought against the U.S. governments designations, filing lawsuits and alleging that the blacklisting affects its right to compete in a free market. Huawei last week sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its labeling of the company as a national security threat, alleging the commission exceeded its statutory authority, violating federal law and the U.S. Constitution. In its filing to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which was obtained by The Epoch Times, the company wrote, The order on review potentially impacts the financial interests of the telecommunications industry as a whole, including manufacturers, end-users, and service providers in a broad range of industries, such as internet, cellular and landline telephone, and similar telecommunications applications. The FCC told news outlets: Last year, the FCC issued a final designation identifying Huawei as a national security threat based on a substantial body of evidence developed by the FCC and numerous U.S. national security agencies. We will continue to defend that decision. Green said he hopes the judge hearing the case will dig into it and understand that threat thats there, and really understand what 5G is. It will allow information, the synchronization of information and data over the networks in an exponential fashion thats going to makeyou think about BeiDou, and the GPS system that the Chinese have set up, all of that information will go straight into those satellites, he said. Its going to be an incredible penetration into our data systems. And its justconsidering the risk with China and the CCPone we should not take. Masked burglars broke into the home of Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti last night before being disturbed by his daughter. The former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss, 61, was not home at the time of the break-in, at about 6.30pm last night. A safe was taken by the robbers, who were wearing black clothes and balaclavas. His daughter, Katia Ancelotti, is believed to have been in the Blundellsands home, Merseyside, at the time and disturbed the crooks. Carlo Ancelotti is not believed to have been home at the time of the incident but daughter Katia (pictured) was home alone Carlo Ancelotti, who has also managed the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea, has previously spoken of how much he enjoys living on Merseyside A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: 'We are appealing for information after a safe was stolen in a burglary in Crosby on Friday evening (12 February). 'We were called at 6.35pm to a report two males had entered a property on Hall Road East at around 6.30pm. 'The offenders were described as wearing black waterproof clothing, possibly with white writing on, and black balaclavas. His daughter Katia Ancelotti is said to have disturbed the pair who escaped with a safe 'The occupants of the house were unharmed. 'Officers attended and enquiries into the incident are ongoing. 'The property will be forensically examined and CCTV opportunities are being explored.' A string of players have been targeted by thieves over the years during their time on Merseyside. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was playing a Champions League tie against Marseille when masked raiders broke into his home. They threatened to take his kids when his wife, Alex Curran, confronted them. Ex-Reds striker Peter Crouch was targeted twice by burglars, in 2006 and 2011. And former Everton captain Phil Jagielka was held at knifepoint when a gang burst into his home in Cheshire. In a tweet, the PDP chief also alleged that the 16-year-old boy was hurriedly buried following an encounter in December last year and his father was booked under UAPA for demanding his body Srinagar: PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday claimed that she was placed under house arrest ahead of her visit to the family of Athar Mushtaq, one of the three alleged militants killed in an encounter in Parimpora locality in Srinagar in December last year. "Placed under house arrest as usual for trying to visit the family of Athar Mushtaq killed allegedly in a fake encounter. His father was booked under UAPA for demanding his dead body. This the normalcy GOI wants to showcase to the EU delegation visiting Kashmir (sic)," Mehbooba said on Twitter. She also uploaded a video of her interaction with her security staff at her 'Fairview' residence in the Gupkar area in Srinagar. Placed under house arrest as usual for trying to visit the family of Athar Mushtaq killed allegedly in a fake encounter. His father was booked under UAPA for demanding his dead body. This the normalcy GOI wants to showcase to the EU delegation visiting Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/xFkcqTGQyV Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 13, 2021 "This reign of suppression & terror in Kashmir is the unvarnished & unpalatable truth that GOI wants to hide from the rest of the country. A 16 year old is killed & then hurriedly buried denying his family the right & chance to perform his last rites (sic)," she said in another tweet. This reign of suppression & terror in Kashmir is the unvarnished & unpalatable truth that GOI wants to hide from the rest of the country. A 16 year old is killed & then hurriedly buried denying his family the right & chance to perform his last rites. pic.twitter.com/fLVzcqIiNb Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 13, 2021 In the video, when Mehbooba asks security officials why she was being stopped from visiting Pulwama, they tell her there is a security problem. The PDP chief said she was being stopped from visiting different areas of the Valley without being informed about the reasons. "Why am I not being allowed to go? Am I a prisoner, or a criminal? What is the reason? Show me the orders, the sections, under which I am being detained," she told the officials. Mehbooba claimed the gate of her house was locked and additional security forces were put outside it to stop her from leaving the residence. Referring to the upcoming visit of a delegation of the European Union, Mehbooba asked the officials how can the security forces secure them when they cannot provide security to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "When you cannot provide security to me, how are you going to secure the delegation?... Let you keep my security and allow me to go there without the security. You cannot keep the gates of my residence locked always," she says in the video. But people wanted to do more than read about satellites. They wanted to see satellites and so did Simpson. At 9:30 p.m. on May 15, 1958, Simpson and the operating technician stepped outside the Press Wireless building and looked at the night sky. Sputnik 3 was passing overhead, this version shaped like a capsule and about 11 feet long. It was visible for almost exactly 16 minutes; at its brightest was clear, like a bright star, Simpson told The Napa Register. It kept fading and brightening as it moved. Simpson found fault with how Sputnik 3 sent the L signal in international Morse code. He found significant variations in the length and spacing of all the dots. A grainy, 1960s black-and-white photograph shows the inside of Press Wireless. Simpson stands near a wall lined with metal equipment rising higher than him, back in the days before a computer could fit in a persons hand. Press Wireless came to an end in the Napa-Sonoma marshes in 1966 due to a merger. The equipment was moved to Belmont. Famed Wireless Center is Closing, said a headline in The Napa Register. The concrete building began a long decay. As decades wore on, many who went to the far-flung area and saw the structure didnt know its history. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has turned on Governor Andrew Cuomo over the 'very disturbing report' into the state's alleged nursing home deaths cover-up and has called for 'full accounting of what happened'. De Blasio insisted 'we've got to know more' about the state's 'very troubling' attempts to hide the true extent of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities when he called in to WNYC's The Brian Lehrer show Friday morning. Cuomo was accused this week of intentionally hiding the data on the number of nursing home residents who died from the virus in a damning report. The governor's top aide Melissa DeRosa made the bombshell confession in a call with Democratic state legislators Wednesday where she said officials 'froze' in August when then-President Donald Trump's Department of Justice asked for the data. DeRosa said on the call, first reported by the New York Post Thursday, the state had rebuffed the request. The shock revelation came just two weeks after New York Attorney General Letitia James' office announced that the state had undercounted the number of nursing home deaths by as much as 50 percent forcing officials to admit the true death toll was 12,743, rather than the 8,711 previously claimed. Bi-partisan lawmakers have slammed the Democratic governor since the call surfaced with a group of 14 Democratic senators calling for him to be stripped of his emergency powers while top Republicans are calling for him to resign or be impeached. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (left) has turned on Governor Andrew Cuomo (right) over the 'very disturbing report' into the state's alleged nursing home deaths cover-up and has called for 'full accounting of what happened' De Blasio, who is also a Democrat but has repeatedly clashed with Cuomo throughout the pandemic, joined officials Friday in condemning the alleged coverup. 'It's a really disturbing report. It's very troubling. We've got to know more. We now need a full accounting of what happened,' he told WNYC. 'Think about seniors, whose lives were in the balance and their families, you know, just desperate to get them the help they needed.' The mayor said there needed to be action to prevent a repeat of such a scandal. 'We need to know exactly what happened here. We need to make sure nothing like this ever happens again,' he said. De Blasio's calls for 'full accounting' comes as Cuomo is facing growing outrage from within his own party over the bombshell report. On Friday, 14 Democratic New York State Senators joined Republicans in calling for Cuomo's pandemic emergency powers to be rescinded. Emergency Medical Service workers unload a patient into their ambulance at the Cobble Hill Health Center in April. De Blasio insisted 'we've got to know more' about the state's 'very troubling' attempts to hide the data on WNYC's The Brian Lehrer show Friday morning 'Without exception, the New York State Constitution calls for the Legislature to govern as a co-equal branch of government,' they wrote. 'While COVID-19 has tested the limits of our people and the state - and early during the pandemic, required the government to restructure decision making to render rapid, necessary public health judgement - it is clear that the expanded emergency powers granted to the Governor are no longer appropriate. 'While the executive's authority to issue directives is set to expire April 30, we urge the Senate to advance and adopt a repeal as expeditiously as possible.' A conference is expected to be held to discuss the move. Cuomo was granted emergency powers by the state legislature in March 2020 giving him the authority to suspend laws or create new laws with immediate effect during the pandemic. As of last week, Cuomo has issued at least 94 executive orders throughout this time, according to WGRZ. Meanwhile, several Republicans have called for Cuomo to resign or be impeached and some are even demanding he face prosecution. Representative Lee Zeldin told Fox News Friday he believed Cuomo's actions amounted to obstruction of justice and demanded a federal investigation be launched. Melissa DeRosa (left) made the bombshell confession in a call with Democratic state legislators Wednesday where she said officials 'froze' in August when then-President Donald Trump's Department of Justice asked for the data Cuomo met with President Joe Biden and others at the White House on Friday. Pictured, left to right: Cuomo, Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden and Gov Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) On Friday, 14 Democratic New York State Senators joined Republicans in calling for Cuomo's pandemic emergency powers to be rescinded Cuomo's pandemic: A timeline of the governor's response to the COVID-19 crisis MARCH 1: Female nurse, 39, returning from Iran becomes the first in New York to test positive for COVID-19. MARCH 2: Cuomo gives the first of 111 consecutive daily televised briefings for New Yorkers MARCH 13: Donald Trump declares national emergency. MARCH 14: An 82-year-old woman with emphysema is announced as the first patient to die from the virus. MARCH 17: New York City mayor Bill de Blasio says city should follow San Francisco with a shelter-in-place order; Cuomo says it will be statewide: 'As a matter of fact, I'm going so far that I don't even think you can do a statewide policy.' MARCH 19: California Governor Gavin Newsom issues first statewide lockdown order MARCH 22: Cuomo signs statewide stay-at-home order. MARCH 25: Cuomo orders that nursing homes accept convalescent COVID patients back into their facilities. MAY 10: The nursing home ruling is reversed, to insist on a negative COVID test before return to a nursing home. By now, more than 9,000 people have returned to nursing homes. AUGUST: Questions begin to be asked about the nursing home policy. AUGUST 26: Department of Justice opens an investigation into New York's nursing homes and COVID policy. OCTOBER 13: Cuomo publishes American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic. OCTOBER 21: Cuomo announced a policy of isolating identified 'micro clusters' of COVID cases. NOVEMBER 20: Cuomo wins an Emmy 'in recognition of his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world'. JANUARY 28: Attorney General Letitia James released a report finding that New York under-reported the number of deaths among nursing home patients by around 50 per cent, with 15,000 actually dying - not the 8,500 reported. FEBRUARY 11: Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo's secretary, admits that in August they 'froze' when asked for nursing home data, and dragged their heels on releasing it. The AP reports that more than 9,000 people were returned to nursing homes to recover from COVID in the period March 25-May 10, a figure 40 per cent higher than the official tally. Advertisement 'I believe, and my colleagues in the New York congressional delegation believe and many others as well, that there should be a an investigation into this,' he said. 'There is an admission of what could be obstruction of justice.' Republican New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said it showed a 'stunning and criminal abuse of power' that should be prosecuted. DeRosa, aide to Cuomo, admitted in Wednesday's call that officials 'froze' and then hid the damning data on the number of COVID-19 nursing home deaths across the state. 'We were in a position where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation,' she said. Cuomo's office walked back her claims Friday morning with DeRosa saying the state was 'comprehensive and transparent' with the DOJ. 'I was explaining that when we received the DOJ inquiry, we needed to temporarily set aside the Legislature's request to deal with the federal request first,' she said. 'We informed the houses of this at the time. 'We were comprehensive and transparent in our responses to the DOJ, and then had to immediately focus our resources on the second wave and vaccine rollout.' She added: 'As I said on a call with legislators, we could not fulfill their request as quickly as anyone would have liked. 'But we are committed to being better partners going forward as we share the same goal of keeping New Yorkers as healthy as possible during the pandemic.' Cuomo has remained uncharacteristically quiet on the matter but was seen attending a meeting with Joe Biden and other leaders at the White House to discuss a coronavirus relief package. The governor, who won an Emmy for his coronavirus press briefings, has fallen from grace as new details continue to emerge about his handling of COVID-19 in the state's nursing homes. In January, New York AG James last month said the state had downplayed the number of deaths of nursing home residents by 50 percent. The death toll was actually 15,000, up from the 8,500 previously disclosed. The new figures mean around one-seventh of the state's entire nursing home population of 90,000 have been killed by the virus. The state's total death toll was unchanged following the revelation as the deaths had been counted in overall figures. The change in number was down to nursing home residents who had been transported to hospital where they then died not being counted in the nursing home death tally. When the true figures were reported, Cuomo tried to defend himself saying 'who cares' where they died. 'Died in a hospital, died in a nursing home - they died,' he said. 'But who cares? 33 [percent]. 28 [percent]. Died in a hospital. Died in a nursing home... They died.' Cuomo had issued a directive on March 25 ordering nursing homes to readmit COVID-positive patients because of a lack of space in hospitals. The move has been slammed for costing many lives given the elderly were especially vulnerable and that nursing homes were hotbeds for the virus. The ruling was reversed on May 10, barring nursing homes from accepting COVID-19 patients without a negative test first. On Thursday, as the bombshell Post report surfaced, the Associated Press revealed more than 9,056 patients had been sent back to nursing homes in the two months the directive was in place. This figure also marked a major difference - 40 percent higher - to the state's official count. Meanwhile, Cuomo wrote a memoir boasting about his leadership during the pandemic. Hospitalizations from the virus stood 6,888 Saturday and the seven-day positivity rate fell to 4.63 percent - the lowest since Christmas Day. Another 125 people died and 8,763 new cases were recorded. The state announced 11 new cases of the UK 'super-COVID' variant with eight in New York City, two in Suffolk County and one in Rockland County, taking its tally to 70 of the more contagious strain. In total, 37,009 New Yorkers have died since the pandemic first started ravaging the US. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 16:03:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- On the occasion of this year's Chinese Lunar New Year, or Year of the Ox, many leaders and dignitaries of foreign countries have extended greetings or congratulations, conveying their best wishes and positive expectations. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday wished the Chinese people a happy new year. "A happy new year to the government and the people of China. May this year bring health, happiness, prosperity and success to our friends in China, to the people of Zimbabwe and to humanity as a whole," Mnangagwa said. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on Friday sent his warm wishes to the Chinese people on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2021. "Wishing the people and government of China a happy Lunar New Year," the Ethiopian prime minister said, as he expressed his commitment to further strengthening China-Ethiopia ties. "Ethiopia will continue to build on its existing bilateral relations and cooperation with China in the Year of the Ox," Ahmed said in his message to the Chinese people and government via Twitter. With a video message and multilingual tweets, French President Emmanuel Macron has extended his greetings online to all people celebrating the Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year. On Thursday night, or the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, Macron extended his greeting in four tweets using French, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, saying "I extend my best wishes to all those celebrating the Lunar New Year, and wish everyone health, success and happiness!" On Friday morning, Macron shared a video on Twitter to "all our compatriots who celebrate the Lunar New Year," wishing that "the Year of the Ox (be) full of joy, hope and happiness." British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday sent his greetings in a video to people celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, wishing them "a happy and prosperous" Year of the Ox. In the one-minute video posted to his Twitter account, Johnson first sent his new year wishes and thanked the British Chinese community "for the incredible contribution you make to our country, consistently achieving so much in everything from education to business and medicine." Looking ahead to the Chinese New Year, he noted that Britain and China "have many shared challenges" from defeating COVID-19 to tackling climate change and supporting a worldwide economic recovery. Maltese President George Vella on Friday evening welcomed the Chinese New Year of the Ox and expected both countries would enhance bilateral cooperation in the new year. Addressing a ceremony on the occasion of the Chinese New Year, Vella thanked China for its contributions to the development of the Maltese economic, cultural and social objectives. Vella said that as the Year of the Ox brings prosperity and good health to all, both countries should be committed to resolute action and political will to ensure that no one is left behind. Argentine Foreign Minister Felipe Sola on Friday sent greetings to the Chinese people for the Chinese Lunar New Year. "Happy New Year to all the people of the People's Republic of China and in particular to the community living in Argentina. May the Year of the Ox bring prosperity to all," Sola tweeted. Enditem Greene King has renamed four of its pubs over fears the monikers had 'racist' connotations - sparking outrage on social media over the 'woke' move. Three pubs called The Black Boy - in Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury in Suffolk, and Shinfield in Berkshire - and another called The Black's Head in Wirksworth, Derbyshire were renamed following the controversy. They are now known as The West Gate, The Lady Elizabeth, The Shinfield Arms and The Quarryman, after online polls involving 7,000 people were enlisted to help decide the new titles. Managing director Wayne Shurvinton said there was a perception that the names were 'linked with racism,' the Telegraph reported, adding the change was essential for Greene King 'to become a truly anti-racist organisation'. Dr Halima Begum, chief executive of racial equality charity the Runnymede Trust, also welcomed the news, explaining the former names had been a reminder of a 'history of oppression'. However, the news was not met with enthusiasm by all - with some on social media slamming the decision as 'beyond ridiculous'. The Greene King has renamed three of its pubs called The Black Boy (one in Bury St Edmunds, pictured) over fears the name has 'racist' connotations Two pubs in Suffolk (The Black Boy in Shinfield, pictured) and another in Berkshire all called The Black Boy are set to get new names in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the pub chain revealed last month One user said: 'More wokey b*******.' Another added: 'Give me f***ing strength. I can suggest the replacement names. The Woke and the Broke.' Greene King vowed to rename the four pubs last month, after fears emerged that the monikers were racist in nature in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is understood there are around 70 pubs called The Black Boy or similar in the UK, and there is little agreement as to where the name comes from. Locals at the The Blacks Head in Wirksworth - now The Quarryman - have insisted the name came from a bottle of ginger beer, while those at The Black Boy in Shinfield relayed several additional theories. It was said the 16th century establishment, renamed The Shinfield Arms, could have adopted its name from soot-covered coal miners or a nickname given to King Charles II. The Bury St Edmunds' pub with the same former name dates back to 1683, and historians believe its current signage also references the former King - who was restored as the monarch in 1660 following the period of Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth. The Black Boy in Sudbury also dates back to the 1500s. Across Britain, there are at least 70 different pubs called The Black Boy, or similar The Blacks Head (pictured) in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, was also given a new name - despite locals insisting the name comes from a bottle of ginger beer The 17th century monarch is said to have been nicknamed 'Black Boy' by his mother, Henrietta Maria of France, due to his dark hair and complexion. The Black Boy in Sudbury also dates back to the 1500s. The divisive monikers recently came under fire from anti-racism campaigners amid protests by the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK. Greene King was also criticised last year for its links to slavery - with its owners pledging to make donations to 'benefit the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community'. The pub chain was founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene - who was one of 47,000 people who benefited from a policy of compensating slave owners when Britain abolished slavery in 1833. The news was not met with enthusiasm by all - with some on social media slamming the decision as 'beyond ridiculous' He received the equivalent of 500,000 in today's money after giving up his claim to three West Indies plantations. Greene King's chief executive Nick Mackenzie said the company would update its website - which does not mention its historical ties to slavery - and apologised for the company's role in the evil and inhumane practice. In January, managers of The Black Boy pubs who faced the name changes agreed that the move was the right one. Mark Eames, who runs The Black Boy in Bury St Edmunds, said: 'Now is the right time to make this change and I look forward to the new name continuing to reflect the heritage and history of this pub which has been a part of Bury St Edmunds for hundreds of years.' The possible royal origins of 'The Black Boy' pub name Across England and Wales there are at least 70 different pubs called 'The Black Boy', or similar. Though the name is thought to have a number of origins, including the soot darkened faces of chimney sweeps, it is often thought to be a reference to King Charles II. King Charles II The monarch, who ruled England, Scotland and Ireland from 1660 until his death, aged 54, in 1665, was nicknamed 'Black Boy' by his mother, Henrietta Maria of France, due to his dark hair and complexion. He was restored as the monarch in 1660 after his father Charles I was executed and the traditional monarchy system removed in 1649 in place of Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth following the English Civil War. Charles II's nickname was taken up by those who supported his attempts to restore the monarchy, who labelled themselves 'The Black Boys', and it is believed a number of pubs changed their name to The Black Boy as a show of allegiance. Other suggestions for the name's origins including the misspelling of a nautical navigation marker, a 'buoy'. Advertisement Katie Martin, of the Black Boy in Sudbury, said: 'I'm happy to work alongside Greene King to proactively eradicate racism. 'I'm keen to work with the people of Sudbury to choose a new name for this great pub and hotel that does not attract the same concern and questions as the current name. 'As a society, we need to work together to be fully inclusive in all aspects of life and business and I feel a change of name would help make sure everyone feels included and welcome when they visit my historical pub and hotel.' Greene King said that while the pub name The Black Boy exists throughout the country, 'there is not a consensus on its origins and many of those consulted felt the name to be offensive and discriminatory'. CEO Nick Mackenzie said: 'It is important to acknowledge our history but just as important to work proactively to eradicate racism in our society today. 'We have looked at pub deeds, consulted with colleagues and while the origins of this pub name is obscure what is clear is that there is a perception that it is linked with racism today and we want to make this positive change for the better. 'We know this is a decision that will attract a range of views and we're conscious of the history and heritage of pub names. 'We've thought long and hard and feel this is the right thing to do as it is incredibly important to us that our pubs are warm and welcoming places for everyone as we continue on our journey to become a truly anti-racist organisation. 'We're keen to involve local people in this project and look forward to working with them to choose a new and inclusive name for these pubs so they remain at the heart of communities.' It comes after packet rice brand Uncle Ben's, a staple in cupboards and larders across Britain, was last year set to be re-branded amid anti-racism protests. In a move they hope will 'help put an end to racial injustices', bosses behind the well-known brand said in June they plan to 'evolve' the visual identity of its products, which are sold in thousands of supermarkets and shops across the UK. Since 1946, Uncle Ben's products, including its much-loved microwave rice packets, have featured a picture of a well-dressed elderly African-American man - said to be based on a famous head waiter at a Chicago hotel. Meanwhile, Mars Inc, the company who own the brand, say the name Uncle Ben refers to an African-American rice-grower, famous for the quality of his rice. Elsewhere, bosses behind American syrup brand Aunt Jemima, which has in the past been available in UK supermarkets, also announced they would be changing the brand's packaging. Protesters march near the Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar on February 8, 2021. (Image: AP Photo) China and Russia, on February 12, pulled out from a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution regarding the situation in Myanmar due to the military coup. The resolution was approved by consensus during a special session in Geneva. It called for the release of detained persons including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. It also stressed on the need to refrain from stressed the need to refrain from violence and fully respect human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. Also Read: Myanmar coup | What does it mean for New Delhi, the neighbourhood and other questions answered However, the envoys of China and Russia said they were 'disassociating' from the resolution, reported news agency ANI. Earlier, UN Special Rapporteur Thomas Andrews had condemned the arbitrary detention of government officials and human rights leaders in Myanmar. Citing multiple reports and photographic evidence, Andrews also claimed that security forces have used live ammunition against protesters. Two weeks back, on February 1, Myanmar's democratically elected government was overthrown by a staged military coup. The military alleged voter fraud in the elections of November 2020, that saw the National League for Democracy (NLD) secure a resounding victory. On February 11, the US slapped sanctions on 10 current and former military officers and three entities in Myanmar who led the coup. Also Read: In geopolitical struggle over Myanmar, China has an edge Former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba, who is serving life term in Nagpur Central Prison for Maoist links, has tested positive for COVID-19. Saibaba was tested for coronavirus on Thursday after he complained of cold, cough and fever. His report came on Friday, The Indian Express quoted Jail Superintendent Anup Kumre as saying. "We have sent him to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for a check-up and once back in jail, we will treat him here in the jail itself like we have treated other inmates, Kumre said. Saibaba is wheelchair-bound with 90 per cent physical disabilities. In 2017, a court in Maharashtras Gadchiroli had convicted him and four others for Maoist links and indulging in activities amounting to waging war against the country. Since his conviction, Saibaba has been lodged in the Nagpur jail. ts not just routine check-ups that are stalled in some cases for up to two years Desperate people pulling out their own teeth, jagged molars rubbed down with nail files and dentists reluctantly agreeing to treat patients only if their pain is so unbearable they cannot eat or sleep. This is the bleak picture of NHS dentistry in 2021 as painted by Mail on Sunday readers, who report a service that seems to have all but collapsed under the lockdown restrictions imposed on it last year as Covid-19 ran riot, leaving tens of thousands of anxious patients without access to the care they need. A fortnight ago our resident GP, Dr Ellie Cannon, raised concerns, having heard worrying stories that many NHS dental clinics had virtually shut up shop. Originally forced to close early last year due to safety fears as dentists were at high risk of being exposed to Covid in the course of their duties many have struggled to fully reopen, leaving patients without desperately needed appointments. In response, hundreds of worried readers contacted us, complaining that it is almost impossible to get seen on the health service. And its not just routine check-ups that have stalled in some cases for up to two years. Patients left in pain and discomfort from broken teeth and fillings say they are also being denied urgent access and told they may have to wait many months still. Forced to close early last year due to safety fears as dentists were at high risk of being exposed to Covid in the course of their duties many clinics have struggled to fully reopen Fearful of further decay, or even dangerous gum infections, many say they are being forced to spend hundreds sometimes thousands of pounds on private treatment instead. Others accuse practices of refusing to carry out routine NHS checks but still offering expensive private appointments to jump the queue. One frustrated reader wrote: I have recently lost two pieces from teeth on either side of my mouth, but was told that unless I was in severe pain I could not visit the dentist. My usual NHS check-up was due last July, but each time I call Ive been told, ring again in the autumn, ring again at Christmas, ring again in the New Year and, finally, ring again in the spring. Another said: By the time surgeries open, I will have waited two years for a check-up. Lin Boyd, 70, from The Wirral, noticed she had a couple of broken fillings last year, and rang her NHS dentist for an appointment. I tried in May, June, July and August, and each time I was told they were seeing emergencies only and that my situation was not classed as an emergency. But I had broken fillings on the bottom left and top left of my mouth, so I couldnt eat properly. In the end, I was so worried about the teeth disintegrating and causing more serious problems that I paid 500 for private treatment. They told me it wasnt an emergency until I couldnt eat, sleep or cope In pain: But Ann Tilakawardane (pictured above) was told to buy a DIY filling repair kit As soon as she felt half a filled tooth crumble away in December, Ann Tilakawardane called her dentist for an appointment. It left a sharp, jagged tooth edge, so eating was very difficult, says Ann, 63, from Conwy in North Wales. And it hurt whenever I ate or drank anything hot or cold, as it was so sensitive. I was too scared to chew properly in case the whole thing fell out or got infected. But when I rang the surgery, I was told it wasnt an emergency unless I was in severe pain. I said it did hurt quite a lot but the dentist said, No it has to be so unbearable that you cannot eat, sleep or cope. On the dentists advice, Ann bought a DIY repair kit from a pharmacy, but the filling fell out after an hour. Her dentist, part of the MyDentist chain which is the largest provider of NHS dental services, gave her an appointment for a check-up next month but she is uncertain whether that will go ahead. She says: The annoying thing is, I keep getting text messages from them saying Your MyDentist is here for you when they are clearly not. Advertisement Many who contacted us were readers on pensions with little disposable income and heavily dependent on the NHS for dental care. My wife and I paid our taxes, said one, and now were being told to pay hundreds to get our teeth looked at we just cant afford it. Russell Evans, from Merthyr Tydfil, wrote: In June, one of my front teeth broke. I was not in pain, but had half a broken tooth left. I was not able to get an appointment unless I was in extreme pain. I am under a local NHS dentist. We are still being told, emergency appointments only. Childrens appointments, too, have been affected. Barbara Bell said: My daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren, aged ten and 14, live in Wadebridge, Cornwall. They were due to go for their six-month check-ups in March but they were cancelled, and they are now only doing emergency work so its 18 months since theyve been seen. Many said that prior to the pandemic theyd had excellent service from their local practice. However, some readers say theyve been unable even to register with a new practice. Brenda Clark wrote: I live in Norfolk and I cannot register at either of the two local dental surgeries. I have been told they have waiting lists of three years. How is this possible? Experts agree the crisis could set back Britains dental healthcare standards by years and, worse still, trigger a tsunami in cases of mouth cancer a disease thats often first spotted during check-ups. Last week, the independent body Healthwatch issued a damning report which laid bare the scale of the problem. It surveyed 1,129 people to gauge their experiences of using NHS dental services between October and December more than 70 per cent said they struggled to get any kind of appointment. Many said they had been told that dental pain was not considered an emergency. Others, after calling NHS 111 with severe pain and inflammation caused by gum infections, were given multiple courses of antibiotics from GPs, but never got to see an NHS dentist. In its report, Healthwatch said: Some people said they had called over 40 practices to find an NHS dentist, and pulled their own teeth out when they couldnt bear the pain. And when dentists couldnt offer an appointment, they advised people to buy dental repair kits to treat themselves. In one case, an individual was advised to use a nail file to deal with the sharp edges of a broken tooth. Healthwatch said patients are being told although NHS appointments are not available, they can be treated privately often by the same dentist. One person was offered a procedure for 1,700 which was 60 on the NHS, it added. Sir Robert Francis QC, chairman of Healthwatch England, said many NHS patients were suffering traumatic experiences. He added: NHS dentistry is being pushed to crisis point. We are hugely concerned that this will have detrimental effects to the nations health for years to come. Although we have to grapple with the pandemic, all efforts should be made to treat those in need of urgent care. The repercussions of this breakdown in services are already being seen, says the public health charity Oral Health Foundation. In a report released in December it said referrals from dentists to cancer specialists for cases of suspected mouth cancer have dropped by a third since the start of the pandemic. In the six months leading up to the lockdown in March, there were 2,257 referrals across seven NHS trusts in England. In the six months after lockdown, this plummeted to 1,506. Chief executive Dr Nigel Carter warned: We fear many mouth cancer cases will go undiagnosed. There is a real danger of more people losing their life to the disease. One worried dentist recently wrote in the British Dental Journal: Covid-19 could leave the profession with an oral cancer ticking time bomb. The independent body Healthwatch surveyed 1,129 people to gauge their experiences of using NHS dental services between October and December more than 70 per cent said they struggled to get any kind of appointment And dentist Dr Ben Atkins, a spokesman for the Oral Health Foundation, told The Mail on Sunday: There is a big worry we will see a surge in oral cancer cases down the line. We know there are cancer cases that would have been diagnosed [during check-ups] but have not because of the restrictions. But how exactly has the Covid pandemic brought the NHS dental service to its knees? During the first lockdown in March, all of the UKs 12,000 or so dental practices the vast majority of which provide a mixture of both NHS and private treatment were ordered to shut down routine care. A network of urgent dental care hubs was set up across the country to tackle emergency problems. In June, restrictions were relaxed and high-street practices allowed to resume face-to-face NHS and private care, but under tightly controlled conditions. These demanded that after many procedures, the treatment room be vacated for at least an hour, then cleaned thoroughly to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Only then could the next patient be admitted. DENTAL FACT Covid patients with gum disease are 3 times more likely to end up in intensive care than those without it, according to a recent study. Advertisement It drastically reduced the number of patients that dentists could see. The British Dental Association (BDA) estimates that more than 20 million NHS appointments were lost between March and November, creating an enormous backlog that, it says, will take years to clear. Its just not possible to see the same number of patients as pre-Covid-19, said Shawn Charlwood, chairman of the BDAs general dental practice committee. It varies from one practice to another, but if you are a small practice, with a tiny waiting room, its going to be a real problem. The BDA is adamant the vast majority of dentists have been working extremely hard to accommodate NHS patients needs. Its a view echoed by dentists who wrote to us. One insisted: We are striving to give our patients the service they deserve many of us are doing our best. Another wrote: I have gone from seeing 30-plus patients a day to just six. The majority of us are doing our best for our patients in difficult working conditions. But have some been exploiting the pandemic in order to pocket NHS cash without doing the work? Thats the shocking allegation put forward to this newspaper by two frontline dentists, who wanted to remain anonymous. Both say they know of dentists who have been abusing the system, taking money from the NHS but not seeing the number of NHS patients they agreed to under their health service contract. Each year, practices that do NHS work are issued with a contract by the Government detailing how much work it is prepared to pay them for. This is partly based on what those practices have done in previous years. Fearful of further decay, or even dangerous gum infections, many say they are being forced to spend hundreds sometimes thousands of pounds on private treatment instead (file photo) Clinics get set amounts, from about 25 for a routine examination to 75 for a filling, for instance. In normal circumstances, practices are paid a regular monthly amount to cover their NHS work throughout the year. If they dont complete all their contracted work, they pay back the money later, although this is rare. But during the first lockdown, when patient numbers slumped, the Government agreed to carry on paying practices in full every month as long as they managed to complete just 20 per cent of their normal NHS workload. It was an emergency measure to help dentists stay afloat during the crisis, but it is alleged that some practices did the bare minimum the agreed 20 per cent of NHS work and then concentrated on more lucrative private work. The NHS was very generous in subsidising the shortfall in revenue, one source told The Mail on Sunday. Only 20 per cent of usual activity had to be carried out in order to get 100 per cent remuneration. Many dentists did very little work, and I feel some were abusing the system. DENTAL FACT In the first lockdown a quarter of British households attempted DIY dentistry, such as trying to take out a tooth, a nationwide poll found. Advertisement Another dentist working across two practices said she had been inundated with new NHS patients in need of urgent treatment who had been fobbed off by their previous dentists. For some dentists, especially younger ones new to the industry, its all about the money, she said. So theyd rather see their private patients for pricey procedures than prioritise the NHS ones who need the care which is obviously completely unacceptable. As soon as dentists were able to open, my practice was one of just three in a 20-mile radius seeing a large number of NHS patients, which I found shocking. Now the Government has imposed tough new measures. In December it upped the target to 45 per cent of normal activity for the period January to March. Any dentists not hitting this target face paying back thousands of pounds of NHS cash. The BDA, with the backing of some MPs, wants the higher target scrapped, calling it unattainable, and insists it will force many innocent NHS practices to go under. It argues that practices contracted to do the most NHS work are most likely to lose out because Covid restrictions make it virtually impossible for them to see that proportion of their NHS patients. And the BDAs Shawn Charlwood warned the ruling could make it even harder for patients in pain to access urgent treatment, since the higher target is an incentive for dentists to take on easier procedures that take up less time. He said: Our research suggests that the vast majority of practices have been doing the right thing and delivering contracted care to NHS patients. But there will be outliers and we cannot defend their actions. An NHS spokesman said: Its right that the NHS has set targets that help patients see their dentist, with many practices already going well beyond the target set. It was just a touch a light one and it lasted for only a moment. I was a 13-year-old boy at the Rock Hill Boy Scout Camp. His name was Ray, and he was the camp medic. The older scouts called him 'Gay Ray,' and taunted and teased us about our inevitable encounter with him when the itch of the mosquito bites became too much to bear. It happened almost precisely like the older kids said it would. Covered in bites, I went to the Medical Cabin. He told me to take my clothes off. I complied. He looked at my body and examined the bites, just like they said he would. He began applying an ointment just like they said he would. I remember being paralyzed as his hands moved up my body and brushed over my penis. I remember all of this with perfect clarity up to the moment I was touched. The next part is fuzzier. I just know that I left. Then, I came back to camp, and I must have had a look on my face because I remember the laughing. The look on my face must have looked familiar to the other boys because it was the same one they must have had when they returned from Ray's exam. Camp continued, and I made sure never to return the Medical Cabin. When I got home, I told my parents. The adults huddled, and the collective decision they made was to deal with it internally. He wasn't turned into the police because the consensus of the adults was that dealing with law enforcement would be traumatic for all of the boys involved. In the end, we were told that Ray wouldn't return. I don't know what happened to him, and even when the day came that I had the power, money and ability to find out and do something to him, or about him, I chose not to. Something else happened in that cabin that day. The extroverted little boy who walked in died; an introverted boy with deep trust issues walked out. Before that day, I have no memory of ever feeling anger. After that day and despite the passage of so many years the anger has never left. It's always there; below the surface. It has risen up many times over the years. Later in life that anger would immolate my faith in the Catholic Church. My faith had been diminished to a flicker of flame by the time I served in the White House. I remember feeling like something that had anchored me was stolen. I felt lost in a strange way, though at the time, I would never have described myself as particularly religious. I reached out to see if I could get an audience with the man who had presided over my Confirmation at St. Luke's Church in North Plainfield, New Jersey. By this point, he was a Monsignor and the acting Auxiliary Bishop of the Metuchen Diocese. When I met with him in Washington, he was his Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick. Learning that the man I trusted to share my soul and the deepest memories of my violation was amongst the most prolific of the Catholic Church's sex criminals permanently shattered my faith and left me estranged from God. It has taken nearly 16 years since that betrayal to find faith again, which I have during the process of my conversion to Judaism. A touch on a table at age 13 that lasted seconds has been a defining event in my life. It never went away. That moment bequeathed me the three companions of my life that are always close and often present: anger, shame and depression. Depression has always been the companion I feared the most, and it something I was too ashamed to admit I was struggling with. I found help in a most unlikely place: Curtis Houck is a writer for NewsBusters. He attacks me and the Lincoln Project with fervor and glee, and yet one day he wrote bravely about his struggles with depression. When I read it, I felt like it was meant for me and I reached out to him to thank him. He saved my life and liberated me from a fear of seeking help. I will always be grateful for his courage and I am talking about my struggle in an open way for the first time because maybe it will be the case that I can help just one person understand what I couldnt until I was almost 50 years old. It wasnt my fault. I met a man for the first time in my life in late 2006. His name was John Weaver. I met him at a fundraiser for Arnold Schwarzenegger where John McCain was the headliner at the end of the 2006 campaign. I arrived at that event with Arnold and I left with McCain. Within months, under Weavers leadership the campaign had collapsed and was bankrupt. During all the time I worked for John McCain I never heard a single person ever whisper that John Weaver was a predator. I did not have a professional relationship with John Weaver again until December 2019. I have said on the record that I learned about John Weavers misconduct this past January. I know this is true, and I have certainty that the Lincoln Project independent investigation into John Weavers conduct will validate this. My purpose in writing this isn't to express what and when I knew about John Weaver, but how I feel about him, what he did and how many people he hurt. This is my truth. John Weaver has put me back into that faraway cabin with Ray, my Boy Scout leader. I am incandescently angry about it. I am angry because I know the damage that he caused to me, and I know the journey that lies ahead for every young man that trusted, feared and was abused by John Weaver. I know the shame, the guilt, the doubt, the depression and anger that lies ahead. I know John Weaver will be a life-long companion for them in the way that Ray has been for me. I detest John Weaver in a way I can't articulate. My heart breaks that young men felt unseen and unheard in an organization that I started. I am ashamed of it. I promise that we will release the full findings of what we discover through an independent investigation. There is another truth about John Weaver of which I must speak. Like all predators, he is a skilled liar, and like all predators, he left clues. I had the surreal experience in the last month of being grilled by a national newspaper about my knowledge of John Weavers misconduct. When I got off that call, I talked to another reporter from the same newspaper who said the newspaper has known for years. Since John Weavers misconduct was made public, I learned about another national reporter that was going to write about Weaver, but then was ultimately dissuaded to do so by Weaver because he had told the reporter that his cancer had returned, and he had just six months to live. I was asked by a reporter if I thought the heart attack he told us about was real. The truth is: I don't know. I responded by saying I don't know if he lives in Texas. I just know that he is a liar and a predator, and I wish our paths never crossed. Unfortunately, they did. I wish John Weaver was not a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, but as hard as I wish for that to be, I cant change that he was. I am enormously proud of the Lincoln Project and what we have accomplished to-date. I believe we built the most successful and politically lethal SuperPAC in history. We built a movement with millions of people, and we played a decisive role in Donald Trumps defeat. During these last weeks, I have been consumed by anger and rage as I have seen the attacks from the rancid collection of liars, thugs and fascists, including Donald Trump Jr. and Laura Ingraham, attack the Lincoln Project, my character and the character of my friends over John Weavers amoral predations. I am in a tough business, and I know what I signed up for. I am long past the moments of fear that gripped me when FBI agents showed up at my house to tell me I was on the hit list of the Trump bomber. The truth is that these attacks awakened all of my old companions at once shame, anger and depression. For those around me, it is the anger that has been most visible. For those who love me, it has been the depression. Either way, it has not brought out my best self. I am not the daily manager of the Lincoln Project, but I am the senior leader. As the senior leader, it is my responsibility to set an example and to assume accountability. I would like to apologize to Jennifer Horn. I let my anger turn a business dispute into a public war that has distracted from the fight against American fascism. Jennifer was an important and valuable member of our team. Truth be told, I didnt interact with Jennifer very often, but I always enjoyed the occasions when we did. She deserved better from me. She deserved a leader who could restrain his anger. I am sorry for my failure. Yesterday, I was shown correspondence between Jennifer Horn and Amanda Becker, a reporter at The 19th News. I was told it came from an anonymous source. That direct message should never have been made public. It is my job as the senior leader to accept responsibility for the tremendous misjudgment to release it. I apologize on behalf of the organization to both Jennifer Horn and Amanda Becker. I woke up this morning, and realized Ive been fighting for a long time. Its taken a toll. Im tired. Presently, the Lincoln Project board is made up of four middle-aged white men. That composition doesnt reflect our nation, nor our movement. I am resigning my seat on the Lincoln Project board to make room for the appointment of a female board member as the first step to reform and professionalize the Lincoln Project. The Lincoln Project was built to fight. It is my deepest hope that, despite the recent internal events that have distracted from our cause, you will entrust in us to continue to fight for what the entire Lincoln Project movement believes in: combatting the rising tide of fascism and authoritarianism in this country. We are one election away from seeing the end of American democracy. This fight will go on for the rest of my life. For me, its time to step back from the front to get healthy mentally, physically and spiritually. I look forward to being on Real Time with Bill Maher tonight on HBO, and then to taking some much-needed time off. Stay strong. There is much work to be done. Steve Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Protests against the February 1 military coup in Myanmar have continued with some of the largest taking place yesterdaya national holiday known as Union Day, which marks the countrys formal independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Along with students, professionals and civil servants, there are earlier reports of sections of workers, including railway workers, garment workers and copper miners, taking action against the junta. School teachers flash three-fingered salutes of defiance during a protest against the recent military coup in Yangon, Myanmar Thursday, Feb. 12, 2021 [AP Photo] The military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD), which overwhelmingly won the national election held last November, notwithstanding the militarys allegations of widespread irregularities. Military commander-in-chief, senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has been installed as the countrys leader, a state of emergency declared and top NLD figures detained. According to Reuters, hundreds of thousands took part in demonstrations on Friday in cities and towns throughout Myanmar. As well as the countrys biggest city of Yangon, demonstrations took place in the capital, Naypyitaw, which is an artificial creation of the military, the coastal town of Dawei, and Myitkyina, the state capital of Kachin in the north. The Guardian cited witnesses who reported that hundreds of separate marches, each with about 2,000 participants, took place in Yangon, converging on focal points such as Hledan, the Sule Pagoda and the Russian and Chinese embassies. It reported rallies in many other towns and cities including a boat protest at the tourist hotspot of Inle Lake in Shan state, and a march through the famous ancient temples of Bagan. Student unions from 18 universities across the country have targeted China, calling on President Xi Jinping not to recognise the new military regime. They said support for the military, which has had longstanding ties with Beijing, would do serious damage to Chinas reputation. Anti-coup protesters have gathered daily outside the Chinese embassy in Yangon, with thousands taking part yesterday. Amid threats that the regime could again cut access to the internet, nearly 2,000 social media users shared a notice threatening to destroy a segment of the China-Myanmar twin oil-and-gas pipeline in retaliation. The Irrawaddy reported that the pipeline was under heavy police guard in Thaungtha Township in the city of Mandalay on Friday morning. The Irrawaddy said copper miners at mines run by Chinese companies in collaboration with the military had ceased work as a part of a civil disobedience movement against the coup. By Monday, more than 2,000 miners from the Kyisintaung copper mines in Monwya District went on strike. The Letpadaung Taung copper mine, estimated to be the biggest in Southeast Asia, also stopped operations after thousands of workers had joined the disobedience movement by February 8. The military certainly has ties with China. But Suu Kyi and the NLD, which formed government in 2016, also turned toward Beijing amid growing international opposition to Suu Kyis defence of the militarys atrocities against the Muslim Rohingya minority. Now the NLD and its supporters are appealing to Washington and the West for support and sanctions on the military in a bid to force it to make concessions. Like every other country within the region, Myanmar is caught up in the aggressive US confrontation with China that began under Obama and accelerated under Trump. The military, facing a growing economic and social crisis at home, sought to mend ties with Washington by releasing Suu Kyi from house arrest in 2010 and holding limited elections. Obama visited the country in 2012. On Wednesday, President Biden, who was vice-president under Obama, announced sanctions on the military regime, blocking access to $1 billion in funds kept in the US, and he has threatened further penalties against military leaders and their families. Like other human rights campaigns, US opposition to the coup is not about defending democracy, but advancing US economic and geo-strategic aims. China is attempting to strengthen relations with Myanmar, which until 2010 was one of Beijings few close supporters, as well as being a source of raw materials and host to strategic pipeline and transit routes between the Indian Ocean and southern China. Beijing has refused to condemn the coup and, along with Russia, is opposing any significant action by the UN Security Council against the military regime. Other sections of workers have taken action against the junta. According to the New York Times, a stoppage of rail employees earlier in the week closed the Myanmar Railway, which under COVID-19 restrictions was being used by just a few thousand people near Yangon. There was no indication when it would reopen. Reuters yesterday spoke to Moe Sandar Myint, an organiser with the Federation of Garment Workers Myanmar, who pointed to the active involvement of garment workers in the protests and strikes. She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had been used as an excuse to suppress the demands of workers, who had flooded the streets to join the civil disobedience movement. Workers are ready for this fight. We know that the situation will only deteriorate under military dictatorship, so we will fight as one, united, until the end, she said. The junta is increasingly resorting to repression, with arrests taking part on a daily basis. According to the UN human rights office, more than 350 people have been arrested since the February 1 coup. A list published by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners includes more than 100 NLD leaders and senior members, student protesters and student union leaders, along with civil servants, doctors and teachers who joined the civil disobedience movement. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, 23 chairs of township and district election sub-commissions were arrested. Several police have been arrested for posting anti-coup messages on Facebook, and in one case making an anti-coup speech at a demonstration. Yesterday, the military announced the release of more than 23,000 prisoners under an amnesty to mark Union Day. The move, however, was part of ritual amnesties designed to boost the image of the regime. In April, the NLD government amnestied nearly 25,000 prisoners. Police are using more violent methods to try to break up demonstrations. Three people were wounded yesterday when police fired rubber bullets into a demonstration of tens of thousands in the southeastern city of Mawlamyine. Three got shotone woman in the womb, one man on his cheek and one man on his arm, Myanmar Red Cross official Kyaw Myint, who witnessed the clash, told Reuters. The UN rights investigator for Myanmar Thomas Andrews told a special session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that there were growing reports, photographic evidence that security forces have used live ammunition against protesters. On Tuesday, a 19-year-old woman, Mya Thwate Thwate Khing, was shot in the head and critically injured during a protest in Naypyitaw. She was not expected to survive. By Ben Klayman and David Shepardson DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The governor of Georgia on Friday called on President Joe Biden to overturn a trade ruling made against SK Innovation, saying the decision would hurt the electric vehicle battery maker's plant being built in the southern state. Governor Brian Kemp's request came two days after the U.S. International Trade Commission sided with LG Chem Ltd, which accused SK Innovation of misappropriating trade secrets related to EV battery technology. Biden has 60 days to overturn the ruling, which included a 10-year exclusion order prohibiting imports into the United States of some batteries. The move could effectively ban the company from supplying EV batteries in the United States unless the company can source all the needed materials there - a step analysts say is not feasible. "Unfortunately, the International Trade Commissions recent ruling puts SKs significant investment in 2,600 clean energy jobs and innovative manufacturing in peril during a pandemic," Kemp said in a statement. Kemp warned that the long-term prospects for SK Innovation's $2.6 billion battery plant in Jackson County, Georgia, would be "harmed significantly." The plant will eventually build batteries for Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. White House officials could not be reached to comment. SK officials declined to comment, but LG Chem called Georgia a victim of SK's actions. SK Innovation "can remedy this event by adequately compensating (LG Energy Solution) for their unlawful conduct," Song Jung, counsel for LG Chem unit LG Energy Solution (LGES), said in a statement. "LGES wants to work with Governor Kemp to help the plant and the workers, while upholding the rule of law. On Thursday, Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley publicly encouraged LG Chem and SK Innovation to reach a settlement. VW and Ford previously warned a U.S. legal dispute between South Korean battery makers could disrupt supplies of the key EV parts and cost U.S. jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Story continues The ITC sided with LG Chem, but permitted SK to import components for domestic production of lithium ion batteries for Ford's EV F-150 program for four years, and for Volkswagen of America's EVs for two years. SK Innovation said after the ruling that it regretted the decision but cited the 60-day presidential review period. Biden has made EVs and reducing vehicle emissions a top priority. (This story has been refiled to correct typo in company name to LG Chem, not LE Chem, in paragraph seven) (Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit and David Shepardson in Washintgon; Editing by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) Televangelist and "Ang Dating Daan" founder Bro. Eli Soriano has died, a statement from Members Church of God International confirmed on Thursday. He was 73. "It is with deep sadness, yet with full faith in the Almighty, that we announce the passing of our beloved and one and only Bro. Eliseo 'Eli' Soriano -- a faithful preacher, brother, father, and grandfather to many," the MCGI said. The religious organization, however, did not state Soriano's cause of death. Soriano was baptized in the former Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Support of the Truth in 1964 then headed by Bro. Nicolas Perez. He took over the leadership of the organization in 1977 and renamed the religious group as MCGI in 1980. It was also in 1980 when Soriano established "Ang Dating Daan," a radio program used to preach the gospel. It migrated into a television show in 1983. Aside from "Ang Dating Daan," Soriano also hosted other religious programs like "Itanong Mo Kay Soriano" and "Truth In Focus." These gospel-preaching shows air at UNTV channel, managed by broadcaster and his nephew Daniel Razon. The fifth session of the 17th Lok Sabha continued for 12 days, where the presidential address took place on January 29 and the Union Budget was presented on February 1. While the government and the opposition sparred over the contentious agricultural laws, almost the entire of last week was lost due to the opposition's agitation on the floor of the House. What really stood out in this session of the Parliament was the issue of the breach of privilege motion. As many as 13 breach of privilege motion notices were submitted by members of Parliament, and the same are being examined by the Lok Sabha Speaker. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) BJP Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey submitted three out of the 13 privilege motion notices. Dubey submitted a notice against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra for her comments against former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and said, "Despite the fact that the remarks were expunged from the record, it continued to be put on social media and was published by a daily. Thus, I demand action should be taken against the said member and her membership be terminated." "The matter should be referred to the committee of privileges under rule 227 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in Lok Sabha for examination investigation and report," he added. Dubey has moved one against Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary for his comments against Veer Savarkar and Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Chowdhury reportedly was unable to substantiate his charges against the two. The BJP MP also move a notice against Rahul Gandhi for insulting the Chair and asking for two minutes of silence for the farmers who had died during the protest. A similar notice against Rahul Gandhi was also put in place by BJP MP and party chief whip Rakesh Singh, Rajendra Agarwal and Bihar MP Dr Sanjay Jaiswal. BJP's Ajay Mishra also submitted a notice against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, citing violation of Parliamentary norms. Former Union Minister for Law and Justice PP Chaudhary also moved privilege notices against Mahua Moitra and Chowdhury. While speaking in Parliament, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had called Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg "persona non grata". Chaudhary had said that India has good diplomatic relations with Sweden and that the Congress MP's comment would tarnish the image of that country. Congress MP from Kerala Hibi Eden sought a privilege motion notice for not being invited to a government program which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend on February 14. In his notice, Eden asked why despite being a local MP he was not invited to be present on the dais, and MoS External Affairs V Muraleedharan, who is Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, was asked to be present instead. Another Congress MP TN Prathapan moved a privilege motion notice against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for calling Rahul Gandhi 'doomsday man' during her reply to the Budget discussion on Saturday. Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP NK Premachandran moved a notice against Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar saying that the amendments offered by the government to farmers were the same amendments rejected by Parliament, thus making it a gross violation. Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal also submitted a breach of privilege motion notice for being attacked in Punjab while he was canvassing for his party. Stones were pelted at Badal's car in Jalalabad, and people armed with sticks gheraoed him. The former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab alleged that the Congress had a hand in the breach of security, despite him being a high risk security protectee. Responding to the notices, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, "The privilege committee will examine the notices and on the basis of the rules and procedures of the Parliament appropriate action will be taken." Coronation Street star Vicky Entwistle has confessed she quit the soap after struggling with the fame that came from playing Janice Battersby. The actress, who left the soap in 2011, confessed she 'wasn't prepared' for the attention she received from playing the role and was left shaken by a terrifying experience with a fan. Vicky told The Mirror: 'I wasn't prepared for the attention. It was like being dropped in the sea when you can't really swim. By the time I left, I was desperate to find some peace.' The price of fame: Coronation Street star Vicky Entwistle, 52, confessed she wasn't ready for the attention she received playing spunky Janice Battersby for 14 years on the soap She added: 'It was a brilliant job in so many ways but by the end, it was hard to know where Janice ended and I began. 'She was so feisty, it became physically exhausting to play her hours on end shouting and screaming at people.' Vicky began to worry she could no longer tell where her iconic character ended and she began after she started adopting some of Janice's loud-mouthed traits. Calling it quits: The actress, who quit the soap in 2011, said the sudden fame felt 'like being dropped in the sea when you can't really swim' Fired up: The soap star, pictured with co-star Jane Danson, admitted playing the feisty character drained her energy and she'd have to find somewhere to calm down She was also disturbed by the 'scary' behaviour of some of the 25 million people who watched the long-running series. One night, she recalled, a group of men picked her up in Manchester and carried her into a bar. So the 'exhausted' actress made the difficult decision 10 years ago to turn her back on Corrie Street for a quieter life with set designer husband Andy Chapman. Scary stuff: Vicky was also disturbed by the behaviour of some of the show's fans, like a group of men who picked her up and carried her into a Manchester bar Notorious: Vicky made an explosive debut as a member of the Battersby's, alongside husband Les (Bruce Jones) and daughters Toyah (Georgia Taylor) and Leanne (Jane Danson) Janice made an explosive arrival on Coronation Street after arriving with husband Les, their daughter Toyah (Georgia Taylor) and Les' daughter Leanne (Jane Danson), the two latter of which still appear on the show. Never far from a quick moneymaking scheme, Janice was embroiled in numerous plots throughout her time on the cobbles, including an attempt to steal 25,000 for herself out of an Underworld lottery syndicate. The Lancashire native hasn't completely left the small screen, appearing in Celebrity Big Brother and its Bit on the Side spin-off in 2013. She's also had guest spots on Father Brown, Ackley Bridge and Holby City, and treaded the boards at the Octagon Theatre as Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest. NEW YORK MILLS, N.Y. -- Police boundaries between New York Mills and Yorkville are no more. On Wednesday the two villages signed an agreement allowing the police departments to patrol in each other's villages. Meaning the departments can make arrests, write tickets, and provide assistance. "This gives us the ability to make arrests write traffic tickets. Say we're on our way from assisting Yorkville on Oriskany Blvd. We can then write a traffic ticket if we see a violation in the village of Yorkville. If Yorkville sees a violation they now have the ability to write a traffic ticket in New York Mills," said New York Mills Police Chief Robert Frankland. Officials from both municipalities said it would also increase response times by at least three minutes. Normally when one of the villages calls for assistance on a call, they have to wait for state or county law enforcement to arrive. The agreement now allows village police to respond to help out their neighbors. "The mayor's got together and discussed it back in December. The proposal was given to myself and the village board. As we looked it over they asked for my opinion and to me, it was a no-brainer. When someone is asking for help, would you rather have the neighbor help you or someone who's over a block away," said Patrick Collea, officer in charge, Yorkville Police Department. This agreement also comes at no cost taxpayers. New York Mills Mayor Ernie Talerico hopes this agreement will save money, saying "There's not going to be anymore incurred costs. We're hoping in the future that this will reduce costs because there will be more of a police presence. And hopefully, with a more police presence there will be less crime which will be reduced costs." As is usual at tax year-end, investors are rushing to venture capital trusts to invest in some of the UK's best up-and-coming businesses. The total amount raised by VCTs this tax year so far stands at 360million, a 1.2 per cent increase compared to this point last year, and that's despite the backdrop of Covid-19. According to Wealth Club, a tax-efficient investing options platform, last week saw the highest inflow into VCTs of the tax year so far, with 33.5million raised. For comparison, the equivalent week in 2020 saw only 19million raised. There is still time to invest in some VCTs but many are quickly selling out - so be quick! Alex Davies, chief executive of Wealth Club, said: 'VCT demand has been buoyant this tax year and with less than two months to the end of it, sales should beat those in 2019/2020 overall. 'Demand has been driven by a few factors. Firstly, the investment case is much better than it ever was. 'Thanks to rule changes a few years ago, VCTs are now packed full of fast-growing tech-enabled businesses, the type that have seen their fortunes prosper rather than diminish as a result of the pandemic. 'Secondly, for wealthier investors there are now fewer ways to build up a decent retirement pot. Pensions are out of the window for many, investing in buy-to-let has become less tax efficient, and taxes on dividends are also higher. VCTs are an obvious next choice.' There is also speculation that taxes will increase in the March Budget and so investors with extra cash are rushing into legitimate tax efficient options while they can. While some VCTs have already sold out, including the Octopus AIM and Amati AIM vehicles, there are still plenty available. But capacities are filling up quick so if you're considering investing, you need to act quick. Here's everything you need to know. What is a venture capital trust? A VCT is a listed company whose shares trade on the London stock market, like an investment trust. Also like an investment trust or fund, a VCT invests in companies, though they are typically very small or start-ups that are looking for investment to help them grow. There are very strict rules on how VCTs can invest: for example, they can only hold companies that have objectives to grow and develop. There should also be a significant risk of loss of capital, after allowing for tax relief, to prevent an emphasis on capital preservation. VCTs are a good option for investors who would like to get tax relief by investing in higher risk funds but who also understand they might get back less than they invested and are comfortable with that risk. Alex Davies is chief executive of Wealth Club This means they are usually better suited to higher net worth individuals or those with a bit of extra cash rather than those hoping for steady and stable returns. They are also a good option for investors interested in small firms that are not listed on the stock market. While there is high risk, there is also the potential for really great returns if the company goes on to be a success. How does the tax relief work? The government offers VCT investors generous tax relief. Investors can receive up to 30 per cent income tax relief on the initial investment. This could be as much as 60,000 income tax relief on the full VCT allowance of 200,000. Furthermore, any dividends and capital gains (though these are not guaranteed) are tax free. Investors can sell their stake in a VCT after the five-year minimum holding period, reinvest the proceeds in another VCT and receive a further 30 per cent income tax relief. Davies said: 'With a more punitive taxation environment on the horizon for wealthy investors, VCTs stand out as one of the last bastions of tax efficiency. 'And if things go right, it supercharges those returns. For example, if you had invested in the Unicorn AIM VCT, the best performing VCT over the past 10 years, your return excluding tax relief would be 2.75 times your money assuming you reinvested the dividends. 'If you include the initial tax relief on the investments and the tax relief on dividend reinvestment your effective return would be 5.38 times.' VCT managers often announce their open offers from September onwards when investors are most likely to be considering their tax positions, but if they have not sold out, will usually stay open until the end of the tax year. While there is no 'right' time to invest in a VCT, some investors will leave it till the end of the tax year when they know what 'extra' cash they might have. However, they may also find that the VCTs they wanted to buy are no longer open. Davies said this is expected to be even more of problem than usual this year as some of the bigger names such as Mobeus and Northern are not raising, while the largest VCT, Octopus Titan is looking to raise up to 120million (including over-allotment), which is down from 170million last tax year. Here are the VCTs listed on Wealth Club, most of which are still available but investors must be quick. WHICH VENTURE CAPITAL TRUSTS CAN YOU STILL INVEST IN? VCT Offer Sector Raised this year (m) Capacity available (m) Share price total return 5yrs (%) Octopus Titan Generalist 81 39.0* 18.30 Baronsmead Generalist 52.3 7.7* 27.40 Albion Generalist 42.5 2.5* 38.80 Octopus AIM AIM 30 SOLD OUT 66.40 Hargreave Hale AIM AIM 26.5 3.5* 80.00 ProVen Generalist 25.6 14.4 26.50 Octopus Apollo Generalist 21.9 3.1 17.50 Amati AIM (over-allotment) AIM 19 SOLD OUT 152.00 Amati AIM (top-up) AIM Coming soon 7 N/A Maven VCTs 1 & 5 Generalist 16.9 23.1* 14.70/33.00 Unicorn AIM AIM 11 4 81.90 British Smaller Companies Generalist 7.8 6.3 42.70 Pembroke Generalist 7.1 12.9 31.30 Triple Point 2011 Generalist 4 6 N/A Downing ONE Generalist 3.8 11.2 -14.00 Puma Alpha Generalist 3.1 16.9 N/A Puma 13 Generalist 2.8 4.7 N/A Blackfinch Spring Generalist 2.2 17.8 N/A Calculus Generalist 2.1 7.9 N/A Seneca Growth Capital Generalist 1.9 8.1 56.10 Foresight Solar & Technology Generalist 0.5 19.5 -10.80 Source: Wealth Club. Figures as at 9 February. (SPTR data from AIC as at 11 February) Which VCT should you invest in? While the choice isn't as vast as general investment funds or trusts, there are still plenty of VCTs to choose from. The three most popular funds so far this tax year have been Octopus Titan (raising 81million), Baronsmead (52.3million) and Albion (42.5million). All three are very well known VCT names that have been around for a long time. They all have a diverse range of holdings, and a good mix of younger and more established businesses and good long-term performance. Also like general funds and trusts, VCTs will have differing strategies. For example, the 117million Pembroke VCT has a founder led one, and only invests in companies run by 'exceptional founders'. Andrew Wolfson is chief executive of Pembroke VCT, which invests in companies focused on education, wellness, food and beverage, digital services and design and media Chief executive Andrew Wolfson said the team applies a 'stepping stone' principle where investment continues at various stages of its growth. He said: 'We encourage founders to focus on the next 12-18 months rather than try and forecast five years out. There are no restrictions on how long a VCT can hold shares in an underlying portfolio company.' Pembroke's focus includes education, wellness, food and beverage, digital services, design and media and currently has access to a maturing portfolio of 37 growth stage companies. What types of smaller companies will you be helping? The exciting thing about investing via a venture capital trust is the range of businesses you could be a part of, and potentially make a real difference in. Some of the small businesses that This is Money has profiled received funding via VCT money including Elvie, which landed the largest femtech investment in 2019 after closing a 33.2million series B funding round, led by private equity firm IPGL and supported by Octopus Ventures and Impact Ventures. The Seneca Capital Growth VCT has achieved exceptional results with some of its past holdings including Gear4Music, which it invested in in June 2015 and exited in 2018 at a 7.4 times return (net of tax reliefs) for investors. In terms of current holdings, the Seneca team is especially excited about Silkfred and Skinbiotherapeutics. Seneca's John Davies is excited about current holdings Silkfred and SkinBio Therapeutics Silkfred is an online marketplace for independent ladies fashion brands, founded in 2011. It now works with over 900 brands and sells to more than one million customers. Investment director, John Davies, said: 'Silkfred has shown impressive growth throughout its existence and as a result of its operating model, the business itself takes minimal inventory/working capital risk on new brands, lines or products. This aspect of the business model has proved invaluable during the Covid pandemic and enforced lockdown in the UK and it is arguably better placed than ever before.' SkinBioTherapeutics is a life science company focused on skin health. The companys proprietary platform technology, SkinBiotix applies research discoveries made on the activities of lysates derived from probiotic bacteria when applied to the skin. Davies added: 'The company has shown that the platform can improve the barrier effect of skin models, protect skin models from infection and repair skin models while proof of principle studies have shown it has beneficial attributes applicable to each of these areas. 'It is delivering on all fronts as it seeks to commercialise the numerous opportunities across its asset base. This progress and optimism has been reflected in Skinbios share price, thats currently trading at over two times our entry value.' How has the pandemic impacted the VCT sector? Despite the pandemic and knock-on effect on economies and markets across the globe, the UK VCT sector has held up particularly well. Of course, certain sectors have been more impacted than others, but the outlook for other areas is extremely positive. Pembroke's Wolfson said: 'Most of our portfolio companies are still flourishing and, in many cases, exceeding expectations. 'Pembrokes deal flow has never been stronger despite the backdrop of an uncertain macroeconomic environment and we are seeing more young people than ever before choosing entrepreneurship as career. 'Many of our portfolio companies that initially suffered significant headwinds in the face of the pandemic, were able to innovate and pivot their business models. 'One example of this is Sourced Market, who had to close their central London locations but now operate in the premium service station sector and will continue their roll out through travel hubs.' Meanwhile, Jo Oliver, manager of Octopus Titan VCT, is most excited about the health, money, consumer, and deep tech sectors. 'There is massive innovation going on wherever you look,' he said. 'Adoption of digital health was already growing before the pandemic, but that has accelerated rapidly in the past 12 months due to Covid-19 and this will undoubtedly continue. 'E-commerce is another area thats booming as people adjust their shopping habits and spend more online, with some sectors experiencing a decade of growth in a few months. 'This has already benefitted some of our existing portfolio, such as Depop, the fashion marketplace app, and Patch, the online plant delivery service, but it also opens lots of doors for the types of e-commerce businesses we are looking to invest in.' What is the future of VCTs? With the Budget less than a month away, after one of the most challenging years in British history alongside rumours of an increase in taxes, many will be waiting with bated breath for what Chancellor Rishi Sunak has to say. Seneca's Davies said: 'Much will depend on the March Budget and how the Chancellor elects to deal with the repayment of financial support measures provided through the pandemic. 'With private sector capital most likely to be the key to recovery it appears unlikely that there will be any adverse changes to VCT rules. If general tax rates do change then arguably VCTs become even more attractive. 'The real wish list is that the Chancellor widens the scope of VCTs to include more businesses who have a genuine need for growth capital. But as long-time providers of capital to growing businesses, VCTs have a huge part to play going forward.' While the pandemic has sadly seen the permanent closure of many businesses, it has also seen the creation of many others, as budding entrepreneurs are coming up with ideas to adhere to a new way of living. This is Money has showcased a raft of new brands born in the past year from a platform selling DIY meal kits to a gift box especially for furloughed workers and a wine bottle designed for socially distanced drinking in the park. This shows the economy is continuing to fight through the difficulties and the UK remains and powerhouse of entrepreneurship. Wolfson said: 'The Government recognises that small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy, and VCT and EIS managers are key to creating and nurturing this start-up culture. 'Businesses which have strong leadership can navigate through the crisis. Entrepreneurs tend to be problem-solvers with high levels of resilience and a positive attitude.' Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Credit: CC0 Public Domain For some, it represents the chance to be reunited with grandchildren. For others, the first step on the long journey back to normal, knowing they'll soon be protected against COVID-19. Retail pharmacies across the United States on Friday began administering a million vaccine doses sent to them by the government of President Joe Biden, the latest sign the country's immunization campaign is gathering pace. On a bitterly cold day in Bethesda, just outside the capital Washington, a steady stream of elderly people arrived for their first dose of Moderna's two-shot course at their local CVS pharmacy. "This is wonderful, it's really convenient," said Ted Pochter, 76. His wife, Liz Pochter, added their daughter had signed them up online the day before at 6:30 am. "I was trying to get on my phone and it was already full, but she was on the computer and did it," said the 67-year-old who works for the National Gallery of Art. "It did hurt a little bit," she said of the jab, laughing. Some 6,500 drugstores and supermarket pharmacies have started administering their first doses under a federal partnership, and the program is set to expand to 40,000 outlets. It's seen as a way to reduce the burden on state health departments while making it more convenient for people already used to getting their flu shots at places like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens. After a fitful start, the US vaccination rate is ticking up, and 35.8 million people have now had at least one dose, about 10 percent of the population. Help from kids Like the Pochters, Tahmineh Mirmirani needed her son's assistance to get on the web and book her appointment early on Thursday. Now, the 81-year-old, who once worked as a journalist in her native Iran, said she looks forward to soon seeing her grandchildren. Lee, a 72-year-old retiree who gave only his first name, said he was happy to get his vaccine after trying for weeks. "We've registered everywhere we can, in the county and in the state." But his relief was dampened by the fact that his wife, who accompanied him, couldn't get her vaccine Friday and the couple would have to return Monday for her appointment. "We have a graduating grandchild, who's a graduating senior. And we would like to be able to go to the graduation," he said, if it does take place. "We're hoping that summer brings better results with COVID and with the vaccine. I hope that they're able to vaccinate a lot of people between now and then." Frustrations Many others have found navigating the vaccination sign-up system frustrating. Faye Elkins, 74, said she spent Thursday lining up to get a vaccination at a local high school, only to be told they were available only for over-75s, not over-65s, as advertised. "We were turned away, along with many other people, some of whom waited in line for up to three hours in the cold," she said. Elkins and her husband Jim Barnett said they hadn't managed to get an appointment at CVS despite their best efforts, but were there to try their luck in case someone canceled. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Some of those behind the anti-NI Protocol posters and banners which have sprung up in loyalist areas insist there are no paramilitary links to the campaign. A banner was erected on the Shore Road in north Belfast this week, while placards have gone up in Lurgan, Larne, Markethill and Tandragee. Some state the 'loyalist' town or village will never accept the Irish Sea border; others target Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Taoiseach Micheal Martin; and some say 'the deal's off', as the Good Friday Agreement has been 'broken'. A placard in Lurgan depicts a female holding a rifle with a Union flag background and the message 'Ulster 1912-2021? Deserted. Well - I can stand alone. Time to decide!' Under the UK's Brexit agreement with the EU, the protocol has led to checks on goods coming from Britain into our ports, creating a de facto Irish Sea border, something that has angered unionists and loyalists. Nationalists have condemned the posters, describing them as "sinister" and saying they promote the use of the gun. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, a number of those involved in the erection of placards said the campaign rose "organically" from Protestant, unionist and loyalist communities, and denied it was a concerted effort by any paramilitary gang. None of the men wished to be named for fear of their livelihoods being affected or their families being targeted. Two of them, who have placed the placards in towns and villages in the Armagh area, expressed their anger and frustration over what they see as the perilous position of Northern Ireland's place in the UK due to the protocol. One said there are no plans for their campaign "to get violent". The other added that the protocol is the "final nail in the coffin" following the Drumcree dispute in the 1990s, the flag protests in 2012, and the Twaddell Avenue parading controversy that lasted for three years from 2013. "People in the grassroots want a political solution," said one of them. "They're expressing themselves. It's just ordinary people putting the posters up. Ordinary, genuine, hard-working citizens are just fed up with the system here. "The political system is not working. The main unionist parties are so out of touch at the minute with grassroots loyalists and unionists. They could work on building that back by listening to the grassroots." His friend and fellow protester, who said he designed the placard of the woman holding the gun, explained that the poster was based on a postcard from the Home Rule crisis in 1912. He said it was "spin" by nationalist politicians to claim it was a call to arms. "We paid for those posters and we made those posters," he said. "There are no funds coming into this from other places. "These are people who actually don't have a big pile of money reaching into their pockets to prove a point because the anger has become too much. If I go to Newry there's that play park [Raymond McCreesh park] named after an IRA murderer and nobody even disputes that, but a person can tell me that a poster is sinister and shouldn't be allowed to happen? "It's a farce, and this country has grown into a farce." Meanwhile, one of those involved with posters in the Banbridge area stressed there was not a "coordinated effort". He explained that their protocol concerns focus on the local economy and trade, and Northern Ireland's position in the Union. When asked if there were violent undertones to the campaign, he said that nationalist concerns had "gone missing" following the 'PSNI Out' slogan that appeared on Black Mountain in west Belfast earlier this week. "The posters are a message to all that the PUL community cannot and will not accept an Irish Sea border which infringes on their rights as British citizens," he said. The protester added that the posters are from working class people within unionist and loyalist communities making their voices heard, "voices that are overlooked, even by those at the top level of the unionist parties". The PSNI said it is not its responsibility to remove the posters and banners, but stated it was aware of numerous incidents where they had been erected. "We will carefully consider the circumstances of each incident and where appropriate we will refer the matter to the Public Prosecution Service," police said. "The erection of any poster or banner should be carried out with the consent of the person or organisation who owns the street furniture or property on which the item is displayed. "The removal of such items is not the responsibility of the PSNI. "But we remain committed to working with local communities and partners to reduce tensions and build safe and inclusive communities." The plush Imperial Ballroom of the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston was packed with middle-aged white guys in tuxedos. There were no women. They were banned. In the 21st century. A few months earlier the Governor of Massachusetts had declined an invitation to speak to the all-male Clover Club, a fraternal organisation of predominantly Irish-Americans. Governor Deval Patrick cancelled a scheduled appearance, citing its refusal to allow female members. Founded in 1883, the membership included Irish-American business and civic leaders. In the late 1990s, the refusal to allow women members had prompted then Fianna Fail cabinet minister Mary ORourke and Irish consul Orla OHanrahan to turn down invitations. The diners on that rainy night in 2010 were treated to a choir singing Irish classics such as When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, followed by the national anthem, Amhran na bhFiann, and the English version, The Soldiers Song. The guest of honour at this exclusive and all-male event was Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Fein. Adamss attendance was rather at odds with Sinn Feins claim it was committed to equality and was part-founded out of the womens movement. Adamss attendance at an event that was snubbed by US politicians made headlines in the US media. Sinn Fein told the Boston Globe he accepted the invitation because the male-only groups president did charity work in Ireland. Whether Adams lambasted the crowd for their outdated practices will never be known. Members of the Irish media were told to leave as it was a private event. Standing at the entrance to the ballroom, a female Irish journalist was informed: Maam, you cant be here. Later that week, Adams took part in a pre-St Patricks Day march through Boston. Boston mayor Thomas Menino refused to attend because gay people were not invited. Attendance by a senior political figure like Adams at such events on this side of the Atlantic would have sparked outrage. Even before the same-sex marriage referendum and Me Too movements, society had moved on from such discrimination. Adams explained away his actions. I am against exclusion, I am for inclusivity. I know about exclusion, we made our position very, very clear on that, he said. We believe in equality, all groups should be free to be involved in any assembly, particularly one which is celebrating Ireland and which is about a celebration of the Irish. Sinn Fein talked about inclusivity and equality at home but applied different standards in the US. There wasnt a peep of discomfort from his party. Of all parties, Sinn Fein knows the value of trips to the US around St Patricks Day. The Sinn Fein machine and Republican movement has milked the Irish-American community for years. Rather than being of national benefit, the party can even measure it in its bank balance. Since it was set up in 1994, Friends of Sinn Fein, the partys US fundraising arm, has raised more than 13m. Adams saw the value of Irish-American lobbying at the highest level when he was controversially granted a visa to travel to the US at that time by then President Bill Clinton, overruling the advice of the State Department and ignoring objections from the British government. The Provisional IRA was still active at the time. A group of 12 senators wrote to Clinton to push the case to admit Adams and a British official said the White House were shaking under the Irish-American bombardment. Clinton gambled that giving a visa to Adams would actually put him under more pressure to deliver a ceasefire. In the words of one Clinton official, the calculation was that the trip was a diplomatic win-win: Engage him... or show him to be a fraud. More than a quarter of a century later, the value of face-to-face meetings in the US remains. Yet Sinn Fein says Taoiseach Micheal Martin needs to lead by example by not going to Washington due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hypocrisy will always out-trump principles in Sinn Fein. Now, if they cant travel this year, they dont want anybody else going there. Mary Lou McDonalds party saw a populist position to adopt and jumped at the chance. The responsibility of being the main Opposition party and explaining to the public the importance of keeping up US diplomacy didnt outweigh a chance for a cheap dig. The most Irish-American US President since John F Kennedy has been elected to the White House in Joe Biden and McDonald was happy to ignore the obvious gains of the Taoiseach travelling. Martin made it clear this week he would travel to Washington and would be vaccinated if he was invited to the White House. The invitation is an offer a Taoiseach cant refuse. Its not transferable and there is always uncertainty over whether it will arrive. The rule of thumb for years is a Taoiseach is never going until hes actually formally invited. Martin now appears unlikely to travel to the US next month due to Covid-19. The White House has confirmed a St Patricks Day meeting is on the table. However, it now looks like the meeting with President Biden will be virtual. Any president other than Biden and this would be seen as a really bad precedent to set. Aside from the normal Irish-American cultural, business and political ties, there is still a necessity to lobby for illegal Irish emigrants as the Biden administration formulates its agenda. Moreover, US support will still be required in the wake of Brexit. A recent report by a leading London think tank looked enviously at Irelands diplomatic operation in Washington, comparing it to the Israelis, and detailing how the UK was completely outflanked on Capitol Hill on Brexit. The Irish Embassy was highly proactive in engaging with the media, diaspora groups, think tanks and a small number of champions in Congress on the issue, the Policy Exchange report says. The bedding-in difficulties with the Irish Sea border and the triggering of Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol by the European Commission shows the Brexit battle has a long way to go yet. We need to meet our friends in high places not chat with them on Zoom. MARKHAM, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Canadians everywhere are feeling the impact of COVID-19, on their families, their livelihoods and their way of life. Together, Canada and Ontario are working to reduce the impact of the pandemic, ensure health and safety, rebuild businesses, and promote job creation, growth and investment. Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Majid Jowhari, Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill; the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; Logan Kanapathi, Member of Provincial Parliament for MarkhamThornhill, on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure; and Mr. Ahmad Tabrizi, Founder and President of the Parya Trillium Foundation, announced funding for the expansion of the Parya Trillium Foundation community centre in Markham. The Government of Canada is investing more than $1.9 million in this project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream (CCRIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $1.6 million, while the Parya Trillium Foundation is providing more than $1.3 million toward this project. The project involves a series of improvements to the community centre, including the addition of a two-story extension, the construction of a gymnasium, change rooms and washrooms, and the creation of additional classrooms and a new reception area. Solar panels will also be installed to increase the building's energy efficiency. Further, improvements will also be made to the parking area, including the construction of 90 additional parking spaces, four barrier-free spaces, and redesigned landscaping. Once complete, this expansion project will enhance the existing community centre's services and programs, which support new Canadians, youth, and seniors. It will also provide greater opportunities for education, social integration, and community development. All orders of government continue to work together for the people of Ontario to make strategic infrastructure investments in communities across the province when needed most. Quotes "Investing in community, culture, and recreational infrastructure is essential to creating communities that are inclusive, sustainable and resilient. This project allows the Parya Trillium Foundation to keep doing great work for the Iranian-Canadian community, creating a valuable community space that not only brings people together, but will also contribute to community development. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities." The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities "Parya Trillium Foundation's project will provide those in Markham and surrounding areas, with a modern expanded space where people can continue to gather to learn, connect, and celebrate. This expansion allows for the much needed increase in delivery capacity of existing services and introduction of new ones to service a larger ethnic community base. Investments in Canadian community, culture, and recreational infrastructure, like this one, allow for inclusive and vibrant communities to thrive and grow, making Canada stronger." Majid Jowhari, Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill "Along with our federal partner and the Parya Trillium Foundation, our government is proud to contribute more than $1.6 million to expand this community centre in Markham. Once the construction is finished and the pandemic is behind us, this new facility will be a great place for everyone to come learn, play, and celebrate special occasions. These investments will ensure the Parya Trillium Foundation continues to give back to the community for years to come." The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario "Today's announcement represents our government's commitment to supporting inclusivity and diversity across Ontario and Markham. The Parya Trillium Foundation provides services that support, engage, and contribute to the Iranian-Canadian community in Markham and surrounding areas. The over $1.6 million investment by our government enables them to reach and connect even more people." Logan Kanapathi, Member of Provincial Parliament for MarkhamThornhill, on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure "We are very happy and thankful to the Federal and Provincial governments who approved our proposed project of a two storey addition of around 10,000 square feet to the Parya Trillium Foundation Community Centre. This large, multi-purpose facility will help us provide more dynamic programs and services for the Iranian, Chinese, Afghani, and Russian communities living in the York region, and Greater Toronto Area. With this funding, our dedicated donors, staff and enthusiastic volunteers will continue to ensure that we meet the needs of our community, and fulfil the visions of our founders." Mr. Ahmad Tabrizi, Founder and President, Parya Trillium Foundation Quick facts Through the Investing in Canada plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. plan, the federal government is investing more than over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities. Across Ontario , the Government of Canada has invested more than $8.2 billion in over 2,760 infrastructure projects. , the Government of has invested more than in over 2,760 infrastructure projects. Across the province and over the next ten years, Ontario is investing approximately $320 million and Canada is investing approximately $407 million under the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This stream supports the construction of new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities that improve community infrastructure (community centres, and libraries), and support upgrades to recreational venues (arenas, and both indoor and outdoor recreational spaces) and cultural spaces (theatres, museums). is investing approximately and is investing approximately under the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Infrastructure Program. This stream supports the construction of new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities that improve community infrastructure (community centres, and libraries), and support upgrades to recreational venues (arenas, and both indoor and outdoor recreational spaces) and cultural spaces (theatres, museums). Ontario is investing over $10.2 billion under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to improve public transit; community, culture and recreation; green, and rural and northern community and other priority infrastructure. Associated links Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html Investing in Canada Plan Project Map http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html Ontario Builds Project Map: https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Web: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada For further information: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-941-0660, [email protected]; Christine Bujold, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, 416-454-1782. [email protected]; Sofia Sousa-Dias, Communications Branch, Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure, 437-991-3391, [email protected]; Foroozan Jalaeifar, Executive Director, Parya Trillium Foundation, 905-764-0202 ext. 108, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected] Related Links www.infrastructure.gc.ca In a veiled attack on the BJP, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday cited "complaints" to claim that people close to the ruling party were associated with the January 26 violence during a tractor rally in New Delhi, which he said was aimed at "discrediting" the stir. Speaking at an event here, Pawar slammed the Narendra Modi government for not considering the demands of the agitating farmers who have been demanding scrapping of the three contentious agri-marketing laws. "Farmers from Haryana, Punjab and UP have been protesting peacefully (at Delhi borders). No farmer took law into hands. One incident (of January 26) happened to discredit the ongoing agitation. Farmers were not involved. As per complaints, those associated with the violence were close to the ruling party," he alleged. The former Union agriculture minister said farmers have been demanding an assured minimum support price (MSP) for their produce and a legal provision for the same from the government. "The Centre should consider this demand of farmers, but it is not happening. During the Manmohan Singh government, farmers never took to streets because the government used all its might to protect their interests," he said. Speaking in Jejuri twon in Pune district after inaugurating the statue of Ahilyabai Holkar, Pawar said, "some people" were not happy when he, as a chief minister of Maharashtra, had taken the decision to allocate 50 per cent seats to women in local bodies. "When I was holding the responsibility of Maharashtra, I had taken the decision to allocate 50 per cent seats in local bodies to women. But some people were not happy. Then I asked them if they can tell me one person who raised our country's pride after Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri. They told me it was (former PM) Indira Gandhi," he said. "If women get an opportunity, they can show their potential. Ahilya Devi Holkar had shown us the same," he said. On Friday, BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar's attempt to unveil the statue of Ahilyabai Holkar was foiled by the police. He was booked along with 60of his supporters, an official said on Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-14 01:33:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held phone talks with his Tunisian counterpart Othman Jerandi on Saturday, where they vowed to intensify joint efforts to resolve the Palestinian and the Libyan issues, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. "During the call, the two ministers stressed the necessity of continuing Arab efforts that aim at reaching a just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue, and they also agreed to intensify efforts to end the Libyan crisis in a way that fulfills the aspirations of the Libyan people," the Egyptian ministry said in a statement. The talks came a few days after Cairo hosted a historic reconciliation dialogue between rival Palestinian factions, including ruling Fatah and Gaza-controlling Hamas, which led to their agreement to go ahead with holding legislative and presidential elections later this year after almost 15 years of suspension. Egypt and Tunisia are neighboring states of Libya and they have been working together with Libya's other neighbors to end the Libyan civil war sparked a decade ago. During Saturday's talks, Shoukry and Jerandi highlighted the importance of continuing consultation and coordination between the two countries regarding all regional and international issues of mutual concern. Enditem President Biden and his press department have sought to strike a new tone with the correspondents who endured years of hostility while covering the previous administration. That effort was undercut last month when a deputy White House press secretary, T.J. Ducklo, threatened a Politico journalist who was reporting on his close personal relationship with a reporter who had covered Mr. Biden. On Friday, after Mr. Ducklos threat came to light, the White House announced that it had suspended him for a week without pay. In a Jan. 20 phone call, Mr. Ducklo told the reporter, Tara Palmeri, a writer of Politicos Playbook newsletter, that he would destroy her after she made inquiries about his romantic relationship with Alexi McCammond, an Axios reporter. Ms. Palmeri was asking about the relationship because it coincided with Mr. Ducklos time as Mr. Bidens press secretary during the presidential campaign and the transition period between Election Day and the inauguration. Axios reassigned Ms. McCammond after she told her bosses about the relationship in November, taking her away from coverage of Mr. Biden and putting her on a beat that includes Vice President Kamala Harris. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions The Australian Open isnt the only tennis getting knocked around by Victorias latest COVID-19 lockdown: in fact, compared to those readying for the 2021 country week tournament, the professionals at outbreak epicentre in Melbourne are getting away lightly. Country week was supposed to begin on Sunday at Swan Hill - coronavirus free and more than 300 kilometres north west of the nearest confirmed cases. Teams and families from mostly regional Victoria had booked as many as 1200 hotel rooms and were expected to pump at least $2 million into Swan Hill economy. Nagambies empty main street - around 130km north of Melbourne - on day one of snap lockdown in Victoria on Saturday. Credit:The Age On Friday, organisers from the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club were forced to swallow the loss of $40,000 in perishables and cancel. We agree with a lockdown to get on top of it, but the issue is there are no cases in country Victoria, so why are they using such a blunt instrument to cure a problem in Melbourne? said tournament convenor John Brookshaw. Flash British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday sent his greetings in a video to people celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year this weekend, wishing them "a happy and prosperous" Year of the Ox. In the one-minute video posted to his twitter account, Johnson first sent his new year wishes and thanked the British Chinese community "for the incredible contribution you make to our country, consistently achieving so much in everything from education to business and medicine". "Unfortunately this year's celebrations can not include the usual dragon dances and other fantastic festivities, because of our battle against the COVID. But I hope all of us can take heart from this Year of the Ox," said the prime minister. "And just as that mighty beast (Ox) demonstrates strength and determination, as it forges ahead to make progress, so too, I believe, we will win our struggle against the pandemic," he added. Looking ahead to the Chinese New Year, he noted that Britain and China "have many shared challenges" from defeating COVID-19 to tackling climate change and supporting a worldwide economic recovery. "I wish you, and all those celebrating across the globe, a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year. Gung Hay Fat Choy (a Cantonese phrase delivers a wish for prosperity)," he concluded. Chinese New Year celebrations have been holding across Britain. London's Trafalgar Square has been lit up red since Wednesday night for the Chinese Lunar New Year, which begins on Friday. The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important festival in China. Celebrations begin about a week in advance and end with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the new year. However, no matter how much crimson they throw at us, it can barely cover the very gray reality for just one day. But what about the other 364 in the year? And the 365 after that? The quality of the air we breathe is getting worse, and our lungs can't be too happy about it.Sure, the U.S. is still far from matching the awful levels of pollution seen in major Chinese cities, but if that brings anyone any comfort, it's because they're used to setting the bar very low. You can choose to look at the worst possible case and say, "it's alright, we're doing better," or focus on the most successful nation in regard to pollution and say, "we want to be just like them." At the moment, it looks as though the U.S. is a bit undecided.Depending on who you ask, the quality of the air above U.S. soil has been either improving or deteriorating over the last few years. The EPA, for instance, falls into the former category, claiming a near-constant improvement for all measured sources of pollution. These include gases (sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, carbon monoxide) as well as particles (PM2.5 and PM10), with both types harming human health and wellbeing either directly or indirectly.However, back in April 2020, the American Lung Association warned that nearly half the American population - 150 million - still "lived with and breathed polluted air, placing their health and lives at risk." So, it's a classic case of who to believe. On the one hand, you have a governmental agency that's meant to fight pollution and, therefore, needs favorable numbers to justify its very existence. On the other, you have a nonprofit organization with the sole goal of improving lung health for the entire population. You take your pick.One explanation for the discrepancy between the two versions is that the EPA relies on emission estimates to compile its data, while others use field measurements from actual sensors that track the air quality directly. That means major events such as the Californian wildfires can go undetected by the former, while they'll measure bigtime in the readings of the latter.You're probably wondering by this point where do cars fit in all of this. We all know internal combustion engines emit pollutant gases and particles, but their weight in the overall scheme has been the subject of debate for a very long time. Some people like to claim that the world's largest ship alone emits more greenhouse gases than all the cars combined over the course of one year, while others think road transportation is the biggest culprit and wouldn't mind seeing all cars take the way of the scrapper.Obviously, they're both wrong. According to the EPA, "highway vehicles" play a very important role in the release of nitrous oxides (NOx) - they account for about a third of the total quantity - and an even bigger one for carbon monoxide. Other than that, the contribution of road-going vehicles is pretty negligible.The thing with cars, though, is that they tend to deliver their nasty stuff very close to where people live and, since they can't prevent it, breathe. On top of that, while other emissions such as carbon dioxide may have an important effect on global warming and whatnot, those oxides of nitrogen that vehicles are so keen to release into the atmosphere have a much more direct impact on our lungs.This is why arguments against EVs on the basis that they too pollute during the production cycle shouldn't be ignored - and manufacturers should definitely do their best to sort things out - but people shouldn't ignore the benefits of having only EVs on the streets either.As long as the grid is filled with green energy and the environmental impact of building that battery is reduced, the positive effect - especially in dense urban areas - of zero-emissions vehicles roaming the streets can't be overstated. Think of it this way: behind what type of car would you rather sit and take a deep breath?So, yeah, it's Valentine's Day and love is in the air. It just smells a little funny and it's kind of bad for your lungs. I have attached copies of the front and back of a postcard thats over 100 years old, which my wife found with other records passed down from her grandfather, a World War I veteran who passed away in 1973. His name was Earl Albert Brown, and he was living in New Mexico when he joined the U.S. Army, having previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps. We would consider returning this postcard to family members of either the addressee, Miss Lillie Avant, or to a family member of either the sender Don L.S. or his friend in the photo, Horace. We hope you might consider including this information in a future column. Dan Williams, Boerne This is what is known to collectors as a real-photo postcard not taken by professional photographers nor retouched nor chosen to convey a message other than greetings from the sender. Other World War I-era photos were meant to preserve history, so they recorded momentous events, impressive facilities or military units, famous officers in key positions or something else intended to boost morale at home and in the ranks. Its also not an official military portrait, intended to be shared with local newspapers when a service member receives a promotion or a new assignment. The picture on the front of this postcard might have been a snapshot taken by a friend of the two soldiers, then printed from the negative onto card stock printed as this one is with Post Card. Some also had a dividing line between the areas for writing the address and the message, the latter allowed by the U.S. Post Office only since 1907, when Kodak first began printing special postcard paper. Instead of a printed caption, theres a handwritten note under the photo, identifying the men as Don and Horace and the place as SA TX, with a less-legible nod to what may be 204 Ha__ Five. Writing to Miss Lillie Avant of Campbellton in Atascosa County, the sender seems to imply that hes one of the two soldiers pictured on the front of the card: Two rookies Do (you) remember ever seeing them? Taken two weeks before being discharged. Business is rather dull today. Dont have much to do but sit around. Think we will get the phone fixed today. Hope so at least. Best Wishes DLS The postmark shows that it was mailed May 20, 1919, from McCoy, also in Atascosa County. Given the year and that it was probably taken in San Antonio, the message may allude to demobilization doldrums. About six months after the armistice ended World War I, men like Don and Horace were in a holding pattern at Camp Travis, part of Fort Sam Houston that was formerly an induction and training center, repurposed at wars end as a demobilization center for returning troops. What theyre wearing checks out for springtime in South Texas, according to John Manguso, retired former director of the Fort Sam Houston Museum and author of San Antonio in the Great War. The man on the left wears the cotton summer uniform typical for 1912-1921, Manguso said, while the man on the right wears the wool uniform without the coat. Both wear prewar canvas leggings. The red cross in the window behind them might indicate a Red Cross facility. The man on the left looks older, so he might be a Red Cross worker; the man on the right looks like a draft-age male, Manguso noted. Because there were no military installations near McCoy, the card apparently had been saved and mailed after the sender had gone home. From your subsequent research, it appears that DLS was Don Lawrence Stewart, who grew up on a farm in Atascosa County and was living in Jourdanton at the time he filled out his 1917 draft card. After serving in the Transport Corps during the war, he married Lillie Avant. Census records show the couple living in Pearsall in 1930 with her mother, Isabel Avant, and a servant when D.L. Stewart was manager of a general store. Ten years later, he was a bookkeeper, and the couple lived alone in Pleasanton no evidence of children. You discovered that your wifes grandfather was discharged May 23, 1919, at Fort Bliss after serving as a mechanic in the infantry in France and later lived in Harlingen. Did Earl Albert Brown ever serve with Don Lawrence Stewart or Horace? And if so, how did Brown end up with a postcard sent to his buddys sweetheart? Anyone with a connection to the Avant or Stewart families who would like to have the postcard or could explain how it found its way into the effects of another veteran may contact this column. All responses will be forwarded and may be featured in a future column. historycolumn@yahoo.com | Twitter: @sahistorycolumn | Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn WASHINGTON More than $4 billion in state and local government relief is expected to flow to Connecticut and its cities and towns from the next coronavirus relief bill working its way through Congress, documents show. The Connecticut state government would receive about $2.7 billion in the next relief bill, according to a draft of proposed allocations from the U.S. House of Representatives obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media. Separately, cities and towns would share more than $1.6 billion in addition to more than $400 million in local school aid that Congress approved in December. New Haven, for example, could receive an additional $88 million directly, plus $24 million as part of its share of money designated for New Haven County. Bridgeport is slated for $79 million and could see $25 million of the Fairfield County share. All cities and towns would receive money, not just those in financial distress, under the federal proposal, which totals $1.9 trillion. The proposed state allocation is more than the combined, projected shortfalls of the next two fiscal years. Thats a lot of money for our state our size, said Chris McClure, spokesman for the states Office of Policy and Management, noting that the states general fund is only about $20 billion. The administration of Gov. Ned Lamont has not made decisions on how it would prefer to use the money, McClure said, as exact funding levels and spending rules are not in place. With Democratic majorities in both chambers, President Joe Biden has said he supports large outlays for state and local governments, a policy many Republicans oppose. Lamont on Wednesday proposed a 2-year, $46 billion spending plan that relies on $1.6 billion in federal money over the next two fiscal years to wipe out shortfalls of $1.3 billion per year. Other strategies in the governors plan include taxing heavy trucks, generating $90 million a year; consolidating and making state buildings and departments more efficient for a $250 million savings; and eliminating state employee union pay raises for $140 million in savings, a plan unions called unfair. More Information FEDERAL AID TO CITIES AND TOWNS The federal pandemic stimulus bill now being negotiated in Congress is expected to include money for cities and towns. Figures shown are proposals in the $1.9 trillion bill and could change. Note, these amounts are in addition to state aid to towns announced Wednesday for the fiscal year that starts July 1 - which also contains federal pandemic school aid approved in December. In addition to these amounts, each town would receive about $190 per resident in aid designated for counties. Bridgeport $78.8 million Danbury $14.8 million Fairfield $12 million Greenwich: $19.1 million Hamden $11 million Middletown $11.1 million Milford $11.9 million New Haven $87.7 million Newtown $5.1 million Norwalk $20.4 million Shelton $7.6 million Stamford: $22.5 million Stratford $14.2 million West Haven $17.4 million See More Collapse The governor and General Assembly will feel pressure to use the federal bounty to help people devastated by the pandemic recession, and to use it to reduce the states debt and unfunded pension liabilities, which cost taxpayers billions of dollars a year. A boon for towns For Connecticuts cities and towns, the money would be the largest windfall of direct federal relief theyve received thus far during the pandemic, and possibly ever. Municipal officials cheered the forthcoming aid in interviews Friday, hopeful it would help them shoulder the expensive burden of numerous costs the pandemic is adding to their budgets. Whatever weve been allocated so far has been used up so the fact that were going to get additional relief is a huge bonus, said Lauren Rabin, a member of the Greenwich board of selectmen. Greenwich would receive about $19 million plus its share of Fairfield County money. New Haven a city staring down a $13 million shortfall this fiscal year and $66 million shortfall in 2021-22, not including pandemic impacts is slated to receive the most aid of any municipalities in the state at $88 million. The money would not wipe about that the citys structural budget problems, meaning the yearly gap between tax collections and costs, but it will help bolster the citys fight against coronavirus, Mayor Justin Elicker said Friday. We, like many municipalities, are very anxious for clarity on any federal money that may come to the city, Elicker said. Particularly in this moment with the deep, deep economic and health impacts of COVID, additional funding injected into the city and community would be very helpful. Hartford would receive $86 million, Bridgeport $79 million, New Britain $40 million, Stamford $23 million and Norwalk $20 million all in addition to their shares of county aid. These sums could be revised down slightly when the Senate finalizes its version of the bill, according to a senior congressional aide. Because the state does not have county governments, federal aid aimed at counties would be split among towns in each county based on population, said Joe DeLong, executive director and CEO of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. That aid totals about $190 per resident according to the bill documents for example, $5.4 million for Westport. What it means for the state Connecticut would receive a lump sum of about $2.7 billion within 60 days after Congress passed its proposed, $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill, according to provisions of the House version of the legislation. Democrats in Congress are barreling toward passage with the goal of having Biden sign the bill into law before mid-March when federal unemployment benefits expire again. This funding is intended to be more flexible that previous money Washington sent to states. The eligible uses are quite broad: respond to or mitigate the public health emergency from COVID; cover costs incurred as a result of the crisis; replace revenue that was lost, delayed, or decreased as a result of such emergency; or address the negative economic impacts of such emergency, a House democratic aide said. We would need to know if there were restrictions on the use of such support from the federal government before saying precisely how the funding would be used, Lamont spokesman Max Reiss said, and we would comply with such guidance to defeat COVID-19, make Connecticut more affordable, invest in our future, make state government more efficient, and foster economic growth for all of our residents. The state would use some of the federal dollars to pay for scheduled increases in state funding for education and municipalities, McClure said. The state would maintain its contribution at current levels and use the federal dollars to pay for the increase, he explained. Addressing local needs Municipal officials said they had little idea how they might use millions of dollars heading their way because too many questions remain. Many towns and cities, like the state, have significant pension and health obligations in addition to regular operations to fund. We certainly need the additional money, said David St. Hilaire, the Danbury finance director, before launching into a list of questions about how he could use the money and how it might off set aid the city is expecting from the state. So far Danbury has not had to forgo steps to fight the coronavirus because of a lack of money, St. Hilaire said. But the expenses are piling up and he predicted that the city will have to reduce its budget next year as a result. Elicker of New Haven also said his city has not been constrained by a lack of funding for health initiatives. Additional funding could dramatically improve the citys ability to help local residents weather the pandemic in safer ways. Our nurses are underpaid compared to industry standards, he said. But its also the secondary effects on the economic side and thats everything from the significant cost of police overtime last year because of an increase in violence and other illegal activity like drag racing, ATV and dirt-bike riding that we saw last year... to costs around ensuring our young students have access to youth program to support for the homeless. Revenues from business inspections, parking tickets and even building permits are down due to the pandemic in many municipalities, slashing one source of funding for cities and towns. For many towns, its unclear how coronavirus will impact their property tax receipts. Some will go through property revaluations this year or next and the virus could upend the value of commercial property in hard-hit areas where businesses have shuttered. Towns and the state have also been able to get reimbursement for some coronavirus-related costs, including vaccine distribution, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Earlier, the coronavirus relief bill Congress passed in March included some state and local relief, but money intended for municipal governments was distributed by the states, who had large discretion over how exactly to handle it. Even in Connecticut, weve seen some of these funds be held up or been used for things they were not intended to be used for, DeLong said, while acknowledging that the state was shouldering some costs on behalf of towns that other states were not covering. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Christian leaders call for repentance, overhaul following Ravi Zacharias sexual abuse report Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christian leaders and a former associate of Ravi Zacharias' ministry are calling for repentance and an overhaul of organizational practices after a report released Thursday detailed the late apologist's pattern of sexual abuse. In an email to The Christian Post on Friday, Carson Weitnauer, who previously led RZIM's U.S. speaking team, said he now believes that Zacharias was not only a fraud, as he articulated in an earlier op-ed published by CP, but that the organization bearing his name is as well. He further asserted that the ministry's apology is unacceptable in light of the revelations released in the report. "The organizations apologetic-sounding statement was released by an anonymous board, is incomplete in its scope, avoids calling on the Zacharias Estate to release the Thompson's from the NDA, and announces no resignations or removals of those most responsible for this tragedy. 1 John 3:18 instructs us, 'Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth,'" said Weitnauer to CP. "I pray that many churches and nonprofits will decide to learn from this catastrophe and take immediate action to mitigate the risk of personally repeating it," he added. RZIM issued an apology Thursday with the announcement of the results of an extensive independent investigation in which victims claimed that Zacharias had engaged in sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape over the course of many years. The ministry hired the Atlanta law firm Miller & Martin to conduct the independent investigation. In the apology statement published as the report was released, RZIM said it was shocked and grieved" by the actions of the late apologist and that "corporate repentance was needed. Weitnauer said it's crucial that churches and ministry organizations appoint senior leaders who bear responsibility and that they establish or strengthen policies against abuse of every kind provide training on toxic cultural dynamics, and ensure board members and community leaders are informed and watchful advocates for survivors and other vulnerable members of their communities. "The continued prevalence of sexual abuse within the church, and the weak response to it by church leaders, is a great discredit to our witness," Weitnauer said. "For the sake of the Gospel and the honor of God, and our commitment to the wellbeing of victims, may we instead courageously resolve to build communities that are full of truth and goodness." Other Christian voices and thought leaders have expressed a variety of emotions. Many said they are disgusted and shaken, but noted that news of respected evangelical leaders falling has become common. "Ive thought about this a lot since it all came out and I guess it sucks to say that Im not surprised when this happens anymore. Because it just keeps happening. God, have mercy," said author Jackie Hill Perry, tweeted Thursday. She added in a subsequent tweet-thread Friday that she had attended the funeral for the late apologist last year and that the news of his misconduct left her feeling "thrown." "Not because Im surprised per se but because its disorienting. Im reminded that giftedness will never translate to godliness. Neither is orthodox teaching the proof of righteous living...Ravis ministry was a gift to most of us but his fall is a warning to all of us. Take heed lest we fall too." Teacher and popular speaker Beth Moore said in response to the report that, at base, "in every situation where a Christian leader has lived in gross hypocrisy, carrying on a double life, for years on end: They are out of fellowship with Jesus. Period. YOU CANNOT SUSTAIN THAT IN FELLOWSHIP." "The Holy Spirit convicts of sin. Every believer has and will fall into strongholds of various kinds of sin but, in fellowship with Christ, we cannot bear to remain in it. We will repent. We can implement all the accountability systems & MUST. But what weve got on our hands are people using piety and outward appearances of righteousness to hide the fact that they have little to no intimacy with the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit," she added. The board of the Zacharias Trust, the U.K. branch of the ministry, also put out a statement announcing that they had made the unanimous decision to separate from RZIM. Although the organization has always been a separate entity in terms of governance with its own trustees, the Trust said that current circumstances have led them to conclude they must operate without any link to the organization. "The UK entity will also choose a new name. This process will take time to complete but the UK Board is convinced that this is the best and only way to ensure that the ministry can continue to serve the UK church with integrity. This will also give us the opportunity to review the lessons to be learned from these awful events," the Trust added. New Delhi, Feb 13 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Hum do, Hamare do" jibe with the same slogan. She also accused him of playing a role like a "doomsday man" by insulting the legislative authority like the PM, former PM, President and even the Lok Sabha chair. Delivering her final speech on the discussion on Union Budget 2021-2022 in the Lok Sabha, the Finance Minister took on Gandhi saying he is probably becoming the "doomsday man" of India, building "fake narratives" that "demean" the country. Sitharaman's "doomsday" remark came in an obvious indication when she mentioned without taking Rahul's name that "there is a 'doomsday man' who said two days ago that he will not speak on Budget. What kind of role he wants to play?" Gandhi on Thursday spoke the same line in the Lok Sabha while speaking on the farm laws when the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address was already over and he was given time to participate in the ongoing debate on Union Budget 2021-2022. "The leader and its party continuously abusing the legislative by hitting the dignity of PM, former PM, President and the Lok Sabha chair. Why do you always choose to insult the legislative authority?...Abuse and then seek apology, this is the tendency of the party. "The party's position in Rajya Sabha is different and here in Lok Sabha they show another position. The party is continuously spreading fake narrative. The party follows two tendencies -- create institution, use it for own benefit; create disturbance," Sitharaman said. As Sitharaman was replying to the discussion on the Union Budget, she posed 10 questions about Rahul Gandhi's speech which was mainly on the farmers' protest, not Union Budget 2021, the finance minister said. Referring to Gandhi's 'Hum do, Hamare do' comment which Gandhi had made in the Lok Sabha to attack the Central government on Thursday over the farm laws, the Minister used the same slogan, mentioning if the party blames the government it should also think about how it is taking care of "daughter and damad". Sitharaman said though the Congress comes up with "very good schemes", it lacks the will to use those schemes properly as those schemes turn into devices to only favour "cronies" and "hum do hamare do". "Hum do, Hamare do' is that we are two people taking care of the party, and there are two other people who take care of daughter and damad," Sitharaman said, adding "we don't do that as Rs 10,000 is given to 50 lakh street traders as working capital for one year and they are not anyone's cronies," Sitharaman said. "Take the credit of giving birth to MNREGA. But also take credit for mismanaging it, for giving money to ghost workers." In his remarks against the government, Gandhi had said, "Years ago there was a family planning slogan - Hum do, Hamare do (we two and our two), but just like corona has returned in another form, this slogan too has made a comeback. Today, four people run the country - Hum do, Hamare do," Gandhi had said without taking any names. Continuing her attack, Sitharaman questioned, "Where are the cronies? They are hiding probably in the shadow of that party which has been rejected by the people. The shadows who were invited to even develop a port. They invited, no open tenders, no global tenders." Mentioning PM SVANidhi Yojana, the Minister said she mentions it for those who are constantly accusing the government of dealing with cronies. "SVANidhi doesn't go to cronies. Damads get land in states which are governed by some parties -- Rajasthan, Haryana once upon a time." Addressing Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, Sitharaman said, "Kerala invited one crony to develop a port -- no bidding, just invitation. Because Kerala has no damad, Damad is here. Damads get land in states which are governed by some parties." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text #PongoElHombro en el parque Mayta Capac de San Martin de Porres y el Hospital de Apoyo Carabayllo, donde se inmunizo a personal de salud de Lima Norte. pic.twitter.com/KdTPKAUIfc An American-Egyptian archaeological mission team, excavating in the northern part of Abydos archaeological site in Sohag, has uncovered evidence for what may be the worlds oldest industrial-scale beer production. Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri said that the brewery consists of at least eight large semi-subterranean installations and was built on the edge of the desert in Abydos at the dawn of ancient Egyptian history. It dates all the way back to 3000 BC. The capacity of the facility was industrial in its scale and unprecedented for its time, producing many thousands of litres. It was probably built to supply the funerary cults of Egypts first kings. Matthew Adams of New York Universitys Institute of Fine Arts, who is leading the mission, explains that the brewery is made up of eight large semi-subterranean installations, (ca. 20m long 2.5m wide 40cm deep) built at Abydos, ca. 3000 BCE. Approximately contemporary with the era of King Narmer. Each brewery installation contained around 40 large ceramic vats (ca. 65-70cm in diameter, 70cm deep), arranged in two rows and held in place by rings of vertically-set sun-dried mud struts called fire legs. The vats were used to heat grain and water mixture in a process called 'mashing,' which was then fermented to produce beer. The industrial scale of production at Abydosestimated at approximately 22,000 litres per batchhas no known equal in the archaeological record from early Egypt. British archaeologists excavated the brewery in the early 20th Century, but its importance was not understood at that time and the exact location had been lost. The mission had located the brewery in 2018 and continued their investigation in 2020. Deborah Vischak of Princeton University, pointed out that the brewery was located in a vast desert area reserved exclusively for the use of Egypts first kings; including Narmer. They were from Abydos, where they established Egypts first great royal necropolis and also built monumental funerary temples known as 'cultic enclosures'. The brewery may have been built expressly to supply royal ritual at the enclosures, especially based on extensive excavation of the monuments and evidence for the use of beer in large-scale offering rituals in them. Short link: Southwest has been credited with spurring a drop in fares when it enters a market, and early data suggest fares are down on the handful of routes where Southwest will compete with OHares biggest carriers. But that effect may be more muted than usual OHare already has a handful of budget carriers, and Southwest isnt new to the city. It has a strong presence at Midway Airport, which will remain its primary hub. Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. Mumbai, Feb 13 : Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who is currently shooting for Anubhav Sinhas Anek in Assam, is overwhelmed with the love he has received in the Northeast. Reportedly, 40 to 50 people from neighbouring villages flock to the set to meet Ayushmann and wish him well for his film. "I'm truly overwhelmed with the love that I'm receiving from the people here in the Northeast. I have met all those who have been kind enough to come to our sets to wish me luck for Anek. It was humbling to know that they love my craft and my brand of cinema and I have had interactions with them during shot breaks and post wrap whenever possible," Ayushmann said. "The warmth that I have received from the people here will always stay with me, motivating me to do better and to entertain my country better," he added. The actor has a packed date diary, with a number of releases lined up for his fans. He has Anubhuti Kashyap's comedy drama Doctor G co-starring Rakul Preet Singh coming up, besides Abhishek Kapoor's romantic drama Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui that features Vaani Kapoor with him. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - Ice fishing is a popular winter pasttime in the Upper Midwest, and the colder it is, the better - to a point. This weekend is going to be dangerously cold, and you're going to wish you were inside an ice fishing shanty with a propane heater if you're out on the ice. This Sunday marks the 7th annual Yellow Bass Bonanza, one of the largest ice fishing tournaments in the Midwest. During the tournament, anglers being challenged to reel in 50 yellow bass, and the one that weighs the most wins. But if you are participating, don't look for even slight relief from the frigid air, as air temperatures will be well below freezing, and wind chills are expected to reach -40. On the west side of Clear Lake, around the McIntosh Woods area, the ice is about 18-20 inches thick, thanks to the brutal cold we've had for close to the last month. And that's lead to plenty of anglers drilling holes and setting up ice shacks throughout this season. Clear Lake Bait & Tackle co-owner Chris Scholl says he's seen some of the best conditions for ice fishing in awhile. "It always changes. I was out yesterday, and even overnight with the colder weather, we're seeing expansions in the ice, seeing heaves in spots that weren't there the day before or cracks...changes." For those that are participating, Scholl advises fishers, both new and experienced, to have a few essentials on hand. "They have the Mr. Heaters, with the propane on them. Hand warmers are going to be a must for these guys. The ones that really fish this tournament hard, they're gonna fish outside to chase these fish." Currently, around 85 people have already signed up, and there are still spots available. For more information, call Clear Lake Bait & Tackle at 641-231-8028. New Delhi, Feb 13 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi made two important political points addressing a farmers rally in Saharanpur -- putting on a Rudraksh mala and taking a holy dip at the Sangam and meeting Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati at Mankameshwar Mandir in Prayagraj. As the party is trying to make inroads into Jatland through the farmers' agitation, Priyanka is making bold political statements through her persona and carrying a Rudraksh at Dehradun is one of them. However, close aides say mixing personal faith with politics is uncalled for as the Congress is a party for everyone, of each religion and caste, and the party is with the farmers for a cause not because of politics. The 'Rudraksh' mala which she carried has led to intense speculation about the Congress General Secretary. Priyanka also offered prayers at the famous Shakumbhari Devi temple where she was seen meditating for some time as the priests chanted hymns. The Congress leader then visited the Raipur Khanqah Dargah in Saharanpur where she offered a 'chadar'. However political observers say the Rudraksh is not new in the family, even Indira Gandhi wore it in her regular public appearances and so trying to search for some other meaning would not be fair to her. Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi said, "Priyankaji belongs to a Brahmin family and has every right to visit a temple or carry a Rudraksh mala. She belongs to the family of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru." But close aides reject that she is pursuing soft Hindutva and say that one's personal faith should be respected. The Congress does not mix religion with politics as the BJP does. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took a dip at the Sangam -- the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers -- on the occasion of "Mauni Amavasya'. Priyanka took the holy dip, offered prayers and even did some boating. She also visited Anand Bhavan, the ancestral home of the Nehru family. Here she offered floral tributes at the place where late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's ashes were kept before they were immersed in the Ganga river. She interacted with the children of the orphanage in Anand Bhavan and spoke to them on various issues. She visited Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati too. Observers say that she is trying to place the Congress as the principal challenger to the BJP as she has made prominent political interventions like in Hathras. But the Congress has to look at a revival plan through social engineering as the BJP has cobbled together a coalition of upper castes and OBCs, giving prominent places to the communities. The Samajwadi Party is also mainly dependent on the OBC and Muslim equations. Since the farmers agitation is still going strong, the Congress has begun block level meetings to highlight the plight of the farmers and Priyanka Gandhi is scheduled to visit Bijnor on February 15 to address a farmers panchayat. Ajay Kumar Lallu, President of the state Congress, said, "not only Priyankaji but all the leaders have been tasked to highlight the farmers issue and we will stand with the farmers till the farm laws are withdrawn." Priyanka Gandhi is not only vocal about the farmers issue, she will be addressing the farmers issue with all her might. The proof is that she visited the family of Navreet Singh who died on January 26 during the tractor rally. "When the Congress comes to power again, we will immediately repeal these farm laws. We will also ensure MSP for all farmers," she had said while addressing a 'Kisan Panchayat' in Chilkhana in Saharanpur district. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help The Andrews government has stuck by its claim a returned traveller since hospitalised with coronavirus didnt declare a nebuliser blamed for the hotel quarantine super spreading event that has locked down Victoria. The 38-year-old man has insisted hotel quarantine staff were aware that he had the device and that they had even offered to source more of the medication administered by the machine. The head of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Emma Cassar addresses the media on Saturday Credit:Luis Ascui But Premier Daniel Andrews deferred much of the persistent questioning on the issue to the head of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Emma Cassar on Saturday, and the senior public servant later maintained she could not explain the opposing version of events. Hes not lying, we are not making those accusations, she said of the returned traveller, who has been in intensive care. No one is going to win from this argument where we are constantly having a battle on these matters, which are so private for somebody. Reporter Heather Bellow, a member of the investigations team, joined The Eagle in 2017. She is based in the South Berkshire County bureau in Great Barrington. Her work has appeared in newspapers across the U.S. Imperial Valley News Center Defendant in Refund Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Sacramento, California - Talalima Toilolo of Salt Lake City was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for a conspiracy to commit a bank fraud scheme that attempted to defraud financial institutions of more than $3.8 million, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Toilolo was also ordered to pay $827,369 in restitution to victims of the refund fraud. This amount reflects the amount that the defendants received from the scheme. According to court documents, between June 2018 and February 2019, Talalima Toilolo, 44, conspired with Johnathon Ward and Monica Nunes to defraud financial institutions using a scheme that exploited the merchant refund process used by businesses and retail establishments to refund customers for returns, reimbursements, and erroneous charges. The defendants committed this scheme by stealing or purchasing point-of-sale (POS) terminals used by businesses to process bankcard transactions. They programmed each terminal to make it appear as if it was authorized by a particular retail merchant, connected the terminals to payment processing intermediaries, and executed refund transactions even though no purchases had been made. The payment processors, falsely believing the terminals were authorized, approved the refunds and caused the merchants payment processors to transfer funds to the defendants fraudulent accounts. The defendants then drained the stolen funds from the accounts and distributed them among members of the conspiracy. This case is the product of an investigation by the Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) Task Force, which includes investigators from the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case. Nunes has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18. In July 2020, the government filed a superseding indictment in this case charging Johnathon Ward with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The superseding indictment also added Sabrina Toilolo who is the daughter of Talalima Toilolo. These charges are still pending against Ward and S. Toilolo. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 10:58:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The decision by China's broadcasting regulator to pull BBC World News off the air in the country for serious content violation was "legitimate and reasonable," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Britain said Friday. The spokesperson made the statement one day after British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that the decision by China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) to ban BBC World News in China's mainland "is an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom." The embassy spokesperson said that for quite some time, BBC reports on China have gravely violated China's radio and television regulations and regulations on overseas satellite channels in China's mainland. "BBC's serious violation of broadcasting rules on accuracy and impartiality has undermined China's national interests and ethnic unity and failed to meet the requirements for overseas channels to broadcast in China's mainland," said the spokesperson. As such, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service in China's mainland, and the NRTA will not accept its broadcast application this year, said the spokesperson. "BBC's relentless fabrication of 'lies of the century' in reporting China runs counter to the professional ethics of journalism, and reeks of double standards and ideological bias, causing strong indignation among the Chinese people," said the spokesperson. The so-called "media freedom" is nothing but a pretext and disguise to churn out disinformation and slanders against other countries, said the spokesperson, adding that all countries without exception exercise necessary supervision over media organizations and the NRTA's decision is "legitimate and reasonable". "We urge BBC to abandon the Cold War mentality, stop fabricating and spreading disinformation, stop unfair, biased and irresponsible reporting, stop malicious attacks and smearing against the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, and take concrete actions to remove the adverse impact of its related reports," said the spokesperson. China's broadcasting regulator on Thursday made an announcement on pulling BBC World News off the air in the country for serious content violation. "As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory. The NRTA will not accept the channel's broadcast application for the new year," the regulator said in a statement. Enditem New Delhi/Jammu, Feb 13 : The video clip of National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval's office and several other top locations in the national capital were recovered from the phone of an arrested Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist. The development has sent security officials into tizzy leading to additional security measures being deployed, official related to the development said in Saturday. A senior Jammu police official related to the development told IANS, "The Jammu police arrested a person named Hidayat-Ullah Malik on February 6. During interrogation he confessed that he has done recce of Doval's office and several other locations and sent it to the commanders of JeM in Pakistan." The official said that Malik, a resident of Shopian was arrested and a case was registered against him under several sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act at the Gangayal police station in Jammu. The official said that Malik is the chief of a Jaish front group, Lashkar-e-Mustafa, and was arrested from Anantnag. Police also recovered arms and ammunition from his possession. The official further stated that during his interrogation Malik revealed that he had taken a flight to Delhi last year in May and recorded a video of Doval's office and then passed it on to his Pakistani commander named Doctor through WhatsApp. Malik during his interrogation also confessed that he had conducted recce of the Samba sector border area in mid 2019, along with Sameer Ahmad Dar, who was arrested by NIA in January last year for his involvement with the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. The officials in Delhi on condition of anonymity said that following the revelations from the arrested terrorist the security has been beefed up. Doval has remained prime target for the terrorists since 2016 Uri surgical strike and Balakot air strike. He also has questioned JeM chief Masood Azhar after his arrest in 1994 and was also one of the persons who escorted Azhar to Kandhar in the wake of IC-814 hijack. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text - The 3-year-long program is among the best hospitality management courses in India offering international exposure and multidimensional learning MUMBAI, India, Feb. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SVKM's NMIMS School of Hospitality Management (SoHM), one of India's leading educational institutes, invites applications for its BBA-Hospitality Operations & Management program in Navi Mumbai. The 3-year program is one of the most sought after program for hospitality industry aspirants. With a view to developing hands-on experience with skill enhancement, the pedagogy combines lectures, Capstone projects with internship and industry visits. Often known as the sunrise sector, India's hospitality industry creates millions of jobs each year. The tourism and hospitality industry has been one of the biggest contributors to India's GDP. With such robust growth, the need for skilled professionals in the industry is bound to rise and this is where SoHM's BBA program steps in. With its futuristic curriculum, focus on experiential and multidimensional learning, and best-in-class placement opportunities, NMIMS School of Hospitality Management aims to nurture global hospitality professionals. Speaking about the program, Dr. Ramesh Bhat, Vice-Chancellor, SVKM's NMIMS, said, "India's hospitality industry is robust and resilient and despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic, the sector has sprung back into action in the recent months. It will continue to need skilled and talented professionals who can lead the way out of the present crisis while adhering to its world-renowned reputation for exemplary service. At school, we train future-ready leaders to not only master the operational and service aspect of hospitality, but also gain the business acumen to deal with the rapid changes in the industry." Dr. Ruchita Verma, Dean, NMIMS School of Hospitality Management also spoke about what makes the school's program unique, she said, "The hospitality sector is a wide-ranging one and careers can be made in fields such as luxury retail, travel & tourism, F&B and much more. With our three year program, students get a ringside view of what this vast and thriving industry entails and how they can make a career in it. The curriculum is designed to nurture their overall skills so that they can realise their dreams and potential." The 3-year program is spread over 6 semesters, providing a well-rounded education that combines hospitality services with operational expertise and management skills. To provide students with practical exposure and operational experience, the program includes mandatory internship and on-field projects. Students are also encouraged to take on consulting projects to develop entrepreneurship skills. The curriculum is tailored to nurture leaders and strategic thinkers with an all-rounded personality and the right attitude for the hospitality industry. Eligibility: A candidate must have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination and must have obtained a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. OR. Candidates passing Diploma Engineering with Minimum 50% aggregate marks are eligible to apply. Admission process: To apply, students must register at https://nmims.secure.force.com/SHM_BBAHM_Login. Selected candidates have to appear for an online test, followed by a personal interview. Accreditation: NMIMS has NAAC accreditation with Grade A+ (3.59 CGPA), Mumbai Campus and is recognized as Category-I University by MHRD/UGC Grant of Graded Autonomy Regulation, 2018. About the NMIMS School of Hospitality Management In sync with the ethos of SVKM's NMIMS University, The School of Hospitality Management (SoHM) was born with a need to develop future-ready leaders with combined values of Hospitality and Managerial skills. The School of Hospitality offers an innovative in which it addresses solutions to the changing paradigms in the Hospitality industry due to technology, creativity and socio-cultural changes. The School of Hospitality Management will be creating leaders of tomorrow, who can be disruptive and innovative by using technology and skills taught in the school. SVKM's NMIMS SoHM with its modern campus in Navi-Mumbai is all about hands-on training, critical thinking, research, and application. NMIMS SoHM's Hospitality s are being brought to the students, by stalwarts of education. SVKM's NMIMS is a trendsetter and considered as a benchmark in the education sector and has a legacy sought by the industry. The school is equipped with comprehensive facilities, including training kitchen, restaurant, front office labs, and modern classrooms. About SVKM's NMIMS: Launched in 1981 as a management institute, NMIMS has today emerged as a Deemed to be University offering multiple disciplines across multiple campuses. Today it has 17 specialized schools with more than 17000 students. It has established an exemplary position as a global institute of learning with a consistent academic record, research-focused pedagogy, international linkages, faculty from top national and global institutes, and strong industry linkages. https://www.nmims.edu/ Follow us on - Twitter: https://twitter.com/nmims_india?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/nmims_india/?originalSubdomain=in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nmims_india/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NMIMS.India/ SOURCE NMIMS School of Hospitality Management Representative Image. Everyone has worn kurtas, dupattas or sarees with the iconic floral or geometric hand-prints from Rajasthan. But given the tough times that the crafts community of block printers is facing in the wake of the COVID pandemic; these could soon become a thing of the past. The mood is sombre in the small town of Bagru, 32 km from Jaipur, known for the handicraft of block printing on textiles. Even though the thousands of metres of fabric printed by the families through the traditional Dabu hand printing method are famous not just in India but across the world; the last year has been bleak for the community of Chhipas, who are skilled in the traditional printing method for several generations. While there are no official numbers available, the Bagru Haath Thappa Chhapai Dastkar Sanrakshan Avvam Vikas Samiti estimates that there are around 5,000 women and men engaged in hand-printing in Bagru and some towns nearby. According to members of the Chhipa community, the craft is over 300 years old with around 500 families running businesses. Amit Derawala, 26, is from a family of block printers who run Lal Chand Derawala, a prominent manufacturer of hand-printed dress material in Bagru. The COVID pandemic has hit us hard because several people from our client base, which includes working women such as professors, media professionals and private sector officials are not going out; theyre not going shopping for clothes and theyre working from home so not wearing our products such as salwars, kurtis and sarees. Overall demand is low, says Derawala, who is the fifth generation in the family to have learnt traditional block printing hands-on and joined the business soon after he finished college. While he feels that the COVID vaccination has brought some hopes of revival, losses are still mounting; with sales turnover which is usually between Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 3 crore annually down by over 70 percent since 2020. Raw material including colours and fabric is becoming more expensive while old stocks of products have to be sold at big discounts and there are fears that hand-block printing will get replaced by the cheaper mass-produced screen printing. Our kaarigaars (skilled printers) and their families have to be fed and we cant stop work completely despite very few new orders trickling in from the big companies who we supply to. We are, however, seeing an uptick in orders from online sellers; not only the big establishments but also small boutiques especially in South India. We are working with many women entrepreneurs who are selling products online using social media and ecommerce platforms to create new designs. However, without any face to face interaction with customers for many months, language barriers can pose a challenge sometimes, he says. Amidst the challenges, help is at hand from organisations such as Fabindia, the largest retail platform for hand-crafted and handloom products, which has been working with artisan clusters such as Bagru since the pandemic started with regard to the rescheduling and spreading out of production to ensure that work engagement continues. Fabindia realised quite early the potentially devastating impact of the pandemic on the artisan clusters from which most of the sourcing happens, over production cycles that can run into months. The company has worked with its field offices to ensure that staggered payments continue to be released over this bleak period to facilitate production and in some cases ensure survival of livelihood over the past months, Anuradha Kumra, president, apparel, Fabindia, said. While production estimates have had to be reviewed against the sharp drop in demand and the increased inventory witnessed across the retail sector, for crafts persons the impact is deepened due to the varied production cycles. At Fabindia, this had underlined the urgency of a renewed focus on ensuring engagement not only with Dabu, but all the other crafts that the company is associated with, Kumra added. Despite the pressure on ware-housing and increased inventory, Indias largest ethnic products retailer and exporter, has chosen to go ahead with orders already in production, while ensuring continued engagement to contribute to and ensure the basic viability of craft clusters such as Bagru. The All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) in a recent survey on the impact of COVID on the crafts sector - The Unlock Edition - highlighted that some of the key challenges faced by artisans and craft enterprises pertain to cash flow crunches and wage losses. Data from this survey reveals that while there has been a unanimous demand for financial support, it is the individual artisans who are in greater distress due to almost complete absence of working capital. It was also discovered through the survey that individual artisans required more short- term support, while enterprises stressed on the need for support in the long run (beyond six months). Similarly, a big gap was visible in terms of raw material availability to artisans (40 percent) and enterprises (64 percent). It was clear from the survey that the pandemic delivered a more severe blow to the business of smaller, individual artisans, who are struggling to cope with drastic changes in the economic environment. Roshan Chhipa belongs to a family that has been practising Dabu printing for four generations in Bagru and he reckons that the turnover of hand-printed fabrics from the town was Rs 100 crore annually before the COVID pandemic. Since March 2020, there has been only 25-30 percent sales turnover compared to other years. Retail sales have been hit badly in the city of Jaipur which was a bustling hub for foreign and domestic tourists before the pandemic. We see some hope with the vaccine shots being available to people in India, but theres still a long way to go before recovery to earlier levels. We are now focused on online sales through Amazon and other channels, says Chippa, whose family company RK Derawala is a large supplier to Fabindia and other retail chains and online businesses around the country. Not just the large online retailers, small e-commerce players such as Rush Me Boutique Fashions based in Pune, too, have been supporting hand-printers from Bagru during the pandemic. We set up the e-commerce venture to design and sell ready-mades for men and women with the goal to promote Indian handloom and handcrafted fabrics in 2013. But last year, post-COVID there was a sudden spurt in online sales; which doubled after May 2020, says Rashmi Patwardhan, a former IT professional who decided to turn entrepreneur and set up the venture. She sources block printed fabrics in bulk from Bagru and has even designed 10 unique hand blocks for a signature collection. But some of the challenges that she has faced over the last several months are dwindling supplies because many of the vendors in Bagru are facing financial distress and she is not being able to travel there herself for procurement. Chennai-based Vidyalakshmi Ambikapathy who runs Matkatus.com, an e-commerce site to curate, design and sell artisanal and handcrafted textiles from natural fibres to a niche client base in India and overseas, too is seeing an increase in sales of products from Bagru and other crafts hubs. The pandemic improved traction for our online store. Firstly, because our customers were all stuck at home and all sourcing had to be done online and second because Bagru prints are usually on fine cotton fabrics and ideal for comfortable lounge wear which is what most professionals prefer in a work from home situation, especially in southern India, she says. The networks of resellers, usually women selling directly to their small groups of customers from their homes and using Whatsapp and social media platforms as their marketing tools, too, are now being tapped by several of the Bagru hand-printing companies. Since New Year 2021, production has been picking up here. And even though its not business as usual at retail outlets either locally in Jaipur or across India; we are directly addressing the resellers networks by joining Whatsapp groups and sharing photos of our products and getting in touch personally with the customers. There are over 2,000 resellers, most of them women who sell within their small networks; in fact, even during the days of lockdown and restricted movement, they were able to reach their customers who are often neighbours and people living in the same colonies or housing societies, says Rakesh Chippa, who has set up a closed group of his customers for his company Bagru Cotton Crafts, so that he can remain in touch directly with his loyal customer base. E-commerce platforms are increasingly becoming more sensitive to crafts people and their livelihood issues. An example is Fabcurate, a Surat-based online sales platform set up by a group of designers in 2020, which sources different kinds of traditional fabrics from across India including Dabu prints from Bagru. The pandemic halted the production of Dabu prints and the community has been burdened with huge unsold inventories without access to sales channels. Cash flow, food and healthcare have become problems for them, says Sanjay Desai, director, Fabcurate. The sourcing team of Fabcurate designers visited Bagru after the lockdown was lifted last year and has placed substantial orders for Dabu hand-printed fabrics. We are paying the right amount for their craft and helping boost the morale of several artisans in the area and their families, Desai adds. While demand is slowly picking up, its still a long way to the pre-COVID situation. In fact, Vikas Chippa, who along with members of his extended family runs a block-printing unit in Bagru - Ashoke Printers, fears that if demand doesnt pick up substantially over the next few months, the traditional craft of Dabu printing, which is the pride of Rajasthan, will die out. While in 2020 orders worth over Rs 50 lakh have been cancelled and the inventory pileup is starting to choke financially, things are looking up a little since the New Year, he says. However, sales are still around 30 percent less than the months before COVID and we are struggling to support our workers even though payments from our large customers are mostly on hold, Chippa adds. For this crafts-dependent community, practically overnight, the entire cycle of demand and supply came to a standstill, with revenues registering a zero. Through the labour-intensive Dabu method, each enterprise creates many jobs associated with the activity of block printing. Going forward, the only hope for the people of Bagru is incentivised and increased demand. This is a very trying and difficult time for craft-based livelihoods. A rapid revival of demand would certainly provide the big impetus to the craft sector, including that of the block printers of Bagru, says Fabindias Kumra. Anyone who bought their ticket from any the above winning stores should write their name on the back of the ticket and check it at any Lotto NZ outlet, online at mylotto.co.nz or through the Lotto NZ App. Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 15:47:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- As China rings in the Year of the Ox, President Xi Jinping has urged promoting "the spirit of the ox" in pursuit of fully building a modern socialist China. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has highlighted the spirit of serving the people as willing steers, blazing new trails in development as pioneering bulls and engaging in an arduous struggle as hardworking oxen. Xi promoted the spirit at a New Year gathering organized by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Dec. 31, 2020. "We must promote the spirit of the ox in serving the people, driving innovative development and working tirelessly. We must continue to be careful, as we were in the past, guarding against arrogance and impetuosity, and continue to fear no hardship and be enterprising, marching forward bravely on the new journey of fully building a modern socialist country, and marking the centenary of the CPC with outstanding achievements," Xi said. Xi reiterated the spirit of the ox in his Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Wednesday. In China, an ancient civilization nurtured by its agriculture and fertile lands, the ox has always been considered an important animal as they help farmers cultivate the farmlands. "In Chinese culture, the ox is a symbol of diligence, dedication, endeavor and strength," Xi said. Stressing the virtues of modesty and prudence, Xi called for efforts to achieve the second centenary goal and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of securing peace and development for all mankind. The ox is the second zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle, represented by 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The previous Year of the Ox was 2009. After an interval of 12 years, a new Year of the Ox began this month. Despite complicated international and domestic situations in 2020, China has made major strategic achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, conquered serious floods and achieved positive economic growth. The country has lifted nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty over the past eight years, securing a decisive victory in ending absolute poverty. These hard-won, remarkable achievements would not have been attained without the spirit of the ox, which will play a more important role in the year 2021 as China strives to achieve rural vitalization, implement a new development paradigm and deepen reform and opening up. Enditem Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff sent an urgent appeal Friday to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, asking it to establish a mass vaccination site for the San Antonio region. We urge you to make San Antonio the next community to host one of these sites and to set up the site as quickly as possible, both officials wrote in a letter to FEMA Regional Administrator Tony Robinson. If FEMA cannot or will not locate a site in our community at this time, please send us additional vaccine supply so we can establish the site ourselves. Nirenberg and Wolff also noted that the citys mass vaccination site for COVID-19 at the Alamodome hasnt received any new doses of vaccine in nearly three weeks and said that without additional supplies, that operation will have to close. They applauded FEMAs efforts to ramp up availability of vaccines to underserved communities at three planned pilot sites in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas but noted that the need in our region is just as great. During Friday nights COVID-19 briefing, Nirenberg vented irritation over the lack of new vaccine supply. Its getting a little frustrating in fact, angering, that we are here and have been beating the drum every single day to get more vaccines to the seventh-largest city in the United States, the mayor said. We have done everything possible to get vaccines out in an equitable manner in this community. We need more. And if we dont have more first-dose vaccines coming into the community, the (Alamodome vaccination site) will have to close because we simply dont have doses to put into peoples arms. So were calling on, again, the fed to ship us more. ... The car wont work unless theres gas to put in it. San Antonio has a disproportionate number of people who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, so we have the demand, Nirenberg said in a statement earlier Friday. We also have the highest case mortality rates from COVID-19 among the major cities in Texas. We have a vulnerable population that needs to be vaccinated. Bexar County has suffered more coronavirus deaths per capita than the states other large population centers, Nirenberg and Wolff noted in their letter to FEMA. They also reported that Bexar County ranks first in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Social Vulnerability Index, which they said measures a communitys need for support to prepare and respond to events such as the current pandemic and considers poverty, access to transportation, housing and health care. On ExpressNews.com: A guide to getting vaccinated in San Antonio City and county officials have been in regular contact with state and federal leaders working on the coronavirus response and have been requesting more vaccine supplies, Nirenbergs office said. Because of the limited number of doses sent to San Antonio so far, many people eligible to receive the shots have had a hard time securing appointments. The citys Metropolitan Health District runs the mass vaccination site at the Alamodome, while University Health has been running a similar operation at the Wonderland of the Americas mall. WellMed has been giving vaccines at two of its centers. So far, 186,059 people have received their first-dose vaccinations in Bexar County, while 74,559 have been fully vaccinated, Nirenberg said. The San Antonio region is now under a moderate risk from the coronavirus as case numbers and test positivity have declined from their peaks last month, according to the citys COVID-19 dashboard. On Friday, city and county officials reported 716 newly diagnosed cases of the coronavirus, along with nine more deaths. The citys seven-day rolling average of new coronavirus cases stands at 746 per day a significant decline from the average of 1,510 reported in the middle of last week and a marked improvement from the averages of 935 reported Tuesday and 884 reported Wednesday. The number of COVID-19 patients being cared for in San Antonio hospitals also has declined steadily over the past two weeks. On Friday, 767 patients were hospitalized here, including 79 people admitted in the past 24 hours. That number has gone down quite a bit over the last week, Nirenberg said of local hospitalizations. Among those hospitalized, 306 patients were being monitored in intensive care units, also the lowest number in two weeks. And 164 were on ventilators to help them breathe a number that has also continued to slowly decline. On ExpressNews.com: The San Antonio Express-News Vaccine Tracker The nine coronavirus deaths reported Friday included a child, a Hispanic male who died at Childrens Hospital of San Antonio in the past two weeks. Metro Health and city officials wouldnt release the childs exact age, noting only that he was 9 or younger. Metro Health said exact ages arent released in order to safeguard patients privacy. The other deaths occurred in patients who ranged in age from their 50s to their 70s. They included two Hispanic women, one in her 50s and the other in her 60s, who died at University Hospital, and a Hispanic man in his 60s, whose death was reported by VITAS Healthcare. The other five patients who died were in their 70s: a Hispanic woman at University Hospital; a white woman at Methodist Texsan Hospital; a Hispanic woman who lived at the Sorrento skilled nursing facility but died at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-Medical Center; a white man who died at The Haven and The Laurels in Stone Oak, an assisted living facility; and a Black man who died at Methodist Hospital. San Antonio and Bexar County currently have almost 11,000 active cases of the virus. The recovery rate stands at 91 percent. Since the pandemic began almost a year ago, 187,062 Bexar County residents have tested positive for the virus, while 2,396 of them have died. More than 200 additional deaths are still being investigated by Metro Health. COVID-19 testing sites, including those at the Cuellar and Ramirez community centers, will be closed Saturday through Monday because of the icy weather expected to hit the San Antonio area. In nearby Comal County, health officials reported 65 newly diagnosed coronavirus cases 35 confirmed, 30 probable. Since the pandemic began last March, 8,831 Comal County residents have tested positive for the virus, while 269 of them have died. Comal County currently has 645 active cases of the virus, confirmed and probable. Officials reported that 52 county residents who tested positive for the virus were hospitalized Friday. Comal Countys recovery rate stands at 90 percent. More than 7,900 people have recovered from the virus so far. pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: Peggy_OHare As they mounted their defense of the former president on Friday, Donald J. Trumps lawyers made a number of inaccurate or misleading claims about the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, Mr. Trumps remarks, the impeachment process and 2020 election. Many claims were echoes of right-wing talking points popularized on social media or ones that were spread by Mr. Trump himself. Heres a fact check. Mr. Trumps lawyers were misleading about what happened on Jan. 6. What Was Said Instead of expressing a desire that the joint session be prevented from conducting its business, the entire premise of his remarks was that the democratic process would and should play out according to the letter of the law. Michael van der Veen, lawyer for Mr. Trump False. In his speech on Jan. 6 and before, Mr. Trump repeatedly urged former Vice President Mike Pence to reject the certification of the Electoral College votes, saying Mr. Pence should send it back to the States to recertify. Mr. Trump continued his speech on Jan. 6 saying he was challenging the certification of the election. What Was Said Far from promoting insurrection of the United States, the presidents remarks explicitly encouraged those in attendance to exercise their rights peacefully and patriotically. Mr. van der Veen remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Representative image In the main building of the United Kingdoms Foreign Office in Whitehall is a marble-floored plaza formerly known as the Grand Durbar Court of the India Office. Its flanked by artefacts of the British empire, among them a painting by Spiridione Roma entitled The East Offering its Riches to Britannia. Originally commissioned in 1778 by the East India Company, this depicts a dark-skinned character representing India holding up her treasures to fair Britannia. China and Indonesia await their turn, among others, while a John Company vessel laden with the riches of the East is visible on the horizon. This representation, as British novelist, memoirist, and journalist Sathnam Sanghera writes, turns violent looting into an act of peaceful benevolence. The larger question he addresses in Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain, his new book, is how these riches and the overall colonial experience shaped modern Britain. Given the blinkers that many Britons wear when it comes to this aspect of their past, Empireland is a vital investigation. In the stammering words of a character named Whisky Sisodia in Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses: The trouble with the Engenglish is that their hiss-hiss-history happened overseas, so they do- do-don't know what it means. Its the perfect epigraph for the book, which stands apart from most volumes on the merits and demerits of the British empire because it is cast as a personal journey of understanding. Sanghera, whose parents migrated from Punjab in the Sixties, writes of a trip to Amritsar for a documentary on Jallianwala Bagh, for example, and of attending a school reunion in Wolverhampton where he reflects on the abbreviated history he and his classmates were taught. Such explorations are complemented by digging into the immense literature on the subject to plug the gaps, decolonize himself, and see through a fog of nostalgia and amnesia that surrounds the imperial era. The result is an extremely readable and well-researched book that seeks to explain, among other things, the countrys sense of exceptionalism when dealing with Brexit and the pandemic; the position of the City of London as one of the worlds major financial centres; the wealth of its richest families and institutions; and the state of its grand country houses and museums. The influence goes much deeper. As Sanghera writes, imperialism is not something that can be erased with a few statues being torn down or a few institutions facing up to their dark pasts; it exists as a legacy in my very being and, more widely, explains nothing less than who we are as a nation. In some ways, it can be fiendishly hard to attempt a book on the impact of the British empire because of the assumption that it was an indivisible unit which existed for a specific period. Sanghera walks in the footsteps of others in showing that this was far from the case. He discusses John Seeleys dictum that the British empire was acquired in a fit of absence of mind, clarifying that its tone and culture meant different things to different people at different times. Importantly, he is against reading history as a balance of rights and wrongs, or a series of events that instil pride and shame. He isnt blind to instances of loot and brutality, such as in Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, Tibet in 1903, or the reprisals following the events of 1857 in India and of 1865 in Morant Bay. However, he also writes: The British believed from the start that their rule in India represented an improvement in the lot of ordinary Indians, and, on the whole, I think they were right. (Debatable.) Empireland cant help but touch upon the more obvious manifestations of British colonialism, from the words that made their way into the English language, to the need for tea sweetened with sugar. The book goes a lot further, though. A key observation is summed up in the words of Sri Lankan writer Ambalavaner Sivanandan: We are here because you were there. Sanghera amplifies this: The reason I am sitting here, as a person of colour in Britain, talking about this country as my home, is because several hundred years ago some Britons decided to take control of parts of the Asian subcontinent. As cultural theorist Stuart Hall has said elsewhere, I am the sugar at the bottom of the English cup of teaThere is no English history without that other history. Pressure is put on immigrant communities to integrate, but the host society should also acknowledge that brown people are here because Britain, at best, had close relationships with its colonies for centuries, which included millions of the colonized putting their lives on the line for Britain. Many arrived as citizens and subjects, such as those on the Empire Windrush. Another example is that of Sake Dean Mahomed, whose life Sanghera finds fascinating enough to consider writing a novel about, and whose secluded grave in Brightons Saint Nicholas Church he visits. Not content with opening Britains first curry house in 1809, Mahomed went on to introduce shampoo baths, offer therapeutic massages, and become the first Indian to publish a book in English. People like Mahomed demonstrate that Britain is a multicultural, racially diverse society because it once had a multicultural, racially diverse empire. Indeed, its hard, as the book says, to imagine modern Britain functioning without its Indian restaurants and shops, its brown railway and other transport workers, its black and Asian entrepreneurs, and talents such as Lenny Henry, Mo Farah and Meera Syal. The same society also suffers from undeniable racism. Sanghera writes, Our experience of empire has influenced, if not created, the distinct brand of racism practised in Britain. Imperial conceptions of racial units explain much about the differing ways ethnic groups are treated in Britain, with notions of good and bad immigrants. Again, he strives for therapeutic balance. He agrees with the words of Bernard Porter in saying that because of its empire, British views of other peoples were not as generalized, simplistic, and stereotypical as in countries that only had their ignorant prejudices to guide them. On the other hand, he doesnt deny that notwithstanding abolition, the defeat of the Nazis, and social justice movements, we also dominated the slave trade for a significant period, ran one of the biggest white supremacist enterprises in the history of humanity and dabbled in genocide. The stain of this has seeped into many aspects of contemporary culture, from the jobs market to the sinister re-emergence of violent white supremacy. Given our fractured times, Sanghera points out that expressing reservations about British empire-building isnt just a contemporary woke phenomenon. There were concerns almost from the start, from those such as Robert Graves, H. G. Wells, E. M. Forster, George Orwell, and William Gladstone. To interrogate dark episodes is not to criticise Britain any more than discussing kamikaze pilots of the Second World War is anti-Japanese or talking about Americas Civil War is anti-American. Empireland is centred on a uniquely British legacy but its inferences can certainly be applied to other countries, too. Ernest Renan asserted that the essence of a nation is that all of its individuals have many things in common, and also that everyone has forgotten many things, but its by squarely facing up to a past of ups and downs, of giving and taking, that one can come to an accommodation with a messy present. Studio 10 presenter Narelda Jacobs has spoken candidly about her sexuality ahead of hosting ABC's coverage of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian arid Gras this year. Narelda, who was raised in an ultra-religious Christian family before coming out at age 21, told The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday that she'd previously struggled to accept that she is gay. 'I buried my sexuality so deep because of how we were brought up,' she recalled. Battle: Studio 10 host Narelda Jacobs, 45, (pictured) has admitted she'd struggled to come to terms with being gay - and revealed her religious mother still doesn't accept her sexuality The journalist went on to discuss her relationship with her mother, who has made it clear she doesn't accept Narelda's sexuality, but loves her all the same. '[My mother and I] have great conversations about all sorts of things, but there are certain things we just don't talk about,' she said. 'I would love to be able to talk about relationship stuff with my mum, but I know that I will never be able to.' Narelda told The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday that she'd previously 'buried her sexuality down so deep' due to her Christian upbringing- before coming out as gay at age 21 Narelsa is in a long-term relationship with her partner, filmmaker Stevie Cruz-Martin. Speaking to The Weekend Australian in July last year, Narelda said that she is happy that she hasn't been completely ostracised by her family, even though they may not fully approve of her sexuality. 'Coming from a strict Christian family I knew my sexuality would never be accepted and that was absolutely the case,' she explained. Couple: Narelsa is in a long-term relationship with her partner, filmmaker Stevie Cruz-Martin (left) 'The day I came out my mum said 'We will never be able to accept this but we will always love you'. I just felt so blessed that I could still enjoy the love of my family [after coming out]', she added. Narelda is hosting 2021's coverage of the Mardi Gras festivities on SBS in March. She will be joined by co-hosts Zoe Coombs Marr, Joel Creasey and Courtney Act. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. PESHAWAR: Dilip Kumar's nephew in Pakistan claimed to have with him the proper and legal power of attorney of his prime property here, saying the legendary actor, who has great respect for the people of Peshawar, was keen to gift his ancestral home to them. Industrialist and former president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Fuad Ishaque, who is also Dilip Kumar's nephew, told PTI that he has proper and legal power of attorney of the property in Peshawar in his name. He claimed that the 98-year-old veteran Bollywood actor had drafted the proper power of attorney in 2012. His statement came days after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the owner of Dilip Kumar's ancestral house were urged to reach a settlement over the rate fixed for the purchase of the historic building for converting it into a museum. The legendary Bollywood actor was keen to gift his ancestral home as he has great respect for the people of Peshawar, Ishaque said. He said that the love and affection of Dilip Kumar for his ancestral city Peshawar has never diminished from his heart. Last week, Faisal Faroqui, a Peshawar-based spokesman for Dilip Kumar, told reporters that the Indian legendary actor always discusses his association and sweet memories with his birth place and the ancestral home in Mohallah Khudadad where he was born in 1922 before being shifted to India in 1935. The family and the fans of the legend were enthusiastic over the provincial government's decision to convert the historic building into a museum to honour him and preserve its contribution to the Indian cinema, he said. The price of Dilip Kumar's four marla (101 square metre) house has been fixed at Rs 80.56 lakh (USD 50,517). However, the owner has refused to sell the building, saying the prime location property has been severely undervalued. He has demanded Rs 25 crore for the property. The owner has made several attempts in the past to demolish it for constructing commercial plazas in view of its prime location but all such moves were stopped as the archaeology department wanted to preserve it, keeping in view its historic importance. Winnipeggers can pitch in to help reconcile the citys history. Winnipeggers can pitch in to help reconcile the citys history. The City of Winnipeg is accepting requests to name and rename places and historical markers that negatively affect the Indigenous community or exclude Indigenous perspectives. Its part of the citys Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History policy. Individuals and groups can submit requests to remove, replace or add written context to the names on city-owned plaques, statues, murals, parks, buildings, trails and bridges. "We want to help ensure the contributions, experiences and perspectives of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people are reflected truthfully in our stories," said Tracey Cechvala, the citys interim manager of Indigenous relations. City council has discussed the issue since at least 2018, when two Winnipeggers requested that Bishop Grandin Boulevard in south Winnipeg be renamed. Its namesake, Catholic bishop Vital-Justin Grandin lobbied the federal government to build residential schools in 1880. In 2015, those schools were condemned by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which found the way children were taken from their families amounted to cultural genocide. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said the city should be open to replacing some names, though each concern should be considered on a case-by-case basis. "Its about acknowledging what history really was, about presenting the correct information," he said. Dumas expects the process will help educate Winnipeggers about their city and province. "I think its important to give respect and pay heed to the role of Indigenous people, First Nations people and the contributions that theyve made I think the more that we learn from each other and are able to understand one other, (we will) realize how intertwined our histories are," said Dumas. Sean Carleton, who teaches a class on colonialism and commemoration at the University of Manitoba, said the policy could help address colonial names that have so far erased or downplayed Indigenous perspectives. "Commemorations are not just about the past, theyre also signals about the kind of society that we want to have in the present and the future," said Carleton. People who submit a request are expected to demonstrate how their suggested change would create a more balanced perspective of history, honour Indigenous people, promote reclamation of land and/or offer an educational opportunity. All naming requests will be reviewed by a committee of community members, who will make recommendations to city council. Mayor Brian Bowman said the change marks an important step for inclusivity. "We cant erase, nor should we try to erase, history, but we do need to accurately tell it and right now there is an absence of Indigenous perspectives in our place names and monuments," said Bowman. One Indigenous leader is critical of the process, however, arguing it falls short on consultation. David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation, said the city must consult the federation separately on every renaming proposal that affects Metis history, which the current policy doesnt guarantee. "Its got to be done right Its not only (about) looking at a name or an object or a structure. Its actually making sure that it coincides with the feelings of (affected) people," said Chartrand. Bowman said the process wont prevent separate consultation with other governments, dialogue he expects will add to the feedback. The citys process does not currently accept requests to rename streets, since those are controlled by a city bylaw. The city says work to better align the policy with that bylaw is underway. Submissions can be made at winnipeg.ca/welcomingwinnipeg. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga Vitamin D reduces Covid-19 deaths by 60 per cent, a study has found, as MP David Davis today called for the therapy to be rolled out in hospitals immediately to 'save many thousands of lives.' The study evaluated the effectiveness of calcifediol - a Vitamin D3 - on more than 550 people admitted to the Covid-19 wards of the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. Subjects were randomly assigned as either recipients of the calcifediol treatment or as controls on admission, before receiving five doses of the vitamin in increasing intervals of two, four, eight and 15 days. The research, published by the Social Science Research Network, found Covid-19 patients given doses of Vitamin D were 80 per cent less likely to require ICU treatment. Those from the University of Barcelona also concluded that 'adjusted results showed a reduced mortality of more than 60 per cent' for those who were given the calcifediol treatment. The study evaluated the effectiveness of calcifediol - a Vitamin D3 - on more than 550 people admitted to the Covid-19 wards of the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. Pictured: David Davis Former Brexit Secretary David Davis today hailed the findings as 'a very important study' Former Brexit Secretary David Davis today hailed the findings as 'a very important study', adding: 'The findings of this large and well conducted study should result in this therapy being administered to every Covid patient in every hospital in the temperate latitudes.' He said: 'Furthermore, since the study demonstrates that the clear relationship between vitamin D and Covid mortality is causal, the UK government should increase the dose and availability of free vitamin D to all the vulnerable groups. 'These approaches will save many thousands of lives. They are overdue and should be started immediately.' The research, which is preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, found 36 of the 551 patients treated with calcifediol died from Covid-19 compared to 57 patients out of 379 in the control group. Elsewhere, researchers found only five per cent of the calcifediol group were admitted to the ICU. The research, which is preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, found 36 of the 551 patients treated with calcifediol died from Covid-19 compared to 57 patients out of 379 in the control group. Pictured: Stock image The study said: 'In this open randomised study conducted during the first European outbreak of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, we have observed that, in hospitalised Covid-19 patients, treatment with calcifediol reduced the requirement for critical care by more than 80 per cent. 'This supports the conclusion of a prior pilot trial in Cordoba in which calcifediol treatment lead to a reduction of more than 50 per cent of ICU admission in hospitalised Covid-19 patients.' HOW CAN VITAMIN D COMBAT COVID-19? According to a World Health Organization study on respiratory tract infections, 'Vitamin D deficiency may affect the immune system as vitamin D plays an immunomodulation role, enhancing innate immunity by up-regulating the expression and secretion of antimicrobial peptides, which boosts mucosal defenses'. Airborne illnesses such as coronavirus can get into the system via mucous membranes; eyes, nose and mouth. Estelle hails the antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of D3, otherwise known as the 'sunshine vitamin'. Darker skin tones have more difficulty obtaining the benefits of vitamin D but slow-release adhesive skin patches provide 12 hours of continuous D3 supplementation, delivered directly into the bloodstream. 'The Vitamin D Shot is a safe treatment,' VitaminInjections.co.uk states. 'Rarely, however, Vitamin D injections can lead to a number of side effects - the most common of which are stomach discomfort and nausea.' Advertisement Earlier in the pandemic, it was revealed the link between Vitamin D and coronavirus was being kept 'under review' by Matt Hancock as studies began to suggest that having low levels of the vitamin heightened the risk of mortality. The Health Secretary had asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to continue to research emerging evidence after authorities began 'encouraging' people to take supplements, the Guardian reported. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'Evidence of the link of vitamin D to Covid-19 is still being researched and we keep all strong evidence on treatments under review.' It comes as a separate study revealed Vitamin C and zinc won't help fight off Covid. Findings from the trial, which looked at the benefits of the two supplements to people isolating at home with the virus, were so unimpressive that scientists decided to call it off altogether. While both have proved popular in fighting off other viral colds and flu, they 'failed to live up to their hype', according to an editorial published in the JAMA Network Open journal. Three groups of 214 adults recovering from Covid at home took part in the trial, which saw them given high doses of Vitamin C, high doses of zinc and both. A fourth group, meanwhile, received fever-reducing medications and were told to rest and hydrate but didn't take any of the supplements. But scientists found no evidence of a reduction of Covid symptoms in any of the first three groups. Furthermore, high doses actually went on to cause unpleasant side effects for some including nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Previous research has found that, as an antioxidant, Vitamin C plays a crucial role in supporting the immune system and can shorten colds by 14% in children and 8% in adults. However, the National Institutes of Health found it didn't appear to be helpful if taken after cold symptoms start. Zinc, meanwhile, could help cells fight infection, with a deficiency contributing to decreased production of antibodies. A review of 13 studies said zinc can reduce the length of a cold by a day if taken within 24 hours of the very first signs, but warnings have been issued against its use in nasal sprays after being linked to more than 100 cases of loss of smell. Mom of Kids Killed in Fire Misses Court Date By West Kentucky Star Staff CADIZ - An arrest warrant has been issued for a woman facing charges connected to the deaths of her children.According to WKDZ, 30-year-old Keyona Bingham was supposed to appear virtually before Trigg County Circuit Judge C.W. Woodall this week, but was not on Zoom when her pre-trial conference came up on the docket. Commonwealth's Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins asked the judge to issue the warrant.Another pre-trial conference was scheduled for March 10. Bingham's trial is set for August 24.She was indicted by a grand jury in September on two counts of manslaughter related to a house fire on April 7, 2020. Three-year-old Kamari Harris and 7-month-old Ky'nylee Harris died in the blaze.Kentucky State Police told the grand jury Bingham left her children alone in their home and went to a family member's house three blocks away to get a Lortab tablet. She told police that when she returned, the house was in flames.Bingham could face 5-10 years in prison if convicted. Dental students in Scotland will have to repeat a year after their training was disrupted by the coronavirus crisis. The pandemic has prevented students from getting vital experience in procedures such as drilling, prompting dental schools to defer graduations. Schools in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh have all decided to defer the awarding of qualifications. The SNP's public health minister Mairi Gougeon said affected students would be able to apply for a bursary up to 6,750, which is equivalent to what is given to cover student loans. Dental students in Scotland will have to repeat a year after their training was disrupted by the coronavirus crisis Ms Gougeon added: 'Many students have not gained the necessary clinical experience this year, which has resulted in the difficult decision to defer graduation.' Scottish health secretary Jeanne Freeman said she recognised how disappointing the decision would be for students, the BBC reported. She said the decision was a 'tough one' but was made to give 'dental students the experience that has been denied them this year because of the pandemic.' 'We need to ensure that people studying dentistry can enter the profession as confident fully-qualified clinicians,' she added. The dental schools in question said students had been unable to get experience in aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). AGPs, which are very common, can cause droplets to spray into the air, increasing the risk that coronavirus could spread. The pandemic has prevented students from getting vital experience in procedures such as drilling, prompting dental schools to defer graduations Graduation in Aberdeen has been deferred to the winter. In Glasgow and Edinburgh completion will be in summer next year. Professor Phil Taylor, the dean of the faculty of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, backed the move. He said: 'Patient safety is always at the forefront of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh's actions and this decision supports our efforts in this respect. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the move was a 'big blow' to final year students who had been hoping to move into employment. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Ghaziabad, Feb 13 : Several people living near the Ghazipur border at Delhi on Saturday staged a protest against the farmers' agitation. The road near the border has remained closed due to the farmers' protests since the last 80 days, due to which the local people are facing various problems. The farmers have been protesting at various borders of the national capital against the three new farm laws since November 26, 2020. The farmers have been sitting at the Ghazipur border and after the violence on Republic Day, barricades have been placed by the local administration to prevent the farmers from entering Delhi. The local residents have been forced to wait on the streets for several hours while commuting from Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, so a group of local residents sat on a 'dharna' against the farmer agitation. They demanded that the protest should end soon as the people living near the border are getting tired of the continuous protests. Some of the locals said, "What protest is this by closing the roads? We are facing trouble in commuting to office every morning. However, the people sitting on this protest ended it after some time after they handed a memorandum to the administration and asked them to put an end to the farmers' agitation at the earliest. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Eleven months into the pandemic, schools remain closed in many parts of the country. With so many teachers still waiting to be vaccinated, the question of whether to reopen has been the subject of passionate debate in cities like Chicago, where teachers just returned to classrooms after lengthy negotiations. In San Francisco, the city attorney is suing the school district for its failure to offer in-person instruction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has acknowledged that in-person learning can be done safely, on Friday released guidance for how to reopen schools safely. Its recommendations include universal masking, hand washing, social distancing, contact tracing and cleaning. According to the new guidance, in order to fully reopen elementary, middle and high schools for in-person instruction, rates of Covid-19 infection in a community must be very low; currently, few places in the United States meet the agencys criteria. In the meantime, bringing children into classrooms part time or restricting attendance to younger children may remain the norm in many places. The C.D.C. has provided a good framework to get more students back to classrooms. But the guidance makes it difficult to do whats best for the countrys children: to get all students, in all grades, into classrooms five days a week, in person. The pandemic has surprised us again and again. But given where we stand now, by the fall a large share of adults will probably be vaccinated, and certainly all teachers and school staffs should have access to vaccines. Even with new variants of the coronavirus spreading, high vaccination rates are likely to have driven Covid-19 rates down (hopefully very far down). However, children, especially those under 12, are very unlikely to have been immunized by the fall. And we shouldnt expect to see Covid-19 rates of zero, then or maybe ever. More than 240 people signed a petition started in West Linn urging the city to hold police Capt. Oddis Rollins accountable for a lackluster internal investigation into the arrest of Michael Fesser, a Black man from Portland who was accused of bogus theft charges in 2017. West Linn City Manager Jerry Gabrielatos said hes holding off making a decision until he gives Rollins a chance to respond to concerns raised by outside consultants about the internal inquiry. Rollins was a sergeant serving as an acting lieutenant when he was asked to investigate the actions of a fellow sergeant, Tony Reeves, after Fesser filed notice that he intended to sue the city over his arrest. Reeves had been the lead investigator who pursued Fesser case as a detective. West Linn police arrested Fesser in 2017 on theft charges in an investigation instigated by former Police Chief Terry Timeus as a favor for a friend of his. The friend was Fessers boss, Eric Benson, a West Linn resident and owner of A&B Towing Co. in Southeast Portland. Fesser alleged that Benson targeted him because Fesser had complained about racist comments and harassment at work. All theft charges against Fesser were dismissed, and Benson paid Fesser $415,000 to settle a separate civil suit. Fesser eventually sued West Linn police and settled the suit last February for $600,000. I believe that additional follow-up is still needed for a full understanding of Captain Rollins actions and decision-making in the investigation of former Sgt. Reeves, Gabrielatos said in a statement this week. After The Oregonian/OregonLive publicized the West Linn settlement and Fessers case, the city hired the California-based consulting firm OIR Group to look into how the city mishandled Fessers case. The city last year fired Reeves and Police Chief Terry Kruger over fallout from the Fesser case. Michael Gennaco, the lead consultant from OIR Group, found no evidence of collusion or intentional wrongdoing by Rollins, the current city manager noted in his statement. Gabrielatos wrote that it is important to assess and consider whether (Rollins) actions at that time have been mitigated by attributes and leadership he may bring to the Police Department today, and also whether that assessment should be made by a newly appointed Police Chief. Rollins did not respond to messages seeking comment. In a report released in December, OIR Group found West Linn made a serious misstep in failing to tap an outside agency to investigate shocking claims raised by Fesser in his 2018 notice of plans to sue police and the city for wrongful arrest and racial discrimination. West Linn police ended up doing their own extremely cursory and gap-riddled internal investigation of Fessers allegations, the consultants said. West Linn Community for Police Reform, a grassroots group formed after the citys settlement with Fesser, started the petition last month. It calls for the city to take unspecified action against Rollins, noting that he investigated only a small subset of Fessers allegations, interviewed Reeves for only 14 minutes and didnt interview other key witnesses, including Fesser and Timeus. Rollins concluded that Reeves violated West Linn Police Department policy regarding use of profane language and for not properly placing into evidence property seized from Fesser, but he didnt find any evidence of discrimination or oppression. Ultimately, the department gave Reeves a verbal reprimand, and Rollins was promoted to captain. This woefully inadequate investigation left the City Council with an inaccurate understanding of the facts and the exposure the City was facing. His failed investigation contributed significantly to the loss of public trust in the West Linn Police Department, the petition said. Two local residents who were involved in starting the petition said theyre not satisfied by the city managers response. It appears that the City Manager is attempting to minimize the degree of accountability attributable to Rollins. This can be seen by the City Managers statement that these events happened more than two years ago. He further states that Rollins was thrust into his role of Acting Lieutenant. He fails to mention that since then Rollins has been promoted to Captain,' local activists Martha Boyce and Kathy Selvaggio said. -- Maxine Bernstein Email mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian BOSTON - The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way Saturday for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan in the escape of former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn. FILEAiThis Dec. 30, 2019 image from security camera video shows Michael L. Taylor, center, and George-Antoine Zayek at passport control at Istanbul Airport in Turkey. Taylor is accused of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of Japan in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. (DHA via AP, File) BOSTON - The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way Saturday for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan in the escape of former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn. Justice Stephen Breyer denied a bid to put the extradition on hold to give Michael and Peter Taylor time to pursue an appeal in their case challenging the U.S. officials plans to hand them over to Japan. Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his son are accused of helping Ghosn, who led the Japanese automaker for two decades, flee the country last year with Ghosn tucked away in a box on a private jet. The flight went first to Turkey, and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Lawyers for the Taylors argue the men cant legally be extradited and will be treated unfairly in the Japan. Their lawyers told the Supreme Court in a brief filed Friday that the men would face harsh treatment in the Japanese criminal justice system. The issues raised by petitioners merit full and careful consideration, and the stakes are enormous for them. The very least the U.S. courts owe the petitioners is a full chance to litigate these issues, including exercising their appellate rights, before they are consigned to the fate that awaits them at the hands of the Japanese government, their attorneys wrote. FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2020, file photo, former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn holds a press conference at the Maronite Christian Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, as he launches an initiative to help Lebanon that is undergoing a severe economic and financial crisis, in Kaslik, north of Beirut, Lebanon. A U.S. judge on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021 cleared the way for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan for smuggling former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of the country while he was awaiting trial. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected a request to block the U.S. from handing Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, over to Japan. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) U.S. authorities had said they would not hand the men over to Japan while their bid for a stay was pending before Breyer, an attorney for the Taylors said. Michael Taylor said in an interview with The Associated Press that he feels betrayed that the U.S. would try to turn him over to Japan after his service to the country. Taylor refused to discuss the details of the case because of the possibility that he could be tried in Japan, but he insisted his son had no involvement. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston refused Thursday to put the extradition on hold, finding that the Taylors are unlikely to succeed on the merits of their case. The Taylors have been locked up at a suburban Boston jail since their arrest last May. Ghosn was out on bail at the of his escape and awaiting trial on allegations that he underreported his income and committed a breach of trust by diverting Nissan money for his personal gain. Ghosn said he fled because he could not expect a fair trial, was subjected to unfair conditions in detention and was barred from meeting his wife under his bail conditions. Ghosn has denied any wrongdoing. Laura Whitmore is expecting her baby early this year. Photo by: Laura Whitmore/ Instagram Laura Whitmore said she cant believe she is still able to walk in heels as she is in her third trimester of pregnancy. Posting a snap to Instagram wearing a pink dress with a huge detailed bow and nude heels, she wrote: Well impressed I can still walk in heels (just about) Its the little accomplishments The Irish presenter announced last December that she is expecting her first child with her husband Iain Stirling. To announce the pregnancy, Laura took to social media with a snap of a Guns NRoses babygro that says coming 2021 on it. Read More The couple secretly wed in Dublin last year, however, the Bray native only confirmed the news on her Instagram on New Years Day 2021. She wrote: A year ago Iain asked me to marry him and we had the most magical, perfect ceremony. We loved having it to ourselves. "We had been planning the perfect celebration and I will forever be so thankful thats what we got. We have never spoken publicly about our engagement or wedding. "Back at the time we never felt the need to say anything as its all such a personal experience. Its an especially busy time for the Love Island presenter as she is launching a book on March 4 called No One Can Change Your Life Except For You. It is a self-help/motivational book and the TV star said she basically wrote the book she has always wanted to read. "I recognise everyone has different levels of struggle but no one just hands you a chance, she wrote. "We don't have to wait for Prince Charming to rescue us, or wait for the opportunity to come to us. We can be our own heroes. We can create our own dreams. After announcing her pregnancy, Laura has hit back at trolls who have shamed her online for showing off her baby bump. She received some negative comments online after sharing an image of herself wearing underwear and a denim jacket. While the image received over 100,000 likes and many positive comments, some users took the opportunity to criticise Whimore. One user commented: How can you ask for privacy whilst being pregnant whilst showing photos like this on Instagram!!!! Laura replied to the remark: Because its my choice what I show. Quite simple really. WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate on Saturday voted to acquit former President Donald Trump, ending a historic impeachment trial after just five days by clearing the former president of charges that he incited the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Still, seven Republicans joined all Democrats as the majority of the Senate voted to convict Trump, making it the most bipartisan conviction vote ever. But the 57-43 vote fell short of the 67 votes needed to convict. U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas joined the majority of Republicans in voting to acquit Trump. The House brought only one charge before the Senate: incitement. Donald Trump used heated language, but he did not urge anyone to commit acts of violence, Cruz said in a statement. The legal standard for incitement is very high and it is clear by the results of this vote that the House Managers failed to present a coherent standard for incitement. Cornyn said he was concerned about establishing a dangerous, and sure to be used in the future, precedent of impeaching a former President after he or she has left office. This practice would, I fear, make impeachments a routine part of our political competition as a tool of the majority party to exact political revenge over the minority party, Cornyn said in a statement. MORE FROM THE TRIAL: Texas Rep. Castro plays key role in Trump impeachment trial House Democrats had argued that the former president spent months feeding his supporters a big lie that the election was rigged against him and priming them to fight to stop the steal. Donald Trump summoned the mob, he assembled the mob and he lit the flame, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio said. Trumps attorneys, meanwhile, argued was protected by the First Amendment and was the target of Constitutional cancel culture. The vote followed a brief bit of chaos Saturday as senators fought over whether or not to call witnesses. House managers sought to do so after U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., issued a statement late Friday saying House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about a call with Trump during the insurrection in which McCarthy urged Trump to call his supporters off and the president responded, Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are. In the end no witnesses were called, however, as a deal was reached to enter the statement into evidence and move on after hours of negotiations between Senate leaders, House managers and Trumps defense team. While the acquittal vote marked an end that was crystal clear to everyone from the start, as Cruz put it on Thursday, the trial was nonetheless historic: The first time a president has been tried after leaving office, the first time the Senate tried a president for the second time, as Trump was the first to be impeached twice and the shortest impeachment trial in history at just five days. Trumps first trial, previously the shortest, lasted 20 days. The trial was also unlike any other, with its participants acting as prosecutors, defendants, judges, jurors and witnesses often at once. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, for instance, presided as judge, even as the Democrat also held a vote as a juror. Conversations Trump reportedly had with Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama on the day of the insurrection were key pieces of evidence used by House managers and were disputed at times by Lee. Among the clearest illustrations of the strange roles senators were playing was Cruz, who had a vote as a juror in the trial yet spent at least the second half of it advising the defense team. The former Texas solicitor general talked openly about guiding the defense. Cruz said on his podcast which he launched to defend Trump during the former presidents first impeachment trial that he told Trumps lawyers they should focus especially on the Houses definition of incitement and argue it would also make guilty countless other political figures, including a whole bunch of Democrats who have used fiery rhetoric in campaigns. Cruz said he urged the team to walk through comments by Democrats including Sen. Bernie Sanders, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and Vice President Kamala Harris. What I encouraged the Trump lawyers to do is say, all right, take their standard and apply it to the conduct of Democrats, Cruz said. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox On Friday, Trumps lawyers did just that, playing a lengthy montage of Democrats, including many Cruz suggested, in speeches and interviews talking about fighting. And they hammered the point again in closing arguments Saturday. We showed you those videos not because we think you should be forcibly removed from office for saying those things, but because we know you should not be forcibly removed from office for saying those things, Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said. But recognize the hypocrisy. And while Cruz was not on trial, many have blamed him for stoking the tensions that Trump was impeached for pushing over the edge as he objected to counting votes from Arizona. Like other senators, Cruz came up in evidence presented by the House, including footage published by the New Yorker in which insurrectionists rifled through Cruzs papers on the Senate floor. Hes with us, one said. Cruz would want us to do this, so I think were good, said another. Saturdays vote put a cap on a saga that overshadowed the first weeks of Bidens presidency and clears the way for the Senate to resume confirming his cabinet and negotiating over another COVID relief package. The decision to wrap up without witnesses on Saturday was a sign the partys leaders were ready to move on from the trial, which served as much as a public case against Trump as an effort to win over votes to convict him. Republicans including Cruz had threatened to call for dozens of witnesses and make the trial last all of February, all of March, all of April, stalling President Joe Bidens legislative agenda. Its unclear whether the trial will do any permanent damage to Trumps political future, including a potential future run for president, for which the Senate acquittal leaves the door open. Trump remained popular among Texas Republicans before the trial, at least, with 83 percent of them believing his unfounded claims that the election was rigged against him, according to a recent poll by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun, Trump said in a statement Saturday. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted to acquit the former president, however, suggested Trump could still face criminal prosecution. McConnell torch Trump in a speech on the Senate floor, pinning on him an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories, orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to either overturn the voters decision or else torch our institutions on the way out. Trump, McConnell said, didnt get away with anything yet. Cornyn, a former judge, also said he believed legal prosecution is "the Constitutional method of accountability," as the Constitution "makes legal offenses committed while in office subject to investigation and prosecution, as warranted, after a President is no longer in office." House managers, however, argued throughout the trial that more was at stake than Trumps future. By acquitting the former president, the Senate was setting a dangerous precedent, they argued in their closing arguments. There are moments that transcend party politics and that require us to put country above our party, because the consequences of not doing so are just too great, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., said. This is one of those moments. ben.wermund@chron.com The Michigan Court of Appeals has reinstated lawsuits against two universities over mistaken results that were discovered years after two sisters were tested for a high risk of skin cancer. The court said lawsuits filed by the Ohio family were not untimely, reversing decisions by a judge who had ruled in favor of the University of Michigan and Yale University. In 1999, Michael and Susan Lonsway consulted with a university cancer genetics expert because of a family history of melanoma. Blood samples from their daughters, ages 5 and 3, were sent to a laboratory at Yale University. The Lonsways were told that Cameryn, like her father, had a gene mutation associated with melanoma but Delaney did not. With the news, the family took extra steps to protect Cameryn's skin. Years later, in 2014, the Yale lab discovered that the results were not reported accurately; it was Delaney who had the mutation, not Cameryn. Yale informed the University of Michigan, but a genetic counselor there, Jessica Everett, didn't tell the family. Delaney subsequently was diagnosed with melanoma in 2016. New tests in Pittsburgh in 2017 confirmed that she had the gene mutation. Everett "did not remember why she failed to convey the information" to the family, the appeals court said in a summary of the case. The appeal centered on technical aspects of Michigan law about deadlines to file a lawsuit. The court said the Lonsways had cleared the hurdle. The University of Michigan's failure to tell the family that their test results were incorrect "arguably prevented plaintiffs from benefiting from the essential purpose of the genetic testing in the first place: to take precautionary measures and modify behavior" to reduce the risk of cancer, the court said in a 3-0 opinion Thursday. Explore further Q&A: Genetic abnormalities and cancer risk 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The Citizens Assembly is meeting to discuss the removal of an article on the place of women in the home from the Constitution. The meeting, which is taking place online due to the pandemic, involves 99 citizens selected at random who will determine whether Article 41 of the Constitution should be kept, removed or replaced. The aim of Saturdays meeting is to determine the wording of a ballot paper on this issue, which will be voted on at the end of the Assembly process in April. WATCH: #CitizensAssembly heard from Chair of @CitzAssembly, Dr Catherine Day explaining the approach to todayas meeting on Article 41 of the Irish Constitution. https://t.co/X40UTWCBUD The Citizens' Assembly (@CitizAssembly) February 13, 2021 Assembly chair Dr Catherine Day told participants that the article had come from a very different time, for a very different Ireland. She said: Since then, Ireland has gone through a very significant change, opening up to the outside world, taking different views on many social questions and setting different expectations of what we want government and the institutions of our State to do. Probably nothing exemplifies the changes of the past 84 years more than Article 41. Read More I very much doubt whether such an article would be acclaimed in a referendum today. It has been criticised over many years, including by Irish and international human rights organisations. And as you know, the Convention on the Constitution, as long ago as 2013, basically called for amendments to the Constitution to change what we all call the woman in the home clause. What we want to know is whether you feel it should be kept as it is, so no change to the Constitution. Should it be something deleted, taken out of the Constitution, or should it be replaced by something else? Despite the assurances from those in power that women's rights would not be curtailed, that is exactly what happened in the years that followed Dr Laura Chaillane, University of Limerick Article 41 of the Constitution recognises the role of the family unit in society. It is Article 41.2 which is at the centre of the debate. It states: In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved. The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home. The Assembly heard from Dr Laura Cahillane, a law lecturer at the University of Limerick, who argued that the provision is of little use in law. She noted that when the Constitution was written in 1937, Eamon De Valera told the Dail the intention was not to interfere with the rights of women, or to prevent them from working. She added: Despite the assurances from those in power that womens rights would not be curtailed, that is exactly what happened in the years that followed. And while the societal changes and the influence of the womens movements later on meant many improvements in the lives of women, this constitutional provision was not part of that change. And so that raises the question, is the provision of any use in law. And the short answer is probably not. WATCH: #CitizensAssembly heard from Dr Laura Cahillane from @UL presenting on Article 41.2https://t.co/L8vN6RF6Ya The Citizens' Assembly (@CitizAssembly) February 13, 2021 Dr Cahillane said if the option to replace the Article is picked, it is likely to be a gender neutral alternative that would recognise the role of care work in the home. This one looks like a reasonable option, it has the benefit of removing the outmoded and paternalistic language which currently exists, while also giving recognition to the work that carers do in the home, she said. But she also warned that there may be little value to this approach. The current provision has been of no use to carers, and its quite possible that a replacement provision would have the same fate. The crucial issue here is that reform is badly needed in the area of care work, but you dont need a constitutional amendment in order to address that. Deleting the article, she said, has the advantage of clarity, certainty and simplicity. In the first place, it removes the derogatory and insulting language, but it also removes the potential for any unintended interpretation of the provision at some point in the future she added. The disadvantage of this approach is that it removes any recognition of care work from the Constitution entirely, Dr Cahillane said. Legislative action is the only way that real change can be achieved in this area. So, you could say that having arguments about what wording should replace Article 41.2 might only prove to be a further distraction and might further distance any potential real reform, and real reform can easily be achieved through legislation. Last week, my colleagues and I authored a commentary in EClinicalMedicine, a clinical journal published by the Lancet, urging the Biden administration to amend the priority guidelines for COVID-19 vaccinations to include all people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD; Hotez et al., 2021). It is critical that the entire I/DD population gains access to priority vaccines. But its also important that we consider why they were excluded in the first place. People with I/DD, including individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, seizures, developmental delays, and/or intellectual impairment, comprise between 1% and 2% of the U.S. population. They are particularly susceptible to COVID-19, demonstrating more severe illness, greater risk of hospitalization, and almost twice the case fatality rates for individuals ages 18 to 74 (Turk et al., 2020). People with I/DD may experience difficulties following social distancing guidelines (Embregts et al., 2020) and often require in-person services from professionals who have been noted to work multiple jobs (Contrera, 2021). Despite that, the guidelinesfrom which states take their cue in administering vaccinesexclude the bulk of this population. It is critical that the entire I/DD population gains access to priority vaccines. But its also important that we consider why they were excluded in the first place. Disability stigma in health care Stigmanegative attitudes and beliefs based on distinguishing characteristics assumed to be disadvantageousis at least partially to blame for the exclusion of people with I/DD from the COVID-19 vaccination guidelines (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). My experiences as both a developmental psychologist and the sibling of an autistic adult make plain that stigma against individuals with I/DD is rampant in health care. For starters, their interests are not adequately represented in health care policy, often because their needs and abilities are misunderstood and they are assumed to be different or separate from the general population (Scior et al., 2016). They are also excluded from research recruitment efforts and eligibility criteria. Indeed, a recent review of 300 randomized clinical trials published in high-impact medical journals found that people with I/DD were represented in only 2% of trials (Feldman et al., 2014). Exacerbating this is an undercurrent of implicit stigma, which is reflected in providers use of negatively biased or exclusionary language. For example, in focus groups, pediatric providers described working with their patients with I/DD as a minefield and referred to them as those kids (Como et al., 2020). Given that individuals with I/DD are well aware of these and other forms of stigma, they often conceal their I/DD status. Thus, a vicious cycle of stigma is at the root of their exclusion from the priority guidelines (Ditchman et al., 2013): Minimal research on this population, which is reluctant to self-identify, compounded by implicit bias and misinformation among health care professionals, resulted in insufficient data on their susceptibility to COVID-19 and a consequent unwillingness to include them in the priority guidelines. Beyond this, stigma is directly and indirectly damaging to health. Stigma has been linked with heightened cardiovascular reactivity, exacerbated stress responses, increased substance use, and a host of other negative health outcomes (Chaudoir et al., 2013; Pascoe et al., 2009). For individuals with I/DD, experiences of discrimination and concealment of disability status contribute to poorer health, including heightened stress and anxiety (Botha & Frost, 2020; Mitter et al., 2019; Song et al., 2018; Werner & Schulman, 2013). Further, negative attitudes about individuals with I/DD reduce the number of medical providers willing to provide those patients with care and compromise the quality of care that they receive (Agaronnik et al., 2020; Ditchman et al., 2013). When primary care doctors view patients with I/DD as too complicated to treat, those patients must make appointments with specialists and miss out on important preventive care (Burge et al., 2008). Concealing a disability may also disqualify individuals with I/DD from receiving supports and services (Ditchman et al., 2013). We cannot begin to improve the health and well-being of individuals with I/DD without acknowledging the powerful role of stigma. There are several steps we can take to address stigma against individuals with I/DD. To start, we need to better train health care professionals to work with individuals with I/DD (Pelleboer-Gunnink et al., 2017; Wilkinson et al., 2012). Currently, trainings exclusively focus on eliminating preexisting negative attitudes to enhance care. Effective programming must also promote neurodiversity, which conceptualizes disability as a valuable aspect of identity that does not require a cure (Kapp et al., 2013). In practice, this means that providers should utilize inclusive language that reflects patients diverse needs and abilities, promote health and well-being rather than single out patients limitations, and respond to the experiences and priorities of patients (Baida & Ivanova, 2019). Training medical staff is not enough, however; stigma begins in childhood, and neurodiversity education should begin well before doctors become doctors (Carter et al., 2016). The field has witnessed the emergence of childrens programming, such as Realabilities, a television show that emphasizes the strengths of children with I/DD (Silton et al., 2016). Continuing these efforts would ensure that the next generation is less subject to perpetuating stigma. Lastly, there is a pressing need for a corresponding neurodiversity-focused approach to research. This requires collaborating with individuals with I/DD in research that involves them. With my team at UCLA, I co-lead the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health. In developing the network, we prioritized the establishment of an Autistic Researchers Review Boardcomposed of autistic researchers who are both scientists and lived-experience expertsto guarantee that our research meets the needs of I/DD populations. Advancing these recommendations will go a long way toward eliminating the pervasive health care stigma that resulted in people with I/DD being excluded from the priority COVID-19 vaccination guidelines. Emily Hotez, PhD, is an assistant professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Hotez is a developmental psychologist-researcher with a focus on autism, adult development, and health and well-being. She co-leads the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health and can be reached at @EmilyHotezPhD. References Agaronnik, N., Pendo, E., Lagu, T., DeJong, C., Perez-Caraballo, A., & Iezzoni, L. I. (2020) Ensuring the reproductive rights of women with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 45(4), 365376. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2020.1762383 Baida, L., & Ivanova, O. (2019). Universal design in healthcare: Manual. United Nations Development Programme. https://www.ua.undp.org/content/ukraine/en/home/library/democratic_governance/universal-design-in-health-care-institutions.html Botha, M., & Frost, D. M. (2020) Extending the minority stress model to understand mental health problems experienced by the autistic population. Society and Mental Health, 10(1), 2034. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869318804297 Burge, P., Ouellette-Kuntz, H., Isaacs, B., Lunsky, Y., & Undergraduate Medical Education in Intellectual Disabilities Group at Queens University (2008). Medical students views on training in intellectual disabilities. Canadian Family Physician, 54(4), 568569. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2294093/ Carter, E. W., Biggs E. E., & Blustein C. L. (2016). Relationships matter: Addressing stigma among children and youth with intellectual disabilities and their peers. In K. Scior and S. Werner (Eds.), Intellectual disability and stigma (pp. 149164). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52499-7_10 Chaudoir, S. R., Earnshaw, V. A., & Andel, S. (2013). Discredited versus discreditable: Understanding how shared and unique stigma mechanisms affect psychological and physical health disparities. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 35(1), 7587. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2012.746612 Como, D. H., Florindez, L. I., Tran, C. F., Cermak, S. A., & Stein Duker, L. I. (2020). Examining unconscious bias embedded in provider language regarding children with autism. Nursing & Health Sciences, 22(2), 197204. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12617 Contrera, J. (2021, January 13). People with disabilities desperately need the vaccine. But states disagree on when theyll get it. Washington Post. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/13/disabled-coronavirus-vaccine-states/ Ditchman, N., Werner, S., Kosyluk, K., Jones, N., Elg, B., & Corrigan, P. W. (2013). Stigma and intellectual disability: potential application of mental illness research. Rehabilitation Psychology, 58(2), 206216. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032466 Embregts, P. J., van den Bogaard, K. J., Frielink, N., Voermans, M. A., Thalen, M., & Jahoda, A. (2020). A thematic analysis into the experiences of people with a mild intellectual disability during the COVID-19 lockdown period. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2020.1827214 Feldman, M. A., Bosett, J., Collet, C., & Burnham-Riosa, P. (2014). Where are persons with intellectual disabilities in medical research? A survey of published clinical trials. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58(9), 800809. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12091 Hotez, E., Hotez, P. J., Rosenau, K. A., & Kuo, A. A. (2021). Commentary: Prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. EClinicalMedicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100749 Kapp, S. K., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Sherman, L. E., & Hutman, T. (2013). Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 5971. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028353 Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017, May 24). Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/in-depth/mental-health/art-20046477 Mitter, N., Ali, A., & Scior, K. (2019). Stigma experienced by families of individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 89, 1021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2019.03.001 Pascoe, E. A., & Smart Richman, L. (2009). Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 135(4), 531554. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016059 Pelleboer-Gunnink, H. A., Van Oorsouw, W., Van Weeghel, J., & Embregts, P. (2017). Mainstream health professionals stigmatising attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 61(5), 411434. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12353 Scior, K., Hamid, A., Hastings, R., Werner, S., Belton, C., Laniyan, A., & Patel, M. (2016). Consigned to the margins: A call for global action to challenge intellectual disability stigma. The Lancet Global Health, 4(5), E294E295. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(16)00060-7 Song, J., Mailick, M. R., & Greenberg, J. S. (2018). Health of parents of individuals with developmental disorders or mental health problems: Impacts of stigma. Social Science & Medicine, 217, 152158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.09.044 Silton, N. R., Arucevic, S., Ruchlin, R., & Norkus, V. (2016) Realabilities: The development of a research-based childrens television program to address disability awareness and a stop-bullying platform in the schools. In Special and gifted education: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications (pp. 448469). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-5792-2.ch015 Turk, M. A., Landes, S. D., Formica, M. K., & Goss, K. D. (2020). Intellectual and developmental disability and COVID-19 case-fatality trends: TriNetX analysis. Disability and Health Journal, 13(3), Article 100942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100942 Werner, S., & Shulman, C. (2013). Subjective well-being among family caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities: The role of affiliate stigma and psychosocial moderating variables. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(11), 41034114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2013.08.029 Wilkinson, J., Dreyfus, D., Cerreto, M., & Bokhour, B. (2012). Sometimes I feel overwhelmed: Educational needs of family physicians caring for people with intellectual disability. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 50(3), 243250. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-50.3.243 Three months into a vaccine rollout that has raised concerns over equity and access issues, experts are hopeful that a pending vaccine and mass vaccination site in Houston may help the region turn a corner. Game-changer is how two public health experts separately described the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson that is expected to be approved for wide use late this month. That vaccine is a real game-changer because it does only require one dose, said Rice University health economist Vivian Ho. It was one of multiple, positive bits of news to come this week. On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that NRG Stadium will soon open as the states largest vaccination site, and Texas Southern University has started administering vaccinations in Third Ward. It just helps thousands of people, said Ho. Her optimism comes after months of complaints and concerns raised about equal access in Texas, which has ranked near the very bottom for vaccination distribution per capita. On HoustonChronicle.com: I've been vaccinated. Can I safely visit friends or family who haven't? Locally, health officials have made vulnerable communities a focal point of their pandemic plan. But theres still much work to be done on that front. Data from the state Department of Emergency Management shows that most of the Houston areas vaccine sites are in its western and typically more affluent neighborhoods. And public agencies that have prioritized minority and disadvantaged communities are still waiting on larger shares of the vaccine: Last week, officials with the Harris Health System, the states largest safety net hospital, said they have received only a fraction of the 15,000 vaccine doses that they could be dolling out each week. Mayor Sylvester Turner called for a revamping of the vaccine distribution process, and for private hospitals to share vaccines with health centers in underserved areas that in just the last decade have borne the brunt of a global pandemic, Hurricane Harvey and multiple major floods. All told, the countys six vaccine hubs have received at least 350,000 vaccine, about half of which have gone to city or county health agencies, according to the states vaccine dashboard. The largest share thus far has gone to Houston Methodist, which received tens of thousands of doses for frontline healthcare workers who were prioritized under the states plans. The state later pivoted to prioritize nursing homes, which meant fewer for other agencies, said Roberta Schwartz, chief innovation officer for the Houston Methodist Hospital system. There's just not enough of a precious resource, she said. Though its less efficacious than its predecessors, Schwartz is eagerly awaiting the likely approval of the vaccine produced by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Unlike those from Moderna and Pfizer, the Janssen vaccine only requires one shot and does not need to be stored at a low temperature. That was among the reasons why, Schwartz said, Houston Methodist had to scrap an earlier plan to distribute doses to 30 to 50 sites in the area. On HoustonChronicle.com: Pfizer vaccine effective against UK, South African COVID variants, UTMB study says Theres been other, recent good news. Earlier this week, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that NRG Stadium will soon open as the largest vaccine site in Texas, which has now lost roughly 40,000 people to the virus. Abbott has said more sites may be announced soon under the plan, a partnership between the state and the Biden administration. Meanwhile, in Houstons Third Ward, more than 1,200 people were vaccinated this week through a partnership between Texas Southern University and Baylor-St. Lukes Medical Center. The plan is for TSU to become Third Wards main vaccine distributor. Citywide, there is significant overlap between ZIP codes that have been hit hardest by the pandemic and the myriad natural disasters that preceded it, said Stephen Williams, director of the Houston Health Department. The general public sees COVID as primarily a health issue, and it is because we're talking about life and death, Williams said. But (we need to) really understand the economic impact that it's having on our community, and the long term effects of not effectively dealing with it. Those areas include large populations of Black or Hispanic people, two demographic groups that public health officials worry will be skeptical of vaccinations because of historical mistreatment, exploitation and abuse that came under the guise of medical treatment. Walgreens and other pharmacies have also ramped up their vaccine efforts through local partnerships, providing rides via Uber or working with local universities to vaccinate employees and students. It's going to take all of us working together, said La Vonia Cannon, regional executive for Walgreens in the Houston area. No one entity can do this alone. It's just too big of a need. robert.downen@chron.com As India started rolling out the second shot of coronavirus vaccination on Saturday for the beneficiaries who were given jabs on 16 January when the drive began, authorities have reiterated that people need to continue to follow the precautionary rules even after getting fully inoculated. The country has vaccinated 80,52,454 people until 6 pm on Saturday. According to the doctors, the second round of Covid-19 vaccine booster dose is to be given to a beneficiary after a gap of 28 days. All vaccines that are being administered require at least two doses for the immunity to kick in. The interval between the jabs varies between 12 to 28 days. Experts have said that the first vaccine shot is designed to train your body to recognise the killer virus and ramp up the immune system, which is the body's defence system against the infection. The second Covid-19 vaccine dose, which is called the booster shot, further boosts the immune system of your body. "Hence it is imperative to maintain COVID-19 appropriate behavior even after receiving the coronavirus vaccine," Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said earlier. However, experts have clarified that the second shot can be taken anytime between four to six weeks from the first dose. They add that the effectiveness of the vaccine would begin to show only after 14 days. Observing all safety protocols, hence, is imperative. One of Englands leading medical officers had also earlier urged people to follow the strict safety rules as there is no evidence to prove that vaccinated people cannot transmit the virus. Regardless of whether someone has had their vaccination or not, it is vital that everyone follows the national restrictions and public health advice, as protection takes up to three weeks to kick in and we dont yet know the impact of vaccines on transmission," said Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Englands Deputy Chief Medical Officer. The vaccine is rightly something to celebrate lets stay patient, stay at home and support the NHS as it continues to roll out the vaccine," he added. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock backed the statement and asked people to not drop their guards against the virus. "While the vaccine can prevent severe disease, we do not know if it stops you from passing on the virus to others, and it takes time to develop immunity after a jab, so for now everyone must continue to stay at home to help bring down infections and protect the NHS," he said. The vaccines approved in all the countries so far have not been evaluated on their ability to prevent transmission. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Sri Lanka has said it scrapped the trilateral deal with India and Japan to develop the Colombo Ports Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) as the Indian firm involved in the project refused to agree to its new terms. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's office on February 1 said that his government has decided to run the Colombo Ports Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) as a fully-owned operation of the state-run ports authority. Answering the Opposition's query in Parliament on Thursday on the deal, Ports Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena said a Cabinet sub-committee appointed to examine the deal had proposed new terms. "We entered talks from a favourable position to us, then that company refused to go ahead with our conditions," Abeygunawardena told Parliament, adding that the Indian company's refusal forced Sri Lanka to scrap the deal. India, Japan and Sri Lanka had inked an agreement in 2019 on development of the terminal project. "The governments of India, Sri Lanka and Japan had signed a memorandum of cooperation in May 2019 to develop and operate the East Container Terminal of Colombo Port in a trilateral framework," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing in New Delhi on February 4, three days after Colombo cancelled the deal. "We sincerely believe that the development of infrastructure in Sri Lanka, in areas such as ports and energy, with foreign investment from India and Japan will be a mutually beneficial proposition," he said. Srivastava said the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo was in talks with the Lankan government on the issue. On Friday, India said its interest to participate in the Colombo port project is a long standing one as most of the goods handled at the facility are from and to India. "We had, in principle, agreement from the Sri Lankan government in this regard," Srivastava said in New Delhi, evading a reply to a question whether Sri Lanka offered India a project to develop the western container terminal project in Colombo port instead of the ECT. Srivastava further said: "Current government has, however, expressed a preference in engaging investors directly. I understand discussions are still underway." The state-owned Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) signed a memorandum of cooperation in May 2019 with India and Japan to develop the ECT during the previous Sirisena government. The Colombo port trade unions opposed the proposal of investors from India and Japan buying 49 per cent stake in the ETC. They demanded the ECT to remain 100 per cent owned by the SLPA as opposed to the 51 per cent. They claimed that the proposed deal with Indias Adani Group was a sell-out of the ECT. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had declared that he wanted the India-Japan deal on the ECT to go ahead. However, after a week of protest, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to scrap the deal, prompting India to demand Sri Lanka to abide by its commitment to the trilateral deal with it and Japan. Japan has also conveyed its unhappiness with the Sri Lankan government. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Finally this month a trial over war crimes will start on Liberian soil. Its been 18 years since the end of the Liberian civil war and nine years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended the country hold a war crimes court to bring those accused of directing the atrocities that left 250,000 dead to justice. The court will be conducted under the jurisdiction of Finland not Liberia. And the defendant Gibril Massaquoi, 51, is Sierra Leonean. But none of that matters to justice campaigners like Massa Washington. For her this trials real significance will be in showing Liberians a trial can happen. For a long time proponents against the call for a war crimes court have propagated the misinformation that such a process for Liberia is impossible, citing threat to the security of the country, lack of capacity, logistics and finances, says Mr Washington. They also argue that it is counterproductive to maintaining the peace. The trial of Mr Massaquoi provides hope to victims and their families that it is possible after all to get justice at home. It is a litmus test for what is possible. These are exciting times for Liberians and the global human rights community. Washington is not bothered that Massaquoi is not Liberian. As a former commander of the Revolutionary United Front which operated with funding and direction of former National Patriotic Front for Liberia leader and President Charles Taylor she says Mr Massaquoi is, as close as you can get to a member of the NPFL prosecuted in Liberia. Mr Massaquois journey to this momentous trial began when he was a Lieutenant-Colonel of the RUF and an assistant to the rebel groups founder, Foday Sankoh, during the Sierra Leonean Civil War. In 2005, Mr Massaquoi was granted immunity in return for his testimony in open session before the Special Court for Sierra Leone. He was instrumental in the convictions of several rebel leaders including Charles Taylor. Finland granted Mr Massaquoi asylum for his role in the Sierra Leone Special Court. But when Civitas Maxima, of Switzerland and Liberia-based Global Justice Research Project presented Finnish investigators with evidence of Mr Massaquois war crimes in Liberia, they arrested him in March 2020 for his role in that war. Mr Massaquois trial began on February 1 in the city of Tampere, where he had been living. Rather than transport more than 50 witnesses set to testify to Finland in the midst of a pandemic, the Finnish court decided it would go to the witnesses. The trial is expected to run for six weeks in Liberia and then move to Sierra Leone before returning to Finland in May. The decision of the Liberian government to allow the trial to operate here has surprised many observers. As president, George Weah of Liberia has dismissed the court. But the Liberian government has allowed several foreign teams to investigate war crimes in Liberia over the last few years. And President George Weah has not discouraged a push in the legislature to secure support for a bill establishing a war crimes court. Mr Weah is also facing international pressure. The United Nations Human Rights Council had given Liberia until July 2020 to implement war time justice or face possible international sanctions. The deadline was delayed by the pandemic. Why did Liberian authorities allow this Mr Masssaquoi trial to happen? asks Aaron Weah, a former researcher with the TRC. Its safe to think that Mr Weah is re-evaluating his position on the court. Its also possible that Weah could make accountability for war crimes his legacy projects before he eventually leaves office. Aaron Weah sees the Massaquoi trial as a clear sign to all parties that a court can happen in Liberia. The trial will demonstrate that a new partnership between governments, civil society and justice actors is possible. It will also reinforce pioneering bi-partisan efforts at the Legislature. Overall, the prospect of justice for wartime atrocities is more likely in the next few years than it was a few years ago when it was a distant reality. The biggest concern about holding a court in Liberia has always been security. Will defendants of the NPFL seek to interfere in the court by threatening witnesses, lawyers or court officials? Will the trial fuel tensions that still exist between rival factions? Adama K. Dempster, a leading war crimes court campaigner, worries that perpetrators could disrupt this court in order to undermine popular support for a Liberian war crimes court. We need to consider the safety of these victims because other perpetrators in Liberia who are accused of war crimes, could want to undermine such a process, because if it is successful, it could give way for a bigger war crimes court that will prosecute them, says Dempster. Mr Dempster is urging authorities to engage in a massive awareness campaign to educate Liberians about the trial and its operations in order to counter misinformation. And while there is still much that is not known about how the trial will be conducted, one aspect concerns Dempster. Massaquoi may not be in the court. Having a trial in Liberia without perpetrator Massaquoi on ground is a strange pattern introduced, unlike the domestic trials, where the accused person is seated right in court during the trial. It is the traditional way in Liberia, for the perpetrator to face his victims and see the lever of suffering he reduced them to, so that it will subdue him. ADVERTISEMENT Aaron Weah is less concerned about security threats. He points to studies that showed that the lack of justice was one of the biggest threats to Liberias peace and stability. Reprisal action by ex-combatants against victims and justice activists was never part of the threat levels, Weah says in an email from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland where he is a PhD candidate. However, its very possible that these threat levels were non-existent because efforts at war crimes and domestic accountability appeared far-fetched or were never tested in Liberia. But Mr Weah does see the trial potentially having far-reaching implications. Now that the trial of war criminal is about to be tested on Liberian soil, the following implications are critical: 1) Liberia has served as a safe haven for war criminals. This trial is going to challenge that notion; 2) actors of the Liberian civil war networked across the sub region, including Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote dIvoire. This trial could re-energize this network and it could potentially serve as an intelligence gathering resource for ex-militia across the borders; 3) any potential disruption in the trial could result from this network of ex-combatants across the borders who may have mutual interests in ensuring the failure of the trial. There are concerns that former allies of Charles Taylor might try to exact revenge on Massaquoi for his role in Taylors conviction. Agnes Taylor, Charless ex-wife, recently returned to Liberia after narrowly escaping her own trial for for torture and conspiracy to torture when a UK court dismissed the case against her in 2019 on a technicality after she had been imprisoned for two and a half years. Taylor has said she would like to enter politics in Liberia. Weah warns that any perpetrator who tried to disrupt the trial would need to be very careful to cover their tracks. In Lofa County where Mr Massaquoi is alleged to have committed most of his crimes between 1999 and 2003 news of the trial is being celebrated according to Davatus James of the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform in Lofa County. My people in Lofa will feel good and happy that justice is finally served, he says adding his hope that this trial will boost the chances of a war crimes court. We hope that it will create a blue print so that Liberia can implement the TRC recommendations, because if we have a country that still have warlords occupying key positions in government, there will be no development coming to Liberia. A survey of people in the streets of Monrovia suggested that Gibril Massaquoi and the upcoming trial are not well known yet. But when they were told of the trial there was widspready support. If Massaquoi will be tried here relatives of victims he killed and raped will have their day in court, says Morris Kollie, a student of the University of Liberia echoing the view of many Monrovians interviewed by FrontPage Africa. They will see that justice is finally taking place in their lifetime, but the Finland people should make sure security measure are put in place to protect the victims who are direct witness for the trial, because we cannot depend on government security in Liberia. I say this because President Weah does not want to support the establishment of a war crimes court, so why do you think his security would want to protect the witnesses of war crimes? They could be afraid of being fired by the very government for doing such work. Mr Massaquois trial continues in Finland this week and will move to Liberia next Monday. New Narratives reporters will cover every moment of the trial with our partners. This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. Turkmenistan registered national observers for elections of members of the Khalk Maslakhaty (People's Council) Chamber of the new bicameral parliament Milli Gengesh (National Council). National observers were nominated by political parties, public associations, citizen groups and candidates for election to the Khalk Maslakhaty. In total, 436 observers were registered from the Democratic Party, the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Agrarian Party, public associations as well as groups of citizens, who are expected to monitor the process of voting. They will undergo training workshops to get a comprehensive understanding of the changes in the national electoral legislation, their official duties and procedure of conducting the upcoming elections. National observers will attend meetings of election commissions, regional, district and city people's councils. They are authorized to monitor the compliance of electoral procedures with the legislation of Turkmenistan. According to the Election Code of Turkmenistan, the powers of national observers are terminated on the day of the official publication of the election results. Elections of members of the Khalk Maslakhaty Chamber are scheduled for the last Sunday of March this year. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. If youre wondering where your second stimulus check is, youre not alone. Around 8 million people may not have gotten the first or second of payments, the Treasury Department estimated at the end of January. Were getting a lot of questions about stimulus checks, said Ana Gonzalez, program manager for the Houston Financial Empowerment Centers, which offers free financial planning for City of Houston residents of any income. A lot of our clients are in crisis right now. Its hard for them to pay rent and theyre asking how we can save them. The IRS reports it has sent over 100 million direct $600 payments to Americans from the $900 billion coronavirus relief bill that passed in December. More than 12 million payments of that funding was sent to Texans, totalling $21 billion. The bill required the IRS to pay all eligible by Jan.15, but many are still wondering when their relief will arrive, if ever. One major reason for the delays was that the payments were erroneously deposited with temporary bank account information that some used to file their 2019 tax returns, according to the IRS. The mix-up happened for people who use online tax preparation services and opted to use a temporary account instead of direct deposit to receive their returns. The IRS and tax industry partners are taking immediate steps to redirect stimulus payments to the correct account for those affected, a statement from the IRS reads. Another big push to ensure everyone eligible gets their funding came after President Joe Biden on Jan. 22 signed an executive order for the Treasury Department to ensure the expedient delivery of each missed payment. There are a couple of other reasons why your payment may be delayed, Gonzalez said, including opening a new bank account, making more income or failure to file 2019 tax returns. Some immigrants in the country illegally may not qualify for the stimulus, said Gonzalez. Recipients must have Social Security numbers to be eligible. However, some groups of undocumented immigrants may receive payments depending on their situations, including mixed-status families. Experts say there are several things you can do to ensure you will get your payment and to check into why you havent received it yet. Make sure you qualify: A single person making $75,000 or less a year is eligible for the second round of payments. Those making more than that and up to $87,000 will get a reduced check. Married couples making $150,000 or less will receive the full amount, while those earning a higher yearly salary will get a lower amount. A head of household making $112,500 and less can receive $600, but those making more and up to $124,000 are eligible for a lesser amount. For every juvenile dependent, families will get another $600. Check online: The Get My Payment tool on the IRS website is where those eligible should check the status of their relief funds. Make sure that your account information on the website is correct. If the number is incorrect because a temporary account number was mistakenly entered, IRS officials said to allow time for it to be automatically updated. If the website shows that a payment has been made to an incorrect account, the IRS advises to continue to monitor your bank account for deposits as it works to correct the mistake. File your 2020 tax return: If you didnt get part or any of the federal COVID relief you qualified for, you can claim Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your taxes. The eligibility is the same as for the relief checks, but is based on 2020 income, according to the IRS. The amount owed will be issued with your tax refund. Gonzalez recommends filing your taxes as soon as possible, both to get faster access to the credit and to receive your refund earlier. Be vigilant: Keep checking your mail for a paper check or a debit card from the IRS, the agency said its still in the process of sending out payments. Also keep checking your bank account, because direct deposits are still being processed. Stay informed: Keep up with the latest news about stimulus payments, because it changes often. New developments may allow additional avenues for trying to get a hold of your money. Get professional advice: Find a financial planning or tax filing service to get advice from professionals on how to get your payment. Any City of Houston resident can get free advice and ongoing help from the Houston Financial Empowerment Centers. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers free tax services to people making under $54,000. hannah.dellinger@chron.com Jesus Gomez, right, took this photo of himself, his father and some of their family during the last family trip to Mexico in 2018. His father, J. Jesus Gomez Flores, died on Jan. 20, 2021 of COVID-19 complications in Guadalajara, Mexico, at age 89. On Jan.22, the day he was buried, the son got his first dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at a Walgreens near his home in Evanston. (Jesus Gomez) The Westport Country Playhouse is offering a mystery mashup with their latest Script in Hand production, A Sherlock Carol. Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens are blended together in Mark Shanahans play to craft the virtual playreading on Feb. 22. The performance will be available online Feb. 23-28. Its stunning to recall that it was almost a year to the day that we gathered to share the last Script in Hand performance at the Playhouse, said Script in Hand co-curator Anne Keefe. That evening in the curtain speech, I introduced Mark Shanahan, a much-loved Script in Hand regular, who was to become my co-curator for the series going forward. The pandemic put the brakes on that, but now it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Mark Shanahan, the co-curator and the playwright. A Sherlock Carol is set in 1894 London, where the great detective Sherlock Holmes is downcast ever since the death of his archenemy, criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty. Without his evil adversary, there is no challenge left for Holmes. Enter Tiny Tim, all grown up and now Dr. Timothy Cratchit of St. Bernards Hospital for Children. Tim lifts Holmes spirits with a mysterious case to solve: Did someone murder Ebenezer Scrooge? Script in Hand is back and ready to entertain!, added Keefe. So until we can return to our beloved theater in person, sit back, turn down the lights and prepare to watch Sherlock Holmes solve a very Dickensian murder. Virtual tickets can be purchased as $20 individual, $40 pair and $80 household streaming experience. For more information, visit westportplayhouse.org. If you fail to hold him accountable, it can happen again. This is the heart of the prosecutions argument in the ongoing impeachment trial of Donald Trump. It is a plea for the senators charged with rendering a verdict not to limit their concerns solely to the events of Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters sacked the U.S. Capitol, but also to act with an eye toward safeguarding the nations future. To excuse Mr. Trumps attack on American democracy would invite more such attempts, by him and by other aspiring autocrats. The stakes could not be higher. A vote for impunity is an act of complicity. It is unfortunate that the country finds itself at this place at this moment, American pitted against American. But there is no more urgent task than recentering the nations political life as peaceful and committed to the rule of law. Mr. Trump stands charged with incitement of insurrection. For three days this week, House managers laid out a devastating case for conviction. Methodically, meticulously they detailed the former presidents effort to undermine and overturn a free and fair election, culminating with his fomenting an attack on Congress that resulted in the deaths of five people, and very nearly more. Mr. Trump spun lies and conspiracy theories to defraud and destabilize his followers. He told them that their votes had been stolen. He made them believe that everyone had betrayed them, from local officials to the media to the Supreme Court. He convinced them that the only way to save their nation was to fight like hell. Mr. Trump whipped his loyalists into a rage, summoned them to Washington, pointed them at Congress and then retreated to the safety of the White House to enjoy the show. The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers in Tamil Nadu commenced on Saturday, 28 days after they took the first shot, with a senior official saying that it would soon be available to members of the public. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, who inspected the administering of the second dose to healthcare workers at the Government Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here, said the vaccination drive would soon be extended to the public-. Speaking to reporters, he said nearly 2,27,340 people, including 1.9 lakh health workers, 19,405 frontline workers and 9,789 police personnel have so far been vaccinated. "One need not have any apprehensions over the vaccine being administered. We have given time till February 17 for the frontline workers to register. Soon, the vaccination drive will be extended to other sections of people," Radhakrishnan said. He urged all those who had taken the first dose to avail the second shots after a gap of 28 days. Also, with few cases of dengue fever being reported from Alangulam and certain pockets in Tenkasi district, the health department has advised all District Collectors to take preventive steps in their districts, Radhakrishnan said. Tamil Nadu began administering the first shots to health workers from January 16 and the drive was inaugurated by chief minister K Palaniswami at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. Bharat Biotechs Covaxin and Serum Institutes Covishield vaccines require a two-dose schedule to be administered through the intramuscular route. As of February 12, Tamil Nadu has logged 8,44,173 lakh cases, while the toll stands at 12,408. A total of 8,27,480 people have recovered. WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration has informed the drugmaker Moderna that it can put up to 40 percent more coronavirus vaccine into each of its vials, a simple and potentially rapid way to bolster strained supplies, according to people familiar with the companys operations. While federal officials want Moderna to submit more data showing the switch would not compromise vaccine quality, the continuing discussions are a hopeful sign that the nations vaccine stock could increase faster than expected, simply by allowing the company to load up to 14 doses in each vial instead of 10. Moderna currently supplies about half of the nations vaccine stock. A 14-dose vial load could increase the nations vaccine supply by as much as 20 percent at a time when governors are clamoring for more vaccine and more contagious variants of the coronavirus are believed to be spreading quickly. Two people familiar with Modernas manufacturing, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said retooling the companys production lines to accommodate the change could conceivably be done in fewer than 10 weeks, or before the end of April. That is because while the amount of liquid in each vial would change, the vials themselves would remain the same size, so the production process would not drastically change. In statement on Friday, Moderna estimated modifications could be made in two to three months. Fishing boats are moored in Mekong River, which has turned blue instead of its usual muddy color, in Nakhon Phanom province, northeastern Thailand, Dec. 4, 2019. Water levels in the Mekong River are down to worrying levels with some parts of the major Southeast Asian waterway in Laos and Thailand turning blue because of increased algae growth, the Mekong River Commission said in a report Friday. The report by the MRC made up of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam said the lower levels were caused by a lack of rainfall since the beginning of the year, upstream flow changes, hydropower dams in the rivers tributaries and Chinas Jinghong Dam holding water back. There have been sudden rises and falls in water levels immediately downstream of Jinghong and further down to Vientiane, [Laos], which has been challenging for authorities and communities to prepare for and respond to possible impacts, said Winai Wangpimool, director of the MRC Secretariats Technical Support Division, in the report. According to the MRCs monthly rainfall figures, since November, rainfall has been down 25 percent. The Jinghong dam on Thursday was releasing water at 775 cubic meters per second, nearly half of the usual level of 1,400 cubic meters per second, the MRC said. At the beginning of January, Chinas Ministry of Water Resources told the MRC countries that it would lower outflow at Jinghong between Jan. 5 and 24 to 1,000 cubic meters per second to perform maintenance on powerlines. But the ministry did not communicate the water level before it started restricting flow, nor what water level they would return to on Jan. 25. In October 2020, Beijing agreed to share data with the MRC, a welcome in the region where 60 million people in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam depend on the river for agriculture and fishing. Continuing this flow pattern could have an impact on river transport, fish migration, agriculture and river weed collection, Winai said in the report. To help the Lower Mekong countries manage risks more effectively, we call on China and the Lower Mekong countries themselves to share their water release plans with us, he said. The report said that monitoring stations in Thailand and Laos, water levels have been much lower than usual, while further downstream in Cambodia, levels were higher than the long-term average. In the Vietnam Delta area, water levels fluctuate both above and below the long-term average, but this is a result of daily tidal effects on the seas. Blue Mekong The MRC attributed the aquamarine color in northeastern Thailand, a phenomenon last observed in late 2019, to a drop in sediment and increased presence of algae on the riverbed. Under normal conditions, higher volumes of water flowing at faster speeds dump more sediment and flush the system of algae, making the water murky brown. Just like the situation in 2019, todays blue-green water phenomenon is likely to spread to other stretches of the Mekong where low flows are experienced, said So Nam, the MRC Secretariats chief environment management officer. So Nam said that clearer water could reduce food sources for aquatic insects, fish and invertebrate species, which would in turn affect organisms higher on the food chain. This could harm the fishing industry, from which many rural communities draw their livelihood. He also said that the bluish color could remain until the next flood season, which usually starts in May, provided that larger reserves of water are released in the Upper Mekong in China and the tributary dams. Advocates for riparian communities are concerned that excessive damming of the Mekong and its tributaries could lead to long-term negative impacts on the people in the Lower Mekong. What we were worried about before the dams were built is actually happening now, Ormbun Thipsuna, a member of the council of community organizations based in the seven Thai riparian provinces told BenarNews. What we can do is a call for no more dams to be built, because the dams will only aggravate the problems for the people of the Mekong River basin, Ormbun said. The MRC statement did not include information about recent notifications from China on the water levels, but the Reuters news service reported that Beijing said Jinghong has been releasing 1,000 cubic meters per second since the end of last month, a level which it said was two times the rivers natural flow. Beijing said the MRC should avoid causing public misunderstanding. China has been the target of criticism from the international community for its cascade of 11 mega-dams on the river. The lower Mekong basin experienced severe drought over the past year, with stretches of the river even drying up entirely. This report was produced by Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews. Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab yields better overall survival than single-agent sunitinib when given as first-line therapy in untreated patients with metastatic kidney cancer The combination also improved progression-free survival and overall response rate BOSTON - Patients with advanced kidney cancer, who received a targeted drug combined with a checkpoint-blocker immunotherapy agent had longer survival than patients treated with the standard targeted drug, said an investigator from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, reporting results from a phase 3 clinical trial. The survival benefit demonstrates that an immune checkpoint inhibitor together with a targeted kinase inhibitor drug "is important in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma," said the authors of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine today and simultaneously presented during American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2021 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. The senior author is Toni Choueiri, MD, director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber. The phase 3 CLEAR study results showed significant benefits from the combination comprised of lenvatinib, an oral kinase inhibitor that targets proteins involved in the formation of blood vessels supplying a tumor, and pembrolizumab, a checkpoint inhibitor given by infusion that helps the immune system attack the cancer. Another group of patients received a combination of lenvatinib and everolimus, a drug that targets a protein, mTOR. The comparison drug was sunitinib, an inhibitor that targets multiple kinases and has been the standard treatment in these patients with advanced kidney cancer, which carries a poor prognosis. However, standard-of-care options now include treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, either as a combination of two checkpoint inhibitors or a checkpoint inhibitor plus a kinase inhibitor. These combinations have achieved improved outcomes for advanced kidney cancer patients compared with sunitinib. The results of the CLEAR study showed that those receiving the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab not only had longer overall survival but also longer progression-free survival - the period before their disease worsened - and a higher response rate. In addition to lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab, the clinical trial also tested the combination of lenvatinib and everolimus, which is approved for patients with advanced kidney cancer whose disease progresses following sunitinib treatment. The primary endpoint of the trial was progression-free survival (PFS). Both combinations proved superior to sunitinib alone: lenvatinib/pembrolizumab achieved a median PFS of 23.9 months vs 9.2 for sunitinib; PFS for lenvatinib/everolimus was 14.7 months. The 24-month overall survival rate was 79.2% with lenvatinib/pembrolizumab, 66.1% with lenvatinib/everolimus, and 70.4% with sunitinib. The confirmed objective response rate (percentage of patients whose disease shrank) was 71% with lenvatinib/pembrolizumab, 53.5% with lenvatinib/everolimus, and 35.1% with sunitinib. The rate of complete responses - total tumor shrinkage - was 16.1% in patients receiving lenvatinib/pembrolizumab, 9.8% in the lenvatinib plus everolimus group, and 4.2% in the sunitinib group. "The rate of responses and complete responses, and the progression-free survival were the longest we have seen to date in a phase 3 combination of a targeted VEGF inhibitor and an immune checkpoint inhibitor," said Choueiri. The CLEAR trial is the last of the clinical trials that were launched to compare immunotherapy and targeted drug combinations to sunitinib, and sunitinib will not be the comparison drug in future trials because the combinations have proven superior in these advanced kidney cancer patients, said Choueiri. Almost all patients in the CLEAR trial experienced some adverse events from treatment. The most frequent adverse events were diarrhea and hypertension. These side effects led to stopping the treatment in 37.2% of patients in the lenvatinib/pembrolizumab group, and dose reduction of lenvatinib in 68.5% of patients. "Although the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab was associated with some notable side effects, these adverse events are often adequately managed" the researchers said. ### The study was sponsored by Eisai, Inc., the discoverer of lenvatinib, and Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Choueiri is supported in part by the Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Chair at Harvard Medical School. Choueiri's disclosures include receiving institutional research funds from AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, Cerulean, Eisai, Foundation Medicine Inc., Exelixis, Ipsen, Tracon, Genentech, Roche, Roche Products Limited, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Peloton, Pfizer, Prometheus Labs, Corvus, Calithera, Analysis Group, Takeda as well as a consulting or advisory role for AstraZeneca, Alexion, Sanofi/Aventis, Bayer, BMS, Cerulean, Eisai, Foundation Medicine Inc., Exelixis, Genentech, Heron Therapeutics, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Peloton, Pfizer, EMD Serono, Prometheus Labs, Corvus, Ipsen, Up-to-Date, NCCN, Analysis Group. About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world's leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber's mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. We provide the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 10 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care. As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials. Around 40 people gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall Friday night to protest a fatal Pennsylvania State Police shooting in the Poconos in late December of an armed 19-year-old said to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Christian Hall was shot seven times on Dec. 30 by State Police in Monroe County while standing on an overpass. Its not clear why he was there, but the police say they responded to reports of a distraught man with a gun on a bridge. Citing a video of the incident that has gone viral, Halls parents and their lawyer, nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump, have said the young man had his hands up when police fired. Police say they shot after Hall became uncooperative and pointed a gun at them, according to local news reports. He was having a crisis. There is a suggestion that he was contemplating suicide. He was crying out for help, Crump has told reporters. Christian Hall needed a helping hand, but yet he got bullets while he had his hands up. Crump, who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Travyon Martin, among other victims of high-profile police killings of Black Americans, is calling on Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro to investigate the case. Friday nights demonstration at Dilworth Park was organized by local activists, including Veronica Carden, who helps run Club Sandwich, a local mutual aid society. Carden said Halls case is yet another example of police mishandling mentally ill people with fatal consequences. Halls killing occurred two months after police shot 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr. in West Philadelphia. Wallace struggled with mental illness throughout his life and was in crisis at the time of his death. His family reportedly called 911 three times that day to request help for him. We were marching through the dilapidated asphalt streets of Philadelphia in the summer, in the blazing heat and sometimes pouring rain, and now we are readying to demonstrate again in frigid temperatures because nothing has changed, Carden told the crowd. Police have proven time and time again that they are not equipped to handle anything, especially delicate mental health emergencies. Carden also spoke about her own experience calling the police out of desperation for her mother, who suffers from untreated mental illness. She described her mother being handcuffed aggressively by officers while her wrists bled from self-inflicted wounds. I picture how much differently my mothers life may have unfolded if mental health services were available when we begged for them and needed them, she said. My story of policy and police failure is unfortunately not unique. Along with justice for Hall and his family, protesters demanded that Philadelphia defund their police department, especially as the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 lobbies for a 5% accountability bonus for wearing body cameras in next years city budget. Activist Samantha Rise shouted through two masks into a megaphone, There is no future without police abolition. Rise then helped lead protesters down 15th Street and then east on Race Street to Police Headquarters between Seventh and Eighth Streets. Take a breath for Christian, who cannot breathe, Rise said as impatient drivers honked as marchers stopped for a moment of silence to honor Hall. Outside Police Headquarters, demonstrators stopped again, this time standing in silence for seven minutes with their hands up to symbolize the number of times Hall was shot. We need to do better for people in crisis, said protester Margaret Hu. Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- Area of levee across from the approximate mid-point of BREC's Farr Park Equestrian Center and RV Campground. Tubal-Cain Marine Services has a permit application under review by the state Department of Environmental Quality to operate a barge cleaning facility on the river side of the Mississippi River levee just opposite the park. Mark Winema / Getty Images/Mark Wineman / Getty Images A 2-year-old girl died Friday night after being ejected from a car in a suspected DWI crash in northwest Houston, according to police. Houston Police Department officers responded to the fatal crash around 7 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 290 and Bingle Road. JNU has made great contribution to the cause of learning in India; it has also played a seminal role in the life of significant contention- the proper calling of intellectuals over the years but sadly the students of this premier university are being discussed for their intellectual daring which extended no further than a pledge to dismember their own motherland and a clever application of their assiduously acquired knowledge of "subaltern studies and dialectical materialism" to fox and hoodwink plain, blunt policeman. To these inestimable achievements one more has been added it has produced an orator of outstanding merit in Kanhaiya Kumar. Kanhaiyas very significant omission of Chandrasekhar in his speech, a former JNU student union president, who had stirred the conscience of people of Bihar by his fearless fight in favour of the lowest of the low against criminal warlords shows great awareness of currents and cross currents of contemporary politics even before he has entered the choppy waters. Chandrasekhars martyrdom had got mixed up with issues of pragmatic politics. His cause was just, but he was not too careful in the choice of the enemy! The political parties are no doubt celebrating but would it be mere intellectual Ludditism or cussedness to raise the very quotidian, very banal but very topical issue? Even though as a body of thought Marxism still provides useful insights in the way our world works, one thinks much less of it than what was thought of decades ago. It now belongs to the archeological museum of the history of knowledge. The university famous for its "left-Centric student politics" burdens the participants with a certain intellectual and moral posture. "Once a JNU student, always an activist" http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/once-a-jnu-student-always-an-activist/article4282272.ece is perhaps too optimistic a view which may not be shared by all. They are not scarred for life by their brief flirtation with the precious ideology at the university. People like Chandrasekhar and others of his tribe are the precious drops in the ocean. Most others are absorbed in the job market as IAS officers, journalists, politicians and professors, coping with the compulsions of their respective professions with sweet docility, just like everyone else. The torrent of writings about JNU by former students, teachers and those currently studying there - every media outlet is keen to air their views - confirms me in my belief that the government overestimated their dangerousness. Yogendra K Alagh, former Vice Chancellor of JNU, has to say (In the Mumbai edition it is captioned Argumentation is JNUs Power) (HT Feb 24, 2016). "This is the reason that JNU students do so well in the UPSC exams for the higher civil services. I found out when I chaired a committee set up to develop the recruitment and training policies for the higher civil services. They are all trained in disciplined argumentation and would breeze through any discussion." http://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/jnu-students-are-first-among-equals-idealistic-and-inquisitive/story-0BHwIrGwSgFaiYEeazOEaJ.html . "The university is known to have a long tradition of alumni who now occupy important political and bureaucratic positions." - Wikipedia JNU attracts a large number of students form backward states, notably Bihar, who come here aspiring to make it to the IAS or other service but are swept off their feet by the grandeur of the setting as this lyrical outburst of one of the former students suggests: "Entering JNU, for me, was like entering a zone of freedom, overwhelming freedom. At the very first glance, JNU was like a vast expanse to spread ones wings in long-winding roads and overgrown valleys, the facility of being outdoors late into the night (what that could mean to a young girl!), milling in and around the library till 11 pm, mess meetings (no pun intended) after dinner, the chance to befriend anyone from anywhere, any class, caste or nationality (thanks to JNUs admission system based on multiple deprivation points), and above all, the possibility of falling in love across all social barriers In JNU, we learnt quickly, through our little adventures and misadventures, the profoundly serious lesson that a free mind depended on a physically and socially free space. We also felt morally tortured by the fact of our privilege as JNU students. To compensate, we became involved in politics outside campus". Living like royalty at tax payers expense, lording over a thousand-acre campus which could easily house at least two dozen average universities, or ten thousand primary schools for poor children - all their comforts taken care of at a parasitically low rate, they are bound to develop a self-image and feel driven to live by this image of themselves. "Morally tortured by the fact of our privilege as JNU students. To compensate, we became involved in politics outside campus". Their protest is, indeed, an acid by product of privilege and good living. That helps me connect with my memories of ten, twelve years back when I was invited to the Patna University. On my return journey I made a detour to visit the hostel where I had spent two years as an undergraduate boarder long time ago. Not that things were princely then but now the place was in complete shambles. I came across a group of students loitering in the corridor, introduced myself to them and tried to start a conversation. It is always invigorating to know what the young people are reading, thinking, what are their aspirations, how do they feel about the world around them. My queries were met with brief dismissive answers. All that they wanted me was to speak to the authorities, to get something done. Now I wonder whether their revolutionary ardour was stilled by pedestrian concerns like toilets, and mending of leaky roofs, the appointment of another mess contractor because the old one had run away and they were forced to eat outside! Exploring this theme further in my imagination I wondered whether the charismatic teachers, if by some magic were transplanted in this dismal setting, would they still be able to ignite the same intellectual curiosity, the same iconoclastic impulse or "a free mind depended" necessarily, "on a physically and socially free space." Brecht suddenly made sense to me, "Among the highly placed. It is considered low to talk about food. The fact is: they have Already eaten. The lowly must leave this earth Without having tasted Any good meat." I had quoted another former JNU student in my last post, who abandoned his faith to quit the ABVP, who spoke of a Brahminical order of intellectual hierarchy in which the Marxists were at the top and everybody else at the bottom. Those who fight for the rights of the underprivileged, for the Dalits of the social order were equally assertive of their rights to keep the ideologically unsophisticated the Dalits of the intellectual order- and all shades of the "other" at bay. This may itself be a form of "unfreedom" because if the avant-garde of the university thinks it is freedom to promote the dismemberment of the nation, some people may claim the right to be retrograde, revanchist, superstitious, reactionary. The arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar is one act of folly that the government will repent at leisure. How much of it was professional ineptness, how much the eagerness of a retiring police commissioner anxious to please, and how much of it was an administration under onus to be seen as decisive, I cannot tell. But we have a full blown controversy which, if it has lowered the image of the government, it has not left JNU totally unscathed either. The best course would have been to leave the kids alone. They are such a privileged lot that they will seek police help for making revolution! India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. For weeks as a more contagious mutation of COVID-19 has spread across Florida, top state health officials have kept secret the location of those cases. Since Jan. 7 one week after a COVID variant first found in the United Kingdom was detected in Martin County the Florida Department of Health has ignored repeated inquiries about which other counties had confirmed the presence of the strain. During that time, reported cases of the mutation spiraled to 347 as of Friday over twice as many as the next closest state, California, which has 159. And the secrecy has continued without explanation, despite ongoing updates from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has reported state-by-state totals for much of the nation. What if we only said, Well, in the United States, this is how many variant cases there are? said epidemiologist Jason Salemi of the University of South Floridas College of Public Health, who launched his own COVID-tracking website for Florida last May. It wouldnt be very helpful because it would beg the question, Where in the United States? Having more precise data, he said, would not only give people more information on where the spread is occurring, but more importantly it would give them the chance to act. Theoretically, it would tell us where we can try to intervene or implement more stringent mitigation strategies to prevent the spread, he said. COVID-19 is caused by a type of coronavirus, a family of viruses named for the crown-like spikes on their exterior. Like all viruses, COVID-19 mutates and can become more or less contagious. Its also possible for the virus to mutate in a way that makes people sicker or eludes previously developed vaccines. So far, researchers believe the U.K. variant is as much as 50 percent more transmissible, with cases doubling in the U.S. roughly every 10 days. In January, experts in the U.K. reported that the variant may come with an increased risk of death, but the CDC says more studies are needed to confirm that finding. Story continues Currently approved vaccines in the U.S. appear to be effective against the U.K. strain, although scientists are still studying the vaccines power to thwart other variants, including ones from South Africa and Brazil. One of the things that I think weve been guilty of in the past for whatever reason is under-estimating the enemy, said professor Mario Stevenson, chief of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Scientists are not prophets they cant predict whats going to happen down the road but I think these mutations create a sense of urgency. The race, he said, is to get people vaccinated quickly before the virus has a chance to mutate to the point where current vaccines lose their effectiveness. Florida health officials have made much of the data surrounding COVID-19 public from almost the start, including daily case numbers, deaths and the percent of COVID tests that turn up positive. On the one hand, I think its very impressive the amount of data and the speed at which the data is released every single day, said Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, who chairs the Department of Epidemiology at Florida International University. They process, literally, hundreds of thousands of pieces of data. But the DeSantis administration has at times worked to prevent the release of important public health information, including, initially, the list of nursing homes where residents had died from COVID-19. And it took a lawsuit filed by attorneys for the Orlando Sentinel to force the release of weekly reports sent to Florida from former President Donald Trumps White House Coronavirus Task Force. One of those reports, dated Jan. 17 but not released for more than a week, warned that the U.K. variant was likely more widespread than data would suggest and that Florida officials should take action immediately before an increase in hospitalizations is seen including through a campaign with retailers reminding customers to wear masks and substantially curtailing or closing public indoor spaces where masks cant be worn continually. The state did not adopt the recommendations, and DeSantis has rejected any attempt to further curtail business or tourism, instead focusing on getting everyone 65 and older vaccinated. Meanwhile, the CDC has projected that the more contagious U.K. variant will become the dominant strain in the U.S. in March. And because only a sampling of COVID tests undergo the genetic sequencing necessary to find the variant roughly, one in every 450 positive specimens is tested researchers continue to warn that the mutation is already much more widespread than even the most recent number of reported cases would suggest. I would expect that the variant is in [significant numbers in] our big metropolitan areas, and I would expect that it would be in Orange County, because youve got a lot of tourists there, Trepka said. But I think there would be a value for those counties that maybe are more rural to know if they have had any variants identified there. Some counties, including Orange and Miami-Dade, have chosen to disclose the number of variant cases on their own. Many havent. The state Department of Health has not given a reason for withholding the information. So its not known if smaller counties are unable to do the more expensive genetic sequencing needed to detect the variant or whether other concerns are behind the decision. Having this data, especially at a local level, allows health officials and public officials to know what the risk is, said state Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando. The only reason not to release it is politics. And you would think that, after almost a year going through this, the state would learn that hiding information is not a good approach to handling a public-health crisis. ksantich@orlandosentinel.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A second person is now charged with murder following a Jan. 6 fatal shooting outside the Clarion Inn & Suites hotel on 28th Street near I-96, Kent County sheriffs deputies on Friday, Feb. 12 said Devanta Glasper, 27, was arraigned by video on charges of open murder, felony murder, armed robbery and felony firearm. Glasper was being held in the Gila County Jail in Globe, AZ on a bond violation out of Kent County. Judge Sara Smolenski set a $2 million bond during the video arraignment. Glasper is contesting extradition to Michigan, police said. Investigators alleged Glasper was with Jonqual Earnest Shaw when 23-year-old Markel Tyrel Williams was shot. Police said they were trying to rob Williams of his electronics and other belongings. Shaw was charged and arraigned earlier this month. More from MLive President Biden to visit Pfizer coronavirus vaccine plant in Portage in near future Police uncover remains believed to be those of missing Portage couple Sometimes, when you've sat through two class Zoom calls, a work Zoom, assisted with homework, typed 3,000 words and made lunch for the family, you want to climb into a cannon and get blown into outer space. Or, is that just me? Among the things I've forgotten as of late are: November, last summer, my childhood, whether or not I washed my hair yesterday, what the point of this column is. Memory is a funny thing. In my wide and varied research for writing a book I studied memory and pain. Basically painful times impact on our ability to remember. I write to remember, to capture moments and preserve them for a time when I'll have time to weave the narrative threads of my life into a story. During lockdown two in November I managed to do just that. The Nanowrimo challenge was to write a (short) book of 50,000 words in a month. I managed 33,000 odd words and undaunted, finished the challenge on New Year's Eve. Committing oneself to a challenge in 2021 is no mean feat. Like my colleague on the other page, below this, I've gotten fatter, less fit and more inclined to giving in and letting the occasional evening get swallowed up in Netflix binging and pigging out. Nothing really spells defeat more than the sound of another Scots Clan sweat wrapper hitting the waste basket! But hey we're all human and nobody has the perfect antidote to getting through these long Spring days. Memories of pre-Covid times may be painful, but they are also important. On a Zoom call to my family in America the other night, the talk turned to holidays and when we can possibly meet up again. Optimism is in the air and today (Tuesday) my Mom gets the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine at the State Fair Grounds of all places. It being minus ten over there, I doubt she'll be able to enjoy the deep fried Oreos and wine slushies, I associate with the fair grounds, but I'm sure she'll have that start of a rollercoaster ride feeling as she gets the injection. Just when she gets to put on an airplane seat belt again for take off remains an unknown, but it will happen and I trust in that knowledge in moments of raw grief for moments of connection lost. For Covid has tested us all to the bones. Friendships and relationships have been torn asunder; some toxic; some healthy; some that might have worked if not for the impossibly rarefied atmosphere of Covid. People are doing their best. Trying to remember what day it is; what their dreams for their life are; to smile. For more than a million people, a return to work is all they want, but this window of opportunity has been shut in their faces. They remember their weekly wage with anguish, as the PUP, as welcome as it is, doesn't come close for many. Meanwhile in Russia Meanwhile in Russia, kangaroo justice is at play. Prime minister Vladimir Putin's managed democracy is looking more like dictatorship every day. Having risked his life in returning from Berlin where he was recovering from poisoning, opposition leader Alexei Navalny was jailed for almost three years, prior to being charged with defamation of a war hero. His bravery has inspired millions as Putin seethes. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Antananarivo, Madagascar (PANA) - International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff have completed policy discussions with the authorities in Madagascar on a new medium-term programme, an official source said here Saturday Almost as unconscionable as their failure to prevent the deadly loss of power over the past week is Texas politicians haste to milk the misery for partisan advantage. Republican lawmakers wasted no time declaring war on renewable energy, and calling for wind and solar to be supplanted with more fossil fuels on the power grid completely ignoring the fact that the vast majority of what failed us during the epic winter storm were thermal facilities: natural gas, coal and nuclear. In winter, those thermals power 80 percent of Texas electric grid. Only 10 percent, to Gov. Greg Abbotts own admission, was wind and solar. So, although wind turbines did freeze up, their sliver of energy generation wasnt nearly as missed as natural gas, coal and nuclear, which accounted for nearly twice as much of the sudden fall in capacity. The big problem was failure to weatherize plants, which Abbott has thankfully set about addressing. Those facts wont deter Republican lawmakers but the good news is they encourage those who choose to acknowledge reality. That includes Big Oil. While state officials tilt at wind turbines, major oil companies are confronting the real foe: climate change. The cold hard truth is that the changing climate spurred on by the burning of fossil fuels will make extreme weather in all varieties from winds to floods to freezes to scorching heat waves more frequent. Some of the biggest powers in the oil and gas industry, which contributes so much to the prosperity of Houston and Texas, have already begun making fundamental shifts. in how they approach oil, coal and natural gas. Its momentum that all Texans from elected leaders to ordinary consumers desperately need to get behind. The week before last, one of the worlds largest oil companies Royal Dutch Shell confirmed it would never again produce as much oil as it did in 2019. Peak oil production at Shell, said CEO Ben van Beurden, has come and gone. The week before, ExxonMobil had made a similarly telling announcement: It is spending billions on a subsidiary formed to advance technologies to reduce the companys carbon emissions and develop new products to help its customers do the same. Last August, BP announced it would by 2030 reduce its oil and gas production by 40 percent, scale back its refinery capacity by more than 30 percent, and up its annual spending on renewable fuels and low-carbon technology tenfold, to $5 billion. Pandemic or no, and no matter who is in the White House, the oil business is entering an exciting, scary new frontier and theres no turning back. The sooner Houston, the oil and gas capital of America, embraces that reality, the better its prospects, and those of its energy industry workforce, will be. We welcome the oil giants announcements. We also acknowledge they come as many in Houston were already on edge, even before last weeks deep freeze arrived. Just last month, newly sworn-in President Joe Biden made clear he means to keep his campaign promises to accelerate Americas move away from fossil fuels and toward renewables. No, they dont constitute a ban. But Bidens decisions from a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands to rejoining the Paris accord to canceling the Keystone pipeline triggered a backlash from Texas lawmakers in Austin and Washington worried that too sudden a shift could mean tens of thousands of jobs lost in Texas and Houston. The lingering concern about the impact on jobs from a too-sudden shift away from oil and gas is valid, as we wrote Jan. 30, But the Shell and Exxon announcements underscore that changes away from oil have been taking place for years especially in Europe and, of late, the United States. These efforts are gathering steam now only in small part because of voters rejection of President Donald Trump in November. More powerful currents propelled by the companies own understanding of both the climate emergency, their customers preferences, and by investors demanding change are leading a global reevaluation of the role oil and gas will play between now and 2050. Thats the year the United States and many of the worlds largest businesses from BP and Shell to General Motors and a host of leading tech companies have pledged to have net-zero carbon emissions. Even China has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2060. Van Beurdens statement explicitly referenced those dynamics. We must give our customers the products and services they want and need products that have the lowest environmental impact, the Shell CEO said. BP sent a further signal when it announced a massive investment in the UK to boost offshore wind farms. Those big companies are reacting to the same kind of customer demands that smaller firms tell U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher they are hearing. They want the green energy plans and plans powered by renewable fuel, said Fletcher, a Houston Democrat. These companies are hearing the push (toward greener options) from multiple sources, including their customers. All of the above Fletcher praised Bidens decision to return America to the Paris Climate Agreement, but she also joined many Republicans in criticizing his temporary ban on new leases on federal lands. She was thinking about jobs. The oil and gas business makes up roughly 10 percent of the Houston GDP, Houston-based economist Jesse Thompson of the Dallas branch of the Federal Reserve told the editorial board. If indirect spending is included, that share jumps to roughly 30 percent. Thats a lot of workers. Fletcher told this editorial board her message to her colleagues in Washington, and to the White House, is that Texas supports an all-of-the-above strategy when it comes to Americas mix of fossil fuels and renewables such as wind and solar. We believe in science and believe in climate change, Fletcher said, adding that she supports federal incentives for low-carbon technologies and sensible regulation that rewards best practices. But oil and gas are going to be part of the mix for a long time to come. True, oil and gas arent going away overnight. But heres what Fletcher and other oil industry boosters leave out: The industry is going to shrink. The growing energy demand from developing nations wont be enough to fully counteract a global shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewables. Last year, Shell produced a series of three scenarios for the future use of oil and other sources of energy. In all of them including what it called the business-as-usual case the amount of oil consumed worldwide in both absolute terms and as a share of all energy use falls in coming years. Thatll mean fewer jobs as we know them in oil and gas, no matter how weak or aggressive the U.S. climate policy is. In that light, it might sound like good sense for supporters of the industry to cling to every last oil and gas job. But that short-term approach will tie their hands in the long run. More stable wages For years, the Obama administration kept saying the green economy will spin off hundreds of thousands of new jobs to replace those lost as the world consumes less oil. The problem with that scenario, for Houston anyway, is that if those new jobs are located elsewhere, they wont do much to stave off a mighty economic reckoning here. We believe, however, that the same companies that call Houston home, the ones with famous names and tens of thousands of highly skilled energy workers from scientists to materials engineers to oil patch roughnecks could help lead the push into new products, new technology and ultimately new energy sources. When Exxon announced it was creating its low carbon subsidiary, it amounted to a recognition that as the world changed, so too was Exxons willingness to slide more of its chips over to the green economy. Shell, which has 8,000 workers in the Houston area, is moving more aggressively still: the Chronicles Paul Takahashi reported it will divest itself of oil and gas assets to the tune of $4 billion a year over 10 years. Thompson, the Federal Reserve economist, said thats likely to continue. There are thousands of workers in Texas who could easily transfer their skills to a greener economy. The same people who are drilling for oil could be building off-shore wind farms, he said. Will it be a one-to-one transfer? Probably not, he said. But there is still really good reason to believe the industry will be able to innovate its way through this transition. A lot depends on what forms the new energy investments take. If Big Oil leads the way in developing hydrogen fuel sources, for instance, then the highly skilled scientists already working in the area will be very welcome, he said. Even lower wages in other areas could have a positive trade-off. They might have to accept somewhat lower wages, Thompson said, but they will be more stable wages. Confronting the crisis The real excitement behind Exxons announcement is that it signals American oil giants are moving to confront the climate crisis. Quickly enough? Not nearly. But it marks a fundamental shift in mindset. John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil, Royal Dutch Shells U.S. subsidiary headquartered in Houston, told us the industrys embrace of greener fuels is accelerating: The European majors are well ahead of their American counterparts on energy transition, but there is a desire on the part of the American companies to catch-up. Thats great news, and not just for the planet. The very companies that anchor the Houston economy now are the ones that have the deep pockets, highly skilled workers and increasingly, the customer-driven incentives to reinvent the way the world uses energy. Its in everyones interest including their own to fully embrace that future. If the pain of the last week has shown us anything, its that when it comes to energy, the old ways and old thinking no longer suffice. Updated 3:20 p.m., Feb. 19: This editorial updates a previous version published online Feb. 13. Asia, the worlds largest continent by area and population, comprises several peninsulas extending into the surrounding water bodies. Both worlds largest peninsula (Arabian Peninsula) and the only peninsula recognized as a sub-continent (Indian Sub-continent) form part of Asia. Most Asian peninsulas have played essential roles in defining the continents history and cultural influence. One of Asias main peninsulas is the Korean Peninsula, located in East Asia. It is a large landform that extends about 1,100 kilometers into the Pacific Ocean from the mainland continent. The Korean Peninsula is famous for many things, including its role in the surrender of Imperial Japan, which led to World War IIs formal end. Content: Where Is The Korean Peninsula? Korean Peninsula Map showing the countries of North Korea and South Korea The Korean Peninsula is located in East Asia and covers an estimated 223,155 km2. The peninsula and the nearby islands, including Jeju Island, Dokdo, and Ulleung, are collectively referred to as Korea. The Korean Peninsula (excluding the surrounding islands) covers an estimated 220,847 km2. From mainland Asia, the peninsula extends for about 1,100 km into the Pacific Ocean. The Korean Peninsula is surrounded to the west by the Yellow Sea and to the east by the Sea of Japan. The two seas are connected by the Korean Strait. The peninsula is separated from China by the Amnok River, and from Russia and China by the Duman River. The Sea of Japan and the Korean Strait also separate the peninsula from Japan. Korean Peninsula Countries The Korean Peninsula is shared by two sovereign states; South Korea and North Korea. The two countries were created in 1945, following the surrender of Imperial Japan. The surrender led to the partitioning of the peninsula into two, with the Soviet Union occupying the north and the US taking up the south. The two superpowers differed on ideologies. The Soviet Union supported communism in the north, while the south was pro-western. The Ideological differences led to the division of Korea into South Korea and North Korea counties in 1948. North Korea administrative map North Korea covers the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. It is the larger of the two countries on the peninsula, covering approximately 120,540 square kilometers. As a northern state, it is nearest to mainland Asia. It is bordered by Russia and China to the north, along the Amnok River. South Korea administrative map South Korea occupies the peninsulas southern portion and is separated from North Korea by the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The Korean Strait separates South Korea from Japan. Origin Of Name The name Korea was coined from the name Goryeo, used by the ancient Goguryeo kingdom. In the first millennium, the Korean Peninsula was dominated by three states; Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo, collectively referred to as the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Silla would later conquer the other two states and form a Unified Silla. Towards the end of the millennium, Goguryeo revived as Goryeo, unified the peninsula as a single state. The Persian merchants who visited the peninsula referred to it as Korea. The name Goryeo is a combination of two words; go which means high or lofty, and the name of a local tribe known as Yemaek (originally known as Guru, meaning walled city). Important Geographical Features The Korean Peninsula is located in East Asia between Japan and China. It is characterized by varied topography and geographical features, including plains, mountain systems, and rivers. The southern and western portions comprise well-developed plains, while the northern and eastern portions are mainly mountainous. North Korea physical map. Mountains cover approximately 70% of the Korean Peninsula. Although most of the mountains are located in South Korea, the majority of the tallest mountains are in North Korea. At 9,003 feet, Mount Paektu is Koreas tallest mountain. It is located in North Koreas Ryanggang Province and forms part of the Korea-China border. Other significantly tall mountains on the peninsula are Mount Jiri, Mount Seorak, Mount Taebaek, and Mount Kumgang. Since most mountainous regions are on the eastern side of the peninsula, most rivers tend to flow towards the west. The Amnok River (795 km long) and Tumen River (521 km) forms the boundary between the Korean Peninsula and China. Both rivers rise from the Paektu Mountain. Nakdong River is South Koreas longest river and the peninsulas third-longest river after Amnok. It rises from Taebaek Mountain and flows for about 510 kilometers into the Sea of Japan. Other rivers include the Han River, Taedong, Chongchon, Yeongsan, and Geum Rivers. South Korea physical map. The peninsula has coastlines on the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Sea of Japan. Most Korean coastlines are well-developed, forming a ria coastline. The complex coastline causes the sea to become mild sea, making navigation safer. Climate The Peninsulas climate varies from north to south, with the southern region experiencing warmer and wetter climates like Japan, while the northern regions experience a colder climate. The warm and wet climate in the north results from warm ocean waters. However, the whole peninsula is characterized by similar climatic patterns, such as the East Asian monsoon. Korea receives most rainfall during the summer seasons due to the mixing of hot and humid air from the Pacific and wet air originating from the Sea of Okhotsk. In winter, Siberia, dominates the weather, causing temperatures to drop. However, precipitation in winter is minimal. Plants And Animals Autumn colors in Bukhansan mountains of South Korea There are more than 3,000 floral species on the Korean Peninsula, including 500 endemic species. The floral species are grouped into three zones; temperate, cold-temperate, and warm-temperate zones. The temperate zone is the largest floristic province, covering most of the peninsula. The Korean pines and other deciduous trees dominate the temperate zone. Other common plant species found on the peninsula include birch, maple, poplar, ash, and oak. Alpines are common on highlands, while coastal areas feature citrus plants. Storks on a platform nest. Koreas endemic fauna species include Korean water deer, Korean hare, Korean brown frog, and Korean Spruce. The Demilitarized Zone is a biodiversity hotspot, with over 70 mammals and 300 avian species. It contains the Amur leopard, among other endangered species. The aquatic species include over 200 freshwater species, such as marbled eel, Manchurian trout, and spotted barbell. Marine species include Korean rockfish and Korean skate. History Of Human Settlement In The Korean Peninsula Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea The earliest known human settlement on the Korean Peninsula dates back to the Neolithic period. It was first inhabited around 10,000 BCE by people whose livelihoods depended on fishing, hunting, and gathering. The first settlement may have been established around 6,000 BCE, with villages located on the foot of mountains and hillside. Around 2333 BCE, Dangun, Heavens descendant, established the Gojoseon. Gojoseon prospered on the peninsula until it was conquered by Chinas Han Dynasty in 108 BCE. The Hans took control of the northern part and installed their commanderies. Later, the northern Korean Peninsula became Goguryeo, while the southern part was split into Byeonhan, Jinhan, and Mahan. These three confederacies existed during the Proto-Three Kingdom Period. The confederacies eventually developed into Gaya, Silla, and Baekje. Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo became the dominant states during the Three Kingdom Period. However, Silla conquered the other two states and established Unified Silla over the peninsula. Goryeo Dynasty replaced Silla by as Koreas ruling dynasty in 918. Joseon Dynasty overthrew Goryeo Dynasty in 1392 and established the Korean Empire in 1897. The Japanese occupied Korea from 1910 until their surrender in 1945, in the aftermath of World War II. Three years later, South and North Korea were established. Important Population Centers Skyline in Seoul. The Korean Peninsula is home to an estimated 76 million people. South Korea is the most populated of the two countries, with about 51 million people. The peninsulas population also comprises immigrants from neighboring countries, particularly China and Japan. Seoul, South Koreas capital, is the largest city on the peninsula, with over 25 million residents, making it the worlds 4th largest metropolitan area. Other population centers in South Korea are Daejeon (1.5 million), Daegu (over 2.5 million), Incheon (three million), and Busan (about four million). North Koreas population is approximately 25 million people. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city, with an estimated population of 3.3 million people. Other main population centers in North Korea are Hamhung (560,000), Nampo (450,000), and Sunchon (440,000). Economy The Peninsulas economy can be described as the economy of South and North Korea. North Korea has a closed and centralized economy. It is a semi-industrialized country, with half of its GDP generated by the industries. However, it has a low GDP per capita of $1,800. The economy is highly nationalized and characterized by free healthcare and education. More than 60% of the workforce are employed in industries. The countrys major industries include mining, chemical, food processing, and textile. South Korea is a highly-industrialized and developed country. Its economy is mainly driven by the skilled workforce, making it one of the top technological powerhouse. South Korea is one of the countries with the fastest-growing GDPs, which currently stands at $1.6 trillion. The countrys economy depends mainly on international trade, with its products such as Samsung and LG Electronics dominating the international market. South Korea is one of the top nuclear power producers. Its nuclear powers account for 45% of its electricity supply. It is also a major exporter of nuclear reactors and has agreed with countries like Jordan, the UAE, and Turkey to construct and maintain atomic piles. Tourism is a thriving economic activity on the peninsula, with over 20 million people visiting Korea annually. Tourism is promoted by several factors, including the rich Korean culture, pristine beaches, rich wildlife, and fascinating landscape. New Delhi, Feb 13 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the government has decided to resettle all displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the valley by 2022 along with creating 25,000 jobs for the people there and train connectivity to the region. The Minister said that the government provides Rs 13,000 per month to the families of 44,000 Kashmiri Pandits who have relief cards. "The government also provides free ration and has plans to settle them back in their houses in the Valley by 2022." The Home Minister was replying to the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill of 2021 in the Lok Sabha. He also allayed apprehensions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir assuring that "no one will lose their land in the Union Territory" as the government has enough land for development work. "The biggest hurdle in the industry in Jammu and Kashmir was that they did not get land if they wanted to set up any industry there. After the withdrawal of (Art)370, we changed the law of the land. Now the situation is such that the industries will be established inside Kashmir." Shah said that 25,000 government jobs will be created for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir by 2022 and that almost 3,000 jobs have already been given in the last 17 months. The Minister said the 8.45 km Banihal tunnel is planned to be opened this year and that "we are also going to connect the Kashmir Valley with the railways by 2022." He stated that Jammu and Kashmir has been the top priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a lot of development projects have been taken up in the UT. Elaborating on the development measures taken in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 from the erstwhile state, the Minister said many of J&K residents, who did not receive electricity in the past 70 years, got it in the past seven months. He said the government wants to make Jammu and Kashmir self-reliant and emphasized that development will reach even the remotest areas. The Minister said the three families which ruled Jammu and Kashmir for 70 years have done nothing to develop the health sector or provide employment. He said no major business house would invest in Jammu and Kashmir earlier, but after Article 370 was revoked, many businessmen are investing there. The government had in August 2019 revoked Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two Union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The move had provoked outrage from the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and praise from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Minister said the Central government has allocated Rs 881 crore from the ministry of health under PMDP (Prime Minister's Development Package) to Jammu and Kashmir. Panchayati Raj has been restarted in Jammu and Kashmir after the BJP government came to power. Around 3,650 sarpanches and 33,000 panchs were elected. "Now there will not be a leader from the dynasty of king and queen, the leader will be elected by vote." The Minister said the Central government has put nearly Rs 1,500 crore directly into bank accounts which has paved the way for the development of villages in Jammu and Kashmir. IIT Jammu has started classes on its campus. The construction work of both AIIMS has started. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Snopes was found to have a double standard against Christians, as it admitted to publishing an article maligning Biblical truth without actually checking it. The said Snopes article says that "creationism bears all the hallmarks of a conspiracy theory," Faithwire reported. The article published last week was an irony for Snopes given that it is one of the most popular fact-checking websites often used by large media companies like Facebook to debunk myths and reveal the "truth." Paul Braterman, a chemistry professor and author of the double standard article on the site, called himself not only a "skeptic" but also an "anti-creationist." In the article, Braterman complained about the fact that even though 40 percent of Americans believe the creation story to be the true origin of humanity with God creating the first humans who were Adam and Eve, it was all a "fully fledged conspiracy theory." "Such beliefs derive from the doctrine of biblical infallibility, long accepted as integral to the faith of numerous evangelical and Baptist churches through the world. But I would argue that the present-day creationist movement is a fully fledged conspiracy theory," Braterman wrote. He added that those who believe that God created the whole world in seven days as told in the Bible "go to great lengths to demonize the proponents of evolution." Braterman also cited a 2002 article from known creationist Ken Ham and accused him of being "hostile to science." Funnily, Snopes, which was supposed to be a site that reveals the truth with its articles, added an editor's note on top of the controversial piece saying that "This content is shared here because the topic may interest Snopes readers; it does not however represent the work of Snopes fact-checkers or editors." A double standard against Christians Dr. Ken Ham, a known Biblical apologist who has received six honorary doctorates including a Doctor of Science from Bryan College in Tennessee, took notice of the words above Snopes' published article and pointed out how the so-called "fact-checker" did the very thing it tells its readers not to do by publishing an article against creation without actually fact-checking the "facts." Snopes may not be the original source of the article by Braterman, but sharing it on their platform is "no different than re-affirming" what's written in the article, Ham noted. Ham, the founder of Answers in Genesis (AIG), an apologetics ministry, slammed the professor for writing the article with its false information. In a phone interview with Faithwire, Ham called the retired professor as "an ardent atheist" actively looking for defy the teaching of God's creation in schools especially in the U.K. Braterman's article went to great lengths to link Christians to the radicals who stormed into Capitol Hill causing a deadly riot and even included believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory. According to Ham, Braterman clearly has an "agenda" and it's "against Christians." "That's typical of what these people do. They try to demonize us by aligning us with groups that we have absolutely nothing to do with at all," Ham explained. Braterman falsely accused Ham when he claimed that the latter wrote an essay calling the theory of evolution as "the work of Satan" which Ham considers as "false claims" since he made no such comments on the article that Braterman mentioned. Ham then called out the double standard that seems to apply when it comes to Christians. "Look at what's happening in this nation when people publish opinion pieces or people publish certain ideas - they're being fact-checked all the time and taken down." Ham explained. "But when it's something against Christians, and against creationists, it seems there's a double standard." Ham explained in a Facebook post that Answers In Genesis tried to reach out to Snopes for an opportunity to respond to the article maligning what the Bible said about creation. "How did Snopes respond?" Ham wrote. "Thank you for contacting Snopes! This is a hosted article. You will have to contact the Associated Press directly to ensure delivery of your message." "So Snopes obviously didn't want anyone fact-checking an article they published that was not even fact-checked by them! What a complete brush off-and a double standard," he said. By Mai Yoshikawa, KYODO NEWS - Feb 13, 2021 - 12:54 | Feature, All, Japan Shu Matsuo Post is a man who calls himself a feminist. But he wasn't born a feminist, and for the first 28 years of his life he never tried to understand what it was like to be a girl and a woman in a patriarchal society. Then he met his now-wife Tina, who taught him that he has been socially conditioned to see things a certain way. She helped him realize he doesn't need to be macho to be a man or follow the dating script that says he pays. He had his feminist awakening. "The more I learned about gender bias, the more I saw it in everyday life," the 35-year-old Tokyo businessman said in a recent interview with Kyodo News. "For example, the (necessity for) women-only train cars, the pornography in convenience stores, gender-specific pronouns, fuzoku (sex service), and so on. Gender discrimination is everywhere. This discrimination harms us all," he said. Matsuo Post spent most of his adolescent years in the United States and when he returned to Japan he went through an identity crisis because he felt the need to meet the stereotypical image of a Japanese man, chauvinistic and expected to fit a mold. He took the opportunity to live and work in Hong Kong, and met Tina Post there in 2014. She is a self-declared feminist who challenged the gender stereotypes he learned growing up in Japan, a poor performer when it comes to gender equality. Japan ranked 121st out of 153 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2020. When the two decided to tie the knot in 2017, neither of them wanted to give up their birth names. They believed that surnames are an integral part of personal and family identities, and changing it should be one's own decision. So they decided to keep both names. Japanese law currently requires that married couples take one of the spouses' family names. In marriages between a Japanese national and a foreign national, however, the law does not apply. If you are a Japanese male-female couple getting married, there are no in-between options like hyphenating your last names, keeping your family name as your middle name or combining both of your last names into a new name. Despite the option for men to take their wife's surname, 96 percent of Japanese women assume their husband's name. It took Tina 15 minutes to get her American name changed from Tina Post to Tina Matsuo Post in the United States, but it took Shu eight months to get his name legally changed from Shuhei Matsuo to Shuhei Matsuo Post in Japan. Tina adopted the non-hyphenated double-barrelled name first, then Shu took her name. Going double-barrell gave both members of the couple the opportunity to retain their birth names and acknowledge their new marital status. He was unprepared for the legwork that followed -- updating his passport, driver's license, credit card, airline mileage card, email account, business card, and all the administrative burdens that rarely fall upon the male in many societies. "Most men never have to go through this. Why is it assumed and unquestioned that it is a woman who takes a man's name upon marriage? If that is her choice, great, but if not, why should we expect a woman to lose her identity in favor of a man's?" Now that he understands how our society has adopted a norm of devaluing women that is deeply and often unconsciously entrenched in our lives, there is no going back, he says. Eventually, his activity logs turned into a self-published book titled "I Took Her Name," which was released in December. Currently on seven months of paternity leave, he is now using social media to get his message out and telling his story across multiple media platforms as a male feminist, but Tina does not think that means he is representing women or speaking on their behalf. "I don't really think that he's representing women, I feel more that he's representing men and showing that it's possible for us to be in it together. He's showing that here are some of the flawed thinking that he was a part of," she said. Tina, who teaches gender and linguistics to high school students, says they are not perfect feminists but they work hard on their critical thinking and open-mindedness. She finds it funny that her husband found his passion in her field of expertise. "Often I will challenge him about whether his choices are authentic, or if he's just trying to make sure that he is being feminist. Like when he deliberately gets something that is pink instead of blue for our son," she says. Now driven by purpose, Shu says heterosexual men must begin to acknowledge the privileges they enjoy. He admits it's not easy to get Japan's men to catch up with his example, especially the older generation with outdated gender expectations. "It's impossible to call out every sexist behavior you see. I sometimes miss the opportunity to educate others. Start with whatever you're comfortable with, with your circle of friends or family members," he says. "Japanese society is unique, and discrimination against women is tolerated and accepted as part of daily life. Two things men can do to help fix this is to do more housework and take extended childcare leave. Gender equality benefits everyone, men and women." Shu thinks men are less likely than women to seek support for mental health issues when they need it, and they are at much higher risk of dying by suicide, all because masculinity is getting in the way of getting help. In 2019, men accounted for 69.8 percent of all suicides in Japan. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and studies suggest that it may be linked to the oppression they face on a regular basis. Increasingly, women are expected to function as caregiver, homemaker and breadwinner while having less reward and less control. With marital name change just one of the many aspects of Japanese life that disadvantage women, where does one start? Matsuo Post thinks gender equality starts at home and families are at the front line. "I truly believe in leading by example," Matsuo Post says. "I know I'm just one person but I can make a difference in my community. Like when I recently heard that my colleague who is becoming a father next month saw what I did and decided to take time off to look after his newborn, that makes me happy," he said. Matsuo Post says by talking to the younger generation about equality between the sexes and what remains to be done to reach a gender-equal world, you are setting them up to lead the way for a better future for all. "I want to spend more of my time educating young adults than dealing with stubborn old men. High school and college students today have the education I didn't get. That's why I have hope for the future," he said. "I imagine my children or grandchildren laughing about the time when gender inequality existed because their world will be much more equal. I really hope that day will come," he said. Related coverage: FEATURE: Japan's unmarried, sexual minorities forced to use foreign sperm banks FOCUS: Race to succeed Abe kicks off with no clear favorite MISDs 2021-2022 school calendar will be considered at this months meeting of the board of trustees. Aside from hiring a superintendent, setting the yearly school calendar is one of the most important decisions we are responsible for making as a board. No other scheduling decision affects so many in our community as the school districts calendar. With work schedules, childcare considerations and holidays, the school calendar is a document many Midlanders plan their lives around. Yet, as the school district strives to improve academic performance and explores all options to do so, we should not be constrained by adult conveniences. That is why I am supporting an intersessional calendar that will optimize student academic outcomes. Roughly 50 percent of MISD students are economically disadvantaged. It is these students, roughly 12,500 of them, who are apt to fall behind and not be able to recover. I understand the inconvenience of rescheduling a summer camp enrollment or needing to adjust a custody arrangement, but opposing the calendar for these reasons would be to let adult agendas supersede the academic needs of our children. As a divorced father of four kids in MISD schools, do I have questions or concerns? Absolutely. There are many logistical and substantive issues that still need to be worked out. That said, there will be exceptions that need to be dealt with on an individual basis and should not prohibit us from weighing the possible benefits. The community has voiced its desire to improve our academic outcomes, and this is also the boards paramount goal. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the merits of an intersessional calendar. I believe it is time to explore all the options on the table. MISD has underperformed academically, and course correction is going to take a community-wide effort and a multi-pronged approach. There will be no quick fix. Public education is an aircraft carrier, not a speed boat, and as such will take some time to turn. That process has begun, and we are beginning to see tangible results. If dealing with COVID has shown us anything, it is that we must maintain flexibility while continuing to provide a safe, secure environment for student learning. What the intersessional calendar is not: Intersessional does not mean year-round. Year-round school implies that students are in school every month of the year and there is no summer break. If Midland ISD moves to an intersessional calendar, students will spend the same number of days in the classroom, teachers contracts would be the same length, and school holidays would be preserved including a week off at Thanksgiving, two weeks off at Christmas, and at least one week off for Spring Break. The only students who would be in school every month would be the small percentage for whom summer school is required. Yes, students would start school one week earlier. This would bring us in line with Ector County Independent School District, a benefit for the many Midlanders who travel to Odessa for work. What an intersessional calendar is: The intersessional calendar is a strategy to intervene with struggling students and improve academic outcomes. By building in blocks of time to remediate, learning gaps can be addressed as they develop instead of compounding all year long. We need to heed the advice interim Superintendent Ann Dixon gave us. Her experience in both struggling and high-performing districts across the state has led her to conclude that MISD students need more time with their teachers. And to ensure that this extra time is high quality, she proposes that educators who elect to teach during intersessional weeks receive competitive compensation. All other teachers would see no reduction in salary, but they would have the opportunity to earn more. MISD can also access additional state funding, enabled by Texas House Bill 3, which provides half-day funding for school systems that add instructional days beyond the minimum 180 days and up to 210 days to any of their elementary schools (pre-K-fifth). This state funding could be used for teacher salaries, student transportation, food and other school operations. As one of the school districts that loses the most to Robin Hood, shouldnt we take advantage of an opportunity to get some of those funds back? Finally, we should give incoming Superintendent Angelica Ramsey the tools she needs to improve academic outcomes. She has a history of working with an intersessional calendar and believes it can make a difference. It is not a fix all, but a tool with a proven track record of success. It is as simple as this: if as a community we accept our school districts current academic performance, then the status quo is fine, and no change is necessary. However, based on the feedback and conversations I have had with my constituents in the past two years, I do not believe that is the case. I am willing to consider anything that can help to improve educational outcomes and benefit our students. If the intersessional calendar can do that, I am happy to participate in that conversation. John Trischitti III is the executive director of the Midland Development Corp.and is the District 5 Midland ISD school board trustee. Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 9:03 am Steven L. McCoy passed away peacefully in his sleep Jan. 29, 2021, after a short battle with colon cancer. He was born in Vancouver, Wash., Nov. 26, 1951, and graduated from Battle Ground High School in 1970. Steven entered the United States Army and served honorably, returning to Vancouver after discharge. He finished his military career serving in the United States Army Reserve for over 20 years. Steven worked with many friends and family at various jobs, but found his joy in outdoor activities, primarily fishing and hunting. Steve was an excellent bowler, competing many years achieving three 300 games during his time in league play. He enjoyed playing pool and swapping stories with any open ear, never met a stranger. Steve was kind and a generous soul, he enjoyed a good joke or a slow country song. He loved spending time with his children and family, sharing many adventures with his brother, Scott, discussing what fishing hole would be next. Scott was his caregiver during the last two months of his life. Steven is survived by his two children, Steve McCoy Jr., and Kristi Birrer; grandchildren, Zachary, Aubree, Kaden McCoy, Josh, and Brooklynn Birrer; parents, Vern and Charlotte Odren; siblings, Scott McCoy, Kim McCoy, Tracey Henry, Peter Henry, and Donelle Odren; along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Forrest McCoy; and grandparents, Al and Maxine Janssen. There will be no services at this time. The family would like to thank the caregivers of Community Home Health and Hospice for the compassionate care provided while Steven was home and at the Hospice house. New Delhi: Over 14,800 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots in Delhi on Friday in the fourth week of the inoculation drive. The authorities are now geared up for the roll-out of the second dose of vaccination on Saturday for beneficiaries who were given jabs in the beginning of the exercise. As per doctors, the second dose is to be given to a beneficiary after a gap of 28 days. A senior doctor at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital said, "We are all heard up for the second dose delivery on Saturday." Under the nationwide mega vaccination drive launched on January 16, a total of 4,319 (53 per cent) health workers against a target of 8,117 were administered the shots at 81 centres across the city on day one. On the second scheduled day, the figures had stood at 3,598 (44 per cent of the target). The sharp fall had come after one severe and 50 minor adverse effect cases were reported, on the opening day of the vaccination drive. The count on the third schedule day was much higher at 4,936 (48 per cent). After a sluggish start, since the exercise was kicked off January 16, the inoculation drive had picked up pace in the last several days. "Today, 14,843 people were administered coronavirus vaccine, and AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) was reported in seven persons," a senior official of the Delhi Health Department said. The number of centres where vaccination was carried out on Friday stood at 257, with a turnout of about 57 per cent. At the four North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run hospitals, the vaccinated beneficiaries count stood at over 200 on Friday with the cumulative figures being 1,850. On Thursday, 15,807 people got vaccinated with a turnout of about 60 per cent. On Wednesday, the corresponding figures were 14,743 with a turnout of about 80 per cent. Besides healthcare workers, frontline workers, who include, police, civil defence staff, DJB and electricity department employees, among others, are also getting jabs in the last several days. Also, the number of scheduled days, from initially being four days - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - have now been extended been extended to six days a week, Monday-Saturday. The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 till date in Delhi, majority of them being healthcare workers, has crossed the one lakh-mark, officials had said on February 6. Various reasons were being attributed to the low turnout in the initial days, including some technical issues and apprehensions related to adverse events. Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield is being administered at majority of the centres while Bharat Biotech-made Covaxin doses given at the remaining facilities. The Delhi government had taken measures like counselling and formal phone calls to raise the percentage of healthcare workers turning up for being administered COVID-19 vaccine. The district-wise distribution of total seven AEFI cases on Thursday was - Central Delhi (0), East Delhi (0), New Delhi (2), North Delhi (0), North East Delhi (1), North West Delhi (0), Shahdara (1), South Delhi (3), South East Delhi (0), South West Delhi (0) and West Delhi (0), according to data shared by authorities. With a low turnout of healthcare workers in the initial days of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had recently said the exercise is voluntary and a matter of "personal decision" for people whether to get a shot or not, but all efforts are being made to boost their confidence. He had reiterated that this is a voluntary exercise and people are making their own decisions, as it's the initial phase. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help KALAMAZOO, MI -- Parents expressed everything from relief to disappointment to anger when Kalamazoo Public Schools announced instruction will remain virtual for the remainder of the school year. Some parents whose children have been away from the classroom for nearly a year said they were angry with the districts decision. Others said they agreed that, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the safest option for students and staff despite the struggles of virtual learning. Related: Kalamazoo Public Schools students will remain virtual for remainder of school year The district has been in a virtual-only mode since the beginning of the pandemic. KPS is the only district in Kalamazoo County who remains virtual mode with no plans to return to the classroom this school year. Across the state, the majority of districts have returned to in-person learning. Ann Arbor Public Schools delayed setting a day to return to school as the community continues to try and reduce the risk of COVID-19. Michael Coats, a father of two high school students at KPS, said he and his kids were very disappointed in the announcement. Not having in-person school has been detrimental to the mental and emotional health of our kids, Coats said. All of the data and all of the science has all shown that in-person schooling is the best for our kids at this point, he said. KPS Superintendent Rita Raichoudhuri said in statement to MLive that she knew the announcement would be pleasing to some and a disappointment to others. The choices were not ideal, Raichoudhuri said. Although our learning will continue to be delivered remotely we will expand our face-to-face opportunities for students throughout the remainder of the school year. We are also planning a robust in-person summer readiness camp for students at all grade levels. The superintendent said she has every intention for students to be back to school, face-to-face and five days a week starting Aug. 30. Until then, Id encourage parents and students who need assistance to contact their school, Raichoudhuri said. We want to provide as much support for students and families as possible, even though our learning will remain fully virtual. Numerous parents took to social media after Thursdays announcement to express their opinions on the decision. Some parents thanked the superintendent for protecting the health of students and teachers. Parent Tina Tabulog said her children will be more successful if they remain in the same mode. Thank you KPS for listening and actually caring about the health of our kids and the teachers who care about them, Tabulog said. The way youve done remote is awesome and keeping with the structure will help our kids succeed. Scott Baron, another KPS parent, said kids are resilient. I support waiting, with the problems, to prevent illness and death, Baron said. Raichoudhuri said she made the decision to remain virtual for the third trimester, which begins March 15, using a weighted formula with input from all stakeholders. The superintendent held three townhalls and surveyed parents, teaching staff and non-teaching staff on whether to remain virtual or move students into a hybrid model. Raichoudhuri used a weighted formula that considered research, data from the Kalamazoo County Department of Health and Community Services and the stakeholder surveys to make the decision, she said. According to the survey results, 53% of parents preferred to stay virtual while 47% said they wanted hybrid learning. Results from the teaching staff survey said 83% of respondents wanted to remain virtual and 17% wanted hybrid. For non-teaching staff, the survey found that 79% favored virtual while 21% wanted hybrid. Raichoudhuri said the majority of research favored returning to in-person learning. Experts said schools are not super spreaders for the vaccine, and being away from school has a negative impact on students mental health, the superintendent said. The declining case numbers of COVID-19 in Kalamazoo County also pointed toward the return to in-person learning, she said. But the presence of virus variants and the lack of vaccination supply for teachers moved the needle toward remaining virtual. Coats said he doesnt believe the superintendent is leading the district. Data-driven decision making is one thing, but shes ultimately the boss and has to make the hard choice, Coats said. When all of the experts are recommending in person options, and she makes a decision the other way because the decision matrix points line up the other way, shes valuing the wrong data -- uninformed, non-scientific, non-medical community opinion. Thats not leadership, and thats not good decision-making with the best interests of the students at the core. Also on MLive: What theyre saying about Ann Arbor Public Schools decision to stay in remote learning Kalamazoo County nears halfway point for teacher vaccinations Whitmer budget to include K-12 increase of up to $164 per pupil, more funding for higher education HID Algorithms Engineer (Software Engineering Focus) San Diego , California , United States Hardware Summary Posted: Feb 12, 2021 Role Number: 200223149 Join the innovative engineering team that uses sensor signal processing to produce the next generation of human interfaces for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and exciting new products. Our team comes from diverse backgrounds, including signal and image processing, statistics, machine learning, controls, physics, firmware and software development, neuroscience, and human factors. We are looking for a hardworking software engineer who works well in cross-disciplinary teams over a full product cycle. HID operates at the intersection of hardware, software, and design. This means that the wide variety of problems you will solve have many interesting facets and you will get to work with specialists from all across Apple. Key Qualifications TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE - You should have significant experience with the following: Programming C / C++ in a professional environment Implementing algorithms in production code Software architecture Working with embedded or resource-constrained systems Working with continuous integration and automated build systems Excellent communication, presentation, and documentation skills WE WOULD APPRECIATE ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH: Familiarity with Python or other high-level languages Experience developing infrastructure for large-scale data processing and annotation Familiarity with filtering techniques, statistical analysis, noise modeling, and signal processing Interest in optimizing data processing workflows through cloud-based storage and analysis Description We are looking for a software engineer who can write efficient and scalable C / C++ code to perform signal processing in multiple compute environments. You will work with other algorithm engineers to analyze and validate algorithm prototypes. You will then architect and code the algorithm implementation, often targeting embedded or resource-constrained systems. You will work with system and firmware engineers to integrate your code into the product, but will take special responsibility for the algorithm implementation. You will also help us architect, develop, and optimize data processing and machine learning frameworks. This is a role where you will design, develop, and support high quality, scalable algorithm implementations and data processing pipelines that enable rapid algorithm development, analysis, and implementation for Apple products. Education & Experience B.S. or M.S. in CS, EE, Physics, Statistics, Mathematics, or another engineering or technical field Apple's most important resource, our soul, is our people. Apple benefits help further the well-being of our employees and their families in meaningful ways. No matter where you work at Apple, you can take advantage of our health and wellness resources and time-away programmes. We're proud to provide stock grants to employees at all levels of the company, and we also give employees the option to buy Apple stock at a discount - both offer everyone at Apple the chance to share in the company's success. You'll discover many more benefits of working at Apple, such as programmes that match your charitable contributions, reimburse you for continuing your education and give you special employee pricing on Apple products. Apple benefits programmes vary by country and are subject to eligibility requirements. Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Apple is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Apple is a drug-free workplace One person has been killed and another detained in a North Portland shooting, police say. Officers were sent Friday afternoon to a report of a hurt person in need of medical help at a house in the 4700 block of North McCoy Court, according to Portland police. Authorities found a man dead. He had an apparent gunshot wound. One person has been detained. Police didnt provide details about the circumstances of the shooting or the person who has been detained. Detectives were responding to investigate early Friday evening. McCoy Court was blocked. Police urge anyone who has information to contact detectives. The Oregonian/OregonLive Tree House Books in Ashland, Ore., has taken all the steps that indie bookshops across the U.S. have had to in the past year. No more than eight customers are in the store at any given time, book deliveries go out each day to readers, and co-owners Jane Almquist and Dirk Price have put substantial effort into boosting their websites e-commerce capabilities. But in partnership with an employee who runs a local nonprofit, they are also quietly putting the finishing touches on something they hope will be magical for kids. This spring, Almquist and bookseller Cynthia Salbado will launch the beta version of the Secret Storyworld, an interactive website for kids to learn how to craft their own tales and engage more deeply in the world around them. The site introduces subscribers to 12 realms, divided by month and linked as a yearlong set of story arcs that teach children how to weave their own versions of the heros journey. Each month has a themeJanuary kicks off with a time traveler hotel, June features a Faery Godmother Traveling Tea Party, and in October theres a monster balland kids read from a related genre and write their own stories using prompts and games provided through the site. All kids want to go on a quest, Salbado says. They all read Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. And they all ask, When am I going to get my quest? The Secret Storyworld is saying, You are your quest. Youre being called all the time every day, every month, every year. You just have to decide what quest youre going to take on. Salbado has been working on the idea for so long, she jokes that it all began on paper planners, but it gained momentum when Almquist and Price purchased the store in 2010 and she came on board as a bookseller. I instantly loved the idea for the Secret Storyworld, Almquist says. Salbado initially envisioned it for adults, but Almquist suggested making it accessible to people of all agesand from there, the two set out to create it. They hired an experienced web designer and created the structure for the various realms around a three-part story arc. When completed, the site will be hosted by Salbados nonprofit Art Now, but the bookselling components will be handled by Tree House. The website is integrally linked to the physical existence of the bookstore as a storytelling place, and likewise, the realms are based on real locations in Ashland. Along with the reading and writing that occur through the bookstore and the website respectively, each month has treasure hunts and projects that get kids out into the community. Januarys time travel hotel is the Ashland Springs Hotel. Mays fairy tale theater is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which draws tens of thousands of people each year. Each will have a physical quest associated with it, and the goal, Almquist says, is to get the budding authors to see hidden stories in the places around them. An unexpected opportunity In many ways, the pandemic gave Almquist and Salbado the chance to test some components of the Secret Storyworld. With restrictions in place, they held multiple Covid-safe outdoor events. On the first day of summer, the bookstore hosted a Faery Godmother Promenade through a town park, and in December they led their sixth annual Gnome for the Holidays Storygame outdoors. In January, Almquist and Salbado launched a middle grade book club; the first book the club read was Kwame Mbalias Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, and Februarys pick is Kate DiCamillos Flora and Ulysses. Teens who grew up as readers in the store help facilitate the conversations with a staff person on Zoom. There is still work to do, but Salbado and Almquist anticipate that the beta site will launch in late February by invitation only for readers in Ashland. In time, they want to make the site available in other communities, tailoring the physical locations to wherever subscribers and local partnersincluding fellow bookstores and librarians are, and anchoring the journey to local bookstores in those places. Almquists hope is to open up a world of storytelling for future booksellers and readers. The books here all inspire us, and we try to set up the store so you feel that creative spark, she says. But the young people of today are also the published authors of the future. This is for those kids who would love to share their stories. Return to the main feature. Mondays Louis Riel Day will be a low-key affair in the province this year. Advertisement Advertise With Us Mondays Louis Riel Day will be a low-key affair in the province this year. This day typically sees the Metis communities all over the province planning a range of events and inviting friends and neighbours to join in celebrating their culture. "Because of COVID-19 its a very different day than we would normally have planned. COVID is a thief that robs us all of chances to get together and be with our families and communities," Manitoba Metis Federation President David Chartrand told The Brandon Sun by email. That sentiment is echoed by Leah LaPlante, vice-president of the Southwest Region for the federation, as well as its minister of natural resources and citizenship. Virtual happenings are not the same as gatherings, and after almost a year of pandemic distancing, its getting harder and harder to get into the spirit. "We had a caucus meeting yesterday and today and one of the statements I made when I was doing my regional report is the reason that theres not much happening is its been a long time that everybody has been in their own little space," she said. Essentially, its COVID-19 fatigue. And like many others, gathering, for the Metis, is an everyday fact of life. For LaPlante, who has connections across the region and beyond, the absence of physical proximity is especially felt. Its long, difficult, and I feel almost lonely for the people who have been such a daily, weekly, monthly part of my life for 23 years. Its bad enough to be missing family but, after that many years, you sort of feel everybody that is part of your world is family," she said. She imagines its the same for everyone, now, though in different settings. And Chartrand noted the same. "The principle of this holiday resonates with the culture of the Metis, just as it does with many other cultures that share our province," said Chartrand. The Norman Chief Memorial Dancers jig during Louis Riel Day celebrations at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg in 2020. Celebrations will have a different feel this year as the pandemic restricts large gatherings in the province. (Winnipeg Free Press) "Family and community are essential to us all. Monday, we take a moment to cherish our unity and camaraderie as we share in the importance of family, province and country." As for the historical importance of this official holiday, Chartrand said that while Louis Riels history and legacy are better understood now than in the past, there is still work to be done. "While he is acknowledged as the founder of Manitoba, Louis Riel is still not officially recognized as the first premier of Manitoba," said Chartrand. Meanwhile the crew at Manitoba 150 who had to defer planned celebrations of the provinces entry into confederation last year released a statement this past week acknowledging Louis Riel Day. "As Manitoba reflects on 150 years as a province and looks forward to a new year, it is an opportunity to come together in spirit, to share stories, and to build even stronger connections to each other and the land. Our anniversary continues to inspire us to explore our past and leave legacies for the future," they stated. "As we approach Louis Riel Day, its a reminder of all the things that make Manitoba great, including being the only province to join Canada under Indigenous leadership." On that note, Le Musee de Saint-Boniface Museum (MSBM) is offering free admission to individuals and families throughout 2021, starting Tuesday, February 16. Along with virtual programming the Manitoba Metis Federation has lined up, the museum has plans for a virtual celebration of Louis Riel Day on February 15. The museum is home to the worlds largest collection of Louis Riel artifacts and is located inside Winnipegs oldest building the largest oak log structure in North America, according to the news release. "Celebrate means so much more than simple revelry. It is an expression of amazement, wonder, and appreciation. Manitoba 150 encourages Manitobans to be proud of who we are, to stand in awe of our provinces beauty, to appreciate the culture that surrounds us, and to respect our past and how it has created this unique experience of being Manitoban," stated Monique LaCoste and Stuart Murray, co-chairs of Manitoba 150. mletourneau@brandonsun.com Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 12:28:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An artist from the China Cultural Center in Wellington performs Guzheng music for residents in Wellington's Central Park, New Zealand, Feb.13, 2021. The community celebration of the Chinese New Year was held in Wellington's Central Park, with Chinese music, traditions and blessings. (Photo by Zhang Jianyong/Xinhua) WELLINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The community celebration of the Chinese New Year was held in Wellington's Central Park, with Chinese music, traditions and blessings. Calligraphers from a Chinese cultural group Ya Feng wrote Spring couplets for Wellington residents, accompanied by Guzheng music performed by an artist from the China Cultural Centre in Wellington. The Yangko Dance, a popular folk dance, heated up the summer day with its lively gestures and invigorating rhythms. "We are now in the Year of the Ox. In Chinese culture, the ox represents persistence, strength, and patience. These are values we all appreciate, especially with the challenging times in the past 2020," said Mayor of Wellington Andy Foster. "Wellington city council are grateful for the contributions made by the China Cultural Centre and all the Chinese people in our community. I hope everyone has a happy Chinese New Year," said Angelique Jackson, city housing manager of the Wellington City Council. Enditem Law enforcement officers have searched the Chelyabinsk offices of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, activists reported on February 13. The activists said on Twitter that the search took place while nobody was present at the offices in the Urals city. "We came to the headquarters and found this," the activists tweeted together with several pictures of the ransacked office. "The premises were raided while we were working remotely," they said. The 44-year-old Navalny, a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on January 17 after returning to Russia from Germany where he had been treated for a nerve-agent poisoning he says was ordered by Putin. The Kremlin denies it had any role in the poison attack against Navalny. Tens of thousands of Russians took part in street rallies on January 23 and 31 in protest at Navalny's detention, which sparked outrage across the country and much of the West. In a change in tactics from mass street rallies that resulted in thousands of arrests, Navalny's team has called on people across Russia to switch on their mobile-phone flashlights for 15 minutes beginning at 8 p.m. local time on February 14 -- shining the light into the sky from courtyards and posting pictures of the protest on social media. In an attempt to limit the planned February 14 flashlight-protest, Russia's federal media regulator ordered media outlets, including RFE/RL's Russian Service and Current Time TV, to delete all reports about the event. The official order from Roskomnadzor was received by media groups on February 12. It says Russian authorities consider any reporting about the planned flashlight protest to be a call for people to take part in an unsanctioned public demonstration and mass disorder. Roskomnadzor's order was also sent to online newspapers Meduza and Open Media, and the TV-2 news agency in the Siberian city of Tomsk. Navalny's team in Tomsk said they were also warned by the city prosecutor's office on February 12 that they could be held liable for staging an unsanctioned protest action. Telegram channel Baza reported on February 13 that in Bryansk, 379 kilometers southwest of Moscow, students were banned from using flashlights on the premises of the local university on the day of February 14. Leonid Volkov, director of Navalny's network of teams across Russia, announced the change of tactics on February 9 in response to police crackdowns against mass street demonstrations that have led to tens of thousands of arrests across Russia. The "flashlight" protest is a tactic similar to what demonstrators have been doing in neighboring Belarus following brutal police crackdowns targeting rallies against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Volkov says it is a nonviolent way for Russians to show the extent of outrage across the country over Navalny's treatment without subjecting themselves to arrests and police abuse. Police cracked down harshly on the demonstrations, putting many of Navalny's political allies behind bars and detaining thousands more -- sometimes violently -- as they gathered on the streets. A Russian court on February 2 ruled Navalny was guilty of violating the terms of his suspended sentence relating to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated. The court converted the sentence to 3 1/2 years in prison. Given credit for time already spent in detention, the court said Navalny must serve another 2 years and 8 months behind bars. That prompted fresh street protests across the country. But Volkov called for a pause in street rallies until the spring -- saying weekly demonstrations would only result in more mass arrests. With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Meduza, TV-2, Dozhd, and Znak President Joe Biden's administration announced on Friday that they would start allowing thousands of asylum-seekers, particularly migrants who have been waiting in Mexico for their next immigration court hearings, to enter the U.S. while their cases proceed. It was the latest move by Biden to end the immigration policies implemented during the administration of former President Donald Trump. It reverses the previous administration's policy that required migrants who sought asylum to remain in Mexico as they awaited a hearing, The Daily Wire reported. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said only migrants with pending active cases under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program would be eligible to be reprocessed beginning Feb. 19, Fox News reported. The MPP, also known as "Remain in Mexico, was introduced by the Trump administration in January 2019 amid a surge of migrants seeking asylum. "As President Biden has made clear, the U.S. government is committed to rebuilding a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. Mayorkas noted that this latest move was another step in their commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with the nation's values. Related story: Biden Terminates 'Emergency' Order That Trump Used to Build U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Eligible Migrants Will Be Allowed Entry The Biden administration estimated that some 25,000 migrants enrolled in the MPP continue to have active cases. But the DHS said these individuals should not take any action right now and should remain where they are to await further instructions. The agency noted that they would soon announce a virtual registration process that will be accessible from any location. The DHS also warned migrants that the announcement should not be interpreted "as an opening for people to migrate irregularly" to the U.S. "Eligible individuals will only be allowed to enter through designated ports of entry at designated times," the DHS noted. Mayorkas also said that due to the current public health crisis, restrictions at the border would remain in place and be enforced. The DHS further noted that all eligible migrants would need to test negative for the COVID-19 while in Mexico before being allowed to enter the U.S. It added that around 300 migrants would likely be reprocessed daily at the three ports of entry, according to a USA Today report. On Biden's first day in office, the DHS announced that it would suspend the MPP program for new enrollments as of Jan. 21. Biden earlier signed an executive order to review the policy. MPP's Creation The DHS with Justice Department rolled out the MPP in January 2019 at the San Diego-Tijuana border region. It was one in a series of measures that the Trump administration has imposed to restrict asylum and crackdown on unauthorized immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. An agreement with the Mexican government has allowed the U.S. border officials to send back more than 70,000 migrants to Mexico, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University's analysis. Former DHS Secretary Chad Wolf described the policy as a "game-changer." During the first full month of implementing COVID-19 restrictions on asylum at the border in April, the government sent back at least 5,493 migrants to Mexico under the MPP. Related story: ICE Cancels Operations Targeting Illegal Immigrants with Sex Crime Cases Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 21:11:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mario Draghi addresses the media at the Quirinal presidential palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 12, 2021. (Pool via Xinhua) Draghi formally accepted the mandate on Friday evening after meeting President Sergio Mattarella. The former ECB chief had received the task on Feb. 3, following the collapse of the previous government led by Giuseppe Conte after a junior ally pulled out of the coalition. ROME, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government formed by newly-appointed Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who was also the former chief of the European Central Bank (ECB), was officially sworn in on Saturday. Draghi formally accepted the mandate on Friday evening after meeting President Sergio Mattarella. The former ECB chief had received the task on Feb. 3, following the collapse of the previous government led by Giuseppe Conte after a junior ally pulled out of the coalition. The ceremony took place at the Quirinal presidential palace on Saturday noon. The new cabinet counts 23 ministers, comprising 15 political figures and 8 technical ones. Some were confirmed in their offices, such as Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio, leader of Five Star Movement (M5S) majority party, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, Health Minister Roberto Speranza, and Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini. Draghi also called in new figures whose roles would be crucial in the months ahead, with regard to both the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recovery. Among them, Bank of Italy's deputy governor Daniele Franco was named as Economy and Finance Minister; senior right-wing League party official Giancarlo Giorgetti as Minister for Economic Development; and former chief executive officer of Vodafone Group Vittorio Colao as Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition. New names were also Roberto Cingolani, scientific director of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), appointed as Minister for Ecological Transition; statistician Enrico Giovannini as Infrastructure and Transport Minister; and former president of Italy's Constitutional Court Marta Cartabia as Justice Minister. Next week, the cabinet will have to go before parliament for the necessary double votes of confidence in the senate and lower house, respectively. During consultations with parties before formally accepting his mandate, Draghi received the support of all the political forces in parliament but one. A key priority for his government will be related to the plan to allocate the 209-billion-euro (253 billion U.S. dollars) package the European Union (EU) will provide to restart the Italian economy. A national Resilience and Recovery Plan has already been outlined by the previous government, which specified the macro-areas of intervention, and the necessary reforms to relaunch the country. The new cabinet will have to complete the plan, eventually amending it, before submitting it to the European Commission for approval by April. Mario Draghi (2nd L) addresses the media at the Quirinal presidential palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 12, 2021. (Pool via Xinhua) The Armenian-Azerbaijani memorandum is a real document, Kapan Mayor Gevorg Parsyan told Yerkir Media TV company. "The six-point Armenian-Azerbaijani memorandum is a real document. I learned about it back in January," he noted calling it 'a document of great importance.' "It cannot be fake, because the rest of the points are already being implemented. That is, the sections of the Goris-David Bek and Kapan-Chakaten roads are regulated in accordance with the agreement. After the document signed on November 9, this document was signed, which clearly states that on December 18 we must move away from positions advantageous for us until November 9. There is nothing in this memorandum regarding borders," Parsyan said. He said that on different sections of the road, the Azerbaijanis placed signs that were later used in their favor, and they were placed in the most advantageous positions. "On January 22, Azerbaijanis placed a signpost on the Kapan-Chakaten section. Of course, these are provocative actions. Since our citizens could not pass by with indifference, they spoiled the pointer. And it so happened that the Azerbaijanis, in order to protect their property, relocated, that is, they settled on the other side of the road, not a higher section, and this section of the road completely passed under their supervision. All this is very disturbing. We spoke with the Human Rights Defender about the frequent shooting that worried our residents. At the same time, one cannot say that snipers can hit everyone right at home. This is more metaphorically speaking. But now our main highway, airport and many settlements are under the control of Azerbaijanis. If they want to create problems for the villagers, they will," he added. As if persecuting Christians inside the country is not enough, China is now using surveillance technology to keep track of people even to other countries - and is letting other nations use this technology as well. Persecuted believers inside and outside China are now bracing for terror with the Chinese Communist Party's new AI surveillance technology, Open Doors reported. Using artificial intelligence or AI, Chinese authorities can now keep track of believers they are persecuting even if they fled to other countries with the help of a "faceprint" - when a surveillance camera hones in to map a person's face, instant data can be gathered and entered into a database, and in seconds or less, a person's identity and current location can be confirmed. While it all looks like something that came out of a Sci-Fi movie, it's now happening in real life. Unknowingly, millions of people willingly submit data on their smartphones that allow system algorithms to recognize and identify a face. China's new AI technology is so powerful that the communist government has turned it into a persecution tactic, installing cameras everywhere including churches. Now, state-approved churches in China, such as those in Jiangxi and Henan provinces, have cameras enabled with face recognition. Even with 97 million Christians in the country, tracking someone would not be too hard for the Chinese Communist Party once they get into their database. Unfortunately, churches who refused the installation of such cameras for "security reasons" were either fined or raided. Worse, churches were banned to operate like the Zion Church in Northern Beijing. The church's 1,500 members were also harassed by police and state security officials at their homes and even their workplace. To date, China has installed 415 million surveillance cameras and still counting. Each camera is connected to the Public Security Bureau to instantly connect to other databases in the government and is eventually linked to the "Social Credit System" that monitors citizens' loyalty to communism and its tenets. This framework has now put a lot of pressure to religious minorities like never before. Beyond mainland China Christians who experience persecution in China are not the only ones worried about the rise of the AI technology. China has been working to expand its influence globally, and as it does, it is also exporting what Open Doors calls its "all-pervasive systems for 'protection' and 'security'" inside countries it influences. In July last year, Democrats included in a U.S. Senate committee expressed their worry over China's "digital authoritarianism," providing details in the form of a report. In this report, the committee noted how Uzbekistan, which is currently ranked as the 21st country most hostile to Christians as per Open Doors' World Watch List, has exerted efforts to "digitally manage political affairs" using China's surveillance technology. Another report from the Brookings Institution also described China's efforts to spread its highly intrusive surveillance technology to Saudi Arabia, Laos, Pakistan, and other places in the World Watch List. Not only will a powerful surveillance technology allow governments to digitally manage political affairs, like what Uzbekistan did. It will also place religious freedoms at risk by targeting churches and other religious minorities who do not practice loyalty to communism. According to Open Doors, China's surveillance technology will be used to target minorities they consider threats by tracking their movements and taking "preemptive action." The CCP has used such a technology to track the Uighur minority residing in Xinjiang. Increasing control "concerning" For years China's effort to restrict believers and control minorities has been concerning - even more so now. David Curry, Open Doors CEO shared how "technology, in the hands of evil actors, has massive human rights implications for everybody with a smartphone." "What's never been possible before, really, is a surveillance technology that enables the regime to ban private forms of religion," Curry explained further saying that nothing will can hidden - messages, conversations, even private meetings are no longer private. "On top of that, they've also got this incredible array of geolocation data so that if you are trying to meet with certain folks in private, they can actually figure that out and begin to unwind some of those private religious communities, too. When that's paired with existing tracking systems, the government can build a frightening level of detail about where people have been and what they've been doing." Despite the fear and the threat it poses to Christians, Open Doors encourages believers to use this time to prepare and be strong in faith. One of the organization's workers in China shared, "We want to see Christians in China stand firm and strong under persecution through God's grace and power. We want to see a vibrant, persevering church that will not bow to the enemy's schemes. This is our dream." Believers in China and other countries are urged to prepare for the upcoming persecution led by those who hate the Lord Jesus Christ. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Energia, which is owned by US-based I Squared Capital, is considering the construction of a major data centre complex beside its neighbouring Dublin power stations that would draw electricity from the plants. Energias Huntstown Power Station company has been liaising with An Bord Pleanala regarding the construction of a significant substation at Huntstown that would form part of the data centre plan. An Bord Pleanala has just determined that the substation should be considered a strategic infrastructure development. The Energia firm is also eyeing the construction of three to four data centre buildings extending over 100,000 sq m (1.07 million sq ft). What do the above-mentioned powerful individuals have in common? William Blount (1749-1800) was a signer of the United States Constitution, originally from North Carolina and served as the only governor of the Southwest Territory. He would eventually be elected as one of Tennessees initial United States Senators in 1796. He also was a land spectator and obtained millions of acres in Tennessee and the West. Blount was responsible for the creation of the City of Knoxville, named after United States Secretary of War Henry Knox, and he built a mansion in that community that still stands as a historical structure. He was instrumental in conducting a census to determine whether the minimum requirement of 60,000 residents to establish a state could be reached with the population in the territory being determined to be 77,000, and when the state of Tennessee was admitted to the Union in 1796, Blount became a U.S. Senator. He was an alleged conspirator in a plot to allow the British to gain control of Florida and Louisiana, which he foolishly outlined in a letter. It reached the hands of President John Adams who thought it constituted a crime and turned it over to the Senate, which led to a bizarre set of historical facts. Blount fled from Washington to Tennessee while the House and Senate debated whether he should be impeached. He would return to Knoxville where he would remain popular and served in the State Senate until his death on March 21, 1800 from an epidemic. Scott Raulston Schoolfield (1905-1982) was a trial lawyer, criminal judge, and politician from Hamilton County who was elected criminal judge in 1950 as a reform candidate. He served eight controversial years until 1958 when he was brought to trial in the Tennessee General Assembly on 32 acts of illegal and unethical acts arising out of the McClellan Committee hearings in Washington on racketeering in four Southern states by labor unions - primarily the Teamsters Union under the leadership of James Hoffa. Schoofields feud with Governor Frank G. Clement in the 1954 gubernatorial election would play a part in the initiation of an investigation headed by veteran Nashville trial attorney Jack Norman and future political aspirant John J. Hooker, Jr. and assisted by leaders of the Chattanooga and Tennessee bar associations. Schoolfield would eventually stand trial in the Tennessee Senate on 24 charges upon a lot of hearsay evidence in a donnybrook and media circus that lasted six weeks and ended on July 12, 1958. Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of the United States and was succeeded by Joe Biden who was sworn in office on January 20, 2021. His background and history have been both praised and vilified by his millions of supporters and opponents and is ongoing and will continue into the future and will affect the nation for many years. What do these three men in history have in common? The answers are much more complex than an article can cover but there is a connective theme running throughout the lives and political careers of all three. 1. Blount was accused of criminal conspiracy and faced Impeachment charges beginning in early 1798. His trial in the Senate was delayed until January 1779 but Blount refused to attend and fled to Knoxville. On January 11, 1779, the political body by a vote of 14 to 11 voted to dismiss the indictment brought by the House of Representatives on the ground that impeachment did not extend to senators. 2. Schoolfield was found Not Guilty on the most serious charge of accepting a bribe from the Teamsters Union for dismissing 13 of the 32 charges. He was convicted of three minor charges of 1. Cussing out an assistant district attorney at a private club across the street from the Hamilton County Courthouse; (2) engaging in partisan politics; and (3) accepting a 1950 Pontiac automobile paid for by money raised by his court officer from private citizens, lawyers, and bail bondsmen. A supplemental motion to ban him from holding any future elected office in Tennessee failed by a vote of 19-12 which was one vote short of the required two-thirds majority vote. One of the 33 senators had been ill and absent during the entire six-week trial and another Senator from Davidson County had conveniently exited from the Senate Chamber before the last vote. As a result, Schoolfield would face disbarment charges from the practice of law, and then run for and win various public offices over the years until 1974. Because Hamilton County had grown into the same population total as Knox County that had passed a Private Act that authorized a non-lawyer judge in the General Sessions Court, the Chattanooga/Hamilton County voting public could do the same. Schoolfield filed his qualifying petition at 4 p.m. on the last eligible day and was elected as one of the three new judicial officers in that court. He would be re-elected in the fall of 1982 and would die of a heart attack on Oct. 5 of the same year. Donald J. Trumps unexpected rise to the presidency of the United States after a career as a busy developer of hotels, airlines, casinos, and as a television performer has been both colorful and controversial as an elected Republican to the High Office. His Presidency was filled with controversy from the beginning. Impeached on one occasion and defeated by Democrat Joe Biden in the November 2020 General Election, he now faces another impeachment charge arising out of the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol in Washington. Legal questions surround the trial as to whether a president who has been voted out of office can be impeached? Like Schoofield, Trump will also be confronted with the issue of whether he can be banned from running for President or any other federal office in 2024 or later. In order to pass such a lifetime ban, 17 Republican Senators will have to vote with the Democrats to obtain the necessary votes that are needed to prevent any future political candidacy by Donald J. Trump. Blount, Schoolfield and Trump are individuals that are a part of history who will be remembered as popular and controversial politicians and had dark chapters in their careers of public service in the area of Impeachment while in office. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com) Oxford University announced Friday it started testing its coronavirus vaccine in children as young as six in a move that expands coronavirus vaccine trials to the youngest age group yet. The Oxford trial will include 300 child volunteers ages 6 to 17, with 240 of them receiving the vaccine co-developed with drugmaker AstraZeneca; the remaining participants will receive a control meningitis vaccine that has been proven safe in children but is expected to mimic similar side effects of a covid-19 shot, the university said in a statement. Before the Oxford/AstraZeneca trial, testing had not included children younger than 12. Three other companies - Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen - have announced plans to start trials for younger children this spring. Only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been authorized in the United States thus far. Johnson & Johnson has a single-shot vaccine that could be authorized in March. U.S. regulators are still waiting for more trial data before approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is already in use in the European Union. Even with clinical trials for younger patients underway, children are not expected to widely receive the vaccine for months and may not until 2022. Richard Malley, a senior physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children's Hospital said he does not expect vaccinations in children to start until next calendar year "We really want to make sure they're safe and well-tolerated in children, particularly when there's a low risk-benefit ratio," Malley told The Washington Post Saturday. Coronavirus has not shown itself to be as dangerous in most children as it is in older adults, making it less critical to race out testing for children. "The risk-benefit calculus you have to do should lead you to want to do this only if it's extraordinarily safe in pediatric populations," he said. The Oxford trial's small sample size of 300 children who span a decade in age is meant to serve as a jumping-off point and not the final word on how the vaccine will be tolerated by young patients. Malley said in a 300-person trial, the purpose is to determine what he called a "global response" and tell researchers at a high level if the vaccine is safe, well-tolerated and able to produce an immune response in children. While the development and rollout of various coronavirus vaccine candidates has occurred at an unprecedented speed, clinical trials expanding now to younger children follow the standard pattern of all vaccine testing, Malley said. "In any vaccine study, you're generally starting with healthy adults and slowly move into different age categories going up or down to make sure it's safe for other adults," Malley said. For some health experts, the timeline of expanding clinical trials to teenage and younger patients has been disappointingly slow, particularly given the strength of the safety data for adults who have taken the vaccine. American Association of Pediatrics President Sally Goza wrote to federal leaders in September arguing pediatric trials were essential for curbing the pandemic, given the potential of older children to be vectors for the disease. "While some studies have shown that children under the age of 10 may be less likely to become infected and less likely to spread the virus to others, more recent data suggest children older than 10 years may spread SARS-CoV-2 as efficiently as adults," Goza wrote. Malley, the Boston Children's Hospital doctor, said even though children are roughly half as likely as an adult to transmit coronavirus, inoculating younger populations is crucial to achieving herd immunity. "When you read that kids are less likely to transmit, it's roughly by a factor of two - so it's not zero," he said, noting that the virus variants that have emerged may further change the equation. Malley also points to the fact that while children broadly have not suffered severe or lingering illness from covid-19 the way adults have, some children have developed acute respiratory failure and multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C - a rare but serious illness than be fatal or leave children with lasting heart damage. So far in the United States, at least 11,000 children and teenagers have been hospitalized and at least 215have died, according to a Jan. 28 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Even though these are rare, they can be catastrophic," Malley said. "If the vaccine is safe and can be tolerated, it can save lives." - - - The Washington Post's Tara Bahrampour contributed to this report. The Association of Secondary School Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has made a U-turn as it has re-entered Leaving Certificate talks with the Department of Education. The union said it would engage constructively. The talks, which are continuing over the weekend, are up against the clock as Taoiseach Micheal Martin reiterated yesterday that he wants a deal next week. The ASTI pulled out of discussions on Thursday expressing concern that traditional exams were being relegated to secondary position in a twin track process being developed because of Covid-19. However, the ASTI announced today that it is re-entering talks as it seeks to facilitate this years Leaving Certificate students in moving on with their lives. The plan being explored involves both the provision of exams and a corresponding non-exam process, likely to be a modified version of calculated grades. But the ASTI said calculated grades was emerging as the premier option. Read More The end of the statement read: "On the basis of the foregoing, the ASTI will now re-enter the bilateral discussions process. We will continue to constructively engage to seek to ensure ways are found to facilitate this years Leaving Certificate students in moving on with their lives. However, General Secretary of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) Michael Gillespie said that these concerns from the ASTI were already adressed. I am genuinely surprised at the suggestion that anything has advanced, he said on RTE Radio 1s Saturday with Katie Hannon. "We were still in discussions yesterday and everything that was discussed was a continuation of what had happened earlier in the week. The Minister and the Taoiseach already made it clear that the examinations will run, we are supporting that on the 9th of June that they will go ahead as is. We are working on a very complex set of negotiations. When asked if the abolishment of ranking students like last year had been agreed, he said: Yes, well there were proposals on the table being worked on that we believe would eventually form a solution that we would be able to lift it this year. On Thursday, ASTI General Secretary Kieran Christie said it was unacceptable that a plan is being developed that effectively see students preparing for two versions of a Leaving Cert, with Calculated Grades being the dominant option, and the Leaving Cert exams filling in assessment gaps. He added: We entered a process in good faith to explore the position whereby if the Leaving Certificate or elements of it do not go ahead, a fair and credible choice or option would be available to students. It is clear to us that the approach being developed would not provide the meaningful Leaving Certificate experience this cohort of students deserve. The process is being developed in a manner that would see the Leaving Certificate relegated to a secondary position with Calculated Grades the premier option. The lack of data this year would make the delivery of a credible Calculated Grades process extremely challenging. Given the widely accepted additional stress that students are currently experiencing, it is extraordinary that the only option being explored is that they would effectively prepare for two versions of a Leaving Certificate rather than one. We are calling for the Minister to re-establish the focus of the talks so that a meaningful Leaving Certificate experience is provided to this cohort of students, which they rightly deserve. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A detailed analysis report of the Global DC Contactors Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments. The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities. The report classifies the market into different segments. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market. 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SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT: By Type General purpose DC contactors Definite-Purpose DC Contactors By End Users Motor Application Power Switching Other By Geography North America (NA) US, Canada, and Mexico Europe (EU) UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Spain & Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific (APAC) China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia & Rest of APAC Latin America (LA) Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile & Rest of Latin America Middle East and Africa (MEA) Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa Download Free Sample Report of Global DC Contactors Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-26194 The Global DC Contactors Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters Chapter 1 DC Contactors Market Preface Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 DC Contactors Industry Analysis Chapter 4 DC Contactors Market Value Chain Analysis Chapter 5 DC Contactors Market Analysis By Type Chapter 6 DC Contactors Market Analysis By End Users Chapter 7 DC Contactors Market Analysis By Geography Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Of DC Contactors Companies Chapter 9 Company Profiles Of DC Contactors Industry Purchase the complete Global DC Contactors Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-26194 Other Reports by DecisionDatabases.com: Global DC-DC Converter Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 Global DC Drives Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 Global External AC-DC Power Supply Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 About-Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 9028057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Source: https://www.industrynewsengine.com/2020/11/09/dc-contactors-market-2020-global-industry-research-report-till-2027/ In a SWOG Cancer Research Network trial that put three targeted drugs to the test, the small molecule inhibitor cabozantinib was found most effective in treating patients with metastatic papillary kidney cancer - findings expected to change medical practice. These findings will be presented at ASCO's virtual 2021 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium on Feb. 13, 2021 at 1 p.m. ET. The findings will be simultaneously published in The Lancet. There are currently no effective treatments for metastatic papillary kidney cancer, or metastatic pRCC, a rare subtype of kidney cancer. One study of 38 patients found that the average survival rate was eight months after diagnosis. Sumanta Pal, MD, clinical professor of medical oncology at City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer center, and an investigator at SWOG, a cancer clinical trials group funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said there is hope for metastatic papillary kidney cancer patients. Mutations in the MET gene are a hallmark of this type of cancer, and there are new drugs that target the MET gene among other important signaling pathways. Pal decided to put three of them to the test against the current standard treatment, sunitinib, a receptor tyrosine inhibitor. In his study, S1500, Pal studied 147 eligible patients with papillary kidney cancer, most of whom had not received any prior treatment. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups - those who took sunitinib and those who took one of the three MET target drugs - cabozantinib, crizotinib, and savolitinib. Pal and his team wanted to see how long it would take patients' cancer to spread or return, a measure known as progression-free survival. What they found: Patients receiving sunitinib went a median of 5.6 months before their cancer progressed; patients receiving savolitinib and crizotinib fared much worse overall. But cabozantinib, which inhibits VEGF receptors and AXL in addition to MET, gave patients a median of 9.2 months before their cancer progressed. In addition, 23% of patients had a significant reduction in the size of their tumor with cabozantinib. In contrast, only 4% of patients saw this kind of tumor response with sunitinib. "The magnitude of the response was surprising," Pal said. "We still have a long way to go to help make patients' lives longer and better, but we do have a new standard treatment for these rare cancer patients. This result is a testament to SWOG and to City of Hope, who have the motivation and expertise needed to successfully conduct rare cancer clinical trials." Building on the momentum of S1500, SWOG will lead the next pivotal trial in papillary kidney cancer, one with a focus on the potential synergy between targeted treatments like cabozantinib and immune therapy. Pal will lead that study with SWOG investigator Dr. Benjamin Maughan at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. SWOG 1500, also called PAPMET, was sponsored by NCI, designed and led by the SWOG Cancer Research Network under the leadership of Dr. Pal, and conducted through the NCI's National Clinical Trials Network. S1500 was also funded by the NIH through NCI grants CA180888, CA180819, CA180820, CA180821, CA180863, and CA180868; and in part by AstraZeneca plc/AB, Exelixis, Inc., and Pfizer, Inc. The companies provided savolitinib, cabozantinib, crizotinib, and sunitinib, respectively, for the trial under each company's Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the NCI. "NCI's drug development program in the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program facilitated the collaborations between pharmaceutical companies as well as collaborations between companies and SWOG investigators to make this trial possible. We are proud to have played a part in defining which of these therapies is most effective for patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma," said John Wright, MD, PhD, the associate branch chief of CTEP's Investigational Drug Branch, and the NCI's medical monitor for the study. ### Pal's S1500 study team includes Catherine Tangen, DrPH, of the SWOG Statistics and Data Management Center; Ian M. Thompson, Jr., MD, of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa; Naomi Balzer-Haas, MD, of Abramson Cancer Center; Daniel J. George, of Duke University Medical Center; Daniel Y.C. Heng, MD, of Tom Baker Cancer Center; Brian Shuch, MD, of Institute of Urologic Oncology at UCLA; Mark Stein, MD, of Columbia University; Maria Tretiakova, MD, PhD, of University of Washington; Peter Humphrey, MD, of Yale University; Adebowale Adeniran, MD, of Yale University; Vivek Narayan, MD, MS, of Abramson Cancer Center; Georg A. Bjarnason, MD, of Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre; Ulka Vaishampayan, MBBS, of Wayne State University and University of Michigan; Ajjai Alva, MBBS, of University of Michigan; Tian Zhang, MD, of Duke Cancer Research Institute; Scott Cole, MD, of Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute; Melissa Plets, MS, of the SWOG Statistics and Data Management Center; John Wright, MD, PhD, and Primo N. Lara, Jr. MD, of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. SWOG Cancer Research Network is part of the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program, and is part of the oldest and largest publicly-funded cancer research network in the nation. SWOG has nearly 12,000 members in 47 states and eight foreign countries who design and conduct clinical trials to improve the lives of people with cancer. SWOG trials have led to the approval of 14 cancer drugs, changed more than 100 standards of cancer care, and saved more than 3 million years of human life. Learn more at swog.org. City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope's translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin, monoclonal antibodies and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. AccessHopeTM, a wholly owned subsidiary, was launched in 2019 and is dedicated to serving employers and their health care partners by providing access to City of Hope's exceptional cancer expertise. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is ranked among the nation's "Best Hospitals" in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California and in Arizona. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram. Even at a quarter of usual capacity, Winnipeg food courts were buzzing Friday after the province's relaxed public-health restrictions went into effect. Even at a quarter of usual capacity, Winnipeg food courts were buzzing Friday after the province's relaxed public-health restrictions went into effect. Lunchtime at The Forks was a relatively bustling affair, with about half of the already-reduced number of occupied. Stay-at-home dad Chris Gardel was excited to be anywhere with his son Lewis. "It feels good to get out and do something different, I was getting tired of sitting in my house," he said, laughing. Gardel said he felt safe because the province is reopening carefully. "It is restricted, its not like were shoulder-to-shoulder in here," he said. "They are opening things up and letting businesses run again, but theyre doing it in a safe way. So I support it 100 per cent." Security officers were monitoring the area and keeping track of people entering the space through the main entrance. Restaurants across the province are now permitted to open at 25 per cent capacity. Other rules mandate 10 p.m. closure and ban buffet-style serving. Before Friday, under code-red restrictions food court operators were allowed to sell menu items, but customers could not sit and eat on the premises. Forks vice-president of strategic initiatives Clare MacKay said customers are required to follow the same rules they would in a restaurant, including limiting group sizes to no more than five and asking people eating together be from the same household. As people are seated, contact tracers approach them and take information from at least one person at the table, and then ask if they are all from the same household. Groups larger than five are asked to split up. Penny Hechter was with her family Friday afternoon and said she was happy to return, but had a "feeling of caution" in the back of her mind. "Were going to have to open things up eventually, and I think weve been under lockdown long enough right now," she said. "As long as things are opened up with caution, its good. As long as people abide by the rules." It was also busy at Polo Park's food court, where tables had been properly distanced and security officers were keeping tabs on the number of diners. Masks are required for anyone leaving their seats and anyone lingering after finishing their food was being asked to leave the area. Two women having lunch said they were excited to see Manitoba reopening again and lamented the shutdown. "Its high time," one said. "I think its safe, I dont think theres a virus out there, or I think its way over-hyped." The other said the shutdown felt like "being held captive" and hoped Friday was a sign of a return to regular life. "Everything shouldve been open a long time ago," she said. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ Lucknow: Six people were killed when their car was hit by a truck in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh early on Saturday, police said. "The accident took place around 4 am when a car moving on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway was hit by a truck," Inspector General, Kanpur range, Mohit Agarwal said. Accident There were six passengers in the car and all of them died in the crash, which took place due to dense fog, he said. Police have reached the spot and the bodies are being taken out from the car, Agarwal said. Deboni added that a witness reported drinking with Delgado at an address on the 6000 block of South Troy before the shooting and the two left the house together. The witness said they saw Delgado allegedly walk toward where Sierra-Cervantes was killed but did not see the shooting itself. The person did report seeing Delgado run back toward the witness after the shots while holding a gun and making third-party admissions, Deboni said. JACKSON, MI Rite Aid pharmacy locations in Jackson County are now offering COVID-19 vaccinations to those residents eligible to receive them, according to a social media post from the Jackson County Health Department. On Friday, Feb. 12, Jackson Rite Aid pharmacy locations began administering vaccinations to people in the current eligibility groups, which includes health care providers, first responders, essential workers and those age 65 and older. Supplies remain limited as COVID-19 vaccine doses administered through the pharmacy are allocated by state and local jurisdictions. Rite Aid is relying on state and local jurisdiction qualifications to determine eligibility for the vaccine. Jackson County residents can click here to find the form necessary to schedule an appointment through Rite Aid. All responses on the form must be accurate or the appointment may be canceled. As of Feb. 11, 27,075 doses have been administered to county residents by the Jackson County Health Department, Henry Ford Allegiance Health, pharmacies and other providers, according to health department spokesperson Rashmi Travis. The health department has administered an estimated 5,000 doses, Travis said. Currently, the health department is hosting drive-thru vaccine clinics in the Jackson County Department of Transportation garage at 2400 Elm Road. Updates about vaccine scheduling are available on the health departments COVID-19 vaccine information line at 517-817-4469. READ MORE FROM THE JACKSON CITIZEN PATRIOT: Grand River Brewery severely damaged after car crashes through wall Jackson County focusing COVID vaccination efforts on seniors, essential workers After 43 years, DNA test provides new information in 1978 Jackson County cold case homicide Texas isnt just an oil and gas state these days. And Stephen Mihm, an opinion writer for Bloomberg, has noticed. In an article titled Silicon Valley Wont Last Forever, and Texas Knows It, Mihm outlines the rise and fall of innovation hubs over the centuries. Think Detroit, Philadelphia, and even Hartford, Connecticut. And though, he says, California is still dominating most of the investment metrics in research and development and from venture capital firms, Texas is certainly creeping in. According to the piece, Texas has surpassed California in high-tech exports. And, in 2019, when 1,800 companies left California, most went to Texas. Plus, about 42,500 people left California for Texas that year. Too, he adds that Texas bears of the traits that made Silicon Valley ripe for innovative businesses. He lists the Rice Mafia from Houstons prestigious Rice University as a pipeline for these types of jobs and to fueler of development. Just like Stanford has been to nearby Silicon Valley over the years. Then theres established scientific leaders like good ole Texas Instruments (that does a lot more than just make calculators), Dell, and, um, NASA. Plus, of course, theres the recent news that tech giants like Oracle, HP, Tesla, and SpaceX will soon be infiltrating the Lone Star State and bringing lots of new jobs with them. All sounds great to me. Just dont let the newbies touch our queso. Pennsylvanias mandatory life-without-parole sentence for second-degree murder is costing taxpayers millions and ruining the lives of some people convicted of felony murder who never took a life, according to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. Fetterman made his comments Friday when releasing a report by the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity that revealed facts, figures, and research about Pennsylvanias second-degree prison population that he said illustrates a need for change. More than 1,000 people are sitting in jail right now on what amounts to a death sentence despite never having taken a life, Fetterman said in a statement. Thats not because a judge thought the sentence was deserved. Its because a one-size-fits-all law makes it mandatory. Any reasonable person who looks at the unfairness of these sentences will acknowledge the need for change. The report explained that unlike almost every other crime, second-degree murder - often called felony murder - does not describe an act but a situation: it applies when someone dies related to a felony. In Pennsylvania, that felony is defined as committing, attempting to commit, or fleeing from an act of robbery, burglary, kidnapping, rape, or arson. The punishment applies to both the person who actually caused the death and to any other person who participated in any other way, including: Planning the crime, even if you didnt help execute it Being a lookout Being the get-away driver Receiving anything that was stolen. According to the 52-page report funded by a grant from The Heinz Endowments, Pennsylvania law specifies what the sentence for second-degree murder must be: life in prison without the possibility of parole. Life without parole is mandatory in the Commonwealth, where during sentencing, judges and juries are not allowed by law to consider the circumstances of the crime or any specific context about the individual. For example, Fetterman said, if an accomplice had no idea that a gun would be used, or if a person who is being robbed has a heart attack during the robbery, they have to spend the rest of their life in jail for not directly committing murder. Any loss of life because of a crime being committed is a tragedy, Fetterman said. But in what world has justice been served if the person who actually took the life can plead out with 5, 10, or even 15 years in jail, but their lookout is ordered to serve the rest of their life, 40, 50, or 60 more years, and then die in prison for second-degree murder? Ashley Nellis, Ph.D. and senior research analyst at The Sentencing Project in Washington, D.C., said she thought the reports findings are meticulous in its design and clear in its findings. Pennsylvania has used the blunt instrument of life-without-parole sentences as if all participants in a homicide played an equal role, creating a punishment system that isnt just, she said. Pennsylvania is emblematic of a state that applied tough-on-crime rhetoric to the detriment of finding smart-on-crime solutions. Pennsylvania ranks worst nationwide for using life-without-parole sentences for youth and second-worst in its use of life-without-parole for everyone else, she said. It is clear that policies, not crime, have led to these terrible rankings, she said. PLSEs study reveals that these people whom the law has sent to prison to die were overwhelmingly young when the crime occurred, are heavily geriatric now, and are costing the state millions despite their very low risk of ever again committing another crime. Fetterman touted the report one day after Gov. Tom Wolf granted 13 individuals clemency. As one of the five board members of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, Fetterman said he was thrilled that Wolf signed the commuted sentences of the 13 individuals that were all unanimously approved by the board. Some of the reports findings: 73.3 percent of the 1,166 prisoners were 25 years old or younger when they committed the crime 47.1 percent were at least 50 years old - an age when criminologists and corrections experts, sociologists, and behavioral psychologists all agree there is virtually no chance of committing another crime, especially a crime of violence an age when the cost of incarceration is estimated to double Medication costs for incarcerated people age 50 and older is $3,630.75 per person annually; releasing them at age 50 could save the Commonwealth an estimated $1.4 billion Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is also a member of the Board of Pardons, said the issue is complex and the report helps to relay information in an understandable manner. The hope is for Pennsylvania lawmakers to use this information to examine the law as it stands. As a member of the Board of Pardons, I review the facts and circumstances of each case, and this report has provided valuable context for those deliberations, Shapiro said. The findings in this report also support the call I have made on the General Assembly to change the law so second-degree murder is not an automatic life sentence and to provide additional sentencing options, and I renew that call today. The report removes politics or social philosophy and focuses on hard numbers, and, costs and benefits, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society Claire Shubik-Richards said. It allows the debate to be over whether, given all of our states other priorities, it makes sense to keep spending billions of tax dollars to keep geriatric and increasing sick people no longer any risk to society in prison for years and even decades longer, until they die. Read more from PennLive Pa. man convicted of killing in what prosecutor calls miscarriage of justice to be freed after 40 years Gov. Wolf proposes paying anyone wrongly convicted $50K for every year spent in prison The Duchess of Sussex has won her High Court case against The Mail on Sunday. A judge ruled the newspaper had breached Meghan Markles privacy by publishing extracts from a letter she had sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle. Mr Justice Warby last week issued a summary judgment that handed victory to the Duchess without the need for a trial in which she would have been called to give evidence, and her father to give evidence against her. The judge ruled: It was, in short, a personal and private letter containing inherently private and personal matters that Meghan, 39, had a reasonable expectation would remain private. A judge ruled The Mail on Sunday had breached Meghan Markles privacy by publishing extracts from a letter she had sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle The newspaper argued that Mr Markle, 76, asked it to publish extracts from the 2018 letter, to set the record straight. The newspaper noted that Meghan is a senior member of the Royal Family and raised questions about whether she had authorised previous publicity of the letter. Mr Markle spoke out because his daughters close friends had revealed its existence in an anonymous interview they had granted US magazine People in which they had mischaracterised it as a loving letter. But Mr Markle disagreed, saying he saw the letter not as an olive branch but as an admonishment that signalled the end of our relationship. Mr Justice Warby last week issued a summary judgment that handed victory to the Duchess without the need for a trial in which she would have been called to give evidence He told the court in a statement that he was determined to fly to London to give evidence against his daughter. But Meghans lawyers successfully argued that a trial was unnecessary because the newspaper had no prospect of mounting a successful defence. The judge also ruled that publication of the extracts was a breach of copyright, although he said the question of who owned the copyright must go to trial. The Mail on Sunday is considering whether to appeal. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said the murder of his father Alwyn in an IRA car bomb had a profound effect on his life and his policing career. Alwyn Harris was an RUC Superintendent at the time of his murder by car bomb in 1989, and Commissioner Harris said it took him a long time to come to terms with his fathers assassination. Mr Harris, speaking on The Late Late Show, said: you carry it with you every day. Read More It takes a long time to come to terms with something as difficult or traumatic or as awful in your life. You carry it with you every day, every day I would think about my father, he said. The Garda chief said going through such an atrocity gave him an empathy for those who have been the victims of serious crime. I would have spent a lot of service overseeing murder investigations and I always thought that was our opportunity to give the person who was a victim their last voice. In a lot of ways, it has had a profound effect on my outlook as to what policing should be. How it should look and indeed what should we do for those who may be without a voice or are marginalised in society, Mr Harris said. Commissioner Harris said he was neutral toward his fathers killers as, they have never sought atonement and forgiveness is a two-way street. He admitted it took him years to get to a point where he wasnt bitter over his fathers execution. In these things, you perhaps have a choice. I was married to Jane and we had our first son, and we had another three children after that, and you have a choice as to the household your children grow up into. I worked hard at not being bitter and I dont mean to be smart or clever or shine a halo when I say that because it was very difficult, and it took a long time to get to that point. At the same time, you have your own life to live, and no one would be more upset than my father if he thought I was just living in a bitter life, he said. Mr Harris still has a lot he wants to accomplish in the second half of his five-year tenure and said it is an honour to lead the Gardai. Commissioner Harris pointed to building on the reputation that the Gardai already have, as his primary objective for the remainder of his leadership stint. Also, theres a lot that we want to do in terms of protecting the people of Ireland from things like domestic abuse, child abuse online and human trafficking. Also, other forms of organised crime as well. The Belfast native said there have been great strides made against organised crime in Ireland with regard to the number of seizures of drugs and guns, as well as arrests made, but said the focus will also shift to pursuing every red cent criminal gangs have. Referring to a particular organised crime gang which he did not name, Mr Harris said Gardai are determined to pursue them relentlessly and to take chips and chunks out of them until you bring them all to justice. This is your politics as usual, Mr Barilaro? Youve got the Big End of Town well looked after, but what about the blackened, singed folk on the edge of the towns, actually fighting the fires? Cant we look after them? And while Ive got you, can you explain Mayor Greenhills question to me, how, if $1 million was the criteria, no fewer than 34 of the grants handed out were under that amount, including: $131,000 to Kempsey oyster farm; $194,000 to a St Ives honey wine producer; and just $43,000 to a cellar door in the Snowy Valleys region? And how, while denying $75,000 to Mt Riverview R.F.S. you can still find $107,000 to Macleay River Haulage in Kempsey Shire to purchase safe and effective machinery that will produce bulk firewood. All of those grants in Coalition electorates, of course. I look forward to your thunderous reply. Meantime, the mind boggles. No urban myth This weeks news that a Sydney teenager caught a massive barramundi in the Parramatta River is fascinating on a couple of counts. Like the famed Blue Mountains panther often claimed to have been seen, but never captured the Barra in the Parra was meant to be an urban myth, one of those stories that fishermen tell of no more credibility than You shoulda seen the one that got away. But here it was, and a healthy one at that, at 38 centimetres. True, it is a mystery how a fish native to Northern Australia found its way into our waters but I am hoping it is a sign of the increasing health of our harbour more than anything. There is still a way to go, mind, before we get back to the grand old days. Back in 1992, I interviewed an old man born at Blues Point in the early part of last century, Bill Barnett, who reminisced about his early memories of troop ships blowing their whistles in victory as they steamed up the Harbour in homecoming from the Great War, sending their wash over the five car ferries that were doing the job that the Bridge does now. And he also talked of the fishing! It was a different time back then, he told me. The Harbour was clean and teeming with fish. Mum would say Bill, go and catch us some bream for tea and youd just throw a line in the Harbour until you caught bream or the sort of fish she wanted and it would never take long. The traditional rule Ive been told is that fish caught east of the Bridge are safe to eat, while fish caught to the west might be suspect due to remaining pollution, but the waters have been wonderfully cleaned up of late, and if theres a barra in the Parra, we must be on the way up! A barra in the Parra provides hope that water quality is on the improve in Sydney Harbour. Credit:SMH An odd episode The Stan Grant thing that has been splashed all over the papers this week? Its all rather odd. My wife and I have had an Australia Day party for a couple of decades for long-time friends and close colleagues we have come to know well in the media. Stan has been a semi-regular attendee, only to write a mocking piece about it in The Australian a fortnight ago. And thats where the trouble started . . . His contention that it was all just fun fiction, all satire, seemed odd as the piece ran complete with real names and a photo of my wife and I, with a comments section where punters in turn sneered at my approach to Indigenous matters. For the record, and contrary to what Stan wrote, I dont have a framed Redfern speech on my wall, nor a photo of me hugging Cathy Freeman, nor Indigenous paintings. We dont even have the party on Australia Day any more, having moved it to an Independence Day gathering the day before, for obvious reasons. Loading As to Stans most oft quoted line that it is a lefty love-in, that too was passing odd. I am not in the habit of bandying around the names of my guests because I respect their privacy, but as my friendships have never been confined by political allegiances tedious! over the years there have been plenty there from across the political spectrum. As I say, all very odd, but the guts of it is Stan certainly took umbrage at my book on Captain Cook, which, far from being a whitewashing of Cook, was the first major one to point out that it was Cook himself who fired the first shots on the First Nations men so heroically defending their land at Botany Bay. So thats where it stands. As to those people who have contacted me asking why they werent invited to the annual party, fear not. A couple of vacancies have recently opened up! Joke of the Week A young man from Potts Point has just got his drivers licence and asks his father if they could discuss using the family car. His father replies that hed like to make a deal with his son. You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut, then well talk about the car. The lad thinks about that for a moment, before deciding hell settle for the offer, and they agree on it. After about six weeks, his father says, Son, Im real proud. You brought your grades up and Ive observed that you have been studying your Bible. On the other hand, Im really disappointed that you havent got your hair cut. The young man pauses a moment and says, You know, Dad, Ive been thinking about that, and I noticed in my Bible studies that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair and theres even a strong argument that Jesus had long hair. To this his father replies, Did you also notice they all walked everywhere they went? Tweet of the Week I wonder what his policy will be on pork-barrelling. Because paleo. - Shaun Micallef @shaunmicallef responds to the news that Paleo Pete Evans might run for the Senate. Quotes of the Week We are not worried, or Im certainly not worried, about what might happen in 30 years time. - In one sentence Michael McCormack blows away all idea that the Coalition is serious about reducing emissions. Deputy PM how can you claim to care about action on climate change if you dont care about where we will be in 2050? It is your duty as a responsible leader to care! As far as cities go, Sydney is on another level. So the question is, why do we put up with eyesores like the Cahill Expressway. Why is it controversial to even suggest that something has to be done about the White Bay precinct? The western harbour (the area around White Bay) is such a beautiful stretch of waterfront, that in any other city in the world would be a major visitor attraction, so its ironic that, until recently, all you could ever do there was to get on a boat to go somewhere else - Tasmania, no less. - NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is once again in hot water over how his administration has handled nursing homes during the pandemic and how the state reported COVID-19 deaths among elderly residents. In the latest development, reporting has revealed that members of the Cuomo administration edited out a higher nursing home death toll from a July report on COVID-19 in nursing homes. Its the earliest example of action taken by Cuomo and his aides in what many see as a coverup of the true toll of COVID-19 on nursing homes. The controversy has evolved into a full-fledged scandal for Cuomo, drawing nationwide scrutiny. The scandal really began to pick up steam after new numbers showed some 15,000 nursing home residents have died of COVID-19, up from the under 10,000 previously reported. It grew wider after the governors top aide effectively admitted to stonewalling state lawmakers who sought data and Cuomo attacked a fellow Democratic lawmaker for criticizing him. The administration now faces probes from the Department of Justice, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and the FBI. So much has happened with the states handling of nursing homes between the start of the pandemic and this latest bombshell news that it can be hard to keep track of it all. So City & State reviewed events, statements, directives and press reports from the past 11 months to piece together how the state got here, what was said when and when information came to light. March 25: The state Department of Health issues a directive to nursing homes instructing them to accept coronavirus-positive residents returning from hospitals if they are medically stable. At the time, many hospitals particularly in New York City were overwhelmed with patients and were looking for ways to free up beds. The directive states that No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the (nursing home) solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19. March 26: The Wall Street Journal first reports on the directive. April 3: Cuomo signs the state budget, which included sweeping new immunity protections for nursing homes, a provision buried in the massive spending bills that most legislators were not aware of until after the fact. April 9: The operator of one nursing home in Brooklyn asked the administration if it could transfer residents with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases to the Javits Center, which had been set up as a federally-run coronavirus field hospital, or the USS Comfort, which had docked in Manhattan for the same reason. Both emergency facilities remained mostly empty the entire time they were open. The state denied the request. April 17: The state for the first time releases data on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes broken down by facility. April 20: Cuomo indicates that he is not aware of his own health departments directive about admitting residents who test positive for the coronavirus. Health Commissioner Howard Zucker reiterates that nursing homes should accept those residents and that the necessary precautions will be taken to protect the residents. April 23: Cuomo says that nursing homes dont have the right to object to the state directive, adding that if they cant properly isolate COVID-19-positive residents, they must transfer those residents to another facility or ask the state Department of Health for assistance. The directive does not reference a nursing homes ability to contact the state or transfer residents to another facility if they cannot isolate them. Zucker says he is not aware of the state having received any such requests. April 29:The New York Post reports that the state allowed staff in an upstate nursing home who tested positive for COVID-19 but were asymptomatic to continue to come into work. The same day, the state Department of Health issues a directive to nursing homes that any asymptomatic staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 must wait 14 days before returning to work. Its unclear if until that point, staff who tested positive but were asymptomatic regularly returned to work at other nursing homes in the state. Reporting by Spectrum News seemed to indicate that the policy may have been more widespread than a single nursing home. The DOH also writes a letter to nursing homes telling them they must only accept and retain those residents for whom the facility can provide adequate care and informing them to reach out to the state if they have residents they cant care for or properly isolate and cannot transfer them elsewhere. If a home does not adhere to coronavirus regulations, admission must be suspended to the facility. May 5: The state updates how it counts COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes to include presumed cases in addition to confirmed cases, increasing the total at the time by 1,700. May 10: Under intense pressure, Cuomo rescinds the nursing home directive with an executive order and replaces it with a policy that states that nursing homes cannot accept residents without a negative COVID-19 test. Mid-May: The federal government begins requiring nursing homes to provide data on COVID-19 deaths, both within their facilities and for residents who died after getting sent to a hospital. Making retroactive data available, from when New York was at the peak of its outbreak, was optional, which likely led to a lower federal total tally than what the state was reporting. May 20: Cuomo says that the state was following federal CDC guidance when it issued the March 25 directive. Its a claim that Cuomo and his surrogates will repeat many times and one that Politifact has deemed mostly false. On or before this date, the state removed the March 25 directive from the Department of Health website. May 22: The Associated Press reports that about 4,500 COVID-19 patients were sent from hospitals to nursing homes, a number based on the outlets own tally after the state declined to release that information. July 6: The state issues a report analyzing COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, attributing the high death toll to asymptomatic staff and visitors rather than from COVID-19-positive patients transferring into homes under the states former directive. According to the report, about 6,300 residents were transferred out of hospitals under the original March directive. At the time, the state reported that about 6,200 nursing home residents had died of COVID-19. July 24: Cuomo said New York is 35th in the country in terms of nursing home deaths as a percentage of total COVID-19 deaths in the state. The governor will repeatedly tout a low percentage compared to other states. Aug. 3: The state Legislature holds a hearing on nursing homes where lawmakers grilled Zucker about COVID-19 deaths in the facility. Zucker refused to provide the full tally of coronavirus deaths, saying the state was still auditing that information. On the same day, the Empire Center for Public Policy submits a FOIL request seeking nursing home coronavirus death data. This is also the day that the state partially rolled back increased immunity for nursing home operators. Aug. 12:The Associated Press reports that the states true nursing home death total could be over 11,000, much higher than the 6,600 the state was reporting at the time, if the state accounted for nursing home residents who died in hospitals, which every other state does. Aug. 20: Cuomo dismisses concerns about a nursing home death undercount, saying during a radio interview, If you die in the nursing home, its a nursing home death. If you die in the hospital, its called a hospital death. The same day, state lawmakers send a letter requesting answers to questions that remained unanswered after the Aug. 3 hearing. Aug. 26: The federal Department of Justice requests data on nursing homes during the pandemic from New York, along with other states that had issued directives that may have contributed to their nursing home COVID-19 death totals. September: The Cuomo administration asks legislative leaders for more time to respond to their letter seeking data. Sept. 3: Then-President Donald Trump attacks Cuomo for the states nursing home death count, citing the 11,000 number reported by the Associated Press the month before. Sept. 18: The Empire Center sues for the release of nursing home death data alleging the state failed to provide the information in a timely manner after the think tank filed a FOIL request. Sep. 30: Cuomo accuses those criticizing how the state handled nursing homes during the pandemic of politicizing peoples deaths. Oct. 12: When asked about the full nursing home death tally lawmakers and others sought, Zucker reiterated that the state would release the information once all the data is accurate. Oct. 28: DOJ announces that it is expanding its inquiry into New York because the state is the only in the country not to include as part of its nursing home COVID-19 death totals residents who had transferred to hospitals. Jan. 28: State Attorney General Letitia James releases a report on nursing homes during the pandemic that estimates that the state is undercounting COVID-19 deaths among nursing home and long-term care facility residents by as much as 50%. That evening, Zucker releases a statement about the report that reveals that the states nursing home death tally is 12,473 when the deaths of residents transferred to hospitals are included. The state at the time had reported 8,700 deaths on the Department of Health website. Feb. 3: A state judge rules that the state illegally withheld nursing home data that the Empire Center sought through a FOIL request. Feb 6: The state DOH website updates to reflect nursing home deaths that occured in hospitals, which is then 13,163. Feb. 10: The Cuomo administration meets with Democratic lawmakers behind closed doors, who later release the letter the administration gave them that provided answers to the questions legislators sent back in August. The letter raised the total COVID-19 death toll in nursing homes and other adult-care facilities to 15,049 through Feb 9. Feb 11: The New York Post reports that at the Feb. 10 meeting with lawmakers, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa apologized for stonewalling Democratic legislators, attributing the delay in providing information to the DOJ probe. She said the administration froze when it received the inquiry letter and that they feared that releasing the information would be used against us. Feb. 12: DeRosa releases a transcript of her remarks that were reported the night before and a statement defending them, in which she writes, As I said on a call with legislators, we could not fulfill their request as quickly as anyone would have liked. But we are committed to being better partners going forward as we share the same goal of keeping New Yorkers as healthy as possible during the pandemic. Feb. 15: Cuomo directly addresses the scandal for the first time since the Post story broke, admitting that his administration created an information void by not releasing nursing home death data more quickly. But he did not actually apologize for any action his administration did or did not take. Feb. 16: Several Assembly members circulate a letter seeking to strip Cuomo of his emergency powers and accusing him of obstruction of justice. The Post writes about the letter and the obstruction of justice accusations, and quotes Assembly Member Ron Kim, who has been a frequent critic of Cuomos handling of nursing homes during the pandemic. Feb. 17: Cuomo attacks Kim, as well as the Post, during a press conference, referencing both the story from the day before and the story breaking the news of DeRosas comments. The governor accuses Kim of past pay-to-play corruption and dismisses his criticisms as part of a yearslong political vendetta. Later that day, CNN reports that Kim accused the governor of threatening him in a phone call after the Post reported on DeRosas comments to lawmakers. The Cuomo administration releases the full transcript of the Feb. 10 Zoom call with Democratic lawmakers. The Times Union first reports that federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and the FBI are investigating Cuomos handling of nursing homes during the pandemic. Reporting later revealed that the federal prosecutors did not open their investigation until after DeRosas comments to lawmakers leaked. Democrats in the state Senate also say they will pass legislation to curtail Cuomos emergency pandemic powers. Feb. 22: A handful of state Democratic Committee members introduce a resolution to formally censure Cuomo over his handling of nursing homes during the pandemic and for allegedly covering up the true number of nursing home residents who died of COVID-19. March 4:The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times report that Cuomos aides edited the July report on nursing home deaths to remove the higher death toll included in the first draft. Originally, the authors of the report from the Department of Health included out-of-facility fatalities, like if a resident had been transferred to a hospital. This is well before a federal request for data that Cuomo aides in part faulted for the delay in making that information available. Members of Cuomos COVID-19 task force took out those numbers, which would have made the death toll in nursing homes far higher than Cuomo stated publicly. Health officials also said administration members made changes to downplay the impact of the March 25 directive on nursing home deaths. His administration said in the response that the data could not be adequately verified, so it was removed, but that the change did not impact the overall conclusions of the report. A plane has flown a banner reading Convict Trump and lock him up over the ex-presidents Florida estate. The light plane began circling over Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago home just as his legal team started his defence at his historic second impeachment trial. All-caps banner flying over Trumps resort in Palm Beach as his defense team begins its presentation today, tweeted CNNs Jim Acosta on Friday. The former presidents lawyers began their defence after three days of the House impeachment managers laying out their case against him. Senators have been shown a string of shocking security camera videos of just how close the rioters came to lawmakers during the 6 January violence. His lawyers have denied that Mr Trump is in any way responsible for the attack on the Capitol, despite urging his supporters to fight at a rally beforehand. To claim that the president wished, desired or encouraged lawless behavior is a preposterous and monstrous lie, said Michael T van der Veen. The latest banner comes just a week after another plane flew one over Mar-a-Lago that read: Trump worst president ever. A total of 67 senators will be needed to vote in favour of convicting Mr Trump at the end of his trial. If that supermajority mark is passed and the ex-president is convicted, the Senate can take action against him and vote by a simple majority to disqualify Mr Trump from ever holding elected office again. That would prevent him seeking the GOP presidential nomination in the 2024 race, for which he is still favoured among possible Republican candidates, polls show. Commentary Defying Myanmar Military Regime in Harmony: Gen Z and Other Main Forces Anti-coup protesters at Yangon's Hledan Junction on Saturday. / The Irrawaddy The uprising against Myanmars military regime is the most creative and colorful we have seen in the countrys long-term struggle against dictatorship since 1962. The older generations and all of their supporters are cheering their inspiring methods. How does the new military regime consider this new generation and how will it treat them, finally? Differing from the nationwide uprisings in 1988 and 2007, the mass movement which began a few days after the military staged a coup on Feb. 1 has been lively, entertaining and intriguing, indeed. Those who are staging it are the latest generation, Generation Z (or Gen-Z as they are affectionately known by the public), mostly comprising teenagers and 20-somethings. The essence of their demands is exactly the same as that of the older generationsDown with the military dictatorshipbut the forms are different. This uprising looks like a street performance with colorful costumes, stylish fashions and weird wizards abounding. But we can all see how serious and determined these young people are on their mission to eradicate the military dictatorship and return to democracy. Why I am protesting here is because we cant sit idle, doing nothing against the military dictatorship. The entire country must revolt against it, said 17-year-old university student Yumi San, who has been protesting on the streets for the past four days at Hledan Junction, Yangon. The generation of my mother lost to U Than Shwe [the chief of the ex-military regime] and in my grandmothers era they lost to U Ne Win [the late dictator and general], the English major told The Irrawaddy. This is our turn and we have to defeat [coup leader Senior General] Min Aung Hlaing. Or else, weanother generationwill also lose our future. Like her, 20-year-old protester Theint Myat Chae has been protesting for days. She is a third-year university student and cast her first vote for the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the last election. We cant accept this military coup. People cast their votes democratically. We dislike the militarys unjust act. These two students are among the young protesters who have taken to the streets in the hundreds of thousands in Yangon alone over the past seven days. This young generation is the main force behind the current uprising against the military dictatorship. This fresh force and their creative resistance is something the coup leaders cannot have foreseen. That means the generals havent learned the lessons from the history of their own country. The youth have always been at the forefront of nationwide political movements against any type of injustice here in Myanmar, from the British colonizers to consecutive military regimes over the past century. Across the generations, they have been consistently courageous. As young students, they have historically been at the forefront. The fighting peacock, a flag representing historic student unions, has been a symbol of the struggles for independence, freedom and democracy throughout the countrys historythe flags of the Students Union and the NLD both carry the fighting peacock. But what sets Generation Z apart from previous generations is that they are armed with an awareness of the internet, social media and tech trends around the world, which they picked up over the past decade after the previous military dictatorship started loosening its grip on power. This latest uprising against the military dictatorship really needs their creative force, IT savvy and other skills. But Generation Z seems to know what they are doing and where they stand in this uprising. Generation Z backed the leading political force in the country prior to the coupthe NLD and its elected leaders. Four forces In this uprising, I see the mass movement comprising four key forcesGeneration Z; the previous political generations, including the 88 generation guided by prominent student leader Ko Min Ko Naing; civil servants staging the civil disobedience movement, or CDM; and the elected NLD. The public is together with them. These four key forces have been separately leading this current uprising. Yes, they are operating separately but we could say they are working in harmony. Simply look at their major demandsDown with the military dictatorship! Free Our Leaders [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint]! Respect our votes! and so on. But if you extract the core of the demands, what they are demanding is that the military regime step down, free elected leaders and hand over power to the party they voted for in the election in 2020. I said they are in harmony because they are not competing with each other but complementing each other. They are not crossing a line which is set democratically. In other words, they clearly see the NLD as not only their leading political force, but also the only group with a legitimate mandate from the people to form a government. The mass movement steered by these four key forces has the sole goal of rejecting the military dictatorship and restoring democracy and the elected leaders of the NLD. Thats it. To prove this analysis, we can look at what the military regime has been doing against these resistance forces since it took power on Feb. 1. Since Day 1, its first and main target has been the NLD and its leaders. They arrested de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint right away with some key members of the party. Since then, especially at night, they have continued to arrest members of the NLD, including ministers and chief ministers across the country. So far, more than 120 NLD leaders and leading members have been detained. On the night of Feb. 9, the military raided the NLD headquarters in Yangon. According to the head of the partys headquarters, U Soe Win, military personnel broke down doors to gain entry, destroyed CCTV cameras and computer servers and seized savings passbooks and money from a safe. Earlier, the military had also raided other NLD offices in different cities. Many elected members have gone into hiding in an effort to continue their political activities. From their hideouts, they seem to have been quite active, releasing political statements to the public. This targeted crackdown by the military against the NLD shows that the party is its main enemy, simply because of its legitimacy and the fact that it has the peoples support. Thats what they need to counter right away, in order to show to the public and the world that the military coup has legitimacy. The second group the military regime is targeting is civil servants who have actively taken part in the CDM, whose momentum is building. The other forcesGeneration Z, the 88 generation led by Ko Min Ko Naing, and the NLD itselfkeep calling for all civil servants to join the movement in order to stop all operations of the military regime. A number of civil servantssignificantly at the Ministry of Healthhave joined it, and the movement has affected the governments operations to some extent. In the 12 days since the military takeover, coup leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has made two public speeches, in which he requested that civil servants return to work. On Friday night, the police raided the houses and hospitals of some civil servants to force them to return to work. But their efforts have failed so far. Other leading activists including Ko Min Ko Naing and free members of the NLD are a politically strategic group, as their requests to the public are quite influential. The regime will definitely have them on its mind, but hasnt been able to crack down against them yet as they have been in hiding. Meanwhile, the military regime has yet to heavily crack down against Generation Z and the protesters on the streets despite dozens of arrests nationwide since the demonstrations began on Feb. 7. It doesnt mean that the generals are tolerant of them and their creative demonstrations. The generals are simply busy targeting more important enemies. Sooner or later, the military regime will directly crack down on Generation Z and other protesters on the streets with heavy force. But the young generation is likely to come up with more creative ways to counter it, to keep working towards their goal of rejecting the military dictatorship and restoring democracy and the leaders they elected. Generation Zsurprise the older generations and the world! You may also like these stories: Myanmar Military Bans Use of Regime, Junta by Media Family of Protester Shot by Myanmar Police Agree to Remove Life Support Doctors in Civil Disobedience Movement Put Pressure on Myanmar Military Regime There are growing signs that a military crisis could erupt across the Taiwan Strait this year as China flexes its military muscle to strongarm Taipei into accepting unification. ASPIs Peter Jennings notes that Beijing is also seeking to test the mettle of the new US administration. Its vital that the United States stand firm against any Chinese provocation. A failure to defend Taiwan would be an abdication of US international leadership. It would seriously damage Americas credibility in the Indo-Pacific and would invite China and others to become ever more aggressive. Thankfully, all indications suggest that President Joe Biden is set to continue strengthening Washingtons relationship with Taipei. Jennings argues that its equally important for Australia to stand with the US in any Taiwan Strait crisis. If China decides that military adventurism, timed to exploit the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and political turmoil in the US, is a way to further its goal of ending Americas strategic primacy in the Indo-Pacific, the worst thing Australia could do is look the other way. Principles matter. As Australia enjoys all the benefits of a free and open society in a stable and functioning democracy, our principles and values must extend to supporting the survival of Taiwan as a vibrant democracy of 24 million people with a successful market economy. The examples of Hong Kong and Xinjiang suggest a dark future for the Taiwanese people if China decides to force unification with the mainland. Taipeis success provides a powerful alternative to Beijings promotion of authoritarianism with Chinese characteristics as a model for development. Ideological competition is intensifying as Xi Jinping pushes for a Chinese-led community of common destiny as a basis for the future global order. Its just as vital for Western democracies to win this new ideological battle as it was for us to resist Soviet communism during the Cold War. To turn away from a fellow democracy under threat from an aggressive authoritarian neighbour would make a mockery of the values we advocate and lower our credibility in the eyes of many developing countries. China has a geostrategic agenda that goes beyond forcing unification on the Taiwanese people. Taiwan is a means to a Beijing-dominated regional order that would dramatically worsen our strategic outlook. A Chinese-controlled Taiwan would ease the challenges for Beijing in projecting naval power across the Indo-Pacific and weaken the ability of the US to maintain a forward presence in the western Pacific. From ports and air bases in Taiwan, the Peoples Liberation Army could support the extension of its maritime militia and coast guard northwards through the Ryukyu Islands and against the Senkaku Islands. That would make it more difficult for Japan to protect its southern islands and give Beijing added coercive leverage against Tokyo in a crisis, including by interfering with Japans maritime commerce. From Taiwan, the PLA could also pivot south, effectively enveloping the Philippines and giving Beijing easier access to the resource-rich Benham Rise. China has already sent oceanographic vessels there and challenged Manilas sovereignty over those waters. Chinese control of Taiwan would also strengthen Beijings ability to control the South China Sea by blocking the Luzon Strait and the Balintang and Babuyan channels, cutting off the traditional access paths used by US naval vessels. Control of Taiwan would make it easier for the PLA to reach Guam using long-range missiles and airpower, extending its anti-access capabilities beyond the first island chain. It would also enable the PLA to operate Type 096 ballistic-missile submarines further out into the middle sea between the first and second island chains, bringing more of the US within reach of JL-3 nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Taiwanese strategic analyst Eli Huang argued in 2017 that China had big plans for regional dominance extending well beyond the Taiwan Strait. Its development of large aircraft carriers and advanced aviation vessels for amphibious operations reinforces a power-projection capability that is increasing. Access to forward bases, whether through direct military conquest, such as the seizure of Taiwan and the militarisation of the South China Sea, or by exploiting its Belt and Road Initiative to gain access to commercial ports that could support Chinese naval vessels, would further extend that reach. If China were to provoke a crisis over Taiwan, whether this year or in a future year, some would no doubt argue that its not Australias business and that supporting a US response would increase the risk of devastating Chinese military, political and economic retaliation against us. To accept that argument as policy would mark the end of our strategic alliance with the US, leaving us more exposed to Chinese coercive pressure and political warfare, or even a direct military threat. As Kim Beazley stated in 2020: Australia cannot be defended without the alliance with the United States. Its as simple as that. If you know the math. If you know the capability. And if you know what we can actually spendand Id still say that at 2.3% of GDPto contemplate a situation without them, you can forget it. The loss of the US alliance would be catastrophic for our security, and a hegemonic China with grand imperial ambitions would force us to confront an ugly strategic choice. Acting alone, wed need significant boosts to our defence spending to achieve a degree of self-sufficiency beyond the traditional levels of self-reliance that past defence white papers have alluded to. That could include developing military capabilities normally not considered for our defence force to deter a nuclear-armed adversary. We may well see an intensification of the political and economic pressure Beijing applied to Australia for much of 2020. A military crisis across the Taiwan Strait would be a serious test of our national resolve, the strength of our most vital strategic relationship and our commitment to the values we stand for. The outcome of such a crisis would shape the strategic environment of the Indo-Pacific region for decades. Romance scammers con North Wales lonely hearts out of 1m This article is old - Published: Saturday, Feb 13th, 2021 Romance scammers have conned women and men in North Wales out of more than 1 million in a nine month period, its been revealed. According to North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, nearly 40 victims were duped out of an average of 30,000 each by the cruel fraudsters. The figures were revealed by Mr Jones in a Valentines Day warning for people to be on their guard against the callous con merchants. In North Wales a 60 year-old-woman was tricked into sending 59,000 to a callous heartbreaker over a period of three and a half years. She met the suspect on a dating website and the alarm was first raised by her bank due to the unusual activity on her account. The woman was said to be distraught when she discovered shed been scammed. To help tackle fraud in the region an Economic Crime Unit to crack down on fraudsters has been set up. The police and crime commissioner has provided funding to pay for a dedicated officer to support fraud victims, based at the Victim Help Centre in St Asaph which serves the whole of North Wales. The centre brings together the support services of North Wales Police, the Witness Care Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the former Victim Support organisation. Each victim receives a response specifically tailored to their situation and the centre She had previously worked in the police control room and felt that she wanted to be able to provide victims of crime with more support The latest figures available show that during the nine month period from April to December 2020, there were 39 vulnerable victims of romance fraud reported to North Wales Police. Between them they lost a total of 1,180,196.00 which equated to an average loss of 30,261. Being a victim of fraud can have a traumatic impact and a lot of people say that they feel embarrassed or ashamed of what has happened, said Mr Jones. The problem is that these fraudsters are very plausible and convincing to the point where the persuade the victims to think they can trust them. There is an increase in romance scams and a lot of this happens on dating websites and the fraudsters will often ask the victim to talk on email or Whatsapp so there isnt the protection of the dating website then. Often they will make an excuse that something bad has happened and that they need money to resolve it. If people are looking for romance they are often lonely as well. Some may have lost their partners so its a very cruel thing to do. It can be devastating financially and emotionally. Meanwhile, the trade organisation, UK Finance, recorded a 20 per cent increase in bank transfer fraud linked to romance scams between January and November 2020, compared with a year earlier. The total value of these scams increased by 12 per cent annually to 18.5 million, with victims losing an average of 7,850. Romance scammers can trick people out of their cash in many ways, not just by bank transfer. Action Fraud has also seen an increase in romance scam reports in 2020, with total reported losses equating to more than 68 million. In these reports, victims have lost money via bank transfer, money transfer, sending fraudsters gift cards and vouchers or presents such as phones and laptops, and providing them with access to their bank account or card. Fraudsters will go to great lengths to convince victims that they are in a genuine relationship. They use emotive language and sob stories to manipulate, persuade and exploit people. They may claim that they need money urgently for medical care or transport costs to visit the victim. The Online Dating Association (ODA) estimates more than 2.3 million people across Britain used dating apps during the initial coronavirus lockdown, with 64 per cent of those surveyed seeing dating apps as a lifeline for those living alone. The ODA found half (53%) of people it surveyed are having longer conversations on dating services during lockdown. Warning signs could include someone being very secretive about their relationship or giving excuses for why their online partner has not video called or met them in person. Online daters should not send any money, allow the other person to access their bank account, transfer money or take out a loan on the other persons behalf, hand over copies of personal documents such as their passport or driving licence, or invest money on the other persons advice. Katy Worobec, managing director of economic crime at UK Finance, said: Romance scams can leave customers out of love and out of pocket, but there are steps people can take to keep themselves or their family and friends safe both on and offline. People can help their loved ones spot the signs of a scam, particularly as romance scammers can be very convincing by forming an emotional attachment with their victims. Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, said: The national lockdowns, and other restrictions on our social lives, implemented because of the coronavirus outbreak have meant more people have been seeking companionship online and this has undoubtedly affected the number of reports we have seen. Its important to say that most online dating sites, social media sites and gaming apps are perfectly safe, however, any online platform that allows you to connect with and talk to other people could be targeted by romance fraudsters so its important to remain vigilant. George Kidd, chief executive of the ODA, said: You should never hesitate to report if someone asks you for money, even if they do this outside of the dating service. Air India's regional subsidiary Alliance Air will resume its flight services to Pantnagar, in Uttarakhand from Delhi via Dehradun from February 16, the airline has said. The airline will be deploying its 70-seater ATR 72 aircraft to operate the route, Alliance Air said in a late night release on Friday. According to the airline, its flight 9I-645 will depart Delhi at 9.50 am and arrive in Dehradun at 10.55 am, from where it will depart for Pantnagar at 11.45 am and arrive there at 12.30 pm. The return flight 9I-646 will depart Pantnagar at 1 pm for Dehradun, where it will arrive at 1.50 pm. The same flight will leave for Delhi at 2.40 pm and will arrive there at 3.20 pm, Alliance Air said. The Delhi-based regional carrier currently operates 440 flights per week to 44 destinations. A 47-year-old Philadelphia man has been charged with burglary and abuse of corpse in the case of a dismembered body that was found inside a U-Haul truck in the citys Far Northeast section Thursday. Taray Herring was arraigned Saturday morning on those charges as well as criminal trespass, theft, and tampering with evidence. He was ordered held without bail. A spokesperson for the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which is representing Herring, said the office had no comment on the case. Cpl. Jasmine Reilly, a police spokesperson, said Saturday that the Medical Examiners Office is still in the process of identifying the victim and that homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the death. The body parts recovered were consistent with an adult male, she said. The victims torso was found about 9 a.m. Thursday after police officers responded to a call of an in-progress burglary on the 1000 block of Sanibel Street in Somerton, police said. Police followed a U-Haul that drove away from the property and after pulling the driver over a short distance away at the intersection of Kelvin Avenue and Foster Street, found the dismembered body inside a trash bag in the back of the truck. Property records show that the owner of the house on Sanibel where the burglary was reported is Peter Gerold, whose 70th birthday was Monday. Gerold owned a massage therapy practice. Reilly said that on Wednesday, someone from a different state had called police asking for them to conduct a well-being check on Gerold, whom the person had not heard from for some time. Police went to his home on that day, and the house appeared to be properly secured and there wasnt mail piled up, she said. There was nothing suspicious at the time, she said, and police did not enter the home. We dont just kick peoples doors in, she said. There must be a reason why we go in there. On Thursday, when the U-Haul truck was pulled over, the driver got out of the vehicle and told officers: I dont want anything to do with this, and theres a body in the back, Police Sgt. Eric Gripp previously told reporters. Police previously said a weapon was also found in the back of the truck but have not said what it was. The driver and another man in the truck were taken into custody. Herring was the passenger, Reilly said. She did not name the driver, and said he was not charged and was released. She said police were still trying to get to the bottom of what happened. On Thursday night, after Herring talked to homicide investigators, police went out to search in dumpsters behind a nearby strip mall at Proctor Road and Kelvin Avenue, near the Sanibel house, and found black trash bags with a persons hands and feet all of which were deep-fried, a law enforcement source said Saturday. A persons cut-up legs, not deep-fried, were also found in trash bags, the source said. Herring, a registered sex offender on the Pennsylvania State Polices Megans Law website, had been arrested last May on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft, and related offenses, according to court records. His bail was changed to unsecured in June, and he was released. He still faces a preliminary hearing on those charges. He pleaded guilty in 2019 to a charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and was sentenced to 18 months probation as part of a negotiated agreement, and was ordered to be supervised under the Adult Probation and Parole Department Mental Health Unit, court records indicate. In 2015, he was convicted of indecent assault and harassment in a 2013 incident and was sentenced to nine to 18 months in jail on the assault charge, and was allowed to be immediately paroled. Although he was deemed not to be a sexually violent predator, he was ordered to register on the State Polices Megans Law website as a sexual offender. He was also ordered to be supervised by the probation and parole departments mental health unit and undergo sex-offender treatment, according to court records. In 2012, Herring pleaded guilty to four counts each of harassment and simple assault regarding four separate incidents the prior year, and was sentenced to probation. And in 2001, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, indecent assault, and possession of instruments of crime for an incident the prior year and was sentenced to at least five to 10 years in prison. On Friday, investigators returned to the dumpsters behind the strip mall and collected more evidence, police said. Investigators also returned to the Sanibel house Friday and continued to search a detached garage there. Employees of the SPCA and ACCT Philly were on scene removing birds in cages and other animals from inside the residence. Sarah Barnett, a spokesperson for ACCT, said there were about 30 parrots inside the house, along with several bearded dragon lizards, tortoises, and koi fish and beehives in the backyard. Barnett said it appeared as if the homeowner was trying to breed and sell the birds, which she said were very highly sought-after and can be worth thousands of dollars each. Staff writer Chris Palmer and staff photographer Alejandro A. Alvarez contributed to this article. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 13:26:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Hassan Badawi, member of the political bureau of the Egyptian Communist Party, receives an interview with Xinhua in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) by Marwa Yahya CAIRO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Anti-China forces in the United States and some other countries raised false claims of human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region only in a bid to hinder the region's development, an Egyptian politician has said. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Hassan Badawi, member of the political bureau of the Egyptian Communist Party, said that the United States' moves against China are "baseless fabrications." The U.S. administration has been promoting such lies for a long time, but failed to be fair in what has been achieved in Xinjiang, he said. He rejected the disinformation about Xinjiang and highlighted the progress made in many fields in Xinjiang by the Chinese government over the past years. From 2014 to 2019, the GDP of Xinjiang increased from 919.59 billion yuan (about 142 billion U.S. dollars) to 1.36 trillion yuan (210 billion dollars), with an average annual growth rate of 7.2 percent, official statistics show. As the per capita disposable income in Xinjiang increased by an average annual rate of 9.1 percent during the same period, Badawi said the fact signaled "the efforts exerted by the Chinese government for promoting the citizens' welfare and prosperity." He also spoke highly of the optimized infrastructure network in Xinjiang, which connects vast regions and offers convenient public transportation to locals. "I wondered how the Western media are spreading rumors about genocide crimes occurring in Xinjiang while its residents enjoy equal rights as the other Chinese people in free education, health insurance, holidays, wages, work safety and practice of politics," Badawi said. After the United States and Britain recently issued a series of sanctions against Xinjiang on the ground of forced labor, Badawi suggested that China should exert more efforts via media channels in cooperation with its friends to raise awareness against the Western gigantic media machines that spread poisonous lies about the country. "The tensions created by the West haven't impacted the relations between China and Arab and Islamic countries," Badawi stressed, noting that China cooperates with other countries on the basis of mutual respect and with the goal of improving well-being for more people. Additionally, China's fight against terrorism could be a field of cooperation with Egypt, he said, as the latter has been suffering the same problem that left hundreds of security personnel and civilians killed during terrorist attacks on the country's institutions. "Fighting terrorism in China will also benefit the world," he said, adding that only when the world is free from extremism can resources and funds be entirely devoted to promoting socioeconomic development. Enditem The Ministry of Health plans to submit to the government of Ukraine a draft resolution on quarantine restrictions, which provides for the introduction of four zones of epidemiological restrictions, Chief Sanitary Doctor, Deputy Minister of Health Viktor Liashko said. "We have submitted the draft to the government, the decree should enter into force no earlier than ten days after publication. Given that current decree is valid until February 28, the new one should be adopted and published no later than February 18," he told reporters on Saturday. Liashko said that the draft new decree on quarantine restrictions provides for zoning into four zones - green, yellow, red and orange. Zoning will cover the territory of the region, there will be no zoning by district. In particular, the green level provides for practical absence of quarantine restrictions, while the red one provides for tough quarantine restrictions, similar to those that were in force during the New Year's lockdown. "The red level is introduced when there is a threat that there will be a collapse of the health care system. What is critical for us is not an increase in morbidity, but a situation when the health care system cannot cope. Then additional restrictions will be introduced that were in effect during the winter quarantine: schools, restaurants, shopping centers will close," he said. The yellow level, according to Liashko, is the level that is already in effect throughout Ukraine, the orange will turn on when one of the five indicators is exceeded. Among these indicators, in particular, the occupancy of beds with oxygen, the number of hospitalizations, an increase in the number of hospitalizations with confirmed COVID-19 or suspicion within seven days per 100,000 of population, as well as indicators related to testing - the number of PCR tests and rapid antigen tests in the last seven days and a positive case detection rate among those tested. "The orange level is a signal to business, local authorities, and regulatory authorities that a red level can be introduced. If two criteria remain in the region during more than three days, a red zone will be introduced," Liashko said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) More pieces of evidence were presented to the International Criminal Court to support the case against President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs. The Rise Up for Life, represented by the National Union of Peoples Lawyers said in its third supplemental pleading that the administrations controversial anti-illegal drugs campaign continued to cause deaths and abuse amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing non-government organization Amnesty International, [r]eports of drug-related killings continuing amid the lockdown order are deeply concerning, but not surprising. The climate of impunity in the Philippines is so entrenched that police and others remain free to kill without consequence, it added. Moreover, local government units also used the house-to-house" visitations of the said campaign, which is only based on hearsay, to search for people who are infected and force them to be transferred to government isolation centers. These kinds of operations only make people living in poor urban areas at risk of police abuses considering how the police and local government officials have severely trampled on the rights and dignities of those who failed to abide by the quarantine and curfew regulations. As thousands of Filipinos get arrested, 71% of which charged with drug-related cases, the countrys prison system has already reached its breaking point after a virus outbreak occurred in one of the most congested jails located in Cebu City, it added. The group also cited the report of the United Nations Human Rights Office in June 2020 that revealed that only 1.2% of the drug operations done by the Philippine National Police from July 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017 were based on arrest warrant. Discrepancy on the total number people killed was also pointed out with official figures saying 8,663, but the foreign body also acknowledged that some estimates put the real count at 27,000. The UN Human Rights Council also found out that post-operational reports contained strikingly similar if not verbatim language and repeatedly mentioned the same serial numbers of guns allegedly used in different locations by drug suspects when they resisted authorities. The PNP has also consistently refused to disclose documents related to the killings to the Supreme Court and the Commission on Human Rights, and even insisted that its internal affairs service has investigated such matters. The UN agency revealed that only one of the 4,583 investigations done by the said PNP office led to the arrest of three police officers due to availability of camera footage related to the case. READ: 3 cops found guilty of murdering Kian delos Santos Rise Up for Life also included Dutertes warning to ICCs outgoing chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda back in 2018, threatening to arrest her if she sets foot in the country to investigate the campaign. The group said this action is equal to impeding the practice of duties and administration of justice. The Senates impeachment acquittal of Donald Trump may have closed the book on his tumultuous presidential term, but he will continue to play a large role in California politics for at least the next two years even if he never sets foot in the state. Democrats will try to tie Trump to anyone involved in the campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, as well as to any Republican candidate running in competitive House races, which could decide who controls power in Washington after next year. Even though Trump was acquitted of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Democrats will use the graphic footage of his supporters storming the building and attacking police officers in ads against GOP candidates who never spoke out against the former president. Trump was already deeply unpopular in California, where nearly 2 of 3 voters backed Joe Biden in November. And that was before the insurrection, said Dave Jacobson, a Los Angeles Democratic strategist who has advised House and Senate candidates in California and nationally. Democrats are going to exploit his act of treason and the traitors who are Trump sympathizers who voted to essentially let him off the hook. It will be a toxic stain on the California Trump Republican brand, Jacobson said Saturday. If you are a member of Congress or a lawmaker who has been an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump the traitor, that is something that will be used against you, and we will hold you you accountable for the insurrection. Republicans counter that Democrats will invoke Trump because they dont want to talk about the issues that California voters are most concerned about the high cost of housing, the growing homeless population and the states whipsawing directions during the coronavirus pandemic. They foresee little impact from Trumps impeachment and acquittal on California. It will not have any effect, said Dave Gilliard, a longtime GOP strategist who played a leading role in the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis and is working on the current campaign to oust Newsom. The recall is all about Newsoms poor performance leading the state, especially over the last 11 months, Gilliard said. Nevertheless, a preview of what Democrats have in store for California can be seen now in a special election in New Mexico to replace Rep. Deb Haaland, a Democrat who is Bidens pick to be interior secretary. Ads for Democratic candidate Randi McGinn show images of the mob rampaging through the Capitol over the words, This is not America, and a photo of Trump with the caption, This does not represent us. This month, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched a $600,000 ad campaign in English and Spanish in six major markets, including Los Angeles, that ties Republican House members to the mob. The organizations internal polling shows that voters believe lawmakers reactions to the insurrection is a top priority, spokesperson Andrew Godinich said Saturday. Similar ads are likely to target nearly every Republican in a battleground district in California. There could be several of those Rep. David Valadao of Hanford (Kings County) was the only one of the 11 Republicans in the California congressional delegation to vote to impeach Trump last month. Republican lawmakers support for Trump isnt surprising. Many are merely reflecting the views of their core supporters. An American Enterprise Institute survey last week found that 79% of Republicans nationally have a favorable opinion of Trump. More ominously, the survey found that 39% of Republicans support Americans taking violent actions if elected leaders fail to act. The poll found that 17% of Democrats felt that way. Congressional Republicans voted overwhelmingly to let (Trump) off the hook for allowing a QAnon mob to attack the Capitol, Godinich said. He doesnt think people will forget the image by the time they cast their ballots next year, because the attack is a moment that is seared into the minds of many voters. Republicans are dubious that tying Trump to GOP House candidates will hurt their re-election chances. After all, Democrats invoked Trump repeatedly in 2020, and Republicans flipped four House seats in California. We welcome Democrats using the same exact strategy that lost them four California House seats, said Torunn Sinclair of the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. That still leaves the possible Newsom recall. The governors supporters will point out that many recall backers are Republicans who are aligned with Trump. Two of the GOP candidates vying to replace Newsom former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessperson John Cox, who lost badly in the race for governor in 2018 say they voted for Trump last year. Some of Trumps top allies have weighed in on the recall. Last week, the Republican National Committee said it would spend $250,000 to help the state party gather petition signatures to recall the governor, making it the second-largest donor to the campaign. Moments after Trumps acquittal, the state party said it was giving $125,000. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, an unflagging Trump supporter and now a talk show host, has tweeted his support for the recall. The Republican Party is the party of Trump, said top Newsom strategist Dan Newman. You can see it in the way the Republican gubernatorial candidates are trying to see which one of them is closer to Trump. Recall organizer Anne Dunsmore said of attempts to tie the recall to Trump: Nice try. Dunsmore said that nearly 10% of the Californians who have signed recall petitions are Democrats and 22% are registered as no party preference. This is part of how theyre trying to politicize an organic citizen movement, Dunsmore said. Its backfired time and again. It shows how tone deaf they are to what people on the ground are feeling. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The National Human Rights Committee in Libya Saturday called on the authorities "to work to settle and process the cases of detainees and prisoners and to fully disclose the fate of all missing persons" As they move into the vaccination stage of the coronavirus pandemic, public safety personnel in Bethlehem and Allentown have protected themselves well against COVID-19, figures show. From the very beginning the city emphasized to first responders and all employees that masking, hand washing, and hand sanitizing were important to protect themselves and their co-workers, Allentown Mayor Ray OConnell said via email. I credit our employees for taking all the guidance seriously. No one wants to endanger their co-workers or bring it home to their families. In figures obtained by lehighvalleylive.com in recent weeks through Right-to-Know requests, Allentown police have had nine positive cases since the pandemic began, while the fire department had 11 and EMS personnel six. The police department has 215 employees, while the fire department has 128 and EMS has a total of 50 full and part time, the city said. The police department had 76 members quarantined, while the fire department had 73 and EMS 42, figures show. We made sure as a city that we procured enough PPE and that everyone was educated on its proper use, OConnell said. The city has strictly followed recommended protocols with possible exposures and testing and quarantining. The Bethlehem Police Department, which employs 154, had 14 positive tests and two quarantines, figures show. The fire department, which employs 110, had eight positives and two quarantines, and EMS, with 22 full time and 24 part time employees, had six positive tests and no quarantines, figures show. Allentown public safety personnel had 6.6% positive rate, while Bethlehem was at 9%. The national average, which includes millions of people who dont take on the high-risk contacts that public safety personnel must, is about 8.3%. Our department heads have stressed to our employees that in order to take care of others they need to take care of themselves as well and we have been very supportive and forward thinking of our personnel and their families throughout this pandemic, OConnell said. Lehighvalleylive.com previously reported COVID-19 figures for public safety workers in Easton. Those figures showed that the citys fire department has been hit particularly hard with COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a subscription. Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Q. We are both 62. My pension, IRA withdrawals and my part-time job are less than $100,000. Our total income was $49,490 and Social Security which we know is not taxable in New Jersey. Do I need to have state income tax deducted from my monthly pension or my IRA withdrawals if I know my total income will be below the New Jersey $100,000 threshold for the pension exclusion? Trying to manage taxes A. The New Jersey pension exclusion is a big benefit for those who have New Jersey income of $100,000 or less. Because you are both at least age 62, and if your total New Jersey income is $100,000 or less, you can exclude pension and retirement income from New Jersey tax, said Claire Toth, an attorney and certified financial planner with Peapack Private Wealth Management in Summit. As you point out, New Jersey does not tax Social Security benefits, so they dont come into this calculation, Toth said. Most other retirement income, including IRA distributions and most pensions, is reported on the New Jersey income tax return (line 20a), she said. If a taxpayer has after-tax contributions to those plans, those are backed out on line 20b. Finally, the retirement/pension exclusion is figured on line 28, producing New Jersey gross income on line 29, she said. If that number is $100,000, or less, the income on line 28 is not taxed, Toth said. This is a cliff either all is taxed or none is taxed. So, she said if your New Jersey gross income is $100,000 or less, the pension and IRA income is reported on the New Jersey 1040 but is not taxed, she said. Heres some more good news. New Jersey does not require income tax withholding from pensions and IRA withdrawals, Toth said. Regardless of age, wages must be reported on your New Jersey tax return (line 15), she said. Whether or not those wages are taxable depends on the totality of your situation. Essentially, you must report income on the tax return. Whether or not that income is taxable is particular to your situation. Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter. Imperial Valley News Center California State Employee Pleads Guilty to $2M Scheme to Defraud the Office of AIDS Sacramento, California - Schenelle M. Flores, 45, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud in relation to a scheme to divert funds from the California Department of Public Health, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Flores used her employment at the Office of AIDS, within the California Department of Public Health, to coordinate the fraud scheme between December 2017 and November 2018. The Office of AIDS is responsible for working on behalf of the State of California to combat the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Floress scheme involved directing a state contractor to make payments allegedly on behalf of the Office of AIDS and causing the contractor to charge those payments to the state. As part of the scheme, Flores caused the contractor to pay for personal expenses on its debit cards, order gift cards for personal use, and pay false invoices to shell companies for services allegedly provided to the Office of AIDS. Flores, other participants in the scheme, and their families and friends obtained at least $2 million in personal benefits, including cash and purchased items. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was referred by the California Department of Public Health and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miriam R. Hinman and Christopher S. Hales are prosecuting the case. Flores is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on May 27. Flores faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Hilary Duff is reportedly getting ready to lead her own show, with the imminent Younger spinoff on the horizon. And the former Disney Channel star recently wrapped up the seventh and final season of the TV Land series. She dressed her growing baby bump in a skintight tie-dye dress Friday, as she arrived home via the Los Angeles International Airport, after filming her final episode of Younger in New York City. Travel style: Hilary Duff dressed her growing baby bump in a skintight tie-dye dress Friday, as she arrived home via the Los Angeles International Airport, after filming her final episode of Younger in New York City The 33-year-old accessorized the long-sleeve grey and blue number with some gold jewelry and a pair of Disney x Gucci sneakers. She took precautions against COVID-19 with a floral face mask, as she carried a brown leather purse over her shoulder. Duff previously took to her Instagram Story with a car selfie in the look, layered with a tan cardigan, as she wrote: 'Home bound..' She also posted a photo from high above Los Angeles, as he plane landed, writing to her city: 'Oh hey boo boo.' Accessorizing: The 33-year-old accessorized the long-sleeve grey and blue number with some gold jewelry and a pair of Disney x Gucci sneakers Carry-on chic: She took precautions against COVID-19 with a floral face mask, as she carried a brown leather purse over her shoulder Sweater weather: Duff previously took to her Instagram Story with a car selfie in the look, layered with a tan cardigan, as she wrote: 'Home bound..' Home sweet home: She also posted a photo from high above Los Angeles, as he plane landed, writing to her city: 'Oh hey boo boo' The Metamorphosis artist previously celebrated with her 16.3million followers after wrapping Younger, writing: '7 amazing years.' She shouted and danced with a friend in the backseat of a car, as she said: 'Oh my god, I'm wrapped!' Duff had to stay an extra day in New York City, after husband Matthew Koma, 33, returned home with son Luca Cruz, eight, and daughter Banks Violet, two. She took to her Instagram Story on her final night of shooting, as she mused about the bittersweet farewell. The Gossip Girl actress said in the video: 'I'm not home yet, one more day. I had to stay behind. So, everyone went to LA, and I'm still at work. But that's OK, 'cause it's my last day, and I'm really sad about it. It's so weird.' That's a wrap: The Metamorphosis artist previously celebrated with her 16.3million followers after wrapping Younger, writing: '7 amazing years' Left behind: She took to her Instagram Story on her final night of shooting, as she mused about the bittersweet farewell, after her family went back to Los Angeles without her Bittersweet farewell: She said in the video: 'I'm not home yet, one more day. I had to stay behind. So, everyone went to LA, and I'm still at work. But that's OK, 'cause it's my last day, and I'm really sad about it. It's so weird' Coming soon: Her Younger character is reportedly getting her own spinoff, after creator Darren Star told TVLine of the parent series: 'We are unofficially planning [season 7] as a final season' Her Younger character is reportedly getting her own spinoff, after creator Darren Star told TVLine of the parent series: 'We are unofficially planning [season 7] as a final season.' According to The Hollywood Reporter, a network has yet to be determined for the new show, and it's unclear if the pilot will come as a backdoor episode of Younger. Meanwhile, the highly-anticipated revival of her Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire was officially cancelled in December, after months in limbo. Duff wrote on Instagram: 'I've been so honored to have the character of Lizzie in my life. She has made such a lasting impact on many, including myself. To see the fans' loyalty and love for her, to this day, means so much to me. Cancelled: Meanwhile, the highly-anticipated revival of her Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire was officially cancelled in December, after months in limbo Creative differences: It came after the Disney+ series was announced in August of 2019, and they subsequently filmed the first two episodes, before creative differences between the studio and creator Terri Minsky resulted in production being halted Still friends: The Cinderella Story actress is apparently still on good terms with Disney, recently posting a photo of her Mickey Mouse shoes to her Insta Story and writing: 'Mouse and I still friends' 'I know the efforts and conversations have been everywhere trying to make a reboot work but, sadly & despite everyone's best efforts, it isn't going to happen. I want any reboot of Lizzie to be honest and authentic to who Lizzie would be today. It's what the character deserves. 'We can all take a moment to mourn the amazing woman she would have been and the adventures we would have taken with her. I'm very sad, but I promise everyone tried their best and the stars just didn't align. Hey now, this is what 2020s made of.' It came after the Disney+ series was announced in August of 2019, and they subsequently filmed the first two episodes, before creative differences between the studio and creator Terri Minsky resulted in production being halted. She starred as the titular awkward 13-year-old in the original Disney Channel series, which ran for two seasons from 2001 to 2004, as well as the 2003 movie, which received a theatrical release. The Cinderella Story actress is apparently still on good terms with Disney, recently posting a photo of her Mickey Mouse shoes to her Insta Story and writing: 'Mouse and I still friends.' Press Release February 12, 2021 Zubiri: LGU Vaccine Procurement Bill to Augment National Government Vaccine Program Amid questions and concerns from the health sector, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri has clarified the scope of Senate Bill 2042, which he filed earlier this week. "Senate Bill 2042 is not going to give LGUs precedence over the national government in terms of vaccine procurement. National government pa rin ang masusunod--LGUs still need to follow the national guidelines for vaccine deployment set by the Department of Health and the National Task Force against COVID-19," Zubiri said. "So no one should fear inequitable distribution. Whether through the national government or the LGUs, our frontliners will still be prioritized for vaccination. The vaccines purchased by LGUs will augment the supply of the national government. LGUS who will not be able to purchase vaccines on their own will still be covered by the national government vaccine roll out. "This bill was requested by all our LGUs. Around 70 local government units are in negotiations with vaccine suppliers and they need to deposit advance payments to secure them. Otherwise, we will lose the allocation. They are requesting that they also be exempted from the requirement of purchasing goods and services from suppliers with the lowest bid. This is not possible with the COVID-19 vaccine as it is supply-driven. It is impossible because the lowest price is not always available. "In fact in the hearing yesterday, the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) disclosed that the Office of the President is also drafting a memorandum order that will authorize an increase in the advance payment for coronavirus vaccines. Under the Auditing Code and Memorandum Circular 172, Series of 2005, only a 15% advance payment is permitted. Under bill, the advance payment, particularly on COVID-19 vaccines, will be increased to 50%. "Also, Section 338 of the Local Government Code prohibits advance payments, which states that 'Sec. 338. Prohibitions Against Advance Payments. - No money shall be paid on account of any contract under which no services have been rendered or goods delivered.' The bill exempts the LGUs from such provision for vaccine procurement for the duration of the state of national calamity or the pandemic, this is to speed up the roll-out of the national vaccination program. "And let me stress again, this bill was requested by our LGUs, and it will only apply to our LGUs with tripartite agreement, which is facilitated by the national government. The procurement of the vaccines of the LGUs will still be under the ambit of the National Vaccination Program. So people do not need to worry about private entities taking advantage of this bill. "During the hearing yesterday, we heard from the DOH, IATF, DBM, DOF, COA and the different leagues of the local governments that they fully support this measure to assist them in the speedy roll-out of the vaccines for the priority list of recipients. "The DOH mentioned that the vaccines given by the Covax facility of the WHO arriving this month are already prioritized for all the health care workers and frontliners of our country. Una talaga sila sa pagbigay nang vaccination, so they have nothing to fear. We can put safeguards in the bill to make sure of that. But at this point in time, everyone should do their part in helping the national government vaccinate as many people as possible, starting with all those in the priority list of recipients." Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. What do you think about our new website? Share your opinion We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form RIO DE JANEIRO - There it was, the word we'd feared for 10 months and done almost everything we could to avoid: "Detected." My wife's coronavirus test had just come back positive. Now there were calls to make and worries to consider. In the last year, as Brazil's failure to control the coronavirus ruptured hospital systems and spawned the worst humanitarian disaster in the country's history, I'd often wondered what would happen if Emily or I got sick. The fears would strike suddenly, after I'd interviewed someone mourning a loved one who'd died unable to get hospital treatment. Or when glancing at the increasingly alarming headlines in the local newspaper. "More than 1,100 coronavirus patients are waiting for a hospital bed in Rio de Janeiro." "Deaths at home rising." "No end in sight." "Private medical system at 98 percent capacity in the ICU." Now it was here, in our house. Hoping to stave off the worst, but not sure how, we started making calls. We phoned a doctor in the United States. He said it was all but certain I'd also been infected, and counseled rest, isolation, hydration - and little else. Then we started calling doctors in Brazil. They urged a far more urgent, aggressive approach. "It's important you get [to my clinic] so it can't get worse," one doctor pressured. In September, she'd prescribed a friend of mine - whose symptoms included headaches and loss of taste and smell - a litany of medications that he came to swear by. Chloroquine, an antimalarial. Ivermectin, a parasite medication used on livestock and dogs. Azithromycin, an antibiotic. Clexane, an anticoagulant. A corticosteroid. "We need to start your treatment soon," the doctor added in a follow-up message. Anxious and unsure, we got the azithromycin and ivermectin and - bottoms up - tumbled onto a coronavirus treatment plan that has swept the country, despite scant scientific proof. The pill plan, adopted by officials all over Brazil, has sent millions scrambling to pharmacies and worked its way into federal government guidelines. Officials call it "early treatment." People in the streets have another name: the Covid Kit. The coronavirus pandemic has been a time of uncertainty and "miracle cures" everywhere. But this has been particularly true in Latin America. In Bolivia, people have bought chlorine dioxide, a bleach used to disinfect swimming pools. In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro has public hospitals requiring coronavirus patients to take interferon alfa-2b, a virus and cancer medication. Doctors across the region are finding it difficult to find patients who haven't taken ivermectin. But few have pushed the unproven and potentially harmful medications with the gusto, commitment and theatricality of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. His pill of choice has long been - and still is - hydroxychloroquine. He touts it on social media. He praises it in comments to supporters. When Bolsonaro was infected in July, he claimed to have medicated himself with the antimalarial, then waved a box of it at emu-like birds on the presidential palace lawn in Brasilia. At a presidential ceremony after he recovered, he brandished another box of the drug and called himself "Dr. Bolsonaro." "Early treatment saves lives," declared Eduardo Pazuello,Bolsonaro's third health minister since the onset of the pandemic. I was skeptical at the time - and remained so when we were infected. But it's difficult to overstate the emotional impact of contracting a virus that has killed millions of people and left millions more with long-term health repercussions. There's fear and uncertainty, yes, but mostly an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Some doctors say all you can do is wait and see. But other doctors - and government officials - are saying you can do more. Whom do you trust? What do you do? We started reaching out to more doctors. Six in all. One said take the pills. Another said she had taken azithromycin herself. I came away thinking about the pharmacies I'd seen throughout Brazil. They are absolutely everywhere, sometimes three in a single block. According to the Federal Pharmacy Council, the country is known for one of the highest rates of pill consumption in the world, and people are quick to self-medicate. When in doubt, the logic seems to go, swallow a pill. "The culture of overprescribing was already here," said Alexandre Kalache, an epidemiologist I've interviewed frequently throughout the pandemic. "The doctor who doesn't prescribe is a bad doctor." So when "Dr. Bolsonaro" wrote out his prescription, who were Brazilians to argue? In the central city of Barra do Garcas, officials made little care packages of azithromycin, ivermectin, chloroquine and the painkiller dipyrone for public distribution free of charge. Minas Gerais state secured nearly 380,000 chloroquine tablets to meet local demand. And Itajai Mayor Volnei Morastoni, a physician, went even further. He urged not only the pills but also a "simple, rapid" application of ozone - administered with a rectal catheter. "At least he's doing something," Debora Fonseca, who represents the local union of health professionals, said with a shrug. "He wouldn't have been reelected in November if people hadn't supported it." But whether the treatments have been effective is another question. The death rate in Itajai has been nearly 60% higher than the Santa Catarina state average. The Amazonian city of Manaus, where federal and state officials have urged all sorts of pills, has again been devastated by the disease. No pill has saved Brazil from burying more than 230,000 people, the second most in the world after the United States. The creator of the Covid Kit, a doctor in Mato Grosso state, died of covid-19 in September. So before continuing our pill regimen, we wanted more advice. We messaged another doctor, Joao Pantoja, one of Rio's leading pulmonologists, whose contact Emily had somehow acquired. He disabused us of the idea of taking the medication. "I'm not a believer in any of those 'miracle drugs' to ward off worsening of covid-19," he wrote to us. "Although I would love to have one that actually worked at my disposal." He became the physician on whom we relied most. But in a country and region where the coronavirus continues to rage, it's unclear how many will listen to such advice. In recent weeks, people have reportedly started threatening doctors who won't prescribe medications, no matter how ineffective. Long lines have formed at Manaus pharmacies to buy the medications. In some ways, the myth of early treatment is a product of the coronavirus itself. People will believe a pill cured them - or a loved one - when, in reality, the vast majority of people who contract the virus recover without any medical intervention. "When someone gets better, it was because of their treatment," said Alberto Chebabo, vice president of the Brazilian Society of Infectology. "But when they get worse, it's because the virus is just that strong." Emily and I were convinced. We stopped taking the pills. We instead focused instead on rest, liquids and bad television. Additional testing confirmed that I had also contracted the virus. But after a few weeks - and a disorienting loss of taste and smell - we were pretty much recovered. For all those worries over the hospital system, neither of us were ever near sick enough to consider going to one. Was it the ivermectin? Almost certainly not. The U.S. National Institutes of Health said last month that it had found insufficient data to recommend it. But the myth continues. The other day, my father-in-law, who lives in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, sent us a viral image making the rounds in Latin America. It showed a fake beer bottle, emblazoned with a new marketing slogan: "Now with ivermectin." - - - The Washington Post's Heloisa Traiano contributed to this report. Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Ohio Department of Health announced late Wednesday that as many as 4,000 COVID-19 deaths may have gone unreported by the agency, and said it planned to make the adjustments in the coming week. The 6 p.m. news release came two days after cleveland.com questioned why some reports from the Centers for Disease Control showed Ohio with about 4,000 more deaths than what the state had been reporting. It was unclear from Wednesdays announcement if this was related. The state did not respond to the cleveland.com question from Monday. The state to date has reported 11,856 deaths since the onset of coronavirus in Ohio early last year. The announcement means the death total likely is closer to 16,000. Process issues affecting the reconciliation and reporting of these deaths began in October, Wednesdays announcement from the health department said. The largest number of deaths were from November and December. Although being reported this week, the deaths will reflect the appropriate date of death on the states COVID-19 dashboard. Even before the adjustments, the last two months of last year were the deadliest on record for COVID-19 in Ohio, with 2,804 December deaths reported through Monday and 1,572 for November. Dan Tierney, spokesman for Gov. Mike DeWine, said the error had to to with a reconciliation of death records from two databases. One source is the infectious disease database in which hospitals, health departments and others have to report certain infectious diseases and their outcomes, including if patients die, he said. That information is usually sent within hours or days to the state. The second source of death data comes from a database thats updated when county officials file death certificates. County officials have about six months to file death certificates, Tierney said. Health department officials check each database and reconcile the deaths. The health department statement said: ODH will continue working with the auditor of states office, which has been engaged in an audit of COVID-19 data since September of 2020. The issue related to the unreconciled COVID-19 deaths was identified by the Ohio Department of Health during a routine employee training. cleveland.com reporter Laura Hancock contributed to this report. Previous stories Ohio coronavirus update: counties with most vaccines, plus case rates, hospitalization, death trends See new coronavirus case counts for every ZIP code in Ohio Ohios dipping hospitalizations could mean end of curfew soon See coronavirus cases by day for each Ohio county, including per capita and cases in last seven days Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The older brother of a teenager who disappeared during a huge storm in 1975 is 'confident' his missing sister is still alive after all these years. Trevor McGowan, now 67, told Daily Mail Australia he believes his sibling Glenyce Rae McGowan - the woman at the centre of one of Australia's most baffling cold cases - changed her name and moved on under a new identity 46 years ago. Glenyce, who was 19 years old, mysteriously disappeared from a Western Australian campsite at Nanutarra, on a 1,500km road trip during a cyclone in December 1975. She had arranged to travel with a family for the last leg of her trip to meet her childhood friend Trish Thomson, and camped near the family. But the next morning there was no sign of Glenyce and her belongings had gone. Glenyce Rae McGowan disappeared from a Western Australian campsite in 1975 at Nanutarra, on a 1500km road trip from Medina to Tom Price, during a cyclone Trevor McGowan, now 67, told Daily Mail Australia he believes his sister Glenyce Rae McGowan - one of Australia's most baffling cold cases - changed her name and moved on under a new identity 46 years ago Glenyce was reported missing and has never been heard from again. Mr McGowan is talking about his sister's disappearance because the WA Coroner has scheduled an inquest into her death for May 11 this year - 46 years after she disappeared. He wants to try and find her before authorities close the case. He told Daily Mail Australia his sister said something before she left which he never forgot, and it still gives him '90 per cent' certainty she's out there somewhere. 'She said she'd like to be become anonymous, change her name and to disappear,' Mr McGowan remembers. 'Thats why when she disappeared I didnt stress about it in the same way my parents did, that was in my mind. 'I've never seen any evidence that she has come to any harm. I've always assumed she's out there somewhere.' The fact she gave him her car bolstered that hope. Trevor (right) and Glenyce Rae McGowan (left) are pictured before Glenyce disappeared 'She gave away her Torana to me before she left, and I had transport to and from work. I didnt need it. You would think she'd leave it at home,' he said. 'I'd say I was 90 per cent confident she hasnt been killed, it just just doesn't add up otherwise.' Sadly Mr McGowan has never had any hints about her whereabouts. No phone calls where someone on the other end of the phone just hung up, no thinking he'd seen her for a moment, no suggestions of sightings from anyone else. He's even had the same landline phone number for 40 years. Mr McGowan admitted he was concerned for his parents Barney and Peggy, who feared the worst. 'But I dont have any emotionally upset about it. I don't think I was distressed,' he said. Glenyce had arranged to travel with a family for the last leg of her trip to meet her childhood friend Trish Thomson, and camped near the family. But the next morning there was no sign of Glenyce and her belongings had gone 'I've just constantly believed she was going to turn up sooner or later.' If his sister did suddenly reappear, Mr McGowan would welcome her into the family straight away. 'I'd say welcome back, meet my kids,' Patricia Thomson, the woman Glenyce was headed to meet at Tom Price, said the two girls had talked to travel. 'We were young women, we talked about our dreams together. We talked about moving to south Perth, about living in the west end of Fremantle,' she said. Unfortunately Ms Thomson doesn't share her brother's confidence that Glenyce decided to escape her life and live under another name. She feels sure her best friend was murdered. 'There is no way conceivable way she would have just decided I'm not going to go and see Trish, there's no rationale to that.' 'She was excited about coming to meet me. She even said she wasn't bringing many clothes because she could wear mine. Mr McGowan is talking about his sister's disappearance again because the WA Coroner has scheduled an inquest into her death for May 11 this year - 46 years after she disappeared Ms Thomson says Glenyce had a loving relationship with her parents too. 'They were so close. Why would she have left them not knowing all those years,' she said. 'There was a theory she had some debts, but her parents were the kind of people who would have paid the debts, no if, buts or maybes. 'There's a massive amount of sadness for me, it never goes away and in truth it just gets harder. 'There's also anger at the police for how they handled it. They were prejudiced against her and I'm happy to say that.' 'It's clear from some of the questions they asked at the time they thought she was just some hippy chick who wanted to run off.' A revised health and hygiene plan for schools was introduced by the Minister of Education in Friday morning's press conference. Schools are set to reopen after the holidays on 22 February, but with a stricter sanitary plan, which will include mandatory masks for primary students from the second cycle upwards. The same will apply to wraparound care (Maisons Relais). Certain mask types will not be made mandatory. There will also be more testing, with everyone who was in quarantine requiring a test to return to school. Staff and pupils will be invited more frequently to participate in the Large-Scale Testing programme. The Ministry is also working to source more rapid antigen tests, to be rolled out from March onwards, so they can react faster to potential outbreaks. If infections were to flare up again in the Maisons Relais, these could be forced to close. Parents would be able to request family leave in this case. Distance learning could return for all students after the Easter break, but this will depend on the situation. Ministries will focus on reducing the mixing of children in activities and wraparound care outside of school hours. Pupils in secondary school will return to alternate A/B week schooling, with the exception of those in their first year of secondary. Exam schedules and study material for final years will be adapted, with written exams reduced in all subjects, and oral exams in those subjects that require a lot of preparation. This should amount to a reduction of roughly 15% overall. Some chapters or topics will be left out, or if that is not possible, alternative questions could be set. The deadlines to finalise questionnaires will be adjusted accordingly. Final year students will still have face-to-face learning. Our live stream of the press conference with the Minister of Education Claude Meisch is now over, but you can still read through the remaining ticker translations here. Graham Says He Plans to Meet With Trump to Discuss GOPs Future Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is planning a confab with former President Donald Trump to discuss the Republican Partys future. Graham told reporters in Washington on Friday that he wants Trump to work with the GOP in its bid to flip the House of Representatives and Senate in the 2022 midterm elections. Im going to try and convince him that we cant get there without you, but you cant keep the Trump movement going without the GOP united, Graham said. If we come back in 2022, then its an affirmation of your policies. But if we lose again in 2022, then its going to bethe narrative is going to continue that not only you lost The White House, but the Republican Party is in a bad spot. Trumps got to work with everybody, Graham added. You got to put your best team on the field. If its about revenge and going after people you dont like, were going to have a problem. If this is about putting your best team on the field, weve got a decent chance at coming back. Graham was leaving the U.S. Capitol after another day of an impeachment trial against Trump. Trump has remained out of sight since leaving office on Jan. 20, releasing few statements and primarily communicating through intermediaries. Outgoing President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania arrive at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Jan. 20, 2021. (Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images) Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trumps 2020 campaign, said last month that Trump will make sure Republicans win the House in 2022. Hes got a ton of money. Hes the biggest name. Hes going to get that done, he said while on Steve Bannons War Room. But Trump and some of his supporters are disenchanted with a slew of Republicans who are up for reelection that year, believing they didnt stand by him during the turmoil that unfolded after the presidential election. Trump called on South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to primary Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Republican Senate leadership, and Trump allies in Congress are backing challenges to Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the House GOP chair, after she sided with Democrats to impeach him. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has publicly supported Cheney amid calls for her resignation from the leadership team but also convened recently with Trump in Florida. Trumps team called the meeting good and cordial, and said topics included how Republicans will win back the lower chamber in 2022. Trumps popularity has never been stronger than it is today, the team said, and his endorsement means more than perhaps any endorsement at any time. Molly Wright will end her hunger strike Sunday, her 24th day of fasting to bring attention to San Antonios homeless problem. For as much as she agitated for change calling out specific city leaders for the lack of policies and funding to end homelessness it comes much too slowly for any hunger strike to sustain. Over the last few days, as she has struggled physically, Wright has vacillated over whether her demands to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Erik Walsh and City Council have made a difference. She wonders whether the city will come through on an idea to buy a hotel to house homeless people more permanently, as other cities have done. She wonders whether the city will help the homeless who live in their cars while holding down jobs and for whom she has ardently advocated. She has slept in her own car when she has been homeless. She has repeated calls for safe, overnight lots where such homeless people can park. She also wonders whether future tent encampments will be demolished by city crews. On her 22nd day of fasting on all but water, vitamins and juices she calls green sludge, Wright wasnt sure of any of it. Shes exhausted. Shes not well. She has begun walking with the help of a cane. She has lost more than 35 pounds, at least since she last saw a doctor, and her critical thinking skills have suffered. On Thursday, she became violently ill after her second COVID-19 vaccine. It scared her. She has managed to continue to work but crashes afterward, and it has become harder to wake up. Thats what scares me the most, she said. Her work for a local nonprofit agency reminds her of her goal. She assists clients fighting evictions, which havent stopped despite the pandemic. Wright, who still lives precariously close to homelessness, has seen one bright spot. Earlier this month, housing activists celebrated a major reversal by the San Antonio Housing Authority on the fate of Alazan Courts, a 500-unit public housing complex on the citys West Side. Instead of razing and replacing it with mixed-income apartments, SAHA plans to rebuild it so no one is displaced. The No. 1 solution to homelessness, Wright says, is more public housing and more affordable housing that reflects the wages San Antonio companies pay. On Sunday, to end her fast, Wright will lead another protest a car caravan that will begin and end at City Manager Erik Walshs alma maters. The stretch from Central Catholic High School, with a stop at the San Antonio Water System building, to Trinity University is only a few miles. The event, titled Where is your heart City Manager Erik Walsh and Mayor Ron Nirenberg? begins at noon. She has a flair for dissing city officials. In an email to supporters, she asked whether Central Catholic, which is run by Marianists, knows that Walsh committed terrorist acts on the vulnerable in our society by allowing city crews to dismantle peaceful homeless camps. Earlier this month, a homeless encampment under Interstate 37 near downtown was destroyed, the belongings of those living there swept away. The camp contained 85 to 100 people spread over several blocks and was the largest inside Loop 410. An infant living there was removed from its mothers custody by authorities. Wright asks Catholic leaders to intervene and remind Walsh of the values he was taught. The caravan will stop at SAWS headquarters to lambaste rate hikes that will contribute to renters inability to stay in their homes and thus create homelessness. While homeless people often cant be their own advocates, Wright has articulated the vicious cycle that can keep a person homeless. She has spoken about the impact an eviction can have on future housing. Marisol Cortez, who co-edits the grassroots site Deceleration News, was part of a group that interviewed people displaced when a mobile home community was shuttered. The group offered ideas to the city on how to prevent such displacement and felt the way Wright feels now: dismissed. But Cortez said Wrights style of protest, more often used in global struggles for justice, was brave and possibly what was necessary to shake up the system. On Sunday, Wright will end her hunger strike her way, with digs at the mayor and city manager. Its unlikely to be the last they hear from her. eayala@express-news.net The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Friday its updated guidelines on how to safely bring the students back into the classrooms amid a pandemic that has killed almost 480,000 people in the United States. According to the CDC, the update is a measured, data-driven effort to expand on previous recommendations and to help school leaders decide how to safely bring back the students into the classrooms. These safety precautions include masking, physical distancing, and hand-washing. It also includes respiratory etiquette, ventilation, building cleaning, and contact tracing, NPR reported. However, the CDC clearly stated that the agency was not giving politicians and school leaders a green light to reopen schools. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters on Friday that the recommendations simply provide schools a roadmap for how classes can safely resume under different levels of disease in the community. The CDC noted that proper mitigation could help keep kids and staff safe at school, especially in hard-hit communities. But the CDC warned that schools lulled into a false sense of security due to low community transmission rates could still spread the virus if they do not implement mask-wearing and social distancing. The updated guidance comes as President Joe Biden tries to keep his promise of seeing more schools reopen within his first 100 days in office. Since the beginning of the pandemic, school reopening has become a political battle between parents and educators. "CDC is releasing an operational strategy for K - 12 schools, through phased mitigation that provides a pathway to support schools in opening for in-person instruction and remaining open," Walensky said in an AFP News report. Walensky further noted that vaccination and testing could provide an "additional layer of protection." Related story: California Doctors Call for Schools Reopening in February CDC Guidelines Depend on the Level of Community Transmission The updated guidelines recommend various steps depending on the level of community transmission in a given area, which is defined by the number of new cases per hundred thousand in the past seven days. The CDC recommends that in the areas of substantial transmission, which is 50 to 99 new cases per 100,000, middle and high schools should switch to hybrid learning. If the transmission is more than 100 new cases per 100,000, which is defined as high, middle and high schools should move to virtual instruction unless the schools are already open and have few cases. The CDC said that equity considerations were a key driver in the development of the plan. "The absence of in-person educational options may disadvantage children from low-resource communities, which may include large representation of racial and ethnic minority groups, English learners, and students with disabilities," it added. White House coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt said he understood why some parents were impatient to reopen and stressed that the CDC was being very thorough in creating its guidelines, Reuters reported. Slavitt added that there is no debate over whether to open schools, but there is a debate over how. Meanwhile, Walensky said the new guidelines differ from the one offered by the Trump administration by using stronger languages. "We've been much more prescriptive here as to putting some guardrails on what can and should be done to get to a safe reopening," she said in an Associated Press report. Walensky added that the guidelines they released were free from political meddling. Both sides of the debate welcomed the new guidance. They said it bolstered their position on the matter. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy noted that the information "affirms what many of us, including students and parents, have known for months," and that is how critical for schools to open "as safely and as soon as possible." Biden, on the other hand, noted that the new guidance provides the "best available scientific evidence" on how to reopen schools safely. "Science tells us that if we support our children, educators, and communities with the resources they need, we can get kids back to school safely in more parts of the country sooner," Biden said in a statement. The president added that once his Secretary of Education is confirmed, he will direct him to work with school administrators, educators, and parents to accelerate the process of school reopenings safely. Read also: Florida School Reopening Adds Increase of Coronavirus Among Children The Indian diaspora around the world has registered a number of feats on their name but did you know that the status of a celebrity chef was also first achieved by an Indian chef? Before the world had Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, or Nigella Lawson, there was a man named Prince Ranji Smile who had emigrated from Karachi to London in the 1800s. After working in Englands Cecil hotels, he impressed Louis Sherry, a prominent restaurant owner with his curry recipe. Smile then sailed across the Atlantic ocean with his English wife to introduce the Americans with his delectable Indian cuisine in 1899. A 2016 book by historian Sarah Lohman named Eight Flavors talks about how Smile went on to create a name for himself in the American society who were oblivious to the complex curries of Indian subcontinent. The book also talks about how a reporter in The New York Letter described the good-looking Indian chef as having clear dark skin, brilliant black eyes, smooth black hair, and the whitest of teeth. With the help of restaurateur Sherry, Smile got the job in his eponymous Fifth Avenue restaurant and by 1907, he was travelling across America performing cooking demonstrations at department stores and food halls. With his charming looks and exotic culinary talents, Smile had beguiled the west especially its women. A Park County Bulletin from November 17, 1899 quotes Smile as saying that if the women of America will eat the food that he prepares, they will become more beautiful than they imagine. To sell his recipes and the Indian cuisine, Smile also claimed that with his food, their eyes will grow lustrous, their complexion will become lovelier, and their figure will become like those of beautiful Indian women. A report by The Better Inida also mentions what items were on his menu and it included the Indian Bhagi Topur, Kalooh Sherry, Murghi Rain, Muskie Sindh, Curry of Chicken Madras, and Bombay Duck. However, Smile could not carry on his legacy in the US due to the colonialists who ruled the country. The Immigration Act of 1917 banished South Asians like Smile from obtaining legal citizenship in the US. Smile was also asked to get drafted to fight for the US in World War I even though he would not be a US citizen. The gentleman declined to fight for the country and it is reported that he returned to India with his wife. However, not much is known of his return to India and what happened afterwards. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help 404 Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. FALL RIVER, Mass., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nature's Medicines, an expanding group of national cannabis dispensaries, will open its doors to adult use customers on Tuesday, February 16. Located at 482 Globe Street, the dispensary will be one of the first in the state to offer both Adult Use and Medical Cannabis under one roof. During the past several months the dispensary was closed for renovations to accommodate their expanding services. The charming historic building housing Nature's Medicines was formerly the Old Ukrainian Club known by locals as "The Uke". Once a well-loved watering hole, it was tastefully renovated by Nature's Medicines to retain its charm and style. The dispensary enjoys a unique location in the heart of the Globe Four Corners area, a vibrant hood with funky shops and eateries. Nature's Medicines' Fall River location will serve Seekonk, Swansea, Somerset, Rehoboth, Massachusetts as well as Bristol, Tiverton, Warren, Barrington, and Portsmouth, Rhode Island. "We thank Fall River and our surrounding communities for welcoming us," said Stephen Borges, General Manager. "Our team is looking forward to serving both recreational customers and medical patients with caring and educational services." Customers may order in-store or pre-order online. Debit cards are preferred, but cash will also be accepted. In light of COVID-19, Nature's Medicines is committed to keeping guests and staff safe at all times. Masks are required, and social distancing as well as other recommended CDC procedures will be in place. "Nature's Medicines makes a point of diligently following the State's cannabis laws and ensuring the legal safety of our customers," said Borges. "Our Personal Service Providers are trained to advise Adult Use guests about our products and guide them through their legal enjoyment of cannabis." Borges recommends that customers go to naturesmedicines.com to view changing menus and keep up with dispensary news. About Nature's Medicines: Nature's Medicines is an award-winning, vertically integrated cultivator and retailer with locations across the United States. Our mission is to provide patients and customers with professional and compassionate educational and self-care advice concerning the trusted products we provide. SOURCE Nature's Medicines Related Links naturesmedicines.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI Kent County can host its large-scale vaccine clinic at DeVos Place rent free now that it has renegotiated its lease for the convention center following public scrutiny over the original leases $12,000 daily rental fee. The county, which is operating the clinic in partnership with Spectrum Health and Mercy Health Saint Marys, announced the revised contract Friday afternoon. It was negotiated with the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA), the public authority that owns DeVos Place, as well as SMG/ASM Global, the company hired by the CAA to manage the venue. We are very pleased with the outcome of our latest discussions with the CAA and SMG regarding the vaccination clinic at DeVos Place, Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt said in a statement. All parties involved share the goal of operating the most efficient, safe and effective large-scale vaccination clinic in our region. We also share a commitment to be responsible stewards of public dollars and to strengthen the communitys trust. Under the revised agreement, the CAA and ASM Global will make DeVos Place available to the county rent free, with the county only being charged for actual costs to operate the facility, according to a news release from Kent County. Those costs include utilities, janitorial and maintenance services, security and EMS services. Charges for those costs will only be incurred to the extent services are requested or used in the clinics operations, according to the county. The initial contracts $12,000 daily rental fee drew pushback from members of the Kent County Board of Commissioners and DeltaPlex owner Joel Langlois. Langlois said on social media that he would have hosted the vaccine clinic at his venue, located in Walker, for $1,000 a day. A news release from the county said it was impossible to forecast exact costs of the new operation when the initial lease for the space was signed last month prior to the clinics launch in late January. Our objective at that time was to get a temporary agreement in place so we could open the clinic and get shots in arms, Britt said. After our first 15 days of operation, we are better able to assess actual space and operational needs as well as hard costs associated with using the convention center for this unprecedented purpose. Read more: Video shows gunman chase victim before fatal daytime shooting in Heritage Hill Off-campus gatherings lead to increase in COVID-19 cases at University of Michigan, officials say Flint water crisis criminal hearings delayed until June as grand jury records reviewed Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Osun State has said that no fewer than thirteen persons died in road accidents in the State in Janua... The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Osun State has said that no fewer than thirteen persons died in road accidents in the State in January. Mrs Agnes Ogungbemi, the Commands spokesperson, made this known in a statement issued in Osogbo on Saturday. Ogungbemi explained that 194 people were involved in different road accidents, while 112 persons sustained various degrees of injuries in January. FRSC men were able to rescue 69 people alive in 42 accidents scenes, involving 42 road traffic crashes (RTC). Although 42 different road accidents, involving 63 vehicles and 194 people were booked, we were able to save the lives of 69 people, Ogungbemi said. According to Ogungbemi, the accidents occurred due to non-compliance with road traffic regulations on the highways. Ogungbemi advised road users to be careful and be more conscious while driving in order to avert an accident. She said that the Command would continue to engage stakeholders on road safety matters to ensure that the road is safe for driving. According to her, any motorist that violates the road traffic regulations would be penalised in accordance with the laws. On Friday, the latest members of Trumps legal cast took center stage in his impeachment trial and for the most part delivered exactly what he always seems to want from his lawyers: not precise, learned legal arguments but public combat Ever since Donald Trump began his run for president, he has been surrounded by an ever-shifting cast of lawyers with varying abilities to control, channel and satisfy their mercurial and headstrong client. During the final weeks of the 2016 campaign, Michael Cohen arranged for hush money payments to be made to a former pornographic film actress. In the second year of Trumps presidency, John Dowd, head of the team defending the president in the Russia investigation, quit after he concluded that Trump was refusing to listen to his counsel. By Trumps third year in office, he had found a new lawyer to do his bidding as Rudy Giuliani first undertook a campaign to undermine Joe Biden and then helped lead the fruitless effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, with stops in Ukraine and at Four Seasons Total Landscaping along the way. On Friday, the latest members of Trumps legal cast took center stage in his impeachment trial and for the most part delivered exactly what he always seems to want from his lawyers: not precise, learned legal arguments but public combat, in this case including twisted facts, rewritten history and attacks on opponents. Despite an often unorthodox and undisciplined approach from his legal teams, Trump has survived more legal challenges as president than any of his recent predecessors. Although federal investigators uncovered the hush money payments and significant evidence he may have obstructed the Russia investigation, he was never charged. He was acquitted by the Senate in his first impeachment trial related to the Ukraine pressure campaign, and he appeared poised Friday to see a similar outcome in this impeachment. Legal experts, white-collar defense lawyers and even some of Trumps former lawyers acknowledge that his survival has largely been a function of the fact that he is the president of the United States, a position that has given him great powers to evade legal consequence. At the outset of the administration I would have said it would be remarkable for someone to run this gauntlet and survive, said Chuck Rosenberg, a former longtime senior Justice Department official. After initially stumbling in its first round of arguments Tuesday, the latest team either the seventh or eighth to defend Trump since he became president, depending on your math followed the playbook Trump has long wanted his lawyers to adhere to. They channeled his grievances and aggressively spun what-about arguments that tried to cast his own behavior as not so bad when compared with the other side. Democrats found their performance infuriatingly misleading, but it potentially provided the vast majority of Republicans in the Senate opposed to convicting Trump with talking points they can use to justify their votes. Hypocrisy, one of Trumps lawyers, Michael van der Veen, said after they played a several-minutes-long clip of prominent Democrats and media commentators using language like fight in an effort to show that Trumps own words before the riot could have had no role in inciting the violence. The reality is, Mr. Trump was not in any way, shape or form instructing these people to fight or to use physical violence, van der Veen said. What he was instructing them to do was to challenge their opponents in primary elections to push for sweeping election reforms, to hold Big Tech responsible. Serving as one of Trumps lawyers is a true high-wire act for a range of reasons, from his indifference to the law and norms to his long-held belief that he is his own best defender and spokesman. In the 1970s, under the tutelage of the Roy Cohn whose aggressiveness was matched by his lack of adherence to ethical standards Trump began conflating legal and public relations problems. These factors have often led Trump to ignore legal advice and dictate to the lawyers what he wants them to do. Some lawyers have survived for years with Trump through various investigations, such as Jay Sekulow and Florida-based couple Marty and Jane Raskin. They were involved in defending Trump in his first impeachment battle. And they had successes defending Trump in the highest-profile investigation he faced as president, the special counsel inquiry into possible conspiracy between the Trump campaign in 2016 and Russian officials. But those lawyers are not part of his current team. Neither is Pat Cipollone, the former White House counsel who spent weeks at the end of the Trump term batting away various efforts to overturn the election results. As he did with a previous White House counsel, Donald McGahn, Trump repeatedly wanted the White House counsels to act as his personal lawyers. And Trumps willingness to listen to lawyers who tell him what he does not want to hear dwindled significantly after the Nov. 3 election. Instead, he relied on Giuliani, whom other Trump aides blame for ensnaring Trump in his two impeachment battles, to guide him in his effort to overturn the results of the election. Giuliani repeatedly told associates that he would be involved in the impeachment defense, despite his status as a potential witness, since he addressed the Trump rally crowd on 6 January. Trump ultimately told Giuliani that he would not be involved. But Trumps advisers struggled to find a legal team that would defend him. Finally, with help from an ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Trumps advisers announced that he had hired Butch Bowers, a well-known lawyer with experience representing South Carolina politicians facing crises. But just over a week before the trial was to begin, Bowers and the four lawyers connected to him abruptly left, though another lawyer, David Schoen, who was expected from the beginning to be part of the team, remained on board. In another reminder of his ad hoc approach, Trump asked associates Thursday night whether it was too late to add or remove lawyers from the team. Just a few hours before Trumps team was to appear in the well of the Senate, the group was still hashing out the order of appearance of his two chief lawyers, Schoen and Bruce L. Castor Jr. In the end, they decided that a third lawyer, van der Veen, would deliver the opening act. The uncertainty apparently stemmed from Castors widely panned appearance Tuesday, when he delivered a rambling, unfocused opening statement that enraged his client. Trump has told advisers and friends he did not want to hear from Castor anymore, people familiar with the Trump teams discussions said. People familiar with the makeup of the legal team said Eric Herschmann, a lawyer and ally of the presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who worked in the West Wing in the final year of the administration, was a key figure in putting it together. When Trump asked Herschmann who had hired Castor after his disastrous outing Tuesday, Herschmann, according to two people with knowledge of the exchange, sought to lay the blame on Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff. Herschmann did not respond to an email seeking comment. By the end of the day Friday, van der Veen, a personal injury lawyer from Philadelphia, had emerged as Trumps primary defender, handling questions from senators, making a series of false and outlandish claims, calling the impeachment a version of constitutional cancel culture and declaring that Fridays proceedings had been his most miserable experience in Washington. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead House impeachment manager, responded, I guess were sorry, but man, you should have been here on Jan. 6. Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman c.2021 The New York Times Company .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal ESPANOLA Its one city with two sets of rules. In some parts of Espanola, restaurants are welcoming back customers dining inside for the first time in months, while others continue to rely on any takeout orders they can muster. Thats because Espanola has its territory split between two counties, Rio Arriba and Santa Fe. Typically, that border has little significance in the lives of local residents, with this week being a notable exception. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ State officials announced Wednesday that 19 New Mexico counties had advanced to the states yellow and green levels, prompting an easing of COVID-19 restrictions implemented under the red designation in those areas. Yellow counties, which have a positivity rate under 5%, can offer indoor dining up to 25% capacity, with larger capacities for houses of worship and retail stores. And while Santa Fe County entered the yellow designation for the first time, Rio Arriba barely missed the cutoff, with a positivity rate of 5.15%. The county line zig-zags across Riverside Drive, the citys primary economic strip. That means one restaurant could offer indoor dining, while another literally across the street remains under the tighter restrictions. For Eder Amado, owner of the restaurant Italian Infusion, that means he could have customers in his restaurant for the first time in months. Italian Infusion sits just inside the Santa Fe County line. Just two families sat inside the restaurant Friday, but it was clear Amado was excited at what it could mean for his struggling business. We have a lot of people calling and asking if were gonna be open for Valentines weekend and we tell them we are, he said. He said he lost about 90% of his business when indoor dining was banned, and takeout orders did little to help. His landlord gave him a discount on his rent, something he said was necessary to stay afloat. And I pay Santa Fe County taxes and hourly wage, so its a lot different than being in Rio Arriba County, Amado said. He said many residents dont know exactly where the county line is and some have come into his restaurant demanding he stop serving people indoors because they think its in Rio Arriba. Just across the street stands El Rodeo, a small Mexican restaurant that is not allowed to have indoor dining since its in Rio Arriba County. Chairs remain stacked in the corner and no customers stood in line Friday for takeout orders. Roman Salgado, the cook at El Rodeo, said it felt strange that some restaurants can have indoor dining and others cannot. Of course we feel weird, Salgado said in Spanish, with his granddaughter Daniela translating. How come, in Santa Fe, they can be more packed, but (in Rio Arriba), theres hardly any people that really come? He said theyve had to dig into their savings to keep the restaurant afloat. Daniela said they received five calls from people asking if they could eat inside. When she told them no, all of them decided to look elsewhere for a place to dine inside. Espanola Mayor Javier Sanchez, whose popular La Cocina restaurant is a quarter mile inside the Rio Arriba side of the county line, is in a similar position. Months ago, he was able to fill his large outdoor patio with the maximum number of customers allowed, but colder temperatures have changed that entirely. There are no patio heaters available, Sanchez said. It hasnt been an easy winter to overcome. He said distribution of vaccines in Rio Arriba has been much slower the county had 6% of residents partially vaccinated on Jan. 29, while Santa Fe County had 21%. The Republican mayor said he believes Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham should allow Rio Arriba businesses to operate with fewer restrictions. Are we ever going to get below 5%? Sanchez asked, noting numbers are dropping while nearby casinos operate near capacity. I would love to see a change in some of those guidelines. Lujan Grisham press secretary Nora Meyers Sackett wrote Friday that positivity rates are an effective way to curb the spread of the virus as the state implements county-by-county restrictions. The defense attorneys for have wrapped up their presentation in the former president's impeachment trial. Lawyers argued for three hours Friday that Trump didn't incite the January 6 rally crowd to riot at the US Capitol and that his words were merely figures of speech. They say the case against Trump was a political witch-hunt by Democrats and was not valid because he is no longer in office. Their truncated defense barely used the full time allotted, 16 hours over two days. Many senators minds appear already made up. Trump is accused of incitement of insurrection in the mob siege at the Capitol. Five people died. Senators will next be able to ask the lawyers questions when the trial resumes. The strategy from Donald Trump's lawyers is to concede that violence at the US Capitol on January 6 was every bit as traumatic, unacceptable and illegal as Democrats say. But his team disputes that Trump had anything to do with it. The goal is to blunt the impact of the House Democrats' visceral case and quickly pivot to what the defense lawyers see as the more winnable issue of the trial: whether Trump incited the deadly riot. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media BRANFORD CTrail Shoreline East service has been suspended after a person was struck by a train Saturday afternoon, according to an Amtrak spokeswoman. Beth Toll, a spokeswoman for Amtrak, said a person was struck around 1:10 p.m. east of the New Haven station. The Acela train that was involved in the accident was on its way to Boston from Washington, Toll said. She said none of the 137 people on board reported being injured. Authored by Amol Roy - Founder, Shutter Cast With the Covid-19 pandemic uprooting our lives and ravaging economies around the world, businesses are left reeling from its ramifications. Many have switched to digital technology and data analytics completely to stay afloat in these distressful times, devising new and innovative ways to function and fulfil customer expectations. During the lockdown, employees switched to working from home as enterprises shut down their offices to curb the spread of the virus. Brands then had to make a sudden move from physical to digital. Interactions with customers occurred via online products, digital marketing and sales. This brought about significant changes in almost every sector of the economy. With people making purchases digitally, the popularity of e-commerce and online shopping skyrocketed. App-enabled grocery and food delivery services hit a new high as did ride-hailing companies pivoting their drivers to deliver essential items. Therefore, it is quite evident that the Covid-19 crisis is all set to change the future trajectory for businesses as digital takes over, creating many new possibilities for enterprises. Digitization: The Way Forward A rapid migration to technologies is underway, a process to which the pandemic has acted as a catalyst. Enterprises have been balancing the health and safety of their employees with making adjustments in their business models so as to continue their operations. To achieve the same, business owners are thinking of strategic ways to deploy technology and tools within various facets of their business so as to lend a new lease of life to their venture and brace for the new normal. The coronavirus pandemic has made it imperative for companies to adopt digital business models. Cloud platforms solely can provide the agility, innovation and scalability that this transition requires. Some ways in which brands are taking to digitization are: Adopting AI Technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making waves in the digital landscape as its helping brands scale their businesses and obtain a competitive edge over their competitors. Many companies are using it to automate their daily tasks and extract deeper and meaningful insights to improve their business outcomes. The technology is proving to be a boon for many enterprises as they are using it to perform data analysis, create effective algorithms, assess customer sentiments and enhance the brand-customer relationship through improved communication. Reformed Business Models Digitization has led to the creation of several new business models and overhauling of existing ones. With the relevant information and tools available online, brands are able to alter their existing models, with minimum disruptions, to adjust them to their current needs. They are applying novel ideas to older strategies, playing with their resources and building something different and unique. This way brands are striving to deliver the perfect model after the necessary alterations. Innovations in Technology Digitization is not just about transferring data into the electronic device but also using that data & device along with finding new ways of developing them further. There are many new and innovative solutions available in the market and brands are finding different ways to leverage them to their advantage. Technological advancements enable companies to devise new ideas, reach a bigger audience, use specialized tools for managing work, and most importantly, create an improved product or service that can make customers happy and satisfied. Building Strong Customer Relationships As people were quarantined in their homes, digital experiences became life saviours for many. Leading companies took note of their most important customers and worked on rebuilding and strengthening ties with them. This was possible with the widespread shift to digital marketing, & reinventing sales and communication channels. Brands are focusing on strengthening their digital channels and using data insights to gather customer feedback so that they can test ideas faster, learn from their errors and develop stronger bonds with customers. Summing Up Due to technological progress, digitization has made it possible for businesses to develop their brands and create new opportunities to reach out and tap into the relevant audiences and customers. Brands taking proactive advantage of the digitization process will emerge stronger and better prepared for the post-pandemic future. When youre a few months into a worldwide, deadly pandemic, finding love can be challenging. Mingling at bars and event venues is mostly a thing of the past in Michigan, where gathering places have been subject to inconsistent shut downs amid an outbreak of COVID-19. And even if youre able to find a partner, date options are limited. Plus, newly-formed couples have had to fight against a stigma of spending time together during a mandated quarantine. However, if the pandemic has done one thing, its bring people closer together. For couple Kelsey Miller and TJ Megoran, it did just that. The two Midlanders had known each other all their lives, connected by Millers cousin. So, when the pandemic put a spotlight on their shared interests, the two quickly fell into a love-filled relationship. We reconnected in June ... we had been talking lately and we just both kind of realized we like doing the same things, Megoran said. It started with longboarding and camping. Their love for the outdoors is what has shone brightest, as the couple did something outside together every day in the summer, like visit the Bay City State Park. The highlight was Fourth of July weekend at Whites Beach in Standish waking up on the beach to watch the sunrise and rock pick together. Megoran said he still has the first rock he picked up that day. Thats when the fireworks started happening, Megoran said as a pun. The couple said neither of them were too concerned about spreading COVID-19 to each other; however, Miller said she was more so worried what other people were thinking about their new relationship. I feel like theres a big stigma upon that because oh, you arent supposed to be meeting new people or being around new people, she said. Not being able to go out on dates like to the movies or to concerts has made it tough to pamper and spoil each other; however, as they pointed out, having less to do creates less pressure to always be doing something grand. And, the couple agreed that its not about what theyre doing so long as theyre together. They appreciate being able to cook meals together each night. We get along like two peas in a pod anyway so whatever it is that were doing, were perfectly content, Megoran said. When they were finally able to share a formal date together three months into their relationship, Miller said she already knew Megoran so well she ordered his meal for him at Luckys Steakhouse. One challenging part of their relationship amid the pandemic has been not being able to meet each others extended families. If not for the pandemic, Megoran said he would have taken Miller to meet his grandparents by now. Either way, they are now each others sense of comfort and peace while the world around them seems more chaotic than usual. They continue to make the best of every situation together. Im the luckiest guy in the world, Megoran said. Miller added: The little things are what matter most in every relationship, and valuing those as a couple and individually. A couple who volunteers together stays together Another couple, Midland resident Alaynah Smith and Mount Pleasant resident Michael Heitman, have struggled with some of the same pandemic restrictions, such as meeting each others families. Even though they met each other before the local pandemic outbreak, they summarize that theyve only been on a handful of public dates now a year into their relationship. They celebrated one year together this January. Smith teases Heitman that shes the secret woman on the side due to their lack of public dates. The couple met over their shared passion for civic engagement and political activism. Heitman was on the leadership team of the Isabella Democrats and was in Midland to check out a WOMEN (Women of Michigan Action Network) meeting, a group Smith is a part of. They had a get together at Whine, where the other group members or as Smith calls her moms intentionally left a seat open for Heitman to sit next to Smith. Heitman said he was oblivious to their plot to link the two singles together. Still, he got her phone number that night, for what he said was business purposes only. He said it so cute, Smith said. He said, Um, now, would it be possible for me to get your number just in case Isabella County and Midland County have to collaborate at all? But, after seeing each other at more meetings and activism events, they finally went on a formal date together and began their relationship. Then, the pandemic hit in March. For the most part, we just werent sure what we were supposed to do how are you supposed to date in a quarantine? Heitman said. Because the couple lived in different communities, they were cautious to commute to see each other for the first few months. So, they opted for Zoom dates and video calls. They would also have movie dates by streaming the same movie at the same time while on the phone with each other. Like little date nights but apart wed both have some wine and wed both have some food and wed both have our movie ready to go, but Id be in Midland and hed be over in Mount Pleasant, Smith said. They would also grab takeout and eat together at local parks. They recalled one time they got Korean food and took it to a park in Mount Pleasant, only to realize they had just one spoon to use. I was like, if this is how we get COVID sharing our one spoon! Smith said, laughing. Then in May, when the Midland region experienced dam failures and flooding, the couple jumped into volunteering together cleaning up muddy homes and flood debris. Smith said seeing Heitman volunteer even using his paid time off at work in the community she cares so much about, cemented her love for him. Hed be over here in his muck boots and we worked in so many houses and it was so gross and he never complained and it was people he didnt know; streets he didnt know; and communities he didnt know and he just made himself a part of it, Smith said. She added, Id be like, uh I have sewage all in my hair! And hes like, You look beautiful, babe. And, when Smiths mother fell ill, Heitman was the ultimate support system by her side bringing care packages, taking care of her dogs and more. He was just absolutely amazing, Smith said. Now, the couple just bought their first home together. Slowly, but surely, we are turning a corner. We are winning the battle against the nasty mutating coronavirus, although it will not go away in a hurry and will continue to take too many cherished lives for a while yet. From a financial perspective (my area of speciality), coronavirus has wreaked carnage. It shrank the economy by nearly ten per cent last year and has resulted in far too many good people losing jobs and far too many small businesses (the heartbeat of our economy) being forced to close. Sadly, the job losses and business closures are not over yet and the number of people left financially vulnerable as a result of lockdown and national restrictions is likely to rise in the coming months. Last week, the City regulator said one in four adults are struggling with low financial resilience, brought about by over-indebtedness, insufficient savings and low (or erratic) earnings. Moving on: As more people get protection from coronavirus, the nearer the day gets when workers can return to their place of employment and the economy can go into growth mode But, amongst all the doom and gloom, there are glimmers of hope on the horizon which point to a brighter future. For a start, the country's vaccination programme has been a resounding success, resulting in 15million people being vaccinated already (much to the chagrin of the dithering French government). As more people get protection from coronavirus, the nearer the day gets when workers can return to their place of employment and the economy can go into growth mode. Then, there's the pent-up spending power within many households that is ready to be unleashed as soon as the Government starts to lift restrictions, details of which we will learn more about in just over a week's time. Andy Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England, believes the economy will bounce back like a 'coiled spring' this year. This growth, he says, will be fuelled in part by the spending of a big chunk of the savings that many households have amassed since the pandemic first bit. Savings that consumers are itching to spend on a new car, a smart TV or a meal at a restaurant in town followed by a trip to the cinema. Combined with more spending by business and Government, Haldane says: 'The recovery should be one to remember after a year to forget.' Cheering words on a day when smiles and romance rather than frowns and misery dominate. ...................................................................................................................................... Ethical, green and sustainable investments are of the moment and rightly so as we wake up to the fragile state of our glorious planet (if in doubt on the fragility front, do listen to entomologist George McGavin on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs). Yet in a sector where there is subjectivity over what constitutes an ethical stock, it's imperative the managers of these funds are open and honest over what they invest in and justify their selections. Such an approach enables investors to make fund choices in line with their personal ethics. Take, for example Kingspan, a company that supplied some of the insulation materials used in the (fatal) refurbishment of Grenfell Tower in London. At the ongoing inquiry into the fire that killed 72 people, the company's representatives have been questioned over the combustible K15 insulation boards that were used in the tower's cladding boards it manufactured and claimed were safe. Kingspan has been a company whose shares have long been held by ethical funds because of its energy-efficient products. But the inquiry has led to a division of opinion. Some, such as investment manager Montanaro, have disposed of their holdings stating 'our standards on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) have to be that much higher than others'. Many, including Liontrust, have yet to do so, reserving judgment until after the inquiry concludes. I will leave you to decide who is taking the 'right' ethical stance. But as Alan Miller, chief investment officer of SCM Direct argues, all ethical funds should be required to show how they go about judging a company's ethical credentials. (TNS) Cruise LLC clocked the most miles of any company testing self-driving vehicles in California in 2020, according to new reports from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles.Cruise, which is largely owned by General Motors Co., drove more than 770,000 miles last year, while rival Waymo LLC drove just under 629,000. Both drove hundreds of thousands of miles more than other top brands such as Pony AI Inc., Zoox Inc. and Nuro Inc.Both companies also had the fewest disengagements per 1,000 miles when a failure of the technology is detected or when a safety driver takes control of the vehicle with 0.033 for Waymo and 0.035 for Cruise. By comparison, some companies with fewer miles had higher rates: For example, Lyft had 3.75, Apple had 6.91, Mercedes Benz had 38.92, and Toyota Research Institute had 422.6.However, the companies testing in California and experts warn that the numbers say little about the safety and reliability of vehicles under development. AV companies are all racing to deploy their technologies on a large scale first, but there still are no federal standards to help guide them there.For example, there are no standards for when safety drivers should take control, and the number of disengagements is highly dependent on where a vehicle is tested, said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst at Guidehouse Insights. For example, driving in a city environment during a pandemic when there is less traffic or in a suburban area may lead to longer periods without human intervention."Every AV company has its own procedures for how safety operators are expected to take control. Some are more conservative than others and a lower number of miles per disengagement may be due to the operator feeling less confident or simply being less willing to take chances to see if the vehicle will recover itself," Abuelsamid said."Unfortunately, this is the only publicly available metric we have, but it is not necessarily an indicator (of) progress without much more context."Companies have spoken out against the disengagement reports. They include GM-affiliated Cruise and Waymo, the self-driving vehicle unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc."The idea that disengagements give a meaningful signal about whether an AV is ready for commercial deployment is a myth," wrote Kyle Vogt, co-founder, president and chief technology officer at Cruise in a 2020 blog post.But Cruise's Robert Grant, senior vice president of government affairs and social impact, wrote in a Tuesday blog post that the company is proud of its improved disengagement report, since its rate dropped to half of what it was in 2019."For all of 2020, we averaged only one reportable disengagement per 28,520 miles," Grant wrote. "For the second half of 2020, we improved to more than 60,000 miles between reportable disengagement. And in the final three months of the year, we had zero reportable disengagements, a 10x improvement over the same period a year before."Most of Cruise's disengagements were attributed to a control, planning, perception or prediction takeover due to an "other road user behaving poorly."Waymo, which has AV development and testing partnership with Stellantis NV, wrote on Twitter that it appreciates what the DMC is trying to do with the report "but the metrics provide limited value in assessing the capabilities of the Waymo Driver, or in distinguishing its performance from other A/V companies."Further, our testing program spans different vehicles, software platforms, testing environments and objectives, so the disengagement rate in any given year simply can't be predictive of real world performance."Waymo reported 21 disengagements over 629,000 miles of autonomous driving in California for a rate of 0.033 per 1,000 miles, The disengagement rate fell for a sixth year in a row, despite additional complexity Waymo said it introduced this year, including adding new testing locations.Most of Waymo's disengagements were due to either the vehicle failing to detect an object correctly or due to an "unwanted maneuver of the vehicle."Experts and safety advocates note it's challenging to track progress in autonomous vehicle testing due to minimal data reporting requirements. Companies may voluntarily participate in a data reporting program with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but are not required to do so.The DMV reported Tuesday there were 63 reports submitted for 2020 that showed AV fleets drove nearly 2 million miles, a decrease of 800,000 from 2019 likely because COVID-19 prevented and limited testing.In 2019, Cruise drove 831,040 miles, but the company had to halt testing during shelter-in-place orders and the California wildfires."At the heart of these reports is one very simple stat the total autonomous miles driven by self-driving cars. In our case, Cruise drove 770,049 miles in California in 2020. And while the old adage says, 'It's not the years, it's the mileage,' last year was definitely an exception to the rule," wrote Grant. "It's simply impossible to tell the story of those miles without the context of the unprecedented year during which they were driven." Surge Covid testing will be rolled out in Hampshire, Middlesbrough and Walsall after cases of the South Africa variant were detected. Additional surge testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed to the TS7 postcode in Middlesbrough, areas in Walsall and in specific areas in the RG26 postcode in Hampshire where the Covid-19 variant first identified in South Africa has been found. The mutant coronavirus strain which has now been spotted more than 200 times across the UK was discovered around the Bramley area, which lies six miles north of Basingstoke. The mutant coronavirus strain which has now been spotted more than 200 times across the UK was discovered around the Bramley (file image) area, which lies six miles north of Basingstoke There are now six variants of coronavirus being investigated by Public Health England, five of which have already been found in the UK Mutant strains of Covid-19 are spreading across the country despite the strict lockdown, threatening the government's plans to reopen the economy Hampshire County Council said 'the risk of transmission from this single case is considered to be very low' and surge testing in the area will get underway next week. Surge testing which involves local officials going door-to-door has already been deployed in dozens of areas of England to find cases of troublesome variants. It comes as extra testing will be carried out in Middlesbrough following the detection of a case of the South African variant. The case is linked to the Marton and Coulby Newham areas, and an additional test centre has now been set up at the Parkway Centre in Coulby Newham with residents older than 16 urged to get tested. An appointment is not needed. The operation in parts of Walsall has been extended in response to a confirmed second case of the variant which is not believed to be linked to international travel. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said people living within the targeted areas are strongly encouraged to take a Covid-19 test this week, whether they are showing symptoms or not. Meanwhile extra swabs were dished out to Bristol last week because of a cluster of cases of the Kent variant that had picked up a new mutation also found in the South African strain. Simon Bryant, director of public health at Hampshire County Council, said: 'I appreciate that this news may be worrying for the local community, but it's really important to understand that the risk of transmission from this single case is considered to be very low, helped by the fact that national restrictions are in place, with most people staying at home and adhering to the Government guidance of 'hands, face, space' 'Furthermore, there is no evidence that this particular variant causes more severe illness, or that the regulated vaccines do not protect against it. 'Following confirmation of the case and in line with Government guidelines, the county council has begun work with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Public Health England, our local NHS, as well as the Department of Health and Social Care, to arrange a localised surge-testing programme in the area. This is due to begin next week. 'The rapid local testing programme is primarily a precautionary measure designed to help the Government to better understand and prevent the spread of new variants across the country.' There are fears that vaccines being dished out in Britain are less effective at stopping people becoming ill with the South African variant, after studies indicated they don't block the mutant strain as well as other types of the virus. But scientists are confident they will still be potent enough to reduce Covid to 'the sniffles' and prevent vaccinated people from being hospitalised or dying which is their main purpose. The South African variant of coronavirus, known as B.1.351, has mutations on its outer spike proteins that change the shape of the virus in a way that makes it look different to the body than older versions of the virus. Because the immune system's antibodies are so specific, any change in the part of the virus that they attach to in this case the spikes can affect how well they can do so. Current vaccines have been developed using versions of the virus from a year ago, which didn't have the mutations the South African variant does, so scientists are worried the immunity they create won't be good enough to stop it. Research published last week claimed that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine the main jab being used in Britain's mammoth inoculation drive appears to only have a 'minimal effect' against the variant. A study of 2,000 people by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg found that two doses of the jab may only offer 10-20 per cent protection against mild or moderate Covid. The study was controversial, however nobody in the test group developed severe Covid but the researchers said this 'could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at such low risk'. Participants' average age was 31 and they were otherwise healthy. Scientists working on the vaccine said they still believe it will be protective at cutting the risk of severe illness and death, however. Oxford and AstraZeneca said they are already working on a booster jab targeted at the South African variant and that it will be ready by autumn. According to Public Health England data analysed by the PA news agency, Middlesbrough currently has the fifth highest infection rate in England. As of February 8, the rate per 100,000 people stood at 357.5, down slightly from 359.6 the week before. Pictured: Handout photo issued by Cleveland Police of people going sledging at Flatts Lane Country Park in Middlesbrough on Wednesday. Issue date: Friday February 12, 2021. Police have warned the public of the Covid risks posed by large crowds after hundreds of people gathered to go sledging or drink in parks this week Esther Mireku, consultant in public health in Middlesbrough, said: 'I urge everyone over the age of 16 in the Marton and Coulby Newham areas to come forward for a test. This will help us understand more about the potential spread of this new variant. 'While the overall Covid infection rate in Middlesbrough has now halved from its peak in early January, it has still not decreased as much as we would have liked. 'The high prevalence of Covid in the town, combined with the reporting of this variant, are a reminder to everyone of the importance of staying at home as much as possible and following hands-face-space when out for an essential reason.' Local mayor Andy Preston said: 'New variants are popping up in different towns and cities around the country. 'What's really important now is that we establish whether the variant has spread further around Middlesbrough.' Tees Valley's elected mayor Ben Houchen said people in the area should not be 'overly alarmed'. He said: 'Our region has made phenomenal progress in vaccinating the majority of our most vulnerable residents thanks to the hard work and dedication of our NHS heroes.' Mr Houchen said it was still critical for people to follow the rules to protect others. Surge testing has been used in a number of areas across the country in attempts to get on top of new variants of the disease. People in areas of Lambeth in south London as well as parts of Worcestershire, Manchester, Kent and Surrey have all been offered tests when cases of new strains have been identified. The DHSC said surge testing in the Egham and Broxbourne areas, which began on February 6 and February 1, is now complete and further data on surge testing will be provided in due course. WILL THE CURRENT VACCINES WORK AGAINST SOUTH AFRICAN COVID VARIANT? The South African variant of coronavirus, known as B.1.351, has mutations on its outer spike proteins that change the shape of the virus in a way that makes it look different to the body than older versions of the virus. Because the immune system's antibodies are so specific, any change in the part of the virus that they attach to in this case the spikes can affect how well they can do so. Current vaccines have been developed using versions of the virus from a year ago, which didn't have the mutations the South African variant does, so scientists are worried the immunity they create won't be good enough to stop it. Here's what we know about the vaccines and the variant so far: Oxford/AstraZeneca (Approved; Being used in the UK) Research published in February claimed that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine appears to have a 'minimal effect' against the South African variant. A study of 2,000 people by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg found that two doses of the jab may only offer 10-20 per cent protection against mild or moderate Covid-19. The study was controversial, however nobody in the test group developed severe Covid-19 but the researchers said this 'could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at such low risk'. Participants' average age was 31 and they were otherwise healthy. Scientists working on the vaccine said they still believe it will be protective. Oxford and AstraZeneca said they are already working on a booster jab targeted at the South African variant and that it will be ready by autumn. Pfizer/BioNTech (Approved; Being used in the UK) Two studies suggest that Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine will protect against the South African variant, although its ability to neutralise the virus is lower. One by Pfizer itself and the University of Texas found that the mutations had 'small effects' on its efficacy. In a lab study on the blood of 20 vaccine recipients they found a reduction in the numbers of working antibodies to tackle the variant, but it was still enough to destroy the virus, they said. Another study by New York University has made the same finding on 10 blood samples from people who had the jab. That team said there was a 'partial resistance' from the variant and that a booster should be made, but that it would still be more effective than past infection with another variant. Pfizer is developing an updated version of its jab to tackle the variant. Moderna (Approved; Delivery expected in March) Moderna said its vaccine 'retains neutralizing activity' in the face of the South African variant. In a release in January the company said it had tested the jab on the blood of eight people who had received it and found that antibody levels were significantly lower when it was exposed to the South Africa variant, but it still worked. It said: 'A six-fold reduction in neutralizing [antibodies] was observed with the B.1.351 variant relative to prior variants. Despite this reduction, neutralizing levels with B.1.351 remain above levels that are expected to be protective.' Moderna is working on a booster jab to tackle the South African variant. Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Awaiting approval; 30m doses) Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has trialled its vaccine in South Africa and found it prevented 57 per cent of Covid cases. This was the lowest efficacy the company saw in its global trials in Latin America it was 66 per cent and in the US 72 per cent. These differences are likely in part due to the variants in circulation. The vaccine was 85 per cent effective at stopping severe disease and 100 per cent effective at stopping death from Covid-19, even in South Africa where the variant is dominant, Janssen said. Advertisement New Delhi, Feb 13 : Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has reiterated that the farmers protesting against the Centre's contentious farm laws will intensify their stir until their demands are met. On Saturday, Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee and several other leaders of Samuykta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of the 41 farmer unions, visited the Ghazipur protest site to extend support to the peasants' protest. "The summer season would soon be setting in and farmers require AC and coolers to stay put at the protest site. The government should provide power connections at the site or else we have to install generators. The way people got water for us at the protest site, they will also get us diesel for the generators." "The government wants to prolong the protest, but the farmers are also ready for a long haul and will not leave the site until the demands are met," Tikait added. The BKU leader further said: "We will prepare 8 to 10 questions and distribute it among the people. Whenever, a party campaigns for the election, give them those questions. Soon we will be organising a meeting in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bengal to discuss the progress by the respective sate governments." Thousands of farmers are camping at Delhi''s border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November in protest against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September. WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that spared him the first-ever conviction of a current or former U.S. president but exposed the fragility of Americas democratic traditions and left a divided nation to come to terms with the violence sparked by his defeated presidency. Barely a month since the deadly Jan. 6 riot that stunned the world, the Senate convened for a rare weekend session to deliver its verdict, voting while armed National Guard troops continued to stand their posts outside the iconic building. The quick trial, the nations first of a former president, showed in raw and emotional detail how perilously close the invaders had come to destroying the nations deep tradition of a peaceful transfer of presidential power after Trump had refused to concede the election. Rallying outside the White House, he unleashed a mob of supporters to fight like hell for him at the Capitol just as Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Bidens victory. As hundreds stormed the building, some in tactical gear engaging in bloody combat with police, lawmakers fled for their lives. Five people died. The verdict, on a vote of 57-43, is all but certain to influence not only the former presidents political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Seven Republicans joined all Democrats to convict, but it was far from the two-third threshold required. The outcome after the uprising leaves unresolved the nations wrenching divisions over Trumps brand of politics that led to the most violent domestic attack on one of Americas three branches of government. Senators, we are in a dialogue with history, a conversation with our past, with a hope for our future, said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa.., one of the House prosecutors in closing arguments. What we do here, what is being asked of each of us here, in this moment, will be remembered. Trump, unrepentant, welcomed his second impeachment acquittal and said his movement has only just begun. He slammed the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. Though he was acquitted of the sole charge of incitement of insurrection, it was easily the largest number of senators to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty of an impeachment count of high crimes and misdemeanors. Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. Even after voting to acquit, the Republican leader Mitch McConnell condemned the former president as practically and morally responsible for the insurrection. McConnell contended Trump could not be convicted because he was gone from the White House. The trial had been momentarily thrown into confusion when senators Saturday suddenly wanted to consider potential witnesses, particularly concerning Trumps actions as the mob rioted. Prolonged proceedings could have been especially damaging for Bidens new presidency, significantly delaying his emerging legislative agenda. Coming amid the searing COVID-19 crisis, the Biden White House is trying to rush pandemic relief through Congress. Biden has hardly weighed in on the proceedings and was spending the weekend with family at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland. The nearly weeklong trial has delivered a grim and graphic narrative of the riot and its consequences in ways that senators, most of whom fled for their own safety that day, acknowledge they are still coming to grips with. House prosecutors have argued that Trumps was the inciter in chief stoking a months-long campaign with an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims they called the big lie that unleashed the mob. Five people died, including a rioter who was shot and a police officer. Trumps lawyers countered that Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. The senators, announcing their votes from their desks in the very chamber the mob had ransacked, were not only jurors but also witnesses. Only by watching the graphic videos rioters calling out menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the January certification tally did senators say they began to understand just how perilously close the country came to chaos. Many senators kept their votes closely held until the final moments on Saturday, particularly the Republicans representing states where the former president remains popular. Most of them ultimately voted to acquit, doubting whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Just look at what Republicans have been forced to defend, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Look at what Republicans have chosen to forgive. The second-ranking Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, acknowledged, Its an uncomfortable vote, adding, I dont think there was a good outcome there for anybody. In closing arguments, lead defender Michael van der Veen emphasized an argument that Republican senators also embraced: that it was all a phony impeachment show trial. Mr. Trump is innocent of the charges against him, said van der Veen. The act of incitement never happened. The House impeached Trump on the sole charge of incitement of insurrection one week after the riot, but the Senate was not in full session and McConnell refused requests from Democrats to convene quickly for the trial. Within a week Biden was inaugurated, Trump was gone and Pelosi sent the article of impeachment to the Senate days later, launching the proceedings. The turmoil on Saturday came as senators wanted to hear evidence about Trumps actions during the riot, after prosecutors said he did nothing to stop it. Fresh stories overnight had focused on Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, who said in a statement that Trump had rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters. Several Republican senators voted to consider witnesses. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina changed his vote to join them on that 55-45 vote. But with the Senate facing a prolonged trial and the defense poised to call many more witnesses, the situation was resolved when Herrera Beutlers statement about the call was read aloud into the record for senators to consider as evidence. As part of the deal, Democrats dropped their planned deposition of the congresswoman and Republicans abandoned their threat to call their own witnesses. They also agreed to include GOP Sen. Mike Lees time stamp of a call from Trump around the time Pence was evacuated, minutes after Trump sent a tweet critical of his vice president. Impeachment trials are rare, senators meeting as the court of impeachment over a president only four times in the nations history, for Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and now twice for Trump, the only one to be twice impeached. There have been no convictions. Unlike last years impeachment trial of Trump in the Ukraine affair, a complicated charge of corruption and obstruction over his attempts to have the foreign ally dig up dirt on then-campaign rival Biden, this one brought an emotional punch displayed in graphic videos of the siege that laid bare the unexpected vulnerability of the democratic system. At the same time, this years trial carried similar warnings from the prosecutors that Trump must be held accountable because he has shown repeatedly he has no bounds. Left unchecked, he will further test the norms of civic behavior, even now that he is out of office still commanding loyal supporters, they said. The remains of French and Russian soldiers who died during Napoleon's catastrophic retreat from Moscow in 1812 will be laid to rest Saturday in a rare moment of unity between the two countries. A ceremony near the western city of Smolensk will see the re-burial of 126 people killed in one of the bloodiest battles of Napoleon's Russian campaign. The interment takes place as France marks the bicentenary of the military leader's death this year. Descendants of 19th-century Russian and French military leaders as well as dozens of re-enactors are expected to attend the burial in Vyazma, a town more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Moscow. Remains of 120 soldiers, three women and three teenagers were discovered in a mass grave by archaeologists from both countries in 2019. The dig was led by Pierre Malinowski, the Kremlin-connected head of the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historic Initiatives. The three women are believed to be so-called "vivandieres", who provided first aid and kept canteens in the French army, while the three adolescents are believed to have been drummers. All are thought to have fallen during the Battle of Vyazma on November 3, 1812 at the beginning of the French army's retreat from Moscow and before the horrific crossing of the Berezina River. The ceremony, complete with a gun salute, will mark a rare moment of unity between Russia and Europe at a time of heightened tensions over a litany of issues including the Kremlin's increasingly harsh crackdown on political opposition. - 'Sign of reconciliation' - "Direct descendants of the main players in the conflict are meeting here together in a sign of reconciliation to commemorate the Russian and French soldiers that their ancestors commanded more than 200 years ago," Malinowski told AFP. Yulia Khitrovo, a descendant of Russian field marshal Mikhail Kutuzov -- considered a national hero for repelling Napoleon's invasion -- added: "Death made them equal: they are all in one grave now." Story continues Prince Joachim Murat, a descendant of one of Napoleon's most celebrated marshals, called the upcoming ceremony a "symbol of mutual respect" between the once-warring sides. The site was first discovered during construction work and was initially believed to be one of the many World War II mass graves that dot western Russia. But research by the Russian Academy of Sciences later showed that the remains were of victims of Napoleon's campaign, most of them in their 30s at the time of their death, said anthropologist Tatyana Shvedchikova. Alexander Khokhlov, head of the archaeological expedition, said that the discovery of metal uniform buttons helped establish that some of the victims served in the French army's 30th and 55th line infantry regiments and 24th light infantry regiment. ml-as/jbr/tgb ADVERTISEMENT As the world celebrates the World Condom Day (WCD) today, sections of the countrys public health community are reflecting on what they call the 600 million unmet condoms demand gap and the challenges of promoting safer sex awareness, reduction of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as a smart pathway towards family planning. To commemorate this years World Condom Day, the Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism, PTCIJ, in collaboration with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) will be hosting a tweet meet to discuss the importance of condoms in society and its role in family planning. The Advocacy and Marketing Manager for AHF in Nigeria, Steve Aborisade, however, told PREMIUM TIMES, in Abuja, Friday, that closing the condom gap was critical for promoting safer sex awareness and enhancing the sustainability of condom promotion, especially for key population groups in high burden areas of Nigeria. Referencing a 2017 study produced for his organisation, Mr Aborisade said general Nigerian consumption pattern revealed that 83 per cent of adult Nigerians believe that people should use condoms, while 58 per cent requested that advocacy groups and other concerned stakeholders should create awareness on the negative effects of not using condoms. Also, the major reason cited among those that do not use condoms is that it is against their religion (34 per cent), he said. The study, titled Condom Landscape Assessment, was a nationwide public opinion poll regarding condom accessibility and use in Nigeria, and was conducted by NOI-Polls for the AHF and NACA. Mr Aborisade said, Nigerias condom market, thought to be more than 400 million condoms, remains shackled by market inefficiencies which limit equitable and sustainable access to condoms, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. The study suggested that the outpouring of free condoms and inadequate targeting of free condom distribution are the drivers for the market inefficiencies because they disrupted sales of commercial and socially marketed condom brands, triggering insufficiency in the market at a time the country was facing an $18 million per year funding gap for condoms. According to the 2017 report, more men (57.6 per cent between the ages of 15 and 49) reported using a condom when they last had sex, compared to 39.8 per cent of women, while in the past decade, the (2010-2015) national HIV strategy which aimed to increase condom use, particularly among young people and those who have never been married identified condom uptake as major area of challenge, identifying cost, low availability and resistance to condom promotion from certain key religious and cultural groups to have been some of the main barriers to progress. Condoms have always come with attitudes and the study, three years ago, confirmed that 63 per cent of Nigerians admitted that the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear the word condom is sexual pleasure, while 45 per cent disclosed that they instantly think of promiscuity when they see someone with a condom. However, opinion on personal consumption showed that only 34 per cent of Nigerians admitted that they use condoms. Of this number only 28 per cent of them stated that they use condoms consistently. It is important to note that this is 34 per cent of the general population as the survey did not screen for condom use among high-risk individuals. Also, to create better awareness of condom, 52 per cent of respondents believe that it is appropriate to promote the use of condoms to Nigerians from the age of 18 and it is reassuring to know that 78 per cent of Nigerians disclosed that they are likely to recommend the use of condoms to someone. Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism [PTCIJ] is a non-profit media innovation and development organisation. Its theory of change is erected on using independent journalism that advances good governance, anti-corruption, fundamental human rights, democratic accountability to foster development through investigative journalism, open data and civic technology. Among its successful signature projects include: a health reporting; fact checking; media freedom, media and terrorism, natural resource and climate journalism projects. Elaborating on the partnership, PTCIJs Programme Manager on Health Journalism, Mboho Eno, said popularizing condom use, at this time, represents one of the most important public health initiatives, and slammed as shameful, the position of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, which disallows the advertisement of condoms. There is no better time than now, Mr Eno remarked, to fully and generously popularise the use of condoms as a strategy to improve the current family planning regime in the country, to combat the increasing incidence of Gender Based Violence, and stem the ravages of other pandemics like HIV/AIDS. We have worked closely with women, youth and children focused organizations in the past, and in the last three years, we have consistently held an annual dialogue around the primary health care system, family planning, and health financing in Nigeria. This dialogue brings together the medical practitioners, policymakers, donor agencies and citizens, Mr Eno said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form New Delhi: Amid the ongoing agitation against the Centre's new farm laws, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has sought power connections for AC and coolers at farmers' protest sites. "The summer season would soon be setting in and farmers require AC and coolers to stay put at the protest site. The government should provide power connections at the site or else we have to install generators," IANS quoted BKU leader Rakesh Tikait as saying. He added that the way people got water for the agitating farmers at the protest site, they will also get diesel for the generators. Tikat reiterated that the farmers will intensify their stir until their demands are met and told IANS, "The government wants to prolong the protest, but the farmers are also ready for a long haul and will not leave the site until the demands are met." He stated, "We will prepare 8 to 10 questions and distribute it among the people. Whenever, party campaigns for the election, give them those questions. Soon we will be organising a meeting in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bengal to discuss the progress by the respective state governments." Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare said that the Centre had promulgated these three news laws - The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, on June 5, 2020, by following the due procedure. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare added that the draft of the Ordinances had been circulated to various ministries and departments, NITI Aayog etc, for their comments. "The state governments were also consulted through video conferencing on May 21, 2020, which was attended by the officials of states and UTs, to obtain feedback on new legal framework facilitating barrier-free inter-State and intra-State trade in agriculture produce to provide choice to farmers," the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare stated. "During COVID-19 lockdown due to disruption of markets and supply chains, there was an utmost need to allow free direct marketing outside the mandis to facilitate the farmers in selling their produce near to farm gate at remunerative prices. As COVID-19 situation may have a prolonged effect globally on the demand side, hence the urgency for the promulgation of an Ordinances was necessitated to provide a new facilitative framework to promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade to increase market accessibility for farmers to realize their income," the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare added. They added that in view of COVID-19 outbreak, the Government had also proactively undertaken many webinars interactions with farmers and other stakeholders on new farm laws between June 5 and September 17, 2020. This is to be noted that the Centre and the agitating farmers' unions have had 11 rounds of negotiations, but all of them have remained inconclusive. In a similar development, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said that his government is planning to bring a law under which protesters will have to pay for the damage to public properties during any protest. He was talking to media after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Khattar said, "We have been planning to bring this law even before the farmers' movement started. Once the Supreme Court in its decision had said that nobody had the right to vandalise public property, and we are bringing a law under which people have to pay for damage to public property." Meanwhile, Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee on Saturday visited the Ghazipur protest site in Delhi to extend support to the farmers' protest. The 84-year-old exhorted farmers to remain peaceful in their protest and urged the Centre to take care of the farming community. Thousands of farmers are camping at Delhi's border since late November 2020 and are demanding the new farm laws to be repealed. Live TV remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Increasing activity in the development of vaccines by China amid the unrelenting coronavirus has put the country in the saddle in the fight against the pandemic. In recent days, the country has recorded zero or near zero infections and fatalities, which definitely shows that it has subdued the coronavirus and is at least out of danger in the foreseeable future. But China is not resting on its laurels and isolating itself from the coronavirus vagaries being experienced in many other countries and regions. The government is cognizant of the fact that no one is safe even if one of us is infected. For instance, the latest data released by the National Health Commission on Wednesday showed that the two new cases reported in the Chinese mainland were both imported from overseas. In fact, it can be argued that a vaccine is not a priority for China as compared to other countries that still have high infection rates. As early as June 2020, China promised that it would make its COVID-19 vaccine a global public good when it is ready for use. Critically, vaccine development should focus on ensuring safety, effectiveness and accessibility. Truthfully, China is now following up on its promise through what experts have termed as "vaccine diplomacy." Early this month, China donated 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Pakistan, the first country to receive this gesture. Of course, this cements the strong bond between these countries, with China being seen as walking the talk. In the waiting list and current recipients of China's vaccine magnanimity include members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and African countries as well. As part of plans to enhance credibility in the process, Chinese vaccines will also be available through the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVAX facility which plans to deliver at least 1.3 billion coronavirus vaccines to 53 developing countries this year. But "vaccine diplomacy" is not to be mistaken with what cynics have previously maliciously referred to as debt diplomacy, which means the blackmailing of hapless debtors for undue benefits. The quest for universal vaccination is a genuine endeavor that seeks equity in realization of the fact that we are living in a community with a shared destiny. Even as the WHO is expected to confirm the "not guilty" verdict regarding the origin of the coronavirus, particularly accusations that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China has not abrogated its role of helping to build a global community of health for all. In his opening address on Tuesday during the virtual China-Central and Eastern European Countries summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need for both partners to enhance joint response and experience sharing on prevention and treatment, explore cooperation on traditional medicine, and scale up public health and medical cooperation in the fight against the stubborn pandemic. In his phone call to U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday, Xi pleaded with his counterpart to engage in cooperation rather than confrontation. "When China and the United States work together, they can accomplish a great deal for the good of both countries and the world at large; confrontation between the two countries, however, will definitely be disastrous for both countries and the world," the Chinese president said. Indeed, vaccine development and distribution worldwide would be an ideal place to start in attempts to rapprochement between the two greatest nations. The Chinese government has also stated that it is not averse to the country's Big Pharma working with counterparts abroad in order to ramp up the development and production of vaccines in the race against the spread of the pandemic and the ensuing high demand for inoculation. Definitely, this kind of cooperation will reduce the logistics of producing and supplying the vaccines from a central source. The vaccination exercise will also have a much wider outreach. It is instructive that the WHO is discussing cooperation with Chinese COVID-19 vaccine developers. Moreover, even countries with the wherewithal of producing their own vaccines might decide to cut to the chase and reproduce the ones that China has already fully developed and licensed. This kind of partnership will free up resources and the effort needed by countries to rebuild their battered economies due to the effects of the pandemic. COVID-19 has given China the opportunity to walk the talk in its appeal for a world with shared values where all members of the global community are taken as equals. It has also shown the need for projects like the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in times of crisis. Such an infrastructural system will ease transport and communications on a global scale, overcoming barriers of time and space. (From CGTN) Continuing its streak of low numbers of single-day coronavirus cases, India reported 12,143 new infections in the last 24 hours even as its overall tally mounted to 1,08,92,746, health officials said on Saturday. For over two weeks, the country has recorded less than 15,000 new infections daily. Also, the daily COVID-19 death toll has been below the 200-mark for more than a month now. On February 9, India had reported 9,110 new cases, the lowest this year so far. Last year, the lowest 9,633 cases were recorded on June 3. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that there were 103 more COVID-19 fatalities, taking the overall death toll to 1,55,080. As per the ministry's data, there are 1,36,571 active cases at present after 11,395 patients were discharged in a day. Till now, 1,06,00,625 persons have been discharged. The recovery rate has increased to 97.32 per cent, while the fatality rate is down to 1.43 per cent. The ministry also informed that 7,43,614 samples were tested on Friday. Close to 8 million (7,967,647) doses of corona vaccine doses have been administered in India since the drive began on January 16 after the approval for 'Covishield' and 'Covaxin'. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) The Department of Agriculture has launched 29-billion twin program that aims to revive the local industry adversely affected by the African Swine Fever. In a statement, the department said its Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion, or INSPIRE, and Bantay ASF sa Barangay, also dubbed BABay ASF, will focus on hog repopulation and encouraging raisers to go back to business, while also continuing efforts to control the spread of the hog virus. DA said INSPIRE will have an initial funding of 600 million to speed up repopulation efforts to ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability of pork and pork products. The program has three components: calibrated repopulation and swine livelihood enterprise, establishment of breeder multiplier farms; and intensive and modernized production, it noted. For BABay ASF, a local government unit-led program to curb the spread of ASF, will have an initial allocation of 1.5 billion. To encourage backyard and semi-commercial raisers in virus-free areas, the Agricultural Credit Policy Council will offer a 500-million loan program, without interest, payable in three to five years. The Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines will also be allocated 15 billion and 12 billion each for commercial operators. Meanwhile, raisers will also be compensated 10,000 for each pig culled due to ASF. A transport assistance of 800 million as also set aside for growers and traders who deliver and sell their supply to Metro Manila public markets. The DA reported that as of Feb. 12, a total of 3,748 live hogs were already shipped from different regions of the country to the capital region to stabilize supply and price. Biggest contributors were Western Visayas (36%) and Central Luzon (35%). Some regions were not able to transport hogs due to insufficiency of their supply and moratoriums imposed in the local level, it noted. Agriculture Secretary William Dar told CNN Philippines Newsroom Weekend that overall, the country has enough food supply and the potential 400,000 MT shortfall in pork supply this year will be addressed through importation. There are also fewer ASF outbreaks being observed in the past months compared to its first year, he added. To date, more than 400,000 hogs were already culled to control the spread of the hog disease. Total hog population as of Jan. 1 was 9.72 million head, a 24% decline from the year before. Dar also noted that an upcoming National Food Security Summit will also serve as a way to recalibrate food production strategies and programs towards the new normal. Kochi, Feb 13 : The Kerala unit of the NCP, presently an ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front, has split, according to rebel NCP MLA Mani C. Kappen who leads the breakaway faction. Kappen stated this after arriving here on Saturday from Delhi, where the state NCP leadership had a meeting with its national president over the impasse in the state unit. "I am no longer in the LDF and tomorrow we would join the ongoing rally of Congress' Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala at Pala and we will become an ally of the Congress-led UDF," said Kappen. Kappen said seven of the 14 district presidents of the NCP and nine of the 17 state leaders who are in the national committee are with him. NCP in Kerala over the years has been an ally of the Left and presently it has two legislators, including a state minister. NCP got a major boost when Mani C. Kappen won the Pala Assembly seat in 2019 in a bye-election, following the death of veteran K.M. Mani who was the legislator from Pala since its inception in 1967 and had not lost a single Assembly election. Kappen who lost to Mani in 2011 and 2016, won the seat in 2019 as K.M. Mani's party - Kerala Congress (Mani) failed to capitalise on the sympathy factor. But things went awry for Kappen ever since K.M. Mani's son, Jose K. Mani, who now leads the Kerala Congress (Mani) along with his supporters became an ally of the LDF, while its other faction led by P.J. Joseph continues in the UDF. And it became more evident after the LDF's success in the local body polls held in December, especially in districts like Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, where Jose K. Mani was able to bring in more seats for the Left. Things turned from bad to worse, when talk began that Kappen would have to vacate his seat in the upcoming Assembly polls in April-May for Jose K. Mani, who has already quit the Rajya Sabha and is all set to contest from Pala. NCP nominee in the Pinarayi Vijayan government, A.K. Saseendran said Kappen has let down all those who voted to elect him, especially the LDF. "It's unfortunate that Kappen took the decision to leave, even before the national leadership of our party made theirs. If one now looks into what's happening, it's now clear that Kappen had a tacit understanding with the UDF," said Saseendran. "Kappen is only an indivudal and not the party, as the NCP continues to be in the Left fold. His leaving will have no impact," said LDF convenor and CPM leader A. Vijayaraghavan. Leader of opposition and Congress veteran Ramesh Chennithala who is leading his yatra in the state welcomed the decision of Kappen. "We welcome Kappen into our fold and he will contest from his sitting seat at Pala. The Left has cheated Kappen as his winning seat is being given to the party which lost the polls," said Chennithala. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East The Central Water Commission (CWC) is conducting simulation studies on the artificial lake formed in the upper stretches of the Rishiganga river after the catastrophic Uttarakhand flood early this week, and also examining the possibility of carrying out a controlled blast to drain out the water. CWC chairman Saumitra Haldar on Saturday said studies are being conducted keeping in mind the forecast of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that the area could receive a rainfall of 1 cm and snowfall of 10 cm on February 15 and 16. The CWC is also examining possibilities of what can be done if the water to rises to "critical" level. "We are assessing what could be the impact if the water level rises following rains and snowfall as predicted by the IMD. We are also studying what volume of water would be released if the lake bursts and how much time it would take to reach downstream," Haldar told PTI. He said the lake is 400 metres in length, 25 metres wide and 60 metres deep. "We don't want the size of the lake to increase any further. We are examining all possibilities that also include controlled blast at the lake," Haldar said. He, however, pointed out that the site is not accessible and it has not been decided which agency will execute the controlled blast. "So in case if the controlled blast is not possible, we are also exploring other ways to tackle the situation," he added. Haldar said several agencies/ institutes like the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), ISRO's Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority have conducted studies on the lake. The temporary water body was formed after sediments that the Sunday's flash floods brought down, blocking the mouth of a stream that joins the Rishiganga river. The CWC chairman said as of now there is no increase in the water level from Joshimath to Haridwar. "We are continuously monitoring the water levels downstream," he said. In a tweet on Friday, the CWC said, "An artificial Lake has formed on river Rishiganga in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, with a length of 350 m height of 60 m with slope of 10 deg." The Himalayas has more than 2,000 glacial lakes of 10 hectares or more. The CWC monitors 477 glacial lakes of a size more than 50 hectares. These lakes also feed the Himalayan rivers. RESCUE OPERATIONS Meanwhile, rescue teams began widening a hole drilled into an approach tunnel on the way to the possible location of over 30 people trapped inside a sludge-choked tunnel of the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project after a flash flood ravaged the area on Sunday. "We are working under a three-pronged strategy to reach to those trapped in the tunnel. The hole we drilled yesterday is being widened to one feet so as to reach a camera and a pipe inside the silt flushing tunnel where the trapped are said to be located, General Manager of the NTPC project, R P Ahirwal, told PTI. A hole with a diameter of one feet will help send in a camera to ascertain their location and a pipe to flush out accumulated water from the tunnel, Ahirwal said. The other two parts of the strategy are clearing the desilting basin of the NTPC barrage through which muck is constantly flowing into the tunnels and restoring the flow of the Dhauliganga to the right which has tilted to the left after the flash flood hampering the sludge clearing operation, he said. Describing the rescue of people as a priority, he said the NTPC has put more than 100 of its scientists on the job. When asked whether an attempt could also be made to send rescue personnel to the possible location of those trapped inside the tunnel through the hole, the GM said it will need to be widened further for that and will be done if the need arises. "More than 100 of our scientists are on the job. They are devising strategies and having them implemented," Ahirwal said. He said all resources and mechanical equipment required for the operations are available at the project site. However, citing the conditions inside the tunnel, he said, "We can operate only with a few machines at a time. Rest of them have to be kept on standby because our strategy is to keep the operations underway round the clock." If for some reason an equipment stops working, there are alternatives on the standby to ensure that the operations do not stop, he said. He said many experienced workers of the project went missing in the calamity and those put on the job are new people but still they are working with total dedication. Talking about the biggest challenge being faced by the rescue team, the NTPC official said, "The rescue personnel are going to the tunnel where the men are likely to be trapped via HCC Adit where muck is constantly coming down from the NTPC barrage and its desilting basin to hamper the rescue efforts. The water of Dhauliganga too is coming into our tunnels through the desilting basin as it has tilted to the left after the avalanche." "Hence, restoring the flow of the Dhauliganga to the right is a big part of our strategy," Ahirwar said. The sludge choked contours and conduits of the barrage's desilting basin can also be removed more effectively only if the flow is restored back to its earlier position. The work on restoring the flow of Dhauliganga has begun already with the help of heavy machines, he said. So far, 38 bodies have been recovered from the affected areas while 166 are still missing. DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne said 11 of the dead have been identified. Eighteen body parts had also been recovered from the flood-hit areas, of which 10 have been cremated after taking their DNA samples so far, he said. The State Emergency Operation Centre here said scientists of the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing during an aerial survey of the Rishiganga found that the glacial lake formed due to the avalanche over it has begun to release water which reduces chances of its breaching or causing a fresh flash flood. The lake which has formed over the Rishiganga after the flashflood had increased the concern of experts on Friday. WASHINGTON (AP) House Democrats began wrapping up their impeachment case against Donald Trump on Saturday after a chaotic morning in which they gave up a last-minute plan for witness testimony that could have significantly prolonged the trial and delayed a vote on whether the former president incited the deadly Capitol insurrection. An unexpected vote in favor of hearing witnesses threw the trial into confusion just as it was on the verge of concluding. But both sides ultimately reached a deal to instead enter into the record a statement from a Republican House lawmaker about a heated phone call on the day of the riot between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that Democrats say established Trumps indifference to the violence. Republicans are anxious to get the trial over with and discussion of Trump and the Capitol invasion behind them. Democrats, too, have a motive to move on since the Senate cannot move ahead on President Joe Bidens agenda including COVID-19 relief while the impeachment trail is in session. While most Democrat were expected to vote to convict the former president, acquittal appeared likely with a two-thirds majority required for conviction and the chamber split 50-50 between the parties. Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he would vote to acquit Trump, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Closely watched, the GOP leaders view could influence others in his party. At issue at first on Saturday was whether to subpoena Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, one of 10 Republicans to vote for Trumps impeachment in the House. She said in a statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from McCarthy to call off the rioters. Democrats consider it key corroborating evidence that confirms the presidents willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief. The situation was resolved when Herrera Beutlers statement on the call was read aloud into the record for senators to consider as evidence. As part of the deal, Democrats dropped their planned deposition and Republicans abandoned their threat to subpoena hundreds of their witnesses. The case then proceeded to closing arguments. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland had said that witnesses were necessary to determine Trumps role in inciting the riot. There were 55 senators who voted for his motion to consider witnesses, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah. Once they did, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina changed his vote to join them on the 55-45 vote. Trump lawyers opposed calling witnesses, with attorney Michael van der Veen saying it would open the door to him calling as many as 100. He said the depositions could be done in his law office in Philadelphia, prompting laughter from senators. If you vote for witnesses, Van der Veen said, crossing his arms and then then raising them in the air for emphasis, do not handcuff me by limiting the number of witnesses that I can have. Senators meeting as the court of impeachment are restrained in taking up other business without consent of the Republican minority, which is unlikely. Rules require senators to be present for the proceedings and this past week almost no other major items have been considered as the trial was underway. The outcome of the raw and emotional proceedings is expected to reflect a country divided over the former president and the future of his brand of politics. The verdict could influence not only Trumps political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Whats important about this trial is that its really aimed to some extent at Donald Trump, but its more aimed at some president we dont even know 20 years from now, said Sen. Angus King, the independent from Maine. The nearly weeklong trial has delivered a grim and graphic narrative of the riot and its consequences in ways that senators, most of whom fled for their own safety that day, acknowledge they are still coming to grips with. House prosecutors have argued that Trumps rallying cry to go to the Capitol and fight like hell for his presidency just as Congress was convening Jan. 6 to certify Bidens election victory was part of an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims that unleashed the mob. Five people died, including a rioter who was shot and a police officer. Trumps lawyers countered in a short three hours Friday that Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. Only by watching the graphic videos rioters calling out menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the vote tally did senators say they began to understand just how perilously close the country came to chaos. Hundreds of rioters stormed into the building, taking over the Senate. Some engaged in hand-to-hand, bloody combat with police. Many Republicans representing states where the former president remains popular doubt whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Democrats appear all but united toward conviction. Trump is the only president to be twice impeached and the first to face trial charges after leaving office. Unlike last years impeachment trial of Trump in the Ukraine affair, a complicated charge of corruption and obstruction over his attempts to have the foreign ally dig up dirt on then-campaign rival Biden, this one brought an emotional punch over the unexpected vulnerability of the U.S. tradition of peaceful elections. The charge is singular, incitement of insurrection. On Friday, Trumps impeachment lawyers accused Democrats of waging a campaign of hatred against the former president as they wrapped up their defense. His lawyers vigorously denied that Trump had incited the riot and they played out-of-context video clips showing Democrats, some of them senators now serving as jurors, also telling supporters to fight, aiming to establish a parallel with Trumps overheated rhetoric. This is ordinary political rhetoric, said van der Veen. Countless politicians have spoken of fighting for our principles. Democratic senators shook their heads at what many called a false equivalency to their own fiery words. Impeachment managers say that Trump was the inciter in chief whose monthslong campaign against the election results was rooted in a big lie and laid the groundwork for the riot, a violent domestic attack on the Capitol unparalleled in history. Get real, Raskin said at one point. We know that this is what happened. Six Republican senators who joined Democrats in voting to take up the case are among those most watched for their votes. Early signals came Friday during questions for the lawyers. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, asked the first question, Two centrists known for independent streaks, they leaned into a point the prosecutors had made, asking exactly when Trump learned of the breach of the Capitol and what specific actions he took to end the rioting. Democrats had argued that Trump did nothing as the mob rioted. Another Republican who voted to launch the trial, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, asked about Trumps tweet criticizing Pence moments after the then-president was told by another senator that Pence had just been evacuated. Van der Veen responded that at no point was the president informed of any danger. Cassidy told reporters later it was not a very good answer. ---- By LISA MASCARO, ERIC TUCKER and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press The TMC leader's remark came following Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement that the CAA will be implemented in Bengal once the COVID-19 vaccination is over, something that Banerjee claimed will take at least 10 years Kulpi: Claiming that it would take 10 years to complete the COVID-19 vaccination process in the country, senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of misleading members of the Matua community on providing citizenship to them. Shah attacked the Mamata Banerjee government for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at public meetings in West Bengal on Thursday, and asserted that the contentious citizenship law would be enforced after the completion of the coronavirus inoculation programme. Referring to TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi's resignation from Rajya Sabha on Friday months before the assembly polls, Abhishek Banerjee who is the youth wing president of the party and a Lok Sabha MP, said, "Trivedi said he was feeling suffocated. Let him go and get admitted to the BJP's ICU. "Shah said that the CAA will be implemented once the COVID vaccination work is completed in the country. It will take 10 years to complete the vaccination process in the entire country. He is misleading the Matuas," Banerjee said while addressing a public meeting at Kulpi in South 24 Parganas district. Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are the weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. Many of them have been accorded Indian citizenship but a sizeable section of the population has not got it. The Matua community, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party in at least four Lok Sabha seats more than 30 assembly seats in Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas districts. It once stood behind the TMC but had supported the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Now, both the BJP and the TMC are wooing the Matua people ahead of the Assembly election due in April-May. On Shah's statement that the TMC will be uprooted from West Bengal in the Assembly polls, he said that the TMC is not a cutout that one can uproot. "It is a party of grassroots. The more you cut it, the more it will grow," he said. Claiming that the only poll plank of the BJP is 'Jai Shri Ram' and it has no development agenda, the TMC leader alleged that the saffron party does not know to give respect to women. "They say Jai Shri Ram and not Jai Siya Ram. This is because they don't know to give respect to women," the nephew of Mamata Banerjee said. "Jai Siya Ram" means "glory to Sita and Lord Ram" while "Jai Shri Ram" denotes "hail Lord Ram". "See the way the BJP showed disrespect to Mamata Banerjee at the birth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata," he said. Mamata Banerjee, state chief minister, and the TMC supremo, on 23 January refused to speak at the event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after "Jai Shri Ram" slogans were raised by a section of the audience just before she was to start her address. The Diamond Harbour MP also alleged that women are tortured in BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the TMC will get more than 250 seats in the Assembly polls while the saffron party will find it difficult to cross the double-digit mark. Countering the BJP's claim of coming to power in the state by winning over 200 seats in the election to the 294- member Assembly, he said, "West Bengal will elect Mamata Banerjee as the chief minister for the third time." "The saffron party's clamour for a double-engine government (same party rule in the Centre as well as state) in West Bengal will fall flat before the single-engine power of Mamata Banerjee," he said, adding that the TMC will be in power for 50 years. He claimed that BJP leaders coming from north India are a "bunch of outsiders" who are not aware of the culture of Bengal, and spreading fake news to confuse people. The TMC MP alleged that the BJP is trying to impose north Indian culture on West Bengal. "Let me say our chief minister Mamata Banerjee will stand there like Maa Durga to fight against the BJP which has weapons like CBI and ED", he said. Banerjee claimed that the saffron party is trying to influence farmers of the state by promising to provide Rs 18,000 in their accounts, if elected to power, but "Bengal will never sell its spine to the BJP". The BJP has been saying that if voted to power in the state, it will ensure that each farmer of the state gets Rs 18,000 in arrears under the PM-KISAN scheme. "The BJP should first think of Gujarat, UP and other states. No need to worry about Bengal. Outsiders will not rule Bengal," the TMC leader said. Later, Banerjee conducted a roadshow from Kamalgazi to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas, a stretch of around 4 kilometres, atop a blue coloured bus named 'Didir doot' (agent of Didi). New Delhi, Feb 13 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday reiterated vehemently that his government is determined to give full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at appropriate time. Asserting that "it will happen", the Minister also requested the political parties and its leaders to understand the situation of the erstwhile state which was bifurcated into two Union Territories-- J&k with a legislative and Ladakh without one. "Jammu and Kashmir will be given statehood at an appropriate time...Please understand the situation of the Union Territory and avoid to give any speech that misguides the people of J&K," Shah said while speaking in the Lok Sabha. Delivering a speech to support the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to replace an ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre of civil services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, the Minister clarified that the Bill has nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. "We will give statehood. I have already said that it is a temporary system." On the opposition's question about what happened in 17 months in J&K after withdrawal of Article 370, the Minister questioned "what about your 70 years rule, if your are asking about our work?." "They should first think about themselves before asking me this question." Giving account of the Central government's work in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said it had established Panchayati Raj in the Union Territory with 51.7 per cent voting without firing any single bullet. He later listed steps taken so far for the welfare of people in Jammu and Kashmir. The Minister further said: "Jammu and Kashmir is in our hearts." On a question about the Supreme Court's opinion on holding a hearing on repeal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019 after which the region was bifurcated into two UTs, Shah said: "We are ready with our logic behind our step... but where is the Congress?" "It doesn't mean that we will not do anything for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir untill the Supreme Court starts its hearing on the matter. What kind of argument is it?" About the restriction on 2G and 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said, "This is not the time of the UPA, this is the Modi government. The restriction on 2G and 4G was to avoid spread of rumours." Earlier, introducing the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy said the government was working to take Jammu and Kashmir on the path to development. He said around 170 central laws are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to the erstwhile state. Raising objections on the bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked, "What was the need to bring an ordinance for this? Regularly promulgating ordinances is not good for a parliamentary democracy as an ordinance should be preceded by an emergency situation or any urgency." "Our point of contention is loud and clear," Chowdhury said, adding after abrogating Article 370, the government showed a "dream" to the people that they would turn Jammu and Kashmir into heaven and create jobs there. "Introduction of this bill reflects that the government took the step of abrogating Article 370 without any preparation," Chowdhury alleged. The Congress leader said Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state and the cadre should be local and officers having ground knowledge should be appointed there. He alleged that militancy is still prevalent in the union territory and people are living in an atmosphere of fear. The government had tried to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a large prison, Chowdhury said, adding they blocked telecommunication services and failed to normalise the situation there. "There is unemployment, restriction, lost avenues and total confusion," Chowdhury added. He further said the government had promised to bring back Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir Valley but has failed to ensure their return. "Please think for Jammu and Kashmir with new ideas and do not take ad-hoc measures," he said, adding the government should make Jammu and Kashmir a state and create a cadre to appoint officers there. Speaking against the bill, J&KNC leader Hasnain Masoodi said this bill is akin to an assault on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "You are continuously increasing confusion...What is the objective of this bill? You are taking Jammu and Kashmir towards uncertainty through this bill," he said, adding appointed officers should have connect with the ground realities. He added that the government should restore the position of Jammu and Kashmir to that prior to August 5, 2019. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Former President Donald J. Trumps lawyers opened and closed their impeachment defense in a span of three hours on Friday. They called the Houses charge against Mr. Trump a preposterous and monstrous lie, and their arguments drew praise from Republican senators. After the defense rested, senators submitted questions to each side. Closing arguments are set to begin on Saturday, most likely followed by a swift verdict. Here are takeaways from the fourth day of Mr. Trumps trial. The Trump defense sounded a lot like Trump himself. Republican senators lauded Mr. Trumps three-hour defense, during which his lawyers accused House impeachment managers of taking the former presidents words and actions out of context, complained about what they saw as the news medias unfair coverage of their client and presented many of Mr. Trumps own talking points and narratives. It was almost as though Mr. Trump was presenting his defense himself. And lawmakers applauded it as a huge improvement over the rambling and disorganized argument one of his lawyers, Bruce L. Castor Jr., delivered on Tuesday, a performance that was widely panned and infuriated Mr. Trump. The defense lawyers said the House managers manipulated their clients words and pointed to Mr. Trumps call to his supporters in his Jan. 6 speech to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Page 92 of volume one of the Bergin report into Crowns planned gambling mecca for Sydney, released in the past week, gives a sweet insight into how casino business is done in this country. Illustration: Reg Lynch Credit: In around February 2012 Mr James Packer met with then NSW Premier Mr Barry OFarrell OA, at the home of media identity Mr Alan Jones, the inquiry report reads. Mr Packer outlined his vision to build a $1 billion-plus hotel, casino and entertainment complex at Barangaroo. Later in February 2012 concept plans for a state-of-the-art, 350 room hotel and casino at Barangaroo were released to the media. Business journalist Damon Kitneys book on James Packer, The Price of Fortune, offers more detail. The meeting took place at Jones pied-a-terre in the controversial toaster building at Circular Quay, nestled next to the Opera House. Visitors to the apartment were generally greeted in the lobby by Jones butler, David, and then ushered upstairs to a couch studded with Versace throw cushions. On that day, Packer, OFarrell and Jones had lunch at the grand timber dining table. It was the first time the then-premier and Packer had met. Jones said there was nothing untoward about the meeting at all. COLUMBUS, OhioGov. Mike DeWine on Friday evening upped the pressure on Ohio schools to return to in-person classes on March 1, suggesting he would not begin teacher vaccinations at schools that dont. With this in mind, DeWine said Cleveland school district CEO Eric Gordon made a commitment to him to do everything in his power to reopen Cleveland schools by March 1. Gordon previously predicted that Cleveland schools wouldnt reopen classrooms until early April. DeWine, speaking during a hastily called televised briefing, noted that almost every school district in the state agreed to resume in-person classes by March 1 in exchange for teacher vaccines. But he said Friday that a handful of schools where vaccines have been distributed, including in Akron and Cincinnati, have indicated they will renege on that agreement and delay reopening. This is simply not acceptable, the governor said. DeWine said that he would not withhold second doses of the vaccine to teachers who have already been given an initial shot. The purpose of this is not to threaten anybody or punish anyone, the governor said. The purpose is -- lets get our kids back to school. DeWine said he had a frank, very plain, but a very good discussion with Gordon about reopening Cleveland schools, where teachers began getting vaccines earlier this week. DeWine said there are some challenges Gordon has and that his promise to work toward a March 1 reopening is good enough for me not to redirect any vaccines. A spokeswoman for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District did not immediately provide a comment Friday evening. DeWine said that while anyone who wanted the vaccination in Akron schools has received one, school administrators there arent planning to resume in-person learning until mid-March. Thats not acceptable either, the governor said. DeWines remarks came hours after an announcement by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that theres strong evidence in-person schooling can be done safely, as long as masks, social distancing and other strategies (though not necessarily teacher vaccinations) are put in place to protect against COVID-19. DeWine said that some Ohio schoolchildren have really not done very well with remote learning. Its time to get them back in school, he said. State government has a long history overruling cities home-rule authority -- including on issues ranging from guns to plastic bag bans in recent years. Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes and state Sen. Vernon Sykes, both Akron Democrats, criticized DeWines announcement in a joint statement, accusing the governor of chastising school districts who have suffered under the continued mismanagement of the vaccination distribution process. The father-daughter duo continued: We all want our kids back in school and our economy booming, but weve been hindered by the failed leadership from the top that refuses to acknowledge where the real issues are and instead places the blame on teachers, administrators and parents. Asif Iqbal, co-founder of Dhanak, a Delhi-based group that has helped 1,300 couples since 2012, says that SMA will be more helpful for couples if the provision of 30-days prior notice is removed It was only a virtual press conference, but it encapsulated both the venom and the defiant hope that characterise the world of inter-faith couples today. As half-a-dozen inter-faith couples opened up about their experiences at a Zoom meet on Friday, two voices interrupted them. The first, belonging to Dr Waleed Mallik, warned a couple from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh that he would get them locked up under the "love jihad" laws passed in these two states. The second, Mithila Thakur, spewing expletives, said he had taken down the names of every couple present at the meet. Mallik also warned Asif Iqbal, co-founder of Dhanak of Humanity, a Delhi-based organisation that has helped 1,300 inter-faith and inter-caste couples since 2012, to stop doing this work and helping "ka****" (expletive used for circumcised men, ie Muslims). A strange threat to emanate from a man carrying a Muslim name! The virtual press conference had been organised by Dhanak; the couples who addressed it had been helped by the organisation. Iqbal just laughed in response to Malliks threat. But the counter to these threatening voices came from the couples themselves at the end of the meet. Asked if social pressure was more of an obstacle than parental pressure, Anisha Khokhar from Gujarat replied: "Society does matter. But I want to say here that as an inter-faith couple, we will build a new society." "Our parents have to live in society. But we too have our own society. What is society but a set of people you move around with? If parents feel their image is important, we too feel our image means something in our samaaj," added Ayaan from Bengaluru. Ayaan married Shaili a year ago under the Special Marriage Act in Bengaluru, where both had been working since 2015. Their parents werent happy, but didnt create any problems. However, Ayaan admitted that an unfortunate distance had come up between them and their parents since the wedding. Till states stepped in with laws preventing inter-faith marriages, the bond with parents was the main point of tension for youngsters wanting to exercise their right to choose their own partners. Though this bond is said to be specially strong for daughters, Simran from Shahjahanpur broke this stereotype. Talking about organisations that thwart inter-faith marriages in the name of religion, Simran, who fled to Delhi with Shamim three weeks after UPs "love jihad" law was passed, said the only aim of such organisations was not protection of religion but crushing love. "Love gets consumed by the flames of the volcano unleashed by these organisations, specially in the girls family," she said. "This makes girls go back to their parents out of fear. I want to tell these girls not to do so. Ma baap to phir bhi mil jaayengey, lekin pyar phir nahin mil sakega. (Your parents will be reconciled sooner or later, but you wont find your love again.) Can laws shake such passionate commitment? These voices were from small towns, not big metros; these youngsters belonged to average families, described by Shamim as those "without support and connections." Shweta Jain (name changed) recalled asserting repeatedly that she had married a Muslim of her own free will, when their marriage created a furore in MP. "The Bajrang Dal refused to listen to me, they just went on taking out rallies demanding that 'their girl' be returned to them. Even the police did not tell them that I had given them a statement to that effect. The local media also said I had been deceived into the marriage. Even though my husband had converted to Hinduism, the Dal forced Muslims in my locality to vacate their shops." The couple finally came to Delhi to register their marriage under the Special Marriage Act. None of these couples wanted to convert or be converted. But the difficulties thrown up by the provisions of the Special Marriage Act, or, sometimes, by the officials entrusted with implementing the Act, had forced some of them to hurriedly have a religious ceremony, or flee their State. Marriage under the SMA requires a months notice, and inter-faith couples find it too risky to spend that much time in their hometowns. For instance, though Anisha and Shirish Solanki wanted to marry under the Special Marriage Act, they were forced to flee Vadodara after the stamp paper vendor saw her name on the affidavit required under the Act, and informed her father. They are now in Delhi. Dhanak is the magnet that attracts these couples to Delhi. The organisation has managed to get the Delhi government to follow the Supreme Courts 2018 directive that every district must have a "safe house" for such couples. Currently, a two-room flat in government quarters has been allotted as a safe house, where two couples can live. Dhanak also houses couples in their own office, but Iqbal said that there is no security there. "Just last week the police shifted a couple to a government dormitory, saying it was no longer safe for them to stay with us." Iqbal feels once the requirement of a month's notice is done away with, half the risks associated with getting married under the Special Marriage Act will vanish. But the Centre has told the Delhi High Court such a notice was necessary. It was responding to a petition filed by Nida Rehman against Secs 6 and 7 of the Special Marriage Act, which require issuance of a public notice inviting objections to the marriage within a month's time. Last month, the Allahabad High Court ruled that publishing such a notice and inviting objections from the public were no longer mandatory under the Special Marriage Act. The parties could specifically ask for such a notice to be published or not. The second safeguard that Iqbal stresses are safe houses in every district, where inter-faith couples can wait out the month's notice period. Apart from Delhi, such safe houses exist in Haryana and Punjab. Since the passing of the love jihad law in UP, distress letters to Dhanak have increased, specially from UP and MP, from inter-faith couples who do not want to convert. Once these couples come to Delhi, Dhanak has to get them to inform their families as well as the police in their hometown that they have left of their own accord. They also need to file an application before the Delhi Police to the same effect, and apply for protection from the court till they can either marry under the SMA or get their marriage registered under it. Yet, Azhar (name changed) complained that despite having done all this, his family in UP was being harassed by the police and his uncle had been beaten up at the police station there. State governments which pass laws against inter-faith marriages are hardly likely to provide safe houses for inter-faith couples. Even in non-BJP ruled states, how safe will such houses be given the attitude of the police and the media? Ultimately, it is the couples courage that will have to see them through. "Marriage without conversion is a marriage of equals. You have already started your relationship on the basis of equality by transcending the boundaries of faith and caste that society and your families impose on you. Now do not compromise by converting and regressing into those boundaries only to please your parents. Dont let your marriage become a marriage of unequals," was Iqbals advice to the couples. Dhanak plans to celebrate Valentines Day as it does every year with inter-faith couples. That day, Richardson, who was still in the uniform and with a gun belt, handcuffs and a scanner, went to the CHA property while driving a black Lincoln sedan, prosecutors said. He pulled over a vehicle, searched the people inside and released them. One of the security guards also asked Richardson that day about his gun which the guard told investigators appeared to be a replica or BB gun and Richardson left the area. After an hour of keenly and peacefully contested Council of State elections, the incumbent Council of State member in the Ashanti Region, Nana Owusu Achiaw who happens to be the Chief of Akrofonso Brempong has been re-elected for another term. The election which was in accordance with Article 89 of the 1992 constitution saw 8 candidates contesting but prior to the voting two candidates withdrew from the contest leaving 6. The electoral college was made up of 86 members drawn from the 43 MMDAs in the region. Along the line, drama and confusion nearly marred the beauty of the election as electoral officers and agents questioned the attitude of some voters who wanted to take pictures of their ballot which according to the officers was against the electoral law. After the vote cast, the 67-year-old Akronfosohene secured 77 votes out of 86 votes cast, James Nana Prempeh (Assemblyman for Fankyenebra Electoral Area) had 3 votes, Nana Bobie Ansah ll, Chief of Bonwire also had 6 votes with the rest of the candidates recording zero votes each. No rejected ballot was recorded at the end of the exercise. Security forces were deployed at the grounds to ensure maximum security. The Ashanti Regional Director of Electoral Commission, Mr. Benjamin Bannor- Bio declaring the results said he was satisfied with the level of conduct exhibited by both delegates and candidates for a successful election. The newly elected Member of Council of State, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong addressing the media after the declaration promised to continue giving counsel to the President, a counsel that will bring forth development to the region as a whole. Source: Prince Kwadwo Boadu / Hello FM Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video UN urges to investigate escalation of violence in Colombia Malaysia to open mega-centers for vaccination against coronavirus Police find 5 million in cash in London apartment French citizen to face trial in Iran on spaying charges Over 60 children in UK undergo surgery due to TikTok challenge Iranian Central Bank governor dismissed Armenian opposition: The one who liberated Artsakh will not go to debates with the one who sold it Iranian energy ministry: Iraq to allocate $ 125 million of frozen funds for vaccines No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects Armenia ex-PM says at least 2 more secret documents signed but not published yet Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia UK PM gets married in London Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia 2 people die in Armenia road accident Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released 61 quakes recorded in Congo per day Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country A few years ago, an Alaska fishing trip by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink was interrupted by a smoky haze from wildfires in Siberia. In his telling, that experience was a catalyst for his now-infamous letter calling for a halt to development in the 49th state. The irony is that the actions of Fink and other Wall Street megabanks are sending resource production to the dirty oil and gas fields of the Russian tundra. In doing so, they speed the very calamity they are ostensibly hoping to prevent. Climate change is a global phenomenon. Whether atmospheric carbon is produced in Alaska, Texas, or Russia has no relevance. Canceling a cutting-edge horizontal-drilling project on the North Slope doesnt stop demand for oil; it simply shifts production. Rather than pumping that oil from an Alaskan oil field, where stringent environmental regulations prevent flaring, extractors will harvest that oil from a dirty, carbon-spewing well in Russia. The net result? The environment gets warmer. More polar ice melts. More Alaskans are denied economic opportunity. Revenue that could have been used by the North Slope Borough to fund desperately needed schools and health clinics is diverted to Russian oligarchs and Saudi sheikhs. Money that Alaska needs to fund renewable-energy projects is instead used by Russia to build more Arctic oil and gas infrastructure. But it doesnt end there. Like every decision we make in life, canceling drilling on the North Slope comes with unintended consequences. You see, there is a larger threat looming in the Arctic one that we are actively funding by sending jobs and production to Russia. As the polar ice melts, the former Soviet Union is rapidly moving to stake claims under Arctic seas, where 10% of the worlds remaining petroleum lies. As we feed the Russian resource economy, Moscows Arctic operations accelerate exponentially. Already, weve seen the reopening of 50 Cold War installations near the Arctic Circle. Brand new nuclear icebreakers are rolling off Russian assembly lines, marking a stark contrast with Americas single operational ship. Just last month, three Russian gas tankers made a historic journey, hauling their loads out of the Arctic winter and down Alaskas coast. We cant afford to be naive about the motives of Wall Street banks. While the mega-rich like Larry Fink put on a show about saving the planet, they are knowingly underwriting those who are destroying it. When they fly in to Bristol Bay in their private jets, they lodge just miles from some of the poorest communities in America places desperate for the very economic opportunities these billionaires have decided to take away. Its these everyday Alaskans people looking for jobs to feed their families who shoulder the burden of Wall Streets decision to sell the world a lie. This isnt a personal attack on investment bankers. Im aware that its self-interest, not honesty, that makes the world go round. Trading a shrinking traditional energy sector for one that will require trillions of dollars of investment, all while masquerading as the good guys, makes perfect business sense. But when Finks self-interest threatens to destroy the future of my state, I have no choice but to intervene. I have no choice but to showcase the hypocrisy of the billionaires and environmental profiteers who spread falsehoods about development in Alaska. They will never tell you that the central Arctic caribou herd has actually grown from about 6,000 to 30,000 animals since Prudhoe Bay development activity began, or that the threatened Porcupine herd of caribou now numbers 218,000 animals the highest in recorded history. They wont tell you about how Alaskas stringent environmental regulations far outclass those in the rest of the nation that we pump our gas back into the ground instead of flaring it, that we operate the most technologically advanced pipeline on the planet, that we dont let our mines turn the tundra yellow with acid water. Why wont they tell you? Because attacking Alaska is easy and profitable. In the case of the Wall Street bankers, theyre playing a long game by betting on a new industry. Others, including many environmental groups, are collecting their profits up front. Take the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Resources Defense Council, for example. Did you know that their CEOs earn $665,748 and $526,053, respectively? Ill let those numbers speak for themselves. Its not just an acceleration of global warming and a transfer of wealth to Russia thats at play here. There are real people suffering at the hands of these profiteers. Every job shipped to Siberia and the Congo represents not only immense environmental harm but also an Alaskan family denied access to opportunity so that a Wall Street banker can make a few more bucks. So Larry, my message to you is simple: Im truly glad that your wealth allows you to fly up here to enjoy Alaskas resources when the weathers nice, and I dont begrudge you for chasing profits at our expense. But I, too, am selfish. Im selfish because I want the best opportunities for the Alaskans who elected me. I want the same boundless possibilities for my children that I have been blessed with throughout my life. I want to leave behind an Alaska thats stronger, more self-sufficient, and more resilient than the Alaska I fell in love with so many years ago. For that reason, I cannot allow your hypocrisy to go unchallenged. The stakes for Alaska and our planet are just too high. Three groups representing doctors quickly objected to a plan to steer the bulk of Pennsylvanias COVID-19 vaccine supply to providers who have been distributing it the fastest. The plan, announced Friday, is a woeful mistake that will, among other things, deny people a trusted information source that can overcome vaccine reluctance, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Society and the American College of Physicians. The plan is a response to various rankings which put Pennsylvanias vaccine rollout among the slowest in the country. It means that a greater portion of the supply will go to large health systems and community pharmacists. In another new requirement, vaccination providers must use at least 80% of doses within a week of receiving them. Those that fail, or who give doses to people who arent part of Phase 1A for receiving vaccine, will see their allocations further reduced. Without sound justification and demonstrating a lack of understanding in the way most Pennsylvanians receive their health care, the [Gov. Tom Wolf] administration is making a woeful mistake by cutting out primary care physicians as eligible providers. The order was implemented without consultation with physician stakeholder groups who represent many thousands of primary care physicians across the Commonwealth, the doctors said. Acting state Secretary of Health Alison Beam, in a written statement on Saturday, defended the changes, which come in the form an order signed by her and another signed by Gov. Tom Wolf. We are focused on vaccinating the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians as fast as possible to help prevent hospitalizations and death from COVID-19. The order I signed yesterday will help achieve that goal by concentrating vaccination efforts on providers that can get the vaccine out most efficiently to more Pennsylvanians, Beams statement said in part. She also called the move a temporary change as well as a bold and decisive plan to vaccinate more Pennsylvanians quickly. The reductions will be based largely on how well providers do next week in meeting the new standards. It was unknown Saturday how many primary care doctors, also known as family doctors, will no longer receive vaccine or see their allocations reduced. Bean has said she expects the number of vaccine providers to fall to 200-300, down from nearly 800. She said health systems and independent pharmacists will receive the bulk of the supply. The state is also directing much of its supply to vaccinating people at long term care facilities. The health department and Wolfs office on Saturday didnt specifically address questions about how many primary doctors will be cut out and how many will remain. Many primary care medical practices in Pennsylvania are owned by or closely associated with large health care systems. Based on earlier statements from health care systems, their community medical practices have played a role in getting COVID-19 vaccine to patients, and they planned to expand that capacity as the supply vaccine supply grows. The doctors groups didnt immediately respond to questions on Saturday. In their statement, they stressed that they are trusted sources of medical information for patients, and they can help patients overcome reluctance to receiving vaccine. A pharmacist or other provider who is unknown to the patient will not be able to provide that same level of confidence, they said in their statement. Additionally, many older Pennsylvanians may believe that they will receive the vaccine in their primary care physicians office. The new order creates yet another hurdle for a demographic who is already struggling with navigating the vaccine distribution landscape. The new orders announced Friday also require vaccine providers to handle appointment requests over the phone, rather than using only electronic scheduling. They must have people available to answer calls. Beam said it will help people who lack online access or arent accustomed to using websites. Could we see some action from the federal government? Im not that optimistic in the current environment. says Dunn. Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan has called on the federal government to fund a national antiracism framework. Credit:Eddie Jim Now the Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan has called on the federal government to fund and support a national antiracism framework. It would lay the groundwork for a standardised system across all states and territories to accurately identify and collate the data on any iteration of racism, from physical attacks to online abuse. Last week, the Senate committee into the issues facing diaspora communities recommended the government consider resourcing the development of a comprehensive national antiracism framework and to consider reinvigorating the existing National Anti-Racism Strategy through the Race Discrimination Commissioner. Thats a two-pronged demand for antiracism action by a government which has over five years cut the funding for the Australian Human Rights Commission and national projects cost big money. Experts in the area say they cant see money flowing. At least one activist said bipartisanship against racism died with the political birth of Pauline Hanson. Gail Mason is a professor of criminology at the University of Sydney law school and co-director of the Australian Hate Crime Network. She says the government should do far more than merely consider resourcing antiracism programs. Australia pretends it doesnt have a hate crime problem, Mason says. Thats exacerbated by communities feeling they cant or shouldnt report it ... under-reporting is a huge problem. I am often asked if hate crime is going up in Australia but we dont have the data to answer that. Police arent trained and equipped to identify it and some states and territories dont even capture it. We should demand a fully funded national scheme to collect data on hate crimes. There are individual initiatives. The anti-Semitism report by Julie Nathan for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) doesnt count online hate comments as incidents. It attracts no government funding although it has a tax-deductible fund. The Islamophobia Register, founded by Mariam Veiszadeh in 2014, is a non-profit which records any Australian-based Islamophobic incidents reported by victims, proxies and witnesses, both online and offline. There is nothing comparable for any Asian communities even though more than 5 per cent of Australians claim Chinese ancestry and more then 4 per cent, Indian. Last year, Osmond Chiu, a research fellow at Per Capita (a progressive think tank) and the Asian Australian Alliance, created an online tracker of incidents of anti-Asian racism 500 incidents reported, mostly in public places and perpetrated by mostly strangers, and 90 per cent of respondents did not report to police. The Online Hate Prevention Institute tracks online hate against all targets with no funding assistance. Now Jumbunnas Chris Cunneen and the National Justice Project are set to pilot the First Nations Racism Register, to be trialled across urban and regional communities. Cunneen says calls for First Nations people to report hate crimes to police are out of touch with reality. There are barriers to people using existing mechanisms. They dont use them, they dont have faith in them, they dont know about them ... and that goes for the remedies as well, says Cuneen. We have to regulate. Hate speech should be a criminal act with a law enforcement response. Lars Rensmann, antiracism scholar Gail Mason asks: How can you fix it if you dont know what it is or who is doing it? Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of ECAJ, has lobbied for a national system for classifying and recording hate crimes. He says the US, Canada and the United Kingdom comparable jurisdictions have no problem building uniform national databases with relevant detail. How do you formulate effective policy without data and evidence? he asks. Diplomatically, Race Discrimination Commissioner Tan says all governments have different priorities. Social cohesion survey Monash emeritus professor Andrew Markus last week launched the Scanlon Institutes 2020 Mapping Social Cohesion report that revealed relatively high levels of negative opinion towards Asian-Australians and high levels of concern from Asian-Australian respondents. It conducted a smaller survey on WeChat which asked: Have you experienced any form of discrimination because of your appearance, ethnicity or national origin over the last 12 months? Over a quarter of respondents (27 per cent) answered yes, a further 20 per cent declined to answer, interpreted by researchers as a cultural reluctance to draw attention to themselves, indicating that the experience of discrimination is likely to be under-reported by Chinese-Australians. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said racism in Australia during the COVID-19 crisis was a very big problem or a fairly big problem. The report also surveyed respondents about six faith groups. Muslims were viewed most negatively, then Sikhs, Hindus and Christians. Jews were rated negatively by just 9 per cent, then Buddhists. It is, Markus says, the difference between substance and volume, what the substantive population thinks whereas if you are online in the Twitter space, you get a totally skewed understanding. What happens in the online space has a fundamental impact on perception and on action, as evidenced by those vigilante groups in Townsville. Anti-Semitism has experienced a massive online surge through far-right groups such as QAnon, clustering in communities, says Talia Lavin, the author of Culture Warlords: My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy. She was motivated to write her book, which was published in October, after hearing the chant at the 2017 Charlottesville rally: The Jews will not replace us. Lavin frequented chatrooms during her undercover online investigations and emerged unbowed but predicting a violent election season in the US. Theres a lot of conspiracy theories you can adopt but most adapt the idea of a nefarious elite who are engaged in a deliberate plan which includes sexual perversion and financial control, Lavin says. It includes countless dog whistles, anti-Semitic tropes from the 20th century and earlier. We have definitely seen the way these toxic ideas metastasise throughout social media. Online racism is mostly anonymous. A large scale quantitative study of online anti-Semitism published last year using millions of data points from far-right web communities such as 4chans Politically Incorrect board (/pol/) and Gab showed a strong correlation between the increased frequency of anti-Semitic content and major public events, such as the US presidential election and the Charlottesville rally. As the authors point out, anti-Semitism has been a historical harbinger of ethnic strife but the internet has supercharged it and it is, mostly, unchecked and unpunished. Demonstrators at a Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney in June. Credit:James Brickwood Antiracism scholar Lars Rensmann, Director of the Research Centre for the Study of Democratic Cultures and Politics at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, says social media corporations must take action. We have to regulate. Hate speech should be a criminal act with a law enforcement response, he says. But even before racists and bigots get to spread their bile online, we should make a better attempt at early intervention, he says. There must be a level of investment in education against racism. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, last week announced it is taking a tougher stance against racist abuse, threatening to disable accounts found to repeatedly send racist abuse in direct messages. Instagram already puts temporary messaging bans on accounts after incidents of racist abuse and said it would now disable any new accounts created to get around its restrictions. An account that sent racist abuse to a football player in England the day of the announcement was not disabled. Instagram said it issued a temporary messaging ban and would let the account remain active as long as the abuse did not continue in the long term. NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff responds to anti-Semitic incidents across the state, including a recent spike in right-wing extremism in the education sector. While there is no logic in bigotry, several factors contribute to this spike ... social media has become a toxic space. Not only does it lend itself to being utilised by people wishing to peddle poison, it encourages them to plumb the darkest recesses of the web and engage in extremist behaviour. He makes the same case as those from First Nations, Asian and Muslim communities. We see the impact of leadership, and the effect of its absence, in shaping the outcome of extremist incidents and how effectively we generate a message which promotes diversity and makes it clear bigotry will not be tolerated, Alhadeff says. This makes early prevention and education vital steps in pre-empting extremist behaviour. In 2014, professor of anthropology at the University of Melbourne Ghassan Hage, a Lebanese-Australian, wrote in his essay Continuity and Change in Australian Racism: I take it for granted that racism circulates in Australia, like it does in most other countries of the world ... the important task is to try and understand how it does so; how it circulates and how it captures, hurts and sometimes even destroys people. Loading Hage says in Australia we have a record number of denials of the existence of racism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The U.N.s top human rights body passed a consensus resolution Friday urging military leaders in Myanmar to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian government leaders detained after a military coup, while watering down an initial draft text amid pressure led by China and Russia. In a special session at the Human Rights Council, the original resolution presented by Britain and the European Union was revised to remove calls to bolster the ability of a U.N. rights expert to scrutinize Myanmar and for restraint from the countrys military. After the updated resolution passed with no opposition, Chinese Ambassador Chen Xu thanked the sponsors for adopting our recommendations but said China still was distancing itself from the measure. The sponsors of Human Rights Council resolutions often agree to soften the language of their texts in order to win consensus and to show that the 47-member body based in Geneva is united on thorny human rights issues. The council has no power to impose sanctions but can train a political spotlight on rights abuses and violations. Fridays session came shortly after the Biden administration, which has already imposed sanctions on top leaders of the Myanmar coup, revived U.S. participation in the Human Rights Council, which the Trump administration pulled the country out of in 2018. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the resolutions adoption a very important step that shows the international community will speak strongly in calling for a reversal of the events weve seen in Myanmar, and for the full respect of the democratic will of the people of Myanmar as well as full respect of their human rights. The disproportionate use of force, the use of live ammunition those are all unacceptable, Dujarric said. The Chinese laboratory at the centre of suspicion over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic was awarded a patent for cages to hold live bats for testing just months before the virus started spreading. The revelation comes after the World Health Organisation last week backed Beijing's line, saying that a leak from the institute was 'highly unlikely', while giving credence to theories that the virus had entered the country via frozen meat. The team included Peter Daszak, a British-born zoologist whose organisation EcoHealth Alliance has studied bat-borne viruses with Wuhan lab scientists for 15 years, and who has categorically denied that researchers keep the mammals for testing. However, The Mail on Sunday has established that the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) filed an application in June 2018 to patent 'bat rearing cages' which would be 'capable of healthy growth and breeding under artificial conditions'. The patent, which has been seen by this newspaper, was granted in January 2019 11 months before Beijing reported that the first cases of the virus in the city had broken out just a few miles from the institute. Chinese laboratory at the centre of suspicion over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic was awarded a patent for cages to hold live bats for testing just months before the virus started spreading. Pictured: Researchers handling bats with nitrile gloves A separate patent, filed by the institute on October 16, 2020, relates to the 'artificial breeding method of wild bat'. The patent discusses cross- species transmission of SARS- CoV from bat to humans and other animals, saying: 'Bats infected with the virus naturally or artificially have no obvious clinical symptoms, and the mechanism is unknown'. It explicitly states that the method is for breeding bats for scientific experiments: 'The invention aims to provide an artificial breeding method of wild bat predators, which aims at overcoming the defects in the prior art, and the wild bat predators are artificially domesticated, bred and passaged to establish an artificial breeding group, thereby providing a brand-new model experimental animal for scientific research.' Responding to a question over whether researchers were keeping live bats, Mr Daszak tweeted in April last year: 'The researchers don't keep the bats, nor do they kill them. 'All bats are released back to their cave site after sampling. It's a conservation measure and is much safer in terms of disease spread than killing them or trying to keep them in a lab.' And in December he appeared to repeat the claim by stating the labs he had worked with for 15 years such as the one in Wuhan 'DO NOT have live or dead bats in them. There is no evidence anywhere that this happened'. The cloak of secrecy with which the Chinese government has enveloped the institute makes it hard to establish the extent to which the patents were translated into practice, but an online biography of the lab's work also states that researchers have the capacity to keep 12 bat cages, along with 12 ferret cages. Last week, Mr Daszak, who has faced fierce criticism over his research and funding connections to the Wuhan lab, also took aim at US intelligence which has pointed to a lab leak being the 'most credible' source of the virus, in the words of the US State Department. Mr Daszak was part of the investigating WHO team which swung its weight behind the Chinese government's attempts to dent any responsibility for the spread of the virus. Their findings were based on interviews with staff at the WIV, which has strong links to the Chinese army. This newspaper revealed last year that the WHO had allowed China to vet scientists taking part in the probe, while also appointing Mr Daszak to its ten-strong team despite the British charity chief's funding for research on bat viruses at the Wuhan laboratory having been previously stopped on safety grounds. The patent discusses cross- species transmission of SARS- CoV from bat to humans and other animals. Pictured: Greater horseshoe bats The bat cage patent contains extensive details of the feeding, drinking and breeding conditions, saying the animals are 'captured as needed, and... freed after taking [the] required sample or temporarily raised [for] a period of time'. And in November 2019, at a time when US intelligence points to a potential Covid-19 outbreak at the lab, the Wuhan lab filed a patent for a device to treat injuries sustained while working with pathogenic viruses in a biosafety lab. Researchers who filed the patent have worked at the WIV for more than a decade, including one scientist who was involved in studying coronaviruses in bats. The specialist tourniquet device, designed to wrap around the finger of someone who bleeds in a virology lab accident, appears to be the only one of several hundred publicly available patents which relates to the treatment of injuries. Charles Small, an open-source intelligence consultant who has studied the origins of the virus and discovered the patents, said: 'The WIV describe catching wild bats in mountain caves and breeding them in their patented cages to use as animal models in scientific experiments. They mention infecting bats with viruses artificially. 'The WIV's patented method of handling bats known to carry SARS-related coronaviruses daily at feeding time risks coronavirus spillover. 'The WIV have also declared cages of ferrets and rabbits. 'The WHO should provide a full account of the WIV's bat and bat coronavirus experiments.' Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said: 'As this pandemic wears on, and more and more people tragically lose their lives, the questions continue to mount for China and the research carried out at its Wuhan Institute of Virology. 'It's becoming increasingly clear that the WHO's investigation was not fit for purpose and what we need is the Chinese Communist Party to come clean and tell us the truth about Covid-19's origins.' The Chinese Embassy, which did not comment on the testing of live bats at the WIV, said last night: 'There have been more and more international reports that the virus and epidemics broke out in multiple places in the world in the latter half of the year 2019, indicating the necessity and urgency for WHO to pay similar visits to other countries and regions.' Mr Daszak declined to comment yesterday. World experts condemn official probe as 'a charade' The World Health Organisation's inquiry into the source of the pandemic is a 'charade' to appease China, leading experts on biosecurity and infectious diseases have told The Mail on Sunday. Instead of seeking the truth, last week's initial findings, they say, were a political stunt that help the Beijing government in its desperation to be exonerated. The scientists accuse the UN body of brushing aside concerns over a possible lab leak in Wuhan to push 'fanciful' theories that Covid-19 emerged outside China and could have been imported into the city on frozen food. Bruno Canard Structural virologist and director of research of France's National Centre for Scientific Research. Microbiologist at Agharkar Research Institute in India, Monali Rahalkar, who has spent the past eight months investigating the origins of Covid-19 'The WHO investigation is a masquerade. There are so many conflicts of interest and obfuscation that it is as if you asked Hassan Rouhani [Iran's president] to lead an international check on Iran's nuclear programme. The WHO is committing credibility suicide.' Richard Ebright Biosafety expert and professor of chemical biology at Rutgers University, New Jersey. 'The mission was a charade. It has no credibility. Its members were willing and, in at least one case, eager participants in disinformation. The predetermined, preordained purpose was to raise the false-flag proposal that the virus originated outside China... and arrived in Wuhan through international travel or internationally shipped frozen food. No serious person considers internationally shipped frozen food as a plausible explanation of how the virus arrived in Wuhan.' David Relman Biosecurity expert and professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University, California. 'If the only information you're allowing to be weighed is provided by the very people who have everything to lose by revealing such evidence, that doesn't come close to passing the sniff test.' Filippa Lentzos Biosecurity expert at the Departments of War Studies and of Global Health and Social Medicine at King's College London. 'The mission's messaging was clearly political not scientific and aligned very closely with Beijing's narrative of a possible origin source outside China's borders. They provided no credible evidence for why they do not feel the lab-leak hypothesis should remain on the table or why other explanations were seen as more likely.' Colin Butler Former WHO adviser and epidemiologist at Australian National University. 'The dismissal of the lab-leak theory could have been provided in a novel by George Orwell. 'The evidence against this hypothesis appears to boil down to something like: 'We spent three hours at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, we talked to the people there, and we formed the opinion they are honest and competent. When they said the virus had not leaked, we believed them.' 'I am over-simplifying, but this conclusion is based on flimsy evidence. WHO greatly harmed its reputation by including Peter Daszak [a British scientist] on the team when he has such obvious conflicts of interest from his work and friendships in Wuhan.' Jacques Van Helden Professor of bioinformatics at Aix-Marseille Universite, Marseille, France. 'The WHO panel concluded the lab incident hypothesis is extremely unlikely and would not be further studied, but did not provide a single scientific argument. We must keep exploring every scenario, evidence-based and prejudice-free, while avoiding speculation and political hijacking.' Nikolai Petrovsky: Professor of medicine at Flinders University, Adelaide, and coronavirus vaccine developer Monali Rahalkar Microbiologist at Agharkar Research Institute in India, who has spent the past eight months investigating the origins of Covid-19. 'Ruling out the lab-leak hypothesis without solid evidence makes no sense. The outbreak started in Wuhan. This city hosted Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and two other centres carrying out research into coronaviruses. The WIV institute collected the closest known relative to Sars-Cov-2 [the virus that causes Covid-19] and other viruses from a coal mine in southern China, where miners developed a mystery respiratory illness.' Nikolai Petrovsky Professor of medicine at Flinders University, Adelaide, and coronavirus vaccine developer. 'This preliminary report goes further than many might have expected in emphasising two key assertions made by the Chinese government but challenged by others: that the virus source of the pandemic may lie outside China and the possibility the transmission into China occurred via frozen food. The idea the virus was brought into China on frozen feeds is at best fanciful and looks to be a smokescreen. A truly independent investigation remains needed.' Raina Macintyre Infectious diseases expert and head of Biosecurity Research Programme, Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia. 'The team does not reveal anything substantially new. The virus may have emerged in nature but a lab accident is also a possibility as the BSL4 lab (WIV) was studying bat coronaviruses including the virus found in the miners outbreak in 2012. They do not provide any evidence for dismissing a lab leak.' Rossana Segreto Microbiologist at University of Innsbruck, Austria, and author of papers examining possible genetic manipulation of the virus. Rossana Segreto: Microbiologist at University of Innsbruck, Austria, and author of papers examining possible genetic manipulation of the virus. 'The WHO team does not seem to be acting seriously by dismissing a lab leak before the world's media, then later saying all hypotheses require further study. 'The structure of Sars-Cov-2 shows this virus could have been produced artificially. There is still no scientifically verifiable proof the pathogen developed naturally, yet a potential human error-induced lab accident as a source of the pandemic was ruled out. 'This is negligent, putting us all at risk, when there are multiple examples of previous lab accidents and dozens of laboratories around the world are experimenting with mutated pathogens with potential to trigger a pandemic.' Jamie Metzl Healthcare and technology expert, member of the WHO advisory committee on human genome editing. 'I was appalled by the announcement that the possibility of an accidental lab leak does not merit further investigation. While no evidence has yet been found indicating Covid-19 stems from transmission between animal hosts in the wild or from frozen foods, as the committee entertains, significant evidence points to accidental leak as a possible origin. 'We need urgently an unrestricted forensic investigation without access managed by the Chinese authorities.' Alina Chan Molecular biologist at Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 'The investigation served China's purposes by delivering precisely the outcome it wanted since the WHO was saying things such as the need to investigate frozen food transmission and suggestions the virus came from another country while ruling out a lab leak. This felt like a performance. WHO has shown that it has no leverage against a country such as China that plays hardball.' Jamie Metzl: Healthcare and technology expert, member of the WHO advisory committee on human genome editing. Rasmus Nielsen Professor of computational biology at University of California, Berkeley. 'No responsible scientist should make strong claims about the origin at this point. Chinese researchers were banned in March from investigating and other researchers have not had access to samples and data. It is my understanding from press statements the only evidence used to exclude a lab leak is the apparent high safety standards of lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This is a very weak statement that is more political than scientific.' Michael Lin Associate professor of Neurobiology and Bioengineering at Stanford University, California. 'The idea of transmission by frozen food is theoretically possible but so far there's been no known cases of this happening. The perfunctory investigation, consisting of asking Chinese officials and scientists questions, is far from adequate in putting to rest concerns about lab leak.' Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Advertisement Donald Trump is set to learn his fate in his second impeachment trial later today as a new report claimed he had to call his lead impeachment lawyer David Schoen and beg him not to quit on the eve of his defense team's presentation to the Senate, according to a new report. On Thursday night, Trump asked associates whether it was too late to add or remove lawyers from his defense team after Schoen quit over a dispute over how to use the videos the team presented on Friday, people briefed on the events told the New York Times. Trump then called Schoen and persuaded him to rejoin the team, the people said. The nature of the disagreement about the videos was not immediately clear. The news came as Senators are poised to vote on whether Trump will be held accountable for inciting the Capitol attack. Barely a month since the deadly riot, closing arguments are set for the historic impeachment trial as senators arrive for a rare Saturday session, all under the watch of armed National Guard troops still guarding the iconic building. Trump defense attorney David Schoen reportedly briefly quit the team on Thursday night over a dispute over how to use the videos the team presented on Friday Trump had to call Schoen and plead with him to rejoin the team, sources say, on the night before the defense team presented its case The US Capitol is seen on Thursday. The Senate is expected to vote on conviction or acquittal in a rare Saturday session after hearing closing arguments Trump's team have relied heavily on a series of videos that they presented in three hours of arguments on Friday. But the chaos on the defense team, consisting of Schoen, Bruce Castor, and Michael T. van der Veen, continued until the last minute on Friday, with the attorneys debating the order they should speak in before the Senate, according to the Times. In the end, van der Veen spoke first. The confusion apparently stemmed from Castor's disastrous opening statement on Tuesday, a rambling one-hour soliloquy that enraged Trump, who was watching from Mar-a-Lago. The Democrats are unlikely to gain a conviction, as few Republican senators have come out against Trump, who remains popular among Republican voters. At least 17 Republicans would have to defect to secure a conviction. On Friday, Trump's defense team breezed through their arguments in just three hours, in comparison to the Democrat House managers who used their full 16 hours over two days to make arguments. Both sides relied heavily on videos, with Trump's team presenting videos that purported to show that the House managers' videos had been selectively edited and manipulated. Video presented by the House managers earlier in the week was a vital part of their case, starting with a sobering, 13-minute clip with violence and explicit language that made the actions of the mob of Trump supporters chillingly personal. Trump's team presented videos (above) that purported to show that the House managers' videos had been selectively edited and manipulated On Wednesday, Democrats presented newly unearthed video from inside the Capitol that showed then-Vice President Mike Pence and Senators Mitt Romney and Chuck Schumer hustling to safety and gave a more dramatic view of the day's danger than had been seen before. On Friday, Trump's team played extended clips of the former president speaking at a rally before the riot and at a news conference following a racial confrontation in Charlottesville, Virginia, suggesting that shorter versions presented by the House managers had been deceptively edited. The defense team also presented a lengthy montage of Democrats vowing in political speeches to 'fight', a phrase Trump uttered in his January 6 speech that led in part to the incitement charge. 'You didn't do anything wrong,' Trump lawyer Schoen said, addressing Democrats. 'It's a word people use, but please stop the hypocrisy.' Trump's team found video of participants in the impeachment trial calling past elections into question, even digging back to find a 2005 speech by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Using arguments frequently made on cable television, complete with their own vivid images taken during civic unrest last summer, the lawyers tried to depict Democrats as being more understanding of violence when it supported causes they were sympathetic with. In a trial without witnesses, the House managers relied heavily on media reports and interviews. Trumps defenders, in turn, suggested a reliance on journalists was unreliable and, again, used video to drive home that point, airing clips of House managers referring to 'reports.' Van der Veen said there was a double standard at the heart of the prosecution's case, arguing that some Democrats had 'encouraged and endorsed' violence that erupted at some anti-racism protests across the United States last summer without facing any legal consequences. Lawyer Michael van der Veen attacked the impeachment as a 'sham' process and brought up favorite targets of former President Donald Trump during the start of defense arguments on behalf of Trump Friday 'They have clearly demonstrated that their opposition to mobs and their view of using the National Guard depends upon their political views,' said van der Veen, a last-minute addition to the defense team who sued Trump in August in a separate case about mail voting. Final arguments and a vote in the Senate trial are expected to take place Saturday. Acquittal is expected in the evenly-divided Senate, a verdict that could heavily influence not only Trumps political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors as they cast their votes. While it is unlikely the Senate would be able to mount the two-thirds vote needed to convict, several senators appear to be still weighing their vote. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will be widely watched for cues, but he is not pressuring his GOP side of the aisle and is telling senators to vote their conscience. Many Republicans representing states where the former president remains popular doubt whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Democrats appear all but united toward conviction. If Trump is acquitted, the Senate could decide to censure him or even vote to bar him from holding public office again. Asked on Thursday about pursuing the latter option, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that decision would have to wait until the end of the trial. Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the chamber, indicated that a censure motion could be in the cards. 'I've seen a couple of resolutions at least that I think could attract some support,' Thune told reporters. He added that he did not think an effort to bar Trump from holding office again under the 14th Amendment would go anywhere. Democrat Senator says Trump's impeachment should be SUSPENDED so they can depose Kevin McCarthy over furious riot phone call and Tommy Tuberville over claims the president knew Pence was in danger A Senate Democrat has called for the suspension of Donald Trump's impeachment trial in order to depose Senator Tommy Tuberville and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about their conversations with the former president during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the trial, issued the call in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal. 'Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting,' Whitehouse wrote, referring to reports that McCarthy lambasted Trump in an expletive-laden diatribe telling him to call off his mob of loyalists, and following Tuberville's admission that he told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. 'What did Trump know, and when did he know it?' asked Whitehouse. 'One way to clear it up? Suspend trial to depose McCarthy and Tuberville under oath and get facts. Ask Secret Service to produce for review comms back to White House re VP Pence safety during siege.' Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is presiding over the trial as president pro tempore of the Senate, after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts declined to participate. Senate procedures do not place a time limit on impeachment trials, and the presiding officer of the trial has the power to direct the proceedings and rule on all questions of evidence. Leahy presumably has the power to halt the trial for depositions if they are requested by the House impeachment managers, who are acting as the prosecutors in the case. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the impeachment trial, issued the call to suspend the proceedings in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, seen with Trump last year, reportedly had a phone shouting match with the former president on January 6, demanding that he act to call off the mob of his supporters attacking the Capitol Senator Tuberville of Alabama said he told Trump that VP Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate Whitehouse's call follows new bombshell details from a call between Trump and McCarthy that show a president who was unwilling to call off his mob of supporters during the riot. CNN reported Friday that Trump and McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. McCarthy, who was described by CNN as 'furious,' yelled at Trump that the rioters were breaking his windows. 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' the top House Republican yelled at the president of the United States. CNN's sources were Republican members of Congress, who believed that the contents of the call prove that Trump had no interest in calling off the deadly riot. 'He is not a blameless observer, he was rooting for them,' one GOP unnamed lawmaker said. 'On January 13, Kevin McCarthy said on the floor of the House that the President bears responsibility and he does.' 'This proves that the president knew very early on - what the mob was doing, and he knew members were at risk and he refused to act ... it's a violation of his oath of office to fail to come to this defense of Congress and the constitutional process immediately,' another GOP member familiar with the call told CNN. Meanwhile, Tuberville's conversation with Trump is of interest to Democrats because Trump sent a tweet at 2.24pm on January 6 saying that Pence didn't have 'the courage' to challenge the election results. If Tuberville's account is correct, then Trump would likely have known before sending the tweet that Pence had been evacuated and was in danger. At the time, the rioters had already broken into the Capitol, some of them calling for Pence's death. New details about a call between President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (pictured) suggest Trump was unwilling to call off the MAGA mob, even yelling at the House's top Republican: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are' CNN's blockbuster report about the McCarthy call comes after Trump's lawyers laid out their case in the Senate impeachment trial. Trump's lawyers denied he knew people, like Vice President Mike Pence, were in harm's way After Friday's proceedings, Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, stood by his account, paraphrasing his January 6 phone conversation with Trump. 'Mr. President, they've taken the vice president out. They want me to get off the phone, I gotta go,' Tuberville recalled telling Trump during the Capitol attack. However during Friday's impeachment trial, Trump's lawyers tried to deny the president even knew that individuals like Pence were in peril. 'The answer is no. At no point was the president informed the vice president was in any danger,' Trump's attorney Bruce Castor said, despite Tuberville's remarks. On Friday night, Whitehouse said that Trump's attorneys were 'under ethics obligation' to clear up the record about what Trump knew on the day of the riot. 'You dont get as counsel to make misrepresentations; if you do, you have an affirmative duty to clean it up,' wrote Whitehouse. The Senate had been scheduled to hear closing arguments in the trial on Saturday, and was also expected to vote on conviction or acquittal -- but Whitehouse's proposal raised the possibility of a delay. However, his proposal to depose McCarthy and Tuberville drew scorn from Republican strategist Matt Whitlock, who said it was too late in the process to depose new witnesses. 'This is exactly what the House was supposed to do before it got to a Senate trial,' Whitlock tweeted. 'You dont suspend an impeachment trial to go back and redo the Houses job and investigate and collect sworn testimony. Compare to the first impeachment where they spent months building a case.' File image: AP A total of 77,66,319 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for COVID-19 through 1,63,587 sessions held till the evening of February 12, the 28th day of the immunisation drive, according to a provisional report of the Union Health Ministry. Also Read: At present vaccination rate, India will take several years to reach its goal On February 12, 2,61,309 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 6 pm, the ministry said. Of these, 50,837 were healthcare workers, while the other 2,10,472 beneficiaries were frontline workers. According to the health ministry, India is the fastest country to reach 60 lakh vaccinations, achieving it in just 24 days. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the vaccination drive with healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs on January 16. Indias drug regulator has approved two vaccines - Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) - for emergency use in the country. According to the government, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities. Here are all developments related to the COVID-19 vaccine in India: > Over 14,800 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots in Delhi on February 12 in the fourth week of the inoculation drive, while authorities geared up for the roll-out of the second dose of vaccination for the beneficiaries who were given jabs in the beginning of the exercise. As per doctors, the second dose is to be given to a beneficiary after a gap of 28 days. > As many as 40,000 persons, including 16,988 healthcare workers, were administered the COVID-19 vaccine in Maharashtra on the day, an official from the state health department said. A total of 23,012 frontline workers received the first dose of the vaccine during the day, the official said. At least, 6,48,573 persons have been inoculated so far in the COVID-19 vaccination drive, he said. > Covishield is being procured by the government at a lower price of Rs 210 per dose, the Lok Sabha was told on the day. Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey was responding to a question on whether the government is aware that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is being sold to European Union nations at comparatively lower price that to India. As per available information, the price of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine across the world is in the range of about $4 to $5.25. > India provided over 229 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to various countries out of which 64 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 165 lakh on commercial basis, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on the day. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India will continue to take forward the global vaccine supply initiative and cover more countries in a phased manner. > India providing COVID-19 vaccines to over 140 countries will have a "positive impact" on its tourism, said Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel on the day. States Total Beneficiaries Andhra Pradesh 3,48,280 Arunachal Pradesh 14,902 Assam 1,21,048 Bihar 4,51,621 Chandigarh 8,017 Chhattisgarh 2,45,114 Delhi 1,66,725 Goa 12,214 Gujarat 6,61,508 Haryana 1,94,124 Himachal Pradesh 72,191 Jharkhand 1,84,568 Karnataka 4,90,746 Kerala 3,40,223 Madhya Pradesh 5,09,168 Maharashtra 6,33,519 Odisha 3,90,302 Punjab 1,01,298 Rajasthan 5,92,412 Tamil Nadu 2,11,762 Telangana 2,71,754 Uttar Pradesh 8,31,556 Uttarakhand 1,04,052 West Bengal 4,70,912 Here is the state-wise vaccination in the country: (With inputs from PTI) Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here Hugh Bonneville has revealed he's seen a script for a Downton Abbey film sequel, saying it's likely to happen once Covid is 'under control in a sensible way'. The actor, 57, who plays Lord Grantham in the 2019 movie and previous series of the hit period drama, chatted about plans for another film on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. He told the BBC Radio 2 show: 'Here's the deal, if everybody who is offered a vaccine takes a vaccine, we can make a movie, we will make a movie.' Coming soon? Hugh Bonneville has revealed he's seen a script for a Downton Abbey film sequel, saying it's likely to happen once Covid is 'under control in a sensible way' The actor, who is a volunteer marshal at a Covid vaccination centre, told Zoe he's seen a script for the film and added: 'The planets are circling. They are beginning to get into alignment. 'There is a thing called coronavirus knocking around and until that is under control in a sensible way, we are not going to be able to get all those ducks in a row.' He added: 'But there is certainly the intention to do it. We would love to do it. We are desperate to do it.' Hugh also said that he thinks audiences would 'enjoy' another Downton movie after the 'mess we have been thought' in the past year. In character: The actor, 57, plays Lord Grantham in the 2019 movie and previous series of the hit period drama (pictured with Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Lady Grantham) The Downton Abbey movie saw beloved characters Robert (Hugh) and Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern) told that they will be visited by the King and Queen and the estate have to prepare for the royal visit. However the family have to deal with a number of set backs and problems along the way including a suspected assassin attempt. Cast members including Matthew Goode, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Dame Maggie Smith all returned for the film. On Thursday, the Daily Mail revealed that Maggie Smith, who plays Violet Crawley, and French actress Nathalie Baye will appear together in Downton 2. Fingers crossed: Hugh said 'if everybody who is offered a vaccine takes a vaccine, we can make a movie' (pictured Michelle Dockery as Mary and Elizabeth as Cora in the 2019 film) The Downton Abbey film sequel is due to begin shooting in late March or early April under the strictest Covid safety protocols. Downton 2 will be the Dowager Countess of Grantham's last hurrah. The theatrical dame has been delighting Downton fans since the series, created by Julian Fellowes, launched on ITV back in 2010. In the new Downton film, Ms Baye will play an old friend of Violet's who comes to visit her. Of course, the countess will be surrounded, as usual, by her family including Hugh's Lord Grantham and Elizabeth McGovern as his wife Cora. Michelle Dockery's Lady Mary and husband Henry (Matthew Goode) will be centre stage, too; along with her sister, Lady Edith, played by Laura Carmichael. Each parent must be given six months paid parental leave if women are to gain equal access to work, equal pay and superannuation, according to Independent MP Zali Steggall. Ms Steggall will call on the federal government on Monday to extend paid parental leave from 18 weeks to 52 weeks that can be split equally between parents. When living in Holland, Alison McGregor and Mario Mortera experienced high levels of government support for parents, thanks to policies aimed at men and women sharing childcare. Credit:Justin McManus Providing six months paid leave to partners would encourage fathers to share care and cause less disruption and long-term impact to mothers careers, she says. Childcare is a major barrier to equitable workplace participation and a major factor in the pay gap of around 14 per cent that persists between genders, said Ms Steggall, the mother of a blended family of five adolescent and adult children. Following the glacial burst and flash floods, the rescue operation is still underway on Saturday at the tunnel in Joshimath of Chamoli district. A joint team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other teams are carrying out the operation. A total of 38 bodies were recovered so far in the glacier burst incident, out of which 12 bodies were identified and 26 remain unidentified, said Chamoli District Magistrate Swati Bhadoriya on Saturday. Earlier on Friday, a lake has been formed near Raini village in Joshimath following the glacier burst causing massive destruction. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday told media persons, "We have information about a lake that has been formed near Raini village in Joshimath. The lake is being monitored through satellites. Right now, we need to be cautious, but there is nothing to be worried about." A glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of on Sunday, which led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Steve Zahn and Jillian Bell, who play parents to a child who comes out as a trans boy in Cowboys, agreed that neither of their characters are the villain of the film. ADVERTISEMENT "There's no villain here," Zahn said in a Zoom interview. "They both have this incredible love for their kid and they're just trying to figure it out." Bell's character, Sally, initially isn't supportive when Joe (Sasha Knight) comes out as a trans boy. Zahn's character Troy's support for Joe is so strong that he feels he has to take Joe away from Sally. Troy and Joe leave town together on horseback and take off across Montana with a goal to cross the Canadian border. Sally doesn't take this sitting down, though. She reports it as a kidnapping to the police, and a detective (Ann Dowd) leads authorities in pursuit. "Joe's steering the boat," Zahn said. "The connection is so powerful that no matter what this kid tells me, I'm good with it." Bell said she worried that writer/director Anna Kerrigan's script would present Sally as the film's villain. After reading it, the 36-year-old actor came to realize that Sally needs to understand herself before she can understand her son. "In some of these moments, she's not doing and saying the right thing, but she's not an awful person," Bell said. "She's a person who's made mistakes and comes to realize that eventually." Behind the scenes, Bell wanted to show Knight more support than Sally shows Joe. Bell noticed that Knight, a trans boy, became uncomfortable when hair stylists added extensions for scenes in which Joe presents as a girl. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Bell said she shared with Knight that she prefers her hair short, too, but that once the film was over, they could both do their hair however they want. "I'm so unlike the character I played," Bell said. "I didn't want to have this constant tension with a child who I adored." In preparing to play Sally, Bell said she developed a backstory with Kerrigan. They decided that Sally was a beauty queen at 19 or 20, and since she had Joe, she had struggled with her weight. Bell felt Sally didn't love her present self. "I believe that she thinks that women should look a certain way, act a certain way and look very beautiful," Bell said. "Holding onto the birth of her child, and the deterioration of who she thought she was, was something that I could connect." In relation to Sally's identity, Joe's certainty that he is a boy is threatening, Bell said. Sally initially believes Joe wants to be a boy because he admires Troy. Sally worries Joe's transition is a reaction to not wanting to be like his mother. "When her kid announces 'I'm actually a boy,' it spins her into this place of what did I do wrong?" Bell said. "If anything, she comes to realize that this kid truly knows who he is and that's a beautiful thing." Cowboys is available in virtual cinemas and video-on-demand Friday. However, if through positive dialogue, any amendment in these laws is required, then the Union government will always be ready for it, the chief minister added Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said some people are agitating just for the "sake of protest" against the Centre's farm laws, which reflects their "vested political intent". He, however, said the Centre will be ready for any amendement in the laws if required. According to a statement, Khattar said this after a meeting with state MPs in New Delhi, in which their suggestions were sought for the next state budget to be presented in the Haryana assembly in March. Commenting on the agitation against the farm laws, Khattar said the Centre is clearly of the view that the three laws are for the benefit of farmers and will give a boost to the agricultural sector. Some people are protesting just for the sake of protest and it shows their vested political intent, the chief minister said according to the statement. However, if through a positive dialogue, any amendment in these laws is required, then the Union government will always be ready for it, the chief minister said, adding that he is hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon. In the meeting held at the residence of Union minister Rattan Lal Kataria on Friday, the chief minister said suggestions and expectations of the MPs regarding the development of their constituencies will be looked into during the preparation of the state budget. He said like the previous year, this year too the state's budget will be prepared after holding discussions with the Haryana MPs. The valuable suggestions given by the MPs will definitely be incorporated into the upcoming budget, the chief minister said. The meeting was attended by Rattan Lal Kataria, MPs Arvind Kumar Sharma, Dharambir Singh, Ramesh Chander Kaushik, Nayab Singh Saini, Sanjay Bhatia, Brijendra Singh, and Sunita Duggal. Rajya Sabha MPs Lt Gen DP Vats (retd), Dushyant Gautam and Ram Chander Jangra were also present, as per the statement. Highlights Motorola is all set to launch yet another smartphone in the budget segment. Motorola E7 Power will come with a MediaTek Helio P22 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. Moto E7 Power comes with support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a headphone jack, and a micro-USB port. Motorola is all set to launch yet another smartphone in the budget segment. The company has been rumored to launch the Moto E7 Power in India and now the smartphone has also appeared on Geekbench. The listing has also revealed some of the major specifications of the smartphone that is yet to be launched in India. If the reports turn out to be true, this would be the third phone in the E7 series. As per the listing on Geekbench, the Motorola E7 Power will come with a MediaTek Helio P22 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and Support for Android 10. As far as the scores are concerned, E7 Power has scored a single-core score of 152 and a multi-core score of 879. The higher the score, the faster the chipset would be. The specifications of the Moto E7 Power were leaked before as well. The Moto E7 Power is expected to feature a 6.5-inch HD+ (720x1600 pixels) IPS LCD screen. On the front, there is a waterdrop notch with a thick bezel around the corners. The smartphone will be powered by a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. The smartphone runs on Android 10 and houses a 5,000mAh battery. It will also come with support for a 10W battery. For connectivity, Moto E7 Power comes with support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a headphone jack, and a micro-USB port. Although Motorola has not officially shared any information about the smartphone, it is expected to launch in the entry-level segment. The smartphone is expected to be priced under Rs 10,000 in India. In terms of optics, the smartphone is expected to feature a 13-megapixels primary with an f/ 2.0 aperture and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front, there is a 5-megapixel sensor with an f/ 2.2 aperture. The smartphone houses a 5,000mAh battery. The smartphone runs on Android 10. A report earlier stated that Motorola will also launch G30 Power along with Moto E7 Power. Motorola Moto G30 is expected to come with a 6.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1600720 pixels. The smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor paired with up to 6GB of RAM. In terms of camera, the smartphone is expected to come with a quad-camera setup. There is no report whether Moto G30 will be launched in India but there are very strong rumors of the E7 Power launching in India. New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said his government is planning to bring a law under which protesters will have to pay for the damage to public properties during any protest. Talking to media after his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, Khattar said he informed the Minister about Dharnas and Maha Panchayats organised by farmers in the state. "We talked about party matters. We also talked about the farmers' protest and I gave the Home Minister all the information that I had about dharnas and Kisan Maha Panchayats in the state," said Khattar. When asked if he also talked about his government's proposed law against protestors, Haryana CM said, "No, we have not talked about the laws. We have been planning to bring this law even before the farmers' movement started. Once Supreme Court in its decision had said that nobody had the right to vandalise public property, and we are bringing a law under which people have to pay for damage to public property," This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. A look back at some of the more interesting stories from London's junior market over the past week ( ) tumbled 24% to 0.5p this week after embarking on a business review after admitting Covid and the ensuing lockdowns were seriously hampering trading. The data intelligence firm has based its business on location-based advertising within sectors that rely on people's movement, such as retail and fast food restaurants. Its Verify platform helps clients assess the accuracy and quality of location data so they can better target their ads. In a world where lockdowns are forcing consumers to stay home, media agencies are cutting budgets and certainly not investing in new technologies. As a result, Verify revenues dropped 36% to 320,000 in 2020. Total revenues dipped 12% to 1mln with an uptick in income from the data and insights side of the business partially mitigating Verifys decline. Turning to the oilers, the crude price surge, which is back to pre-pandemic levels at US$58 per barrel, looks to have buoyed confidence in the sector. Europa Oil & Gas ( ) is planning to raise 2mln for its projects in the UK and Morocco, while ( ) raised A$12mln (6.7mln) to support exploration in Alaska. In the world of COVID-19 tests, ( ) jumped 21% to 84p after winning a government contract to manufacture flow antigen tests. Competitor Yourgene Health PLC ( ) was up only 5% to 13p despite making 4mln from coronavirus testing, including through the UK's Fit to Fly and Test to Release schemes. Turning to the wider market, the AIM All-Share added 0.3% to 1,216, hitting a 14-year high, though it underperformed the FTSE 100, which rose 0.6% to 6,530. Sticking to the risers, MediaZest ( ) rocketed 211% to 0.1p after securing new business wins to generate over 350,000 in revenue with potential to grow further. Its a big deal for the audio-visual solutions provider, which creates installations for shops and offices, since its valued at just 1.7mln. Elsewhere, ( ) soared 49% to 142p after new research validated the fire retardant properties of its G+ graphene additive. It was tested on polymeric foams, which are found in many applications from roof insulation to furniture. In the hospitality sector, ( ) and ( ) climbed 49% and 28% to 5p and 28p respectively. But both issued statements saying they didnt know why their shares had moved. Franco Manca owner ( ) surged 31% to 13p after unveiling plans for new openings in the summer, although revenues are currently running at around 46% of normal trading levels due to restrictions. Among the fallers, Bahamas Petroleum plunged 73% to 0.5p after its exploration well offshore the Caribbean country found hydrocarbons but not in commercial volumes. Miner lost 46% of its shine to 29p after delaying the key Nalunaq project in Greenland because the local government has implemented a travel ban. Travel group ( ) slipped 19% to 1,202p after raising 422mln by placing 35mln shares, or 20% of its issued share capital, at a 9% discount. The cash will replenish the coffers as it waits for the international travel sector to return to business as usual. Meanwhile, housing regeneration specialist ( ) shed 16% to 53p after annual sales and profits fell more sharply than expected as coronavirus affected costs and its contract income business. Finally, lithium-ion battery cells manufacturer AMTE Power has announced plans to raise 7mln in an IPO scheduled for March. As well as its purpose-built cell manufacturing facility in Scotland, AMTE is eyeing a second UK manufacturing facility with a capacity of around 2GWh per year. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Now that youve finally received your second dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, can you finally toss that mask and get back to your normal life? Not by a long shot, experts told the Advance. In fact, even after receiving a vaccination, doctors urge the public to continue following all of the pandemic-related safety protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Mask up, keep socially distant from others and wash your hands often. Indoor group settings are still discouraged for vaccinated people, as are unmasked visits with the elderly or others who are immuno-compromised, doctors warn. While the two vaccines currently approved by the FDA for emergency use manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer appear to be remarkably effective, they are not 100%, doctors warn, and until the chance of infection drops considerably among the U.S. population, caution is advised. Though the vaccines are celebrated for their effectiveness at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, they still leave about a 5% chance you can catch the virus and become a silent spreader, medical experts say. Across the whole country, 5% is still an enormous amount of people, said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, director of Global Health for the Northwell Health System, which operates Staten Island University Hospital. Thats the reason we cant take off the mask and run around screaming in the streets.' That caution is particularly critical when visiting vulnerable people, like the elderly or those with underlying health conditions, even if theyve been vaccinated, Cioe-Pena recently told the Advance. If youre visiting Grandma, youre probably going to treat her with some level of social distancing,' Cioe-Pena said, noting that those who havent quarantined before the visit should absolutely still wear a mask. Theres still a chance you could pass COVID on to Grandma.' The vaccine does not take masks out of the equation just yet, he said: But, it does put them on the chopping block, which is nice. As more and more people continue to get vaccinated, public health officials will be able to track how fast case numbers fall. Its one indicator that were stopping the virus. And, as officials weigh the results, considering other factors, such as lockdowns, and capacity restrictions, well get a better look at how long it will be before we can ditch the masks entirely. The good news is that vaccination will definitely reduce the amount of virus in your system, which helps reduce spread, Dr. Azza Elemam, an attending physician at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), recently told the Advance. The amount of virus in your system matters in terms of how contagious you are,' said the doctor, who has 10 years of experience in infectious disease treatment. As the vaccine continues to be distributed, and more is learned about containing the spread, Elemam urged the community to remain patient. In the meantime, continue to avoid crowded locations with poor ventilation, the CDC urges. That includes restaurants, as people remove their masks when eating and drinking indoors. Gatherings with others who have been vaccinated might be a safer option, though doctors warn that if those get-togethers are indoors, theyre not completely safe, either. I know people are tired,' Elemam told the Advance recently. Believe me, Im tired, too. I want to go out and see my friends. But if people dont adhere to all these precautions, it will just be dragged out that much longer. While getting vaccinated doesnt give you a ticket to normalcy just yet, it does do a great job of preventing COVID-19 deaths and serious illness, the doctors said. So, all should still aim to get vaccinated when it becomes available to them, the doctors said. Yes, Im not going to be able to stop wearing my mask, but thats not the only thing to be concerned about,' Elemam told the Advance in January. Im only 40, and Im seeing people younger than myself dying. Ive seen so many people hospitalized for a week, two weeks, going home on oxygen. Im seeing what happens when people get COVID. Now, theres a light at the end of the tunnel.' STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York City public school students could all be back in classrooms for full-time in-person instruction in the fall but it will all depend on the citys vaccination efforts and coronavirus (COVID-19) numbers come September. During a recent press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio explained that the goal for the 2021-2022 school year is five-day-a-week education in-person. Part of the school reopening effort is vaccinating 5 million New Yorkers by June and keeping COVID-19 numbers down, the mayor said. School doesnt start until September, de Blasio said. If were an environment where the city is overwhelmingly vaccinated, well able to bring school back as it was, you know, same physical proportion, the same number of kids in classrooms. Were able to do that kind of thing and well keep other important precautions in place, obviously. But the goal is five-day-a-week education for our kids. As September grows near, the city will determine if remote learning will be needed, de Blasio explained. It will depend on COVID-19 numbers, and what parents want including if they feel comfortable sending their children back to school full-time. But we have to be able to welcome back every family, every student who wants to learn in-person by September, thats the bottom line, said de Blasio. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) union, told the Advance/SILive.com his goal for September would be that the virus is gone and schools are back open, but its a very optimistic decision, at least at this moment. He added that educators need to prepare for a major crisis already hitting schools that children are dealing with trauma brought on by the pandemic, as well as academic regression that is a lot more than learning loss. While de Blasios goal is to reopen schools for all students in September for in-person learning, Mulgrew said there havent yet been any conversations between the union and the Department of Education (DOE) or other city officials or agencies. My fear for September is were going to run into what we ran into last year, which is we were way out ahead on safety and actually having a real plan for schools to follow, making sure that were out there supporting them [teachers], sending the PPE, and the mayor did not think he needed to focus on it until after the 4th of July which is why we had such a rough opening and it could have been done much smoother. I think the same thing is going to happen again, Mulgrew said. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said during the recent press conference with the mayor that virtual learning will likely stay in schools beyond the end of the pandemic because it does also provide students with an opportunity to enhance their learning, personalize their learning, do some self-directed investigation. Carranza and de Blasio are looking at how remote learning can be a component in school post-pandemic that wouldnt replace in-person learning, but keep its best parts going into the future. Students who have returned to in-person learning this school year are required to adhere to several safety precautions, including mask-wearing and mandatory random coronavirus testing. Under the current policy, if two or more unlinked COVID-19 cases are reported in a school, the site is required to shutter for at least 10 days moving all students and staff to remote learning. WILL SCHOOL BE SAFE? More than 70% of New York City public school students are currently remote learning full-time. Many parents opted into full-time remote learning before the 2020-2021 school year began, as they felt their children would be safer learning from home. Parents have been able to opt into full remote learning at any point throughout the school year. There was only one opt-in period for families in November to choose to send their kids back to campus, even if it was part-time. With the low number of students opting into in-person school, many have been able to return to their school buildings for five-day-a-week instruction. When asked about the teachers and students who dont feel safe to go back to in-person school in September, de Blasio said the new school year is a long way away, as the city continues to deal with COVID-19. Were always going to be sensitive to families who might still have concerns, to educators and staff who might still have concerns, de Blasio said. Were going to really work on that, but we have a lot of time to work that out. The bottom line now is we need to recover. We need to bring this city back. We need our schools back full strength Mulgrew also said he isnt sure how many parents will feel comfortable sending a child to school by September. While many adults who work in schools will be vaccinated, children wont be. The fact is, more than 70% of the parents do not feel its safe for the child to go to school right now, he said. Those are the numbers. I want to get open. I want a higher percentage of kids in the schools. Would it be better to not have a hybrid? Yes. It would be better if youre either fully remote or youre in person. It would be much better to get to that point but I cant say we will. The chancellor said its a long time until September, and the pandemic situation could change by then. It will depend on what is happening with the coronavirus, the vaccines and in New York City communities. Those circumstances will drive any decisions on policy changes. But, its way too early to think about that right now, Carranza said. School Zone: A new newsletter with the updates you need as our schools try to get back to normal. Enter your email address here and hit "subscribe" to receive this weekly newsletter: FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Former Ecuador president Rafael Correa has been in triumphant mood since his protege Andres Arauz topped the polls in Sunday's general election but insisted in an interview with AFP that the 36-year-old is not his puppet. Leftist economist Arauz leads the first round of voting with 32.10 percent of the vote after almost 99.5 percent of the ballots, meaning he will face either indigenous rights activist Yaaku Perez (20.07 percent), a socialist, or right-wing ex-banker Guillermo Lasso (19.49) in the April 11 second round run-off. But even if Arauz wins that, Correa is not likely to return to his homeland from exile in Belgium, where his wife was born and where he remains to avoid an eight-year sentence for corruption. "No, because the electoral victory does not resolve legal problems," Correa told AFP. "I wake up every day to see they've got a new legal case against me. They've reached 39. "Neither Al Capone, plus (Joaquin) 'Chapo' Guzman nor (Augusto) Pinochet together had so many cases." Correa left Ecuador when his presidency ended in 2017 to be succeeded by Lenin Moreno, a former socialist ally who became a bitter rival. The 57-year-old, who spent 10 years as president, claims he is the victim of political persecution. Correa was the driving force behind Arauz's campaign and even tried to be his running mate before he was disqualified over his graft conviction. But he insists Arauz is not simply a puppet. "When they don't have anything to accuse someone of, they insult them. It's just an ad hominem argument, they cannot refute the arguments, the ideas," Correa said. "They have to attack the person, but it's vicious because he's young. As he's young, and they underestimate the young, (they say) he's a puppet." Correa is confident Arauz will triumph in April 11. "February 7 was a victory for truth and the gratitude of the people, who aren't stupid and can compare the tragedy they're going through now with the prosperity they experienced during my government." - Socialist run-off? - Should Perez, 51, hold onto his slim advantage over Lasso, 65, it would pit two socialist candidates in the run-off. But Correa hit out at Perez, who was arrested and charged with sabotage and terrorism during Correa's presidency for opposing mining extraction projects. "Who told you Yaku Perez is a leftist candidate," Correa retorted to AFP. "He's the far right candidate. "Look how he supported the coup d'etat against Evo Morales, he congratulated (Jeanine) Anez." Morales stood for and won re-election to an unconstitutional fourth term as Bolivia president in October 2019 in a vote an Organization of American States audit found to be fraudulent. Following three weeks of street protests, Morales resigned and fled into exile, to be replaced by then-Senate deputy Anez, who was the highest ranking government official not to have resigned at that time. "Yaku Perez is not leftist, please, neither is he indigenous. It's all a sham. Yaku Perez is a great big farce. He's supported by the US embassy." Correa was a harsh critic of Washington and had a tense relationship with the US during his presidency. In 2014 he expelled US military officers from the country and canceled a security cooperation program with the Pentagon, also closing a US counter-narcotics base on Ecuadoran soil. The year before he also barred the US Agency for International Development (USAID) from operating, accusing it of supporting the opposition. Arauz, though, has said he would seek good relations with Washington. "And who isn't open to having excellent relations with the US? I would have liked to have them. I think I did," said Correa. Ex-president Donald "Trump was a troglodyte, individuals are important. I think Joe Biden is a good person. However the US is a machine, so we don't expect much change in the foreign policy towards Latin America. But on a personal level there's obviously a chasm of difference between Joe Biden and Trump." The Lok Sabha on Saturday passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 to merge the J&K cadre of civil services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. The Bill was passed with voice vote despite objections raised by the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, RSP and other opposition parties. Introduced in the Rajya Sabha last week, the Bill amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 which provided for the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. The Bill repeals the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. The Bill specifies that the members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Forest Service (IFS) serving in J&K would continue to serve in the two UTs, based on the allocation decided by the Central government. Further, in future, postings of officers in the two UTs of J&K and Ladakh would be from the AGMUT cadre, which also covers the three states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Goa, as well as all the UTs. Putting aside the apprehensions of the opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Bill has nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, which will be given at an appropriate time. Shah also urged the oppositiion members not to oppose the Bill just for the sake of politics. Highlighting that the Bill does not mention anything about not granting statehood to J&K, Shah said, "I will reiterate again that this Bill has nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. In due time, Jammu and Kashmir will be given statehood." Taking a jibe at the Congress, the Home Minister said, "You are asking us what we did in the last 17 months, what have you done in the last 70 years?" Introducing the Bill earlier in the day, Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy, said the government is working to take Jammu and Kashmir further on the path to development. He said around 170 Central laws are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state. During discussions on the Bill, the opposition party members slammed the BJP for making empty promises in J&K and giving a tainted picture of 'vikas' (development) happening there. The Congress pointed out the increase in internet ban, ceasefire violations, curfews as well as the shrinking of industries since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Congress MP Manish Tewari urged the BJP to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Raising objections to the Bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "What was the need to bring an ordinance for this?" He said that regularly promulgating an ordinance is not good for a parliamentary democracy as an ordinance should be preceded by an emergency situation or any urgency. "Our point of contention is loud and clear," he said, adding that after abrogating Article 370, the government showed a 'dream' to the people that they would 'make heaven' in Jammu and Kashmir and create jobs there. Introduction of this Bill reflects that the government took the step of abrogating Article 370 without any preparation, Chowdhury alleged. The Congress leader said that Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state and its cadres should be local officers having ground knowledge. He alleged that militancy is still prevalent in the UT and people are living in an atmosphere of fear. The government tried to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a large prison, the opposition leader said, adding that it blocked telecommunication services but failed to normalise the situation there. "There is unemployment, restriction, lost avenues and total confusion," Chowdhury alleged. He further said the government had promised to bring back Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, but it has failed to ensure their return. "Please think for Jammu and Kashmir with new ideas and do not take adhoc measures," Chowdhury said, adding that the government should make Jammu and Kashmir a state and create a cadre to appoint officers there. Speaking against the Bill, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Hasnain Masoodi said that it is akin to an assault on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "You are continuously increasing confusion. What is the objective of this Bill? You are taking Jammu and Kashmir towards uncertainty through this Bill," he said, adding that the appointed officers should have connect with the ground realities. Masoodi added that the government should restore the position of Jammu and Kashmir to what it was prior to August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated. A new study published by New York Universitys Grossman School of Medicine has revealed what most New Yorkers have already known to be true: the air in the New York City subway system is toxic. In the study that started before the COVID-19 pandemic began, researchers measured the air quality in 71 different underground subway stations in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Boston, during morning and evening rush hours. The samples collected and measured in 10 PATH and three MTA underground subway stations were found to contain two to seven times more hazardous metals and organic particles than were detected in air samples collected outside. One PATH station in particular, the Christopher Street station, contained 77 times more than the normal concentration of potentially dangerous particles than above ground city air. It was the worst pollution ever measured in a subway station, higher than some of the worst days in Beijing or Delhi, Dr. Terry Gordon, co-senior study author and professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at NYU Langone, told the Guardian. According to the studys researchers these high concentrations of air pollutants could cause some serious health risks over time. As riders of one of the busiest, and apparently dirtiest, metro systems in the country, New Yorkers in particular should be concerned about the toxins they are inhaling as they wait for trains to arrive, Gordon said. Analysis of the air samples revealed that iron and organic carbon were present in the air samples collected. Organic carbon has been linked to a heightened risk of developing asthma, lung cancer, and heart disease. Gordon also conducted another study in 2014, that revealed that the air in underground subway stations has a higher level of black carbon and particulate matter than outside air. While the study did not identify the cause of the citys subway air pollution it has plans to investigate the source of pollution in a follow up study. However, this is far from the first time that researchers have stated that the subway contains a high number of air pollutants. In 2005, Dr. Steven N. Chillrud, a research professor at Columbia University, published a study measuring the subways air quality and the presence of steel dust in the air. Chillrud found that the presence of the metals iron, manganese, and chromium were 100 times greater in the subway than in the outdoor air. While exposure to metal particulates have been associated with negative health effects, Chillrud did not come to any conclusions in his study about the long term effects on workers who spend a lot of time in the subway. The study does conjecture, however, that the presence of steel dust in subways may be the result of subway trains breaking or ongoing construction work in the subways. The findings of this research, as well as previous research on the subject, have raised serious questions about the impact prolonged exposure to these air pollutants might have on MTA employees who may spend a significant amount of time in underground stations. Tim Minton, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a prepared statement that past air quality tests performed did not show signs of any health risks but the agency plans to thoroughly review this study as the safety of customers and employees is always our highest priority. The subways are part of New York City, which is designated by USEPA as an area that includes elevated levels of the same size particulates identified in the NYU study. Notably, study researchers sampled the equivalent of 0.6% of the system just three of 472 stations and four trains from close to 1,000 that move through NYC Transit every day. The MTA is currently piloting technology solutions, as a result of pandemic-related innovation, that will further enhance filtration in subway cars. Correction: An earlier version of this story had the wrong number of MTA stations that were examined in the NYU air quality study. Franklin Templeton MF: SC upholds E-voting of Unit-holders, Asks To Disburse Rs9,122 Crore The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the validity and results of e-voting of unit-holders of six mutual schemes of Franklin Templeton and said Rs9,122 crore will be disbursed as per its earlier order. On 2nd February, the Supreme Court had directed Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund (FTMF) to distribute Rs9,122 crore among unit-holders of the six schemes that were shut by the mutual fund house in April last year. The Court had said the distribution of funds need to be undertaken by the SBI Mutual Fund and completed within 20 days. A bench comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna negated all objections to the e-voting results. The top court noted that the consent of unit-holders means consent of majority of unit holders and not just party to the scheme. The Supreme Court had also clarified that SBI Fund Management and not SBI Mutual Funds, will be responsible for distribution of Rs9,122 crore to unitholders of the six wound up Franklin Templeton schemes. The top court allowed the SBI Fund Management to become a party in the case. The SBI Fund Management also sought protection from any liability arising from the fund distribution exercise. The bench clarified that there was a clerical error in the previous order which said SBI Mutual Fund will be the disbursing entity. The petitioners' counsel during the hearing raised concerns on the distribution mechanism, and prayed before the top court that fund distribution should be done as per the net asset value (NAV). The apex court had said the unit-holders should be repaid in proportion to their respective share in assets of the scheme and the distribution of funds would be undertaken by SBI Mutual Fund as agreed by both Franklin Templeton Trust and the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The top court will continue to hear the arguments on other issues on 17th February, where it may examine the arguments of unit holders who are dissatisfied with wound-up schemes. The SBI Fund Management is the asset management company of SBI Mutual Funds, which sought the fund house should bear all expenses in connection with the distribution of funds. SBI Fund Management had moved the top court seeking its approval to disburse the funds among the unit holders of the mutual funds' schemes and also sought protection from any liability, which could arise out of the distribution exercise. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable. In the first instance, Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal made a now-deleted Instagram post in November likening Trump supporters losing the 2020 election to the Confederacy and Nazi Germany losing in 1865 and 1945. In June of 2018, Pascal compared Jews in a Nazi concentration camp to 'children in cages' using a 2010 photo of Palestinian children waiting to be fed at a soup kitchen. Yet, this week Mandalorian actress Gina Carano - who played former Rebel Alliance soldierCara Dune - was fired from the show and dropped by her agency after she shared a TikTok post comparing the current divided political climate to the treatment of Jewish people in pre-WWII Germany, saying that "the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews." "Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighborseven by children. Because history is edited, most people today dont realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views" Carano previously drew criticism for mocking pronouns, putting "boop/bop/beep" in her Twitter bio. Gina Carano putting boop/bop/beep in her name after the Twitter mob was angry she wouldn't put her pronouns in her bio will always be legendary pic.twitter.com/fRFUGmYLUY Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 11, 2021 "Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future," said a Lucasfilm spokesperson in a statement. "Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable." Carano also mocked wearing masks amid the pandemic, which received over 40,000 'likes' on Twitter. In addition to Lucasfilm firing her, Carano was also dropped as a client by her agency, UTA, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "They have been looking for a reason to fire her for two months, and today was the final straw," said one source with knowledge of the situation. According to sources, Lucasfilm planned to unveil Carano as the star of her own Disney+ series during a December investor's day presentation but scrapped those plans following her November tweets. Multiple Mandalorian spinoffs are in the works from executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, including Rangers of the New Republic, which could have potentially starred Carano. -The Hollywood Reporter. The hypocrisy of firing Carano while keeping Pascal for the same thing has not gone unnoticed: The hypocrisy is the point. pic.twitter.com/JzZqXtVrVG Omri Ceren (@omriceren) February 11, 2021 #CancelDisneyPlus is the number 1 trend nationwide as fan backlash to the firing of @GinaCarano continues pic.twitter.com/CQ5TACowOO Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) February 11, 2021 Comparisons to Nazi Germany are okay with Lucasfilm so long as theyre used to attack the right @ginacarano wasnt fired for that post it was a purely tribal culling and theyd clearly been looking for a way to get rid of her for a long time pic.twitter.com/H6jvsxcH3F Amber Athey (@amber_athey) February 11, 2021 Texan Gina Carano broke barriers in the Star Wars universe: not a princess, not a victim, not some emotionally tortured Jedi. She played a woman who kicked ass & who girls looked up to. She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her. Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 11, 2021 very surreal to watch in real time as the twitter hive mind updates its firmware from 'present-day america is basically nazi germany' to 'comparing present-day america to nazi germany is an abhorrent, unprecedented, fireable offense' Mike Solana (@micsolana) February 11, 2021 The heads and representatives of a number of Turkmenistans departments and President of the Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries Tatsuya Watanabe held online talks to discuss issues relating to economic cooperation. The delegation of Turkmenistan included heads and representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the State Concern "Turkmengaz" and the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs. The sides discussed the pace of development of bilateral economic cooperation. Special attention was paid to the Japanese companys participation in the implementation of large-scale projects in Turkmenistan. In this regard, representatives of the Turkmen delegation highly appreciated the Japanese companys contribution to the construction of the plant for production of synthetic gasoline from natural gas in Akhal province and ensuring its uninterrupted operation. The sides also discussed the implementation of joint investment projects with the involvement of international financial institutions, including the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 [February 13, 2021] Morganti & Co, P.C., Announces Settlement Approval for FSD Pharma, Inc. Securities Class Action Law firm Morganti & Co, P.C., announces that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (the "Court") has approved the class action settlement regarding Anne Miller v. FSD Pharma, Inc., bearing Court File No. CV-19-614981-00CP (the "Action"). Read this notice carefully as it may affect your rights. This Notice is directed to all persons and entities, excluding certain persons associated with the Defendant, wherever they may reside or be domiciled, who purchased or otherwise acquired FSD Pharma, Inc. ("FSD") class B common shares in the secondary market, on or after September 20, 2018, and held some or all of those shares until after the close of trading on February 6, 2019 ("Class Members" and the "Class"). PURPOSE OF THIS NOTICE: A class action brought on behalf of Class Members has been settled. The Settlement has been approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. This Notice provides Class Members with information about how to submit a Claim Form to the Administrator in order to participate in the distribution of the Net Settlement Amount on a pro rata basis. THE ACTION: On February 22, 2019, a proposed class action was commenced on behalf of investors who purchased FSD class B common shares in the secondary market during the Class Period, against FSD in the Ontario Superior Court: Anne Miller v. FSD Pharma, Inc. CV-19-614981-00CP (the " Action"). The Plaintiff in the Action alleges that the Defendant made misrepresentations during the Class Period related to FSD's business, operations and finances by omitting from core documents, non-core documents and statements, material facts regarding the status of its project with Auxly Cannabis Corp. to build-out 220,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation space in Cobourg, Ontario. The settlement of the Action, without an admission of liability on the part of the Defendant, was approved by The Honourable Justice Edward Morgan on February 4, 2021. This notice provides a summary of the settlement. SUMMARY OF THE SETTLEMENT TERMS: FSD and its insurers will pay CAD $5.5 million (the "Settlement Amount"), in full and final settlement of all claims against FSD in the Action. Class Counsel Fes, including out-of-pocket expenses and taxes, were fixed by the Court as a first charge on the Settlement Amount in the amount of thirty (30) percent of CAD $5,500,000.00, plus disbursements, plus taxes. The settlement for the Class, less the Class Counsel Fees and disbursements, administrator's expenses, and taxes, will be distributed to the Class on a pro rata basis in accordance with the Court-approved Plan of Allocation. The Settlement Agreement and Plan of Allocation may be viewed at https://morgantico.com/fsd-pharma-inc/, www.fsdsecuritiesclassaction.com. HOW TO MAKE A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION: CLAIMS FOR COMPENSATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 21, 2021, 5:00 PM EST. Each Class Member must complete and submit a Claim Form electronically using the online claims administration portal on or before the Claims Bar Deadline of June 21, 2021, 5:00 PM EST, in order to participate in the settlement. The online claims administration portal and Claim Form can be accessed at https://portal.fsdsecuritiesclassaction.com or obtained by calling the Administrator at 1-877-400-1211. If you do not submit a completed Claim Form by the Claims Bar Deadline of June 21, 2021, you will not receive any part of the Net Settlement Amount. The Court appointed Paul Battaglia of Trilogy Class Action Services as the Administrator of the settlement to, among other things: (i) receive and process Claim Forms; (ii) decide eligibility for compensation; and (iii) distribute the net Settlement Amount to eligible Class Members. The Claim Form should be submitted to the Administrator by using the secure online claims administration portal at https://portal.fsdsecuritiesclassaction.com/. You may submit a paper Claim Form only if you do not have internet access. The paper Claim Form may be sent by regular mail to: Trilogy Class Action Services c/o FSD Pharma, Inc. Class Action Settlement 117 Queen Street, P.O. Box (News - Alert) . 1000 Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0 Toll Free: 1-877-400-1211 Fax: 416-342-1761 Email: claims@trilogyclassactions.ca Website: https://www.fsdsecuritiesclassaction.com INTERPRETATION: If there is a conflict between the provisions of this Notice and the Settlement Agreement, the terms of the Settlement Agreement will prevail. This notice has been approved by the Court. Questions about matters in this notice should NOT be directed to the Court. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210213005001/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has told fellow Republicans that he plans to vote to acquit Donald Trump on charges of incitement of insurrection a signal that the House-led effort to convict the former president will fail. McConnell made his position known on what could be the last day of the former president's impeachment trial. 'While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction,' McConnell said in the letter. Although he had denounced Trump's actions in an emotional Senate floor speech immediately after the Jan. 6 MAGA riot in the Capitol, McConnell also did not act to hasten the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (middle - on the Senate floor today) has told colleagues he will vote to acquit Trump He voted along with 44 other Republicans that the post-presidency impeachment was unconstitutional a position that did not prevail. Word of McConnell's decision came minutes before the beginning of Saturday's session of the Senate trial. After a delay over whether witnesses would be called, the proceedings resumed and the chamber moved toward a final vote. Trump is charged with inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot by his supporters at the Capitol as Congress was formally certifying his election defeat by Joe Biden. McConnell's views carry sway among GOP senators, and his decision on Trump is likely to influence others weighing their votes. Seventeen Republicans would need to join all 50 Democrats to reach the two-thirds threshold needed to convict Trump, a margin that seems all but insurmountable. Many had expected the Kentucky senator to vote to clear Trump of the charges, based on McConnell's history as a GOP loyalist who likes to take few major risks. But before Saturday, McConnell had said little in public or private about his mindset, and no one was certain what he would decide. McConnell jarred the political world just minutes after the Democratic-led House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, writing to his GOP colleagues that he had 'not made a final decision' about how he would vote at the Senate trial. It was an eye-opening departure from his quick opposition when the House impeached Trump in December 2019 for trying to force Ukraine to send the then-president political dirt on campaign rival Joe Biden and other Democrats. McConnell had also told associates he thought Trump perpetrated impeachable offenses and saw the moment as a chance to distance the GOP from the damage the tumultuous Trump could inflict on it, a Republican strategist told The Associated Press at the time, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. But since this week's trial began, McConnell has voted with a majority of Republicans against proceeding with the trial at all on the grounds that Trump was no longer president. McConnell's decision to acquit Trump leaves the party locked in its struggle to define itself in the post-Trump presidency. Trump is charged with inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot by his supporters at the Capitol as Congress was formally certifying his election defeat by Joe Biden Numerous and fiercely loyal pro-Trump Republicans and more traditional Republicans who believe the former president is damaging the party's national appeal are struggling to decide the GOP's direction. A guilty vote by McConnell would have likely done even more to roil GOP waters by signaling an attempt by the party's most powerful Washington leader to yank the party away from a figure still revered by most of its voters. 'The overwhelming number of Republican voters don't want Trump convicted, so that means any political leader has to tread carefully,' said John Feehery, a former top congressional GOP aide. While Feehery noted that McConnell was clearly outraged over the attack, he said the senator is 'trying to keep his party together.' Over 36 years in the Senate, the measured McConnell has earned a reputation for inexpressiveness in the service of caution. The suspense over how he was going to vote underscored how much is at stake for McConnell and his party. McConnell has spent the trial's first week in his seat in the Senate chamber, staring straight ahead. A guilty vote by McConnell would have enraged many of the 74 million voters who backed Trump in November, a record for a GOP presidential candidate. That could expose Republican senators seeking reelection in 2022 to primaries from conservatives seeking revenge, potentially giving the GOP less appealing general election candidates as they try winning Senate control. McConnell's decision will no doubt color his legacy. He turns 79 next Saturday and doesn't face reelection for almost six years. Even critics say McConnell likes to play the long game. 'For McConnell, it's always strategy, it's always about how he can live to fight another day,' said Colmon Elridge, chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party. McConnell maneuvered through Trump's four years in office like a captain steering a ship through a rocky strait on stormy seas. Battered at times by vindictive presidential tweets, McConnell made a habit of saying nothing about many of Trump's outrageous comments. He ended up guiding the Senate to victories such as the 2017 tax cuts and the confirmations of three Supreme Court justices and more than 200 other federal judges. Their relationship plummeted after Trump's denial of his Nov. 3 defeat and relentless efforts to reverse the voters' verdict with his baseless claims that Democrats fraudulently stole the election. It withered completely last month, after Republicans lost Senate control with two Georgia runoff defeats they blamed on Trump, and the savage attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. The day of the riot, McConnell railed against 'thugs, mobs, or threats' and described the attack as 'this failed insurrection.' A week later, the Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump for inciting insurrection. Six days after that, McConnell said, 'The mob was fed lies' and he added, 'They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.' .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca faced criticism Friday after his questioning of a Cabinet nominee touched on her race and whether she felt comfortable representing other cultures in the state as a Black woman. The exchange came in a Senate Rules Committee hearing on the nomination of Sonya Smith to lead the Department of Veteran Services. Baca, R-Belen, asked Smith whether she felt comfortable entering the position in a state where just 3% of the population is African American but 49% are a Hispanic mix. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Do you feel like you are comfortable adequately representing both cultures? Baca asked. Smith, who was nominated by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, responded with her own question: Do I feel comfortable representing the Department of Veteran Services as a Black woman? Is that what youre asking? Baca, noting that hes a Hispanic man, said race was an immutable trait but that she could answer the question however she wished. He said Smith was the one who had brought up minority communication earlier in the hearing. He appeared to be referring to Smiths response to an earlier question, when she said her duties during a previous job at the Department of Health included outreach to minority groups to answer questions about COVID-19 testing. Smith, in any case, responded to Bacas question about representing different cultures by saying I am who I am. I dont think when Gov. Lujan Grisham tapped me for this position, she was concerned about my color, Smith said. I think she was looking at my skill set and ability to lead. Baca apologized later in the hearing and said he must not have asked his question correctly. He ultimately joined the committee in voting 10-0 to recommend confirmation of Smiths appointment. Lujan Grisham followed up with a letter to legislative leaders Friday expressing her extreme displeasure with the manner of questioning directed at Smith. That Senator Baca would question Secretary-Designate Smiths qualifications on the basis of her race is abhorrent to me and, I am sure, to all New Mexicans who understand and value not only diverse representation in leadership but the multicultural fabric of our great state, Lujan Grisham wrote. The senators line of inquiry in which he asked the secretary-designate whether she, a black woman, would be comfortable adequately representing New Mexicans was inexcusable. House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton, an Albuquerque Democrat and first Black floor leader in the state Legislature, called Bacas questioning borderline racism and completely disrespectful. Smith, nominated last month, is a Gulf War veteran with a background in health care. She previously coordinated COVID-19 testing in the state Department of Health. After the hearing, Baca issued a statement saying he applauded Smiths commitment to minority inclusion. He said that in his questions, I hope I was clear that as a minority veteran myself, I view this role as one that must consider every facet of our diverse culture in New Mexico. As a lifelong New Mexican, I understand that there are unique challenges facing New Mexicos minority veterans challenges that may not be comparable to other states. Secretary-Designate Smiths comments today underscored her qualifications to lead this important department. February 13 : Diana Penty is currently in Kerala where she has started filming her debut Malayalam film. On February 9, the Cocktail actress took to social media to reveal that she has kickstarted shooting for the film alongside her co-star Dulquer Salmaan. Taking to her Instagram profile, the actress shared a beautiful picture today from the lush green state of Kerala. In the picture, Diana can be seen standing under a coconut tree in a white sleeveless top with her sunglasses in her hand. The click has captured the coconut tree and the blue sky is a creative way. In the caption, the actress said it all, Kerala and I... In her February 9 post, the Bollywood actress was seen holding the clap board along with the South superstar Dulquer Salmaan. The Happy Bhaag Jayegi actress shared the picture from the sets of the film and confirmed all rumours that were buzzing for quite some time now. Diana will play the female lead in Dulquer Salmaan's film Salute. Directed by Rosshan Andrrews, the film is bankrolled by Dulquer Salmaan's production house. Last year, Dulquer had announced that he has collaborated with Rosshan for an action film, wherein he will play the role of a cop for the first time. Diana plays Dulquer's romantic interest in the film, and her character plays a pivotal role in the story. Dulquer also dropped a post on Instagram, through which he welcomed Diana not only to his film but also to see the beautiful Kerala and explore its cuisine. The film will be mainly shot in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and the makers are planning to complete the shoot in 75 days and release it sometime in 2021. Meanwhile, on the work front, Diana was last seen in a music video, Challon ke Nishaan, alongside Sidharth Malhotra. The actress will also be seen in Shiddat, where she will share screen space with Mohit Raina, Sunny Kaushal and Radhika Madan. The film is an intense love story. New Delhi: The lawyers of Pakistans higher and lower courts on Wednesday held nationwide protests against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif seeking his resignation. the protests were held after a joint investigation team (JIT) probing Panam papers leak case accused Sharif and his family of evading tax by setting up offshore companies to purchase high-end properties in London. The protests against Sharif were called by the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association along with Pakistans top lawyers. The courts, where protests were organized did not hear any case. However, the Supreme Court of Pakistan continued with its proceedings, including hearing the Panama Papers leaks case. The protests also partially disrupted the proceedings of Lahore high Court. Bar Council Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon said the lawyer community has expressed solidarity with the Supreme Court and asked Sharif to step down. The organisations have urged Sharif to honorably resign as he has lost the moral and legal authority to continue in his office. We have requested the Supreme Court to take the Panama Papers case to its logical end and disqualify the prime minister and other public office-holders declared guilty of corruption in the JIT report. Pakistan PM, however, said those asking for my resignation have been rejected by the nation multiple times and complained that he had never been allowed to complete his tenure and this is the first time he has completed four years. Apart from Sharif, the bar councils have also sought the resignation of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the prime ministers son-in-law Muhammad Safdar. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has groused for years that Apple Inc. and its leader, Tim Cook, have too much sway over the social-media giants business. In 2018, his anger boiled over. Facebook was embroiled in controversy over its data-collection practices. Mr. Cook piled on in a national television interview, saying his own company would never have found itself in such a jam. Mr. Zuckerberg shot back that Mr. Cooks comments were extremely glib" and not at all aligned with the truth." In private, Mr. Zuckerberg was even harsher. We need to inflict pain," he told his team, for treating the company so poorly, according to people familiar with the exchange. It wasnt the first timeor the lastthat Mr. Cooks comments and actions would leave Mr. Zuckerberg seething and, at times, plotting to get back at Apple. The escalation of grievances erupted late last month in a rare public tit-for-tat between the two tech giants that laid bare the simmering animosity between their leaders, who exchanged jabs about privacy, app-tracking tools and, ultimately, their dueling visions about the future of the internet. Apple has positioned itself as the protector of digital privacy, upholding a greater good, while often leveling criticisms at Facebooks business modelwithout naming the company. All of that grates on Facebook, which sees Apple as overreaching in a way that threatens Facebooks existence, and hypocritical, including by doing extensive business is China where privacy is scarce. A 2017 attempt to address tensions through a face-to-face meeting between the two CEOs resulted in a tense standoff. The trigger last month was a new privacy tool the iPhone maker plans to roll out that will further restrict Facebooks ability to collect data. Mr. Zuckerberg accused Apple on an earnings call of using its platform to interfere with how Facebook apps work. Mr. Cook, without naming Facebook, delivered an online speech condemning conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms"a jab that came just days after the Capitol riot. At stake is how the internet will evolve and which companies will dominate it. Facebook and Apples visions are diverging and increasingly incompatible. Facebook wants to capture and monetize eyeballs on every possible device and platform. Apple wants to draw users to its own hardware-centric universe, partly by marketing itself as a privacy-focused company. The outcome of the battle could affect what kinds of information users see when they browse the internet. The war of words and ideas will ultimately play out in court, regulatory agencies and user decisions as both companies defend themselves against antitrust investigations. The potential regulatory settlements and legal decisions are likely to affect hundreds of millions of consumers phones in coming years. A Facebook spokeswoman, Dani Lever, said the choice between personalized services and privacy was a false trade-off," and that Facebook provides both. This is not about two companies. This is about the future of the free internet," she said, asserting that small businesses, app developers and consumers lose out under Apples new rules. Apple claims this is about privacy, but its about profit, and were joining others to point out their self-preferencing, anticompetitive behavior." She denied that the dispute between the two companies is personal, and said that Facebook is deliberately standing up to Apple" on behalf of businesses and developers hurt by the new policy. An Apple spokesman declined to respond to Ms. Levers comments. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, the leading Republican on the Senate antitrust subcommittee, said: This feud sits at the nexus of privacy and antitrust. We dont want to impose regulation that just ends up protecting incumbents and entrenching monopolies. Facebook keeps voicing its support for internet regulation, and its not because it wants to help competition." Advisers to the two companies, including law firms and lobbyists, are growing concerned that they wont be able to work for both tech giants, people who work for the firms said. In personality terms, the two men differ greatly. Mr. Zuckerberg, 36 years old, is a hacker-turned-Harvard-dropout who once touted the end of privacy as a social norm. Mr. Cook, 60, who hails from Alabama, has been a deeply private man who rose through the company as a specialist in supply-chain logistics. Mr. Zuckerberg built Facebook on the concept of radical openness, and he is determined to keep the company at the heart of global connectivity, with free services supported by targeted advertising. Some people familiar with Mr. Zuckerbergs thinking said he has taken Apples broadsides personally, running the risk of distracting him at a time when Facebook is fighting many other battles in the U.S. and abroad over antitrust and content moderation. Mr. Cook, former deputy to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, plans to carve out an experience for users free of what he portrays as invasive tracking. His position on privacy, which harks back to the days of the late Mr. Jobs, is made somewhat easier by the fact that much of Apples business comes from the sale of iPhones, iPads and computers, not ads. As Apple and Facebook have evolved, they increasingly compete head-to-head in some areas. With iPhone sales possibly peaking, Mr. Cook has pushed Apple to bolster and develop digital services. Its iMessage chat system competes for user attention with Facebook offerings such as WhatsApp. Facebook is developing more hardware devices. Both companies are investing in payments systems. Apple also receives billions of dollars a year from Alphabet Inc.s Google, for making the search giant the default search engine on Apples Safari browser. Googles profits are largely derived from the kind of data-gathering on users that Mr. Cook and other Apple leaders have sharply criticized Facebook for doing. Publicly, Mr. Zuckerberg has identified Apple as one of Facebooks most formidable competitors. Privately, he and other Facebook employees have been waging a campaign against Apple, asserting in meetings and communications with government officials, antitrust regulators and advertisers that the company is abusing its power and deserves more regulatory scrutiny, according to people familiar with the matter. On an earnings call in late January, Mr. Zuckerberg said: Apple has every incentive to use their dominant platform position to interfere with how our apps and other apps work." Apple has ratcheted up its privacy controls, preparing to roll out a new feature this spring that will allow users to limit the ability of apps to track what they are doing on their phones. Late last month, in his online speech on International Privacy Day, Mr. Cook made clear where he stood, without naming Facebook. If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, then it does not deserve our praiseit deserves reform," he said. Relations werent always so strained. Back in 2014, when Mr. Cook seemed more focused on the business threat posed by Googles Android operating system, he called Facebook a partner." The rise of the smartphone, driven in large part to Apples iPhone, led Facebook in 2012 into the world of mobile apps. As app use increased, new questions arose about user privacy. Already, Apple was working on the matter internally. Before his death in 2011, Mr. Jobs had spoken publicly about the matter at an event held by The Wall Street Journal. I believe people are smart, and some people want to share more data than other people do," he said. Ask them. Ask them every time. Make them tell you to stop asking them if they get tired of asking them. Let them know precisely what youre going to do with their data." Apple subsequently rolled out features and software aimed at making privacy features easier to use and more secure. It introduced the Touch ID fingerprint scanner in 2013 and new software in 2014 that encrypted users photos, messages and other data in a way that meant the company could no longer extract the information from a locked phone. The issue drew public attention after Edward Snowden leaked secrets that exposed U.S. government data-collection programs and Apple battled with federal investigators who sought data from the iPhone of a gunman who killed 14 in a San Bernardino, Calif., massacre. Apple declined to allow the government a method to bypass the phones passcode, although the issue cooled when the Federal Bureau of Investigation found a third-party tool to hack the phone. In public, Mr. Cook emphasized that Apples business wasnt based on collecting user information, urging users to follow the money" to see whether companies are profiting from gathering personal data. Such comments rankled Mr. Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives, who bristled at the notion that advertising was out of step with customers and publicly questioned what they deemed the high prices of Apples products, people who worked with them said. Some Facebook employees considered it hypocritical of Apple to embrace a public image of privacy consciousness when it did extensive business in China, some of the people said. Facebook executives were unhappy with the pace at which Apple approved its app updates. Mr. Zuckerberg grumbled that Mr. Cook might be personally intervening to slow things down, according to people familiar with the discussions. At various times, Mr. Zuckerberg proposed to his deputies, sometimes by email, that Facebook should delay launching new products on Apple devices and instead give the rival Android operating system an exclusive window, according to people familiar with the matter. Facebook didnt do so. In 2017, during the annual gathering of technology and media executives in Sun Valley, Idaho, Mr. Zuckerberg had a face-to-face meeting to confront Mr. Cook about the mounting tensions. The meeting didnt go well. Mr. Zuckerberg upbraided Mr. Cook about the app-review delays and other problems between the two companies. Mr. Cook appeared unwilling to give ground, and Mr. Zuckerberg felt he was abrasive, according to people debriefed on the conversation. In early 2018, Facebook revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a firm that helped Donald Trumps presidential campaign, had improperly used the social-media platforms data, amplifying long standing fears about the enormous amount of information it gathers from users. Asked on MSNBC what he would do if he were Facebooks CEO, Mr. Cook said: I wouldnt be in this situation." Current and former Facebook employees said Mr. Cooks comments left many inside the company feeling that Apple was unfairly picking on them, with executives grumbling that Mr. Cook wasnt singling out their social-media rivals in the same way. Facebook lawyers and communications executives discussed how to drum up antitrust concerns about Apple through lobbying groups, directly appealing to regulators or filing an antitrust lawsuit, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Zuckerberg decided it was best not to get publicly aggressive at the time, one of the people said. As Facebook stewed, Apple introduced during its 2018 software conference new features for iMessage that resembled social-media tools, such as group video chat, while also introducing a privacy tool for its web browser that aimed to limit personal data that apps like Facebook could collect. During the presentation, Apple featured Facebook in its examples of how it worked. Facebooks own actions were drawing scrutiny by Apple. In 2018, after Apple found that a Facebook data-security app called Onavo violated its data-collection policies, Facebook pulled the app. In early 2019, after discovering another Facebook app skirting Apples rules, Apple banned a Facebook research app and a number of internal developer apps used by Facebook employees. The ban of internal Facebook apps severely disrupted the companys operations for a short period. Apple began working on even more aggressive privacy tools. Last summer, it announced the App Tracking Transparency tool, which hasnt yet been rolled out. As part of its latest operating software, Apple said, it would allow ad tracking only if consumers opt in when they receive a prompt on an iPhone or iPad. The change means that Facebook or other companies would no longer be able to collect a persons advertising identifier without permission. The ad identifier, a string of numbers, is widely used by digital ad and data brokers to track where users go online. In the face of pushback from Facebook and others, Apple delayed the rollout of the new tool for a few months, but said late last month it will arrive early this spring. Facebook said the new tool poses a threat to its business. Apples changes will benefit them, while hurting the industry and the ability for businesses of all sizes to market themselves efficiently and grow through personalized advertising," Facebook wrote in an email to political advertisers in mid-December that was reviewed by the Journal. We disagree with Apples approach and solution, yet we have no choice but to show the prompt.If we dont, we believe they will block Facebook and other apps from the App Store which may further harm the businesses and users that rely on our services." Late last year, Facebook executives, including Mr. Zuckerberg, deliberated joining the high-profile legal battle against Apple by Epic Games Inc., the company behind the popular videogame Fortnite," which accused Apple of exerting too much control over pricing, a person familiar with the matter said. Apple has said its commission is in line with other app marketplaces. In December, Facebook said it would assist Epic by providing supporting materials and documents, though it didnt join the lawsuit. That same week, Facebook placed full-page ads on the matter in several newspapers, including the Journal. Were standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere," the ads said. Faced with litigation from the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general over allegedly anticompetitive practices, Facebook has argued that competition from Apple and other tech companies show Facebook isnt a monopoly. Meanwhile, the war of words continues. Apples planned privacy changes, Mr. Zuckerberg said late last month, affect the growth of millions of businesses around the world." After decrying business models built on algorithms, without naming Facebook, Mr. Cook said: A social dilemma cannot be allowed to become a social catastrophe." This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. ORANGEBURG, S.C. The I. P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium and SC State Universitys Department of Social Sciences will host the second event in the series, On Being A Citizen: What is a Democratic Republic? The virtual event will be held via Zoom on Thursday, February 18, at 5 p.m. This virtual event will require pre-registration and will feature nationally noted political commentators, Tim Miller, a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee, and Antjuan Seawright, a CBS News political contributor, and Democratic strategist. The pair will discuss the radically differing social and cultural views that shape American societys contemporary political conversations. The program will explore the overarching political positions of conservative, Republican, and Liberal Democratic platforms, and will assess how voters from these divergent, polemical ideologies may assess our governmental leaders exhortations for "unity" on both sides of the current, on-going political debate. With substantial experience in their respective fields, the programs panelists will also discuss the American narrative of exceptionalism, the roles of marginal voices in a search for adequate and equitable representation, and many more issues of importance. Tim Miller, a former political director for Republican Voters Against Trump, and former communications director for the Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaign, now serves as writer-at-large at The Bulwark. South Carolina native, Antjuan Seawright, is a former advisor to the 2008 and 2016 presidential campaigns for candidate Hillary Clinton. Seawright currently serves as a CBS News political contributor and an opinion writer for The Hill and BuzzFeed News. Dr. Frank C. Martin, II, director of the I. P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium will moderate the discussion. Advanced registration is required. To register, click here and for additional information, contact Davion Petty at dpetty@scsu.edu. Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Bharat Petroleum's Propylene Derivatives Petrochemical Complex at Kochi Refinery and Inland Waterways Authority's Roll-on/Roll-off vessels, at Willingdon Island here on Sunday. He would also inaugurate Cochin Port Trust's International Cruise Terminal and Cochin Shipyard's Vigyana Sagar, campus for Marine Engineering Training Institute, an official press release said. Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Cochin Port Trust's South Coal Berth. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Mansukh L Mandaviya will attend the event, the release said. The Prime Minister will arrive at BPCL Kochi Refinery at 3.30 PM and address the gathering. At a press conference here on Saturday, Oil minister Pradhan said an investment of over Rs 6,000 crore has been made in the state through these projects which are being either dedicated/inaugurated or initiated. The dedication of Propylene Derivatives Petrochemical Complex at BPCL Kochi Refinery marks the first major endeavour in India, either in public or private sector, to produce Niche Petrochemicals which are predominantly being imported to the country, he said. Minister of State for Shipping Mandaviya said the Sagarika International Cruise Terminal at Cochin Port will open up new vistas of business development in travel, tourism and allied areas. Reconstruction of the South Coal Berth will ensure quick and efficient handling of cargo meant for Fertilizers And Chemicals of Travancore (FACT) which is showing outstanding performance in recent years, he said. The Roll-on/Roll-off (RO-RO) vessels between Bolgatty and Willingdon Island will help container carrying vehicles to circumvent the Kochi city roads, thereby ensuring seamless traffic and fuel saving. The Marine Engineering Training Institute would groom 114 Mechanical/Naval/Architect Engineers every year in a sector which is on a high growth trajectory, the minister said. A total of 9.7 mn healthcare workers and 7.1 mn frontline workers have been registered on Co-WIN application till February 9, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey told the on Friday. Till 9th February 2021, a total of 6.5 mn beneficiaries have received 1st dose of Covid-19 vaccine, he said in a written reply. The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) provides guidance on all aspects of Covid-19 vaccination including prioritization of population groups, procurement and inventory management, vaccine selection, vaccine delivery and tracking mechanism etc. The NEGVAC has prioritized healthcare workers, frontline workers, people aged 50 years and above, and those aged less than 50 with comorbidities for Covid-19 vaccination. "As on 9th February 2021, a total of 9.7 mn healthcare workers and 7.1 mn frontline workers have been registered on Co-WIN application," Choubey said. There have been disturbing reports in Japan of foreign technical interns abandoning their newborns to avoid deportation. Many of them are unaware they are protected under Japanese labor law, which prohibits the dismissal of employees due to childbirth or pregnancy. Last November, a 21-year-old Vietnamese trainee was arrested for leaving the bodies of her baby twins in a cardboard box after giving birth in her dormitory in the town of Ashikita, Kumamoto Prefecture. "I thought I would be forced to return to Vietnam if the company found out I was pregnant," police quoted her saying. According to her attorney and police, the woman arrived in Japan in August 2018 to work at an orange farm in Ashikita. She sent 130,000 yen ($1,200) of her monthly earnings of 150,000 yen to her family back home. She began to display health issues last October but refused to go to the hospital as urged by her employer. As it turned out, she was pregnant. The bodies were found in her room after police were notified by the hospital that treated her when she became ill following childbirth. In the same month, a 26-year-old Vietnamese trainee was arrested after she allegedly buried a newborn near her home in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. There have been similar cases across the country, many of which involve women who abandoned their infants out of fear of being deported. The number of foreign technical interns roughly doubled over four years to reach 410,000 by the end of 2019. Women accounted for about 40%, totaling 170,000. Foreign trainees are protected under Japan's Equal Employment Opportunity Act, which prohibits employers from firing or mistreating workers over pregnancy or childbirth. Another law enacted in 2017 regarding training and protection of technical interns also prohibits employers from "restricting freedom of trainees without due cause." In March 2019, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare issued instructions to employers of trainees and entities that supervise the program not to discharge or mistreat them due to being pregnant. However, "Many trainees are not aware of their rights," according to Kokushikan University professor Eriko Suzuki, an immigration policy expert. - Nikkei The world knows by now the story of the coronavirus: this disease that has ripped around the world, killing two million and counting, leaving a swathe of devastation in its wake. We are all but certain it came from China. Yet surprisingly, even now, nobody knows how the pandemic began. We were told early on that it started in a Wuhan wet market, possibly via smuggled pangolins, which infected people. Those pangolins had probably caught Sars-CoV-2 from horseshoe bats, which are the animals that naturally carry Sars-like viruses. This was the story initially. But what if the virus that causes Covid-19 jumped from animals into people in a different setting inside a laboratory? Specifically one where bat viruses were being studied? There have been rumours along these lines, right from the start. At first they seemed little more than the conspiracy theories of crackpots spending too much time on the internet including borderline racism directed at China. But, as the months have worn on, that original theory of the wet market and pangolins has become more questionable. Scientists probing the origins of Sars-CoV-2 have uncovered anomaly after anomaly. As a science writer who has written about viruses on and off for 35 years, and a post-doctoral researcher at a top institute, we initially had little doubt that this would prove to be a natural phenomenon. Mother Nature is a better genetic engineer than human beings will ever be, and the opportunities for viruses to infect human beings are legion, especially where the live-wildlife trade flourishes. Yet now we are not so sure. Evidence for a natural spillover has not emerged. Nor has evidence for a laboratory accident. But details of the research done by a laboratory in Wuhan on closely related viruses, and of the secrecy surrounding it, demand closer scrutiny. Last month, the US state department, under the Trump administration, released an explosive statement saying that it had reason to believe that several researchers inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick in autumn 2019, before the first identified case of the outbreak, with symptoms consistent with both Covid-19 and common seasonal illnesses. The institute is Chinas foremost research centre for such diseases and holds a database of more than 20,000 pathogen samples from wild animals across the country, mostly bats and rodents. For more than a year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has systematically prevented a transparent and thorough investigation of the Covid-19 pandemics origin, choosing instead to devote enormous resources to deceit and disinformation, it added. A team of World Health Organisation visited Wuhan this month, on terms set by Chinas government. They said this week that it was extremely unlikely that the lab was the source of the virus but questions remain. The US state department statement did not rule out the possibility that the virus may have escaped from the institute. The virus could have emerged naturally from human contact with infected animals, spreading in a pattern consistent with a natural epidemic. Alternatively, a laboratory accident could resemble a natural outbreak if the initial exposure included only a few individuals and was compounded by asymptomatic infection, it noted, adding that Chinese researchers have studied animal coronaviruses in conditions that increased the risk for accidental and potentially unwitting exposure. Expand Close Origins: A pangolin, sometimes known as a scaly anteater, has been cited as a possible source of Covid / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Origins: A pangolin, sometimes known as a scaly anteater, has been cited as a possible source of Covid So where did Covid-19 come from? In April 2012, six men who had been clearing bat droppings in a disused copper mine in Mojiang county, in Yunnan, a province in south-west China, fell ill and were hospitalised in Kunming, Yunnans capital. Three of the men would die. In June, Dr Zhong Nanshan, the famous physician who in 2003 figured out how to treat patients suffering from the first Sars virus Sars-CoV-1 was consulted. He inferred that a similar virus might be responsible, and advised identifying the bat species in the mine, and testing the patients for Sars. Doctors deduced that Dr Zhong had been correct behind the miners illness was a Sars-like coronavirus found in horseshoe bats. Tests were run, some by the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), a thousand miles to the north-east. This is where the virologist Dr Shi Zhengli works. For years she had conducted field expeditions to sample bats in caves elsewhere in Yunnan for viruses, as part of a long-term project to track down the sources of Sars-like viruses and measure the threat they posed. These expeditions brought the viruses back to Wuhan to be genetically sequenced and in some cases used in animal-infection experiments. After the Mojiang miners fell ill, Dr Shi sent at least seven expeditions to the site to catch and sample bats. They brought back nine Sars-like coronaviruses. Other top Chinese labs also went to sample viruses from the Mojiang mine. On December 30, 2019, Dr Shi was at a conference in Shanghai when she heard of an outbreak of infectious pneumonia in her home city of Wuhan. She rushed back on an overnight train. Later, she told Scientific American magazine that one of her early thoughts was, Could [the coronaviruses suspected to be the culprit] have come from our lab? She concluded not. This new disease had appeared in a seafood market selling exotic wildlife in Wuhan: of 41 cases of people with the disease, 27 had visited the market. Within a month of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcing the origins of the virus being animals at the market, four different Chinese research groups reported that they had found a similar virus in smuggled pangolins confiscated in 2019 in Guangdong, a southern province, which was also where the 2003 Sars outbreak had started. The source of the virus therefore seemed clear: pangolins, trafficked into Wuhan, were the culprits that had conveyed the newly named Sars-CoV-2 from bats into humans. By all accounts, this was a rerun of the Sars epidemic, whose origins were traced back to animals called palm civets in markets, and ultimately to horseshoe bats. This was the story told to the world, and one that was, initially, almost universally accepted. Read More In February, however, a short article was released by two Wuhan scientists, Botao Xiao and Lei Xiao, pointing out that Wuhan laboratories had mounted expeditions across China to collect and study bat viruses. It made the bold statement that in addition to origins of natural recombination and intermediate host, the killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan. The paper was later withdrawn and some concluded it was an empty guess. Nevertheless, when sequencing Wuhans novel coronavirus determining the order of the genetic letters that make up its genome Dr Shi found that it closely resembled a short sequence from a bat virus her lab had collected in the Mojiang mine in 2013. In publishing this finding in Nature magazine in February 2020, however, Dr Shi made no reference to Mojiang or the miners, and gave the bat virus a different name RaTG13 from the one used previously. Nor did she mention that her laboratory had sequenced and studied RaTG13 as early as 2017. This lack of transparency meant that it was left to a group of diligent online sleuths, including scientists in Innsbruck in Austria and Pune in India, a Russian-Canadian biotech entrepreneur, an anonymous Twitter user known as The Seeker and a group going by the name of DRASTIC, to fill the gaps. They found the original identity of RaTG13, connected it to the Mojiang mine, located the site of the mine and unearthed a thesis from Kunming Medical University that revealed what had happened to the Mojiang miners. These revelations were eventually confirmed by Dr Shi in November 2020, in an addendum to the earlier Nature paper. This also revealed that eight other Sars-like viruses had been collected from bats in the mine. Yet it gave no names or genetic data for these eight viruses. Moreover, WIVs virus database had been taken offline which Dr Shi told the BBC was for security reasons. As more tantalising details emerged, journalists from the BBC and Associated Press attempted to visit the Mojiang mine, but were tailed by police and stopped at roadblocks. For some, it was just too coincidental that the outbreak of Sars-CoV-2 had begun so close to the WIV, the foremost laboratory for studying such viruses in the world, which had collected large numbers of coronaviruses from a thousand miles away. Early in 2020, many scientists confidently ruled out the suggestion that Covid-19 might have escaped from a lab. We stand together to condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that Covid-19 does not have a natural origin, announced 27 prominent scientists in The Lancet on February 19. Our analyses clearly show that Sars-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus, proclaimed experts in Nature Medicine on March 17. Today, however, a growing number of experts agreed when we put it to them that a lab leak remains a plausible scientific hypothesis to be investigated, regardless of how likely or unlikely. A lack of transparency is one of the reasons for this shift. Another is that the market no longer looks like the site where the pandemic began. In May last year, the director of the Chinese CDC announced that none of the animal samples collected from the Wuhan wet market had tested positive for Covid-19. It was, he declared, more like a victim. The novel coronavirus had existed long before. The statement followed months of speculation that the Wuhan wet market was not the site of the spillover from animal to human population. Independent analyses had already shown that some of the earliest patients had no links to the market. Nor did virus sequences from surfaces at the market point to cross-species spillover: they implied that the market cases were human-to-human transmissions. Moreover, the pangolin evidence now looks weak as well. As one of us (Chan) discovered, all four studies of the pangolin virus most like Sars-CoV-2 relied on the same data set from a single batch of pangolins intercepted in Guangdong in March 2019. There is no evidence of widespread infection among pangolins, let alone in Wuhan. As Dr Angela Rasmussen, of the Georgetown Centre for Global Health Science and Security, put it: The pangolin samples are a mess, and likely not relevant. A further surprise was in store. Chan and her colleague Dr Shing Hei Zhan scrutinised the evolutions of Sars-CoV-1 (the cause of the 2003 Sars epidemic) and Sars-CoV-2 (the cause of the current pandemic) in the early months of their respective outbreaks and found that while the former mutated rapidly in early human cases, as the virus adapted to its new host, the latter did not. This implies that the virus causing Covid-19 was already well adapted to infecting human beings, a point that was also suggested by the World Health Organisation in its global study on the origins of Covid-19, published in November. There are three possible explanations for this. The first is that the virus had circulated, undetected, in people for months. The second is that the virus was already highly adept at human-to-human transmission, even while it was still in bats or other animals. The third is that it had become adapted in human cells, or humanised animals, in a laboratory. Pandemic origins That such viruses circulated in humans in Wuhan seems unlikely. Dr Shi and her colleagues at the WIV have been sampling people, as well as bats, in rural Yunnan in the areas where Sars-like viruses are found in bats. By a stroke of good luck they used the population of their home city, Wuhan, as a comparison in one 2015 study: of hundreds of people tested in Wuhan, none had antibodies against Sars-like viruses. Yet there is little doubt that the pandemic began in Wuhan. All the early cases were in the city and the majority of the first recorded cases in other countries were among people who had travelled from Wuhan. There is still no sign of an original animal source of Sars-CoV-2 in Wuhan, or the rest of Hubei province. Horseshoe bats that live in the area have been extensively sampled for viruses for years without Sars-CoV-2-like viruses showing up. Therefore, the strongest connection between such viruses in Yunnan and the human outbreak in Wuhan is the WIV, and the fact that it had collected Sars-like viruses from the Mojiang mine. But this is circumstantial, not direct evidence. Although Sars leaked from a Beijing laboratory twice in 2004, infecting 11 people, there have been no public reports of an accident at the WIV. Moreover, RaTG13 is not Sars-CoV-2: there are significant differences between the viruses. This is why full transparency about all the viruses held in the WIV would be helpful, including all of the Sars-like viruses collected in the Mojiang mine. We know from published work that Dr Shi and her colleagues were not only analysing the genomes of viruses, they were also manipulating them. This includes the creation of chimera or hybrid viruses with genes taken from two different viruses. It also includes the testing of these viruses in humanised mice, endowed with a certain human gene. The practice of building chimera coronaviruses, sometimes leaving no trace of manipulation, is not new. Such experiments have been conducted in select laboratories such as the WIV for years, for the purpose of understanding how novel viruses could spill over into humans. The ultimate goal is to create a universal vaccine for all Sars-like viruses. The scientists might find it unbearable if they instead caused a pandemic. But they did not find it unthinkable. In a 2015 article co-authored by Dr Shi, these words appear: Scientific review panels may deem similar studies building chimeric viruses based on circulating strains too risky to pursue... The potential to prepare for and mitigate future outbreaks must be weighed against the risk of creating more dangerous pathogens. Some time in 2019 in Wuhan, a virus appeared that was already adept at infecting human beings and that was related to bat viruses from a long way away. Whether it arrived in the lungs of a traveller from a rural village in Yunnan, or through something that went wrong in a laboratory, we do not yet know. But tracking down its origins becomes more vital with every day that passes. Telegraph Media Group 2021 The Capitol riot revealed a new force in American politics not merely a mix of right-wing organizations, but a broader mass political movement that has violence at its core and draws strength even from places where Trump supporters are in the minority, he wrote in The Atlantic. That force shows little sign of backing down: Two weeks ago, the Homeland Security Department issued a rare terrorism alert warning that violent extremists were emboldened by the attack and motivated by the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives. There is some indication that such violent acts have support among some Americans, particularly within the Republican Party. A survey conducted by the American Enterprise Institute this week found that 55 percent of Republicans back the use of force as a way to arrest the decline of the traditional American way of life, as compared with 35 percent of independents and 22 percent of Democrats. In their impeachment defense, lawyers for Mr. Trump didnt focus on the attackers but the former president, arguing that he didnt intend to incite a violent attack. The parts of his rhetoric cited by the House impeachment managers were selectively edited and the video was manipulated, they said. The Trump team showed video montages of Democrats using the word fight further torturing an already worn piece of political rhetoric. (Of course, none of those politicians, its worth noting, were being tried for inciting a riot.) And they used Mr. Trumps comments in 2017 after the events in Charlottesville, Va. that there were very fine people on both sides to argue that his words have long been misconstrued. Former homeland security officials have cited those remarks as a defining moment that emboldened extremists. Many Republicans in Congress are likely to seize upon this question of intent. Even with Mr. Trump out of office, crossing the former president would mean alienating a significant part of their base. Those, like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who promoted Mr. Trumps baseless claims of election fraud leading up to the ransacking at the Capitol, show no signs of changing their minds. Its quite likely that the final number of Republicans who vote for conviction will be well below the two-thirds majority required. Eventually, the debate over Mr. Trumps culpability will be left to the history books. What will remain indisputable, however, is that his words mattered. Extremist violence flourished under his watch. And uprooting that will be a far more difficult national undertaking than a few long days in the Senate. (L to R): Matthew Labyorteaux as Albert Ingalls, Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Michael Landon as Charles Philip Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie | Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank Set in 1800s Minnesota, Little House on the Prairie became an almost instant viewer favorite when it debuted on NBC in 1974. The cast, over the shows nine-year run, became tight-knit and as close as a family. Since its farewell in 1983 after nine seasons, the cast has reunited throughout the years at various events. One star, however, has notoriously kept their distance from the get-togethers. Heres what a fellow actor on the series had to say. Melissa Gilbert said this cast member wanted to kill her Keep in mind, Gilbert was 9 years old when she made the statement that her cast mate, Melissa Sue Anderson, wanted her dead. The Laura Ingalls Wilder actor was bringing Alison Arngrim, who had been hired to play nasty Nellie Oleson, up to speed on who to watch out for on the set. And Anderson was at the top of her list. Whatever you do, you watch out for that Melissa Sue Anderson, Arngrim in her memoir Confessions of a Prairie B*tch quoted Gilbert as saying. Shes very dangerous. Shes evil, and I hate her. Arngrims aunt, who Gilbert had been speaking to as well, tried to jolly the youngster out of her awful opinion of her co-star. Gilbert wasnt having it. Gilbert added, Yes I do! I hate her, and she hates me. She tried to kill me, you know. And shell kill you, too, if she gets the chance! The actor elaborated more on that moment when she spoke with host Andy Cohen in 2014 on Watch What Happens Live. [Melissa Sue Anderson was] hateful, horrid, mean, terrible, mean, difficult, Gilbert said. She hated me. She knocked me off the wagon when I was 9. Gilbert felt Anderson could be distant and cold Michael Landon and Melissa Sue Anderson on Little House on the Prairie, 1977 | Ted Shepherd/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images RELATED: Little House On The Prairie: What Is Melissa Gilberts Net Worth and What Is She Working On Now? In her own memoir Prairie Tale, Gilbert touched lightly on the topic of the actor who played her television sister. It bothered Gilbert that the two never grew closer during the run of the show but it wasnt for lack of trying on the Laura Ingalls actors part. There was a distance to her, a coldness, though sometimes I wonder if it was just that I never knew how to get her to let me in, she wrote. Gilbert added, She wasnt easy to get along with. I think her reserve came across on screen and was certainly apparent off screen. Anderson refused to attend reunions As Nellie Oleson actor Arngrim stated in her book, the cast of the show has had many opportunities to gather together and reminisce. And they do it with gusto. One can almost see Arngrim shaking her head as she notes that Anderson simply hasnt cared to join them at any time. Over the years, the cast of Little House had reunited several times often because a fan group or an event planner wants to fly us all out to speak and sign autographs (most of us are happy to oblige, hang out, reminisce, and catch up on our lives), she wrote. Arngrim tallied the various gatherings she has attended, and apparently, she hasnt missed one. The first was in Sonora, California, in September 1998, fifteen years after the show went off the air A few years later, much of this group along with [Almonzo Wilder actor] Dean Butler, would reunite in Beatrice, Nebraska, in June 2005. A month later, Melissa [Gilbert] brought her entire brood to the Tombstone, Arizona, Western Film Festival. This one was a huge party, she noted. Arngrim remarked that just about every year a Little House event finds her reunited with her old friends, and were all very grateful and look forward to it. She said dryly, however, The only one who has never come to a reunion? Melissa Sue Anderson. Big surprise there. Interestingly in 2014, four years after Arngrims memoir was published, Today hosted a Little House reunion in their Rockefeller Center studios. Many of the shows principal actors were there, with Anderson notably in attendance. And she looked as though she was having a wonderful time. New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved sale of governments 51.11 per cent stake in oil refiner HPCL to Indias largest oil producer ONGC for a potential Rs 26,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore, a top source said. While ONGC buying HPCL will help the government meet as much as 40 per cent of its target for raising Rs 72,500 crore in the current fiscal through stake sales, more deals in the oil sector including one where refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC) buys out explorer Oil India Ltd or Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) merges with gas utility GAIL may be in the offing. The source said the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave in-principal approval for Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) buying Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL). Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is likely to make a statement on the deal as well as other potential mergers tomorrow afternoon in Parliament. Prior to the merger, HPCL is likely to take over Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) to bring all the refining assets of ONGC under one unit. ONGC currently owns 71.63 per cent of MRPL while HPCL has 16.96 per cent stake in it. HPCL buying ONGC stake will give the explorer Rs 16,414 crore at todays closing price. ONGC, which has cash reserves of Rs 13,014 crore, also has an option to sell part or all of its 13.77 per cent stake in IOC which is worth nearly Rs 25,000 crore. The source said ONGC will not have to make an open offer to minority shareholders of HPCL as the governments holding is being transferred to another state-run firm and the ownership isnt changing. The deal will be completed within a year, he said. HPCL will become a subsidiary of ONGC and will remain a listed company post the acquisition, he said adding the board of the refining and marketing company will continue to remain in place. HPCL has a market cap of Rs 58,485.55 crore, based on todays closing price of Rs 384 a share on the BSE. At todays rate, ONGC will have to shell out close to Rs 30,000 crore for governments 51.11 per cent but the actual price may be either of one-year, 26 week or 60 day average scrip price, the source said. ONGC Chairman and Managing Director Dinesh K Sarraf said the funding plans for the acquisition are in place but refused to reveal them citing market sensitivities. Many options have been debated, he said. Once the government officially notifies the decision, the board of ONGC will consider buying out HPCL and valuations will then be worked out, he said. The source, cited earlier, said a committeeheaded by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising Pradhan and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkarihas been constituted to work out the modalities. Sarraf said there was a strong case for merging MRPL, which ONGC had acquired in March 2003 from AV Birla Group, with HPCL but no modalities have been worked out yet. MRPL will be the third refinery of HPCL, which already has units at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. A source in ONGC said the company may not appoint valuation advisers as the job would be done by the seller (the government). Jaitley had in his Budget for 2017-18 fiscal talked about creating an integrated oil behemoth. After that oil companies were asked to give their options. ONGC had evaluated options of acquiring either HPCL or BPCLthe two downstream oil refining and fuel marketing companies. It found the nations second-biggest fuel retailer BPCL too expensive and conveyed its choice to the parent oil ministry. Another source said the transaction is likely to be completed within this fiscal year. ONGC has cash reserves of Rs 13,014 crore and to fund the government stake acquisition in HPCL, it will have to borrow at least Rs 10,000 crore, the source said. BPCL has a market cap of Rs 1,01,860.56 crore and buying governments 54.93 per cent would alone have entailed an outgo of about 56,000 crore. HPCL, on the other hand, has a market cap of Rs 58,485.55 crore and buying governments entire 51.11 per cent stake would entail an outgo of Rs 29,900 crore. Sources said the government was initially looking at creating an integrated oil company through the merger of an oil producer with a refiner but the idea was dropped for the fear of repeating the Air India-Indian Airlines kind of a merger which is not considered successful. Similar differences in work culture and ethos prevail in upstream and downstream firms and so the exercise under consideration now is to only help the government mop up resources and HPCL would become a mere subsidiary of ONGC. There are only six major companies in the oil sector-- ONGC and Oil India Ltd being the oil producers, IOC, HPCL and BPCL in refinery business and GAIL in the midstream gas transportation business. The rest, such as ONGC Videsh, Chennai Petroleum Corp (CPCL), Numaligarh Refinery Ltd and MRPL, are already subsidiaries of one of these six PSUs. HPCL will add 23.8 million tonnes of annual oil refining capacity to ONGCs portfolio, making it the third-largest refiner in the country after IOC and Reliance Industries. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Telegraph The partner of Lord Ashcroft's son is in custody after a police officer was shot in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Andrew Ashcroft, whose father is Lord Ashcroft the former deputy chairman of the Conservative party was detained after police say she was found near where superintendent Henry Jemmott's body was discovered on Friday. Mr Jemmott, a father of five, was found floating in the sea next to a pier off the eastern coast of Belize after being shot. Investigators said his police-issued firearm was found on the pier. Police say the pair were alone together before he died. However, Marie Jemmott Tzul, the officers sister, told The Telegraph they were not having an affair. "There was no romantic relationship at all," she said. Mr Jemmotts family claimed that the post-mortem examination had ruled out an accident or suicide. But the police have not confirmed this claim and the results of the inquest are due to be released on Monday. Aspen, CO (81611) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High near 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 41F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. The government is willing to spend more on rural jobs in FY22 than allocated in the recently presented budget and will persist with reforms to make the economy more open, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman told parliamentarians in her reply to the budget discussion in Lok Sabha on Saturday. The minister told the House that the governments commitment to unshackling businesses from regulations constraining growth was blended into the Union budget for FY22. The scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) provides work on the basis of demand and protects the livelihoods of millions of workers. The demand-driven scheme guarantees 100 days of work in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The number of people signing up for this state-funded work programme surges when employment opportunity in the economy, especially in labour-intensive construction sector declines. If demand for unskilled work stays high next year, the government will scale up allocation, the minister said. For the FY21 ending March, the government had originally earmarked Rs61,500 crores but scaled it up to Rs1.12 trillion in the revised estimate to add jobs in rural areas and help migrants returning from cities due to the pandemic. By end of the year, it may well be that it may be utilized only to the extent of Rs90,000 crore. But still, far higher than ever utilized under MGNREGA. Therefore, for the coming year, we have given Rs73,000 crore and are fully willing, through the supplementary demands for grants which happen at least two times if not three times (a year), to give more and more if necessary so that migrant workers who have not returned to their jobs in cities or anywhere else, can be given continued support," the minister said. Sitharaman credited opposition Congress party for having designed the scheme but said the Congress-led former United Progressive Alliance government could not use it efficiently. Congress gives birth to very good schemes, no doubt, but lacks the will to use them properly, openly and transparently," the minister said. Sitharaman told the House that the governments approach to reform was comprehensive. Reforms, she said, were meant to lay a path for the country to become one of the top economies in the world, not knee-jerk policy reaction to events. That is because experience has shown that reforms lead to sustained poverty reduction, the minister said. Poverty reduction in real terms has been happening ever since public and private sector were freed from the notorious licence-quota raj, the minister said, referring to the 1991 reforms. A sustained commitment to reform has blended into the budget for FY22, Sitharaman said. "The erstwhile Bharatiya Jan Sangh and BJP have always believed in respecting Indians managerial, trade and entrepreneurial skills, and respecting wealth creators, tax payers and honest citizens is something the party consistently follows," Sitharaman said, rejecting criticism from opposition Congress party that the budget favoured the rich and offered little for the poor. Unless wealth creators create wealth, there is nothing going to be with the government to distribute to the poor and migrant labourers," the minister said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. (Newser) Carl Hart is a psychology professor at Columbia University, a well regarded researcher, and "an unapologetic drug user" who has been using heroin regularly for five years. So the 54-year-old reveals in Drug Use for Grown-Ups, which he released in January. Unapologetic is right. As the Guardian reports, Hart is open and direct: "I do not have a drug-use problem. Never have. Each day, I meet my parental, personal and professional responsibilities. I pay my taxes, serve as a volunteer in my community on a regular basis and contribute to the global community as an informed and engaged citizen. I am better for my drug use." In the Guardian's view, it's the "who" as much as the "what" in this case: These words are coming not from a "beat poet or avant-garde artist" but a man whose career has been spent studying drugs' neurological and behavioral effects on us. story continues below The Wall Street Journal reports his research started from a place of conventional wisdom: that drugs destroyed people and neighborhoods, including his own in South Florida in the early '80s. It led him to neuroscience, with his thinking being that he could repair his community if he could "stop people from taking drugs, especially by fixing their broken brains." But he said his efforts to prove that marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine were deeply harmful to the drug users who participated in his study came up short. In all cases, participants largely reported feeling "more altruistic, empathetic, euphoric, focused, grateful, and tranquil." NPR reports Hart delves into the racist history that he sees as responsible for giving drugs such a bad rap and provides "ample research" to back up his stance that people should be able to use drugs as they wish, though he advocates for things like federal regulation and purity testing. (Read the full Guardian piece for much more.) Meru Musa, 35, and mother-of-six, cultivates rice in the Federal Capital Territory. In this 14th episode of the series Women in Agriculture, she shares her experience with PREMIUM TIMES. PT: Can you tell us how long you have been cultivating? Ms Musa: After my marriage I was a house wife and it was difficult for my husband to be the breadwinner. Most times I had to wait for him to bring farm produce or money before we ate. We reside in our village (Kutara) and the basic thing is farming. Even if there are other jobs, the best I can do is farming so I decided to join him about five years ago. Although I grew up as a farmer but I stopped. PT: As a woman from this part of the world, it is usually not easy for women to get land. Whose land do you use? Ms Musa: My parents could not provide us with formal education, the only thing they gave us was farming education. The only inheritance I got was a land since I grew up as a farmer. PT: Whats the size? Ms Musa: For now, it is one hectare of land but I have plans of increasing the size of the land in the nearest future. PT: Seeds and fertilizers are challenges for farmers, how do you tackle them? Ms Musa: Honestly, it is difficult to access the fertilizers in the market. Sometimes you will have the money but it is not available to buy. So what I do is to use organic fertilizer. I use cattle droppings or decomposed foods. For the seeds, I buy from the market, I also use some of the remains from the previous farming season. Both fertilizer and seeds are not so affordable so I just manage. PT: There are a variety of crops how come you just cultivate rice? Ms Musa: The basic reason is that I love rice as a crop because it is lucrative to cultivate and sell. It grows well on this soil, although there are other crops that grow well too like sorghum and sesame seeds. It is what I am best at. Aside being lucrative, my family and I consume it. PT: Have you heard of improved seeds? Ms Musa: Despite being close to the seat of power, I have not heard of improved seeds. When travelling to Gwagwalada, there is this Seed Council office, I was once told they are in charge of seeds in Nigeria but I have not heard anything from them. PT: Do you use machines? Ms Musa: No, I dont. I cannot afford it now. PT: Do you use your children as labour? Ms Musa: Two of my children are grown enough to assist me on the farm, after school or during the holidays they join me on the farm. ADVERTISEMENT PT: What is your average output? Ms Musa: On an average, I get between 8 to 10 bags (100kg) of rice. PT: How do you preserve your product? Ms Musa: Storage has been a major challenge for me, I have yo use my house. Even when the space is not enough for humans, I have to create it for my farm product. PT: How accessible is the market? Ms Musa: There are off takers who come to take but from the farm, so a good number of times I simply harvest and sell without going to the market. But when the off takers are not able to purchase everything, the leftover is kept in the house. PT: Does you husband support you and to what extent? Ms Musa: Yes, he supports me by giving me money to help with expenses like labour expense. PT: Have got gotten any support from the government organisations or NGOs? Ms Musa: No, Ive not. PT: Have got faced any discrimination because you are a female farmer? Ms Musa: In this community, we live as one so there is nothing like discrimination against anyone. PT: Is there any benefit the male farmers get that the women farmers dont get? Ms Musa: Farmers rarely receive benefits from Non Governmental Organisations(NGOs) or the government. If it is ever gotten, the men will share with the women because a lot of us are married to each other. PT: What is your biggest challenge as a female farmer? Ms Musa: Two things, money and land shortage. These two factors have hindered my growth as farmer. I have dreams of getting wealthy from agriculture. I have plans of expanding my business, going into livestock farming and other crops. Police in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi had charged Google CEO Sundar Pichai and 17 others last week over a video that allegedly defamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi but later removed the tech giant officials' names from the FIR, police officials said today. The names of Sundar Pichai and three other top officials of Google were removed after they were found not involved in the case, a police official privy to the probe told news agency Press Trust of India over the phone. The First Information Report or FIR was filed following a complaint by a local resident who claimed that he got over 8,500 threat calls on his mobile phone after he objected to the video that he first came across in a WhatsApp group and later on YouTube, where it has over five lakh views, the officials said. Besides Sundar Pichai, others named in the FIR are three Google India officials including Sanjay Kumar Gupta, according to the case filed at UP's Bhelupur police station on February 6. Google's response over the case is awaited. Among the rest named in the FIR are Ghazipur district-based musicians who allegedly made the video song, a recording studio and a local music label company. The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 500 (defamation), 120B (party to a criminal conspiracy). Charges under the Information Technology Act's section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material) have also been invoked against the accused, according to the FIR, which has been accessed by news agency Press Trust of India. The names of Google officials were removed from the FIR the same day as it turned out that they were not involved in the case. Investigation on other points is underway, an official from the local Bhelupur police station told news agency PTI. About Us BibleStudyTools.com is the largest free online Bible website for verse search and in-depth studies. Search verses using the translation and version you like with over 29 to choose from including King James (KJV), New International (NIV), New American Standard (NASB), The Message, New Living (NLT), Holman Christian Standard (HCSB),English Standard (ESV), and many more versions of the Holy Bible. Our rich online library includes well known and trusted commentaries including the popular Matthew Henry Commentary, concordances like Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and Naves Topical Concordance, Bible dictionaries, Biblical encyclopedias and historical Christian and church books including Fox's Book of Martyrs. Our library of resources also includes Bible reading plans, Parallel Bible, and many other additional Christian resources including dictionaries and encyclopedias. For a more in-depth study of Scripture, our website offers Greek and Hebrew Interlinear for the New and Old Testament, lexicons for original Greek and Hebrew reading of Scripture, as well as popular Church history books. Our most popular content, Bible verses by topic, provides Biblical encouragement and wisdom for all of lives situations and events. Search over 200 topical verses to meet your need, or sign up for our daily bible to receive a verse by email to start your day. Read more About Us, Use BST on your site, and view our Online Bible Sitemap. Francis writes a letter to mark the 600th anniversary of the mission of the Commissaries of the Holy Land who through their dedication enable "a network of ecclesial, spiritual and charitable relations that have as their focal point the land where Jesus lived". Vatican City (AsiaNews) - We must "support, promote and enhance the mission of the Custody of the Holy Land," Pope Francis affirms in a letter sent to the Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Francesco Patton. The papal message was sent to mark six centuries of the mission of the Commissaries of the Holy Land whose dedication to their cause enable "a network of ecclesial, spiritual and charitable relations that have as their focal point the land where Jesus lived". On February 14 the Franciscan religious whose mission is at the service of the Holy Land celebrate a 600-year milestone. Francis writes to them: "I support and bless this precious service and I hope that it will be ever more a seed of fraternity". Established in 1421 by Pope Martin V with the bull His quae pro ecclesiasticarum, the Commissariats of the Holy Land were created to support the missions in the birth place of Jesus and to procure economic aid for the Holy Land. It is from this mission that the figure of the procurator was born, and later that of the commissioner. The Franciscans, charged with the Custody of the Holy Land, initially gave laymen the responsibility for procuring economic support for the Holy Land. This gave rise to the position of the procurator, the forerunner of the Commissar. Over the centuries, the laity were gradually replaced by Franciscan friars and today all the commissaries of the Holy Land are appointed by their territorial superior, after consultation with the Custos of the Holy Land.They represent a bridge between the mission of the Holy Land and the local churches, and they reassert the importance of support for the Holy Land with the Collecta pro Locis Sanctis, which was established by Pope Leo XIII on 26 December 1887 and is taken up each year on Good Friday. Currently, there are 67 Commissariats of the Holy Land, distributed in 60 nations of the world. On February 15, at 6.30, at the Aedicule of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, will celebrate the Eucharist in thanksgiving and in memory of all the benefactors of the Holy Land. DEAL OF THE WEEK Follett Says Never at Viking In a North American rights agreement, Viking bought Ken Folletts new novel, Never. The Follett Office sold the thriller to Brian Tart, the authors longtime editor. Never, Tart said, is a cant-stop-reading tale that features the character-driven, deeply researched verisimilitude of Folletts historical epics. Its an action-packed globe-spanning drama set in the present day. Follett (The Pillars of the Earth) has more than 170 million copies of his 36 books in print, according to Viking. Never is set for a November 9 publication in the U.S. FROM THE U.S. Knopf Taps into Adichies Grief For Knopf, Reagan Arthur acquired Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Notes on Grief. Sarah Chalfant at the Wylie Agency brokered the U.S. rights agreement. Knopf described the book, which is expanded from an essay Adichie published in the New Yorker, as a work of meditation, remembrance, and hope, written in the wake of her fathers death. In it, the author writes about being one of the millions of people grieving this year, about the familial and cultural dimensions of grief, and also about the loneliness and anger that accompany it. Adichie (Americanah) has won a National Book Critics Circle Award and a MacArthur Fellowship. Notes on Grief is set for May 11. Viking Buys an Ozeki Novel Ruth Ozeki, whose 2013 novel A Tale for the Time Being was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, sold a new novel to Paul Slovak at Viking. Molly Friedrich at the Friedrich Agency brokered the North American rights deal. The Book of Form and Emptiness is about, Viking said, our relationship with material things. It follows a 14-year-old boy who begins hearing voices in the wake of his fathers death. The story also involves the boys vital relationship with a book that narrates his life and teaches him how to listen to what really matters. The Book of Form and Emptiness is set for a September release. Nix Unveils a New Old Kingdom Entry International bestseller Garth Nix sold the latest title in his Old Kingdom YA series to Katherine Tegen, who has an eponymous imprint at HarperCollins. The North American rights agreement was handled by Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management. Terciel & Elinor follows, Grinberg explained, a ploy by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsen, which brings Terciel, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, across the Wall to Ancelstierreand to Elinorwho in a single day of fire and death and loss, finds herself set on a path that will take her away from her life of seclusion into the Old Kingdom. A November release is planned. S&G Explores Verdonis Adolescence For what the publisher is calling a significant six-figure sum, Spiegel and Grau bought Marco Verdonis memoir, An American Adolescence. Trident Media Groups Sulamita Garbuz sold the book to Aaron Robertson in a North American rights agreement. The author was locked up in a Michigan prison from ages 15 to 25, and An American Adolescence is about his time there. The book, the publisher said, is an honest and provocative account of life behind bars that aims to shed light on the flaws in our criminal justice system, adding that it was pitched as being similar to Orange Is the New Black and Just Mercy. Verdoni has an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin. St. Martins Eats Fosters Meth Lunches At St. Martins Press, Gwen Hawkes nabbed Kim Fosters narrative nonfiction book, The Meth Lunches. Stacey Glick at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, represented the James Beardwinning food writer in the North American rights agreement. Glick said The Meth Lunches is an examination of the intersection of food and povertyfrom the lingering trauma of childhood hunger to urban grocery stores and community food pantries. The book, subtitled Stories from the Dysfunction of Food, is about how cooking, eating, shopping, and feeding people you love can be a symptom and solution, war and weaponry, and often a source of love and much-needed hope. The Meth Lunches is set for fall 2022. Tang Takes Her Map to Penguin Press In her first acquisition for Penguin Press, Juli Kiyan preempted North American rights to Belinda Huijuan Tangs A Map for the Missing. Kiyan, associate director of publicity at the Penguin Random House imprint, recently took on editorial duties, adding the title of editor. Penguin said the debut novel follows a son who returns to his familys rural village in China to search for his estranged father who has disappeared. Tang tackles themes of forgiveness and the meaning of home in a work set against a rapidly changing postCultural Revolution China from the late 1970s to the 90s. The author, who was represented by Julie Barer at the Book Group, is currently an MFA student at the Iowa Writers Workshop. Wong Memoir Goes to Vintage Activist and consultant Alice Wong sold a memoir, Year of the Tiger, to Anna Kaufman at Vintage in a world English rights agreement. Vintage said the book is a mosaic memoir that charts the authors life and work as an activist through an array of visual and prose forms, including photos, essays, artwork, and horoscopes. Wong, who founded the Disability Visibility Project (an online forum that aims to amplify the voices of those in the disabled community), also edited the anthology Disability Visibility, which Vintage published last year. She was represented by Julia Kardon at HG Literary. Year of the Tiger is slated for 2022. Hadfields Apollo Lands at Mulholland For Mulholland Books, Helen OHare bought U.S. rights to Chris Hadfields The Apollo Murders from fellow Hachette imprint Quercus in the U.K. (Random House Canada will publish the title in Canada.) The debut novel from the Canadian former astronaut and bestselling nonfiction author is, Mulholland said, a Cold War thriller from the dark heart of the space race. Its a high-octane thriller that partners his incredible experiences as an astronaut with the kind of page-turning mystery thats impossible to put down. The Apollo Murders is set for October 12. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Microsoft Surface Duo was first released in the United States, with no updates if it'll also arrive in other countries. However, the software giant company now confirmed that it will also arrive in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as reported by MS Power User's latest report. The Microsoft Surface Duo is getting a notable $400 price drop as it prepares launching in Canada & Europe next week pic.twitter.com/3kjUa8gc0H Kimiko Mire (@kimiko_mire) February 11, 2021 "Initially, Surface Duo will be available in the US. We'll share more information about market expansion at a later date," said the tech giant company via MS Power User. Microsoft is expected to release its Surface Duo in the mentioned countries this upcoming Feb. 18. However, the software giant company won't offer any pre-order for its foldable device. Although this is the case, interested people could still buy bit directly from Microsoft on Feb. 18. Microsoft Surface Duo's price According to Android Community's latest report, the Surface Duo's 256GB version is expected to have a price tag of $1,099.99, thanks to the $400 discount that Microsoft will provide. The Microsoft Surface Duo is getting a notable $400 price drop as it prepares launching in Canada & Europe next week pic.twitter.com/3kjUa8gc0H Kimiko Mire (@kimiko_mire) February 11, 2021 Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A52 Features, Specs and Price Revealed as Phone Gets FCC Approved However, the company did not confirm the stated price will be the final cut or just a promo. This means that this is the best time to buy the Surface Duo since there's a chance that it'll cost more in the future. The Surface Duo that will arrive in Germany is expected to cost $1,878 or 1,549. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Duo in the United Kingdom is expected to cost $1,862 or 1,349. Meanwhile, the base model of the mentioned countries is expected to cost $999. Although this is a great offer, you still need to manage your expectations since it'll not have some of the features offered by other models. Microsoft Surface Duo's specs Now that you know its possible prices in each of the country it'll soon arrive to, here are its specific specs you need to know; Screen: Dual-pane 5.6 inches, total resolution 2700 x 1800 px Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon TM 855 855 RAM: 6 GB Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB Network: 4G LTE, WCDMA (UMTS), GSM Operating System: Android 10 Size/Weight: 145.2 mm (H) x 93.3 mm (W) x 9.9 mm (closed), 250g Battery: 3577mAh Camera: 11MP, f/2.0 Price: $1399 for 128 GB, $1499 for 256GB All these features simply shows that Microsoft can develop a high-end foldable device. For more news updates about Microsoft Surface Duo and other upcoming Microsoft's foldable devices, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Galaxy Tab S8 Enterprise Edition: Potential iPad Pro Rival Appears on Samsung's Website This article is owned by TechTimes. Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NEW HAVEN For those who knew Kevin Jiang, he radiated light and joy into the world, Trinity Baptist Church Co-Pastor Greg Hendrickson said as many gathered Saturday for a funeral for the slain Yale graduate student. But even amid this light, Jiang, 26, last Saturday night, was gunned down on the street and the peace of a neighborhood was shattered, Hendrickson said. Kevins life was taken from us in a moment, and our city mourned its sixth homicide in as many weeks. What do we make of this? What do we make of a human being who radiated light and joy, but whose life was snatched away on a dark night in a violent attack? Hendrickson asked. In his sermon, Hendrickson drew parallels between the Biblical story, including the salvation represented in Jesus Christ, and Jiangs life, which was driven, in part, by his faith. Hendrickson spoke as family, friends and well-wishers mourned the loss and celebrated the life of Jiang, killed Feb. 6 on Lawrence Street in the citys East Rock neighborhood. Jiangs mother and father described their sons warmth, kindness, energy and faith in their remarks, offered as part of the service, which was streamed live by the church. Jiang lived full-heartedly, enthusiastically, like a ray of sunlight, his mother, Linda Liu said. He led his friends and family to faith; he had grown as a person while serving in the military. He was a good communicator; he loved science and nature. He had taken care of her, showing his thoughtfulness, reassuring her about the future, she said. Kevins life was short but colorful, and brought so much joy, happiness and positivity to those around him, said his mother. As a mother, I will always miss Kevin, and treasure the blessings he brought me. Although Kevin is gone from us now, Kevin is the most wonderful gift God has ever given me on Earth. I look forward to being reunited with Kevin in heaven in the future, she said. His father, Mingchen Jiang, thanked people, both those they knew and those they did not, for offering their heartfelt condolences after his sons passing. He said his son had spoken to him a lot about faith as he walked his journey in life; they grew and matured together. I realize, now, that Kevin himself is an angel. His mission to this world is to deliver love, said Mingchen Jiang. Love is the word Kevin used most often. Kevin Jiangs father read a poem he wrote for his son. To my beloved son: as a devout Christian, you are a faithful servant of Jesus. As a mature son, you took kind care of your family. Your heart is full of love. Your smile is always warming and charming. You are naturally unguarded and honest. My dear, you said that heaven is peaceful; you wish that that will be our future home, said his father. Where are you in heaven now? We will look for you for the rest of our life, and will stay with you. Kevin Jiangs former youth pastor in Chicago, Mark Brunke, said Jiang had changed as a young man, channeling energy that led him to try to wrestle everyone in their youth group into a ball of joy in adulthood. I think, in his teenage years, it was his encounter with the love of God that changed him, said Brunke. That truth that is the truth that breathed new life into Kevin. And I know, for some hearing this, it may sound hokey, it may sound church-y, but you cant argue with the results... Im so grateful to have known Kevin, because I think his life was a chance for all of us to see God refresh, restore and renew someone... Im proud of you, young man. Zion Perry, Jiangs fiancee, said he had offered glimpses of his faith in unconscious aspects of life in the peace of his face when he slept, in his music and his overt faith. Kevin would want us to cherish the gift of life we still have on Earth, and share the good news of eternal life in Christ Jesus, said Perry. I cant wait to see my beloved sweetheart in his heavenly body. I will always love him, with the love of Christ. The Bible celebrates creation, Hendrickson noted. Kevin Jiang wanted to do his part to preserve and share it in his environmental stewardship, making sure the world God had made would be cared for, along with his fellow human beings, he said. After being bullied as a youth, Jiang had found solace in the Biblical understanding of humanity, and the inherent dignity in the universality of Gods love it includes, Hendrickson said. There is blood and murder in the Bible, Hendrickson said. It begins with the killing of Abel by Cain, where unchecked jealousy spilled over into rage and destruction; the text includes understanding of the commonality of sin among human beings. He suggested that those in attendance, in considering this balance between darkness and light, take solace in the example of Jesus, the Christian savior, who, like Jiang, had his life cut short by violence. The Biblical story may seem fanciful to some, he said. But he noted the impact it had on Jiangs life, his works on this Earth, and the legacy he left among those that knew him. The light and life and joy and hope that we saw in Kevin are available to each of us from Jesus today, said Hendrickson. Jiang, 26, who studied at the Yale School of the Environment and lived in West Haven, was shot to death between Nicoll Street and Nash Street. He was an Army veteran and a National Guard reservist. Police have said Jiang may have been targeted, rather than being killed in a random act. Police are continuing to investigate Jiangs killing, including searching for Qinxuan Pan, considered a person of interest in the case. Police have not said whether Pan and Jiang knew each other. Pan, 29, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was last seen in Georgia. Connecticut District Deputy U.S. Marshal Supervisor Matthew Duffy said Saturday efforts were still focused there. Perry attended MIT as an undergraduate student, graduating in 2020 with a degree in biological engineering. She then move on to graduate school at Yale. The couple became engaged a week before Jiangs death. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Bridging the Digital Divide Is More Important Than Ever During the COVID Pandemic Today in California, if a child does not have access to the internet, the schoolhouse doors are closed. For nearly two decades now, policymakers have examined and talked about the digital divide, the shorthand term for the disparities in internet access that has contributed to many being excluded from the benefits of the Information Age. But it has taken the COVID-19 pandemic to bring home the seriousness and urgency of the problem. As schools have switched to distance learning and online instruction, millions of children are being left behind. State education officials estimate that one in five California students about 1.2 million children lack either broadband access or a computer, making it nearly impossible to participate in online classes. ADVERTISEMENT The data show that those most likely to be shut out are Black and brown students. State law requires that schools have a plan to ensure access to devices and connectivity for all students as part of their distance-learning programs. Yet the need is great and funding scarce. The Department of Educations Digital Divide Task Force, while working to secure greater public funding, has appealed to community-based groups, individuals and corporations to mobilize to address this critical need. A program launched in South Los Angeles in December demonstrates what a mobilized community can achieve. SoLa I Can, the non-profit affiliate to the community housing group SoLa Impact, launched a program it calls 10001000. Among those supporting the program are AT&T, Los Angeles Rams players and private philanthropists including the James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation. The organization seeks to provide free internet connectivity to 1,000 South Los Angeles families for up to 1,000 days. Among the multiple community-based programs sprouting up designed to meet the needs of South L.A., Rams team captain Andrew Whitworth said the 10001000 program stands out as one designed to address the immediate needs of L.A.s diverse community. School officials say students in South L.A. are three times less likely than their peers to keep up with their school curriculum as a result of either poor connectivity or no internet access. While the need for students to connect with their teachers and classes is of paramount concern, lack of internet connectivity disadvantages families in myriad ways. Internet access today is the pathway for employment, accessing public benefits, banking, connecting with friends and family even the ability to see a doctor. ADVERTISEMENT The 10001000 program is more than 80% toward meeting its goal and is seeking additional philanthropic sponsors. With the arrival of effective vaccines, of course, there is hope that schoolhouse doors will soon be physically reopened, if not in this academic year, then in the fall. One lesson that must be taken from the lost learning during these past months is that the challenges created by disparate access to the internet will long outlast the pandemic. The communications industry has been investing heavily in expanding broadband access. AT&T, for example, invested more than $8.7 billion from 2017 through 2019 in California alone. Today in this state, 98.3 percent of households have access to internet speeds that meet the FCCs minimum definition of high-speed connectivity. While there remain rural areas and tribal lands without broadband access, what we are seeing in communities such as South L.A. is a troubling gap between the availability of the technology and its adoption. While 98.3 of California households have the availability of high-speed internet, only 64.5 percent subscribe. Internet service providers have stepped up with inexpensive internet plans for low-income families, including the Access from AT&T program, which provides high-speed internet service for $10 per month to low-income households that qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Supplemental Social Security. Still, the digital equity gap persists a gap that further separates haves from have nots, stifling opportunities for educational advancement and economic mobility. The pandemic has shone a bright, sobering light on the magnitude of the problem. During these unprecedented times, it is essential to find creative and innovative ways to ensure that our California students in need have access to online resources, so they are not left behind as they study and learn at home. It will take a collaborative effort between educators, elected officials and community leaders to address digital inclusion and critical issues across the state, especially in rural and underserved communities. Just as has SoLa Impact, its time for public agencies and private entities to step up and confront this crisis in connectivity. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Advertisement Police have warned the public of the Covid risks posed by large crowds after hundreds of people gathered to go sledging or drink in parks this week. Officers responded to busy scenes on Town Moor in Newcastle on Thursday and in Middlesbrough on Wednesday, while police in Leicester cracked down on a 'pop-up pub'. Cleveland Police said they were 'outnumbered' after receiving reports of hundreds of visitors sledging at Flatts Lane Country Park in Middlesbrough. An officer said: 'If they're not going to engage with us ... we're going to have to start taking names and addresses and issuing fines.' Under lockdown rules in England, people are only allowed to leave home if they have a 'reasonable excuse' to do so, such as shopping for essentials or permitted childcare. People should limit outdoor exercise to once per day, which can be taken alone, with their household, or one person they do not live with. Leaving home for recreational or leisure purposes , such as for a picnic or a social meeting, is not allowed. Police can issue fines of up to 10,000 for organised gatherings. A spokeswoman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said it was up to officers on the ground to make assessments of situations and decide how to apply regulations. A large police presence arrives to disperse crowds of sledgers and skiers on the Town Moor - a public area of common ground in Newcastle A force spokesman said officers had attended the park throughout the day on Thursday after reports of 'large crowds' the previous night Northumbria Police said it was aware of crowds coming together to drink and socialise, ignoring current lockdown rules In a Facebook post on Thursday, Cleveland Police said they sympathised with the public, but two hours of police time was spent trying to get people to move vehicles and leave the area for their own safety. The post added: 'People are allowed to exercise in the local area, but we would ask that they have due consideration when there are large numbers of people in the same location, and the risks this could pose. 'We have been in a worldwide pandemic for almost a year now, and we all know that we have a part to play in keeping people safe and stopping the spread of the virus. 'The sheer volume of people in the park yesterday could have put people at risk.' The force said officers had a largely 'positive' engagement with the public and only one person was issued with a fixed penalty notice for refusing to leave the area after he became abusive towards officers. Under lockdown rules in England, people are only allowed to leave home if they have a 'reasonable excuse' to do so, such as shopping for essentials or permitted childcare. People should limit outdoor exercise to once per day, which can be taken alone, with their household, or one person they do not live with. Leaving home for recreational or leisure purposes , such as for a picnic or a social meeting, is not allowed. Police can issue fines of up to 10,000 for organised gatherings. A spokeswoman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said it was up to officers on the ground to make assessments of situations and decide how to apply regulations. Cleveland Police's Inspector Tony Cross told the BBC the crowds at Flatts Lane Country Park had taken up 'a lot of resources', with officers left 'outnumbered'. Meanwhile, Northumbria Police said they dispersed crowds of young adults drinking and socialising at Town Moor in Newcastle on Thursday. A force spokesman said officers had attended the park throughout the day after reports of 'large crowds' the previous night. ChronicleLive reported that footage from Wednesday showed revellers standing on the top of Cow Hill drinking and playing music. One witness told the website there was 'a good 300' people present and 'no social distancing'. Commenting on activities on Thursday, the Northumbria Police spokesman said the majority of people 'were made up of young families who remained in their households and behaved in a responsible manner'. He added: 'However, as we moved into the evening we did become aware of large crowds, primarily consisting of young adults, who were drinking and socialising in similar scenes to Wednesday. 'A large number of officers were deployed to the Moor to disperse these crowds and there were no further issues throughout the evening. 'We do not believe this to have been an organised gathering but this type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and undermines the efforts of the majority of people in our region who are making daily sacrifices to prevent the spread of coronavirus.' No fines were issued and no arrests were made, the force said. Leicestershire Police said they fined seven men after officers discovered a 'pop-up pub', complete with a bar, large screen television and a pool table, inside premises on Morris Road, Leicester on Wednesday. Officers went to the site as Leicester City's FA cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion kicked off. The television was connected to a Sky box and alcohol was being consumed, but no money appeared to be being exchanged, the force said. Sergeant Ben Widdowson said: 'Gatherings such as this puts the lives of you, your family, your friends and people in your community at risk.' EV After the resounding success of the companys first Renault has stepped up its efforts to remain relevant in the EV era. The carmaker recently revealed its latest strategy consisting of 14 new vehicles, 7 of which will be fully electric.Among the previewed prototypes, the modern reincarnation of the R5 is by far the most spectacular, showcasing the carmakers plan to blend modern technologies and design with the heritage of its most successful past models.Officially launched on 28 January 1972, the original Renault 5 quickly became one of the most popular cars in Europe, then spread across the globe, including the U.S. where it was sold as the Renault Le Car from 1976 to 1983.The rise in popularity in its home country was aided by a creative ad campaign called Les aventures de Supercar, a series of cartoons where the R5 was personified by receiving a mischievous pair of eyes in place of the headlights and a mouth on the front bumper, through which it introduced itself to the French people, often using the slogan they also call me Supercar (on mappelle aussi Supercar).In a recent video posted on the companys official website, Nicolas Jardin, one of the exterior designers who worked on the R5 EV revealed how the cartoon characters playful eyes inspired the design and functionality of the innovative prototype.The modern reinterpretation of the iconic little hatchback features a pair of headlights that are completely different in terms of design to those of its ancestor, yet evoke its cartoon counterparts lively, slightly wrinkled eyes.Using the latest LED matrix technology, the design team was able to program animations that bring the EVs headlights to life. When turned on, the cars welcome sequence illuminates the new logo and triggers an animation that extends onto the central grille and then the headlights, which seem to blink. The animation finishes with the innovative daytime running lights, which were inspired by the old R5s fog lights.Thanks to the matrix technology and animations in the welcome sequence, we were able to recreate the expressiveness and mischievousness of the original car's look, said Jardin.As much as I love the headlight design and the idea behind it, I think that Jardins statement is a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, the animation of the R5 prototype does a better job of recreating the expressiveness of a cyborg than the mischievousness of the original R5 or its cartoon counterpart.That being said, the prototype is an amazing feat for Renaults design team, and I have yet to meet someone who thinks otherwise. With or without the animations, its definitely worthy of taking the R5 nameplate to the EV era, as opposed to the crossover that Ford calls a Mustang Renault has confirmed that it will release a production version of the electric R5 by 2025 and rumors have surfaced about a plan to develop a performance Alpine version as well. Queensland wildlife officers have found human remains amid the search for a crocodile believed to have taken a fisherman and all round legendary bloke missing off the states north coast since Thursday. Andrew Heard, 69, failed to return from a fishing trip to Gayundah Creek, on the south-western side of Hinchinbrook Island between Cairns and Townsville, and was unable to be contacted by his wife via radio. Department of Environment and Science officers joined the extensive search effort on Friday after the experienced fishermans capsized and damaged two-metre dinghy was found early Friday morning. Examination of the vessel led them to believe it was highly likely a crocodile was involved but the exact circumstances and sequences of events was still unclear. Former US President Donald Trump did not leave office until he had laid the foundations of new policies concerning aid to the Palestinian people by Gulf countries, who also signed Washington-brokered normalisation deals with Israel. It now appears that halting donations to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is required for sealing the deals. The UAE and Bahrain decided to slash funding to the UNRWA in 2020, the year that saw the signing of the Abraham Accords which are the US-brokered agreements that have ushered in public rapprochements between Israel and several Arab states for the first time. Last year, the UAE and Bahrain normalised ties with Israel, breaking with the traditional Arab consensus that restoration of diplomatic relations can only be undertaken when concessions have been made in the peace process to the benefit of the Palestinians. Israel has not held substantive peace talks since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assumed office in 2009. The UAE donated $51.8 million to UNRWA in 2018 and the same amount again in 2019, but in 2020 it gave the agency just $1 million, UNRWA Spokesperson Sami Mshasha stated after it was first reported by the Centre for Near East Policy Research in its annual transparency report on UNRWA for 2020. The report added that Bahrain had also cut funds, but did not provide figures. We are really hoping that in 2021 they will go back to the levels of the previous years, Mshasha told Al-Ahram Weekly. The Gulf states have been the major traditional donors of the agency for decades, especially in terms of funding budgets allocated to emergency and implementing projects. The UAE as the current chair of the UNRWA advisory committee was strongly criticised for cutting aid. In response, in an official statement to Reuters last week, the Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy confirmed that the move takes place by way of reconsidering ways to enhance effectiveness of aid. She denied that the aid reduction was related to the UAE establishing ties with Israel, saying that the UAE was pushing forward with support for organisations that utilise funds efficiently amid the coronavirus crisis, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Speaking of the UAE obligation to keeping its donation commitment, Mshasha said, the donation is a sovereignly-considered decision and the agency does not influence it in any way. In fact, there was a public shock following the decision to cut aid. The Gulf reductions in support to UNRWA are extremely ill-timed and ill-advised, said Zaha Hassan, a human rights lawyer and visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Palestinians have harshly criticised the Arab countries that signed the Abraham Accords, brokered by Trump, as they considered it a move of betrayal to their 70-year cause. If the Gulf discontinues or greatly reduces support, it will be a signal to the Palestinians that the Trump plan lives and breathes, said Hassan. The Biden administration announced last month that it would restore aid to the Palestinians, including refugees. Hassan confirmed that the flow of Gulf state donations is reliant on the US decision on the matter. The administration should send a clear message to Gulf states that it would like to see support from Gulf countries increase rather than decrease, the human rights lawyer added. Critics of UNRWA say it perpetuates the refugee problem created by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the Palestinians demand of a right of return for the refugees and their descendants. Israel adamantly rejects the idea of a right of return, which if fully implemented would leave the country with a Palestinian majority. Israel has had a love-hate relationship with UNRWA since its inception, Hassan revealed. Though UNRWA is a humanitarian relief agency providing essential services to Palestinians, its very existence is testament to Israels responsibility for the Palestinians plight and the enduring nature of the refugee claims. At the same time, UNRWA relieves Israel of its responsibility to provide services to refugees. About scenarios of liquidating the agency, Hassan confirmed that Israel and interest groups in the US have worked on discrediting the agency in the hope that it would lose donations. UNRWA was thrown into the worst financial crisis it has experienced in its 72-year history following the Trump administrations 2018 decision to summarily withdraw US funding, said Ardi Imseis, professor of international law at Queens University, and former UNRWA legal counsel. The US, historically UNRWAs largest single donor, had cut its contributions from $360 million to $60million in 2018 and then to zero for 2019. The Biden administration has announced its likely renewal of aid, but Ardi believes it is as yet unclear whether pre-2018 levels of support from Washington will be resumed in full. Trumps decision to cut UNRWA aid and the UAE and Bahrain following raise questions about the possibility of liquidating the UNRWA, according to one report by Le Monde. The French newspaper revealed in late 2020 that Israel is moving to liquidate the agency and is urging the UAE to follow its plan. Imseis ruled out the possibility of the agencys liquidation: The UNRWA is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly. Only the assembly thats made up of 193 members, has the authority to alter its mandate. No state can, on its own, impose changes on the agency, Imseis confirmed, highlighting UNRWAs significant role in keeping regional stability and being an institutional expression of the UNs permanent responsibility for the question of Palestine until it is resolved in accordance with international law. According to the UN, UNRWA provides education, healthcare and other vital services to some 5.7 million registered Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, mainly descendants of the 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were driven out of Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation. *A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The remains of French and Russian soldiers who died during Napoleon's catastrophic retreat from Moscow in 1812 will be laid to rest Saturday in a rare moment of unity between the two countries. A ceremony near the western city of Smolensk will see the re-burial of 126 people killed in one of the bloodiest battles of Napoleon's Russian campaign. The interment takes place as France marks the bicentenary of the military leader's death this year. Descendants of 19th-century Russian and French military leaders, as well as dozens of re-enactors, are expected to attend the burial in Vyazma, a town more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Moscow. Remains of 120 soldiers, three women and three teenagers were discovered in a mass grave by archaeologists from both countries in 2019. The dig was led by Pierre Malinowski, the Kremlin-connected head of the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historic Initiatives. The three women are believed to be so-called "vivandieres", who provided first aid and kept canteens in the French army, while the three adolescents are believed to have been drummers. All are thought to have fallen during the Battle of Vyazma on November 3, 1812, at the beginning of the French army's retreat from Moscow and before the horrific crossing of the Berezina River. The ceremony, complete with a gun salute, will mark a rare moment of unity between Russia and Europe at a time of heightened tensions over a litany of issues including the Kremlin's increasingly harsh crackdown on political opposition. Read | From fractured ribs to punctured lungs, some Russian protesters allege police brutality "Direct descendants of the main players in the conflict are meeting here together in a sign of reconciliation to commemorate the Russian and French soldiers that their ancestors commanded more than 200 years ago," Malinowski told AFP. Yulia Khitrovo, a descendant of Russian field marshal Mikhail Kutuzov -- considered a national hero for repelling Napoleon's invasion -- added: "Death made them equal: they are all in one grave now." Prince Joachim Murat, a descendant of one of Napoleon's most celebrated marshals, called the upcoming ceremony a "symbol of mutual respect" between the once-warring sides. The site was first discovered during construction work and was initially believed to be one of the many World War II mass graves that dot western Russia. But research by the Russian Academy of Sciences later showed that the remains were of victims of Napoleon's campaign, most of them in their 30s at the time of their death, said anthropologist Tatyana Shvedchikova. Alexander Khokhlov, head of the archaeological expedition, said that the discovery of metal uniform buttons helped establish that some of the victims served in the French army's 30th and 55th line infantry regiments and 24th light infantry regiment. ADVERTISEMENT At the AU Summit this week, which ended on February 7, Nigeria contested for the same post again. But apparently it had learnt from its 2017 joke; this time, it put up a real candidate. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye was like a winner, even before the votes were cast. There is a widespread belief that Africas problem is basically that of leadership. It does not seem that it can be otherwise because it is a continent of paradoxes; naturally the richest part of the earth, yet the poorest. But such unscientific analysts could not have read How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, as brilliantly presented by Walter Rodney, whose young life was terminated by a bomb. Just as Africa had the wretched of the mind like Jean Bedel Bokassa leading us, so have we had brilliant minds like Nelson Mandela and world class leaders like Kwame Nkrumah. We produced chilling butchers like Idi Amin and Mobutu Sese Seko, but they were like apprentices to King Leopold II and Adolf Hitler. We can disagree about leadership, reasons for universal poverty in a world of plenty, ideology and transformational leaders, but what is not in dispute about Africa is that we are a continent beset by unending conflicts. The African Union (AU) might also have reached that conclusion by dedicating a separate structure in its headquarters to its Peace, Security and Political Affairs Commission (PSC). Peace and security are perhaps the oxygen the continent needs to continue breathing because some three-quarters of it is embroiled in one armed conflict or the other. The Boko Haram insurgency, which Nigerian leaders allowed to fester, has consumed a lot of time, resources and lives of people in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Cha,d while similar terrorists groups have taken two-thirds of Mali and significant portions of Burkna Faso. I have attended a few AU summits and have some experience in the intricacies that are AU elections, including protest or absentee votes, but Bankoles candidacy was so formidable that all 55 African countries voted for him. It was like scoring a hundred per-cent in a tough examination. Terrorism is also claiming lives and limbs in Somalia and neigbouring Kenya. The West turned prosperous Libya into a basket case with at least four governments, while Central Africa has been in turmoil for about six decades. Sudan and South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia and Mozambique are infected by armed conflicts, while Morocco would not allow peace reign in Western Sahara. The AU has tried to steer the continent towards peace by developing a programme to Silence the Guns by 2020. Four years ago, Big Brother Nigeria decided to give the peace process a boost by seeking to head the PSC. Its candidate was one Ms. Fatima Kyari Mohammed. It was one of the most scandalous and embarrassing decisions of the Muhammadu Buhari government, because its candidate for this very important position was unknown not only in the AU, but also in Nigeria. Fatima who? The search engines could give no more information than was available. She had studied Economics in some school in Costa Rica, and, for experience, had worked in the subsidiary of a limited liability company in Nigeria. For a position that demanded some horse power, Nigeria presented an ant; for a post that required an elephant, it presented a squirrel. It just did not make sense and the rest of the continent must have made Nigeria the butt of jokes. The lion Nigeria decided to pitch its cub against was the incumbent PSC commissioner, Ambassador Smail Chergui, former Algerian Consul General to Geneva, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation, and Ambassador to Ethiopia. For those who understand the workings of the AU, it is actually the African ambassadors in Ethiopia who conduct the day-to-day business of the AU and take decisions in-between the meetings of the foreign ministers and heads of state. The election was a disgraceful outcome for Nigeria. At the AU Summit this week, which ended on February 7, Nigeria contested for the same post again. But apparently it had learnt from its 2017 joke; this time, it put up a real candidate. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye was like a winner, even before the votes were cast. A distinguished career diplomat with over 35 years experience, he had served as a Minister Counsellor in the Nigerian embassies in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia; was former Ambassador to Ethiopia, Nigerias Permanent Representative to the AU and United Nations Commission for Africa. A known advocate for Africas Regional Integration and Partnership, Bankole was thrice chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council in 2017, 2018 and 2019, a position which afforded him invaluable experience working with United Nations Security Council and the European Union Commission on Human Security. He led AU field missions to the Lake Chad Basin in 2017 and South Sudan in 2018. Also, Bankole serves the Addis Ababa Diplomatic Community as co-convener of the Group of Friends on Children affected by Armed Conflict (GoF-CAAC). In my view, the AU priority areas are five. The first is silencing the guns and restoring peace. Secondly, allowing the will of the people prevail, especially on needs, electoral choices and good governance. Thirdly, in the face of underdevelopment, poverty, enslaving debt servicing and the crippling COVID-19 pandemic, there is the need to rebuild the economy I have attended a few AU summits and have some experience in the intricacies that are AU elections, including protest or absentee votes, but Bankoles candidacy was so formidable that all 55 African countries voted for him. It was like scoring a hundred per-cent in a tough examination. Apart from the prospects of a Bankole headship of the PSC having the potentials of vigorously driving the war against terrorism and conflicts in the continent, Nigeria and pan African countries need to give him strong backing because the AU may potentially be weaker in the next few years. First, wily France is known to back the AU Commission chairperson, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, who was re-elected for another four-year term. As we know, France has been playing a destabilising role in the West African economic integration, including its strenuous efforts to sabotage the evolution of a common currency, the Eco, in the region. Also, in comparison to Mr. Faki, a former Chadian Prime Minister, his predecessor, Dr. Nkoasazana Dlamini Zuma was a fiercely independent-minded and pragmatic leader. Secondly, President Felix Tshisekedi of the highly destabilised and politically unstable Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the new political chair of the Union for 2021. His predecessor, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, came from a politically stable and economically stronger country, which could withstand pressures from foreign countries. Also, the short term does not offer much comfort as Tshisekedis successor-designate for next year is President Macky Sall of Senegal who along with President Alassane Quattara of Cote d Ivoire are identified with Frances continued stranglehold on the West African economy. If Nigeria can look back at its 2017 folly, re-strategise and return with a way forward in its quest for leadership in the AU, so can Africa. In my view, the AU priority areas are five. The first is silencing the guns and restoring peace. Secondly, allowing the will of the people prevail, especially on needs, electoral choices and good governance. Thirdly, in the face of underdevelopment, poverty, enslaving debt servicing and the crippling COVID-19 pandemic, there is the need to rebuild the economy, giving priority to human development like education and health, rather than exploitative market forces. Fourthly, driving integration through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement which became operational last month. The fifth is implementing the liberating AU 2063 Agenda. Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author. Contrary to expectations of a tranquil atmosphere, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi witnessed local residents coming out to the streets in even larger droves than normal. On Friday - the first day of the Year of the Ox, the sight of a quiet Hanoi, which is normally expected during the Lunar New Year holidays, was only seen in the areas surrounding the citys downtown. According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) correspondent, the Hanois Old Quarter and pedestrian area surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake were packed with strollers looking to revel in the ambience of the new year. The crowd only added up during the afternoon, with traffic congestion spreading from the Old Quarter to the arterial streets of Hang Bai, Quan Su, Thanh Nien and Quan Thanh. Due to the unexpected developments of COVID-19 in the city, many immigrants and students in Hanoi chose to stay in the capital city instead of returning to their hometowns for Lunar New Year celebration. However, they did not get to enjoy the quiet side of Hanoi as reported on the press in the previous Lunar New Year holidays. For the first Lunar New Year celebration she spends in Hanoi, Bao Nghi, a student at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, said she headed to the Hoan Kiem Lake area in the morning, but the experience did not live up to her expectation. An idyllic Hanoi is an experience that everyone wants to live, which is why I felt let down seeing the streets being crowded as usual. A street in downtown Hanoi is crowded in the afternoon of February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre A motorbike carrying three people is seen in downtown Hanoi on February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre A street in downtown Hanoi is crowded in the afternoon of February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre A street in downtown Hanoi is crowded in the afternoon of February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre Traffic police use vehicle to block the Ba Trieu Hai Ba Trung junction in Hanoi in a bid to avoid congestion. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Regarded as perhaps one of the most formative and vital periods in Irish History, we are currently in the midst of marking the centenary of the events of the War of Independence (1919 - 1921). Local archaeologist Barry Lacey from Ferns has been looking at some of the key events in Co Wexford, in particular ambushes, raids, the burning of police barracks and other activities. On this occasion he looks at the grim discovery of the bullet-riddled body of a Wexford man, bearing the chilling message 'Spies and Informers Beware'. On Wednesday morning September 22, 1920, men cutting corn just across the Wexford-Carlow border on the lands of a Mr James Joyce made a grim discovery. Face down, covered by a 'few sheeves of corn' they found the body of a man. Bullet wounds were apparent and a rosary beads hung around the victim's neck. Perhaps most notable though, was a placard bearing the words 'Spies and Informers Beware'. The victim The body was later identified as that of 34-year-old James Doyle of Tomgarrow, Ballycarney, Co Wexford. A native of Templeshambo, during the war he worked as a munitions worker in Arklow and then England. At the time of his death he was employed as a farm labourer for a Mrs. Whitty of Ballycarney. His death was mourned by his wife and seven children left behind, the youngest aged four months and the oldest 11 years old. Circumstances surrounding the death Contemporaneous newspaper reports tell how, on the night of Saturday, September 19, 1920, James returned to his home from the mission mass in Castledockrell church, conducted by the Redemptorist Fathers. He arrived at his house around 9 or 10 p.m. and at about 11 p.m. a knock was heard at the door. The newspaper and witness statement accounts to the Bureau of Military History vary as to the what occurred next (i.e. number of persons present, who answered the door etc). However, all suggest that strangers dressed in some sort of military uniform arrived at the house and had a conversation with James Doyle. Following this, he got his coat and left 'willingly' with the men, for what his wife understood would only be a 'brief period'. The men are also reported to have arrived in motorcars. James would not return that night, however. Several days would pass before his body was identified in a field in Knockroe. At the inquest, the Irish Times reported 'the medical evidence went to show that two bullet holes were found in the head, with one near the heart and another in the right side.' In a witness statement to the bureau of military history, Sean Whelan tells of how he intercepted a letter, addressed to British troops stationed in Enniscorthy courthouse, which provided information on the IRA. He was given the letter by a Michael Murphy, who informed him that the author was James Doyle of Ballycarney. Whelan states he was unsure if the letter was signed and had forgotten where Murphy had obtained it, but a decision was immediately taken on Doyle's fate. 'I decided to set a trap for Doyle, and I asked Tom Roche, saddler, Templeshannon, and my brother Jem (James) to spring it,' he said. 'Sometime previously, we had captured British army officer's uniforms in a raid for arms on a loyalist house. We dressed Tom and Jem (James) in the uniforms and we started off for Doyle's house.' Sean Whelan's account, together with that of Patrick Doyle and Michael Kirwan, tell how Doyle led the 'soldiers' around the area, telling them what he knew of IRA men in the locality. At some point in the night Thomas and James identified themselves as IRA men to Doyle and he was then taken prisoner. Where he was taken is unclear; Patrick Doyle tells how 'he (James Doyle) brought them to Kehoe's of Curraduff where the soldiers let him know they were IRA men. He was then held here and after a day or two he was tried by court-martial.' In contrast to this though Sean Whelan told how 'Doyle told all he knew about the area and the volunteers, as he walked along the road in the moonlight towards Ballyhamilton.' After Doyle had revealed all he knew the IRA men identified themselves to him and he collapsed after which they had difficulty in 'getting him along the road to Ballindaggin where we imprisoned him in an out house on a farm of - I have forgotten the name'. Both accounts differ in the location as to where the men revealed themselves and where subsequently Doyle was kept. Ballyhamilton, near Ballindaggin, is several miles away from Curraduff. However, the location near Ballindaggin would seem most likely, being within closer proximity to Knockroe. Sean Whelan goes on to tell how James Doyle was court-martialed and sentenced to death. Phil Lennon the brigade O/C presided at the court-martial. A Fr. Aidan McCormack from Kiltealy came to hear James Doyle's confession before his execution. The execution Sometime between his disappearance on September 19 and the discovery of his body three days later, James Doyle was taken out and shot. The exact location of his execution is unknown but the witness statements refer to how it took place just over the Carlow border in Knockroe. Patrick Doyle states: 'Doyle was executed in county Carlow just across the Wexford border.' The townland of Knockroe takes in the northern part of the Scullogue gap, a well travelled pass between the Blackstairs mountains, connecting Carlow and Wexford. A large portion of the townland is made up of rural isolated mountain side, which would have been suitable for an execution. It is not known who carried it out but in the recently published book 'The Dead of the Irish Revolution' James Whelan told the Irish Pensions board that he 'was on the execution'. James Doyle's body was then found in the same townland nearer the roadside, probably not too far from where he was shot. His remains were later interned in Templeshambo graveyard. Seamus Whelan in his statement describes an event the morning after Doyle's execution which highlights the cruel nature of such an operation. 'When I arrived home on the following morning I found Doyle's wife seated in the kitchen, talking to my mother,' he said. 'She had come to ask me to help her find her husband who, she said, had been taken from his home two days previously by officers of the courthouse garrison. She had been to the courthouse and they denied all knowledge of her husband.' Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 20:20:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The international community on Saturday called on Somali leaders to iron out outstanding issues from the previous consultative meetings and agree on the short election timeline to implement the pre-election deal in the new round of talks slated for Monday. The partners including the African Union, EU and the UN among other countries said government and federal member state leaders due to attend the Feb. 15 summit should engage in frequent consultations with other stakeholders to inform the deliberations. "We believe it is vital that the discussions initiated in Dhusamareb be brought quickly to a successful conclusion in this next round of dialogue," said the partners in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu. The statement comes after President Mohamed Farmajo who is seeking another second four-year term has called for a consultative meeting of heads of federal governments on Feb. 15 to help break the deadlock on the electoral process. The talks to be held in Garowe, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, come after previous talks collapsed on Feb. 5 in the central town of Dhusamareb. Farmajo, whose term in office ended officially on Feb. 8, has been unable to find a truce with regional leaders and agree on a timetable for electing new officeholders. Both Puntland and Jubbaland have welcomed the Monday talks but proposed that they be held in Mogadishu to ensure the participation of stakeholders and the international community. But the international partners said they do not believe that the question of the location justifies any delay to this critically important summit. "We urge the Federal Government and Federal Member State leaders, in a constructive spirit, to resolve the small number of issues outstanding from the Dhusamareb talks and agree to a short election timeline necessary to implement the September 17 Agreement," the partners said. They said it is crucial that the discussions initiated in Dhusamareb be brought quickly to a successful conclusion in this next round of dialogue. "Now is the time to avoid unilateral actions and proceed quickly to agree on the implementation of the September 17 electoral process to choose Somalia's leaders," said the partners. The composition of the electoral team and sharp differences between Farmajo and Jubbaland leader Ahmed Madobe over the deployment of troops in the Gedo region are among the contentious issues. Enditem According to a US census report released last week more than one in three Americans are reporting anxiety and depression symptoms. This time last year the figure was one in ten. A study done in the UK (reported recently in The Lancet medical journal) found an increase in mental distress compared to this time last year. Women, teenagers, those with pre-school children, were particularly vulnerable, according to the Lancet report, and were reporting the highest rates of anxiety. A poll by the Mental Health Foundation in the UK, also published last week, found that one in five adults felt panicked and hopeless; three in ten felt afraid of the coronavirus pandemic with experts saying it could cause suicide rates to soar; more than a third of young people have lost hope over future aspirations due to the pandemic. I was watching a celebrity's YouTube channel recently and he read out some messages which had been sent to him by fans. I have been the loneliest I have ever been in my life for the past five or six years, said one female fan. This pandemic has made my already terrible loneliness and isolation devastating. It feels like psychological torture. I'm convinced it is. A male fan wrote, It's really lonely at my house. I'm single, live with my two teenage daughters. We stay at home all the time. So many things around the world right now seem so depressing and hopeless. Another wrote, My nine year old niece wrote on a piece of paper that life is falling apart and she is depressed and she just looks at screens all day. According to a joint study carried out by Maynooth and Ulster Universities (which can be viewed on the website researchgate.net) Covid-19 caused an increase in the rates of anxiety and depression in the general population in the Republic of Ireland during the first Lockdown. The study found that anxiety and depression were common experiences in the population during the Spring shutdown. It found that more than one-in-four (27%) people screened positive for anxiety or depression during the first week and that people aged 65 years and older were especially prone to anxiety. Women and children were also more susceptible to feeling mental distress. People were worried about not being able to pay bills and about becoming infected with the disease. In addition to representing a major threat to the population's physical health, wrote the University Professors, the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland poses a threat to the population's mental health due to increased and prolonged feelings of fear and uncertainty; separation and grief; and disruption to social and economic systems. Emerging international evidence indicates that PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and depression symptoms were common in the general population during the early phase of this pandemic. Another threat to the population's mental health is the implementation of nationwide quarantine measures enacted to curb the spread of Covid-19. While quarantine can be an effective public health measure, it comes at significant economic, social and psychological costs. The professors compared their Irish study with studies done in the UK. They said there were a number of similar reactions between the two populations. However, they pointed out that, in financial terms, the average citizen in the Republic is more fortunate than the average person in the UK. The latest Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) figures show that the Republic of Ireland's GDP per capita is nearly twice that of the UK, the national net income in Ireland is about 20% higher than in the UK, and Ireland's social welfare provisions are substantially higher than the UK's. The studies therefore found that anxiety caused by low income was more of an issue in the UK than in Ireland. The higher death rate in the UK was also a cause of greater anxiety. One of the interesting facts in the Irish study relates to the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong in 2003. A 30% increase in suicide was observed among those aged 65 years and older in Hong Kong during SARS. At the end of October, a number of people told The Irish Times how they were feeling during the pandemic. I'm very isolated and have seen no one for a very long time, said one. I am at home with my partner all the time and it is extremely difficult wrote another. I have been highly anxious and am having very intense feelings of outrage at work, said a third. These comments were made when the country was under less severe restrictions, just before heading into a six-week Level 5 Lockdown. We have, of course, been in Level 5 for several weeks now, since Christmas, and the severity of this is exacerbated by the winter. "I haven't come across any up to date Irish studies of how we are faring mentally at the moment during Covid, but I would guess that the number of people being affected by anxiety and depression has increased since the Spring 2020 Lockdown. The people who are ill with Covid-19 require immediate care, but there is silent suffering too, said Brendan Kelly, professor of psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin. There has been an increase in prescriptions for sleeping tablets, anxiety medicines and anti-depressants. According to surveys, hospitals and mental health professionals, more patients have been presenting with self-harm. A pychiatrist in Saint John of God Hospital, Dublin, Dr Stephen McWilliams, made a really important point a couple of months ago: It is important not to pathologise the legitimate worries that people have people are allowed to be anxious when things are uncertain and the vast majority of people will have no mental illness, they are just anxious. The callous and the patronising often overlook Dr McWilliams' point. They like to dismiss people's genuine concerns. This macho and stupid response is unfortunately pretty common in a society which is driven by competitive, capitalist values. Yes, of course it is correct to pathologise some cases but with a lot of people it's completely off the mark. Often feeling worried and downbeat is a very natural response to the circumstances which, through no fault of our own, are afflicting us. Sometimes these circumstances are a disease, such as Covid-19; sometimes they are nasty, self-serving people. As someone astutely and famously wrote, Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by #!%holes. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. PORTLAND, Ore-- On Saturday afternoon, Governor Kate Brown declared a State of Emergency for the Willamette Valley due to severe winter weather that has resulted in heavy snow and ice accumulation, high winds, critical transportation failures, and loss of power. "The weather that set in yesterday and continued overnight has left extensive damage with hundreds of thousands of Oregonians without power," said Governor Brown. "Because of windstorms, utility crews were not able to safely start work on restoring power until this morning. Crews are out in full force now and are coordinating with local emergency response teams on communications for emergency services, such as warming centers. I'm committed to making state resources available to ensure crews have the resources they need on the ground." Gov. Brown has determined that a threat to life, safety, and property exists because of the severe winter weather. The Governor's declaration gives the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) the pwoer to activate the state's emergency operations plan. This includes the power to utilize personnel, equipment, and facilities from other state agencies in order to respond to or mitigate the effects of the weather emergency. In addition, the Oregon National Guard, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Oregon Public Utility Commission and other state agencies are being directed to provide any assistance as requested by OEM. According to Pacific Power's website, there are more than 30,000 people who are without power ranging from Salem, all the way up to Portland and the Oregon coast. Yesterday, the Oregon Department of transportation closed Interstate 84 between mileposts 17 and 62, as deteriorating weather made driving conditions dangerous. Winter weather made for treacherous conditions along the interstate for much of Friday with periodic closures along the interstate and a number of ramps. Snow, ice and cold temperatures are expected in much of the Willamette Valley and ODOT is encouraging drivers to stay off the roads. In a wise move, although one fraught with uncertainty, the San Antonio Housing Authority, or SAHA, will rebuild and not replace Alazan Courts, the citys oldest and largest public housing complex. For years, SAHA had plans to work with a private developer to tear down existing apartment units and build mixed-income apartments. The decision of Ed Hinojosa Jr., SAHAs interim president and CEO, to change course lowers the heat of discord between the agency, residents and community activists while easing growing fears of displacement. And in a time when the need for it far exceeds public housing, its a commitment to not reducing availability, a key issue with the recent Alazan project. More Information See More Collapse SAHA hoped to duplicate on the West Side what it did on the East Side when it was awarded a $30 million grant from the Obama administration as part of its Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, which was designed to transform areas with concentrated poverty levels into accessible and attractive mixed-income neighborhoods. Toward that end, in 2014, the Wheatley Courts public housing project was torn down and replaced with more than 400 new mixed-income apartments. After SAHAs request for the grant was declined, the agency and then-CEO David Nisivoccia partnered with a private developer, the NRP Group. Under their plan, Alazans 501 public housing apartments would be razed to make room for 648 units, of which 582 would be mixed-income and only 66 would have been public housing. SAHA said the demolition would be done in phases, that it wouldnt repeat the mistake with Wheatley Courts in tearing down all the buildings at the same time, displacing residents all at once. But it was the potential displacement of residents, the uncertainty of where theyd go and whether theyd be able to afford to return to the new development that created fear and controversy. Even the 66 units reserved for families making less than the 30 percent of area median income, or close to $26,200 for a family of four, would have been too expensive for many Alazan households, whose average income is less than $9,000 a year. The Section 8 housing vouchers that SAHA said it would give can often lead to greater instability since landlords in Texas can discriminate against Section 8 tenants. Alazan Courts first units opened in 1940 and, next to it, Apache Courts opened in 1942 after Father Carmelo Tranchese of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church asked first lady Eleanor Roosevelt for affordable housing for San Antonios predominantly Mexican American and culturally vibrant West Side. Often linked together as Alazan-Apache Courts, their centrality to the community and proximity to a cultural incubator and landmark like the Guadalupe Theater give it an importance beyond affordable housing. The fear that people would be uprooted from their neighborhood and unable to return is as undeniable as the state of deterioration into which these apartments have fallen, apartments that have never had central air conditioning. One point that SAHA, residents and neighborhood activists all agree on is that rebuilding the units so they are modernized, safe and comfortable is long overdue. Last year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Alazan-Apache Courts as one of Americas 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. In choosing to do the rebuilding itself to preserve public housing, Hinojosa and SAHA are now, in their own words, committed to the redevelopment in a method that will not displace our residents. The uncertainty of how SAHA will pay for this redevelopment is tempered by the confidence in the Biden administration, which is pledging to spend more money on affordable housing. SAHAs change of course allows Alazan-Apache Courts place in San Antonios history to be secured while allowing the homes they provide to continue to help families secure their future. But the homes must be updated, and the greater issue of a lack of affordable housing in San Antonio must be addressed. As soldiers from Eritrea looted the border town of Rama in Ethiopias Tigray region, one home became a dispensary for frightened residents seeking medicine in the midst of war. In return, they shared details of killings in nearby communities. An American nurse visiting her family listened in shock. Now, after escaping to her home in Colorado, she struggled to estimate the number of dead. I dont know, 1,000? she told The Associated Press. It was a lot, just in the rural areas. She has been unable to reach her parents since leaving. If the fighting doesnt end soon, she said, well be left without families. Rare witness accounts are illuminating the toll of the shadowy conflict in Tigray, which is largely cut off from the world as fighting enters a fourth month in a region of 6 million people. Ethiopian forces and allied fighters pursue the fugitive former leaders of Tigray who long dominated Ethiopias government. Each side sees the other as illegitimate after last years national elections were delayed and Tigray defiantly held its own. Soldiers from neighboring Eritrea, a secretive nation and enemy of the former Tigray leaders, are deeply involved, though Ethiopia and Eritrea deny their presence. The European Union this week joined the United States in urging Eritrea to withdraw its forces, asserting they are reportedly committing atrocities and exacerbating ethnic violence. With journalists barred, communications patchy and the international community unable to investigate atrocities firsthand, it is challenging to verify witness accounts. But their details are consistent with others who describe a region where the health system is largely destroyed, vast rural areas remain out of reach and Red Cross officials warn that thousands of people could starve to death. Once Tigray reopens to scrutiny, people will be shocked, said Hailu Kebede, foreign affairs head for the Salsay Woyane Tigray opposition party that, along with two others, estimates more than 52,000 civilians have died. He told the AP they have attempted to collect data from witnesses in every administrative area of the region. We have thousands of names, said Hailu, who spent weeks hiding on the outskirts of the Tigray capital, Mekele, listening to bombardment and gunfire. He said one relative was killed. This is the least-documented war, Hailu said. The world will apologize to the people of Tigray, but it will be too late. Even as the delivery of aid slowly begins to improve, it is questioned. One woman from Tigray, a student in Europe, asserted that Ethiopian authorities have begun arriving in her familys border-area village with badly needed food but are withholding it from families suspected of links to Tigray fighters. She is not the first to make that claim. If you dont bring your father, your brothers, you dont get the aid, youll starve, she recounted after speaking with her sister about events in the Irob administrative area. Like others, she spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for her family. A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Billene Seyoum, and the official overseeing Tigrays state of emergency, Redwan Hussein, didnt respond to questions. The prime minister, who once said no civilian had been killed in the conflict, now says the suffering and deaths in Tigray have caused much distress for me personally. The student in Europe also learned that her uncle and two nephews were killed by Eritrean soldiers during a recent holiday gathering. The Irob Advocacy Association, relying on witnesses who have reached cities with phone service, has listed 59 victims overall. Im so ashamed of my government, the student said, and started to cry. Like many in the diaspora, she scours social media for information. I worry if somebody from my family dies, I will learn about it from Facebook. People who have contacted the outside world are frustrated by how little it knows about the conflict. The north is dying, said a man from Irob who reached Mekele last month. I strongly believe there is a campaign to target the people. Every public and private institution is looted. The north is occupied by Eritrean soldiers, he said. Thats confirmed even by Tigrays new interim government, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said in a statement Thursday. The woman who left Rama for the U.S. described an uneasy world where Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers both appeared to be in charge. Eritrean soldiers came to her familys home multiple times to sack it, she said. At first, they sought jewelry, cell phones and money. Later they took whatever they could find. If they found a spoon, they even took the spoon, she said. Some soldiers acknowledged they were from Eritrea, she said, and they assumed that everyone in Tigray received military training as they did in what human rights groups call one of the worlds most repressive states. For two and a half months, she hid indoors like many Tigray residents, scared of being raped, shot for no reason or, like her brother, beaten. The soldiers said they had come for Debretsion, the fugitive regional leader. She could tell which towns in Tigray were being looted from the names written on vehicles, even ambulances, driven through Rama on their way into Eritrea, 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away. She finally left when her mother declared, Youre not going to die here. She walked for 11 hours on rural paths to the town of Adwa, then found transport to Mekele. Ethiopian soldiers manned some checkpoints, she said, and Eritrean soldiers manned others. On the way, you could see a lot of buildings were destroyed, she said. You couldnt see anybody in cities, it was all quiet. In Mekele, despite showing her U.S. passport, she was asked for her local identity card. I was like, I dont live here, Im a U.S. citizen, she said, her voice starting to shake. I was so scared. Like other ethnic Tigrayans trying to fly out of Ethiopias capital, Addis Ababa, she was questioned and feared she would be unable to board. She arrived in the U.S. last month. Others from Tigray who have reached Addis Ababa but hold no foreign passport are trying to hide their ethnic background amid reports of arrests and harassment. Im in the middle of Ethiopia and I cant go anywhere, said Danait, who came from Mekele and gave only her first name out of concern for relatives in Axum, Shire and other Tigray towns that she still cannot reach by phone. No, I dont feel safe. Short link: The High Court has made freezing orders preventing a passenger jet from leaving Dublin airport. The orders were made in respect of a Moldovan Air Airbus A319 aircraft which arrived at the airport late on Tuesday night. It was due to return to Chisinau International Airport in Moldova, and over 20 passengers as well as the aircraft's crew were stranded in Ireland as result of the order. The plane was frozen on foot of 4.2m arbitration award made in favour of a Romanian aircraft leasing firm called Just-US Air Srl against Compania Aeriana "Air Moldova" Srl. The court heard the airline has had assets seized by Moldova's Agency for the recovery of Criminal Assets in 2019 as part of an investigation into alleged criminal activity including money laundering. Air Moldova is the country's national airline, and was state-owned until it was privatised in 2018. Represented by Martin Hayden SC and Martin Canny Bl Just-Srl claims that it obtained an international recognised, final and binding award of 4.2m following an arbitration regarding the lease of an aircraft, by a Romanian arbitrator. Counsel said that the award has not been paid and it has sought to enforce the arbitration against Air Moldova in this jurisdiction where the airlines has a significant asset, namely the airline's Airbus aircraft. The aircraft operates a passenger and limited cargo service between Moldova and Ireland. Counsel said the applicant was seeking the freezing type orders against the aircraft because it fears that the airline may seek to remove the asset from the county and beyond the reach of the US Air Slr. It said it had concerns arising out of several media reports concerning the Moldovan authority's criminal investigation into the airline and 35m asset seizure, which arose after the airline's privatisation. The applicant has further concerns, about other reports that creditors of the airline have not been paid, and that last September one of the airline's other aircraft was detained in Turkey over an alleged failure to pay a $2m fuel bill. The airline's owners have denied in media reports any wrongdoing and say that the investigations have not impacted on its commercial activity. The freezing style orders preventing the aircraft leaving Dublin were granted on an ex-parte basis last week by Mr Justice David Barniville. The media was prevented from reporting on the matter by the court until the aircraft had been secured, and the court documents were served on relevant parties, including the aircraft's captain. When the case returned before the court on Wednesday the judge lifted the reporting ban, and said that the various orders previously granted should remain in place. The judge, in adjourning the case, praised the applicant's solicitors Crowley Millar for providing assistance to passengers and crew affected by the orders. As well as seeking the freezing orders the applicant is also seeking permission to appoint a receiver over the aircraft, which it says has been leased by another entity to Air Moldova. The case returns before the court later this month. The Ukrainian side works, first of all, in the interests of the state and does everything possible to reach agreements with the International Monetary Fund, adviser to the head of the President's Office Tymofiy Mylovanov. "At the same time, as in any negotiation process, there are fundamental issues related, among other things, to the state administration independence, which always make our negotiations delicate and complex. Everyone defends his position, does it firmly, respectively, negotiations take time. And this is normal. Both sides need to find compromises in common interests. This is the essence of negotiations," Mylovanov said in a commentary, transferred to the Interfax-Ukraine agency. According to him, Ukraine and the IMF are constantly in process of negotiating their positions. "There are no significant risks. The situation is absolutely under control. And financial - macroeconomic stability is maintained, there are no systemic risks, the situation with the budget is normal. As well as negotiations with the IMF. The Ukrainian side works, first of all, in the interests of the state and does everything possible to reach agreements with the IMF," Mylovanov said. As reported, the head of the IMF office in Ukraine Goesta Ljungman announced on Saturday the completion of the mission on the first review of the Stand-By Arrangement, which had lasted since the end of last year, without recommending a second tranche. According to him, additional discussions and more progress from Ukraine are needed. The adoption of this banking bill was previously indicated as one of the conditions for provision of the second tranche. However, in addition to this, according to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, it is also necessary to adopt a law on the High Council of Justice, progress in the anti-corruption sphere, refusal to return to price regulation in the energy sector, as well as greater clarity regarding the 2022 state budget and the audit of the COVID Fund. COLLINSVILLE Veterans delivered snacks to COVID-19 vaccination volunteers and workers on Friday at Gateway Convention Center. VFW Post 5691 in Collinsville donated 34 boxes of snacks and 20 cases of bottled water just before noon to the Madison County Health Departments vaccination site. We are so thankful for these items, Madison County Health Department Director Toni Corona said. You have no idea. We cannot purchase these kind of items with our grants. This is really an unmet need. Corona said the majority of the people working at the vaccination site health department employees and volunteers. She said many of them are working 10- and 12-hour days and its not been an easy job. We feel like (the health department and its volunteers) are the heroes and we just wanted to say thank you, said VFW Post Commander Alonzo Skip Skipper, a Navy veteran. Skipper said veterans, along with post auxiliary members, collected money to purchase the supplies. He said Chris Rydgig with Edward Jones of Maryville and Sams Club in Glen Carbon also contributed. VFW members and Navy veterans Chester Townzen and Don Digirolamo assisted in delivering the snacks along with Post Auxiliary members, President Shelly Steuart and Joe Lodes. Skipper also presented Corona with a grommet necklace made from a retired U.S. flag. We are allowed to officially retire a flag by burning it, he said. When we are done we pull the flags brass grommets from the pit and polish them and make them into necklaces. Corona said she was honored to receive such a piece. A small card that comes with the necklace states, This piece of flag represents all the sacrifices made for our freedom. Skipper gave Corona a plastic bag filled with necklaces for her to give to health department employees. I will wear this with pride, Corona said. I appreciate your service to our country and everything youve done for us, thank you. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has already been passed by Rajya Sabha New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah gave an assurance in Lok Sabha on Saturday that the Centre will grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time and asserted that the government has done more for it since Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019 than those who ruled it for generations. Replying to a discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, he also slammed some Opposition members for their claim that the proposed law negates the hopes of the region getting back its erstwhile statehood. The bill to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of all-India services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre was later passed by Lok Sabha by a voice vote. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has already been passed by Rajya Sabha. It replaces an ordinance issued last month. This legislation has nothing to do with statehood, and Jammu and Kashmir will be accorded the status at an appropriate time, Shah said. He took a swipe at the Congress and other parties -- which had backed Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir -- saying this was a temporary provision but they continued with it for over 70 years before the Modi government annulled it. Jammu and Kashmir has been a top priority for the current government since it took power in 2014, he said. Responding to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Shah said opposition parties were free to visit the region. Chowdhury had claimed that foreign delegations were being taken to the region, no all-party delegation was sent. The home minister also gave the assurance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that "no one will lose their land". The government has sufficient land for development works, Shah said. Decentralisation and devolution of power have taken place in the union territory following the revocation of Article 370, Shah said, noting that panchayat elections saw over 51 per cent voting. Panchayats have been given administrative and financial powers for local development, something they lacked earlier, he added. Now people chosen by the masses will rule Jammu and Kashmir, not those born to "kings and queens", he said, attacking dynastic parties in the region. Even our rivals could not allege any wrongdoing in these polls which were conducted fairly and peacefully, he said. Work on two AIIMS in the region has begun, and the Kashmir Valley will be connected to the railways by 2022, the Union Home Minsiter said. Attacking the opposition, he said while they were seeking a report card from the government about the development of Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, "have you brought a report card of what you have done in the last 70 years". Shah said the government expects that around 25,000 government jobs will be created in Jammu and Kashmir by 2022. Replying to AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, he said 4G services are resumed not under pressure of any foreign government. "This is Modi's government and in this, the country's government and Parliament takes decision for its people," he added. Criticising Owaisi, he said the AIMIM leader was creating a divide between Hindu and Muslim officers. Citing certain developmental projects, he said by 2022 we will be providing rail connectivity to Kashmir valley. Since the imposition of President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has almost completed the work of giving electricity to every house. Shah said the government has changed the land laws to facilitate setting up of industry. "We are providing Rs 13,000 per month cash assistance to those 44,000 displaced Kashmiri families who have 'Rahat Cards'," he said adding they were displaced because Congress had failed to provide them security. "We should not do politics on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. There are several issues over which politics can be done. These are sensitive places and people have suffered a lot. We need to assuage their feelings," he observed. Participaing in the discussion earlier, Owaisi said the bill will further alienate the Muslims and Kashmir. He also sought to know about the number of youths from the Valley arrested under the Public Security Act (PSA). Manish Tewari (Cong) said when the government says the statehood will be restored, the bill to merge the J&K cadre with AGMUT is a contrary step. Shah explained that states such as Mizoram, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh are part of the cadre and the suggestion is unfounded. Attacking Chowdhury for his comment that the cadre should be local and officers having ground knowledge should be appointed there, Jamyang Namgyal, BJP MP from Ladakh, said when local officers were appointed the Valley on the same logic, there was no let up in cases of terrorism. He said when it came to promoting locals it was not applied to the Valmikis, Gorkhas and those came from west Pakistan. Namgyal said the move will ensure that efficient and experienced officers will be able to work in Ladakh and even officers from the UT can work in other parts of the country. FREEBORN, Co., Minn - Public health departments across our area are preparing for mass vaccinations as President Joe Biden announces an additional 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been secured. The Freeborn County Health Departments says it is currently scouting for a large, permanent vaccination site in the hopes of being able to vaccinate more than 500 individuals per day. Director Sue Yost says when the county receives an influx of vaccines it will be prepared to take action and will continue to rely on state guidance when it comes to who will be vaccinated. She added, "They're not asking us to try to figure out who has the most health issues because it's too challenging to try and figure that out. So, it's been really helpful to partner with the Minnesota Department of Health so we can get their guidance." The Olmsted County Health Department has also been assisting with mass vaccinations. Most recently there has been a state run vaccination site at Rochester Community and Technical College. President Biden says the country is on track to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The House Oversight Committee announced last night that $350 billion will be going to the states as part of President Biden's Covid-19 relief bill. The Oversight Committee approved the provision last night. The $350 billion will be part of the proposed $1.9 trillion relief package President Biden's administration has presented. The committee provided a breakdown of how much each state would get if the package was signed into law. New York would get $12.6 Billion. The chart did break the numbers down by county, which means Oneida County would get $45 million, Herkimer County would get $12 million and Otsego County would get $12 million. This money would be used to offset costs relating to the pandemic. We spoke with local mayors in Utica and Rome about their hopes for the money earmarked for their municipalities. Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri said, "We're not 100% sure how it's going to be appropriated, but we also understand at this point, there will be some relief." Palmieri added, "What you look for your federal government is that they step up, and they make sure that you know that they understand what the people need, and what the municipal government needs." Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo said it's not only the pandemic, which has already burdened the municipality, the city needs help with, but it is what comes in the future as well. "A reserve," Izzo said. "If we go through another pandemic or who knows where these variants are going. We are going to need some reserve and if the state doesn't come out of this with the type of money they think they need, we are still looking at over a two million dollar dip in our aid to municipalities." Izzo says she is cautiously optimistic and calls the dollar amount a good starting point. Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, (R) 22nd District weighed in on what she'd like to see in and what she'd like to see out as far as what is earmarked in the stimulus package. "There's a lot in there that is really not targeted toward Covid relief," Tenney said. "I fully support allowing our local governments and everyone in our region, especially small businesses and individuals and everyone who has been struggling and suffering through the pandemic. They should receive the money that they have been promised for a long time. It should have happened a long time ago. I just don't think it needs to be packed in with all these other goodies that have nothing to do with Covid relief." "A lot of the money coming through I think is helpful to our region, but some of it looks like it's really not even relevent to Covid," Tenney said. "Our local governments have also suffered. They have suffered from reductions in sales tax, the inability to maintain their buildings and be open, increased cost of maintaining a sort of virtual lifestyle that we've been forced to accept through this Covid crisis, which we needed to keep people safe." Tenney says the relief should be targeted to local governments, seniors, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and veterans. Deer hunting regulations for the 2021 season were approved Thursday by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at its regular meeting, hosted virtually. The changes, aimed at further simplifying deer regulations and removing barriers to hunting participation, go into effect with the start of the 2021 deer hunting seasons in September. The regulations will provide additional opportunity, flexibility and cost savings for hunters and based on existing and projected data the Department of Natural Resources uses to gauge the impact of proposed regulations are not expected to have a significant negative effect on the deer herd or the quality of deer hunting. Our goals with these regulations are twofold: to make hunting regulations easier to understand and follow in Michigan, and also to manage Michigans abundant deer herd, said DNR deer program specialist Chad Stewart. We feel that these changes move us in the right direction. The 2021 approved regulation changes are: Washington: Donald Trumps legal team had three tasks to achieve in their opening arguments at the former presidents Senate impeachment trial. Firstly, to improve on their shambolic and widely mocked performance on the trials opening day. Secondly, to present a defence of Trump that would please both their client and his supporters watching at home on television. And thirdly, to ensure that at least 34 of the 50 Republicans in the US Senate feel comfortable voting to acquit Trump on the charge of inciting the January 6 riot at the Capitol. They likely succeeded on all three counts. When Barack Obama ran in 2008, I was virulently opposed to his candidacy. I wasnt a huge McCain fan, but at least I knew he had Americas best interests at heart, something I never felt about Obama. Four years later I had issues with Romney, but for similar reasons, I voted for him. Once Obama was in office, I disagreed with almost everything he did for eight years, whether Obamacare, DACA, GM, DADT, or virtually everything race-related. I disagreed with his trading for Bowie Bergdahl, his pardon of Chelsea Manning, and his commutation of the sentence of FLAN terrorist Oscar Lopez Rivera. I disagreed with his signing the Paris Climate Agreement, the Iran deal, and his servile posture towards China. I disagreed with his policies on housing, on education, and on energy. Essentially, there was nothing I agreed with Barack Obama on. He could have been Chinese or Italian or Jewish or KlingonI didnt care. I thought everything he did was simply wrong. But a funny thing happened on the way to Obamas inauguration: Apparently, I magically transformed into a racist. Who knew? Somehow, because Barack Obama was black, my fundamental differences with Democrat policies made me a racist. Never mind that I would have disagreed with the exact same policies had they come from Biden or Kerry or Clinton. No, suddenly its wasnt my opinions or my actions that made me a racist, but my opposition to a black presidents policies. It was unimportant that I believe the smartest man in America is Thomas Sowell, a black man. Or that I think Justice Thomas is one of the most brilliant men ever to sit on the Supreme Court. Or the fact that one of the most respected men in my life personally was a black man. I disagreed with Obamas policies and therefore Im a racist. If that sounds strange, it should because words actually mean things. When that stops, we lose our foundation for a coherent society. And that is exactly what is going on today with the Democrat party. Disagree on policy? Youre a racist. Support Trump? Youre a cultist. Assert election fraud? Youre a terrorist. Democrats are not only defining their opponents as the enemy, but theyre also using the language as a tool literally to destroy the United States. The word Racist means something. According to Webster: A belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Thats specific and, likely, something few Americans believe. There are racists among us, but until 2008 racism was a tiny problem in America. Hate crimes had plummeted becoming almost nonexistent by the dawn of the last millennia. Then came 2008, 2016 and, finally, 2020. From The police acted stupidly, to Kaepernick, to Ferguson, America took a giant step backward in race relations during the presidency of Barack Obama. Then came Donald Trump, a guy with no filter, who often insulted delicate snowflakes with language more appropriate for a factory floor than the UN stage. But more than his words, it was his ideas that were abhorrent to Democrats and establishment Republicans: Get government out of peoples lives. Reduce government power! Allow citizens to be free and keep more of their money. Stop endless wars. Those words are Kryptonite to career government apparatchiks, contractors, and the universe of sycophantic lobbyist and media pilot fish who feast on their scraps. And so, today, we find that Democrats, having fraudulently eliminated the single biggest threat to the leviathan of government power in a century, have decided to eliminate all potential to resurrect any such threats. Not only are leftists seeking to bar Trump from ever running again, but theyre also seeking to demonize and ostracize his supporters. How? Language. Youre labeled a racist, a terrorist, or a fascist on social media for all the world to see. The terrorist designation used to be for people who blow up planes, kill innocents in discos, or set fire to churches. No longer. Today, simply stating you believe the Democrats stole the 2020 election is sufficient to get you labeled as such, as is voicing your support for Trump or an investigation into election anomalies. This wouldnt be a catastrophic problem if it was limited to social media. However, theres no such limitation. Being designated a terrorist and landing on a government watchlist has enormous real-life consequences, from the ability to fly to risking custody of your children to exercising your 2nd Amendment rights. Democrats discussed throwing out Congressmembers who supported calls for a review of the election. They talked about making lists of his supporters and even reprogramming white supremacists, which is what all Trump supporters apparently are. And based on the fiction of widespread white supremacism, the Biden administration is standing down the American military so commanders can address extremism in their ranks. Essentially one political party is seeking to eliminate from within military ranks all those who support that partys political opponents despite soldiers taking an oath to uphold the Constitution, not a man or party. In this way, should Democrats call on the military to support its purges, theyll face less resistance from soldiers who understand the Posse Comitatus Act and who might be averse to raising their weapons against law-abiding American citizens. The Democrats are using the fiction of Trump supporters being terrorists to mold the military into a Praetorian Guard for use against Americans when and if necessary. Anyone familiar with the Roman Empire understands why that might not be conducive to a free society. Supplementing all of the machinations within the government is the takeover of the town square by blocking Trump and his supporters from social media and banking, and even by circumventing the Fourth Amendment by getting compliance corporations to conduct illegal searches. With the cancel culture seeking to keep Trump supporters out of colleges and jobs, and quashing publishing contracts, you have the modern equivalent of book burning. Whats more, the authors and supporters of such unapproved content will be figuratively stoned in the public square until they surrender their minds to the majority. And so here we are, in February 2021, three weeks after Biden and the Democrats took total control of Washington and witnessing an Impeachment trial so unconstitutional it would be laughable if it were not so dangerous. The Democrats aim to eviscerate any opposition and that starts with the man who inspired 75 million Americans to seek to Make America Great Again. Regardless of the outcome of the impeachment trial, the die has been cast, and it is indeed dark. Democrats seek complete control of the American government, unlimited authority over every aspect of American life and, most of all, total domination of the American people. They will of course use their traditional tools of regulation and taxation, but thats not enough. They have new tools: name-calling, book burning, intellectual fascism, and focusing of the military on domestic enemies. Those policies didnt end particularly well in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union last century and I wouldnt expect them to end well here either. IMAGE: Joe Biden takes the oath of office. YouTube screengrab. The San Antonio region was bracing for up to 2 inches of snow Sunday night and Monday morning, along with freezing rain, treacherous driving conditions and sustained low temperatures. School districts canceled weekend games and practices, homeless shelters prepared for increased demand and the San Antonio Police Department encouraged residents to stay off the roads if possible. In a disaster declaration Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott said the severe weather poses an imminent threat of widespread and severe property damage, injury and loss of life. San Antonio Independent School District called off classes for Tuesday Monday was already a school holiday for Presidents Day. Harlandale ISD said it would hold all classes remotely. Northside and North East ISDs said they would monitor weather conditions over the weekend before deciding what to do. The sustained cold threatened to strain the power grid and natural gas supplies. CPS Energy appealed to customers to cut back on their consumption of electricity and natural gas. Coping with the cold The National Weather System is predicting bitterly cold temperatures over the next few days in addition to freezing rain and possibly snow. Staying warm Set thermostat between 68 and 70 degrees. Wear warm, comfortable clothing instead of raising the thermostat. Run ceiling fans in reverse to force warm air down from the ceiling. Dress in layers when venturing outside. Avoiding hazards Never use a stove or oven as a space heater. That can expose you to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Test smoke alarms. Keep flammable liquids and spray cans at least 3 feet from heating equipment. When using a natural gas space heater, leave a window open a couple of inches. Keep areas around your gas water heater or furnace uncluttered and free of flammable materials. Protecting pipes Seal openings where cold air can reach unprotected water pipes. Wrap exposed pipes in foam or fiberglass insulation. Leave cabinet doors open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer air to circulate over the pipes. In rooms without heating ducts, leave doors open to allow ambient heat in. Letting faucets drip slowly to keep water flowing through pipes is not ideal, but can help. Protecting pets Avoid keeping shorthaired dogs, very young or old dogs and all cats outside. Shorthaired dogs may need a sweater while outside. Feed pets who spend much of their day outdoors more than usual. Store chemicals out of reach, especially if you bring your pets into the garage for warmth. Antifreeze is deadly to pets, and they are attracted to its sweet taste. Before turning on your car engine, bang on the hood. Cats sometimes seek warmth there. See More Collapse The citizens of the greater San Antonio community are great partners when it comes to conserving energy. It is now time for us to band together even more, said Paula Gold-Williams, the city-owned utilitys president and CEO. Rain, sleet, snow and bitter cold On Saturday, parts of the Hill Country and the Interstate 35 corridor north of Bexar County could see freezing rain. The National Weather Service predicts that Sunday afternoon, an arctic front will move into the region, delivering a mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet. The precipitation is expected to turn into snow Sunday night. Accumulations between 1 and 2 inches were forecast for the city. We still arent sure the exact amount of snow we will see, but we do know Monday will be a good day for everyone to stay home and not travel, weather service meteorologist Keith White said. It would be the first significant snowfall in San Antonio since Dec. 1, 2017, when 3 inches fell. Bitterly cold temperatures are also forecast over the next few days. The weather service predicts a hard freeze Sunday night that will last 24 to 36 hours. Temperatures are not expected to go back above freezing until Tuesday afternoon in most areas. The record for continuous below-freezing temperatures in the city is 4 days, set in January 1951. Luckily, it wont be cold that long, but I think it is probably a lot colder than a lot of San Antonians wanted, White said. On Sunday, the high is predicted to be 39. Overnight into Monday, temperatures will drop to 18 degrees and rise to a high of 30 later in the day before diving to 12 degrees overnight. On Tuesday, a high of 38 is forecast. The cold Monday and Tuesday may break records for those dates. Mondays record low temperature is 21, and Tuesdays is 16. They were set in 1909 and 1895, respectively. Battening down the hatches Officials closed Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in Fredericksburg for Friday and Saturday after ice accumulations made conditions hazardous for visitors. All reservations were canceled, and officials promised to issue refunds. The San Antonio River Authority turned off all fountains in its parks through Tuesday. The authority said barricades would be put up in parts of San Pedro Creek Culture Park and the River Walks Museum Reach and Mission Reach to keep people out of areas that could freeze and create a slipping hazard. The citys Public Works Department planned to deploy crews to clear streets and spread a gravel-based de-icing material on bridges and overpasses. The city doesnt have snowplows, so crews will use front-end loaders and other heavy equipment, said Darlene Dorsey, a department spokeswoman. As temperatures dropped, concern grew for the homeless. Haven for Hope sheltered more than 1,000 people Thursday night and was preparing for larger-than-usual demand through the spell of harsh weather. No one was turned away, said Celeste Eggert, Havens vice president and chief development officer. We will accommodate as many people as possible who are in need of cold weather sleeping. The Salvation Armys mobile feeding unit set up west of downtown Friday to serve soup and hot beverages, hand out blankets and encourage homeless people to go to shelters for protection from the cold. Those in need of jackets, blankets, socks or other cold weather gear can pick items up at the San Fernando Homeless Resource Hub at 319 W. Travis St. Last Chance Ministries will open its West Side church to give homeless people a warm nights rest during the wintry weather. Jimmy Robles, pastor and founder of the ministry, said on Facebook that the church at 1311 N. Zarzamora St. would open at 8 p.m. for anyone needing shelter. Driving could be dangerous The weather service said people should expect icy roads, especially on bridges and overpasses. At least six people died after a 130-car pileup in Fort Worth on Thursday, and motorists in Kerr County were left stranded for hours Friday night after a weather-related accident closed Interstate 10 at mile marker 477. In a tweet Friday, the Texas Department of Transportation said motorists and truckers were parked along the side of I-10 after it became impassable because of ice. As Texans seek shelter in their homes, the states grid manager said the demand for electricity could reach an all-time high. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the flow of power to more than 26 million customers, said Monday may set a record for demand. The current record is 65,915 megawatts, set 7 to 8 a.m. Jan. 17, 2018. ERCOT has asked power generators to prepare their facilities for the extreme cold and to check on fuel supplies. The grid operator said it is working with electricity providers to minimize transmission outages. Staff writer Peter Rasmussen contributed to this report. Labor is expected to dump Bill Shortens negative gearing and capital gains tax policies, but remains undecided on how best to tackle housing affordability. The booming property market has reignited concerns about housing affordability. Sydneys preliminary auction clearance rate yesterday was 87.7 per cent, from 431 homes that went under the hammer. Despite the lockdown in Victoria Melbournes preliminary clearance rate was 75.4 per cent from 439 auctions. Anthony Albaneses Labor Party is set to formally dump its negative gearing and capital gains tax policies. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Labor went to both the 2016 and 2019 elections promising to halve the 50 per cent capital gains tax deduction and limit negative gearing to new properties only, though it was grandfathered. Under Mr Albaneses leadership Labor is now considering whether to re-adopt these policies for its next tilt at government; limit negative gearing to only one or two properties, including pre-existing properties; or to dump the policies entirely. An Israeli study of 523,000 people who received both doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has found there were zero subsequent deaths. (Getty Images) An Israeli study of 523,000 people who received both doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has found there have been zero subsequent deaths, according to a report. The study by Maccabi Healthcare Services, cited in The Times of Israel, also found only 544 vaccinated people went on to catch the virus, with just four severe cases. The paper marked the news with a headline reading: It works. And Dr Miri Mizrahi Reuveni was quoted as saying: This data unequivocally proves that the vaccine is very effective and we have no doubt that it has saved the lives of many Israelis. A vaccination at a Maccabi Health Services centre in December. A study of 523,000 people given two doses of the Pfizer vaccine showed there have been zero subsequent COVID deaths. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images) The news is also welcome given the current lack of real-life evidence of vaccine efficacy in preventing COVID-19 infections and deaths, with health authorities previously only able to go by clinical trial results. Israel is by far the world leader when it comes to the rate at which vaccines have been rolled out. According to Oxford Universitys respected Our World in Data website, Israel had administered 69.46 doses per 100,000 people as of Wednesday. Israel's vaccine rollout rate compared to other countries is demonstrated by the chart, below. (Our World in Data) The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is one of two jabs currently being issued in the UK. The other approved vaccine is the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, over which questions have been raised about its efficacy against the South African variant of the virus. Watch: People aged 65 and over in England can now receive COVID vaccine However, AstraZeneca has said it still provides a good level of protection against severe disease caused by new variants. It was also approved by the WHO for use in all adults on Wednesday. On Friday, meanwhile, NHS England said people aged 65 to 69 can now have a COVID vaccine in England if GPs have done all they can to reach those at higher risk. Read more: Its very risky: Why the UKs hotel quarantine could lead to local COVID outbreaks 'We reopened too fast': WHO warns European leaders against false sense of security Story continues Some parts of England have already begun vaccinating the over-65s with their first dose after they reached everyone in the top four priority groups including the over-70s and care home residents who wanted a jab. Once over-65s have been vaccinated, they will be officially followed by all those over 16 with underlying health conditions, then the over-60s, the over-55s and the over-50s. Watch: What you can and can't do during England's third national lockdown Hundreds of homes, businesses and farms around the country remain without power this afternoon. The ESB says there is currently a large fault in Greenore, Carlingford and surrounding areas of Co Louth. Crews are out working to repair the issue and hope to have everyone's power restored today. The outages come after stormy conditions overnight and into this morning. There were three separate warnings in place overnight in relation to snow and ice, rainfall and wind. The Status Yellow snow and rainfall warnings expired at midday. Although the Status Yellow wind warning was lifted at 9am, strong winds are continuing across the country this afternoon. This will continue for the remainder of the weekend with three weather warnings issued for Sunday. A Status Orange wind warning has been issued for counties Donegal, Galway and Mayo. Winds of up to 80km/h and severe gusts of 110km/h are forecast with a risk of coastal flooding. This warning will take effect at 11am on Sunday and will remain in place until 3pm. A Status Yellow wind warning will be in place for fifteen counties from 5am until 5pm on Sunday. The counties included in this warning are Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford. These areas can expect winds of up to 65km/h and gusts of between 90 and 110km/h. There is also a risk of coastal flooding around high tide. The third warning issued is a Status Yellow wind warning covers 11 counties and runs from 6am until 4pm tomorrow. Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon and Tipperary will see strong winds and gusts of up to 90km/h. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) are reminding road users to take extra care during the unsettled weather. "Anyone who is undertaking an essential journey should check in with the local weather and traffic conditions to find out what they are like in their area," said Brian Farrell, Communications Manager at the RSA. "If you are dealing with snow and ice, the important thing is to make sure your vehicle is clear of any snow, that you can clearly see out of your windows. "When you are on your journey, gently does it. No harsh braking, acceloration or steering." Thousands without power as snow and rain warnings remain in place Minor flooding at Morrison's Quay in Cork at high tide early on Saturday morning. Update 9am: Thousands of people are without power this morning as a Status Yellow warning for snow and ice across is currently in place for 20 counties. The warning came into effect at 2am and will remain in place until midday today. Many places across the country woke up to a thin blanket of snow this morning after some snowfall overnight. Met Eireann warned there could be snow accumulations of 5cm possible in Connacht, Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal with more falling on higher ground. There is another Status Yellow warning in place this morning for Cork, Kerry and Waterford this morning. The rainfall warning is in place since midnight and remains in place until midday with 30 to 40mm of rainfall expected. Around 8,000 homes, farms and businesses are without power after strong winds and some snow overnight. The ESB says there are three large outages in Enniscrone, Co Sligo; Tuam, Co Galway and Dundalk, Co Louth with crews working to restore the supply. Customers in these areas can expect to have power at least partially restored shortly. Faults have been reported in Co Cork in Bantry, Beara, Castletownbere and Ardgroom. ESB crews are currently working to repair these faults as quickly as possible and it is expected that all area will have power restored by the end of the day. Cork City Council has warned of minor river flooding over the weekend. Preparations to protect against flooding began yesterday at a number of locations around the city. The council has asked people to take extra care when driving in these areas over the weekend. Both warnings were accompanied by a Status Yellow wind warning with gusts of up to 90km/h. This warning for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford came into effect at 9pm on Friday night and was in place until 9am this morning. Here is the latest rain & snow forecast from our HARMONIE weather model. It covers the period from now until Monday morning. Heavy rain across southern parts today, with blustery falls of sleet & snow pushing north-eastwards, bringing hazardous conditions. https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/155HcqcVSk Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 13, 2021 Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather says snow showers will persist in places over the weekend before milder conditions return next week. "It's slowly going to be turning much less cold while it will continue to be very windy. Those winds will continue. "Also continuing are falls of sleet, snow and rain with the heaviest rain in the south of the country but clearing east later through the day with some dry spells for at least a while. "But the winds will continue strong all the time." Sunday will see another Status Yellow wind warning for 15 counties with strong to gale force winds expected. The warning for Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford will be in place from 6am tomorrow morning until 6pm on Sunday evening. For a period, there will be a risk of more severe gusts in parts of the west while there is a risk of coastal flooding in parts of the country. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 05:56:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Ambassador to Estonia Li Chao speaks at the Chinese New Year celebrations at the city's central square in Tallinn, Estonia, Feb. 12, 2021. Chinese New Year celebrations were held on Friday both at the city center and the Song Festival Grounds in the Estonian capital. (Xinhua/Guo Chunju) TALLINN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese New Year celebrations were held on Friday both at the city center and the Song Festival Grounds in the Estonian capital. At the city's central square, a series of activities including photo exhibition, dragon dance, drum and light performances and fire show have attracted a large number of spectators. Chinese Ambassador to Estonia Li Chao said that the Chinese Lunar New Year, the most important Chinese traditional festival, is about family reunion and visit exchanges, noting that this is the 12th Chinese New Year celebrations in Tallinn. This year, "the coronavirus has affected people's exchanges, however, it cannot stop us from 'reunion' right now through the channel of 'Happy Chinese New Year,'" he said. The ambassador hailed the hand-in-hand cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the pandemic, stressing the importance of unity and cooperation. He also expressed belief that the cultural exchanges between the two countries will be deepened in the future. Tallinn Deputy Mayor Vadim Belobrovtsev said in a speech that the annual Chinese New Year celebration in the Estonian capital since 2009 is a much-anticipated event among Tallinners. According to Belobrovtsev, this year's celebration activities included a high-culture video broadcast from China at the city's central square and performances from the spacious field of Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, where the participants are able to observe social distancing. The event was organized by the Culture Department of the Tallinn city government and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. The Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 12 this year, and according to the Chinese calendar, it is the year of the Ox. Enditem ADVERTISEMENT More protesters arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate have been taken away from the scene in a Lekki Concession Company Black Maria, as armed policemen continue to crack down on peaceful protesters at the toll plaza. The van, conveying about 13 protesters, was driven off to an unknown location. The #OccupyLekkitollgate protest and a counter-protest, #DefendLagos, were scheduled to hold at the same time Lekki toll gate by 7 a.m. on Saturday. The protest and counter-protest are fallouts of the ruling to reopen the Lekki tollgate by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry despite an ongoing investigation into the shooting of peaceful protesters by Nigerian soldiers on October 20, 2020 and other alleged human rights abuses by the police. Scores of police officers have been stationed at the Lekki tollgate, the planned protest site, since Friday. Around 7:47 a.m., police officers were mobilised in three vehicles towards Lekki Phase 1 for an unknown reason. ALSO READ: Police arrest protesters at Lekki Tollgate Shortly after, a few protesters were manhandled by police officers as they approached the Lekki tollgate. Some were forced into the waiting Black Maria. The #occupyLekkitollgate protesters, who had approached the Lekki toll area, unarmed, were packed into the Black Maria and taken to an unknown location. Moments later, the Black Maria returned to the toll gate, empty. Details later Former professor G N Saibaba, who is serving life term in Nagpur Central Prison for Maoist links, has tested positive, a jail official said on Saturday. Along with him, three other inmates of the jail were found to have contracted the infection, he said. "G N tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. He will be taken for a CT scan and other tests, after which doctors will decide whether to shift him to the Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment," jail superintendent Anup Kumre said. Earlier this week, gangster Arun Gawli and four other inmates of Nagpur jail had tested positive for the infection. is wheelchair-bound with 90 per cent physical disabilities. In 2017, a court in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli had convicted him and four others for Maoist links and indulging in activities amounting to waging war against the country. Ever since his conviction, is lodged in the Nagpur jail. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telegraph The partner of Lord Ashcroft's son is in custody after a police officer was shot in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Andrew Ashcroft, whose father is Lord Ashcroft the former deputy chairman of the Conservative party was detained after police say she was found near where superintendent Henry Jemmott's body was discovered on Friday. Mr Jemmott, a father of five, was found floating in the sea next to a pier off the eastern coast of Belize after being shot. Investigators said his police-issued firearm was found on the pier. Police say the pair were alone together before he died. However, Marie Jemmott Tzul, the officers sister, told The Telegraph they were not having an affair. "There was no romantic relationship at all," she said. Mr Jemmotts family claimed that the post-mortem examination had ruled out an accident or suicide. But the police have not confirmed this claim and the results of the inquest are due to be released on Monday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Caroline Brehman/POOL/AFP via Getty Images GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will vote to acquit former President Donald Trump. "While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction," he wrote. McConnell's announcement puts to rest any chance that he would have delivered a historic rebuke to a president from his own political party. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will vote to acquit Donald Trump for "incitement of insurrection" in the former president's Senate impeachment trial, according to sources close to senator. "While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction," McConnell wrote in a letter to GOP colleagues. "The Constitution makes it perfectly clear that Presidential criminal misconduct while in office can be prosecuted after the President has left office, which in my view alleviates the otherwise troubling 'January exception' argument raised by the House." Trump, who was impeached by the US House of Representatives for his role in the deadly January 6 Capitol riots, is likely to be acquitted by the upper chamber. A Trump conviction would require a two-thirds majority in the upper chamber, or 67 votes. Read more: Meet the little-known power player with the 'hardest job' on Capitol Hill. She's shaping Trump's impeachment trial and Joe Biden's agenda. With the Senate currently split between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, 17 Republicans would have to abandon the former president, which appears unlikely. McConnell's announcement puts to rest any chance that he would have delivered a historic rebuke to a president from his own political party. In his letter, the GOP leader, repeating what he said last month, wrote that the final decision of individual senators was "a vote of conscience." Story continues McConnell, who has served in the Senate for 36 years, is tasked with leading with a party shut out of power in Washington DC and facing internal divisions over the impeachment vote. While most Senate Republicans question the constitutionality of the impeachment trial, several lawmakers, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, broke ranks and joined Democrats in a 56-44 vote earlier this week to affirm that the trial was constitutional. This story has been updated. Read the original article on Business Insider Retired nurse Lorraine Thurber, RN speaks with Jean Haynes of Bennington prior to administering the vaccine, during a vaccination clinic in the former Southern Vermont College gymnasium in Bennington on Feb. 4. Thurber, who retired in April, came out of retirement last week to work at the clinic by giving vaccines. Responding to criticism over dynastic politics, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said it has been over 30 years that a member of his family was prime minister, and asserted he would not stop fighting for his ideological view just because he is the son of an ex-PM. In a candid free-wheeling discussion with University of Chicago professor Dipesh Chakrabarty, Gandhi said trolls are "almost a guide" telling him what to stand for. Gandhi said he was proud that his father Rajiv Gandhi and grandmother Indira Gandhi got killed while standing and defending something. "It helps me understand them and my place and what I should be doing. There are no regrets," he said during the live chat session. The Congress leader also said a battle of ideas is going on and as the other idea attacks him, it helps him refine himself. "For me, trolls sharpen my senses about what I have to do. They are almost a guide to me. They tell me exactly where I have to go and what I have to stand for. So it's a refinement, it's an evolution," he said. Chakrabarty asked Gandhi that when the decline of the Congress is discussed, the question of dynasty is raised and how does he relate to this as someone who is seen as belonging to a dynasty. Gandhi replied, "It is interesting to me because the last time a member of my family was a prime minister was 30 plus years ago". Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister from 1984-89. He was the last member from the Gandhi family who held the post. Rajiv's Gandhi's mother Indira Gandhi and grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru have also been prime ministers. "No member of my family was in the UPA government. I do have an ideological view. I fight for certain ideas. Now, if you are going to say to me that just because your father was Rajiv Gandhi, you are not allowed to fight for those ideas, I am going to say sorry, I don't care who my father was. I don't care who my grand father was, my great grandfather was. These are the ideas that I consider valuable, and I am going to fight for them," Gandhi said. The MP from Wayanad also talked about the the UPA government losing popularity, saying that for big systems like India, one has to provide a vision for a certain period of time. "We gave a vision for the first part of the century... we gave a vision in green revolution, we gave the nation a vision of liberalisation. In 2004, we gave a vision for the country, it was a version of the 1990s vision and was designed to pull large numbers of people out of poverty," Gandhi said. He said the vision ran out its course in 2012 and a new vision was needed. Noting that 10 years is a long time for a government in India, Gandhi said some mistakes were made and the country was also hit by the worst economic disaster in 2008. "The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) came with a new vision. You can see the result of that vision it is a disaster. Our job now is to construct the vision going forward from here," he said. During the discussion, Gandhi also slammed the Centre over the three farm laws and said the government needs to back down on this. He said if not resolved, the agitation would spread and would not be good for the country. Agricultural reform is required, but the destruction of the agriculture system is not acceptable, he said. He said the bills need to be withdrawn and for agriculture reform, fresh discussion be initiated in Parliament. Gandhi also interacted with students during the live chat. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government has made a major announcement according to which all degree colleges, state, private universities and other educational institutions of higher learning across the state will re-open from February 15. The state government has also issued orders asking authorities to ensure strict compliance with the Centre's COVID-19 guidelines. According to the communication letter between officials of higher education, it will be mandatory for all teachers and students to wear face masks. Along with this, social distancing will be followed by students sitting at a distance of six feet. All the institutes have to ensure sanitation and thermal scanning. "All universities, degree colleges and other educational institutions of higher learning across the state will function normally from February 15. These institutions were reopened with restrictions on November 23, 2020," reads the letter (dated February 12) of Special Secretary of Higher Education Department Abdul Samad sent to the Vice-Chancellors and Directors of Higher Education of all the private and state universities of Uttar Pradesh. The Higher Education Department has asked the educational institutions to fully sanitized the campus before re-opening. If a student, teacher, or employee has symptoms of cough, cold or fever, they should be sent back home giving first aid. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop in students or staff, immediate testing should be done and results should be recorded, it said. The educational authorities have been asked to take COVID-19 prevention measures while conducting the classes. Live TV Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel.And Russia? President Vladimir Putins government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of the commodity. Authorities will use prisoners to help speed the work, reviving a reviled Soviet-era tradition.The project to modernize and expand railroads that run to Russias Far Eastern ports is part of a broader push to make the nation among the last standing in fossil fuel exports as other countries switch to greener alternatives. The government is betting that coal consumption will continue to rise in big Asian markets like China even as it dries up elsewhere.It's realistic to expect Asian demand for imported coal to increase if conditions are right,'' said Evgeniy Bragin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UMMC Holding, which owns a coal company in western Siberias Kuzbass region. We need to keep developing and expanding the rail infrastructure so that we have the opportunity to export coal.The latest 720 billion ruble ($9.8 billion) project to expand Russias two longest railroads the Tsarist-era Trans-Siberian and Soviet Baikal-Amur Mainline that link western Russia with the Pacific Ocean will aim to boost cargo capacity for coal and other goods to 182 million tons a year by 2024. Capacity already more than doubled to 144 million tons under a 520 billion ruble modernization plan that began in 2013. Putin urged faster progress on the next leg at a meeting with coal miners in March.Russia is trying to monetize its coal reserves fast enough that coal will contribute to GDP rather than being stuck in the ground, said Madina Khrustaleva, an analyst who specializes in the region for TS Lombard in London.Putin is betting that his countrys land border with China and good relations with President Xi Jinping make it a natural candidate to dominate exports to the nation that consumes more than half of the worlds coal. His case is helped by the fact that Australia, currently the number one coal exporter, is facing trade restrictions from China amid a diplomatic dispute over the origins of the coronavirus.But the plan is fraught with risk, both for Russias economy and the planet. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends immediate phasing out of coal to avoid catastrophic global warming and the effects of climate change are expected to cost Russia billions in coming decades. Earlier this month the International Energy Agency went one step further and said no new fossil-fuel infrastructure should be built if the world wants to keep global warming will below 1.5 degrees Celsius. With all but one of the top 10 economies committed to reaching net-zero emissions within decades, the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap calls for phasing out all coal power plants without carbon capture as soon as 2040.Its also not a given that Asian coal demand will keep growing. Coal consumption in China is poised to reach a record this year and the country continues to build coal-fired power plants, but it also plans to start reducing consumption starting in 2026. At the same time it's increasing output from domestic mines, leaving less room for foreign supplies. Even in the IEA's least climate-friendly scenarios, global coal demand is expected to stay flat in 2040 compared to 2019.A coal strategy approved by the Russian government last year envisages a 10% increase in coal output from pre-pandemic levels by 2035 under the most conservative scenario, based on rising demand not just from China, but also India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and possibly Indonesia.The relatively low sulphur content of Russian coal might give it an edge in Korea, which has tightened pollution laws in recent years, but other Asian countries have struggled to secure funding for proposed plants and Indonesia said this week it wont approve any new coal-fired power plants. At a Group of Seven nations meeting, environment ministers agreed to phase out support for building coal power plants without carbon capture before the end of this year.For Putin there is more at stake than just money. At a video conference in March, he reminded government officials that the coal industry drives the local economies of several Russian regions that are home to about 11 million people. Unrest among coal miners helped put pressure on the government before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though the sector is now a much smaller and less influential part of the economy.We need to carefully assess all possible scenarios in order to guarantee that our coal mining regions are developed even if global demand decreases, Putin said. The countrys biggest coal producers are privately run, meaning they arent facing the kind of financing problems currently being encountered by listed companies elsewhere as banks pull back funding for dirty energy. Suek Plc, owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and Kuzbassrazrezugol OJSC, controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, are both planning to increase output. Russia also plans to boost coal production for steel making. A-Property, owned by Russian businessmen Albert Avdolyan, bought the Elga coal mine in Russias Far Eastern region of Yakutia last year and plans to invest 130 billion rubles to expand output to 45 million tons of coal from the current 5 million tons by 2023. A third stage of Russias railroad expansion project will focus on boosting infrastructure for shipping coal out of Yakutia, a Russian Railways official said last month.In 2021, many Asia Pacific states have seen their economies recover from the pandemic, said Oleg Korzhov, the CEO of Mechel PJSC, one of Russias biggest coal companies. We expect that demand for metallurgical coal in Asia Pacific will remain high in the next five years.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 22:35:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday released a video showing how Mars probe Tianwen-1 braked to allow its capture by the red planet's gravity. China's Tianwen-1 probe, including an orbiter, a lander and a rover, successfully entered the orbit around Mars on Wednesday after a nearly seven-month voyage from Earth. The video fully recorded Mars gradually entering the field of view, the slight vibration of the probe after the engine was ignited, and the probe's flight from Mars day to Mars night. The solar wing, directional antenna, Martian atmosphere, and surface morphology are visible in the video. The CNSA said that Tianwen-1 sends blessings from distant Mars on the occasion of Chinese Lunar New Year. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Strong demand from U.S. consumers ahead of Valentine's Day is bringing Colombia's flower industry back from the brink of collapse. Exports have been picking up since September, boding well for Feb. 14, the biggest day in the calendar for florists. Strong sales this weekend would set the seal on the industry's comeback. Colombian growers were getting ready for Mother's Day when the pandemic tore through the U.S. last spring. With massive markets such as New York and California locked down, Colombia's flower producers destroyed thousands of tons of roses, carnations and chrysanthemums. There was more bad news to come. When summer arrived, U.S. couples started canceling their weddings. Even funeral sales weren't good, due to restrictions on gatherings. Most of the cut flowers sold in the U.S. come from Colombia, and the sector looked set for mass bankruptcies and job losses. Instead, it saw a major recovery. As the pandemic progressed, people in the U.S. got into the habit of sending each other flowers when they couldn't meet face to face, and also bought more blooms to brighten up their homes, Kate Penn, chief executive officer of the Society of American Florists, said in a phone interview. And since they couldn't easily spend their money on vacations, restaurants or concerts, some households found themselves with more disposable income than normal. "I've definitely talked to florists whose event work, which basically was almost nothing, was more than offset by the everyday interest in flowers," Penn said. After crashing 25% in June, when the wedding season starts, Colombian flower exports rebounded in late summer, which is normally a slow period. For the whole of 2020, exports fell just 4%, despite the slump earlier in the year. "Normally, summer is bad, because countries in the northern hemisphere grow their own flowers, but, despite that, exports continued very well, and now they're doing well, and there's good demand for Valentine's day," said Augusto Solano, head of the Colombian Flower Growers' Association. Flowers accounted for $1.4 billion of the nation's $31 billion in exports last year, ranking behind oil, coal, coffee and gold. About 80% of Colombian flower exports go to the U.S. Large flower companies were relatively unscathed by the downturn, while small ones fared much worse. With contracts to supply retailers such as Walmart Inc., big producers typically sell more than 100% of their output, making up the difference with purchases from smaller growers. Faced with last year's crisis, they continued to sell their own flowers, but slashed orders from small growers like Carmen Bravo. Her company, Belen de los Tejares, has 27 employees and grows roses in the heart of Colombia's flower-producing area in the Andean plain known as the Bogota Savanna. Last year, she saw sales slump by 40%. "Between March 20 and April 20, we had to throw away more or less 220,000 flowers," Bravo said. "Mother's Day is the second Sunday of May, but flower shipments are normally three or four weeks earlier, so that was the time of peak production, and there was no market for them." Fortunately, Valentine's Day in 2020 fell before the mass shutdowns and Colombian flower exports last February were the strongest ever for the month. Bravo said the money she made then allowed her to weather the crisis, and that sales this year have also been strong. "Valentine's day is the key to having a good year. We've started the year on a sound footing," she said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. It was in September 2020 that Nvidia announced it was acquiring ARM for a juicy sum of $40 Billion. The agreement was reached between Nvidia and the SoftBank Group, which currently owns ARM Holdings and has been pending regulatory approval. Unfortunately, the deal is encountering major regulatory hurdles, with brands coming out in protest all over the world. The latest opposition comes from Microsoft, Google and Qualcomm who are urging regulators to prevent the deal from going through. ARM isnt in the business of making SoCs, but instead, licenses the instruction set and core designs to others. Currently, over 90 percent of the smartphones in the world use ARMs designs for their SoCs. Apple, which recently moved over to their own M1 chipset, also licenses ARMs instruction set but does not utilise ARM cores. Needless to say, Apple too has come out against the merger. Interestingly, Amazons Graviton2 processor, which offers incredible performance jump over Intel and AMDs parts, also utilise ARMs N1 cores which are a derivative of the Cortex-A76 cores from ARM. With ARMs designs being used in so many different areas of computing, companies are worried that once Nvidia gains control over ARM, the graphics company might leverage licensing deals that are currently in place. While Nvidia and ARM arent direct competitors, once the graphics company acquires ARM, tech companies allege there is going to be a conflict of interest and Nvidia would be in the position to gravely impact product and business models of most companies involved. Pushback from big tech companies isnt the only thing jeopardising the acquisition though. Arm Holdings China division is going to be another major roadblock in this journey. ARM China has six investment firms, of which, four are now controlled by Allen Wu, Chief Executive ARM China. In June 2020, ARM Chinas board moved to remove Wu as the Chief Executive, with both parties almost reaching an amicable separation. However, the value of the nearly 17 percent stake owned by Wu through the four investment firms has become a bone of contention, with Wu arguing that ARM Chinas value has gone up five times since its establishment. In the time since then, Wu has put his own security team in charge of ARM China, denying entry to representatives of ARM and ARM China. Emails from ARM headquarters to employees of ARM China are also being filtered out, according to a report by Financial Times. Unless this standoff in the Chinese arm of ARM is resolved, the acquisition will not be able to go through, since it requires the approval of authorities in the U.S., Europe, China and the U.K. As it appears, the deal between Nvidia and SoftBank for ARM Holdings seems to be an uphill battle. It is true that once Nvidia acquires ARM, it will directly hold a key piece of technology needed by its competitors to do business. Qualcomm seems to be building a case against the deal, stating that the only way Nvidia can make this transaction profitable is to eventually act as the gatekeeper for ARMs IP. In essense, Qualcomm is suggesting that Nvidia could in the future leverage higher licensing fee, especially from competitors for ARMs IP. While this could potentially be true, Qualcomm doesnt really have the best track record with respect to good licensing practices. The mobile SoC manufacturer has been time and again been called out for its unfair licensing practices, given its monopolistic hold on the mobile SoC market. This was one of the reasons why Apple and Qualcomm went to court a few years ago, a legal battle. Not glued to the TV. Photo: Shutterstock It took approximately 14 milliseconds after the first day of Donald Trumps second impeachment trial for the reports to start flying: The ex-president was basically screaming at his TV, having reached an eight out of ten on his angry scale. Even the most jaded interpreter of Washington couldnt help but feel slightly disoriented and not because of the retirees predictable pay-attention-to-me rage. The wailing was coming from Palm Beach now, not the White House. In the West Wing, the new staff had already, hours earlier, informed reporters that the presidents public appearances and pronouncements were done for the day. Thats because Joe Biden is profoundly invested in you knowing that hes got more productive things to do than spend his time thinking about, let alone watching, the trial. Like, say, surveying vaccination sites in hard-hit states (Monday). Or initiating a review of the countrys national security strategy on China (Wednesday). Or trying to iron out school-reopening procedures while aiming to squeeze his nearly $2 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal through Congress (every day). This message is impossible to miss. By the time Trumps defense attorney Bruce Castor finished hollering on Tuesday, February 9, Bidens press secretary Jen Psaki had already deflected eight on-camera questions about Bidens views on impeachment. By Wednesdays end, the count was up to a dozen. The president himself would tell you that we keep him pretty busy, she told reporters, and he has a full schedule this week. And she wasnt wrong: He visited the Pentagon for the first time just as the House managers video exhibits of the January 6 violence hit an emotional peak, and on Thursday he scheduled an Oval Office meeting on infrastructure policy with a group of senators the impeachment jurors for just two hours before they were expected in the Capitol for day three of arguments. This all could have gone very differently. Before January 6, people close to Biden were convinced theyd have to balance the obvious parts of his new job COVID recovery, confirming his Cabinet, resetting just about every international alliance, and so on while fending off a constant, unhinged barrage of his predecessors tweets. @RealDonaldTrump, they feared, could continue to set the medias daily agenda, as it had for the last half decade. With Trump banned from social media, that obstacle is gone, and House Democrats have firm control of D.C.s attention. And with Trumps impeachment trial raging, were learning just how Biden is planning to fulfill his back-to-normal promise, his build back better pledge, and his implicit You can turn off your news-alert notifications now assurance all at once, while the world around him shows no sign of calming. The nothing-to-see-here posture is, to those who know him best, classic Biden when things are going well. Its somewhat of a distraction, but he recognizes its a necessary, constitutional distraction, said Doug Jones, the Democratic ex-senator from Alabama whos known Biden since the 70s. Biden and his top advisers believe Americans are far more focused on the pandemic and the economy than on Trumps trial. Just as it did during the campaign as Trumps antics escalated, polling has borne the premise out: His approval rating is higher than Trumps ever was, including within his own party. Gallup found that 98 percent of Democrats are satisfied with his work so far. And Bidens advisers are happy to implicitly embrace the contrast of his out-of-the-spotlight management with Trumps chaos after all, thats how the Democrat won, theyll remind anyone who asks. And, as a longtime former senator with a sometimes over-the-top reverence for D.C. tradition, Biden is loath to risk being seen as trying to unduly influence the jurors. Senators, too, are sensitive to even the perception of such pressure. If he spoke up at all, it would be seen as lobbying or influencing, Jones said. Neither Bidens White House nor his DNC sent any messaging guidance to Senate Democrats during the impeachment, and even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers talking-points email to his colleagues reinforced the point that Bidens attention had to be elsewhere. Today the House impeachment managers presented powerful arguments in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump and reaffirmed that in order to have unity and healing we must first have truth and accountability. Senate Democrats are committed to continuing the trial while also working on President Bidens American Rescue Plan to get COVID-19 relief to the American people, the February 9 document read, according to a copy obtained by New York. Thats the way our system is designed an impeachment is a congressional function, said Colorado representative Jason Crow, who was a manager of Trumps first impeachment and who, as a former Army Ranger, thought about using his pen as a weapon for defending his colleagues as rioters tried to break into the House floor last month. Our work continues and President Biden is doing exactly what voters elected him to do. Its a relief, Crow said. Hes doing the work. He doesnt need to tweet about it all the time, just get the job done. A mid-impeachment White House press conference. Photo: Pete Marovich/The New York Times/Redux Still, this might all be fleeting. No one close to Biden is under any illusion that Trump, or Trumpism, has truly disappeared, or that they wont have to keep dealing with the fallout from the attack on the Capitol. It shook Biden in particular hed spent 36 years there as a senator, and he saw in the images a parallel to the white-supremacist violence in Charlottesville that pushed him to run in the first place. So he is paying attention when he has time. On Wednesday, he watched the evening news and caught up on the security footage revealed by the House Democrats. In the Oval Office the next morning, he suggested it might have been powerful enough to change some Republicans jurors minds. (Jones, who left the Senate last month, said his former GOP colleagues may have been shaken but not stirred by the days arguments.) Bidens inner circle thinks hell probably have to weigh in more fully on the trials conclusion. So they are watching the coverage, if often with the volume lowered. When I called one White House aide to gauge the buildings impression of the trials second day, there was a pause on the line before the staffer admitted, I mean, I have it on. But I have other shit to do. Still others, who spent years working on Capitol Hill, were shaken all over again by the scenes of the coup attempt on TV, even if they spent most of their days in meetings about vaccinations or budget planning; the TVs in the West Wing and on Air Force One have been switched from Fox, mostly to CNN, where the proceedings have been inescapable. The White House recently restarted its print subscriptions to the New York Times and the Washington Post, complete with their banner headlines about the trial, too. At the highest levels, Bidens teams bet is that the short-run awkwardness of the presidents refusal to engage is worth the temporary retreat from the headlines. If he can float above the muck of this unwinnable fight over Trump, the thinking goes, perhaps he can maintain some goodwill or at least detente with the few centrist, bipartisanship-worshipping Democratic lawmakers, and maybe a tiny handful of Republicans, whom he might need on his side to pass pieces of his COVID-relief plan or subsequent big-ticket measures. (Witness: On Thursday morning, Oklahomas very conservative senator Jim Inhofe gushed that their meeting on infrastructure was very good, very good, in part because Ive known the president forever, and weve worked on highway bills before.) With painful memories of 2009s brutal fights over the economic stimulus and then Obamacare never far from Bidens mind, the goal is to maintain the presidents political capital for as long as he can. For now, before any of his major legislation has come up for a vote, thats often meant making sure hes not swatting at the news of the day. Inside the White House, Biden has instructed staff to let him delegate and make sure hes not micromanaging, and hes directed members of his COVID team to brief the press regularly instead of insisting on that spotlight for himself. It also means bottling up distractions as soon as they arise. When Biden cited his predecessors erratic behavior and said there was no need for Trump to keep access to intelligence briefings in a CBS interview pegged to the Super Bowl, Psaki quickly issued a statement taking the political sting out of the remark. Biden has deep trust in his own intelligence team to make a determination about how to provide intelligence information if at any point the former president requests a briefing, she said. Other diversions carry lower stakes but no less headache potential: The next day, Bidens chief of staff, Ron Klain, retweeted a Post columnist floating a Kamala HarrisPete Buttigieg ticket for 2028. Once D.C. reporters spotted the RT, and began appending eyeball emojis to the outrageously premature gag, he quickly deleted it. After one case of the U.K. variant of COVID-19 was discovered in Manitoba, chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin warned Friday he expects to see many more variants pop up in the future. Advertisement Advertise With Us After one case of the U.K. variant of COVID-19 was discovered in Manitoba, chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin warned Friday he expects to see many more variants pop up in the future. While Roussin said the vast majority of variants have limited clinical implications for humans, some can lead to increased transmission or increased severity. Three main variants of concern have been identified so far: B117, first identified in the United Kingdom, B1351, first identified in South Africa and P1, first identified in Brazil. Only a single case variant of concern had been detected in Manitoba as of Friday, but Roussin said the province is preparing for all these variants to be found in the province. PCR tests are used to check for the presence of COVID-19 in a provided sample, but additional sequencing tests are required to determine what variant of the virus is present in the sample. "Sequencing for variants of concern is only done if we have a positive test," said Roussin. "When the diagnostic testing is done at Cadham Provincial Lab, Shared Health or Dynacare, the positive samples are all sent to Cadham for the screening. The screening can determine if theres a particular mutation thats present from the variants of concern." The doctor said the goal is to have screening done within 48 hours of a sample arriving at Cadham, with sequencing happening afterward and taking longer. Only a representative number of positive tests from higher-risk cases like those connected with travel, including those found during screening, are sent for full sequencing at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. "With our sequencing that weve been involved with dating back to last March, weve identified many different variants, including some that are unique to Manitoba," said Roussin. "Weve only discovered the one single variant of concern." So far, Manitoba has sequenced dozens of viral genomes from more than 140 COVID outbreaks in places like care homes, hospitals, jails and remote communities. When the first instance of the B117 variant was detected in Manitoba, the timeline was much longer. In that case, the person was tested on Jan. 21, with the sample sent to the National Microbiology Lab the day after. Roussin did not receive the results of the screening of that sample until late Monday evening. When the sample was received by Cadham, Roussin said that the screening process had not yet been implemented. Now that the plan is in place, he said variants of concern would be found in a much more timely manner. The family of the person who had the B117 variant has already tested negative for the virus, but will be tested again. The doctor said close contacts of positive cases are usually only tested once, but another test is being performed because of the variant. Roussin acknowledged case numbers and the strain on the provinces health-care system have been improving and led to the lessening of restrictions, but warned going back to the way Manitobans were interacting late last year could see a return to the high case counts of November and December. The spread of variants of concern could exacerbate the situation. As restaurants reopened for reduced dine-in service Friday, Roussin said diners and restaurants following the public-health orders as written would provide a safe experience. With Louis Riel Day on Monday, there will be no COVID-19 briefing or release of case numbers. Instead, the briefing has been moved to Tuesday. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark L'Oreal saw profits fall in 2020 after make-up sales, in particular lipstick, took a hit during the pandemic. The beauty business said women were less likely to use brands like Maybelline and Garnier over the past 12 months as there were less opportunities to go out, with profits for 2020 down by 5 per cent to 3.1billion. For good: L'Oreal works on campaigns with the likes of actress Amber Heard (pictured) Instead money was spent on skincare products such as masks and lotions, which sold well as women across the globe were forced to stay at home and obey lockdown rules. The Paris-based company was also boosted by its performance online, with sales jumping 62 per cent over the year. Nevertheless the world's biggest cosmetics maker remained upbeat about the year ahead. Chief executive Jean-Paul Agon said that people cannot wait to go outside and get dolled up once the pandemic had subsided. He added: 'I'm convinced that when we come out of this crisis, it will be like the 1920s. After years of anxiety, there will be a feeling of wanting to party.' US prosecutors have charged the son of a civilian Navy staffer in Bahrain over her stabbing death in the Mideast island kingdom. Federal court documents accuse Giovonni Z. Pope, 27, of stabbing his mother to death at her off-base apartment on Jan. 31. Contact details for Pope could not be immediately found and his listed public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Court documents only identify his mother by the initials E.A., describing her as a civilian Defense Department employee at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the home of the US Navy's 5th Fleet. She had worked there since September 2017. An affidavit by a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service says the woman's co-workers became worried when she didn't come to work Feb. 1. Investigators discovered her body under a blanket in her apartment, repeatedly stabbed. Bahraini police later arrested Pope. He told Bahraini investigators at one point that he killed his mother as she ``was blocking him from achieving his goals by not letting him return to the United States to work on his clothing business,'' the agent's affidavit claims. He had allegedly used his mother's credit card after the killing to purchase airfare back to the US to visit his girlfriend. Bahrain had declined to prosecute Pope if the US tried him, the agent said. US Magistrate Judge Thomas M. DiGirolamo of Maryland issued an order Thursday for him to be brought back to America to face trial on a murder charge. The US Embassy in Bahrain and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday, nor did Bahrain's Interior Ministry. Short link: Syracuse, N.Y. -- The new owner of the Remington gun factory in Ilion is shooting to reopen the plant with 200 workers in March, but the union representing Remington workers isnt so sure. Roundhill Group, which bought the factory in a sale supervised by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in September, obtained its federal firearms license in January, giving it the right to manufacture firearms at the huge Herkimer County plant, Uticas NEWSChannel 2 reported. Roundhill partner Richmond Italia said he plans to open the plant on Tuesday for maintenance and is targeting March 1 for the start of production, according to the report. The company plans to hire back 200 employees for the start of production and hopes to eventually bring back 800 to 1,000 employees, he said. The company did not immediately respond to a request from syracuse.com | The Post-Standard for comment on Friday. The union that represents workers at the plant isnt certain of Italias timeline. The United Mine Workers of America said it is still negotiating a modified collective bargaining agreement with Roundhill. The union has also objected to the terms of employment included in Roundhills job offers to the first 200 workers because the letters stated their employment would be at will. That terminology means they could be fired for any reason, a provision the union said would violate its existing collective bargaining agreement. In addition, the job offers were not made on the basis of seniority, something that is required by the contract, according to the union. They put out offers of employment to 200 people, which we found problematic because they did not do it by seniority and their letter said it would at will employment, which obviously wouldnt be true if they have a contract, Phil Smith, a spokesperson for the union, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard on Friday. We found that objectionable, and we told them so. In an interview with CNY/Eyewitness News last week, Italia indicated he thought the union might strike over the issues, and said he would never reopen the factory if it did. Think about it, what is a unions strength? he said. A unions strength is to go on strike. Thats really all a union can do. And if they choose to go on strike, thats the end of New York. We shut the doors, we never open it again. United Mine Workers President Cecil E. Roberts said the union has no plans to strike. I have no idea where Mr. Italia is getting the notion that the UMWA intends to strike at that facility, he said in a statement. We have certainly not said that to him or his representatives. The terms of Roundhills purchase of the plant require the company to negotiate a modified collective bargaining agreement that, among other things, takes into account the courts release of Remington from the companys pension plan obligations and retiree healthcare benefits, according to the union. The best way to do that is not for Roundhill to threaten to take these jobs away from the people who built this company and the communities surrounding it, but for the new owners to come to the bargaining table and hammer out the agreement envisioned in the sale agreement, Roberts said. Roundhill bought all of Remingtons firearms business, except for its Marlin line, for $13 million. Its former owner closed the factory in Ilion and furloughed its more than 700 employees, including about 600 union members, right before the bankruptcy auction. Remington filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy Code on July 27, the second time it had done so in two years. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 February 13 : Sonam Kapoor Ahuja starrer film Blind has been wrapped up. Helmed by Shome Makhija, the film has been wrapped in a start-to-end shoot schedule in Glasgow, Scotland. The team of the action thriller was shooting in the harsh winter of Scotland and completed the shooting in just 39 days. The film has been touted to be thrilling and promises to keep the audience on the edge of their seats with several twists and turns. Despite the lockdown owing to the pandemic, and several restrictions in Scotland, the shoot continued and ended safely on time. Blind is a story of a blind police officer in search of a serial killer. It also stars Vinay Pathak, Purab Kohli, and Lilette Dubey among others. Sonams character has been kept under wrap. Taking to her Instagram profile today, Sonam shared a video clip, wherein the actress can be seen with director Shome Makhija, producer Avishek Ghosh, cinematographer Gairik and filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh. In the video, the actress along with the team can be seen jumping in glee. Its a Film Wrap for #BLIND ! See you at the Movies! @shomemak @gairiksarkar @avishek_g #sujoyghosh, an elated Sonam wrote. Sonam has been sharing glimpses from the sets to keep her fans updated. In a couple of behind-the-scenes pictures, the actress can be seen dressed in a thick grey coat, holding a hot water bottle in her hand, while her quirky expressions say it all. Hot water bottle for the win in cold naaah freeeezing Scotland. #BLIND, the Neerja actress wrote. Blind is bankrolled by Sujoy Ghosh, Avishek Ghosh and Manisha W., Pinkesh Nahar and Sachin Nahar, Hyunwoo Thomas Kim, and will hit the theatres sometime in 2021. LAPD Launches Program For Mental Health Clinician To Respond To Some Calls The Los Angeles Police Department has begun a program to dispatch a mental health response team, consisting of a sworn officer and a Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinician, to certain mental health calls, Assistant Chief Horace Frank announced today. The program, which is led by the police departments Mental Evaluation Unit, launched on Monday, Frank told the Police Commission. The units Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team, consisting of a mental health clinician and sworn officer, will respond to mental health calls that meet specific criteria, according to Frank. Previously, SMART units were used as secondary responders, but will now serve as co-responders with patrol units for certain calls. One of the benefits of this to officers is that it allows us to begin that de-escalation process as quickly as possible, he said. The SMART unit will serve as a supporting element, while the patrol unit will remain the primary unit, according to Frank. Further details about the program were not immediately available, but Office Drake Madison said the department is planning to hold a news conference to provide more information. The Los Angeles Police Department responds to thousands of mental health calls every year. The departments SMART units help officers effectively respond to (mental health calls) and link people in crisis to appropriate mental health services, according to the LAPDs website. Following anti-police brutality demonstrations sparked by last years in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, many Angelenos called for a re- imagining of public safety, including unarmed responses to nonviolent calls. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore has also voiced support for allowing mental health and social services professionals to handle certain calls, freeing up police department personnel to focus on public safety. In January, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners authorized Moore to execute an agreement with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services to have their psychiatric professionals respond to some nonviolent calls. On Tuesday, Frank told police commissioners that the Didi Hirsch pilot program briefly began last week but was halted after department officials realized a contract had not been signed. Thats expected to happen this week, he said. ADVERTISEMENT New Delhi, Feb 13 : Actors Randeep Hooda and Urvashi Rautela on Saturday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence in Lucknow. The stars are currently shooting the web series Inspector Avinash, based on a true story set in the state. During the meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured his support to the visiting celebrities for a hassle-free shoot in Uttar Pradesh. Randeep discussed the endangered Gangetic dolphins with the chief minister, who shared that the issue remains a top priority for him. Urvashi mentioned she was excited to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sharing that she hails from the same place as him. The proposed film city project in Greater Noida was also discussed during the hour-long interaction that was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal, too, along with the web series director Neerraj Pathak and producer Rahul Mittra. Inspector Avinash marks Randeep's debut in the OTT space, and casts him as real-life police officer Avinash Mishra. Randeep's police avatar will see him in action in a dramatic retelling of the life of the famed cop, as he busts several high-profile cases of crime in the state. Urvashi will be seen as Avinash Mishra's wife Poonam. Fans were first introduced to Bam Margera via his stunt and skating series, CKY, and then eventually via Jackass on MTV. Since then the skater and actor has gone out and made his name, largely via MTV and his skating partnership with Element. What many folks might not have expected was to see Margera in the role of father rather than prankster. Margera turned that upside down when he and his wife, Nicole Boyd, welcomed their son Phoenix Wolf Margera into the world. The Jackass star married Nicole Boyd Bam Margera and wife Nicole Boyd | Kevin Winter/Getty Images RELATED: Jackass 4: Fans Concerned for Bam Margera After Instagram Posts Bam Margera has been married before Melissa Rothstein was the Jackass stars first wife. The two were married for five years from 2007 to 2012. They have since divorced, but they remain friends. Later in 2012, Margera met his now-wife, Nicole Boyd. Boyd is no stranger to the acting world. Shes worked as an actor, model, and photographer. Boyd previously worked at the PennHurst Asylum, a haunted attraction located in Pennsylvania. She also appeared on an episode of Togetherness. The two met via a mutual friend at the Phoenix Theatre in California at a concert. They eventually got married on October 5, 2013. The two were wedded on-stage during the Random Hero Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland. Margera started the festival as a way to honor the life of the late Ryan Dunn. He intends to utilize the festival proceeds to help build a skate park in Reykjavik after watching a local one get demolished. That might be the most Bam Margera wedding possible. Bam Margera explains his sons name Bam Margera, father of Phoenix Wolf Margera | Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images Bam Margera and wife Nicole Boyd welcomed a son into the world in December of 2017. The couple named their son Phoenix Wolf Margera and theres a reasoning behind the impressive name. I said it and everybody liked it, so we stuck with that, Margera told People. He later explained that he felt it was a good name for their son given that the couple met at the Phoenix Theater. Whats more, Margera has already started teaching his son how to skate. In an Instagram video posted on January 26, 2021, Bam Margera showcases his sons first time on the board, helping him skate across a parking lot. Margeras son seems thrilled, shouting, Woah woah woah! Steve-O can be heard in the background helping to encourage Phoenix Wolf Margera as Bam and Nicole Boyd cheer him on. How old is Bam Margeras son, Phoenix Wolf Margera Jackass star Bam Margera | Kevin Winter/Getty Images Bam Margeras son, Phoenix Wolf Margera, turned three years old in December, 2020. Given that Margera already introduced his son to the skateboard, it may only be a matter of time before hes seen tearing up local parks. However, Margeras not so sure about whether or not hell be encouraging his son to behave the same way he did in his own youth. Especially when it comes to pranks like as not, Margera doesnt want to endure what he meted out on Phil Margera. Itll be fun teaching him how to skate. I have mixed feelings about teaching him my stupid Jackass stunts, Margera told People. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. he African Development Banks (www.AfDB.org) Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program has agreed a partnership with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) to unlock $1.3 to 2 billion in loans to women-owned Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, by working with financial institutions to enhance their ability to lend to women. The move signals the launch of AFAWAs Guarantee for Growth (G4G) program, which aims to make available up to $3 billion in financing for women entrepreneurs through de-risking and technical assistance measures. Already, financial institutions in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are signing on to the program. As the implementing partner of AFAWAs Guarantee for Growth program, we are already observing an increased appetite from banks for this innovative product that seeks to support women entrepreneurs. We have recently signed agreements with leading banks on the continent who are keen to increase their women SMEs portfolio, said Jules Ngankam, African Guarantee Funds Group CEO. AGF has always been cognizant of the importance of supporting women SMEs to enable them fully play their role as drivers of economic growth. We are glad the momentum is increasing and that banks are now willing to take on this particular business segment, Ngankam added. Guarantee for Growth, which receives support from the Group of Seven (G7) countries as well as the Netherlands and Sweden, has three pillars: boosting access to finance, providing technical assistance to financial institutions and women business owners; and improving the enabling environment for womens SMEs. The signing of the AFAWA Guarantee for Growth program with the African Guarantee Fund is a critical milestone for the Bank to successfully deploy on-the-ground financing instruments better suited to addressing the financing and training needs of women-owned small and medium enterprises in Africa for the growth of their businesses, said Stefan Nalletamby, the Banks Director of Financial Sector Development. There is an urgent need to improve the enabling environment with the right regulations in place, to sustainably de-risk the segment, said Esther Dassanou, AFAWAs Coordinator. The Bank will work with regulators to reform the legal and regulatory frameworks affecting women businesses access to finance, she added. The Guarantee for Growth is also expected to reach an average of 18,000 women small and medium enterprises and create 80,000 direct jobs, Dassanou said. African women face a $42 billion financing gap, which AFAWA aims to bridge. This is tied to a lack of access to collateral in the form of land and property as well as to knowledge, mentorship, and networks to grow their businesses, which are typically in the informal sector. Donor and private sector-support for the overall AFAWA initiative is helping the Bank set ambitious targets for AFAWA Guarantee for Growth program, said Vanessa Moungar, the Banks Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society. The entire Bank ecosystem will be at play inviting more financial institutions to sign into the program ensuring engagement, implementation, and ownership at the market and policy levels, she added. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn An under-the-radar farmer who works land in rural Co Kildare has been arrested in connection with the biggest drugs bust of the year. The 46-year-old, who had no known previous involvement in organised crime, is being quizzed by specialist detectives following the seizure of drugs valued at 8.2m. This included a 7.4m cannabis haul in Co Kildare and 11kg of cocaine, valued at 770,000, found in a follow-up search of a car. Sources say the farmer fell on hard times in recent years and may have been groomed by a gang because of his own drug use. A 49-year-old criminal who gardai suspect is trusted by the countrys major gangs to move drugs for them is also being questioned. This man is originally from Co Sligo and has been a suspect in the theft of plant machinery and the large scale importation of illegal drugs in vintage tractors from continental Europe. Senior sources say he had close links to criminal Cyril Dublin Jimmy McGuinness who died of a heart attack in November, 2019, in Derbyshire, England. McGuinness fell ill when police raided a safe-house as part of a major arrest operation involving three police forces in connection with the abduction of QIH executive Kevin Lunney. Two drugs trafficking networks from Dublin are being probed for controlling the 7.4m haul of cannabis which was seized on Thursday. Senior sources say detectives are probing whether associates of Derek Dee Dee ODriscoll were working with a Clondalkin-based gang which is responsible for multiple murders in that locality. It does seem to be an odd pairing when you consider the past history of these different criminal organisations, a source said. B ut in gangland money counts for everything and this seizure will really hurt the gangs involved , the source added. The huge bust is the biggest so far this year. The two men were arrested following a search of a property in the Straffan area of Co Kildare. They are being detained at Naas garda station. Dee Dee ODriscoll has multiple previous convictions, including for bribing a garda, violent disorder and perverting the course of justice. The 47-year-old criminal is at the centre of a lengthy garda investigation into an extortion campaign in which council workers and contractors were targeted. Bank accounts to the value of more than 250,000 controlled by ODriscoll and his close associate David Reilly were frozen by the Criminal Assets Bureau after the High Court was told in October, 2019 that the money was raised through extortion and running protection rackets. The other gang being probed about Thursdays huge bust is led by a crack cocaine dealer who was previously arrested in relation to the murder of Dean Johnson (21), an innocent victim of a Clondalkin feud, who was gunned down in 2013. Since the murder of Mr Johnson, gardai believe this criminal has risen up the crime ladder to become a senior member of the Clondalkin-based organised crime gang. The drug trafficker and his gang were involved in a bitter local feud with James Nellie Walsh and his associates, which claimed four lives before tensions in the feud eased at the start of last year with his mob coming out on top. In a statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Willis, h ead of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau , said: The operation undertaken today involving participation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and personnel in the DMR, which has resulted in the seizure of illicit drugs with an estimated street value of 7.4m, demonstrates An Garda Siochanas continued determination to tackling the supply of controlled drugs, that cause significant harm and misery in our communities. We will continue to target those who are engaged in the distribution of illicit drugs and tackle criminality engaged by organised crime gangs who benefit from such activity. Assistant Commissioner John ODriscoll, who is the head of Organised and Serious Crime, said: The significant success being achieved by members of the Garda Siochana throughout the organisation in tackling serious and organised crime in the challenging circumstances arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, is outstanding and reflects their considerable ability and dedication. It is the latest large bust carried out by detectives from the GNDOCB after 2.5m worth of cannabis was seized in north Dublin last Wednesday. Two men were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking following an intelligence operation involving members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Revenue. Gardai were alerted after a shipment passed through Dublin Port before being transported to Lusk where it was seized. In total, 129kg of suspected cannabis herb with an estimated street value of 2.58m, was seized. Two men, aged 45 and 52, were arrested as part of the investigation. So far this year the GNDOCB has seized more than 11m worth of drugs and over 2m in c ash. Villivalam said this year could be different in the Senate because lawmakers will have more time to review the legislation. The Senate did not receive the previous version until days before the end of that session, and after that, in 2020, were occupied with the effects of the pandemic and social justice issues brought to light by the death of George Floyd over the summer, he said. TMC MP Mahua Moitra Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has requested the Delhi Police to withdraw security personnel who have been posted outside her house, apparently for her "protection". In a letter, posted on her Twitter account, Moitra said being "an ordinary citizen of this country", she neither asked for nor wants such protection. The letter addressed to the Delhi Police Commissioner, SN Shrivastava, and Barakhamba Road police station SHO said three armed BSF officers with assault rifles were posted outside her house on February 13, after the SHO of Barakhamba Road met her. Also Read: BJP moves breach of privilege motion against Mahua Moitra for remarks on former CJI The Lok Sabha MP said the conduct of these police officers made her feel like she's under some sort of surveillance. "The conduct of these armed officers indicates that they are making notes of movements to and from my residence, it appears to me that I am under some sort of surveillance. I wish to remind you that Right to Privacy is a fundamental right guaranteed to me, as a citizen of this country, under the Constitution of India," her letter said. While speaking to news agency ANI, she said: "Don't waste resources on protecting just me, protect everybody. I don't need anything special, I don't take security. If you're surveilling me, ask me and I'll tell you. Indian democracy is already under threat, don't make us feel like we're living in Russian Gulag". Earlier in the day, she had posted a picture of armed personnel outside her home, tagging Home Minister Amit Shah in the tweet, asking for them to be removed immediately. 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. After India gained independence in 1947, Naidu was appointed as the governor of the United Provinces, which is today known as Uttar Pradesh One of the most prominent figures in India's freedom struggle, Sarojini Naidu, also known as the 'Nightingale of India' was a political activist and poet. It was her prowess in poetry which earned her the moniker. Sarojini was born in a Bengali family in Hyderabad on 13 February, 1879 and was eventually drawn towards Indian National Congress' movement to liberate India from the British. She went on to become a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and was subsequently appointed President of the Indian National Congress in 1925. After India gained independence in 1947, Naidu was appointed as the governor of the United Provinces, which is today known as Uttar Pradesh. With her appointment, she became India's first woman governor. Naidu had been imprisoned a number of times with Mahatma Gandhi while participating in India's freedom struggle. In 1942, while Gandhi was leading the Quit India Movement, the British government imprisoned her for almost two years. She wrote several heartwarming poems on themes such as romance, patriotism and tragedy. The birth anniversary of Naidu is celebrated as National Women's Day in India. The day recognises the power of women in the country and their significant voices in bringing about change and progress. Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu paid his tributes on her birth anniversary, saying, "My tributes to the 'Nightingale of India', Sarojini Naidu Ji on her birth anniversary today. She was an eminent freedom fighter, distinguished scholar, gifted orator and a celebrated poetess. Her contribution to the uplift and emancipation of women will be always remembered." My tributes to the Nightingale of India, #SarojiniNaidu Ji on her birth anniversary today. She was an eminent freedom fighter, distinguished scholar, gifted orator and a celebrated poetess. Her contribution to the uplift and emancipation of women will be always remembered. pic.twitter.com/1bKf9K3edr Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) February 13, 2021 Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot tweeted, "My humble tributes to prominent freedom fighter, poet, writer, thinker Sarojini Naidu ji on her birth anniversary. Her indomitable spirit, courage and her struggle for upliftment of women would always be an inspiration." My humble tributes to prominent freedom fighter, poet, writer, thinker #SarojiniNaidu ji on her birth anniversary. Her indomitable spirit, courage and her struggle for upliftment of women would always be an inspiration. Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) February 13, 2021 "Remembering Poet, Freedom fighter, Politician 'Nightingale of India' Sarojini Naidu on her 142nd Birth Anniversary," tweeted Telangana State Police. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will propose to the Verkhovna Rada to support bills to solve problematic issues in the judicial system, his press service said on Saturday. It is reported that the powers of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv (DACK) will be reduced. In the event of the adoption of the first draft law, all judicial disputes in which acts of central executive authorities, state regulators and any other subject of powers that apply to the entire territory of Ukraine are appealed, will be removed from the exclusive jurisdiction of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv and will be referred to the Supreme Court as first instance court. The court of appeal in such disputes will be the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court. "Such a settlement of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as a court of first instance will make it impossible to manipulate the decisions of the subjects of power, which previously could have been provoked through appeals to the DACK," the message says. The second bill provides for mandatory verification of virtue of current and future members of the High Council of Justice, and also regulates activities of the disciplinary inspectors service as a permanent structural unit of the High Council of Justice secretariat. The third bill introduces amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and introduces liability for failure to provide information at the request of the disciplinary inspector of the High Council of Justice. The President considers the adoption of such bills extremely necessary and insists on their prompt consideration. "The current legislation provides necessary framework for making changes. But concrete steps require confirmation from parliament," Zelensky said. The United Kingdoms Supreme Court has ruled that oil-polluted Nigerian communities can sue Royal Dutch Shell in English courts after years of oil spills in the Niger Delta polluted land, wells and groundwater. The court ruled on Friday that two Nigerian communities, of more than 50,000 people combined, can bring their legal claims for clean-up and compensation against Royal Dutch Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC). Members of Nigerias Ogale and Bille communities say their lives and health have suffered because repeated oil spills have contaminated the land, swamps, groundwater and waterways and that there has been no adequate cleaning or remediation. Daniel Leader, a partner in the British law firm Leigh Day, who led the legal team representing the Nigerian communities, said, the ruling is a watershed moment in the accountability of multinational companies, This Supreme Court judgment gives real hope to the people of Ogale and Bille who have been asking Shell to clean up their oil for years. We hope that now, finally, Shell will act, Mr Leader said, according to Leighday. In this latest case, the UK Supreme Court overturned a split decision of the Court of Appeal and held that the two cases brought by the Ogale and Bille communities against Royal Dutch Shell are arguable and can proceed in the English courts. The ruling is the second judgement against Shell this year regarding claims against its Nigeria operations. In a landmark Dutch ruling two weeks ago, an appeals court held Shell responsible for multiple oil pipeline leaks in the Niger Delta, which is at the heart of the Nigerian oil industry, and ordered it to pay unspecified damages to farmers, in a victory for environmentalists. It said in 2015, Shell agreed to pay out $83.4 million to the Bodo community in Nigeria in compensation for two oil spills, which was the largest ever out-of-court settlement relating to Nigerian oil spills. Shell started exploiting Nigerias vast oil reserves in the late 1950s and has faced heavy criticism from activists and local communities overspill and for the companys close ties to government security forces. Mr Leader said the judgement would most likely increase the ability of impoverished communities to hold powerful companies to account. Indeed, courts in Western countries have recently indicated that they were increasingly open to hearing such cases. Last month, a court in the Netherlands ruled that Shell was liable for pollution in another case involving Nigerian farmers. The Ogale and Bille peoples bringing the case in Britain say their lives have been blighted by years of damage from oil spills from pipelines operated by Shell, he said. Mr Leader added a case was now likely to be brought against Shell in Britain, though he suggested that there might be more room for legal manoeuvres by the oil company on issues of jurisdiction. Unless Shell settles, the case is likely to take another two or three years, he said. Shell said the companys subsidiary in Nigeria cleaned up the mess regardless of the cause. SPDC is the operator of oil pipelines in a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation which holds a 55 per cent stake, Shell which holds 30 per cent, Frances Total with 10 per cent and Italys Eni with 5 per cent. ADVERTISEMENT Shell routinely blames the damage on sabotage and criminal activity. According to Shell, Nigerian law requires it to pay compensation for spills caused by operational issues but not for damage resulting from sabotage. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 4:01 pm In an effort to increase engagement in local government and encourage Lewis County citizens to run for office, two local politicians have put together a five-part series of talks called Learn, Run, Serve: Your Campaign Skillup. Centralia City Councilor Kelly Smith Johnston and Port of Centralia Commissioner Julie Shaffley describe the series of virtual sessions as nonpartisan, free to the public and available via Zoom. The first sessions begin on March 15 and continue on the Monday of each week through April 12, each taking place from 7 to 9 p.m. (Shaffley) and I have developed a five-part series, Smith Johnston said. It is essentially a training to help people who are considering running for office to know more about how to do that. Its designed to be nonpartisan. On March 15, the first session of the series, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman will discuss Know Your Why: Setting the Foundation when deciding to run for public office, followed by Scott Haley with the Public Disclosure Commission discussing Know Your How: Filing Dos and Donts on March 22. On March 26, Chad and Coralee Taylor, owners of The Silver Agency and The Chronicle, will cover Know Your Who: Voter Engagement. In session four, on April 5, Carolyn Brock, chair of the Lewis County Democrats, Brandon Svenson, chair of the Lewis County Republicans and Winlock mayor, and Joe Fenbert, former White Pass School Board member, will discuss Know Your Community: Community Engagement. For the fifth and final session of the Learn, Run, Serve: Your Campaign Skillup, former state representative and current Lewis Economic Development Council Executive Director Richard DeBolt and Lewis County Superior Court Judge Andrew Toynbee will talk about Know Your You: Your Personal Brand on April 12. We hope people will consider participating. We really want to encourage involvement in local government. We think that our communities are strengthened when more people get engaged and involved and we encourage people to see this as possible, Smith Johnston said. Individuals interested in participating in Learn, Run, Serve: Your Campaign Skillup can register by emailing learnrunserve@gmail.com. The first time Jeff Bezos came to my attention was when he bought The Washington Post seven years ago. Looking back, this may have to do with a media mans incestuous obsession with the media. Or it may have been because the company he founded, Amazon, was nowhere as ubiquitous or well-known when Bezos invested in the influential newspaper, as it is today. My reaction to Bezos announcement 10 days ago that he would soon step down as CEO of Amazon was a world apart from what it was when it was announced that Bezos would buy the Washington Post from the Graham family. This storied familys place in Washington society is exemplified by their Georgetown mansion: iconic as any place in that city can be, from the goings-on in that home as part of the history of the United States. If walls could speak, that mansions walls would have one of the most fascinating narratives ever. Until Bezos rose to be the richest man of all time, there was much confusion about his origins and who he was. Because Bezos was born in New Mexico, some people mistakenly assumed he was Mexican: indeed, initial reports in some US media outlets said, with ill-concealed consternation laced with racist undertones, that the Graham family was selling their family silver to a Mexican businessman. Hardly anyone knew then that Bezos is of Danish ancestry. Bezos is a Cuban name. Born Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen, he was given the name Bezos after Jeffs mother married a Cuban immigrant, Miguel Bezos. The four-year-old boy was adopted by the stepfather and given his own Cuban family name. The Cuban connection, unknown in any great detail, added to the consternation about the impending sale of the Washington Post then. A Fidel Castro Trojan Horse sneaking into the most powerful segment of the US media? Washingtons grapevine is never wanting in excitement. Now, as Bezos prepares to exit as CEO of Amazon, his flagship company and the newspaper he owns are on two wholly different trajectories with two entirely different stories to tell. Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Google and other technology companies, are the bogeymen today, the world over. They will remain whipping boys for a variety of interests from governments to liberals and conservatives alike, for the foreseeable future. It is not surprising that Bezos announced his decision to quit not long after he was hauled over the coals at a congressional hearing on anti-trust laws and the business practices of Amazon and three other most prominent US Internet companies. Bezos knows that the hearing was only the start of more bad times to come. The House of Representatives panel where he appeared, now has a Democratic-controlled complement in the Senate, headed by Amy Klobuchar, a fierce, no-nonsense new chairperson of the chambers anti-trust committee. Last week, Klobuchar introduced in the Senate a Bill which has the potential to make the likes of Bezos lose their sleep if the legislation moves forward. It wont be anything like Senator Joseph McCarthys notorious red scare inquisitions on Capitol Hill in the 1950s, but Bezos and other technology industry leaders may think otherwise. Meanwhile, The Washington Post is thriving, both in its reputation as a pillar of the Fourth Estate and as a business. The newspaper is back in the black and it is financially sound once more. Contrary to the dark underbelly of the business model practiced by Amazon for two decades and its ruthless and predatory practices exposed during the House hearing, the story of The Washington Post under Bezos ownership presents an entirely different picture. The newspaper lived up to the motto on its masthead Democracy Dies in Darkness during four Trump White House years. Its Associate Editor Bob Woodwards most recent book, Rage, may not have converted many Trump voters, but the bestseller certainly slowed a presidential pushback against the newspaper, which consistently exposed the US Presidents shenanigans. Two months ago, the newspaper announced that it would add 150 journalists to its team this year. This is the biggest increase ever in the size of its newsroom. In the US, the print publishing industry has been dying a slow death. The Washington Post has been a rare exception. If there was ever a white knight on the US newspaper landscape in recent times, it is Bezos who rescued this essential publication which the Graham family could not profitably sustain in their style as traditional newspaper owners. When Donald Graham, son of the Washington Posts publishing legend Katharine Graham, first offered the newspaper to Bezos, he laughed off the idea citing his lack of any experience in the media. Donald Grahams understanding of the way forward for the struggling daily was that the newspaper needed not newspaper experience, but an Internet wizard. How right he was! In the last four years, digital subscriptions to the Washington Post have tripled to three million. When Bezos visited India recently, no one with any clout in the government was willing to meet him. The ostensible, unstated reason was that the Washington Post was writing against the present dispensation in New Delhi. The point was missed by those who ostracised Bezos that his newspaper is not an Amazon group company. Bezos invested his personal money of $250 million to buy the Washington Post. The richest man in history visited India to look for business for Amazon. Instead of welcoming him with open arms, whoever gave the boycott order probably did not know that Bezos has nothing to do with the Washington Post other than having rescued the newspaper from eventual death with his personal fortune. Montana Governor Lifts Mask Mandate, Issues New Guidance Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday lifted the states mask mandate, fulfilling a campaign promise he made last month. The move, announced on Wednesday, comes in the form of a new directive that rescinds and replaces all previous directives implementing Executive Order 2-2021 (pdf), which the Republican governor issued on Jan. 13. The new directive (pdf) allows Montanas statewide mask mandate to expire, but still allows local governments to have their own mask mandates to reduce the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. Gianforte said in a statement that his criteria were met for ending the mask mandate, which had been in place since July 2020 as issued by former Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat. Gianforte is encouraging people to continue to wear a mask despite the mandate having expired. Since January 5th, I have provided a clear, consistent path to rescinding the mask mandate, Gianforte said in a statement. First, we need to start getting the vaccine to our most vulnerable. Second, we need to protect businesses, nonprofits, places of worship, and health care providers from lawsuits if they make a good faith effort to protect individuals from the spread of coronavirus and follow clear public health guidelines. We have met both criteria, and the statewide mandate expires today. On Wednesday, Gianforte signed Senate Bill 65 (pdf) to enact a COVID-19 liability shield law, providing protection for various businesses and groups from lawsuits if they follow local health guidelines. Local mask mandates remain in Missoula, Gallatin, Butte-Silver Bow, and Lewis and Clark counties. Whitefish also has a citywide mask mandate. The Montana Nurses Association on Thursday was critical of the measure. In a statement to news outlets, the groups executive director Vicky Byrd said, In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to infect an average of 273 Montanans every day and with new variants of the coronavirus being reported almost every week, our governor decides to back away from one of the actions most effective at stopping the spread of the virus: wearing a face mask. The governors lifting of the mask mandate directly contradicts the latest guidelines from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Byrd added, noting that the federal agency had just recommended that two masks be worn to slow spread of the CCP virus variants that may be more contagious than the original virus. Montana is in Phase 1B of its vaccine distribution plan (pdf), the governors office announced. Gianforte updated the vaccination distribution plan on Jan. 5 to protect the most vulnerable Montanans, including people 70 years of age and older, Montanans 16 years of age and older who have severe underlying medical conditions, and Native Americans and other persons of color who are at a heightened risk of severe COVID-19-related complications. On the FactCheck page, The Associated Press tracks down some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals that were shared widely on social media. The AP takes those untrue stories, checks them out and sets the records straight in this weekly series of news articles. WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local): 3:50 p.m. Enough senators have cast not guilty votes to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The vote will give the former president an historic second acquittal in an impeachment trial. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. The Democrats argued in the short trial that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. Five people died when they then laid siege to the Capitol. Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that he was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump. ___ 3:40 p.m. The White House was not involved in the discussion on Capitol Hill about calling witnesses for former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. That's according to a senior administration official not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and speaking on condition of anonymity. The official says White House officials were watching the drama over witnesses play out in the Senate, but were not involved in brokering the agreement that ultimately allowed the trial to proceed to closing arguments and a vote Saturday. President Joe Biden spent the weekend with family at Camp David, the traditional presidential retreat in Maryland, and had plans to meet with his national security advisers on Saturday. ___ HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: The Senate met in a rare weekend session to wrap up Donald Trumps second impeachment trial. An unexpected morning vote in favor of hearing witnesses threw the trial into confusion, but both sides ultimately reached a deal that allowed the trial to proceed with no witness testimony. The trial ended with closing arguments, followed by a vote on whether the former president incited the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol. Read more: Republican leader McConnell tells colleagues he will vote to acquit. Which GOP senators are seen as possible votes against Trump? Rep. Herrera Beutler urges patriots to talk about Trump call ___ HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON: 3:15 p.m. A lawyer for Donald Trump says everyone acknowledges the horror of the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last month but that the former president wasnt responsible for it. Michael van der Veen gave his closing arguments on the Senate floor on Saturday in the impeachment trial of Trump. He says there is no evidence that Trump incited an armed insurrection to overthrow the U.S. government and to think that Trump would have wanted that is absurd. He says the event on Jan. 6 was supposed to be peaceful but that a small group hijacked it for their own purposes. He also repeated the arguments from Friday that other politicians have engaged in incendiary rhetoric, though impeachment managers noted that none of those speeches precipitated an attack on the U.S. government. ___ 3:10 p.m. As a vote in Donald Trumps impeachment trial nears a close, lead Democratic impeachment manager Jamie Raskin told the Senate that this is almost certainly how you will be remembered by history. Raskin said that none of us can escape the demands of history and destiny right now as the House managers argue that Trump incited the violent Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the Senate decides whether to convict him. He said the trial is not about Trump, but about who we are. Trumps lawyers, and many Senate Republicans, have argued that the trial is unconstitutional. They also say Trump did not intentionally incite the riot when he told a mob of his supporters to fight like hell to overturn his election defeat and march to the Capitol as Congress was counting the electoral votes. The House managers laid out video evidence of the violent assault, in which five people died. Raskin said they proved that Trump betrayed his country and betrayed his oath of office. ___ 3 p.m. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has told senators in an email obtained by The Associated Press that his decision to vote to acquit former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial was a close call. McConnell says he believes presidents can be prosecuted for criminal misconduct after they leave office. He says that eases the otherwise troubling argument House prosecutors have made that not convicting Trump would create a January exception for trying impeached presidents whove already left office. McConnell says he thinks impeachment is chiefly to remove an official and we therefore lack jurisdiction. ___ 1 p.m. Senators have resumed Donald Trumps impeachment trial without calling witnesses after agreeing to accept new information from a Republican congresswoman about his actions on the day of the deadly Capitol siege. After a delay of several hours, the trial is back on track with closing arguments and Saturdays session heading toward a vote on the verdict. Under the deal, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutlers statement on a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol was entered into the trial record as evidence. No further witnesses were called. Senators brought the proceedings to a standstill when a majority voted Saturday morning to consider potential witnesses. The information from Herrera Beutler sparked fresh interest on Trumps actions that day. ___ 12:45 p.m. Senate leaders are working on an agreement that could end a standoff over calling witnesses in Donald Trumps impeachment trial and allow it to proceed with closing arguments and a vote on whether he incited the deadly Capitol siege. Under the agreement being discussed, the information that a Republican congresswoman has made public about Trumps actions on the day of the riot would be entered into the record of the trial in exchange for Democrats dropping plans to deposition testimony from the congresswoman, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington No witnesses would be called to testify. That would allow the trial to resume Saturday with closing arguments and a vote on the verdict. A Democrat granted anonymity to discuss the private talks confirmed the pending agreement. The Senate came to a standstill shortly after convening for the rare Saturday session when a majority voted to consider calling witnesses. Herrera Beutlers account of Trumps call with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters were breaking into the Capitol on Jan. 6 sparked fresh interest in Trumps actions that day. Lisa Mascaro. ___ 12:30 p.m. Republican senators are warning that any vote to allow witnesses at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump will significantly prolong the case, and that they have their own lists of people they would want to hear from. Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters that if there are witnesses called by Democrats, the process wont be one-sided and the former president will be able to have his own witnesses, too. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was among five Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to consider witnesses, said that although hed like to see the case go to trial, hell insist on multiple witnesses if Democrats get to have theirs. He says he would want to hear from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. A Trump adviser was seen holding a sheet of paper showing that Trumps lawyers are prepared to call more than 300 witnesses. The vote Saturday to consider witnesses upended the trial, which had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump. ___ 11:15 a.m. Former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial came to an abrupt standstill after a majority of senators voted to consider calling witnesses about the deadly storming of the Capitol. Even senators seemed confused by the sudden turn of events Saturday. The quick trial had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump. Under Senate rules for the trial, it appears debate and votes on potential witnesses could be allowed, potentially delaying the final vote. House prosecutors want to hear from a Republican congresswoman who has said she was aware of a conversation Trump had with the House GOP leader as rioters were ransacking the Capitol over the election results. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler of Washington has widely discussed her reported conversation with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who had called on Trump to stop the attack by his supporters. Five Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting 55-45 on a motion to consider witnesses and testimony. Trumps defense attorneys blasted the late action. Attorney Michael van der Veen said its time to close this case out. Senators are in a brief recess as leaders confer on next steps. ___ 10:50 a.m. The proceedings in former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial have come to an abrupt halt, with senators seemingly confused about the next steps. Senators were huddling on the floor of the chamber as leaders spoke to the clerks at the dais. Impeachment trials are rare, especially for a president, and the rules are negotiated for each one at the outset. For Trumps trial, the agreement said if senators agree to hear witnesses, votes to hear additional testimony would be allowed. Its unclear if there will be support in the evenly split Senate for calling witnesses. ___ 10:35 a.m. Senators have voted to consider witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Closing arguments were expected Saturday with no witnesses called. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Raskin said it was necessary to determine Trumps role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot. There were 55 senators who voted to debate the motion to subpoena, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who changed his vote in the middle of the count. Trumps attorney Michael van der Veen balked at the request, saying hed then call 100 witnesses and said it was not necessary. ___ 10:30 a.m. Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen is telling senators that if Democrats wish to call a witness, he will ask for at least 100 witnesses and will insist they give depositions in person in his office in Philadelphia. His animated statement was met with laughter from the chamber, which visibly angered van der Veen. Theres nothing laughable here, he said. The trial is being held in person, but lawmakers are wearing masks and the coronavirus pandemic has halted most normal activity, including close contact in offices for depositions. In many civil and criminal cases, such work is handled via conference call. Closing arguments are expected Saturday in the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland has asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. ___ 10:20 a.m. House impeachment prosecutors say they will be preparing a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information in Donald Trumps trial over the deadly attack at the Capitol. Lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Saturday he would seek to hear from the Republican congresswoman, who has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Its unclear if she or any other witnesses will be called. Raskin said he would pursue a virtual interview with the Washington lawmaker. Senators are meeting in a rare Saturday session in what is expected to be the final day in Trumps historic trial. ___ WESTPORT The tantalizing emotions and ever-engaging attraction of lamoreas well as its wondrous way of spanning magic across generationsconstitutes the veritable heart of a new project created by one Westport woman. Whats New in the Romance Department? is a multi-media blog that seeks to celebrate and record the many sides of this age-old subject, with writers of all backgrounds, ages, experiences and histories invited to share their unique stories. Im getting a fantastic response, said Susan Wexler, a longtime resident who came up with the idea just a month ago. Its a happy subject and it makes people feel good, she said, emphasizing that true stories can be much more identifiable, whatever the age or circumstance. I think its the real stories that affirm for us that love is real and gives us hope and confidence that it could happen, that if its not in someones life now it could still happen. No matter the outcome for each couple, the blog still strives to be positive. Not every story has the happiest ending, she said. Its not all about arriving at the altar, but our goal still is to be heart-warming and inspirational. Wexler, a Queens, N.Y. native who has lived in town for more than 40 years, spontaneously came up with the idea in remembering something her mother often said. My mother lived to the age of 103 and she was always a romantic, but particularly so in her later years, she said. Each time Wexler or other relatives would pay her a visit, she would ask the question: Whats new in the romance department? Id give her the latest news and I just watched her transform, Wexler remembered. Her spirits just soared on angels wings. I was completely sold on the transformative powers of romantic story telling. A longtime attendee at The Writers Workshop at the Westport Center for Senior Activities, Wexler approached her good friend and fellow attendee of the group, Jacqueline Alvarez, about becoming her co-editor. Many of her stories in class were romantic stories, noted Alvarez, a 21-year Westport resident who grew up on Long Island. Writing is very, very therapeutic (and) I think everybody has some sort of a romantic story, she said, even if they havent shared it. She said writing and reading romance-based nonfiction can reawaken something in people. It has for me, Alvarez said. Wexler noted that everyone is experiencing particularly tough times right now, which she said calls for an opportunity to draw connections and share some real-life emotional experiences. This is not a blog for older people reminiscing about their stories, she said. Of course we include that, but this is for all generations. She said they want members of the LGBTQ community to contribute too. I think its incredibly thrilling and exciting, said Jan Bassin, who teaches the workshop that helped inspire the blog. I think theyre going to make something really special happen, she said, Their goals are to uplift people, provide hope and inspire voices of all generations. She said romance provides a spark and praised both women for what she described as their own good, kind hearts. I think romance is about hope, Bassin said, We all love a good love story, and thats been from the beginning of time. Wexler said shes proud of of the multimedia aspects of the blog, which incorporates video, art, music and general information as it relates to posts and their content. Wexlers son, David, is serving in the capacity of webmaster and copywriter. Poppy Livingstone, a Staples High School senior and editor-in-chief of Inklings, has taken on the role of art director and video producer. Id love to expand it and take it nationally, but one step at a time, Wexler said. By sharing their stories, she said, people contribute to what can be a transformative experience and reminiscing about their own love story keeps it alive. I think love is so integral to our needs and what were all searching and hoping for, and embrace if were lucky enough to have it in our lives, Wexler said. Visit Whats New in the Romance Department at www.whatsnewinromance.com. A multi-national software development firm has brought High Court proceedings against several Irish-based outgoing employees, who it claims have unlawfully diverted its business to a rival firm they allegedly set up. The action has been brought by Scotland- headquartered Integrated Environmental Solutions Ltd (IES) and related IES R&D Ltd which develop specialised software used to help design buildings that are more environmentally friendly. The action is against John Gleeson, Stephen Earle, Darren Jordan, Sean O'Riordan and Building Performance Consulting Engineers (BPCE). The court heard that all four were senior employees at IES's Irish branch, who on dates between December and January last resigned from that company. IES claims during the course of their employment with, and in breach of their contracts of employment, they diverted business from it to the benefit of BPCE. The High Court heard that IES also apprehends that the defendants have taken its property, including creating models of IES's "Virtual Environment" software, which it is alleged they will use for the BPCE's benefit. That software is used in the design and construction of energy efficient and sustainable buildings. IES, which has offices in Scotland, India, Singapore, USA and Australia as well as Ireland sells licences to use its software and also provides consultancy services to clients. IES claims that its Virtual Environmental Software is widely recognised by experts as being the best building simulation tool in the world. It is claimed the BPCE, with a registered address in Ashbourne Co Meath, was set up by Mr Gleeson, of Clontarf Park, Dublin 3 when he was still an employee of IES. It is claimed that Mr Jordan of Rosealier House, Kilnagoran Kildare, Mr Earle of Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford, and Mr O'Riordan of Hanover Quay Dublin 2 were all recruited to join IES. IES claims that its business has been damaged by the defendant's actions. Represented by Marcus Dowling SC IES seeks various orders against the defendants including an injunction restraining them from using IES' virtual environmental software. IES also seeks an injunction requiring the defendants pay IES any revenues generated and received in respect of any business they solicited for the benefit of BES while they were employed by IES. Those orders, if granted by the court, would remain in place pending the outcome of IES's damages claim against the defendants. At the High Court on Friday, Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds granted IES permission, on an ex-parte basis, to serve short notice of its proceedings on the defendants. The matter returns before the court next week. Cambodian labor rights officials on Friday called on their government to address challenges undocumented migrant workers in Thailand face obtaining legal employment on the eve of a registration deadline that could see tens of thousands deported or imprisoned after months being idled by coronavirus restrictions. Thailands Ministry of Labor reported last week that nearly 120,000 Cambodian workers have registered to work for up to two years in the country since announcing the requirement on Jan. 15 and warned it would take action against any foreigners who fail to do so by Feb. 14. The ministry said the move is part of efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within Thailands borders. Dy Thehoya, a migration program official with Cambodian labor watchdog Central, told Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews, that more than 400,000 Cambodians are believed to be working illegally in Thailand and said around three-fourths of them could be thrown out of the country or detained after the registration deadline passes. Thailand is calling on workers to register for a pink card, but it is complicated and costs a lot of money for them, he said, referring to the documentation needed to work legally in the country. This is a major problem for our Cambodian workers now. In addition to the complexity and cost of applying for pink cards, Dy Thehoya said migrant workers are also susceptible to scams as they try to circumvent the normal registration process. He called on Cambodias government to request that Bangkok extend the requirement to register and urged authorities in both countries to take action against brokers who exploit Cambodian workers by charging them higher prices to obtain pink cards. Without taking such measures, he said, tens of thousands of migrant workers will be forced to return home, while others will continue to live in Thailand without any legal status. Challenges for the undocumented Thailands strict immigration measures have already left many illegal Cambodian migrant workers unable to earn enough to feed or house their families. Nuon Bon, a construction worker in Thailands Chonburi province, said he and his family had been living in the country for nearly 15 years, but had been unable to work for the last two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, forcing them to seek shelter at a local pagoda. Nuon Bon said he can occasionally drum up a small amount of work, but not enough to pay for a pink card, which costs around 10,000 baht (U.S. $300). He said that because he doesnt understand the law, he asked local nongovernmental organizations for assistance in registering, but worries that he will be unable to afford any related fees. We have not registered yet because we have no money, he said. I am waiting to see if I can give some cash to my old boss so that he can get a card for me. If we dont have one, the authorities will arrest us and send us back to Cambodia. A Bangkok-based sanitation worker named Hem Mom said her employer had docked the wages that she and her daughter receive in exchange for obtaining pink cards for them. She said they were happy to do so to avoid falling prey to scammers that would have charged them much more money. They cut 500 baht ($17) from our salaries over the course of one and a half months, she said. We are Khmer, and they have helped make us happy. RFA was not immediately able to contact Cambodian embassy officials in Bangkok or Cambodian Ministry of Labor spokesman Heng Sour for comment on the workers concerns. But Cambodian diplomatic officials in Bangkok have said the embassy is unable to help the migrant workers and suggested they register for legal employment. There are about 1.8 million Cambodians working in Thailand, of which more than 400,000 labor illegally mostly for plantations, landscaping companies and private homes. Pandemic problems Even those who are registered to work in Thailand say it has been difficult earning a living during the pandemic, as the economy struggles, and jobs have dried up. Ngai Ngoc, 21, said that since the first coronavirus infection was discovered in Thailand in January, he has been unable to find a full-time job and only earns around U.S. $10 a day. Another worker named Phoan Sopha said she no longer has overtime hours and has dealt with salary delays. Worker Sreang Kim Srong said that even though the job market has shrunk in Thailand, it is still better than Cambodia, where there is no work to be found. He said he sends home the money he earns in Thailand so that his parents can pay off their debts to the bank. With effect from 01 July 2021 Tata Motors announced that Marc Llistosella has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the company effective 1 July 2021. Guenter Butschek has informed his desire to relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons. He has kindly accepted the request of the Board of Tata Motors to continue as the MD & CEO till 30 June 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share your feedback to help improve our site! Snow. Its been the magic word in Portland this week. But meteorologists said that much of the region will see something else falling from the sky this weekend: freezing rain. The National Weather Service said the area will see a dividing line going into the weekend. On the north and east side of that line, more snowfall is likely. But to the south and west, sleet and freezing rain are expected. Where exactly will that line fall? Its not immediately clear. Its pretty much dead square over PDX, National Weather Service meteorologist Colby Neuman told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday afternoon. Its a little bit beyond our predictive ability to nail down the neighborhood, or even the five-mile-stretch of where this line is going to set up. Additional snow will add to varied accumulations throughout the metro area. Portland and some of its suburbs saw a few inches of snow by Friday morning, Neumann said. Areas like Gresham and Troutdale had seen up to six inches. And parts of Washington and Clackamas counties had seen more freezing rain and sleet than snow. Neuman said while the Portland metro area sees snow events comparable to this one every few years, expected freezing rain totals for parts of the Willamette Valley may be the highest in recent memory. He said over the coming day, the stretch between Albany and the southern Portland metro area could see one of the biggest freezing rain events in the past 50 or 60 years. Areas like Salem and Aumsville, he said, have already gotten half an inch or more of freezing rain, and are slated to have another six to 12 hours worth of it. Nevertheless, Neuman said theres relief within sight. Temperatures are expected to warm up Sunday throughout most of the Portland area though Neuman said below-freezing temperatures may persist east of Portland and near the Columbia River until Sunday night. But as the temperatures dropped Friday night, public safety officials and meteorologists had a unified message for Portland-area residents: stay off the roads. And the Oregon Department of Transportation said it will close Interstate 84 in the Columbia River Gorge by 9 p.m. Friday in anticipation of dangerous conditions. The freeway will be closed between milepost 17, near Troutdale, and milepost 62, near Hood River. The transportation agency did not announce a specific time the interstate would reopen. Freezing rain is falling in areas across the metro area. Now is a good time to get home if youre out. pic.twitter.com/348TcEdagT Multnomah Co. Sheriffs Office (@MultCoSO) February 13, 2021 Friday brought several closures, with the eastbound lane of Interstate 84 shutting down in the gorge for at least an hour because of a crash and television news stations reporting slush, ice and poor conditions on U.S. 26 and Oregon 217. CONVOY... @OregonDOT throwing all the tools on the roads as freezing rain is making the roads a MESS here along Hwy 26 and down 217 to I-5. DEEP SLUSH on top of icy roads making travel difficult #LiveOnK2 #pdxtst #pdxtraffic pic.twitter.com/p0boe9PdbW Mike Warner (@MikeKATU) February 12, 2021 TriMet canceled 10 routes and modified at least another 20 because of the weather. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people were without power Friday. Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, for example, reported over 52,000 customers had no power as of 8:30 p.m. Restaurant reopening dampened by weather Friday was also the first day since November that Gov. Kate Brown allowed some metro-area businesses including restaurants, bars and movie theaters to reopen at a limited capacity indoors, a move triggered by falling COVID-19 case counts. Though many Portland-area restaurants were in no rush to invite customers back inside, some brewpubs and bars gave it a go, only to be faced with one of the citys largest snow events in years. Baerlic Brewings new Southeast Portland Piehall a collaboration with Ranch Pizza that opened in the former Blitz Ladd space five days before the shutdown last fall relaunched indoor dining with tables spaced eight feet apart, a souped-up ventilation system, a rollup door kept open to the elements and carbon dioxide checks to ensure frequent air circulation. We are currently open, its going pretty well, but as expected its been pretty mellow, Baerlic co-owner Ben Parsons said. We asked staff and management if we should close thats something we like to leave up to staff but everyone was on board, and some lived close enough to walk. -Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Michael Russell of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. When Georgia representative and sometime QAnon enthusiast Marjorie Taylor Greene met with fellow House Republicans on Feb. 3, she may have apologized. Or she may not have. During the closed-door meeting in which Greenes conspiracy theory beliefs came up, we dont know exactly what went down because, well, it was behind closed doors. Speaking after the event, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy described Greenes remarks as an apology, saying that Greene had denounced her previous statements and social media postings which included the idea that mass school shootings are false flag operations and that California forest fires were started by Jewish space lasers and that she said she was wrong. U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, one of 10 Republicans who voted in support of the 2021 impeachment of Donald Trump, had a different take: She was somewhat contrite, but personally I never heard an apology. He added: I didnt hear an Im going to say this publicly. As a scholar who has written about the art of the public political apology, I found the whole episode fits into a larger pattern of nonapology apologies in the modern political landscape. Sorry seems to be the hardest word An apology, according to the Canadian sociologist Erving Goffman, is a splitting of the self into a blameworthy part and a part that stands back and sympathizes with the blame giving. Goffman goes on to say that after an offense has occurred, the job of the person apologizing is to show an understanding of the norm violated and the harm done. What this means in practice is that offenders must identify what they did wrong and then demonstrate that they take responsibility for that wrong, that they accept the blame. To be a true apology this has to be accompanied with some sincerity and with a sense of how the offender will act differently in the future. If a public apology includes these four elements naming the harm, taking responsibility, sincerely accepting blame and committing to act differently then it can help repair a relationship or even save a reputation. Even if we are to take McCarthys word that an apology occurred in Greenes case, we are none the wiser as to which parts of her embrace of QAnon and other conspiracies she had said sorry for. The day after the Republican conference meeting, Greene took to the floor of the House of Representatives and characterized her past posts in this way: These were words of the past and these things do not represent me, they do not represent my district and they do not represent my values. She went on say that she had stumbled across QAnon and was allowed to believe things that werent true, and I would ask questions about them and talk about them. And that is absolutely what I regret. So, is this to be taken as an apology? Whether Marjorie Taylor Greene has met the criteria established by Goffman is, at best, open to interpretation. But she isnt alone good public apologies seem rare today. Mistakes were made Part of the difficulty has to do with the loss of standards held in common by a community. For a scholar like Goffman, it was taken for granted that an apology reflected common norms of behavior. Gone are the days when Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy could agree, as they did in their second debate in 1960, that the United States should apologize when it is wrong, as when a long-planned Paris summit in 1960 collapsed after it was revealed the U.S. had covered up spy-plane flights over the Soviet Union. They naturally disagreed about whether the U.S. was in the wrong, but they agreed that apology was sometimes necessary. Nixon went on to become an expert in the art of the nonapology, as seen in his response to the Watergate scandal. His mistakes were made approach, which uses a passive voice to avoid laying the blame directly on oneself, was later adopted by others, including Ronald Reagan over the Iran-Contra affair. Todays culture is too fractured for most public figures to risk a full-fledged apology. In the U.S., gerrymandered districts, continual fundraising appeals to a base, hyperpartisan media and a polarized electorate have conspired to deliver an environment in which apologizing is fraught with concerns. If one apologizes, it signals a backtracking to the base one is courting. If one refuses to apologize, that rallies supporters and donors. In such circumstances, it is hard to admit you are wrong much less that you have behaved badly. In such an environment, it is perhaps understandable why Greenes apology was behind closed doors and not delivered in public. The death of the public apology has been long in the making. It fits an approach best exemplified by Nathan Brittles, a character played by actor John Wayne in the John Ford Western She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. The 1949 film popularized the expression Never apologize its a sign of weakness, which has become the slogan of a type of public toughness over the past half-century. Ironically, that slogan is misunderstood; Nathan Brittles takes responsibility for the failure of his mission in the movie. The line should be Never make excuses its a sign of weakness. This (mis)understanding of the apology as a sign of weakness has certainly been the mantra of Donald Trump for many years. The former presidents style was to attack and insult, playing effectively to a base, and never say sorry. Four-star apology In the absence of public apologies from elected political leaders, perhaps it is better to look to the military, like the fictional Capt. Brittles, for outward signs of contrition. While Trump avoided taking responsibility over failings in the response to the coronavirus pandemic, the four-star general heading the governments Operation Warp Speed vaccine program, Gustave Perna, was more accountable. Speaking in late December, Perna took responsibility for how errors in the projections of COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed resulted in states getting fewer doses than they had been promised. I want to take personal responsibility for the miscommunication. I know thats not done much these days. But I am responsible. And I take responsibility for the miscommunication, he said, adding, I failed. I am adjusting. I am fixing. And we will move forward from there. That apology names the harm, takes responsibility, accepts blames and commits to doing better. And it was delivered in public, in stark contrast to Greenes expressions of regret. [Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.] Edwin Battistella, Professor of Linguistics, Southern Oregon University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) A 911 call from a group of 80 migrants stuck in a tanker truck and running low on air has sparked a race against time for Texas authorities hoping to save them. "We can't see anything. We're inside a tank truck. God, we have no oxygen," a man speaking Spanish told a 911 operator on Monday. Another man in the background of the call can be heard pleading "Help! Blessed God!" and others can be heard screaming for help in Spanish. The voices warned that they were running out of air. Texas authorities and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement are now searching for the vehicle in and around the San Antonio area and have called for the public's help locating the tanker. An ICE official confirmed to NBC News that the agency was investigating the incident as a "possible human smuggling event." Despite ICE's involvement in the search, the Bexar County Sheriff, Javier Salazar, promised the public he was not interested in arresting the migrants, just in saving them. "I'm only interested in knowing if these people are okay. I'm not interested in arresting the people who were inside the truck," he told Telemundo. Mr Salazar views the migrants as victims first. That is the kind of thing as a first responder you lose sleep over, Mr Salazar told the Associated Press. You are just wondering are there people that were dumped in our county and just waiting to be found? The San Antonio police are also involved in the search, but have not commented on the investigation. They are forwarding their information to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Though authorities still have not located the truck, Mr Salazar does have a possible lead. NBC News and Telemundo were the first to report the story. The sheriff located surveillance footage that captured a tractor-trailer matching the caller's description. The vehicle was riding along with a black pickup truck. In the video, both trucks stop near the side of the road around midnight, and an individual can be seen walking between the vehicles. Story continues Mr Salazar is confident that the incident is a human trafficking event. He said traffickers "herd these people like cattle." "The only difference is in this instance, we were able to get a glimpse because this gentleman was able to place a call," Mr Salazar said. Read More Fort Worth: Nurse crawled out of deadly 1.5-mile Texas pile-up and went to work Lawsuit: Donor involved in Texas AG's home renovations Fort Worth: Aerial video shows carnage of 100 car pile up in Texas Former staffer kills himself outside Texas congresswomans home Bring them back: Immigrant groups urge Biden to reunite separated families and address trauma at border Fire damages immigrant gathering spots in southwest Missouri Burma Family of Protester Shot by Myanmar Police Agree to Remove Life Support Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine was pronounced brain dead on Tuesday. / Facebook The family of 20-year-old Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine, who has been on life support since being shot by police at an anti-coup protest in Naypyitaw on Tuesday, have agreed to remove her ventilator. A doctor at the Naypyitaw hospital where the victim has been receiving treatment confirmed to The Irrawaddy that the family made the decision on Saturday morning. Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine (or Ma Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing) has been brain dead since Tuesday, when she was shot by police. At the time she was shot she was standing under a bus shelter, taking cover from water cannons, and she had made no attempt to get past the police barricades at the scene. She collapsed abruptly after being struck in the head by a bullet. If she is taken off life support, Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine, who was a first-time voter in the 2020 general election, will become the first fatality of the police crackdown on the protest movement against the military regime. Talking to the media on Wednesday, her heartbroken sister said words could not express the familys sadness over what had happened to the youngest member of the family. She said the military dictatorship needed to end. I will continue to fight against the military dictatorship. To compensate for the suffering of my younger sister, I would like to urge all the people in the nation to continue to fight against the military dictatorship until it is rooted out. You may also like these stories: Doctors in Civil Disobedience Movement Put Pressure on Myanmar Military Regime Myanmar Student Unions Call on China Not to Recognize Military Regime Myanmars Military Arrests Doctors for Joining and Supporting Civil Disobedience Movement For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Rio de Janeiro: Brazils federal police have seized three pre-Columbian archaeological pieces that had been auctioned at a Rio de Janeiro art gallery, they said, and planned to return them to Ecuador and Colombia. The ceramic pieces, believed to have been looted from archaeological sites or museum collections in those countries, were sold last year and have only now been recovered after an investigation into the buyers and sellers, a police statement said. Preliminary identification of the pieces as Pre-Columbian - that is, preceding Christopher Columbuss voyage to the Americas in 1492 - was done by Brazils historic and artistic heritage institute IPHAN, although how they arrived in the country is still unknown. Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, seized a number of pre-Columbian items, some from the Jama Coaque culture known for its elaborate ceramic figurines and vessels depicting human beings and animals. Credit:Brazilian Federal Police Two of the pieces are from the Jama Coaque culture that flourished for about 2000 years until the Spanish conquest in what is today the coastal province of Manabi in north-eastern Ecuador, a statement from the Ecuadorean embassy said. Teton County Reporter Previously the Scene editor, Billy Arnold made the switch to the county beat where he's interested in exploring Teton County as a model for the rest of the West. When he can, he still writes about art, music and whatever else suits his fancy. Update: A GoFundMe page has been launched for the family ------------- Two people died in a 5-alarm fire in Worcester Friday night and another person was seriously injured after they jumped from a three-decker home to escape the flames. Worcester Deputy Fire Chief Martin Dyer said firefighters were called to Jaques Avenue around 7:30 p.m. for a report of a fire. Firefighters arrived to find flames coming from two three-decker homes at 13 and 11 Jaques Ave. @WorcesterBox4 on scene 5th alarm in Worcester, 11 Jacques Ave. with our brothers and sisters from @WorcesterFD pic.twitter.com/eEdFDOzgdS Box4SpecialServices (@WorcesterBox4) February 13, 2021 Very shortly after arrival, we had someone jump from the rear porches of 13 Jaques, Dyer said. That person was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center and has very serious injuries, the deputy fire chief said. Firefighters battled the blaze from the outside while other firefighters tried to search inside the buildings. Conditions deteriorated very quickly and the firefighters had to be pulled out, Dyer said. Water was doused on the flames for another hour before firefighters could reenter 13 Jaques Ave. The two victims who died were found on the first floor. The heaviest fire was at 13 Jaques Ave. Authorities did not have any more information about the victims Friday night. The cause and origin of the fire remains under investigation by Worcester police and fire along with Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to the state Fire Marshals Office. Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. released a statement Friday night regarding the Jaques Avenue fire Friday evening and a three-alarm fire earlier in the day on William Street. The statement reads: This has been an extremely trying day for our community, with a 3-alarm fire earlier on William Street, and a 5-alarm fire on Jaques Ave. that has claimed the lives of at least two people, with another individual suffering life-threatening injuries. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of each victim. Both fires have displaced numerous people and left them in need of immediate support. We are thankful for the responses of emergency agencies such as MEMA and the American Red Cross to help them. We extend our deepest gratitude for the brave and selfless efforts of firefighters and emergency personnel who worked the scene at each blaze. They have battled frigid temperatures and weather conditions that have created challenging situations for everyone involved. In this time of tragedy, the survivors and victims are in our thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. WIA considering ACMA consultation response WIA Director and Secretary Peter Clee VK8ZZ reports on the ACMA amateur radio licence consulation WIA News says: Last week President Greg and Vice President Lee spoke about the upcoming consultation by our regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) https://tinyurl.com/1wa5pu7e Greg mentioned that this consultation is "Something that should be of both interest and concern of all Radio Amateurs in Australia". Greg also said the this very important consultation has the potential for major changes to the Amateur Radio Service and its licensing regime. We as amateurs must carefully consider and weigh up the options that have been proposed by the ACMA. The board of the Wireless Institute of Australia met last Tuesday to discuss the proposed consultation and the WIA response. At this stage, the board will require more information in order to form an opinion on the proposed changes. The board has decided to meet with experts within our Amateur Community and for them to write a discussion paper which will be put out to members for comment, probably in the form of a poll like that recently conducted by the WIA. That panel will meet next week to commence the process. I will report again once the panel has met and a timetable has been determined. This has been WIA Director and Secretary Peter VL8ZZ for the VK1WIA national news service. Source WIA News https://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/display.php?file_id=wianews -2021-02-14 Donald Trumps lawyers repeatedly refused to say when the former president knew about violence that erupted during the 6 January attack on the US Capitol during questioning on Friday in the Senate. As his attorneys wrapped up their defence of the ex-president against an article of impeachment that now looks as though it could be decided as early as Saturday, they were asked more than once when he learned of the nature of the violence, and the physical threat to his vice president and members of both houses of Congress. In questions asked of Mr Trumps lawyers after they had completed their presentation, Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski asked exactly when did president Trump learn of the breach of the Capitol, and what specific actions did he take to bring the rioting to an end? Rather than providing an answer, lawyer Michael van der Veen sought to blame the Democratic prosecutors for failing to provide any evidence one way or the other onto that question. Were able to piece together a timeline and it goes all the way back to December 31st, January 2nd, there is a lot of interaction between the authorities and getting folks beforehand, he said. We have a tweet at 2.38pm so it was certainly some time before then, with the rush to bring this impeachment theres been no investigation into that. Thats the problem with this entire proceeding. He said Democrats had instead relied on hearsay, on top of hearsay, on top of reports that are of hearsay. He added: Due process is required here and that was denied. Bruce Castor claims 'there was no insurrection' on January 6 READ OUR IMPEACHMENT LIVE BLOG The questions from Ms Collins and Ms Murkowski, who were among the six Republicans who on Tuesday voted for the trial in the Senate to proceed, came as the two sides sought to draw a line under their cases to the senators from Democrats that Mr Trump should be convicted by the upper chamber, and from his lawyers that they should acquit. They came as the mood of the hearing became increasingly acerbic and heated, and the seven Democratic members of the House who are acting as prosecutors traded verbal jabs with the lawyers. The issue of what Mr Trump knew and when has become important, after it emerged that while Mr Pence and members of the Senate and House were forced to evacuate the chamber on 6 January as rioters penetrated the building, Mr Trump was tweeting that his vice president didnt have the courage to do what should have been done, and refuse to oversee the Joint Session of Congress that was affirming the electoral college votes of Joe Biden. Congressman Jamie Raskin, the lead prosecutor, said he was startled why Mr Trumps lawyers were seeking to blame the Democrats for not having information about the former presidents actions that day. He said Mr Trump had been invited to attend and testify but had declined to do so. He added: So rather than yelling and screaming about how we didnt have time to get all of the facts about your client, bring your client up here, and have him testify under oath about why he was sending out tweets denouncing the vice president of the United States, while the vice president was being hunted down by a mob that wanted to hang him, and was chanting in this building Hang Mike Pence. Earlier on Friday, Mr Trumps lawyers sought to insist the former president was no different to any other impassioned politician, and played a compilation of video clips of a number of Democrats using the word fight during speeches and rallies. Hatred and anger has led House managers to ignore their own words and actions and set a dangerous double standard, said lawyer David Schoen. But their efforts were rapidly condemned by commentators who pointed out the lawyers were not equating like with like. One of the videos played by Mr Schoen showed Democratic senator Chuck Schumer talking about fighting the health crisis of Covid. CNN anchor Jake Tapper said Elizabeth Warren talking to a crowd of tote bag clutching supporters in Massachusetts, about fighting for healthcare, was not the same as Mr Trumps remarks to a Stop the Steal rally on the National Mall. The rally was held as a joint session of Congress voted to affirm the electoral college tallies of Mr Biden. Yet Mr Trumps lawyers said the impeachment was an unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance that amounted to a witch hunt. This appalling abuse of the constitution only further divides our nation when we should be trying to come together around shared priorities, said Mr Van der Veen. Like every other politically motivated witch hunt, the left has engaged in over the past four years, this impeachment is completely divorced from the facts, the evidence, and the interests of the American people. The Senate should promptly and decisively vote to reject it. Mr Schoen claimed Democrats had reconstructed some of Mr Trumps tweets without informing senators they had done so. He said the appearance of blue ticks on the Twitter accounts of individuals who do not have one was proof of something underhand. Many on social media argued that the Democrats condensing of some of the former presidents claims into a package did not equate to manipulation. This trial is about far more than President Trump. It is about silencing and banning the speech the majority does not agree with, said Bruce Castor, another of Mr Trumps lawyers. I urge you instead to look to the principles of free expression and free speech. Last month, days before he left office, Mr Trump was impeached by the House, which accused him of inciting an insurrection in his speech to a crowd of supporters on the morning of 6 January, when he repeated his false claim the election had been rigged, and urged them to fight like hell. Moments after the trial was paused for the day, CNN reported that Mr Trump and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy became embroiled in a fiery phone call on 6 January. Mr McCarthy had phoned the ex-president to beg him to call off his supporters, but was told by Mr Trump that it was Antifa who were to blame. The House minority leader reportedly told Mr Trump it was in fact a Maga mob that had breached the building. Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are, Mr Trump said, according to lawmakers briefed later by Mr McCarthy. The California congressman lost his cool and told the president that rioters were trying to break into his office, and asked him, Who the f*** do you think youre talking to? The Senate has been hearing evidence and will reconvene to decide whether or not to convict Mr Trump on Saturday. Most observers believe it is unlikely Mr Trump will be found guilty. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Heavy lies the crown on Helen Coonans head. The former federal politician and government minister has one of the ugliest and toughest jobs in corporate Australia and of her career to clean up the disastrous failings of Crown Resorts. As chair of Crown, Coonan presided over a company which this week was informed it was not fit to operate its casino licence in Sydney, following a series of shocking findings that it had facilitated money laundering and been infiltrated by organised crime in its Melbourne and Perth casinos. Crown was the subject of an 18-month inquiry commissioned by the NSW casino regulator, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority. The inquiry, led by former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin, handed down an excoriating report on Tuesday that lifted the curtain on the dysfunction within Crowns boardroom and management and how its largest shareholder, billionaire James Packer, wielded real power and influence on Crowns operations across its casinos in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, with disastrous consequences for the company. The report has already claimed the scalp of three directors who stepped down from Crowns board this week, with calls now coming from within the business community for Coonan, who has been on the board for a decade, to also consider her position. Philip Crawford, chair of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, said at some point Coonan should probably step down. Crown chairman Helen Coonan has been challenged about retaining her position on the gambling companys board following the revelations of its corporate failings in the Bergin review. The Bergin report said an examination of a 2019 investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes into Crown, confirmed the company had facilitated money laundering through its bank accounts; disregarded the welfare of its staff in China before 19 were arrested there in 2016, and went into business with high-roller junket tour groups linked to Triads and other organised crime groups. This made Crown unsuitable to hold a casino licence, with its core problem being poor corporate governance, deficient risk-management structures and processes and a poor corporate culture. One of the reports recommendations is to ban junket tour operators. However, the revenues of those junket operators and high-rollers underpin the business model of Crowns $2.2 billion Sydney casino and are key for Crowns Melbourne and Perth casinos, and indirectly generate tax revenue for state governments. Advertisement Governments everywhere are crying out for revenue. If you start taking the gambling revenue out, its another thing they have got to make up, says Peter Morgan, a former head of equities at fund manager Perpetual. Crawford said the regulator would ban junket operators operating in NSW, based on Bergins findings. This will affect not only Crown but also The Star casino, whose management he will meet next week. Before Bergins report there had already been a decline in junket operators and high-rollers visiting Australia because of an anti-corruption drive out of China, deteriorating political relations between the two countries and the global pandemic, which shut Australias international borders to visitors. Coonan has promised root and branch reform of Crown as it addresses the findings of Bergins report, which said Crown needed a management and boardroom overhaul if it ever wanted to hold a casino licence. We do not underestimate the scale of the problem, Coonan said in a statement. She has declined interview requests. The Bergin report also said the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority should reconsider Packers involvement. The report recommended an ownership cap be put in place for Crown Sydney, so any investor will need the NSW regulators approval to buy or own more than 10 per cent of a casino operator, opening up the possibility of it ordering Packer to sell down his 36.8 per cent stake in the company. While Bergin found that Crown was not suitable to hold a casino licence, the report outlined steps that could make the group suitable again and avoid its licence being revoked. Under the deal signed by the NSW government and Crown to open Sydneys second casino, the regulator was contractually bound to work with Crown to try and make it suitable. However Crawford has warned Crown theres no guarantee it will get that approval. It will be up to Coonan to make that happen and fast. Ive told her to get cracking and so far, things are starting to move pretty quickly, he says. Advertisement The demands on Coonan will be enormous as the company faces reviews by Victorias gaming regulator and possibly also its counterpart in Western Australia. All of the behaviour thats been referred to in Bergin has pretty much been conducted in other states. To that extent, were lucky. We got to it in time before they came in here and had similar problems, says Crawford. He declined to comment on whether the regulators in other states had failed to address the problems at Crown. The Bergin report also recommended the establishment of a dedicated casino regulator in NSW and a full forensic audit of Crowns accounts. Crawford described the bad behaviour within Crown as breathtaking: Its a lot worse than we thought it would be. The NSW and Victorian regulators this week called for the removal of Crowns chief executive Ken Barton and some board directors. Barton remains at the company, as does director Harold Mitchell. Director and former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou quit on Thursday. Directors Michael Johnston and Guy Jalland, who were appointed to the board by Packer, also stood down this week. Crown director and former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou was among three directors who quit the gambling companys board this week. Credit:Getty Images While the Bergin report calls for changes among the companys senior ranks, this did not include Coonan, who became chairman in January 2020. Crawford said at some point Coonan should probably step down from the board. Thats something that [Crown] needs to consider in their corporate governance and as a board resolve. We need a couple of people there at the moment to deal with. Bergin certainly said [Coonans] somebody who has integrity after being examined pretty thoroughly by counsel at the inquiry. So thats given me an enormous amount of comfort in going forward. Advertisement Bergin wrote in her report that on reviewing Coonans evidence to the inquiry it had demonstrated that her character, honesty and integrity had not been and could not be called into question. But this hasnt stopped debate about whether Coonan is the best person to drive Crowns reform. Businessman and company director Geoff Cousins, who has served on blue-chip boards including Telstras, says a new chair is needed. Im delighted to see that for once the board was held responsible. Because normally in these things directors see this game out, they fire the CEO or something, but the board doesnt get any criticism, when boards are responsible for these matters. I find it remarkable that the chairman, however, got a clean bill of health. Shes been there a long time. Coonan joined Crown in 2011 after resigning from federal politics, where she had served for 15 years, including as a communications minister, a role in which she would have come to know James Packer. After her appointment to Crown, she gave an interview to The Australian where she spoke about him. I have a lot of respect for James and so I was honoured when he interviewed me to see if I would be interested in this [role]. In the same interview, Coonan said she joined Crown based on the strength of its board. Thats part of your insurance, that the people around you are good, she said. Packer was equally enthusiastic about Coonan: Helen is someone Ive known for a very long time and she is an outstanding individual who was a first-class parliamentarian and minister. I have immense respect for her. Cousins questioned how Crowns chairman could be considered independent if she was appointed with the blessing of Crowns biggest shareholder. She is effectively Packer-appointed and was well known to the Packers. That she will be a completely independent and brave and courageous chairman in changing all this, if James is still a shareholder, thats a fragile assumption indeed. Businessman and board director Geoff Cousins has questioned how Helen Coonan can be an independent chair of Crown while James Packer remains its majority shareholder. Credit:Andrew Quilty Advertisement Dean Paatsch, co-founder of corporate governance adviser Ownership Matters, says Packers shareholding remains a problem for board renewal. The regulator can decide who it doesnt want on the board but its for shareholders to decide who the best and most competent people are. It makes it very difficult for the optimal composition of the board to be transacted without the Packer influence whilst he remains a shareholder. The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authoritys board met on Friday and will meet again next Wednesday as it reviews the Bergin recommendations. One of the matters it will be considering is whether Packer should be forced to reduce his shareholding in Crown. Crawford stated that Packers influence has diminished with the removal of two directors this week. The regulator will also review if director John Poynton should continue on the board after the director terminated a consultancy agreement with Packers private company Consolidated Press Holdings. The focus on Packers influence has raised several options for the regulator to consider, including his shareholding. Crawford says its possible that Packer might be able to retain his current shareholding but have his voting rights limited to 10 per cent. Another possibility is that someone will want to buy those shares. And if that person stacked up on our probity basis I wouldnt want to put any obstacles into a sale. Paatsch said a structure limiting Packers voting rights on board appointments would be an elegant solution. It would be Packer agreeing, for his own benefit, not to vote on the election of directors, except for 10 per cent. And that would reallocate the influence to other shareholders. I dont see any downside, so long as he still retains his 37 per cent, as he should, to vote on all other matters, including a [potential] takeover. Its still his property. The risk of Packer being found unsuitable to be involved in the Sydney casino has generated speculation he could finally sell his $2.4 billion stake in Crown following several failed attempts to sell part of his holding in recent years. The $2.2 billion tower of Crown Sydney, where the gaming floors remain shut. Credit:Louie Douvis Advertisement A special NIA court here has sentenced two people to five years' imprisonment and fined them Rs 34,000 each for smuggling Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) after procuring them from Bangladesh, an official said on Saturday. Rinku S K and Rahaman S K, both residents of West Bengal's Malda district, were convicted by the court on Friday under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an NIA official said. In May, 2015, high quality FICN with a face value of Rs 64,65,000 was seized from one Barkat Ali. The NIA re-registered the case in June, 2015 and filed charge sheets against 10 accused, out of whom eight have already been convicted. Rinku and Rahaman were handed down a jail term of five years by the court which also imposed a fine of Rs 34,000 on each of them. The accused along with their associates had hatched a criminal conspiracy to procure the FICN from Bangladesh and circulating them in India after smuggling the money from the Indo-Bangladesh international border, the NIA official added. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) A more transmissible form of the coronavirus is now circulating in San Antonio, but other variants have the potential to pose a greater threat to the community. Available vaccines appear to provide strong protection against B.1.1.7, the more contagious variant that was first detected in Britain and has been identified in two Bexar County residents. That version of the virus may also struggle to find new hosts because of rising immunity and existing health safeguards. But experts fear that other mutations first found in South Africa and Brazil could lessen the benefits of such immunity, complicating efforts to bring the pandemic to heel. While those variants have not yet been confirmed in San Antonio, health officials say it is safe to assume they are here or will be soon. Just last week, a case of B.1.351, the South Africa variant, was identified in the Houston area. Absence of evidence doesnt mean the evidence is absent, said Anita Kurian, head of the Metropolitan Health Districts communicable disease division. Assume that the strains are already here. On ExpressNews.com: 'A wake-up call': Two cases of contagious U.K. COVID variant found in San Antonio The emergence of coronavirus variants, while not unexpected, comes as the United States works to reduce its high infection rates and rectify a haphazard and uneven vaccine distribution and as the manufacturers of several other vaccine candidates advance toward regulatory approval. Efforts are still underway to assess how the existing group of vaccines perform against different variants. Experts say the evolution of the virus raises the urgency for vaccinating the public and practicing behaviors such as masking and physical distancing that reduce further transmission. As the virus continues to spread, it has more opportunities to mutate in ways that could evade existing treatments and immune responses. This is a reminder that were not out of this yet, said Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio and University Health. Across the country, health officials are tracking the spread of several coronavirus variants by use of genetic sequencing, which allows scientists to chart changes in the virus over time. As of Thursday, 37 states had reported nearly 1,000 cases of B.1.1.7, which is expected to become predominant in the U.S. by next month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reports 13 cases of B.1.351 and three instances of P.1, a variant suspected of causing reinfections in Brazil. The Texas Department of State Health Services laboratory has sequenced 169 samples from Bexar County residents, spokeswoman Lara Anton said. Several other public and private labs are also processing specimens. Metro Health has sent its own samples to the state lab for sequencing, and it has urged area health care providers to send samples in cases where the person has traveled, especially to areas where variants are present, or became infected after vaccination. On ExpressNews.com: Hospitals full. Thousands infected with coronavirus each week. San Antonio pays the price for failing to flatten the curve. The two cases of B.1.1.7 variant in San Antonio were detected in samples collected during the last week of January. While Kurian said case investigators from Metro Health have been unable to reach one of the individuals after repeated attempts, the other person had no history of travel. Both are past their periods of isolation. She said there is not yet enough evidence to indicate when the variant arrived or what role it may have played in San Antonios winter coronavirus surge, if any. Like any RNA virus, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 accumulates genetic mutations as it reproduces and spreads from person to person. Most of these changes, which occur more slowly than with influenza, have no significant effect on transmission or disease severity, Bowling said, so they are paid little attention. He noted that these are not the first variants to sweep through the country over the past year. Until recently, there had not been concerted genetic sequencing, a process that is time-consuming, laborious and more limited in the U.S. than in other countries. Mutations only become a problem when they allow the virus to more effectively spread or evade the immune systems of their hosts. In the case of B.1.1.7, a mutation in the spike protein appears to allow the virus to more easily invade cells, increasing its contagiousness by an estimated 30 to 40 percent. When the virus surged in the United Kingdom in December and January, the variant rapidly became prevalent there. On ExpressNews.com: Burnout. Trauma. Disillusionment: The toll of COVID-19 on San Antonio hospital workers Higher rates of transmission means more people could become infected more quickly, Bowling said, further taxing a health care system that is already stretched thin and overworked. However, spread of this version of the virus is also coinciding with the gradual administration of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to the most vulnerable segments of the population in San Antonio. Those vaccines still appear to protect people against B.1.1.7, Bowling said, which should temper the effects of the variant, especially when it comes to incidence of severe disease. Other vaccine candidates, including those produced by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, also appear to remain protective. Thats the good news, that the vaccine is still very effective, Bowling said. Concern, but not panic While B.1.1.7 could potentially lead to an increase in cases in San Antonio because of its heightened contagiousness, its not the variant that most worries Juan Gutierrez. For the past year, the professor and chair of mathematics at the University of Texas at San Antonio has analyzed data on the coronavirus to model the trajectory of the pandemic. Before the holidays, his model accurately predicted that San Antonios coronavirus cases could roughly double by January. While data was scant at the beginning of the pandemic, he said, there is now a wealth of information about how the virus spreads among populations and its evolution over time. That greatly increases the confidence with which Gutierrez and his collaborators can make educated projections. From the start, Gutierrez said modeling has consistently estimated that 900,000 Bexar County residents could become infected and 16,000 could die if no public health interventions were implemented. On ExpressNews.com: Tracking COVID-19 - coronavirus by the numbers in San Antonio and across the country While the official tally for Bexar County currently stands at around 186,000 infections, Gutierrez said the true number of cases is probably closer to 400,000 or 500,000 because of asymptomatic carriers and other cases that may have gone unreported. That would mean that about 1 in 4 people in the county have already been infected. That assumption, coupled with the current conditions where many people are working from home, wearing masks and avoiding gatherings would likely cause cases in San Antonio to level off at about 250,000 confirmed infections, Gutierrez said. Additionally, many of the most at-risk people have already gained some immunity, either through infection or inoculation. All those things come down, converge, and the final effect is the disease is slowed down, he said. As a result, he said, B.1.1.7 may not spell disaster so long as public health restrictions are not lifted too soon. Keep containment measures in place, Gutierrez said. We need to keep wearing those face masks until vaccination is widely available. If we lower the guard, these numbers can still go up, substantially up. The more concerning scenario, Gutierrez said, is if other variants prove to be particularly adept at reinfecting people, causing cases to steeply climb again and potentially prolong the pandemic. He is worried about reports of rising COVID death rates in Africa, where several variants are spreading. Gutierrez and other experts say another surge driven by variants is not out of the question, particularly if health measures were relaxed. We could have another surge, Bowling said. Its important to recognize. We dont want to be Pollyanna or overly optimistic, that this is the last time well have a surge like this. Should that happen, infectious disease experts say, the population likely would not be as vulnerable as it was at the beginning of the pandemic. On ExpressNews.com: Will COVID-19 have long-term effects on the brain? San Antonio researchers are trying to find out. We need to be concerned, but I dont think we need to be panicked, said Dr. Thomas Patterson, who leads the division of infectious diseases at UT Health San Antonio. Even if existing vaccines are not as effective as they were against previous versions of the virus, Bowling said, that does not equate to no protection at all. For example, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was found to be about 66 percent effective overall 72 percent in the U.S. and 57 percent in South Africa, where a variant was circulating. That level of protection is on par with the annual flu vaccine. And, like with the flu shot, a coronavirus vaccination should still provide strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death, blunting the worst effects of the pandemic. People should not allow themselves to become too discouraged by lowered efficacy rates, Bowling said. Thats still a vaccine worth getting, he said. The vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna can be easily updated, and manufacturers are already working on boosters for emerging variants. Patterson said it still remains unclear how long protection from vaccination will last or the extent to which inoculation reduces transmission. But he said one thing was certain: Continuing to reduce infection rates will help guard against future variants that could reduce vaccine efficacy further. Even with vaccine availability expected to increase over the next few months, the publics continued cooperation with health guidance is still important, he said. If we decrease the number of infections, then we decrease the potential for more virus mutations to occur, Patterson said. lcaruba@express-news.net Former "Jeopardy!" winner Brayden Smith, known as Alex Trebek's "Last Great Champion," has passed away at the age of 24. The Las Vegas native, who graduated from the University of Nevada with a degree in economics, died last February 5. His mom, Debbie, confirmed the news a week later via a post on Twitter. "We are heartbroken to share that our dear Brayden Smith recently passed away unexpectedly," Debbie wrote. "We are so grateful that Brayden was able to live out his dream on @jeopardy." No specific cause of death was disclosed. However, TMZ reported that he died after a "medical emergency," noting he passed away due to natural causes. Meanwhile, "Jeopardy!" also released a statement about the champion to E! News, calling him kind, funny, and "absolutely brilliant." Executive producer Mike Richards told EW, "Alex did, I believe, really like Brayden. I could tell he very much enjoyed that young man." According to his obituary, the young genius fulfilled a lifelong dream of competing in the famous game show. Dignity Memorial funeral home stated: "He was looking forward to competing in the show's Tournament of Champions" where he's qualified." for what it's worth, Trebek nicknamed him "Billy Buzzsaw" during his run on the show and even said during his gameplay, "Most impressive. I don't know what to say." He is survived by his parents, Scott and Debbie Smith, and three brothers, Bryce, Brock and Brody. The JEOPARDY! family is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brayden Smith. He was kind, funny and absolutely brilliant. Our deepest condolences go out to Braydens family. He will be missed. https://t.co/aFQRt6KzPc Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) February 12, 2021 Alex Trebek's Last Great Champion During his run on the show, which also came with Alex Trebek's final episodes as the host, Brayden Smith won a total of $115,798. His five-game winning streak came to an end in January. Brayden even spoke about his time as a contestant in "Jeopardy!", saying, "The best part of it for me was spending time with Alex Trebek." "Spending time with somebody who I had cherished in my life for such a long period," Brayden said of the late game show host. "I think back on it all the time and savor each moment that I got to have with him." His love for "Jeopardy!" was honed as a young adult after being his school's Quiz Bowl team captain, leading them to back-to-back state runner-up finishes. Brayden Smith's Life Brayden Smith attended Liberty High School in Henderson, where he became a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist. After graduating from the University of Nevada, he planned to attend law school and become a federal government lawyer. He recently interned with Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., where he researched issues in criminal justice reform. See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) The Bureau of Customs said they will implement advance processing of documents of COVID-19 vaccines for their faster processing once they arrive in the country. BOC Spokesperson Vincent Maronilla told CNN Philippines' News.PH that they already asked manufacturers to submit documents for their initial checking. Once supplies arrive, files will just have to be double-checked while these are being pulled out of the aircraft, he added. He also noted that this will not go through clearance procedures, like x-ray examination, since radiation may affect the vials. Processing on the part of the BOC will take less than 30 minutes, he said. To ensure security, delivery to storage facilities will be escorted by Customs Police, Maronilla said. He added that regions are prepared for the arrival of vaccines in their areas. A simulation exercise was conducted earlier this week to determine how the logistics process will be done, and to identify possible issues that may arise once the vaccines arrive. The Philippines is expecting to receive the first batch of vaccines from the COVAX facility, an initiative led by the World Health Organization, anytime this month that will be administered to medical frontliners. In the second part of our series on tourism in County Wexford in the era of Covid-19, we speak to hoteliers about how summer 2021 is shaping up. Massive demand for longer stays has been a new feature this year, with bookings coming in earlier than ever before. Hoteliers sense the year can be salvaged as parents want to get away from their homes and enjoy a much deserved relaxing break. Colm Neville (Riverside Park Hotel & The Crown Bar) Visit Wexford chairman and hotelier Colm Neville said: 'Over the last couple of weeks they have started to come in for July and August. There are even some for earlier in the summer. People are anxious to get on the move. The trade itself is reporting that it's shaping up to be an even busier summer than last summer.' Mr Neville employs 197 people at the Riverside Park Hotel and 40 people at The Crown Bar, which he runs with his brother Anthony. He said: 'Everything is very much dependent on the direction of this virus and how it's reported and how dangerous it is. Last year when Leo Varadkar announced that we were able to reopen on June 29; on that very day records were set throughout the whole industry with people making bookings. It's very clear that people react to certainty and people need some certainty.' Having lost out on midweek breaks, weddings, functions and most of 2020, Mr Neville is one of many hoteliers who would like to see hotels reopen in April or May, providing it is safe to do so. Expand Close Colm Neville of the Crown Bar and Riverside Park Hotel / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Colm Neville of the Crown Bar and Riverside Park Hotel He said hotels are safe spaces and believes the spike in numbers from mid-December to mid-January arose from people dropping their guard and ex-pats returning from abroad to visit family. 'There has been a lot of communication that the government would like to see a relatively normal summer season. We would have hoped that it would have been February or March but we understand.' Forecasting a busy summer, he said: 'As the vaccinations roll out the safety message becomes slightly less important, but it will still be important this summer because there will be nothing like herd immunity so people need to know the Failte Ireland safety charter will be in place. There has been no evidence of any major sources of clusters [from hospitality]. It's not entirely helpful to talk about who's fault it is for the exponential increase in the numbers. There is nothing really pointing to hotels.' He said restaurants have implemented safety measures including dividers and social distancing, adding that there have been outliers. 'Everyone has a pair of eyes in their head and if I was there I would have walked out.' Mr Neville said weddings will not be back in a big way this year, expecting numbers to be limited to 25 this summer. 'I am certainly crying tears about our story but behind every one of these weddings are brides and grooms for whom their big day can't happen. It's their special day. Our wedding manager is trying to liaise with them. People are going through hell in their world so there is a real human stress cost.' He said the restart grant has really helped, but more funding is needed. 'The maximum we can get under the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme is 5,000 when for a property like the Riverside it comes to 7,000 to 8,000 a week. I think the government need to review that. I would worry that some properties won't be able to withstand those kind of payments, along with energy and other bills. Rates are waived but are only confirmed quarterly so it's obviously very difficult to financially plan for this year. Even to reassure bankers.' He is also concerned that the autumn and winter period will not be anything like previous years. 'Hopefully we can at least get July and August. The Riverside Hotel and The Crown depend on people being able to get up close and personal together; whether it's a Saturday night or for a relaxing meal. I'm not sure we'll be there in the autumn. It's a huge part of our "normal" business.' He said the supports hoteliers and businesses will be able to survive providing supports are improved and they can return to selling food. 'If food gets going at least we will be able to put people back into employment and if people can come to the Riverside from outside the county and have their meals and then go enjoy the county that will help our staff who desperately want to get back to work. There are a lot of people in the industry who have been laid off since mid-March. I really feel for these people as well. It's equally a major concern for tourism. Restaurants, cafes and shops need to come back, but how many of them are going to survive this? They are all part of the tourism experience.' County Wexford commands the fifth highest number of domestic visitors, behind Dublin, Galway and Cork, which all boats cities, and Kerry. 'People talk about Westport, but pound for pound we are able to hold our own. We are very positive about the future for Co Wexford which has been making great strides over the last few years. Our hotel occupancy rate is the highest in Ireland, which comes from the fact we are closest to Dublin.' Mr Neville said it is not right to be pressuring the government at a time when people are dying of the virus in ICUs. 'It's on the tip of all of our tongues but it has to be secondary to what is going on in this country. I would hope the numbers will come back under control by the end of this month and that on March 5 we might be able to look at starting back after Easter or on May 1st. With this new strain it's harder. We all know someone who has been affected and someone who has died. We welcome being closed for the safety of public health and we will be the one shouting and screaming for us to reopen when it's all under control.' Visit Wexford have begun a marketing campaign for summer holidays here. Over the coming weeks it will involve direct targeting of customers online. 'We have to be respectful of the position we are all in. We had a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) and we are getting ready to send out the message that Wexford is open this summer season whenever it's safe to travel.' Bill Kelly (Kelly's Resort Hotel, Rosslare Strand) Keeping staff is the main priority for Kelly's Hotel owner, Bill Kelly, who is expecting a record breaking season this summer. 'It's a very heavy booking pattern. It's nearly all Irish. There is nothing from abroad. Northern Ireland is still working out OK. Our market is primarily Irish anyway as we have an 85 per cent home market. This year it's looking like 100 per cent.' Mr Kelly's family have been in the hospitality business in Rosslare Strand for 125 years and he said the past 10 months have been truly incredible in the industry. 'We were technically meant to be open this week. We'd pushed back our opening until the end of March but it's very hard to know where we will be by then. It's really taking things one day at a time.' Kelly's opened up online booking from mid-May and bookings are going extremely well, Mr Kelly said. 'They're great right up until the end of the year.' Employing 240 people between the hotel and his cafes, Mr Kelly said: 'My biggest issue is that we could lose a lot of our staff to other industries if we don't open soon. If we don't some will not come back to the hospitality business. It will be very difficult to keep staff retention going. We've done everything we can and we've kept as much open as we could during the period of Level 3. We'll try to open under some form but it's very expensive to open at reduced rates and occupancy. It just doesn't work.' Hoping to reopen in May, Mr Kelly said the new variant of Covid-19 has slowed everything down. 'Prior to that the results in the hospitals were incredible. In our industry, there were less than ten clusters compared to 5,000 in total. The standard of cleanliness in hotels, from temperature checks to cleaning of door handles: people wouldn't do as much in their own homes. Now people can see the hospitality industry really are the best in class in looking after all of these small, but important hygienic measures.' With no cases reported among hotel staff and customers in 2020, Mr Kelly said the hospitality industry has ensured it is safe for people to stay in hotels in Co Wexford. 'It's certainly very challenging. Unless something is done rapidly the mental health of staff [at hotels] will become a big concern. We do try to stay in touch with our staff and send messages and they are doing courses; we're doing everything we can to try and help them through this phase of their lives.' He said this has to be the last lockdown. 'If we close again we will never reopen. It's a very serious situation across the industry. We are quite lucky as we've been around for 125 years so we wouldn't have huge debts but if you are carrying debts and repayments into this period it must be incredibly difficult.' Eibhear Coyle (Amber Springs Hotel) Amber Springs Hotel manager Eibhear Coyle said: 'The summer is going excellently. People are booking earlier and for longer. Traditionally we have a January sale which would always be very well supported.' People started booking from St Stephen's Day and Mr Coyle foresees a very busy few weeks ahead of further booking. The hotel can cater for around 500 guests, but occupancy has been reduced by 20 per cent. Presently around 15 essential workers are staying at the hotel every night. 'That keeps us going. We are really open to keep a presence there; to show that we won't be beaten and that we're ready to reopen. Reservations are so strong so we have to keep in contact with guests.' 'Family holidays are so important for mental health. The government can't say people can't go abroad and not open up hotels here. Everyone just needs a little break for their sanity. A break from Seesaw and home-schooling.' Family groups have been booking and many are taking rooms for an entire week. 'We know what our market is. We are 100 per cent zeroed in on the family market. It's all about being in a family hotel resort to stay safe. We are doing extremely well and it's early days yet. We are about 50 per cent full for the summer. If I'm a parent I want to get away somewhere during the summer. People know they are not going overseas. They want somewhere they can trust. You have to have something for the kids to look forward to.' Mr Coyle is confident the hotel will bounce back once it reopens. 'We will bounce back really quickly. Last summer and last December told us that. I know we are not going to get Easter. I'd be hopeful we can reopen on May 1st. I think as a region we need to. We definitely need June, July and August. There is too much riding on it.' He said losing staff is a real concern. 'It's a massive risk. I have seen it and it's already happening. You have really skilled people who are moving out of the industry for more stable jobs. Hospitality has been decimated and retail has also been hit hard. On the other hand around two million people have not been affected at all financially.' Mr Coyle said hotel staff are being very flexible with bookings. A question mark hangs over one very important aspect of the business, and indeed the hospitality sector as a whole, weddings. 'We are working so hard with weddings. We have weddings that have been moved five times and we're trying to be oracles. Some people want 200 guests and we just don't know if that's possible. Some people are holding out and it could be as little as 25 people. The wedding part is a hugely emotional aspect of the job.' Employing 150 staff, the Amber Springs Hotel needs further supports, according to Mr Coyle. 'The CRSS has a maximum cap of 5,000 a week. We'd hope for more than that. The EWSS has allowed us to maintain connection with our staff but it has to continue for the whole of 2021. All that is doing is stemming the flow a little bit. When we get back into making revenue; the summer will be short so we need that until the end of the year. You would also hope the silver surfer [guests] will come. It's all down to the vaccine. Until there is confidence from that I don't see them moving. It's really day by day for us. It's like looking into an abyss and praying for the earliest first start date.' Mr Coyle said it is very dismissive to blame the hospitality industry for the spike in cases last December. 'The minute you shut a regulated industry it moves into an unregulated industry and you know what happens then.' He will reopen with 80 per cent capacity for the safety of staff and customers. 'It allows us to operate safely and to control peak times like breakfast and the swimming pool. It was a personal business decision we took. We introduced an online booking system so everything is booked in advance so I can control the flows to the swimming pool and the kids club etc. We did a massive amount of business last summer and with our Santa Train. That worked so well we are thinking about doing it in the future.' He said: 'Not one of our staff up to September tested positive for Covid. You can't monitor or measure what's happening with the guests because they are transient but the staff are here the whole time so the system is working perfectly.' Pune: Days after the death of 22-year-old Tik Tok star Pooja Chavan in Maharashtras Pune, the incident took a political turn after an audio clip surfaced hinting at the involvement of a state minister in the matter. The opposition BJP, led by former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has called for an impartial probe into the incident. Fadnavis has sent a letter along with the purported audio clips to the Director-General of Police Hemant Nagrale seeking a detailed investigation. What was the incident? Pooja was a resident of Beed who had recently come to Pune to take spoken English course. She was staying with her brother and his friend in Wanawadi. She allegedly committed suicide by jumping from a building at Heaven Park Society on February 8. The police registered a case of accidental death. According to police, the family called it suicide and they did not find anything suspicious in it. What emerged from the audio clip? In the audio clip, a man named Arun can be heard seeking information about the incident from another person. He also talks about Pooja's mobile and laptop. The conversation is in Banjara language. The voice of the person who is talking to Arun is being claimed to be similar to that of a state minister in the Maharashtra government. It is also being claimed that Pooja had some connections with the minister in question. What did the police say? The police denied any foul play in the matter. They said that they have not found anything objectionable in the audio clip and that the family members of Pooja too have not made complaint against anyone. In such a situation, they added, what could they do on their own. How did the opposition react? Leader of opposition in the state, Fadnavis has asked police to open an investigation into the incident. The truth behind this should be revealed. This case should not be suppressed. The clip which has come out of the evidence should be investigated and the police themselves should file a complaint and investigate, said Fadnavis. BJP MLA from Kothrud assembly, Medha Kulkarni, has demanded the audio clips be investigated and the guilty be punished. Who are the two people in the audio that has gone viral? It should be investigated whose voice is that no matter how big that person is or whichever political party he belongs to. If the person is guilty then there should be punishment, said Kulkarni. Meanwhile, BJP womens cell president Archana Patil met Pune commissioner of police Amitabh Gupta seeking a detailed investigation. Live TV Paris, Feb 13, 2021 (SPS) - The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partner of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIHD), urged the Moroccan occupier to "guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Sahrawi activist Mahfouda Bamba Lefkir, her family, and all human rights defenders in Western Sahara, and to put an end to all forms of harassment, including at the judicial level, and any act of intimidation. The Observatory called, in a statement, for the opening, "without delay", of an "exhaustive, independent, effective, rigorous, impartial and transparent investigation into the allegations of ill-treatment against Mahfouda Bamba Lefkir , in order to identify those responsible, bring them before an independent, competent and impartial tribunal, in accordance with international and regional instruments for the protection of human rights, and apply the criminal, civil or administrative sanctions provided for by law ".SPS 125/090/TRA The OConnor family was among those to attend the Michael John Kelleher Centenary Commemoration in Knocknagree. Photo by John Tarrant A stark reminder of how innocent people were killed in the War of Independence was observed in Knocknagee in recent days with the 100-year commemoration of the shooting of teenager Michael John Kelleher. The young lad was playing hurling in the company of friends when he was gunned down by a Crown forces convoy. His death on Sunday, February 6, 1921, earned fitting memory at two dignified ceremonies hosted at the field of the atrocity and in Knocknagree village last weekend. Historian Aogain O hIarlaithe referred to the event as one of the darkest and saddest events in the history of Knocknagree at Sylvester Cronin's field, today owned by Mike and Valerie Doyle. At the time, there were tensions in the area following the successful Tureengariffe Ambush on January 29 in which there were a number of British deaths and casualties. In response, the RIC and Black and Tans swooped upon the villages of Knocknagree and Ballydesmond, seeking reprisals and creating mayhem by burning houses. "After Mass on the day in question, a large group of boys gathered at the field to play hurling, with others watching on. A military patrol containing three lorries of soldiers from the 6th Division of the British Army approached the village from the Gneeveguilla direction. Suddenly two bursts of gunfire were directed at those in the field", said O hIarlaithe in his address at the commemoration. "Panic naturally set in as the soldiers entered the field, firing as they went. Many of their intended victims attempted to flee in a south-westerly direction and others hid in ditches and cart tracks. When the firing ceased, Michael John Kelleher lay dead with the Herlihy brothers Michael (13) and Donal (12) also shot", said Mr O hIarlaithe. Expand Close Pictured at the Michael John Kelleher Centenary Commemoration at the field where he was slain were historian Aogain O hIarlaithe, Michael Doyle, Mike Doyle, Patrick Doyle, Marie Doyle and Valerie Doyle. Photo by John Tarrant / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pictured at the Michael John Kelleher Centenary Commemoration at the field where he was slain were historian Aogain O hIarlaithe, Michael Doyle, Mike Doyle, Patrick Doyle, Marie Doyle and Valerie Doyle. Photo by John Tarrant In later life, Donal Herlihy became Bishop of Ferns and the account of the Knocknagree event was given by Knocknagree NS headmaster and collector of history/folklore Diarmuid Moynihan to IRA veteran and TD Sean Moylan. "Michael John Kelleher was born on October 23, 1903, to Michael and Maryanne, one of 13 children, six of whom died in infancy. Maryanne had died in 1917, and when Michael John was buried in 1921, his father had buried a wife, a seventh child and was left with no remaining son", said Aogain O hIarlaithe. "In an official report published by the authorities, it was claimed that the military were returning fire but all local accounts vehemently deny this, and in the official record of the British Army's 6th Division, no ambush is recorded for the day. "It's worth remembering that on Bloody Sunday in Croke Park on November 1920, the authorities also claimed that the Auxiliaries had returned fire when they attacked players and spectators", he said. "The same excuse was used in Derry, 1972, where members of the Parachute Regiment murdered unarmed civilians." The importance of the public engaging with history was highlighted, and events commemorating the life of Michael John Kelleher were applauded. One hundred years on, the Doyle family recalled the happenings at the field of the atrocity where the GAA flags of Knocknagree, Duhallow, Cork and Munster were raised. The rising of the tricolour followed before it was lowered to half mast in a mark of respect to the Kelleher boy. Host Mike Doyle delivered a self-composed composition titled 'The Ballad of Michael John Kelleher'. Later, the Fairfield Tidy Towns Committee undertook a wreath laying ceremony by Chairman Andy O'Halloran in the village, with Aogain O hIarlaithe delivering an oration as Laurence Hickey and Andy O'Halloran recited poems in salute to an innocent victim of the War of Independence. The man and a 27-year-old man were in a vehicle parked at a gas station in the 5100 block of West Madison when they were shot, police said. Multiple attackers got out of a vehicle and shot at the vehicle the men were in, said Officer Michael Carroll, a police spokesman, in an email. For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size After months of being pitted against one another, Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian decided they would walk into the pre-Christmas national cabinet meeting shoulder to shoulder in a show of unity. But security protocols at Parliament House would not allow it. The two premiers have had different ways of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic despite both leaders assuring their communities that decisions are underpinned by health advice. Palaszczuk has been cautious when lifting restrictions, while Berejiklian has imposed less tough restrictions in the hope of keeping business ticking along. Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian walked out of the December national cabinet meeting together in a show of unity. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen They have disagreed, traded barbs and rolled eyes. But away from the cameras, they get along quite well, Palaszczuk insists. Shell always stand up for her state, Ill stand up for my state, but everyone tries to portray it as some sort of fight and its simply not. It is simply not, she says. Advertisement I think it is over-reporting, we get on incredibly well behind the scenes. Palaszczuk believes the fact both leaders are women might have something to do with the headlines. Their plan to tear down that rivalry narrative was cooked up at a leaders dinner, the night before national cabinet met in person before Christmas. We had a really good chat, Palaszczuk says. We were actually going to walk into national cabinet together the following morning. But unfortunately, our cars were taken underneath [the building]. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pictured near her electorate office in Brisbane. Credit:Paul Harris Berejiklian is the daughter of Armenian immigrant parents who came to Australia from Jerusalem and Syria in the 1960s, her father was a boilermaker. Advertisement Palaszczuk is the granddaughter of a Polish migrant who fled Europe after World War II and emigrated to Australia where he also worked as a boilermaker. Despite coming from similar backgrounds, Palaszczuk says: I dont think we are similar. [Except the fact] we both have long surnames, and we both have a strong multicultural background, Palaszczuk says. Both are incredibly close to their family and were instilled with a strong work ethic from their parents. Ever since I was three or four Ive been going along to different Labor Party events, Palaszczuk says. I used to sell the raffle tickets when I was like five or six. Born into a political dynasty, Palaszczuks father Henry believes it has always been his daughters destiny to lead the state. Advertisement Nicknamed Henry the Eighth for his eight consecutive election wins in Inala, Mr Palaszczuk held the western Brisbane seat for 22 years before his daughter took the reins. She was elected to Parliament in 2006 at aged 37, replacing her father in one of the safest Labor seats in Queensland. Her accession to the Premiers office followed decades of political grooming. After studying arts and law at the University of Queensland, at age 23 Palaszczuk went to the United States to follow Bill Clintons election campaign. Then she went to the United Kingdom where she gained a masters in arts at the University of London, then spent a year studying at the London School of Economics. The now-Premier also helped out on former UK prime minister Tony Blairs 1997 campaign. Known as Stacia to family and friends rather than Anna, she spent years working as a political staffer, honing the craft before taking over her fathers seat in 2006. Advertisement I am still Henrys daughter. Everywhere I go around the state, particularly in regional Queensland, It is always how is Henry going? not how am I going? she says. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with her father, Henry Palaszczuk, voting at Inala State School in October. Credit:Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire Pool At an event on the Gold Coast on Thursday night where Palaszczuk was the keynote speaker, there was someone in the audience, and she had come hoping she would see my father. While her father remains popular, she has surpassed her fathers successes. At the October state election, she became the first Queensland premier to increase a governments seat count across three successive elections, cementing herself as the most successful female politician in Australian history. Palaszczuk first led Labor to victory in 2015, just three years after the party endured one of the greatest electoral defeats in modern Australian political history. Labor was relegated to opposition, with only seven MPs in the 89-seat Parliament. Those seven MPs survived the 2015 election and added 35 more Labor members to their ranks, securing crossbench support to form a minority government. It was a victory that shocked many within the party, some of whom were already lining up her successor. Advertisement Francesca Paris covers North Adams for The Berkshire Eagle. A California native and Williams College alumna, she has worked at NPR in Washington, D.C. and WBUR in Boston, as a news reporter, producer and editor. Find her on Twitter at @fparises. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Maybe its just me, but I am starting to come to the conclusion that Nancy Pelosi just doesnt like former President Donald Trump. She seems to have been the driving force behind Trump Impeachment II. Jeff Charles of Red State calls it: the Democrats new production of An Impeachment Story Part II: Maybe Itll Work This Time. Impeachment is a Constitutional provision to potentially remove a sitting president. But, of course, now Trump is a private citizen. Where is the Chief Justice? He is supposed to preside over a legitimate impeachment hearing. But Chief Roberts will have nothing to do with this farce. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says, The Constitution says two things about impeachment it is a tool to remove the officeholder, and it must be presided over by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Instead, notes Paul, this is an act by hyper-partisan Democrats, who have a deranged hatred against the former president. He adds that they are wasting the nations time. Did the president receive due process during the House trial against him a couple of weeks ago? No, says John Eidsmoe, constitutional attorney and prolific author. Eidsmoe wrote an open letter to the Senate: As an attorney and law professor who has practiced and taught Constitutional Law for many decades, I strongly oppose the proposal to impeach and convict President Donald J. Trump and bar him from holding public office. Eidsmoes reasons include that the charges are factually baseless. For example, Trump is being accused of causing an insurrection because he held a rally in D.C. on January 6th, outlining once again why he thought the election was stolen. The former president told his supporters at the rally: We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard." [Emphasis added] It is important to note that the breach of the Capitol had already begun before Trump even told his followers to peacefully go over there (about a 25-minute walk away). He didnt say anything about violence, vandalism, or mayhem. He wasnt leading an Antifa rally or the like. What is happening in our country is a nightmare our first president warned about factionalism taking over. The father of our country, George Washington, issued some parting wisdom in his Farewell Address, printed in newspapers beginning September 19, 1796. The U. S. Senate Historical Office has posted the Farewell Address. They note: He believed that the stability of the Republic was threatened by the forces of geographical sectionalism, political factionalism, and interference by foreign powers in the nations domestic affairs. He urged Americans to subordinate sectional jealousies to common national interests. Writing at a time before political parties had become accepted as vital extraconstitutional, opinion-focusing agencies, Washington feared that they carried the seeds of the nations destruction through petty factionalism. [Emphasis added]. In his day, there were not the fully developed political parties as weve seen in America since. If you had to categorize him party-wise, he would have been a Federalist, in contrast with the Democrat Party (initially the Republican Democrat Party, just to confuse things) that arose with Thomas Jefferson and New Yorker Aaron Burr, later a traitor to America. Heres what Washington said in the Farewell Address, regarding putting party-loyalty above country-loyalty: The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty. Public liberty today is at risk because of the rise of the petty factionalists. Gary Bauer points out that in recent times both Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are on record potentially inciting violence far more than Trumps remarks to peacefully and patriotically make your voice heard. For example, Pelosi said, I just dont even know why there arent uprisings all over the country against Trump. Meanwhile, Trumps legal team wrote a letter, explaining why he was not going to appear to testify in person at this weeks sham impeachment hearing. Their February 4, 2021 letter closes: The use of our Constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games. I think George Washington would agree. UN urges to investigate escalation of violence in Colombia Malaysia to open mega-centers for vaccination against coronavirus Police find 5 million in cash in London apartment French citizen to face trial in Iran on spaying charges Over 60 children in UK undergo surgery due to TikTok challenge Iranian Central Bank governor dismissed Armenian opposition: The one who liberated Artsakh will not go to debates with the one who sold it Iranian energy ministry: Iraq to allocate $ 125 million of frozen funds for vaccines No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects Armenia ex-PM says at least 2 more secret documents signed but not published yet Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia UK PM gets married in London Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia 2 people die in Armenia road accident Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released 61 quakes recorded in Congo per day Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country As an attorney defending low-income families against evictions, my clients have lots of questions. Can my landlord lock me out? Do I have to pay rent even if I dont have hot water? Didnt the government cancel evictions? The confusion is understandable. To answer these questions and many others you would need to read your lease, the Texas Property Code, the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and other laws and regulations. The experience can be overwhelming. My clients often tell me the system seems rigged and unfair. Its difficult to disagree. You may not be overly concerned about the fragility of housing for many of our neighbors. After all, the Biden administration, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has extended the moratorium issued by the Trump administration on residential evictions through March 31. The moratorium is a valuable tool to prevent homelessness for countless families and limit the spread of COVID-19 while the government develops an economic stimulus. But the moratorium is only a stopgap and the situation remains dire. Renters account for 46 percent of households in San Antonio. Both unemployment and the coronavirus have surged in recent months. Despite the moratorium, evictions havent stopped. In the 13 weeks following the original issuance of the moratorium, eviction filings in Bexar County dropped by less than 9 percent, according to the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless. The moratorium has failed to protect many families in San Antonio and across the country. Why? First, protection is not automatic. A tenant must complete a declaration and submit it to the landlord and the court. Most tenants dont know this procedure or even that the protection is available. I have watched tenants explain in court that they have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, that they have been doing their best to pay rent and apply for government assistance, and that they have nowhere else to go. By any measure, they likely qualify for eviction protection. But the CDC order is never mentioned, and the tenant is evicted anyway. In one recent case I observed, a tenant who lost income during the pandemic sent her landlord an email explaining she would like to invoke the CDC orders protection. She sent a link to the declaration. The landlords attorney argued the tenant did not qualify for protection because she failed to sign the form and the justice of the peace ordered the tenant evicted. The tenant explained she would have to live out of her car. The court simply wished her luck. As is too often the case, a lack of knowledge of their rights prevents people from exercising them. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Second, landlords and the courts are finding legally dubious ways of evading the moratorium. Since the moratorium only covers evictions based on nonpayment of rent, some landlords resort to surveilling and nitpicking their tenants behavior to allege lease violations. These can include unauthorized patio furniture or walking a dog from the parking lot into the apartment without a leash. Third, practitioners and researchers across the country have consistently found that informal evictions, involving no legal process whatsoever, are at least twice as common as evictions processed by courts. In Texas, it is illegal to conduct a self-help eviction, in which a landlord forcibly removes or locks out a tenant without legal process. But if the tenant doesnt know its illegal or doesnt have the time or resources to fight it, the tenant will be wrongfully evicted. To survive this crisis, renters and landlords alike need support. Robust government assistance, more affordable housing, foreclosure protection and a living wage are all necessary. Our city, spurred by community activists, has taken some vital first steps, including developing the Emergency Housing Assistance Program. Our justices of the peace, elected to serve the people of Bexar County, should not proceed with an eviction if the tenant meets the CDC order requirements. The Texas Supreme Court has given express authority to justices of the peace to ask tenants whether they are aware of the protection and have had an opportunity to complete the declaration. At a minimum, justices of the peace, who have broad discretion in these cases, should reset the hearing to allow the tenant to learn about the order and sign the form. Landlords and their attorneys should not take advantage of tenants who qualify but dont know how to access the eviction protection. Everyone, from landlords and the courts to our local elected officials, must do their part to educate renters about their rights and make the process fairer. Matt Garcia is an Alta Vista resident and civil rights attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. When I was dreaming about being a beauty writer for all those years, I wont lie, I wasnt thinking of the column Id write on hand sanitiser. Up until last year, hand sanitiser was something I bought once a year for festival season, or occasionally used before touching a newborn baby. I would have been happy for things to remain that way, but alas, were living in a global pandemic, and hand sanitiser is going to be a part of our lives for quite some time. Its everywhere we turn. At the door of every shop, at the entrance to the doctor, at the cafe, the chemist and any other place you may be permitted to visit in the near future. One thing weve learned, however, is that not all hand sanitiser is created equal. Some are nicely scented and dry down quickly without pulverising the skin on your hands, and some smell so strongly of bad tequila that you find yourself having an intense flashback to a night you overdid it in The Palace in 2001. Not ideal when dropping your children off the creche in the morning. Thus, I think its time that we all find our own hand sanitiser. One that fits your budget, doesnt shred the skin on your hands, and feels less like a punishment. I have found mine, and its called HAAN. (1) HAAN hand sanitiser comes in an array of delicious scents (my favourite is the lemony Citrus Noon), doesnt overly dry out your hands, and comes in convenient, pretty packaging. The slim pocket has a spray nozzle at the top and easily slides into pockets and handbags, making it really handy to keep around. Refill pouches are available to reduce the single-use plastic aspect of our current consumption, and 20pc of all HAAN profits go towards funding clean-water projects in Africa. A 30ml pocket and 100ml refill will set you back 20.80. Expand Close HAAN hand sanitisers / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp HAAN hand sanitisers Expand Close Max Benjamin Dodici Hand Sanitiser / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Max Benjamin Dodici Hand Sanitiser Irish brand (2) Max Benjamin is also offering refills for its spray bottles, which come in True Lavender and Dodici (lavender with lemon and herb) scents. A 100ml spray bottle and 500ml refill is priced at 30. (3) The Handmade Soap Company is also Irish, and has a lovely Lemongrass & Cedarwood option (6.95 for 100ml), while (4) LOccitane produces a sanitiser in its signature Lavande and Verveine scents (6.50 for 65ml). Expand Close The Handmade Soap Company Lemongrass & Cedarwood Hand Sanitiser / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Handmade Soap Company Lemongrass & Cedarwood Hand Sanitiser Expand Close LOccitane Verveine Clean Hands Gel / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp LOccitane Verveine Clean Hands Gel If scented products arent for you, (5) La Roche-Posays Purifying Hand Gel (4.99 for 100ml) is fragrance-free and non-drying thanks to the inclusion of glycerin (ideal for those with sensitive skin). This product was developed specifically in response to the pandemic, and in April, parent company LOreal donated 10,000 of them to frontline healthcare workers in Ireland. Expand Close La Roche-Posay Purifying Hand Gel / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp La Roche-Posay Purifying Hand Gel I dont know about you, but Im taking great comfort in the little things at the moment, whether its supporting a business that has supported frontline workers, or using a product whose packaging adds a little beauty to my day. Every moment we can find joy or solace in is important, so why not boost your encounters with hand sanitiser by choosing one you actually like? Lost in Translation The cut crease has been all over Instagram for the last few years, but what in the name of MUAs is it? Put simply, the cut crease is a technique used in creating contrast in an eyeshadow look. Makeup users generally apply a smokey blended look using powder, before using a pale cream shadow, concealer or primer to paint over the shadow from the lashline to the crease. This results in brightness on the lid and added dimension. Something old Clinique Chubby Sticks (16) absolutely burst onto the makeup scene about a decade ago, and were immediately loved by countless makeup wearers. The product offered a punch of colour in a nourishing balm formula, which includes mango and shea butter, and we all loved the comfort and tint on offer. Years later, I still love this formula and the handy pencil-like packaging. Expand Close Clinique Chubby Stick / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Clinique Chubby Stick ... something new Charlotte Tilbury is a machine when it comes to product launches; you can barely look away and shes got something new to show you. The latest is her Hyaluronic Happikiss collection a range of lip products that deliver a glossy finish without any stickiness. These lipstick/lip balm hybrids (32) are perfect for our current lifestyles, where masks mean we desperately need hydration on our lips but also could do with the boost of a bit of colour. They come in 10 shades and are available now. Expand Close Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Police responded to 31W Insulation, 3211 N Orchard Knob Ave. The manager of the business said that when he arrived that morning at work he learned that someone had stolen 10 catalytic converter out of his trucks that were parked in the parking lot. After reviewing the surveillance video, he learned that the incident happened this past Sunday in the early morning. At approximately 5:45 a.m. the surveillance camera system showed a man arriving in a small, light-colored Kia Soul-type vehicle. The man then parked down on N. Orchard Knob, away from the business, and walked towards the parking lot. The man was described as possibly 5'7" with a slim build, wearing a light colored sweater and dark pants. He was then seen going through all the trucks parked and stealing 10 catalytic converters. He had a chain saw and in the process of stealing the catalytic converters, he vandalized the vehicles, costing the 31W Insulation business a loss of approximately $10,000. The video surveillance system shows that the man spent about 30 minutes in the parking lot of 31W Insulation and left the scene in the same vehicle, heading south on North Orchard Knob. The manager said that this is the second time in two weeks that his business got hit by the same type of theft. * * * The owner of Workman and Wilson Towing, 500 Workman Road, called police and said that morning he noticed that 10 catalytic converters and four radiators had been stolen from various vehicles in his open lot. He had no suspect information. * * * An employee of AT&T, 7339 Lee Hwy., told police that when he came into work that morning he started up two vehicles and they were very loud. When he went to check on why they were so loud, he noticed that both vehicles had the catalytic converters cut and stolen. * * * A woman called police near Station Street/Rossville Avenues. The woman said she was talking to her mother on the phone around 10:30 a.m. when she opened her car door to see a bullet projectile on the ground near her feet. Police took possession of the bullet projectile and turned it in to CPD property division. * * * A man on S. Willow Street told officers that someone stole the sticker to his vehicle tag. The man said that he came outside to go somewhere and noticed that his tag looked "off" and as he got up close to it, he noticed the sticker to his tag was not on the tag anymore. The man had no suspect information. * * * A man on Mountain Creek Road told police that sometime during the night his Tennessee license plate was stolen from his vehicle. The plate was listed into NCIC. * * * Police responded to a woman who called them from E. 35th Street. She said a truck was following her and possibly tried to hit her. She said she knew the driver, but did not want to press any charges. The woman called for a ride to pick her up and take her home safely. * * * An employee of Chambliss Center for Children, 315 Gillespie Road, told police that someone had damaged the sign and fence in front of the business center. He said that it had to have happened sometime over the weekend, but was not exactly sure when. Police observed damage to the fence, concrete wall and sign for the center. It appeared as if a vehicle had driven through the fence and hit the sign and wall. * * * A man told police he found a brown wallet on the ground at Hamilton Place Mall, 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. Police took the wallet to property. Police did not contact the owner identified in the wallet because there was no phone number available. * * * Police were called to help resolve a dispute on Wilcox Boulevard between two men. The first man owed the second man $1,868. The first man paid $600 and agreed to pay the remaining $1,268 to the second man over the next three months. Both men were in agreement. * * * A woman living on Victory Street told police that she and her boyfriend had gotten into an argument and she wanted him to leave. The boyfriend refused to leave when she asked, however when officers asked him to leave he got most of his belongings and left. He did not live at the residence. * * * A disorder was reported at an apartment on Hollyberry Lane. A woman told police she was concerned because her mother's ex-boyfriend was knocking on the door, however they did not want to speak to officers. Police confronted the ex-boyfriend, who declined to give any personal information and was very uncooperative. The man began to take his clothes off and fled the area on foot, running towards Manor Road. Police searched the area, but did not locate the man. * * * While patrolling McCallie Avenue, officers saw a suspicious person at the picnic area by Frost Stadium. This area normally does not have any people here and it is private property. Officers told the man to leave the area and that he should not return. The man agreed and left the area. * * * Police made contact with a man on Gunbarrel Road who said he had recently been released from Silverdale Jail and requested assistance contacting his father to pick him up. Police attempted to make contact with the man's father by phone. The father did not answer, so police left a voicemail stating the man's request. * * * A man on Chestnut Street told officers that he had his locked vehicle broken into and a cell phone (black iPhone 10) stolen. The vehicle was entered by someone using the blunt end of a saw, which was left at the scene, to bust the front windshield over the steering wheel. * * * A man on Sleepy Hollow Road told police that his unlocked vehicle was unlawfully entered and an item was taken. The pilfered item was a tan Glock 42 pistol chambered in .380acp. The man provided the serial number of the gun. No damage was done to the vehicle, and no suspect information is known. * * * An employee at Enterprise, 5912 Lee Hwy., called police and said that a firearm was left in a returned vehicle. He said the firearm was located in the center console of the vehicle, wrapped in clothing. The firearm was run in NCIC and nothing was located. The last person to rent the vehicle was described and his name was given to police. The firearm was turned into property. * * * The owner of The Grande Salon, 6343 E Brainerd Road, told police she found two abandoned bags on the back of her property and she wanted police to check them out. Police looked through the bags, which appeared to belong to a homeless person. The owner said she was going to put the belongings in a white trash bag and leave them out for the owner to take if they came back, but that she would dispose of them the next day if they were not removed. Police told her it was her property and she could do what she wished. * * * A woman called police to report a road rage incident. She said she was driving south on I-75 when suddenly an all black 4-door sedan with tinted windows pulled up beside her vehicle "flipping her off" and throwing water on her car from a water bottle. She said the vehicle occupants then threw a full water bottle at her vehicle. She said she slowed down to get away from the vehicle and also managed to get the tag number, which she believed was an Arkansas tag. Police were unable to get any return on it. * * * A man told police that someone stole a blue Miller welder worth $3,500 from a job site at 5062 Hunter Road. The man said the welder was locked up and someone cut the lock off a box to take it. The man said he works for Galloway Chemicals and the tool belongs to them. Australia's tropical marine research agency is turbocharging facial recognition technology to analyse coral reef survey photos in a bid to keep pace with the rapid change in the threatened environments. Data from the images could one day help researchers around the globe better understand the impact of climate change and other human activity on ecosystems, including the Great Barrier Reef. Each year, scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science collect hundreds of thousands of underwater survey images of coral reefs for later study. But many reefs were changing so fast, scientists could not keep pace using traditional hands-on analysis techniques, which are very time-consuming. Hundreds of thousands of pictures are taken of the Great Barrier Reef (pictured off the coast of Cairns) but humans cannot process the images fast enough AIMS's solution to break the analysis bottleneck was to bring facial recognition technology into the marine conservation space. The technology classified images hundreds of times faster than humans could but even it has been outpaced by rapidly evolving marine environments. 'The changes are happening really quickly and they aren't just on one reef but across the world,' AIMS marine biologist Manuel Gonzalez Rivero told AAP. 'So the challenge was how can we fast track our way to documenting and understanding it to create a solid stream of data and knowledge. 'We quickly realised to get this fully operational and be efficient we'd need to bring in the big guns.' Coral bleaching (pictured) has become a major issue in Australia's word-renowned Great Barrier Reef AIMS teamed up with technology developers in Ireland who have helped to further develop the agency's ability to collect and analyse reef monitoring data. They are also helping AIMS move towards harnessing the processing power and storage of cloud computing to beef up the agency's artificial intelligence capabilities. 'The rate at which we'll be able to generate knowledge will dramatically increase,' Dr Rivero said. 'Having the capacity to understand what is happening on the reefs will help us to be more agile and make better decisions about how to protect coral reefs.' Dr Rivero said researchers also hoped to start sharing that information with marine scientists in other countries, where many reefs are in much poorer health than those found along the Australian coast. 'Reefs around the world are working but many are critical and if we push them too hard they could collapse,' he said. 'Knowledge has to be shared across nations and organisations to make the most of it and better manage the consequences of our actions.' Vigano warns of 'doctrinal abuse' undermining Catholic Church teachings, Robert Moynihan says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The author of a new book about Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a whistleblower on the sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church, contends that in addition to the sex abuse scandal, a doctrinal abuse scandal also plagues the 2,000-year-old institution. Robert Moynihan, the editor of Inside the Vaticanmagazine, wrote a book last year titled, Finding Vigano: In Search of the Man Whose Testimony Shook the Church and the World.The book is based on conversations Moynihan had with Vigano, the Vaticans former ambassador to the United States, who has gone into hiding after publishing a letter accusing Pope Francis of covering for former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick despite the fact that he knew of the credible allegations of sexual abuse against him. In an interview with The Christian Post, Moynihan spoke about the state of the Catholic Church in the United States as well as his conversations with Vigano. When asked what part of his conversation with Vigano surprised him the most, Moynihan responded that it was the torment that he felt about whether or not to come forward with allegations. Instead of just speaking about abuse in the [Catholic] Church, the abuse of young people by clerics, he started to realize that there was another abuse occurring, which was the abuse of doctrine. A doctrinal abuse that is not teaching the Catholic faith but teaching a kind of secular faith, changing the teaching on life issues, on moral issues, on the sacramental issues, and even on the divinity of Christ, he remarked. And he said these modern thinkers are committing a new type of abuse: spiritual abuse. So Vigano, who began as someone who was a whistleblower on cases of sexual abuse, became a whistleblower on the entire question of whether the Church is faithful to the teaching of all time or whether its becoming modernist and in some ways is abandoning and apostatizing from the traditional Catholic faith. Moynihan described the election of President Joe Biden, a Catholic who supports abortion rights, as the latest development in the trend of compromising the Catholic faith in order to reconcile with the pluralistic society of the United States. According to Moynihan, this trend began in 1960 when John F. Kennedy successfully sought to become the first Catholic president. Kennedy had to stress that he was not an agent of the Vatican or of the pope and assure the public that he could be a reasonable leader in our country which included many non-Catholics, a majority of Protestants, many non-Christians, Jews (and) many atheists. Moynihan contended that he never would have been able, I think, to win the election unless he had indicated that he was a member of this American pluralistic society. While the Catholic Church had previously worked to respect and teach its doctrines with utter clarity, by guarding them in a high-walled castle, Moynihan maintained that the entire trend of the last 60 years has been to take down those walls, open the church up to the surrounding society, engage in dialogue with that society and then in the positive sense, hopefully influence that society in a positive way. Not remain separate from it or judgmental of it, but to be sort of a servant of that society. The point we preach now is that a Catholic president and some leading members of Congress can say that they, as Catholics, would believe that abortion is immoral, that its the taking of a life, of an innocent child, but then support the legality in the general society, in a pluralistic society, of permitting abortion. And theyre even promoting it in a sense, theyre making sure its well-funded, easily available, etc., he said. And therefore, theres become a ... sort of crisis in our thinking and action as Catholics, because some people are criticizing the obvious inconsistency with believing in the value of life but then accepting that you can take that life. Its a position that many people are taking, but it makes no moral sense and some of our bishops have said this recently. Moynihan told CP about how, after Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles had congratulated Biden on his victory in the 2020 presidential election while expressing concerns about his positions on abortion and the nature of the family, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago criticized him (Gomez) and said this is not the time or place for you to bring up any concerns about Bidens positions. Cupich represents the trend to compromise the Catholic teaching as part of a larger vision of engaging with the society. Recogniz[ing] that the whole society isnt Catholic and that the Catholic Church, in some cases, cannot impose its beliefs and teachings on others who dont have those beliefs and teachings, he asserted. Moynihan believes that on the issue of abortion, we have to say its Catholic teaching that we defend life and we cannot support this widespread openness to the taking of innocent human life. He lamented that there is a growing division within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church about how to address the abortion issue. While he praised Francis for saying strong things about the defense of human life and the dignity of human life, Moynihan acknowledged that hes (the pontiff) received many people and embraced many people who have been favorable to abortion so-called rights. This paradox raises questions about the pontiffs pro-life witness, he asserted. Archbishop Vigano has been outraged by this uncertainty and has said its something that he prays the pope will recognize and change, that he will repent of his lack of clarity his apparent lack of clarity on this issue, he added. The progressive Catholics may believe that they are being faithful to Christs teaching of love your neighbor and that they therefore have to reach out with love toward all people, sinful and sinning and imperfect people. 'So the key to the entire matter is to love the sinner but not the sin, and when we lead people in sin without encouraging them to repent, then we are being unfaithful to the teaching of the Church and to the people that we say we care about. Because in the battle for the life of the soul, we cannot affirm people in their sinful behavior, Moynihan added. We have to say we love them, that we encourage them to follow Catholic moral teaching, and this is the battle line up and down where the progressives seem not to wish to condemn the sin, not even to call it a sin. The conservatives call it a sin and theyre accused of not being compassionate and loving toward the sinner. Regarding the battle between the traditional Catholics and the progressives, Moynihan indicated that the progressives have the upper hand because of the influence of the mainstream media. I think this debate, because of the enormous power of the media in our society and the websites and the internet, the trend has been to change our teaching in the direction of the LGBT proponents. And I would say, probably were up to 70% even of Catholics who are accepting of many of these teachings, which when you examine them closely, are not in keeping with traditional Catholic teaching. While Vigano acknowledges the difficulties the Catholic Church faces, he is optimistic about its future, according to Moynihan. He is hopeful that by a special grace, a special sort of divine intervention, that we will return to sanity, that we will return to our faith, that we will repent of our wayward ways and that (by) doing so, we will strive to bring about a new age of faith and love of God and neighbor in the future and that it isnt impossible. Hes praying for this, he doesnt know for sure when it will occur, but hes praying; hes even praying for Pope Francis. Hes praying for everyone and for himself that we all strive to do the will of God and to remain faithful to the commandments of Christ. Dinesh Trivedi, who resigned as Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Rajya Sabha on Saturday said that it would be a privilege to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but added he wanted to settle down first. "I am very grateful to the BJP and its senior leaders, I was told they have said that I am welcome. It would be a privilege, no question about it. But, let me settle down," Trivedi said. "I have been unshackled...Today we have the best leadership at the Centre. The world is recognising," he was quoted by ANI as saying. He added that India was headed towards an era which will be called India's time. He further lauded India's digital innovation and investment opportunities. Explaining the reason for his resignation, Trivedi said, "...Yesterday morning, I had not thought that in the afternoon I would be resigning. But the process was there in the mind." Alleging that there was violence and corruption in West Bengal, Trivedi said that since the TMC was ruling in the state, he could not do anything about it "sitting here". "Either I set things right or try . I tired my best, but could not succeed," he said. He further stressed that "good" people were needed in politics, who did not consider it a profession. Trivedi said that when he condemned corruption and the attack on JP Nadda's convoy, the TMC condemned him. "Mamata Banerjee should know everybody should keep their head up. If there is an environment of violence, then there is fear. If there is fear, your head is not high," he said. After Minaris show of force at the SAGs, everythings coming up roses for the Korean-immigrant drama: The film heads to virtual cinemas this weekend boasting glowing reviews , a bushel full of Critics Choice nominations , and two spots on the Oscar shortlists . Is it a quiet threat to take Best Picture? Minari is the kind of emotionally potent contender that could do well on a preferential ballot, and its underdog status should shield it from the slings and arrows that inevitably beset early frontrunners. Down Judas and the Black Messiah With six or more nominees per category, the Critics Choice Awards are the participation trophy of Oscar season, so its usually more enlightening to see not who gets in, but who gets left out. Thats where Judas found itself this week, as the Black Panther drama couldnt crack a ten-nominee Best Picture category that found room for fellow bubble occupants News of the World and Sound of Metal. Can love from critics (well, most of them) power a late-season breakthrough, or will Shaka Kings film continue to be merely a Supporting Actor play? Actress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano, best known for playing the character Cara Dune on The Mandalorian, has been let go from the show because of controversial statements she has made on social media. The astrology behind this is pretty straightforward classic, even. The cultural forces behind this, though, take a little more explaining. (No matter what transits are happening, how they play out in your life depends on your individual birth chart. Write me with your date, time, and place of birth and Ill send you a copy and a free sneak preview!) Gina was born on April 16, 1982, at 5:30 PM, in Dallas, Texas. This puts her Midheaven at 9 degrees Cancer, and it is ruled by her Moon, which is at 1 degree Aquarius. Pressure has been building against her for months, all while transiting Saturn was in conjunction range of her Moon, and transiting Uranus was square it. Once again, the Saturn-Uranus square works its dark magic. Given that the Moon rules her Midheaven, and the Midheaven rules career, we should not be too surprised that something significant happened. This is especially the case when we consider that transiting Uranus is also opposite her natal Jupiter. Jupiter is the ruler of her Third House, which has a lot to do with how her mind works and how she communicates. However, the actual sociopolitical dynamics around her recently being let go from the Disney series are a little more complicated. This began all the way back in September, when she refused to list her pronouns on her Twitter bio. This particular cultural convention causes a lot of people some confusion. Personally? I have no particular urge to tell people that I am a he/him. But this in no way shape or form indicates that I am the least bit opposed to the rights of transgendered people: quite the opposite, in fact. Nonetheless, this provoked a segment of the public. Shortly after the last US election, she began repeating things that have since been disproven about the election being rigged. This too did not endear her to many. Despite significant criticism, she continued to stand by that opinion. On top of that, she has posted some things decrying mandatory mask-wearing because of COVID-19. So far we have some reasonably controversial stuff, but for me, nothing a person should lose their job over especially when it comes to acting. Actors (by definition) are different than the people they play on the screen. Did you think that Harrison Ford was really a space pilot or an archaeologist? Neither did I. Besides, every family has that one cousin who is always making trouble about politics at family gatherings. But then later it turned out she was liking various posts critical of the Black Lives Matter movement. The final straw came this week when Gina posted something comparing the way that Republican supporters are being treated by Democratic supporters to the way Nazi Germany treated the Jews. Okay. Now we have a problem. First of all, the vast majority of times you see something on social media comparing anything to Hitler and/or the Nazis, its hyperbolic nonsense. Do you like dogs? Hitler like dogs. Therefore if you like dogs youre just like Hitler! More importantly though, analogies like these do a tremendous disservice to history. And no, you being made to wear a mask in the grocery store because of a pandemic is not the same as the systematic genocide of an entire people. If you were looking for an astrological reason as to why this happened: Gina does have Mercury opposite Jupiter. This is not a combination that is particularly well known for its capacity to keep his mouth shut about controversial opinions. Personally, Im a huge fan of The Mandalorian, and I enjoyed her work on that series. But I more than understand why the Disney Corporation wants to disassociate itself from Gina Carano based on her public statements. Mostly though? Could we all just shut up with the stupid Hitler/Nazi analogies already? (More about astrology and cancel culture here, looking at the recent recent case of Marilyn Manson.) Want to know how to work with the current and future energy to get maximum benefit? Feel free to write me about it! CLICK HERE to find out how you can get a personalized, informative, life-changing consultation that will help you take charge of your life in the next year! CLICK HERE to join the OH MY STARS Facebook Fan Page, and get exclusive content, an additional discount on a reading, and more material on blog entries! British workers on South American oil rigs are lobbying the Government for an exemption from the new hotel quarantine rules because they will create 'unacceptable' working conditions. Stena Drilling, an Aberdeen-based drilling firm, has employees working on two drillships off the coast of Suriname and Guyana. Both are on the Government's red list of 33 high-risk Covid-19 countries, meaning from Monday the oil and gas workers must quarantine for ten days in a Government-approved hotel when they return to the UK. But Stena Drilling said its safety procedures are the industry's 'gold standard' and that if employees have to isolate for ten days in a hotel after spending ten weeks on a rig, they will only have two weeks' leave to spend with their families. 'Unacceptable': Stena Drilling said its safety procedures are the industry's 'gold standard' The firm's HR director Trish Craig has written to Business Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan asking her to add oil and gas workers to the list of exemptions from hotel quarantine to allow offshore crews to return directly home on arrival in the UK. She said: 'Having only two weeks at home in such a safety-critical industry will be unacceptable and will force us to close the operation down, which will put hundreds of jobs in jeopardy.' Stena Drilling has not had a single case of Covid on its rigs because its workers isolate for 14 days in a company-run quarantine at the Marriott Hotel at Heathrow before flying to South America, and take two PCR Covid tests before departure. Further strict procedures are in place for transport to and from the rigs on sanitised charter jets. Stena manager Nick Anders added: 'Sadly, these measures have resulted in our crews spending further time away from their home and families. We are deeply concerned that, if they have to spend even more time away, their mental health and wellbeing will suffer.' The oil and gas industry has been hit by a double whammy of low oil prices and a slump in demand due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Stena Drilling warned ongoing quarantine restrictions could lead to production shortages. The Government's list of exemptions includes lorry drivers travelling from Portugal, government contractors, border officials and foreign police extraditing people from Britain. Mahatma Gandhi once said, A nations greatness is measured by how it looks after its weakest members. As the long-awaited Mental Healthcare Bill is debated in the Rajya Sabha, it is interesting to consider the state of care in Bihar. Bihar has seen great leaps forward in recent years towards helping those in need, with a growth strategy which prioritises development. However, mental healthcare is one area where perhaps progress is being made at a slower pace. But why should we focus on mental health? Widespread stigma around mental illness may lead many to wonder whether there is a need for mental health care in Bihar at all. The answer is unequivocally yes. There is plenty of evidence to show that mental illness is common worldwide, and Bihar is no exception: as evidenced by the large numbers of people accessing existing services. But these services are limited. At present there is only one specialist hospital for mental health in the entire state, and amongst state health facilities only Medical College Hospitals provide mental healthcare. None of these hospitals provide any psychosocial therapies increasingly seen as the gold standard elsewhere in the world. Furthermore, medications prescribed are often unavailable at Medical College Hospitals so patients are required to purchase them from private pharmacies. To understand why this is so problematic it is important to understand what is meant by mental illness. Mental illnesses are wide-ranging: from those that are common such as depression, anxiety and addiction, to those that are more severe like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. They are thought to be caused by a combination of biological, social and psychological factors, therefore anyone can be affected. However episodes of mental illness can often be transient, and with appropriate care those affected can live normal lives. But due to the combination of possible causes, social and psychological interventions can be just as important as medication. Improvements in care are important because there is a vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty. Poverty is a significant social risk factor for mental illness, and those with mental illness are more likely to experience poverty due to problems such as unemployment. Many people with mental illness must travel extremely long distances every month, sometimes for many years, to access care. This is not only difficult due to the illness but also because of the cost. Understandably, it often leads to people stopping treatment early or not taking medications regularly. A common misconception is that care is unaffordable; in a state like Bihar there are limited resources so basic needs must be prioritised. Actually, a new model of health care is being developed, specifically to address this problem. Non-specialists are trained to provide care within communities, and only those who do not respond to conventional treatments or have a severe illness are referred to a specialist. To those keen on implementing the Western model of specialised care, this may seem concerning. However there is a vast amount of research, including a number of studies in India, to show that this is effective. In fact, this model is likely to be outlined in the new District Mental Health Plan. Furthermore, state provision of treatments may actually be cost-effective due to an increase in productivity of those receiving treatment. An NGO treatment programme for mental illness in Bihar demonstrated an improvement in employment status, reduced number of days out of employment due to illness, and reduced requirement of number of hours of care provided by a caregiver. Internationally India is considered a pioneer among low and middle income countries in identifying the importance of mental health. With the Mental Healthcare Bill announcing governmental responsibility to provide care, perhaps it is time that Bihar incorporates treatment of mental illness into its development strategy. The launch of the new District Mental Health Plan provides an ideal opportunity. And with special status, central government sponsorship will be increased substantially. The fate of thousands suffering due to difficulties in accessing care may be about to change. Prianka Padmanathan is a final year medical student from the United Kingdom who is doing a short student placement with BasicNeeds. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The animated feature film Wolfwalkers has put Castlemagner-born screenwriter Will Collins in line for a - virtual - red carpet night following the movie's nomination on the shortlist for this year's Golden Globe Awards. Now living in Donegal, Killavallig man Will is working at present on a screen adaptation of 'This Was Our Pact', an animated novel by Ryan Andrews which is getting its big screen opportunity with Peter Dinklage (Tyrion in 'Game of Thrones') as director. When contacted by The Corkman, the writer expressed delight that his work had secured the coveted nomination. "It's an absolute thrill to see the film getting such love from audiences and critics and now to be nominated for major awards is wonderful. "I'm delighted for the entire team who worked so hard on this since 2013. "It's given us all and our families a big lift after a universally awful 12 months we've been through." The nomination for a Golden Globe is not Will's first screenwriting success, as previous animated features he has penned for award winning animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, have also been nominated for major awards. These include Song of the Sea, which was nominated for an Oscar, and Angela's Christmas. The 78th Golden Globes will take place on February 28, and will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, two actresses well known for their comedy skills. Wolfwalkers, which was released on Apple TV+ before Christmas, will be screened in Irish cinemas when they eventually reopen. In a time of superstition and magic, the film tells the story of a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, who journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring forbidden lands, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumoured to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. And to tell any more would be to spoil the show - the magical movie is available on online platforms and is a world away from COVID. Police halted a taxiing plane just before it was due to take off from Heathrow Airport to arrest a man on suspicion of child abduction. Nottinghamshire Police said it received a report of a man taking a four-year-old without his mothers permission at 4.57pm on Thursday. Officers used intelligence and number plate recognition cameras to track a car to the London airport and used border checks to ascertain the suspect was booked on the Bucharest flight due to leave at 6pm. Detective Sergeant Ruth Walker, who is leading the investigation, said: When the report came in it was a race against the clock to find them. A 32-year-old man, who is known to the girl, has been arrested on suspicion of child abduction. The girl has been safely returned to her mother. Det Sgt Walker added: The plane was taxiing ready for take-off, but we were able to get there just in time before it took flight. The plane then returned to the terminal and the man was arrested. This was a hugely complex and challenging case, with its obvious pressures. The man was questioned by detectives on Friday and has been released on police bail, with conditions, pending further enquiries. maroke/Getty Images/iStockphoto As the 24-hour news loop marches on in 2021, everyone should be familiar with the need for school-age children to be on their home campuses for face-to-face instruction. We are now approaching an entire calendar year with trying to manage a global pandemic with a challenging environment for keeping our students engaged in learning. This isnt unique to MISD by any means, but there is a difference for our students when compared to other functioning school districts across the state of Texas. MISDs decline in academics started long before COVID-19; therefore, we will not accept COVID-19 slide as an excuse for not performing academically locally. We now have some visibility on possible solutions to turn our academic ship around. A couple of these are the hiring of a curriculum-focused superintendent and offering more opportunity for our struggling students -- with additional face-to-face instruction under trained and certified reading interventionists. The passage of House Bill 3 allows us to vote in an intersessional calendar, which would increase the days of school from 167 up to 197 for our struggling learners. This would offer much-needed help with our most struggling students twice per year. Having more time in the classroom with excellent teaching is something we should all be encouraging, but we should also make sure that the extended days are efficient and effective in giving our students the extra tools they currently need. In order to achieve this objective MISD needs to make sure and explain how the current daily interventions will tie into these specific biannual intervention days, along with; their overall strategic plan, how they will implement it, and how they will execute a successful result. Although HB3 allows for the rearrangement of calendars in Texas public schools, there are very specific requirements and criteria that must be met. We have asked district trustee Katie Joyner for the specifics via email and her response was; A response to The Impossibility of Dalit Studies by Ankit Kawade (EPW, 23 November 2019) points out that the possibility of living the life of the mind can be realised in Dalit studies itself if experience is posited as the necessary condition for theorisation. The necessity of theorisation in Dalit studies is slowly becoming the centre of focus in academia as against the earlier tendencies to reduce it into a sociological, historical or political discourse.1 However, Dalit studies is still largely viewed as the study of exclusionary practices, which fosters identity politics rather than contributing to theory. Ankit Kawades article, The Impossibility of Dalit Studies (EPW, 23 November 2019) also shares this belief regarding the nature of Dalit studies. The author argues that the introduction of Dalit studies in higher education institutes reveals the politics of inclusive exclusion by confining Dalits to the Dalit issues only. At the same time, they are denied the epistemic participation in the knowledge formation of other disciplines. Hence, Dalit studies has become the politics of exclusion rather than inclusion in the hands of Brahminical forces. The way out of this double bind, as the author calls it, is to facilitate the situation within the institutional spaces where a Dalit can move freely into the hegemonic spaces of disciplines appropriated by the Brahminical forces. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) An estimated 50-million worth of endangered giant clam shells up for "unlawful selling" were confiscated in an entrapment operation in Negros Oriental, the Philippine National Police said in a report on Saturday. The police said it found an inventory of clams or "taklobo" weighing more or less 10,000 kilograms. A certain Ricarido Santiana Dela Cruz, Jr. was arrested for selling a portion of the bundle for 5 million. Police also identified the owner of the endangered sea creatures to be Yan Hu Liang, alias "Sunny", who is still at large. Both alleged suspects will be charged with a violation of the Fisheries Code under Administrative Order 208 or "Conservation of rare, threatened and endangered fishery species". Representatives of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were also present during the arrest. WASHINGTON (AP) (UPDATED) -- Senators have resumed Donald Trumps impeachment trial without calling witnesses after agreeing to accept new information from a Republican congresswoman about his actions on the day of the deadly Capitol siege. After a delay of several hours, the trial is back on track with closing arguments and Saturdays session heading toward a vote on the verdict. Under the deal, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutlers statement on a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol was entered into the trial record as evidence. No further witnesses were called. Senators brought the proceedings to a standstill when a majority voted Saturday morning to consider potential witnesses. The information from Herrera Beutler sparked fresh interest on Trumps actions that day. Denton, TX (76205) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 75F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. (CNN) While scores of Capitol rioters flaunted their role in the January 6 attack, a growing number of insurrectionists are accused of covering their tracks by destroying cellphones, wiping social media posts and threatening witnesses. After the sugar high of storming the Capitol wore off, about 30 of the known rioters facing charges allegedly tried to destroy evidence or sanitize their social media profiles, according to a CNN review of FBI affidavits and court documents filed by the Justice Department. One man is accused of stealing a police officer's body camera and another told her kids to delete photos from their phones. Other rioters allegedly threatened family members who might turn them in or lied directly to FBI agents when asked about their actions in Washington, DC. Many of the attempted deletions do not seem to have thwarted investigators, who have been assisted in large part by the seemingly endless supply of video footage from the attack and tips from friends and associates of the rioters. Pictures and video taken by the rioters themselves are being used in court filings and by the House Democratic managers in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. The alleged attempts to interfere with the investigation could also lead to additional charges. "If the Justice Department has made a specific factual allegation in a court filing of any type, then you can bet they have that factual assertion amply backed up," said Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor. The Justice Department has charged more than 215 people in connection with the riots, with some of the newly filed cases in recent days appearing to involve more complex and serious crimes than simple trespassing. However, federal prosecutors haven't filed many obstruction of justice charges against Capitol riot defendants, though that could change as the investigation moves forward. Missing data and smashed phones Court documents indicate that the FBI has executed search warrants on the phones of many defendants, looking for additional photos, videos and evidence. But when FBI investigators went looking for some of the phones, they came up empty. This is what happened with Rachel Powell, who was charged with a myriad of crimes resulting from her alleged actions during the riot. When investigators were executing a search warrant at her home, prosecutors claimed they found a number of phones smashed. Prosecutors said that another alleged rioter, Joshua Black of Alabama, wiped parts of his phone after he returned home from Washington. "After being told by an acquaintance that he was wanted by the FBI, [Black] says that he deleted things from his phone, which had been with him at the Capitol," federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing last month, advocating that Black should remain in jail before his trial. Alleged rioter Tam Dinh Pham, a former Houston Police officer, had images on his phone, but not where the FBI first looked. The FBI searched Pham's phone and didn't initially find any images from his time in Washington. But then agents looked in the deleted photos folder, they discovered "pictures and videos that were readily identifiable as being of the interior of the Capitol building," according to an FBI affidavit. Sanitizing social media Although many rioters took to social media to tout their presence at the Capitol on January 6, some posts were removed days, in some cases hours, later as the nationwide manhunt for insurrectionists ramped up. When FBI investigators showed Kevin Lyons a photo he took during the riot and posted to Instagram, an affidavit says that he responded, "Wow, you are pretty good. That was up for only an hour." Lyons subsequently provided the FBI with photos from his phone. Investigators used screenshots of Anthony Mariotto's Facebook profile sent to them by a tipster because it had been, "recently deleted," according to court papers. One of the deleted photos showed a smiling Mariotto inside the Senate gallery, with the caption: "I'm in." One defendant, Joshua Lollar, was even aided by family, according to an FBI affidavit. "We cleaned off the post of you going into and inside the capital [sic] since they plan to prosecute everyone that was in there," Brenda Lollar, who the affidavit says appears to be his sister, wrote on his Facebook. She repeatedly made similar comments on his profile, saying, "Please get off Facebook or delete you in the capital [sic]," and, "You need to clean off your page." Lollar told investigators, according to the affidavit, that, "he had removed them from his Facebook page due to attention they were getting." Threats and lies The potential obstruction extended well beyond the digital realm, according to court papers. When FBI agents interviewed Diana Santos-Smith, she claimed he attended former President Donald Trump's rally outside the White House on January 6 but didn't enter the Capitol. But after FBI agents showed her a video of herself inside the building and moving toward the exits, she "then stated that she lied and that she was inside the Capitol," according to an FBI affidavit. Santos-Smith has been charged with three misdemeanors, including unlawful entry into a restricted building and disorderly conduct. She has not been charged with lying to the FBI. Other defendants allegedly threatened people who could turn them in. Guy Reffitt of Texas was charged with witness tampering after allegedly threatening members of his own family. Another man, Justin Stoll of Ohio, responded with violent rhetoric after social media users called him out for posting videos from the Capitol. He was charged with making threats and witness tampering. "If you ever in your f---ing existence did something to jeopardize taking me away from my family, you will absolutely meet your maker," Stoll allegedly said in a video responding to one poster, according to court documents. "You can play that for the (prosecutors) in court, I don't care." This story was first published on CNN.com "Capitol rioters boasted on social media. Now, they're scrambling to scrub phones and pictures" Canadian farmers, industry and governments should pay close heed to this weeks announcement that one of Canadas largest food processors has inked a deal to buy carbon credits from American farmers. Opinion Canadian farmers, industry and governments should pay close heed to this weeks announcement that one of Canadas largest food processors has inked a deal to buy carbon credits from American farmers. Maple Leaf Foods will pay $20 per metric tonne to U.S.-based Indigo Ag for carbon stored on American farms applying soil-building practices. It represents a new revenue stream for participating farmers, who in the past, would only have been compensated for yields. Its also a wake-up call for Canada to get organized around sustainability measures, or choke on the dust of its global competitors. Paying farmers to store carbon in their soil is, at least in theory, a win-win scenario. It allows companies to offset their emissions liabilities by supporting farmers who embrace practices that remove carbon from the atmosphere, and convert it over time into improved soil fertility and health. 'Canada doesn't have an integrated farm-to-fork story to tell that is backed up by proof points and validated globally so we can truly lay claim to our sustainability credentials' David McInnes While these concepts work well in theory, carbon-trading programs have been tough to implement because of the difficulty of measuring and monitoring. For example, what if a farmer eschews tillage, collects the credit and then decides for whatever reason to start tillage again? "The interesting thing about Indigo is that it has developed an innovative technology to measure and verify soil carbon," said Tim Faveri, Maple Leafs vice-president of sustainability and shared value. Describing it as new and game changing, Indigo relies on satellite photo imagery combined with sophisticated modelling to quantify and analyze the carbon stored. Another benefit is that its a private-sector initiative verified through credible agencies, and not subject to the whims of changing governments. "That makes it very simple, not only for farmers and producers but for buyers," he said. "Part of the challenges that I think personally Canada has to overcome is that we have a patchwork quilt of carbon pricing across this big massive country," he said. "If the conversation were going to be directed in any one way, it would be towards standardization, harmonization, of these programs so that farmers in Manitoba have equal opportunities as farmers in Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C. and Ontario, Quebec and everywhere across Canada." The new Biden administration in the U.S. has indicated it will tap its agricultural sector to not only help fight climate change but to increase global competitiveness. If successful, Canada could be left behind. Carbon is just one manifestation of the rising global interest in more sustainable food systems and finding new ways to trade on them. Companies such as Maple Leaf are redefining themselves. Its no longer iconic for its hot dogs and sandwich meat, its the "most sustainable protein company on earth." The Maple Leaf announcement comes on the heels of a new report that highlights the need for Canadas agri-food sector to do a better job of benchmarking, quantifying and promoting itself on sustainability questions. A coalition of 22 industry, government and non-government organizations including Maple Leaf is making the case for a Canadian Agri-Food Sustainability Index, which would cohesively track and tell Canadas story to the world. "Canada faces a changing global dynamic where countries are positioning themselves on sustainability and the irony is, that Canada is one of the safest and most sustainable, if not the most sustainable food producer anywhere," said David McInnes, an Ottawa consultant who works with the coalition. "And yet, other countries are laying claim to that medal." "Canada doesnt have an integrated farm-to-fork story to tell that is backed up by proof points and validated globally so we can truly lay claim to our sustainability credentials," he said. The coalitions report points out that global indices dont always reflect Canadas track record. While agriculture is blamed for 23 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Canadian agriculture only contributes eight per cent of Canadas total. "Does Canada want to be a leader or follower in this new food world? Presenting the countrys agri-food credentials and leveraging its insights is the opportunity," the report says. "Or, does Canada forego the value from doing so and defer to others from outside the country to largely shape its agri-food narrative?" Laura Rance is vice-president of Content for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@farmmedia.com News Washington, DC - A Ukrainian man was sentenced Thursday to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay $98,751.64 in restitution after pleading guilty to committing wire fraud, stemming from his participation in a scheme to launder funds for Eastern European cybercriminals who hacked into and stole funds from online bank accounts of U.S. businesses. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina and Special Agent in Charge Robert R. Wells of the FBIs Charlotte Division made the announcement. According the plea agreement and other court documents, from 2009 to 2012, Aleksandr Musienko, 38, of Odessa, Ukraine, partnered with Eastern European computer hackers to obtain over $3 million from U.S. victims bank accounts and launder the stolen funds from U.S. bank accounts overseas. Musienkos partners in the scheme hacked and stole information from victims in the United States and used that information to impersonate the victims. By deceiving the victims banks into believing that withdrawals from the victims accounts were requested by the victims, Musienko and others were able to steal large amounts of money from the victims accounts. Musienko was involved in recruiting, supervising, and directing a network of money mules, or individuals who transmitted funds, with American corporate and individual bank accounts that could receive the stolen funds and transmit it overseas. Musienko, using an alias, recruited American mules by advertising on employment websites that he was hiring a financial assistant. Musienko instructed the mules, who believed they were working for a legitimate business, that they were to assist clients transfer funds overseas. In September 2011, Musienkos partners in the scheme hacked into the online accounts of a North Carolina-based company and transferred a total of $296,278 to two bank accounts controlled by Musienkos mules. Musienko instructed the mules to wire the funds to several European bank accounts, although the companys bank detected the fraud and deducted $197,526.36 in stolen funds from one of the mules before it was wired overseas. Sealed charges were filed against Musienko in 2016 in the Western District of North Carolina. Musienko was arrested in South Korea in 2018 and extradited to the United States in 2019. In or about April 2019, the FBI searched Musienkos laptop and identified files containing approximately 120,000 payment card numbers and associated identifying information for persons other than Musienko. This case was investigated by the FBI. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs provided significant support with the defendants extradition and with obtaining evidence from South Korea. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings of the Western District of North Carolina, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips, now with the Middle District of Tennessee. WASHINGTON - The power had been cut, her phone was running out of battery, she couldn't find a gas mask, and her husband was propping his foot against the door as a group of insurrectionists on the other side chanted, "Kill the infidels." Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was under siege for more than an hour inside a room in the Capitol on Jan. 6, inches away from an "incredibly loud, angry, even jubilant mob outside our door," she recalled in a Friday interview with "PBS NewsHour." Murray was preparing for a debate on certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. Her husband of 49 years, Rob Murray, was with her in the Capitol. She texted her family that she was safe. Then chaos broke loose. "We heard loud explosions," Murray told anchor Judy Woodruff. "My husband yelled at me to get down. We were lying on the floor. And all of a sudden, they were in the hall, they were yelling. They were yelling that they had breached the castle. They were yelling, 'Kill the infidels.' " "We saw them there in one of these rooms, and they were pounding on our door and trying to open it. And my husband sat with his foot against the door, praying that it would not break in. I was not safe. It was a horrific feeling, and it lasted for a long time." Murray was crawling on the floor, trying to locate a gas mask, hoping she had locked the door her husband was guarding, she recalled. Many lawmakers have spoken out about their harrowing experiences and close encounters on Jan. 6, as a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop Biden's victory from becoming official. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has said she had a "very close encounter where I thought I was going to die," though she did not get into specifics for security reasons. Video first shown during former president Donald Trump's impeachment trial showed how Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was feet away from the mob when Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman ran into him and turned him away to safety. Murray, who was first elected in 1992 and is now the No. 3 Democrat in Senate leadership, said she was torn about speaking publicly about the fear she felt because she didn't want the insurrectionists "to ever feel that they had instilled fear in me that kept me from doing what I needed to do." But in the end, she said, democracy is at stake. "You show your fear is overcome by strength, by speaking out and speaking against what happened in the Capitol," she said on PBS. "That's what I want for my country. That's what I want from my grandkids." New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. BANGKOK (Reuters) - Youth activists protesting against laws forbidding insult to Thailand's powerful king briefly clashed with police on Saturday after draping Bangkok's Democracy Monument in red cloth. Protesters threw paint at police and several small bangs were heard during a standoff near a city shrine after the demonstration had moved from Democracy Monument and the main leaders had called for it to disperse. Activists said the red cloth on the monument represented the blood of fighters for democracy. Police deputy spokesman Kissana Pattanacharoen said more than 20 police officers were injured in the clashes and seven or eight people were detained for questioning. He also said at least one firecracker exploded at the scene. The demonstration was in reaction to this week's arrests of four leading protest figures under charges of insulting the monarchy in mass anti-government demonstrations last year. The "lese majeste" law, contained in Article 112 of Thailand's criminal code, carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison. Student activists say the law has been abused for decades to crush political opposition to a military-royalist establishment. "We want Article 112 to be revoked plus the release of four of our leaders and other political prisoners convicted by this law," said protester Chutima Kaenpetch, 24. The government led by former military junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha denies any abuse of the law, saying political opposition is allowed but breaking the law by insulting the king will be punished. Thailand is officially a constitutional monarchy, but the king is held in special esteem by conservative Thai culture that portrays him as the protector of the Buddhist religion and the nation. The student movement that emerged last year smashed long-held taboos by openly criticising King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who they say has amassed too much personal power since taking the throne after the death of his father in 2016. The Royal Palace has declined to directly comment on the protests, but Prayuth and government officials have said that criticism of the king is unlawful and inappropriate. (Reporting by Bangkok bureau; Editing by Frances Kerry) Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy has emphasised the need to offer COVID-19 vaccine to peacekeepers, particularly those at high risk. Female medical workers of Vietnam's first level-2 field hospital leave for its mission in South Sudan (October 15, 2018). (Photo: VNA) He underlined the responsibility and role of host countries as well as the importance of close coordination between UN missions and the host countries in ensuring security and safety for peacekeepers and the COVID-19 vaccination for them during an informal discussion on the Initiative on Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) and COVID-19 vaccine on February 12. The Ambassador said Vietnam is committed to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations and efforts towards improving peacekeeping effectiveness. Quy called on the international community to provide suitable resources to fulfill political commitments, strengthen partnership between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations, promote womens empowerment and participation, and ensure security and safety for peacekeepers. The discussion was co-chaired by the Republic of Korea, Ethiopia and Norway with the UNs Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Martha Helena Lopez and more than 50 ambassadors and deputy ambassadors of UN member states in attendance. The A4P was initiated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres on March 28, 2018 to strengthen peacekeeping by spurring collective action by all peacekeeping stakeholders and foster political commitments to peacekeeping. The initiative includes a set of 45 mutually-agreed commitments endorsed by more than 150 member states across eight areas. VNA Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Pennsylvania is in the midst of a frustrating vaccine rollout, and that might put it lightly. This has primarily been driven by a short supply of the vaccine overall. Making matters worse, however, has been the states patchwork system for finding and getting shots, which has been a major source of public complaint. Hanging over all of this is the continued news about emerging coronavirus variants, shifting mask recommendations, and what it all means for living our lives. On Thursday, Spotlight PA held a live reader Q&A event with health experts and advocates from across the state to address some of the most pressing questions. Weve collected a few of the most frequently asked questions, and helpful information, below. If you learned something from this public-service story, pay it forward and support Spotlight PA so someone else can benefit tomorrow. How can people get a vaccine appointment? Many people have expressed frustration over the process of finding and booking a vaccine appointment. In Pennsylvania, you can find vaccine providers by checking Spotlight PAs provider map, or, if you hate the map, weve created a county-by-county text listing instead. Using this information, you can contact providers directly about appointment and vaccine availability. The state does not have a centralized vaccine sign-up system, like some other states. (More on that here.) Contacting a provider through the map or listings doesnt guarantee youll be able to successfully book an appointment: Limited supply has been a significant challenge for all states in the U.S., which are allocated doses from the federal government based on population. And with the first phase of vaccine eligibility, 1A, now expanded to adults 65 and older and those 16-64 with select health conditions, there is way more demand for the shot than availability. Thats where we really started seeing the struggle to get folks signed up and to access the vaccine, said Eric Kiehl, director of Policy & Partnership at Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, during a live Spotlight PA reader Q&A held Thursday on the vaccine and coronavirus variants. While the state is starting to see an increase in incoming doses, Kiehl said, it still is going to take a long time to get to start vaccinating folks to meet that 3.5 million number in that 1A area. What about those who are elderly, or who do not have access to the internet? Is the state doing anything to help this population find and make vaccine appointments? In a Thursday news conference, Gov. Tom Wolf and Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres announced that local agencies for the aging in the state are working closely with health systems to help seniors find appointments. Pennsylvanias older adults have faced many challenges throughout this pandemic, and we recognize the current frustration and anxiety older adults are experiencing as they await an open appointment for vaccine or attempt to locate one, Torres said. Area agencies on aging there are 52 of them, and you can find the closest one to you here can help seniors schedule appointments through local hospital health systems, officials said. Butler Countys agency on aging, Torres said, has helped over 1,200 adults get appointments and arranges transportation when needed. One of the reasons this works is that the agency is informed by the health system on how much vaccine is allocated for older adults on a weekly basis and are updated on a daily basis if appointments open up that they can take advantage of, Torres said. What efforts are being made so that people who do not speak English will have access to the vaccine? Despite the fact that an estimated 11% of the state roughly 1.4 million Pennsylvanians are not English speakers, most vaccine information on the Department of Health site is also only available in English. The Department of Health acknowledges that it has not done targeted outreach to these communities on the vaccine, but a spokesperson said it is working to roll out multilingual materials for vaccine seekers. In the absence of that, community groups that serve those who dont speak English in the state said they have been fielding vaccine-related questions as much as possible, but that misinformation and lack of trust in officials are key issues. Experts at Spotlight PAs reader Q&A acknowledged these challenges and encouraged those who are hesitant about the vaccine to reach out to trusted sources for information. I think that all of us are responsible consumers in one way or another, whether were buying a new iPhone at Best Buy or whether were buying a television, said George Fernandez, founder and chief executive of Latino Connection, a communications firm that works with organizations that serve Spanish-speaking communities in Pennsylvania. We ask questions and I think its extremely imperative that we ask questions of those that we trust the most. Based upon the way that you feel after you have those discussions with those sources that you trust the most, you make that decision on your own, Fernandez added. What is a variant? What do we know about the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines effectiveness with the variant strains that now exist? Viruses are very sloppy when they make new copies of themselves, said Dr. Frederic Bushman, a professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine. As they replicate, mistakes are common, and some of those mistakes change the genetic material of the virus, Bushman said. And with millions of people infected around the world, and millions of viral particles inside each person, theres really a lot of virus out there, total, Bushman said. With all this change, if there arises a new variant thats more infectible, it can readily expand in the population and displace the other strains that are there, he said. Thats what people are concerned about, that there are new variants arising that are better able to replicate inside people. This is true of the variant that emerged in the U.K. (which has been spreading here in Pennsylvania), officially known as B.1.1.7. But there are others, including the South African variant, or B.1.351. Are you more harmed by infection with these new variants? So far theres not strong evidence maybe a little bit of suggestion but they seem to be maybe about the same, Bushman said. Clinical trials have yet to show whether the existing vaccines can curb the spread of all COVID-19 variants, STAT, a health and science publication, reported last week. A local variant has been found in a vaccinated person, too, Bushman said, which looks like maybe it did evolve to elude the vaccine at least a little. Its important to also note that variants are not new phenomena. Were used to the idea that viruses change regularly, Bushman said. With influenza, we have to get a new flu shot every year and thats because flu has changed. Jill Johnson adminsters the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Ken Bittner, a medical transporter with UPMC Pinnacle Community LifeTeam. UPMC frontline workers receive the first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg hospital, December 18, 2020. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Can you still be a carrier and expose someone else to the SARS-CoV-2 virus even after being vaccinated? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still urging those who have been vaccinated (partially or fully) to continue wearing masks and social distancing. Not enough information is currently available to say if or when CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, the agency says on its website. Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide in real-world conditions before making that decision. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision. We also dont yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you dont get sick yourself. When will the next phase of vaccination in Pa. start? And who is eligible? Department of Health officials have said in recent news conferences that they are not sure when Phase 1B will start. Right now, the phase includes those in other group living settings and front-line workers, including first responders, grocery workers, education workers, and those in transit, manufacturing, food and agriculture, and more. Members of those groups who do have high-risk conditions like cancer, diabetes, or heart conditions are eligible to be vaccinated now in Phase 1A. The full list of conditions, and more information on the states phased approach, are available here on the Department of Health website. Why is Pennsylvania performing so poorly? Virtually every state is struggling with the same problems as Pennsylvania. Even in Alaska the best-performing state, according to an analysis from the New York Times just 16% of the population has received at least one shot. (Pennsylvania has administered first doses to 9.5% of its population, tying with Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, and Indiana, as of Friday morning.) The main challenge: Supply from allocation to when doses arrive is not something determined by the states, but by the federal government, which can also change its guidance around who should be eligible at any point. In a Thursday afternoon news conference, Wolf acknowledged that Pennsylvania could be doing a better job with its vaccine distribution process. Were all constrained by the lack of supply, Wolf said. Even if we were doing a perfect job which we are not we still dont have enough vaccines. Pennsylvania is also unique in the high number of older adults living here, Wolf said, and the number of people eligible for the first vaccination phase is higher than the populations of some states, he adds. We still need to make better progress, Wolf said. We need to do better to make sure that we get this rollout of vaccines as efficiently, fairly, and effectively as we possibly can. Whats the states plan for mass vaccine clinics? The state government has not yet held mass vaccine clinics, but officials are working on this, the governor said Thursday. The mass vaccination sites are part of any plan, Wolf said. The initial step was to work with the federal program and get these out to long-term care facilities, nursing homes, front-line health-care workers and move through that over 4 million people, plus those who are 65 and older as quickly as possible. Tomorrow we are having a bipartisan legislative vaccine task force that will be meeting on a regular basis to try and figure out how we can do a better job, the governor added. Officials and lawmakers will be working with consultants and some in the private sector on the effort. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Become a member today at spotlightpa.org/donate. More from PennLive Pa. will weed out slow COVID-19 vaccine providers, also require phone scheduling CDC issues road map for how to safely reopen schools Addressing 11 common concerns about COVID-19 vaccines: Q&A Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Washington: Donald Trumps legal team had three tasks to achieve in their opening arguments at the former presidents Senate impeachment trial. Firstly, to improve on their shambolic and widely mocked performance on the trials opening day. Secondly, to present a defence of Trump that would please both their client and his supporters watching at home on television. And thirdly, to ensure that at least 34 of the 50 Republicans in the US Senate feel comfortable voting to acquit Trump on the charge of inciting the January 6 riot at the Capitol. They likely succeeded on all three counts. If youre interested in protecting public health, you dont put the S.C. Commerce Department in charge of deciding which large events can be held in the middle of a pandemic; you put public health officials in charge. So weve long stopped being surprised at what South Carolinas industry-recruitment agency allows. And in fairness to the department, the sponsors of last months Alice Rave Wonderland Festival didnt identify the event as a rave when they applied for permission to host a gathering of 500 people at the North Charleston Embassy Suites hotel. They left off the name, called it a Community Fairy Tale Concert, and said they would hold the safely socially distanced concert in a space designed for 2,500 people. That doesnt sound terribly unreasonable assuming those 500 people spread out over the space built for 2,500 people, and keep their masks on. But of course thats not what people do during a rave. (If you want the perfect illustration of what people shouldnt be doing during a pandemic, just google rave.) And its not what they did during this one. A North Charleston spokesman pointed to pictures from the Jan. 30 event and told The Post and Couriers Kalyn Oyer, I havent seen an image like that since before the pandemic. Its very concerning. Concerning indeed. What might be even more concerning is the way North Charleston responded to the superspreader wannabe: by doing nothing. City spokesman Ryan Johnson said the city refused to host the event at the Charleston Area Convention Center and we commend officials on that decision. But he said that once it moved to the hotel, the city couldnt do anything. That is simply untrue and yet another example of local government officials refusing to use the powers they have to keep our communities safe. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! As we have pointed out numerous times, S.C. Code Section 16-7-10(1)(b) says that during a state of emergency, its illegal for people to congregate, unless authorized or in their homes, in groups of three or more and to refuse to disperse upon order of a law enforcement officer. The key here is an officer ordering them to disperse. And the governors emergency declaration actually orders state and local police to use that law if they determine that any such congregation or gathering of people poses, or could pose, a threat to public health. If 500 maskless people slammed together on a dance floor while COVID-19 rages through the community isnt a gathering that poses, or could pose, a threat to public health, we dont know what is. That means that North Charleston police not only had the authority but were under orders from Gov. Henry McMaster to break up the rave. And they didnt. Worse, there were off-duty police officers at the event being paid by the sponsor to provide security, but Deputy Police Chief Scott Deckard told Ms. Oyer that enforcing COVID-19 restrictions was the promoters responsibility. We understand theres a big difference with this analogy, but thats legally the same as saying city police officers working off duty cant arrest someone they see shooting another person. Of course they can. And its their duty to do so. If an event organizer insists that off-duty police not enforce the law, then the police department shouldnt allow its officers to provide security at that event. We suspect that most police departments would behave the same way North Charlestons did in a similar situation. But that doesnt mean its OK. It means that most police departments in our state need to start using the tools the governor gave them and ordered them to use to help protect us from a virus that is killing our most vulnerable neighbors, robbing our children of the education they need, assaulting our economy and disrupting all of our lives because selfish people refuse to behave responsibly. Front-line health workers, ports of entry officials and funeral parlour workers will be among the first to be vaccinated for Covid-19 when the doses arrive in the country on Monday as expected, ahead of the countrys largest ever vaccination programme. According to a schedule released yesterday, the Government has finalised the inoculation plan ahead of the arrival of the first jabs. The chronically ill, the elderly, prisoners and those living in refugee camps will also be prioritised as well as staff at all schools. The training of those who will administer the vaccines is ongoing and is set to be completed before the arrival of the jabs from China. Experts are being prepared to inoculate the nation against the virus that has threatened health populations across the globe. Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro announced the immunisation plan urging those who will be vaccinated to continue adhering to Covod-19 prevention protocols. The first batch of vaccines is expected to arrive in the country on the 15th of February 2021 from China and the vaccines will immediately be distributed to all provinces and districts across the country. May I assure you that we have adequate cold chain equipment to maintain the vaccines in their potent state up to the point of use. The role of the supply chain is to ensure effective vaccine storage, handling, and stock management, rigorous temperature control in the cold chain and maintenance of adequate logistics management information systems. Zimbabwe was also in advanced negotiations to acquire the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, as well as pursuing global and regional facilities to secure more vaccines to cover all eligible people. Dr Mangwiro said on arrival the jabs will be taken to central vaccine stores where they will follow the distribution chain to 10 provincial vaccine stores, 63 district vaccine stores and more than 1 800 service delivery health facilities such as clinic vaccine stores as well as rural health centres. The inoculation will take three phases namely, demographic data collection, blood test for antibodies and swab- a sample will be required to determine the potency and the vaccination, the delicate process is being done to monitor and track any side effects. However, Sinopharm vaccines from China have proved to be safe in clinical trials with efficacy rates ranging from 76 to 86 percent and are being used by other countries in controlling Covid-19. The jabs will be administered at fixed facilities and mobile outreaches and assured the health workers will be ready in time to administer the jabs. The Ministry has already started training all health workers who will be involved in the vaccination programme and training will be completed soon in time for the planned roll out. Dr Mangwiro said policies, guidelines and systems for the management of Adverse Events Following (AEFI) Immunisation are already in place and our health workers will be on high alert to identify, report and manage any if they occur. He said sensitisation of frontline workers has already begun for them to take up the vaccine to protect themselves. The vaccination programme in Zimbabwe will be conducted in a phased manner. The first phase is for the high risk component of the population and is made up of two stages. Stage 1 will target frontline workers at significantly high risk of Covid-19. These include health workers, ports of entry personnel ZIMRA, immigration, customs, funeral parlour, security personnel and village health workers. Stage 2 will target those with chronic illnesses, the elderly aged 60 years and above, inmates and prison population and others in confined settlements including refugee camps. The second phase will cater for lectures, all schools staff and other staff at medium risk depending on the epidemiological picture of the disease. The third phase will target those at relatively low risk until everyone is covered Herald Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Shouldn't the Democrats be in the catbird seat? After all, they've "won" the election, including the House, the Senate, and the White House. Apparently, the country was just itching to become another California. And the courts, the big state, Hollywood, and the press are all on their side. But somehow, even with President Trump silenced, impeached, and out of power, things aren't going so good for Democrats. Impeachment is failing. The verdict will likely come today. Their aim was "political vengeance," as Trump's attorney said Friday, and the bid fell flat. Their spin, and lies, and low-grade informercial for themselves in this Senate impeachment trial persuaded no one. And their bigger aim, which was keeping President Trump from running for office, same as third-world dictators do to their opponents, backfired. Not only are they likely to see Trump again in 2024, but their vile efforts to shut him down have come back to bite them. Trump's stature has risen from this attempted railroading, so the effort was a bust. It gets worse. Now two of their fairest-haired boys, their pride and joy, the governors billed as the future of their party, are both going down like the Titanic. First, New York's Emmy Awardwinning COVID governor, Andrew Cuomo, who not too long ago was hailed as presidential material. Even the New York Times is covering it: ALBANY, N.Y. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his administration faced new allegations on Friday that they had covered up the scope of the coronavirus death toll in New York's nursing homes, after a top aide to the governor admitted that the state had withheld data because it feared an investigation by the Trump Justice Department. The remarks by the top aide, Melissa DeRosa, made in what was supposed to be a private conference call with Democratic lawmakers, came as a cascading series of news reports and a court order have left Mr. Cuomo, a third-term Democrat, scrambling to contain the political fallout over his oversight of nursing homes, where more than 13,000 people have died in the pandemic in the state. And as the cherry on top, his previously fawning media allies are now calling him a "mini-Trump." He's finished. The other one who's a goner is California's Gov. Gavin Newsom: LOS ANGELES (KABC) Organizers of an effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom from office say they have hit a major milestone in their efforts to get the measure on the ballot. RecallGavin2020 leaders say they have collected 1.5 million signatures, hitting the minimum number needed to get on the ballot. They plan to continue circulating petitions through the March 17 deadline as there are always a number of signatures that get disqualified upon review by elections officials. That's quite a fall, given that not too long ago, he was declaring himself the leader of a "nation-state." He was seen as an easy presidential contender. He was given a prime speaking slot at the 2020 Democratic convention when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got a couple of minutes. He skipped the chance to take an easy Senate seat, sure he had nothin to worry about. Now with a recall, all he's got is Joe Biden supporting him and the counterindicative FiveThirtyEight saying he will "probably survive it." That's some endorsement. Others are falling apart, too the largely Democrat-funded astroturf job, known as the Lincoln Project, is going into meltdown, the rats fleeing a sinking ship. Here's the Politico headline: "The Lincoln Project implodes amid infighting and scandal." Following the reports of unwanted sexual advances on young male staffers from co-founder John Weaver, the other co-founder, Steve Schmidt, has bailed out. Who knew what when is one set of questions still out there. And the finances of the group, which largely went to founder consultancies, is another blooming scandal. Longtime associates such as Meghan McCain are desperately, and none too successfully, trying to distance themselves from this group. McCain claimed on Twitter that her father, John McCain, despised Steve Schmidt, and Twitter posted pictures of his praises. It's not working for Meghan, and apparently she and hers were in too deep. The money they have coming in now seems to be because longtime donors are afraid not to donate because they fear "retribution." What could be the meaning of this string of collapses for the Democrats with all of this bad news for them rolling out? The bottom line about election 2020 is that it was won by fraud. And from fraud, a lot of problems that would naturally go away simply come back bigger. It's as though Aeschylus's Eumenides, the fearsome Furies who take rough justice on those who have broken their oaths, have returned to take their toll. Mythology Source says: The three Furies focused on very specific crimes against both men and natural law. Natural law, as the Greeks defined it, were the dictates of the gods and included rules governing hospitality and familial loyalty. Thus the Erinyes punished murderers, but they also punished those who betrayed their families. Violation of the mores of hospitality could call down the Erinyes, as could the abuse of supplicants by a ruler or priest. The Erinyes were also particularly concerned with those who violated oaths. A swore oath, particularly one in the name of a god, was a sacred vow and the breaking of it was an offense against the gods themselves. The Furies would hunt down those who broke these laws until they died, either from their own tortures or by another means. But death did not mean one was free of the fury of the Erinyes. Anyone who had been a victim of injustice could invoke them to come down. Like, I don't know, maybe President Trump. Sound like something he would do? I think so. It will be interesting what Victor Davis Hanson has to say about this. In the meantime, while conservatives are beleaguered, the Democrats are crashing down. Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. The aisle was a lane and the altar a window at a Dunkin drive-through as Selena Stallmer and Brian Dinsmore said I do Friday afternoon. The couple won the statewide Dunkin "Marriage is on the Menu" contest and wed at the doughnut shops newest New York state location in Middletown, Orange County. Guide: Everything you need to plan your wedding in the Capital Region After Stallmer worked for a few hours in the morning at her job as a direct support professional helping people with disabilities, the couple cruised down the Thruway in her Honda Civic, swung by the carwash in town and headed over to their wedding. Once at the doughnut shop, they wore matching Dunkin masks. He sported a bow tie with the restaurants logo and a sweet boutonniere made from a munchkin. Her delicious bouquet was crafted of -- you guessed it -- doughnuts. After ordering a wedding at the drive-through, the nuptials were officiated by Eric Strauss with I Do Drive Thru Weddings, a company that offers elopement-style ceremonies, wherever you like, according to their website. The duo did a little post-wedding toast with doughnuts (of course). Stallmers was cupid's choice -- a heart-shaped doughnut filled with bavarian cream and topped with strawberry frosting. A heart-shaped brownie batter doughnut stood in as Dinsmores toasting tool. They then posed for photos and headed back to their home in Niskayuna with a box of custom treats in the backseat -- doughnuts with the couples engagement photo printed on top. We had such a fun time. We never ate breakfast or lunch so we're gonna head out to dinner now, said Stallmar as she pulled in her driveway just before 7 p.m. Friday to change out of her wedding dress for their reservation at Delmonicos Italian Steakhouse. That'll be our little celebration. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 09:44:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday said that more than 90 illegal migrants have been rescued off Libyan coast. "93 persons were brought back to Libya overnight by Libyan Coast Guard," the UNHCR tweeted. "Our teams were at the disembarkation point to provide urgent medical aid and humanitarian assistance to all survivors," said the UN agency. Due to insecurity and chaos in the North African nation following the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, choose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe. The UNHCR added that 21 refugees were resettled this week from Libya to Canada with the support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). According to the IOM, more than 2,000 illegal migrants have been rescued off Libyan coast so far in 2021. Enditem Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. (Photo : Screenshot from YouTube/Paul's Hardware) Nvidia relaunches RTX 2060 and GTX 1050 GPU as graphic cards' shortage persist. It is only a rumor at first that Nvidia will be releasing its older graphic cards to keep up with the GPU shortage this year. Now, it was already confirmed that the RTX 2060 and GTX 1050 Ti will now be entering the market in hopes of sustaining the soaring demand of the GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards. Nvidia Brings Back the Old GPU models At the moment, people are having a lot of trouble in obtaining high-end cards, as the looming supply of GPUs is now in danger. Nvidia did not expect the rush of the demand and there has not enough time to replenish the remaining stocks. PC World senior editor Brad Chacos once a spokesperson from the computer systems design and services company about the truth behind the rumor of rewarming their older graphic cards. Nvidia responded that the company was just meeting the demand of the market which needs certain changes like "reviving" a past product. Furthermore, it is a smart move to cushion the demand between the new-gen and old-gen graphic cards since not all users can afford the high-end GPUs. There are still players who will settle for a cheaper and much affordable GPU which will just suffice for their gaming experience. If you are planning to buy RTX 2060 and GTX 1050 Ti, be mindful that their prices during their release are not anymore at par with their prices now. GTX 1050 Ti only cost $139 in 2016 yet its current price now shoots at $189. If you happen to negotiate with a third-party seller, the price will be around $250 and $800. The same thing goes with RTX 2060, which initially cost $349 in 2019. Expect that you will not get it cheaper without speaking to a third-party seller who will ask for a higher price. Newegg does not have 2060 stocks now, but if you are patient enough, visit their site regularly. Read Also: Buying Nvidia RTX 3080? Here's Why You Should Not Buy Yet The shortage of semiconductor chips has even caught the attention of President Joe Biden to make a move to combat the problem. According to The Verge, there is no assurance that Biden will succeed in his pursuit, but once he considers revising Donald Trump's 25 percent tariff on graphic cards, it could make a difference. To Buy Or Not? For beginners, it's fine to start with these graphic cards since computer requirements are still average. Considering the modern games, RTX 2060 and GTX 1050 Ti could lag behind their much-pricey counterpart since other games now have a real-time ray tracing support, Digital Trends noted. Another thing that you should jot down is that older GPUs do not have yet quality GDDR6 memory. It is a component that is reportedly running short in supplies that results in the shortage of high-end graphic cards. Moreover, when it comes to cryptocurrency mining, preferring the low-end models will not be suited for building mining rigs since the video RAM of the GTX 1050 Ti, for example, is substandard compared to RTX 3080 RAM of 10 GB. If you are rushing and you are in need to replace your graphic cards, there's no problem in buying RTX 2060 and GTX 1050 Ti. But, if your graphic cards are higher than those two, consider waiting for the restocks or continue using your current GPU at the moment until stocks come back to normal. Related Article: Nvidia RTX 3070 Stock: Where to Buy Nvidia 3070 in US, UK and Australia This article is owned by Tech Times. Written by Joen Coronel 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Under 'surveillance', claims Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra India oi-Deepika S Kolkata, Feb 13: Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra has alleged that she is "under surveillance" after three armed officers were deputed outside her house. Moitra has written to Delhi Police SN Shrivastava and the SHO of Barakhamba Road police station seeking withdrawal of the security forces allegedly deployed outside her home. The Krishnanagar MP claimed the station house officer (SHO) of Barakhamba Road police station visited her at her official residence in Delhi on Friday. She adds that soon after, around 10 pm on Friday, 3 BSF (Border Security Force) officers "armed with assault rifles had been deputed" outside her residence. "The conduct of these armed officers indicates that they are making notes of movements to and fro from my residence, it appears to me that I am under some sort of surveillance. I wish to remind you that Right of Privacy is a Fundamental Right, guaranteed to me, as a citizen of this country, under the Constitution of India, 1950," Mitra wrote in her letter. "Upon making inquiries, I was informed that the armed officers from Police Station Barakhamba Road for my protection, however, I being an ordinary citizen of this country, did neither ask or want any such protection. Therefore, you are kindly requested to withdraw these officers," she added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 18:53 [IST] The interest in birria, a regional Mexican stew often made with goat or beef, has skyrocketed thanks in part to social media. It will come as no surprise that this brothy, Tijuana-style birria de res, from the Los Angeles-based chef Josef Centeno, was our most-saved recipe of the week. If you have a long weekend ahead and are looking for a project, look no further. Tuck whatever leftover meat you have into quesabirria tacos, or use the residual consome as a base for birria ramen. Scroll through our collection of the 10 most popular NYT Cooking recipes this week for more delicious dishes. Papa died when Ruth was in high school, after working for years in the towns main industry, an auto plant. Everyone worked at the plant, and when it closed, many people, including Eli, were out of work and unable to find employment elsewhere. Ruths first stop home was at Mamas best friend Lenas small store, where she meets Lenas 11-year-old grandson, Midnight. Midnight has a severely disabled arm, which kids make fun of and leaves him out of most activities. Although Midnight is white, his only friends are a few of the Black kids in town. Midnights father also lost his job when the plant closed, and Midnight spends most of his time with Lena. Grandmas do the heavy lifting of raising their grandkids in this story. Ruth feels a kinship with Midnight, and they spend time together, something that raises eyebrows in the town. Meanwhile, Ruth confides in her best friend from high school about her son, and they join together to try and find him, even though Mama and Eli tell her to leave well enough alone. Residents and protesters face riot police as they question them about recent arrests made in Mandalay, Myanmar, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Daily rallies against the coup occurring in Myanmars two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay, enter its second week despite a ban on public gatherings of five or more. (AP Photo) Mass street demonstrations in Myanmar have entered a second week with neither protesters nor the military government showing any signs of backing off from confrontations. Protesters in Yangon, the countrys biggest city, again congregated at the key Hleden crossroads and groups fanned out to other points, including the embassies of the US and China. They marched despite an order banning gatherings of five or more people. The US, especially after the announcement by President Joe Biden of sanctions against the military regime, is regarded as an ally in the protesters struggle against the February 1 coup. China is detested as an ally of the ruling generals, whose support is crucial to them keeping their grip on power. Demonstrations also resumed in the second biggest city, Mandalay, with lawyers making up one large contingent. Expand Close A protester wearing PPE in Yangon (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A protester wearing PPE in Yangon (AP) The military ousted the countrys leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her government and prevented recently elected legislators from opening a new session of parliament. Ms Suu Kyi and other senior members of her government and party remain in detention. The junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said it was forced to act because Ms Suu Kyis government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in last years election, which her National League for Democracy party won in a landslide. The election commission said there is no evidence to support the militarys claims. Saturdays protests coincided with the birthday of General Aung San, the countrys independence leader and father of Ms Suu Kyi. His name and image have appeared on signs carried by some demonstrators. Expand Close An anti-military coup protester flashes a three-fingered salute (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An anti-military coup protester flashes a three-fingered salute (AP) Authorities have stepped up the arrests of politicians and activists, and in areas outside Yangon have become more aggressive in trying to break up protests. According to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 326 people have been detained since the coup, of whom 303 remain in custody. There have been many reports over the past three nights of raids during a curfew in which security personnel have tried to seize people from their homes. In several cases, neighbours and other people have rushed to the scene in such numbers that security forces have abandoned their operation. Videos of such raids have been widely posted on social media. The prisoners association also said that riot police fired rubber bullets, injuring five students, and took away another nine in a protest on Friday in the southern city of Mawlamyine. Detainees have included political leaders, government officials, civil servants, activists and student leaders. Medical personnel have been singled out because their community initiated the civil disobedience campaign against the military takeover and remains in its vanguard. The UNs top human rights body on Friday passed a consensus resolution urging the military to immediately release Ms Suu Kyi and other civilian government leaders while watering down a draft text amid pressure led by China and Russia. Major churches are at odds with authorities over the AstraZeneca vaccine, with religious leaders telling parishioners they are entitled to request a different jab but the federal government saying most people wont have a choice. Religious concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine arise from its use of decades-old aborted fetal cells in the development process, which is common scientific practice that some Christians find objectionable. The stoush could frustrate or delay attempts to inoculate the country against further COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns as authorities prepare to start the vaccine rollout later this month. Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher. Credit:James Alcock While Australia will import 20 million Pfizer doses for high-risk populations, most Australians will be offered the AstraZeneca jab, with 50 million doses to be made locally and expected to begin in late March. A third vaccine, Novavax, should be available later in the year pending clinical trials and regulatory approval. The NSW government has shelved one of the boldest recommendations in the NSW Curriculum Review, dumping a proposal for untimed syllabuses that let students progress at their own pace instead of grouping them by age. The plan grew from concern students were moving ahead without mastering key skills, but Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the government would instead reduce syllabus content to give teachers more flexibility to help students. Chantel Mirzai, a teacher at Auburn Public, is one of the teachers chosen to give feedback on new syllabuses. Credit:Nick Moir Ms Mitchell said 200 expert teachers had been recruited to help with the curriculum reforms by advising on whether the new syllabuses work well in the classroom. The first new syllabuses, for kindergarten to year 2 maths and English, are due to be taught in schools from the beginning of next year. Streamlining and updating the curriculum is more than just removing content the curriculum needs to be teachable in the classroom, so as to enable teachers to meet the needs of their students, Ms Mitchell said. Bengaluru, Feb 13 : A day after the BJP's central disciplinary committee issued a show cause notice to its legislator from Vijayapura in Karnataka, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, for his remarks against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Panchamasali community pontiff Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami on Saturday warned of laying siege to the Vidhan Soudha here if the notice is not withdrawn. Taking a dig at Yediyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra, who is also the state BJP vice president, Basava said that everyone is aware of those behind serving the show cause notice to Yatnal. "I know that a senior BJP leader's son is behind such an act. If the BJP does not withdraw its show cause notice then we will lay siege to the Vidhan Soudha. By issuing show cause notice to Yatnal they are trying to derail our movement, hence, we will make a serious attempt to gherao the Vidhan Soudha once we reach Bengaluru," he said. The seer along with BJP legislator Yatnal and Congress leader Vijayanand Kashappanavar has been leading the 465 km march from Kudalasangama that will culminate in Bengaluru, with a rally scheduled on February 21. Panchamasali, the largest sub-sect within the dominant Lingayat community to which Yatnal and Kashappanavar belong, while Yediyurappa belongs to the Banajiga sub-sect, have demanded that their existing reservation category be changed from 3B to 2A. Their march reached Tumkuru, about 60 km from Bengaluru, on Friday night as the delegation stayed at the renowned Siddaganaga Matha here. "Yatnal and Kashappanavar are the two pillars of this movement. The community will stand by them if the parties try to exert any kind of pressure on them," he said. The United States is attempting to increase its defense prowess over the seas with a futuristic robotic submarine that will feature a perpetual energy-harvesting system. For this, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded contracts to two firms now. The said contracts were awarded to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and Martin Defense Group (formerly Navatek) last week. The contract requires the firms to build demonstration versions of the new Manta Ray unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV), as reported by Forbes. In addition, a separate contract awarded to Metron will see the company build a perpetual energy-harvesting system. This means that the system will be able to power the autonomous submarine indefinitely, thus enabling long duration underwater missions, potentially lasting up to a year or more. UUVs that operate for extended durations without the need for human-present logistic support or maintenance offer the potential for persistent operations in forward environments, DARPA mentions on its website. Manta Ray program (Image: DARPA) Such a technology will be a two-pronged plus for the US naval force. Other than being a long range vessel enabling long durations of missions, the Manta Ray will also be payload-capable, meaning it will be able to carry weapons/ critical cargo over distances. Another big benefit is the fact that the UUV will give the combatant commander an amplification of capacity without the disruption of other operations, as it will not require any crew. The cutting-edge technology, however, will be the new energy-harvesting system on the submarine. Once developed, the system will be the ultimate energy solution for underwater vehicles. Such vehicles are difficult to power in the absence of air for direct combustion and sunlight for solar energy. The most prominent propeller systems used are specially designed thermal engines. Needless to say, there are considerable energy losses with the same. A perpetual energy generation under water will hence overcome these obstacles. With the novel vessel, DARPA is also looking to incorporate new approaches to mitigate biofouling, corrosion, and other material degradation for long duration missions. Victorias latest coronavirus case is a friend of a Holiday Inn worker, the government has revealed, as the number of close contacts associated with the quarantine hotel outbreak has grown to almost 1000 people. Premier Daniel Andrews told media on Saturday morning that the number would continue to grow and the testing of those contacts would continue through the weekend and into Monday. Today is not the big day for those results, the balance of those will start to come through tomorrow, and Monday. Thats why we chose Wednesday as the important day for the five- day circuit breaker, he said. Mr Andrews said that within eight hours of the new positive test being confirmed that persons 38 household and primary social close contacts were contacted. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Measures have been stepped up by the relevant directorates of the Interior Ministry to monitor commitment to precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, said Assistant Chief of Public Security for Operations and Training Affairs, Brigadier Dr Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. He said the current phase requires joint efforts of citizens and residents with the government to overcome the challenge. He called on all to follow preventative measures to fight the virus, pointing out that the security directorates will continue to take legal procedures against violators of the precautionary measures. He called upon the public to stay at home and go outside only when necessary, wear masks, keep social distancing and avoid family gatherings. He revealed the registration of 46,916 violations of not wearing face masks in public places and shops since the enforcement of the order. A total of 8,115 steps were taken to ensure social distancing and 5,5651 awareness campaigns were held until February 11. A total of 177055 disinfection operations were carried out and 367 training courses were conducted on the correct disinfection methods. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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One video that was widely circulated online showed officers in full riot gear chasing down a man wearing what appeared to be a yellow volunteer medic vest, with at least one officer beating him with a truncheon as he fell to the ground. His condition was not known. Numerous loud noises were heard, believed to be from homemade explosive devices and firecrackers. Police said later that as many as 20 officers had been injured and seven demonstrators arrested and taken to the Chana Songkhram station. The clash came after an earlier standoff at the City Pillar Shrine, to which the demonstrators had walked after their afternoon gathering at Democracy Monument. Eyewitnesses reported bottles being thrown and smoke filling the air, a lot of it from fireworks. Three people were reported injured, including a journalist said to have been struck by a smoke grenade. It was not clear who threw the projectile. Riot police formed a barrier near Sanam Luang and two water cannon trucks were also moved into the area. They were not used. At 8pm, the protesters some of them carrying their own police-style riot shields asked police to turn off lights on their crowd-control vehicles but their demand was not met. Guards moved to the front line and clashed with police, who later asked them to negotiate. Finally, the police agreed to turn down the lights and to allow a small ceremony to be held. Attapol Kru Yai Buapat, another key protester from Khon Kaen province, represented the demonstrators in paying respects inside the shrine. He emerged a few minutes later. I paid respects to the shrine, praying for it to protect Ratsadon [citizens] in fighting for the right that should have been theirs. We will return on Feb 20 to demand the release of our friends, he said. The gathering that began around 3pm at Democracy Monument was staged to demand the abolition of the royal defamation law and the release from detention of four key members of the movement. The protest Counting one to million Returning Power to People attracted a few hundred people. Activist Panupong Mike Jadnok, a key member of the Ratsadon group, vowed not to back down if there were any attempts to break up the rally. Now is not the time to fear, to step back. We will only fight today there will not be an order to retreat from me, he said. Whoever wants to be on the frontline, lets be prepared. If anything happens, let state officers start first so we will not lose our legitimacy in our push for democracy. Pol Col Thotsaphol Ampaipipatkul, chief of the Samran Rat police station, used loudspeakers to ask demonstrators to stop the gathering as it was in violation of the emergency decree and the disease control law. His announcement was met with boos and the beating of pots and pans by protesters, a tactic borrowed from anti-coup demonstrators in Myanmar, who believe it helps chase away evil spirits. At the foot of the monument, the demonstrators placed drawings of Arnon Nampa, Parit Penguin Chiwarak, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk and Patiwat Mor Lam Bank Saraiyaem. The four were denied bail during a pre-trial hearing on Feb 9 after prosecutors formally indicted them on charges of lese majeste and other lesser charges. The court cited as reasons the severe punishment of the charges and the tendency of the accused to repeat the offences. Their supporters argued that the courts rationale ran counter to the principle of presumed innocent, and assumed the four are guilty as charged even before the trial begins, which could be months from now. Surrounded by hundreds of police including a bomb squad, the demonstrators on Saturday afternoon removed hundreds of plant pots neatly put there last week by City Hall, supposedly to prevent people from assembling there. Some of the pots were then used to form the number 112, along with coconut shells from several provinces. For the progressive movement, coconut shells symbolise a lack of perspective among conservatives, who feel content with the status quo regardless of progressive values and developments elsewhere in the world. It stems from a Thai saying about a frog who has lived under a coconut shell for so long that he thinks it is perfectly fine and comfortable and doesnt want it lifted ever, simply because he isnt aware whats going on outside his shell. The highlight activity was a 30mx30m red banner on which participants are asked to write their thoughts about the government and the country. The banner was then hoisted up and wrapped around the monument. Most of the messages on the banner were about problems involving Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the demand that their friends be released, and the economic hardships they were facing in the wake of the COVID pandemic. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Former President Donald Trumps defense team insisted Friday that he had no role in inciting the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol, but Californias senators werent having it. Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, who support convicting Trump of inciting the insurrection, submitted questions during his impeachment trial that were less about specific matters of fact or law and more designed to undercut the basic premise of the former presidents defense. Senators, who sat silently for the first 17 hours of the trial this week, were allowed to submit questions after Trumps team rested its case after less than three hours. Feinstein submitted the first question along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Their question portrayed Trumps basic defense argument, that the insurrection materialized without his assistance, as a logical fallacy. Isnt it the case that the violent attack and siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6 would not have happened if not for the conduct of President Trump? Feinstein and Schumer asked the House prosecutors. The question gave Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat and one of the House impeachment managers, a chance to reiterate the steps that Trump took to draw supporters to the Capitol. Castro said Trump sent a save-the-date message to supporters 18 days before the attack, urging them to come to Washington to help stop the steal as Congress certified election results giving Joe Biden the presidency. Castro also quoted tweets in which Trump predicted it would be a wild and historic day. The Democrat said Trump tweeted similar messages to his supporters 34 times over the course of the day before the attack. To answer your question very directly, Donald Trump summoned the mob, Castro said. He assembled the mob and he lit the flame. Everything that followed was because of his doing. Padilla, who was sworn in after the attack to the Senate post vacated by Vice President Kamala Harris, built on that premise with his question, suggesting that Trumps false claims of election fraud had fueled extremist groups. How did this plot to unconstitutionally keep President Trump in power lead to the radicalization of so many of President Trumps followers and the resulting attack on the Capitol? Padilla asked. Castro, who again responded for Democrats, said the attack was not the result of a one-off comment during Trumps rally outside the White House shortly before the attack. Rather, Castro said, the attack was the culmination of Trump repeatedly claiming, even months before the election, that the only way he could lose was if the election were rigged. He directed all of that rage he had incited to Jan. 6, Castro said. You tell somebody that an election victory is being stolen from them, thats a combustible situation. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor 11th round of India-China military commander level talks likely to be held on Friday India stood up Chinas disruptive use of technology and my way or no way attitude: CDS Parliament panel plans to visit Pangong, Galwan sites India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: The parliamentary standing committee on defence intends to visit the Galwan Valley and the Pangong lake in the eastern Ladakh region which has been witness to a violent standoff between the troops of India and China, sources said. However, it may seek the permission of the government before visiting the strategically-located areas, they added. The 30-member committee, chaired by senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Jual Oram and of which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a member, intends to visit the eastern Ladakh region in the last week of May or June, the sources told news agency Press Trust of India. Disengagement process on at Pangong Tso The decision to visit these areas was taken in the panel's latest meeting, they said. Rahul Gandhi Gandhi did not attend it. The panel's visit to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) depends on the approval from the government, the sources added. After a nine-month standoff, the militaries of India and China reached an agreement on disengagement in the north and south banks of Pangong lake that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner. On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a detailed statement in Parliament on the disengagement pact. According to the agreement, China has to pull back its troops to east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank while the Indian personnel will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region. Similar action will take place on the south bank of the lake as well, Rajnath Singh said. India has not "conceded" any territory to China by firming up an agreement on the disengagement process in Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, and other outstanding "problems" including in Depsang, Hot Springs ad Gogra will be taken up at the upcoming talks between military commanders of the two countries, the Defence Ministry said on Friday. The statement by the ministry came hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government has "ceded" Indian territory to China and raised questions over the agreement on the disengagement process. The ministry also dubbed as "categorically false" the assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 in the Pangong Tso area, adding the permanent posts of both sides in the area are "longstanding and well-established". "India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo," the ministry said in the strongly-worded statement. Assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 in Pangong is categorically false: Defence Ministry The MEA also said the two countries have agreed to convene the 10th round of senior commanders meeting within 48 hours after complete disengagement in the Pangong Lake area to address the remaining issues, and added that no date has been set for Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News The agreement on disengagement in the north and south banks of Pangong lake mandates both Chinese and Indian sides to "cease" forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 16:08 [IST] The Nation Speaks (Feb. 13): One Step Closer to Texit; Is Biden Admin Soft on Huawei?; US Grid Vulnerability In this episode of The Nation Speaks, we take a closer look at the Texit movement. Daniel Miller, president of the Texas Nationalist Movement (Texit), explains why he thinks the Lone Star State should be independent. Then, we ask three Texans how they feel about the movement. Republicans are worried that the Biden administration might be too soft on Chinese tech giant Huawei. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) discusses those concerns and more. Finally, Dr. Eric Cole, cybersecurity expert and author of upcoming book Cyber Crisis, tells us about the vulnerabilities of the U.S. grid, after hackers gained access into the water treatment system in Oldsmar, Florida. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. ~Insider trading, conflict of interest is only some of the order of the day at these companies. ~ PHILIPSBURG: --- The Silveria Jacobs 2 cabinet is taking some beating these last weeks and it is not clear how much longer they will be able to hold on to power as developments within their government-owned companies are overflowing with matters of concern. It has been months now that the Holding Company of Princess Juliana International Airport began the process of sending home its Chief Executive Officer. A process that is undertaken by the Holding Company yet the Silveria Jacobs cabinet (Shareholder) and a Member of Parliament that is supporting the Government has been accused of spearheading the dismissal. Ever since Mingo took office there is have been questions by Members of Parliament about the decisions the local CEO takes, one being the appointment of his friend as a consultant while allowing the Dutch Government through the Schiphol Group to appoint the Chief Financial Officer. Mingo also came under fire when workers of PJIAE protested and marched to the government administration building because they were not treated fairly. The matter regarding Mingo has now taken another level since the letter from the World Bank sent to Prime Minister Jacobs was leaked. Since the leaked letter, several Members of Parliament from the opposition have made their positions known, however thus far none of those MPs that seemingly cared for the country has attacked the core issues the Holding Company claimed to have with the CEO. SMN News contacted Managing Director of PJIAE Holding Dexter Doncher for a comment and he said that he is not willing to comment at this time because the company is still undergoing its due diligence and corporate governance procedures in the matter relating to its CEO Brian Mingo. TELEM GROUP of COMPANIES. Just recently, SMN News learned that the RST visited TELEM Group of Companies and questioned its Chief Executive Officer, another local St. Maartener about alleged wrongdoings after an ousted board member submitted information alleging that one of the Directors of the Company has been involved with what can be termed as insider trading. The source said that the RST is probing to see if any of the Directors of the Company has companies that are working on the fiber optic project. Besides the allegations of wrongdoing and conflict of interest, the SOAB was also called in to conduct an Operational Audit of the companies spending. Hopefully, the investments made in the failed Smitcoms Dominicana will be highlighted in this report. While of the above is taking place, TELEM Group of Companies do not have a full Supervisory Board of Directors in place. SMN News asked the Prime Minister about this on Wednesday and she said that names of candidates were sent to the Corporate Governance Council for vetting and when that process is completed these persons will be appointed to the SBOD of TELEM. Prime Minister Jacobs also said that even though the SBOD is incomplete the running of the company will not be affected. Asked specifically about the ongoing operational audit, Jacobs said that audit will continue uninterrupted. CEO Kendall Dupersoy when contacted said that he will not confirm or deny whether, or not he was interviewed by the RST because in his opinion it is an internal matter. Dupersoy said since taking office at TELEM Group, he has no knowledge of any company or companies that are working for any of the companys directors. The CEO said that the operational audit is continuing and that he expects to get a final draft report by March 2021. He said once the audit report is received, he will then submit it to the Council of Ministers. NV GEBE and its recruitment process. As it relates to the countrys sole utility company it has been over 18 months now that the Supervisory Board of Directors (SBOD) have been charged with the recruitment process for the management board. NV GEBE spent a substantial amount of money on the recruitment of three candidates to fill the now vacant positions of CEO, CFO, and COO. Two persons from within the company applied for the position, however, only one was selected from within the company to fill the COOs position but that person is yet to respond to the offers made by the SBOD. The other two candidates that have been selected by the shareholder has since declined the offers made by the SBOD. On Sunday last the CEO candidate officially declined the offer since the deadline he gave the SBOD was not respected. During the long-drawn-out process, GEBEs Chief Internal Auditor Sharine Daniel who was also a candidate that applied for the position was appointed as the interim manager as of November 1st, 2020. Daniel was forced to resign on Thursday citing irreconcilable differences, she said in her resignation letter to the SBOD and Minister of VROMI that she has informed the SBOD members on multiple occasions that they have been interfering with the daily affairs of the company which is in breach of the articles of incorporation and the Corporate Governance Code. Daniel is not the only member of the management team of NV GEBE that have accused the SBOD members of interference and abuse of power. The former management team also had their run-ins with the SBOD during their tenure. Issues relating to excessive legal fees for the SBOD were among matters of concern. Not only that the SBOD is accused of alleged interference, and micromanagement but they are also accused of wanting to form a committee with members of the SBOD to write a strategic plan which will cost the company the budgeted $100K. A proposal was already sent to the Minister of VROMI regarding the strategic plan and its committee members. Besides that, the legal advisor to the SBOD has created a situation of conflict of interest with the intended purchase of the Manrique and Capprilles building since he represents both the seller and buyer. Since the fallout between Daniels and the SBOD, they have recruited another candidate that they contracted to replace Daniel as an interim manager. It is clear that the SBOD of NV GEBE did not do the basics and screen the candidate who was a former employee of the company and was forced to quit or face dismissal when a former managing director discovered that he committed illegal acts against the government-owned company. The contracted interim manager is also doing business with NV GEBE, while he had run-ins with the law in 2013 when he was charged for money laundering. However, in 2014 he was acquitted. SMN News learned that since the questionable background of the new interim manager surfaced, the SBOD has withdrawn the contract they signed with him. Efforts made to obtain a comment from the SBOD of NV GEBE proved futile. HARBOR Group of Companies. It is already known that the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies has had its fair share of legal wrangled that led to the conviction of several former members of parliament and a former Chief Executive Officer. While the legal process seems tainted it is more than clear that the justice chain had more than enough to prosecute those persons that did not work for the companys best interest but instead worked for their own self-enrichment. While only one of the directors was convicted one can only wonder what role the other directors played and how come they too were not prosecuted. The SBOD of the Harbor Group of Companies also conducted a recruitment process to fill the CEOs position and a candidate has been selected by the shareholder. It is not clear when would this candidate be appointed so that the government-owned company can have a full-fledged managing board. USZV operating without an SBOD. The only medical insurance company that is tasked with providing medical insurance and to also manage the pension fund for the country has been without an SBOD for almost two years and while there is a Minster of Health, one would have to ask what exactly he is doing about appointing candidates to the USZV board. What is holding up this process and exactly why this is not done. Is it because the current director does exactly what the Council of Ministers wants and not what is in the best interest of the company, and the pension funds that are depleted daily? USZV is tasked with providing health insurance however, for over a year now the company and its staff are focusing on the SSRP while neglecting its core task and since there is no SBOD, the director and his staff has no one to document him or sing in his ears, while those in the Council of Ministers get what they want from USZ. IT has been well established that the countrys most effective mobilisation system is the election machinery based on political affiliation. With this in mind, the current crisis in the country regarding the frightening spread of the coronavirus calls for a different kind of intervention. It is past time for the declaration of a political truce. We call on the countrys two major political machines, PNM and UNC, and all other existing political parties and groups, to come together in the national interest. Daniel said... An excellent book on the same theme: Disciplined Minds by Jeff Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt earned a PhD in physics from Cal-Irvine and worked as an editor at Physics Today for nearly twenty years. After writing the book, he was promptly fired. In the book, he focuses on the experience of graduate students in physics, and how that professional degree program like all other professional degree programs is more focused on selecting those candidates who conform to a behvioral pattern than those candidates who would make the best scientists. My favorite chapter was How to Survive Grad School With Your Soul Intact", which includes long quotations from the Army manual on resisting interrogation as a POW. Disciplined Minds Last August, on one of my recurring posts about how awful grad school was , Daniel left me this:I finally read it last week. It was an incredible relief to have my vague feelings about grad school confirmed. II was failing something besides the material. Iit was my attitude that set off the professor who told me I didn't belong. I didn't understand why at the time, because I thought that the purpose of grad school was to process the material and develop independent thought. Trusting that was such a mistake for me. "Soul-battering" sounds like a melodramatic overstatement, but that was truly what the isolation and harangues and endless requirements felt like.The thing that kills me about my situation in second grad school, which I fled with a masters, is that I wasn't even trying to rebel. I am not naturally defiant; I tend to respect and trust authority. I would have been happy to absorb and parrot the party line. My problem, I realized as I read, is that I was in too many programs and they had contradictory party lines. I would have been indoctrinated if I could have been, but I simply couldn't do them all at once.Coming from an engineering degree, I simply could not believe that policy studies were a science. Since I was in law school, I couldn't catch on fast enough that for ecology students, habitat preservation was the sole and overriding goal of everything and not a subject with trade-offs that we should discuss. While I took econ, I didn't understand why you would have any faith in a law you couldn't derive and prove with data. I wasn't sure about econ's laws either, because after taking all that physics I thought that real laws enforce themselves every single time. In law school, the justice issues behind a decision were worth pointing out. But not in econ or ecology.I didn'tto stand out and be forever blurting out irrelevent stuff that trivialized people's disciplines and offended them. But I wasn't fully immersed in any one program, so I didn't have time to absorb and adopt any one doctrine. The walk across campus wasn't long enough for me to fully shift gears, so I'd point out something interesting! and then realize that I was defying the norms of the discipline. Again. Enough of that and there was no one who would help me stay and work, much less back me against the prof disparaged me in and out of class.This makes me so sad. Schmidt talks about preserving your radical soul and challenging power structures and doing socially worthwhile work. I wasn't trying for any of that. I wasn't even being noble. I just wasn't nimble or discreet enough. For the costs being a critical outsider caused me, I should at least have been deliberately disobedient. What a waste. What a relief to understand more of why second grad school was so awful.(The thing that I find interesting is that first grad school wasn't nearly as oppressive. At first glance, you'd think first grad school might be worse. Smaller school, entirely older male engineers, some overtly religious, in the generally conservative culture of agriculture. But at first grad school, my perception was that the deal was "if you show you thoroughly understand this material, you can think anything you like." I was obviously a very strange bird in that program, but I never once felt like my thoughts infuriated people or that they were evaluating me on anything but my classwork. They'd answer anything I asked and as long as I could tell them how pumps worked, I was never scared they wanted me out of the program. I think it was due to the head guy, who still gets all my respect.) Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 14:53:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 2021 edition of the Spring Festival Gala, an annual celebration broadcast by China Central Television on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve, has not only sent festive vibes across the globe, but also conveyed good wishes for the new year, overseas Chinese have said. Abbreviated in Chinese as Chunwan, the China Media Group production is one of the most-watched TV events in the country and also livestreamed abroad. The 2021 edition kicked off in Beijing at 8 p.m. (1200 GMT) Thursday and included a diversity of programs such as singing, dancing, acrobatics and traditional Chinese operas. Xiaopei He Gelb, head of the Huaxing Arts Group based in San Francisco, said the gala "broke the limitation of time and space" with advanced techniques of sound, light, electricity and animation. Impressed by the cultural event, Li Hongwei, honorary chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Chicago, recalled that his hometown located in Hubei's Enshi has been lifted out of poverty with the joint efforts of the country and the people. "This year the stage was gorgeous and colorful, and the show was wonderful," said Jin Linze, executive chairman of the Association of Chinese Residing in France. "It showed a joyful union and looked forward into the new year. The visual experience was good and the programs reflected our grassroots life. It was down to earth with a common touch," Jin said. A stone Buddha head, stolen from one of the statues in north China's Tianlongshan Grottoes almost a century ago and recently retrieved, appeared on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala. "It shows that we attach great importance to inheriting and protecting the traditional culture of the Chinese nation," said Yuan Mingjun, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Los Andes in Colombia. Liu Yan, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said this year's Spring Festival Gala was warm, cheerful and touching, which made people feel China's openness to the world and confidence in creating a bright future. Enditem Michelle Pfeiffer makes a bid to become the next great gay icon in French Exit, one of those camp-inflected dramedies that makes advanced gum disease seem tempting by comparison. Pfeiffer, delivering every line in a Cruella de Vil/Bette Davis tone of weary condescension, plays Frances Price, a New York celebrity aristocrat who is rapidly running out of money. Selling her last remaining possessions, she packs up a black cat, a bag full of cash, and her son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and takes the lot to Paris, where she hopes her life runs out before her money does. I wanna see the Eiffel Tower, then die, she declares. She does a lot of drinking and smoking and gesturing extravagantly, usually all at the same time. The level of vamping she exhibits is such that Norma Desmond could watch her and think, Maybe dial it back a little, honey. A quantity theory of acting skill has taken hold among critics, and so this performance is guaranteed to be praised for giving us a huge amount of capital-A Acting. Hedges, who has developed something of a specialty in playing emotionally hollowed-out sons of privilege, has the thankless task of spending the movie standing by like Auntie Mames hapless nephew, providing an audience for Mothers various outrages and insults. So gelatinous is his personality that when his mother says shes selling her property and moving them both to Paris, he a grown man! simply tells his girlfriend Susan (Imogen Poots) the news and meekly goes along. Later, we learn of a love triangle involving the two of them and a rich but dull banker boy who would like to marry Susan; but if the other guy offers her nothing but boredom, hes offering considerably more than Malcolm, whose personality is like a large bucket of vapor. A fellow who spends all of his time either hanging out with or talking about his mother is probably not much interested in having a girlfriend in the first place. Not that a young lady who looks like Imogen Poots would have a whole lot of patience for a woebegone nonentity such as Malcolm. We are meant to believe that after a typically underperforming phone call from this single-celled organism of a man, shed hop on a plane and dash into his arms in Paris. I think not: Most young ladies require their swains to have a pulse. Story continues Your enjoyment of the entire first half of the film will depend on whether you find the antics of old Mrs. Frances Price to be hysterically funny or merely annoying. Heh, heh, watch her be snooty to a cop who is trying to be helpful. Watch her set a vase of flowers on fire in a cafe because she doesnt like the waiter. Discussing the odd circumstances of her husbands demise, to which she responded by flying off to Vail while his corpse lay hardening on their bed, she blithely says, I found him but then I left the body for . . . a little while. Delightful dame? No, more like toxic femininity. I cant imagine that any guy who owns fewer than ten Madonna albums is going to find her shtick funny. Directed by Azazel Jacobs from a script by Patrick DeWitt (based on his novel), the film is content to bump along with wacky set pieces that arent funny before pivoting into supernatural crapola in the second hour. Francess cat, it turns out, is hosting the spirit of her dead husband (voiced by Tracy Letts), and thanks to the intervention of a psychic (Danielle Macdonald) whom Malcolm met on a cruise across the Atlantic, it turns out to be possible to chat with the spirit of the dead man. Alas, as in the rest of the script, even when theres a dead guy speaking up, no one has anything interesting to say. Worse, in the final act of the film the material tries to wring some tears out of the audience. This is a classic gambit of the camp sensibility, and the least attractive aspect of it. Frances pees on everyone elses misery (when she meets a perfectly nice woman who lost her husband when he choked to death, she considers this a funny detail, and makes a joke about it), but were supposed to feel something for her. Sorry, Cruella. No sale. More from National Review New Delhi, Feb 13 : The investigation in to the murder of a lab technician a few days back in Mangolpuri has been transferred to Crime Branch, the Delhi Police said on Saturday. The 25-year-old, Rinku Sharma, was working with a private hospital. He was stabbed to death by some men from his locality in the outer Delhi area late Wednesday. The Delhi Police have already arrested five accused in connection with the case -- Danish, Islam, Zahid, Mehtab and Tajuddin. The family members of the victim claim that it was a hate crime and Rinku was murdered because of an old rivalry. Rinku, who was associated with the right wing, was allegedly threatened by the same set of accused during Dussehra last year. However, the police have denied any communal angle to the case, categorically stating that a business rivalry had led to the murder. A CCTV footage has also come to light where the accused could be seen coming to the house of the deceased on Wednesday night. It is alleged that Rinku was stabbed soon after that. Some mobile video clips have also been handed over to police by the victims family which showed the attack on the house and the scuffle that followed. One of the accused is also seen snatching a gas cylinder while Sharma's mother is trying to resist the bid. The murder has become a hot topic for debates and hashtags on social media like 'Justice for Rinku Sharma' is trending on Twitter. Many politicians and activists have met the family of the deceased. Para-military Forces were deployed in Mangolpuri as a precautionary measure amid the tension. "On February 10, some youth went to a restaurant to celebrate a birthday party. During that time, a scuffle broke out over some business rivalry related to the shutting down of a restaurant. After that some boys involved in the fight reached Rinku's house and stabbed him," Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal said. On being asked about the family's claims that it was a hate crime and Rinku was murdered for allegedly chanting 'Jai Shri Ram', the police officer said, "We are in touch with the victim's family, but the investigation suggests that the scuffle started during the birthday party." The probe is now transferred to Crime Branch. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The Biden administration has deep concerns about the World Health Organizations early Covid-19 investigation, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Saturday, calling on China to release data from the beginning of the outbreak. It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government, Sullivan wrote in a statement. Going forward, all countries, including China, should participate in a transparent and robust process for preventing and responding to health emergencies so that the world learns as much as possible as soon as possible. Early in the pandemic, China ignored offers from experts to help investigate the Covid-19 outbreak and has been criticized over its transparency as the pandemic spread globally. The WHO recently concluded that it was unlikely the coronavirus came from a Chinese lab and that it likely came from an animal. President Joe Biden has moved to rejoin the WHO after former President Donald Trump took the U.S. out of the organization. In the statement, Sullivan said the WHOs work has never been more important and that we have deep respect for its experts and the work they are doing every day to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But re-engaging the WHO also means holding it to the highest standards, Sullivan wrote. And at this critical moment, protecting the WHOs credibility is a paramount priority. With new variants of COVID-19 emerging every other week, researchers are now shifting their focus on the development of all-in-one vaccine shots that would resolve the threat of fast-spreading mutations. As of now, new variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been discovered in the UK, Brazil, Africa and Japan, but experts have pointed out that there might be other mutations hidden from the human eye. To tackle the same, scientists are now focusing on shots capable of targeting and neutralizing multiple versions of the lethal pathogen. Read:Coronavirus Variants, Viral Mutation And COVID-19 Vaccines: The Science You Need To Understand Read: Health Ministry To Meet Today After Mutant Coronavirus Strain Spreads Rapidly In UK First detected in Wuhan of Chinas Hubei province the lethal respiratory disease has now spread across the globe killing 2,395,405 and infecting 108,778,067 people till now. Pone particular mutation of the virus from South Africa, named B.1.351. has already shown resistance to vaccine jabs developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. Meanwhile, other developers- Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have announced that they're starting work on developing booster shots or other efforts to bolster their vaccines. As mutations continue to blunt the optimism, the British government announced its collaboration with CureVac NV to develop shots that would tackle novel COVID variants. The joint programme focuses on using Artificial Intelligence(AI) to predict future mutations with messenger RNA technology that can rapidly generate new vaccines. Meanwhile, the European Union nations have questioned the bloc for its strategy on mutants urging it to ensure contracts for booster shots with vaccine manufacturers, Bloomberg reported. Read:Goa Govt Starts Giving Second Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine Read:Covid Vaccine Booster Shot: Second Round Of Inoculation To Start Across India Today All the current vaccines induce the immune system to produce antibodies that recognize and target the spike protein on the virus, which is essential for invading human cells. A single change in the spike protein which is the region of the virus that attaches to human cells is probably not going to be a big threat as the medical community rolls out the vaccines.However, scientists have observed the accumulation of multiple changes in the spike protein in the South African variant, making it resistant. A man checks his phone as telephone and internet connections were knocked out in a nationwide failure, in Havana, Cuba, on Feb. 12, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters) Cuba Loses Phone, Internet Connections for About 90 Minutes HAVANACubas telephone and internet connections were knocked out on Friday in a nationwide failure, though there was no general power outage, witnesses said. All internet service and international communications crashed at around noon (1700 GMT), according to witnesses in Havana and three other provinces. International communications were restored after 90 minutes and the internet 10 minutes later. ETECSA, the state telecommunications monopoly, in a statement said a technical interruption had effected all modes of internet access. The Communist-run nation only began to connect the population and most businesses a few years ago when in 2018 it began service through smartphones. The government reported 4.2. million of 11.2 million residents were on the internet through their mobiles and just 170,000 homes were connected. By Marc Frank Actress Meenakshi Chaudhary says shes lucky to be getting interesting roles very early in her Tollywood stint. Her first film, Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu, which is yet to be released, features her as a girl next door, while her next film, Khiladi, directed by Ramesh Varma, opposite Ravi Teja, will show her as a psychology student. Meenakshi talks about how both films belong to different genres, and then points out how actor Ravi Teja gave her a lot of tips during the shoot for Khiladi with respect to dialogue delivery and comic timing. I am slowly getting the hang of Telugu, thanks to Ravi Teja and the team. But his energy is infectious; he has amazing energy levels and always keeps everyone on their toes. Most of our on-the-sets conversations were about cinema and he shared a lot of his experiences and interesting stories and incidents that happened in his career. It was very insightful, adds the actress. Several years back in an article That Pantomime Artist Known as Police published in Indian Express (I was fond of seeing my name in papers in those years) I wrote, The growing ineffectiveness of state police forces in the face of powerful offenders creates a demand for CBI investigation. This occurs even in cases which are well within the professional and logistic competence of the state police. The CBI itself becomes eminently vulnerable to charges of bias once the affairs of the Central Government become the subject matter of enquiry. The state police forces are well on way to being reduced to a level where they will be good for nothing but ceremonial parades and watch and ward duties and a day may come when the CBI too may face an erosion of credibility. Who shall we turn to then? Interpol, the FBI, or Scotland Yard?" Has that dreaded day come to refer the standoff between the Kolkata police and the CBI to a neutral agency outside our borders? "For the last several decades ambitious political leaders have sought to create fiercely loyal battalions of bureaucratic palace guards who, if they pass the loyalty test, are exempted from every other. The idea of the neutrality of civil service has long since been jettisoned in practice and the civil servant and political masters often show the internal cohesion of predatory gangs." - From my blog Resurrected from Retirement. Mamata Banerjee makes an unprecedented intervention on behalf of her minion, Rajeev Kumar, who had investigated the chit fund scam as per the requirement of his master. Contrary to conduct rules, contrary to the canons of dignified behavior, Mr. Rajeev Kumar, Police Commissioner, is sitting on dharna along with his CM. The duo is protesting against the CBI which made it convenient to expedite investigation of the same Sarda case at a time and in a manner to help its master score some brownie points against his rival. Some time back the two topmost officers of CBI Arun Verma and Rakesh Asthana, owing allegiance to the two major political parties were engaged in a vicious no holds barred fight, dozens of officers ranged on both sides. Big dads of both the political gangs were daring each other on behalf of their minions. We prefer to call these gang wars constitutional break down, because our self-image would not let us believe that notwithstanding our claims to maturity as a secular welfare state governed on the principles of west minster system, we are more akin to the earliest political formations where the master personally directed everything and men who owed personal loyalty and allegiance to the master were in charge. These officials slaves, household officials, attendants, personal favorites, were suitably compensated or opportunities were created for them to compensate themselves. Close your eyes, let your mind survey the situation, does it sound like a description of things closer home? PS: I am reminded of an old aphorism; if you give the monkey a typewriter (it is an old aphorism before word processors came in) and let him type away to glory with no constraint on time, in a given period, he will have rewritten all of Shakespeare's plays etc. I believe our constitution is a mandarin text for us and given an infinite number of years we shall make it work. Not just now. India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Pataliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. FBI Recognizes International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM) has broad implications for the health and human rights of women and girls, as well as societies at large. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on February 6 served as an opportunity to reflect on victims who have suffered from FGM, including those who have died or suffered lifelong health complications from the practice. Partners of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC)including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) of the Justice Departments Criminal Divisionjoin foreign government partners, non-governmental organizations, and local communities to call for the eradication of the practice. On this day we remember the women and girls who have been impacted by this horrific practice and commit ourselves to working together to end it, said Mark Shaffer, chief of ICEs Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. FGM is a human rights violation and a crime that requires a global effort to address. We stand with our domestic and international partners as we work together to support survivors and prevent the victimization of more women and girls. In the United States there will be zero tolerance for those who subject girls to this harmful and traumatic practice, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. As the recent indictment shows, the Justice Department will seek to hold accountable all perpetrators of this heinous act and fully enforce all provisions of the STOP FGM Act. Every year, the FBI joins with our partners to acknowledge Zero Tolerance Day and raise awareness regarding female genital mutilation. However, our work investigating perpetrators of this terrible crime is not limited to February 6. The FBI is consistently and actively working to eradicate this human rights violation every day of the year, said David Scott, section chief of the FBIs Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. We reaffirm our commitment to our partners, to the victims, and to the world that the FBI is committed to protecting the rights of young women and children and bringing justice to those who would violate them. FGM is a serious human rights violation, and, since 1996, has been a federal crime. This year, on January 5, the STOP FGM Act 2020 was signed into law, further clarifying the FGM crime and aligning the U.S. definition of FGM with the World Health Organizations definition. Violations of this law may result in imprisonment and potential removal from the United States. Individuals suspected of FGM, including sending girls overseas to be cut, may be investigated by the HRVWCC and prosecuted by the Justice Department accordingly. Notably, STOP FGM 2020 aligned the definition of FGM with the World Health Organizations definition and increased the statutory maximum term of imprisonment for violating the law from five to ten years. On January 13, the Department of Justice indicted a Texas woman for allegedly transporting a minor out of the United States for FGM, the first indictment under the amended statute. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center is the only government entity focused completely on investigating global atrocities and the perpetrators of human rights violations and war crimes. Initiated by ICEs Homeland Security Investigations in 2008, the HRVWCC leverages the knowledge and expertise of a select group of special agents, attorneys, intelligence analysts, criminal research specialists and historians who are charged with preventing the United States from becoming a safe haven to individuals who engage in the commission of war crimes, genocide, torture and other forms of serious human rights abuses from conflicts around the globe. The center also brings together other DHS components and federal partners, to include the FBI and the Department of Justice, who work collaboratively alongside HSI to pursue human rights violators and war crimes investigations and prosecutions. In 2017, the HRVWCC initiated Operation Limelight USA, a program modeled on Operation Limelight, a joint initiative by the United Kingdom Border Force and police services across the United Kingdom (U.K.). In Operation Limelight USA, ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in partnership with non-governmental organizations, the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other partners worked together to educate passengers flying to or from high-risk countries, offering informational brochures and identifying potential victims and violators of FGM. According to UNICEF, more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM, which refers to cutting and other procedures that injure the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. While primarily concentrated in north, west, and central Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East and Asia, FGM also occurs in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that approximately 500,000 women and girls in the United States are either victims of FGM or are at risk of being subjected to it. The practice is global in scope and found in multiple geographies, religions, and socioeconomic classes. Anyone who has information about an individual who is suspected of assisting in this crime is urged to call the toll-free ICE tip line at (866) 347-2423 or the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or complete the ICE online tip form or FBI online tip form. All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously. For more information about the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting, view this Fact Sheet on FGM from the U.S. Department of State or visit the United Nations' Zero Tolerance Day website. This story has been published on: 2021-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Advertisement Nancy Pelosi crashed the House impeachment manager's post-trial press conference Saturday to rage against Mitch McConnell and call out Republicans' 'cowardly' vote to stop Donald Trump from being convicted for 'incitement of insurrection'. 'It had not been my intention to come to this press availability,' Pelosi said as she spoke to reporters on the fifth and final day of the Senate proceedings. 'But what we saw today was a cowardly group of Republicans who apparently have no options because they were afraid to defend their job respect the institution in which they serve.' 'But why I came over was because I listened to Mitch McConnell,' Pelosi continued. McConnell took the Senate floor shortly after Democrats failed to earn the two-thirds votes needed to convict the former president and the Republican leader argued Congress no longer had jurisdiction over Trump's actions because is no longer president. Pelosi angrily recounted the events of January where McConnell, who was still Senate majority leader at the time, refused to accept the impeachment article against Trump before Joe Biden's inauguration. 'So for him to get up there and make this indictment against the president and then say, 'but I can't vote for it because it's after the fact.' The fact that he established! The fact that he established that it could not be delivered after the inauguration.' Nancy Pelosi crashed the House impeachment manager's post-trial press conference in an angry rage, lashing out at Mitch McConnell and calling Republicans 'cowardly' for voting to stop Donald Trump from being convicted for 'incitement of insurrection' McConnell argued in floor remarks after acquitting Trump, that Congress didn't have the jurisdiction to go after a former president When asked about censuring the ex-president, Pelosi asserted that didn't go nearly far enough. 'Oh these cowardly senators who couldn't face up to what the president did and what was at stake for our country are now going to have a chance to give a little slap on the wrist,' she said as she physically gave herself a slap on the wrist. 'We censure people for using stationary for the wrong purpose,' she said, picking up a few pieces of paper laying on the podium and waving them around. THE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED 'GUILTY' ON DONALD TRUMP Bill Cassidy Louisiana Susan Collins Maine Richard Burr North Carolina Pat Toomey Pennsylvania Lisa Murkowski Alaska Ben Sasse Nebraska Mitt Romney Utah Advertisement She added: 'We don't censure people for inciting insurrections.' Pelosi suggested Republicans voted to not convict Trump because they 'can't get another job' and want to make sure they are reelected. 'What is so important about any one of us, what is so important about the political survival about any one of us that is more important than our Constitution that we take an oath to protect and defend?' she questioned, shaking at times with anger. 'All the things he said oh my gosh about Donald Trump and how horrible he was, and is, and then say but the time that the House chose to bring it over - no we didn't, you chose not to receive it,' she lashed out. McConnell suggested that while he felt Congress couldn't pursue charges against Trump, that he could still be held criminally liable. 'President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office,' McConnell said in Senate floor remarks. 'He didn't get away with anything, yet,' he continued. 'We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation and former presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.' Pelosi, who tried to leave the room two separate times but walked back to the podium to add more, was livid. 'Remember when he talked about, when he talked about incitement, he said he didn't think this rose to the level,' she said. 'So he was hedging all over the place.' 'I don't know if it was for donors, or what, or whatever it was, it was a very disingenuous speech and I say that regretfully because I always want to be able to work with the leadership of the other party,' the California Democrat added. Trump is acquitted 57-43 of inciting MAGA riot: SEVEN Republicans turn on him but Dems fall short of 67 votes needed to convict - and as he hints at 'glorious' comeback McConnell attacks 'disgraceful dereliction' and says he could be CHARGED The Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial Saturday as the vast majority of Republicans held together against a charge that he incited the Capitol riot of January 6. After a roll call vote of the Senate, 57 senators voted to convict, with 43 senators voting to acquit. It wasn't enough to meet the two-thirds threshold set out in the Constitution. A total of seven Republicans voted to convict; two of them have announced they are retiring at the end of their terms. The group included Sen. Richard Burr, who is retiring and who previously chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee during the Russia probe, and who voted 'guilty.' It also included Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who had appeared to waver and who voted earlier that the proceeding was constitutional. Also voting 'guilty' were Republicans Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey, who is retiring. It was a bipartisan vote, but well short of the 67 votes that would have been needed to convict, a bar that many pro-impeachment lawmakers believed was out of reach even before the proceedings began. Majority Leader Sen. Charles Schumer called it the most bipartisan impeachment in American history. Each senator stood and announced their vote from their desks, in a gesture meant to show the solemnity of the occasion. Members of the MAGA mob had occupied and rifled through many of those desks during the riot, in defiance captured on video now being used against them by federal prosecutors. 'They stormed the Senate floor. They tried to hunt down the speaker of the House,' said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after the chamber had voted. 'They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the vice president. They did this because theyd been fed wild, falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth because he was angry he lost an election. Former President Trumps actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty,' said McConnell although he himself voted to acquit Trump of the charge, citing technical grounds. 'The mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners. Hanging his flags. And screaming their loyalty to him,' said McConnell. McConnell, who declined to call back the Senate into session following the House's January impeachment, also said Trump is not in the clear just yet. 'President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office,' McConnell said. 'As an ordinary citizen unless the statute of limitations has run, still liable for everything he did while he's in office. Didn't get away with anything yet. Yet,' McConnell said. He brought up the criminal justice system and civil litigation. 'Presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.' When House managers spoke after the verdict, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to walk over to the Senate and join them, unloading on McConnell for his decision. 'I dont know whether it was for donors or what but whatever it was it was a very disingenuous speech,' she fumed. She wrote off the possibility of a censure resolution, which wouldn't need to meet the same hurdle, as a 'slap on the wrist.' 'We censure people using stationary for the wrong purpose. We dont censure people for inciting insurrection that kills people in the Capitol,' she said. 'He is hereby acquitted of the charge in said article,' said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont after the votes were cast. It was an outcome that was expected but nevertheless disappointed Democrats, who made Trump both the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to be acquitted twice. Democratic House managers who brought the charge could at least claim that the former president suffered a bipartisan rebuke with a majority voting to convict him on the single charge of 'incitement of insurrection.' Reaching the required two-thirds supermajority established in the Constitution was already a high hurdle in a chamber that had shown consistent deference to Trump while he was in office. It continued after Trump left office, even as managers sought to confront them with the existential threat the riot posed to the Capitol and the democracy as well as their own personal safety. Minutes after the Senate voted, Trump issued a statement attacking Democrats from his office at Mar-a-Lago. 'It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree,' he said. 'I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate,' said Trump. Each of the seven Republicans to vote to convicted provided their own reasons. Murkowski is the only one to face voters in 2022. Cassidy, of Louisiana, was the most succinct: 'Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty,' he said. 'They could have killed us all' 'Things could have been much worse,' Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island said earlier in the trial. 'As one senator said, they could have killed all of us.' But appeals to the senators' own lives weren't sufficient in a chamber that went along with Trump through four tumultuous years, only breaking with him to override a veto of a popular defense bill after he had already lost the November election. New information that unfolded even as the trial went forward also did not move the needle. The presentation featured 11th hour claims about what Trump told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy even as the riot was underway. Trump's lawyers stipulated to the information, and it was allowed into the record. Democrats also played jarring footage of Vice President Mike Pence being rushed out of the room where he was being secured as the mob was taking the building. The noted repeatedly that Trump never called Pence to check on his safety, and noted that Trump sent out a tweet pressuring Pence and saying he lacked 'courage' even after the riot was underway. (Video footage they played repeatedly showed members of the MAGA mob shouting to 'hang' Pence.) For Democrats, it was an improvement over the first impeachment, when a single Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted for an impeachment charge over Trump's effort to pressure the government of Ukraine for dirt on his political opponent, Joe Biden. That trial, held when the Senate was under GOP control, famously called no witnesses about the Ukraine affair, even with former national security advisor John Bolton finally ready to talk. It call in a week-long trial that culminated with an angry attack by President Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen, who called impeachment a 'complete charade from beginning to end.' Channeling Trump, he said the entire spectacle 'was nothing but the pursuit of a longstanding political vendetta against Mr. Trump by the opposition party.' FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S STATEMENT AFTER BEING ACQUITTED BY THE SENATE I want to first thank my team of dedicated lawyers and others for their tireless work upholding justice and defending truth. My deepest thanks as well to all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country. Our cherished Constitutional Republic was founded on the impartial rule of law, the indispensable safeguard for our liberties, our rights and our freedoms. It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree. I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate. This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago. I also want to convey my gratitude to the millions of decent, hardworking, law-abiding, God-and-Country loving citizens who have bravely supported these important principles in these very difficult and challenging times. Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it! We have so much work ahead of us, and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant, and limitless American future. Together there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We remain one People, one family, and one glorious nation under God, and its our responsibility to preserve this magnificent inheritance for our children and for generations of Americans to come. May God bless all of you, and may God forever bless the United States of America. Advertisement Deal to avoid witness testimony But Democrats on Saturday appeared to walk away from an opportunity to extend the trial further. After prevailing on a vote to allow witnesses, they reached a deal with Republicans and Trump's team to allow for a stipulation regarding new evidence about Trump's McCarthy call. They gave up the chance to try to pry away new damaging information on Trump's conduct, in a forum where they weren't likely to prevail anyway, and with the 100-day agenda of President Joe Biden potentially at risk. The quick conclusion to a trial that only began Tuesday came despite last minute drama Saturday that raised the potential it could go in an entirely different direction turning into an extended fact-finding endeavor that could stretch an additional two weeks. Following the jolt of tension, Democrats got the evidence, which provides a window into Trump's conduct while the Capitol riot was underway although it was not expected to change the vote breakdown in a meaningful way or take the trial in a new direction. Drama as Raskin calls for the chance to hear from witnesses House Manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland stunned senators Saturday morning when he spoke on the need for hearing from Herrera Beutler, a Republican from Washington state, on what she says McCarthy told her about the call even as the MAGA mob was rampaging through the Capitol. It was the second major development of the day, after Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell revealed he would vote to acquit the former president, while sharing his procedural reasons. Herrera Beutler says Trump told McCarthy: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Democratic managers could use the statement to argue that Trump inflamed the riot rather than trying to stop it. But Raskin's request threatened to blow up the trial schedule, potentially dragging it out for weeks, especially after Trump's legal team threatened to call more than 300 witnesses. That evidently was an outcome neither side was willing to stomach, for different reasons. After a break, both Trump's lawyer and Raskin agreed to a 'stipulation' of the evidence, which Raskin then read into the trial record. Trump lawyer Bruce Castor said Trump through his lawyers was prepared to stipulate that Rep. Herrera Beutler, were she to testify under oath, it would be consistent with her Feb. 12th statement, which Raskin then read. The agreement then allowed the trial to move on past the witness phase - meaning none will be called. It was a swift conclusion to the matter only hours after House managers moved to call Rep. Herrera Beutler for testimony about her stunning claims about what Trump said his supporters were ransacking the Capitol. With the evidence in the record and in hand and with neither side demanding more witnesses Raskin immediately pounced on the new information, saying Trump took actions that 'further incited the insurgents to be more inflamed and to take even more extreme selective and focused action against Vice President Mike Pence.' Raskin read Trump's quote from Herrera Beutler's notes to McCarthy aloud again. 'Think about that for a second. This uncontradicted statement that has just been stipulated as part of the evidentiary record. The president said, 'Well, I guess these people' - meaning the mobsters, the insurrectionists - 'are more upset about the election than you.' That conduct is obviously part of the constitutional offense that he was impeached for, namely incitement to insurrection, that is continuing incitement to the insurrection,' he said. He said it provided 'further decisive evidence of his intent to incite the insurrection in the first place.' Another manager, Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, repeated the quote in his own arguments afterward. He said Trump 'was essentially saying: You got what you deserve.' 'His sole focus was stealing the election for himself,' said Cicilline. Cicilline said two things during closing remarks that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote "Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,"' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. Van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, "I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,"' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. 'Mr. President moments ago, House manager Cicilline,' Lee got up and said. Leahy interrupted him and told Lee, 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. When Lee previously objected it was because the Utah senator never divulged the contents of the call. Tuberville has not confirmed news reports that said Trump pressured him on the phone to object to more states Electoral College vote counts. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying Saturdays proceedings. Trump team's defense Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen ended the ex-president's defense at Saturday's Senate impeachment trial with an incendiary laundry list of grievances, even accusing Democrats of inspiring the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6. 'Many of the people who infiltrated the Capitol took pictures of themselves and posted them on social media,' van der Veen pointed out. 'To some, it seems, they thought it was all a game. They apparently believe that violent mobs, destruction of property, rioting, assaulting police and vandalizing historic treasures was somehow now acceptable in the United States.' 'Where might they have gotten that idea?' the Trump lawyer mused. 'I would suggest to you that it was not from Mr. Trump.' While House impeachment managers had spent hours this week trying to pin the blame on Trump, van der Veen ended the trial by arguing it was their party, their allies and the media that was really responsible for the insurrection. 'I submit to you that it was month after month of political leaders and media personalities, bloodthirsty for ratings, glorifying civil unrest and condemning the reasonable law enforcement measures that are required to quell violent mobs,' van der Veen said. Clash over witness bombshell The earlier vote on witnesses before a deal was made prevailed on a procedural vote with five Republicans voting to hear from the Republican lawmakers. Among them were four Republican senators who had voted that the trial itself was constitutional Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump loyalist who changed his vote to back the move. For hours Saturday move threw the trial's schedule into doubt, with some lawmakers having earlier predicted it would wrap up Saturday. For a time, it reframed what had appeared to be the culmination of the impeachment trial, with the schedule and lawmakers plans to go home thrown into chaos and Joe Biden's legislative agenda being caught up in the confusion. Trump advisor Jason Miller soon brandished a list of 301 witnesses 'so far' that the president's team threatened to call, and a list that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, said on the Senate floor Saturday he wanted to depose Rep. Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) as well as her contemporaneous notes about what she knows. He said there was overwhelming evidence of Trump's 'dereliction of duty.' Rep. Herrera Beutler says McCarthy told her about the contents of her tense phone conversation with Trump on Jan. 6. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland moved to be able to depose Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler after she reiterated comments about what she says House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about his conversation with President Donald Trump Raskin said the deposition could take place on Zoom and would take only an hour. His request drew an immediate explosive response from Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen. 'If they want to have witnesses, I'm going to need at least 100 depositions. Not just one,' he fumed threatening to drag out the trial that senators were forced to view in silence for nearly a week. Then he raised the stakes even further. Rep. Raskin put the witness question to a vote after Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler issued a statement about her conversation with Rep. Kevin McCarthy The move to subpoena witnesses and documents got 5 Republican votes Michael van der Veen, attorney for former President Donald Trump, bristled at the Democratic request for witnesses. 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' he said House impeachment manager Delegate Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., center, walks through the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate on the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 in Washington Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voted for Raskin's witness motion, then got in a clash with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin 'Nancy Pelosi's deposition needs to be taken. Vice President Harris' deposition, absolutely, needs to be taken. None of these depositions should be done by zoom. We didn't' do this hearing by Zoom,' said Van der Veen. 'These depositions should be done in person in my office in Philadelphia. That's where they should be done!' 'That's where they should be done. I need to do the 911-style investigation that Nancy Pelosi called for,' he said. His Philadelphia comment brought audible laughter inside the chamber. 'I don't know why you're laughing,' said van der Veen, whose Philadelphia firm touts numerous awards he has won to victims of automobile accidents. He said that's how depositions are done in civil proceedings. 'I haven't laughed at any of you. And there's nothing laughable here,' he scolded senators. 'Now is the time to end this,' he argued. After a series of angry statements by the Trump lawyer, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, presiding, cautioned senators to refrain from statements 'non-conducive to civil discourse.' READ THE FULL ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT Advertisement 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' Van der Veen fumed. Raskin responded to information that emerged Friday night about Herrera Beutler's claims. She said it reinforced 'the President's willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief of the United States, his state of mind and his further incitement of the insurrection on January 6.' 'For that reason, and because this is the proper time to do so under the resolution of that the Senate adopted to set the rules for the trial, we would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera regarding her communications with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. It's is a subpoena for contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection,' he said. He said the deposition would be an hour 'or less' just as soon as the lawmaker is available, and that managers would then proceed to the next phase of the trial, including the introduction of that testimony shortly thereafter. But he raised the possibility of more witnesses for the prosecution. 'Congresswoman Beutler further states that she hopes other witnesses to this part of the story, other patriots as she put it would come forward and if that happens, we would seek the opportunity to take their depositions via zoom also for less than an hour or two subpoena other relevant documents as well,' said Raskin. But not all senators were entirely sure what they were voting about, with Sen. Todd Young of Alaska asking in mid vote what was the substance. After the drama on the floor, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson complained about the sudden turn after being spotted having an angry clash with Sen. Mitt Romney inside the chamber. 'It's not healing it's not, it's not unifying it's just like opening up a wound and just rubbing salt in it and I thought we were going come to a conclusion here today and it was rip the wound back open, let's let's rub more salt in it,' he complained. He also claimed the public hearing he organized as chairman on claims of election irregularities being pushed by President Trump was done to 'defuse' the situation. As senators worked to reassemble a way forward, Graham tweeted that it was better to go to a final vote but 'if the body wants witnesses, I am going to insist we have multiple witnesses.' He said it was best to start with Pelosi to see 'as to whether or not there was credible evidence of pre-planned violence before President Trump spoke?' He said it was 'incredibly relevant' to the incitement charge. Sparks flew several more times throughout closing arguments after both sides agreed to move on without witnesses. Cicilline said two things during his turn that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote "Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,"' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, "I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,"' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. 'Mr. President moments ago, House manager Cicilline,' Lee got up and said. Leahy told him that 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying the proceeding. First thing Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republicans that he planned to vote to acquit Trump on charges incitement of insurrection a signal that the House-led effort to convict the former president would fail. 'While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction,' McConnell said in the letter. Although he had denounced Trump's actions in an emotional Senate floor speech immediately after the Jan. 6 MAGA riot in the Capitol, McConnell also did not act to hasten the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office. He voted along with 44 other Republicans that the post-presidency impeachment was unconstitutional a position that did not prevail. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives at the US Capitol for the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump, on February 13, 2021, in Washington, DC. He told colleagues he will vote to acquit Trump The drama unfolded after it was revealed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told colleagues he plans to vote to acquit Trump House Democratic managers brought up numerous Trump administration officials who quit following the riot among them McConnell's wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. McConnell's decision makes it likely that only a handful of Republicans cross over to join Democrats voting to convict. With two-thirds of the Senate required, this raises the likelihood that Trump would be impeached and acquitted twice. There was a last minute wrinkle Friday night, however. CNN reported Friday that Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted for Trump's impeachment and who spoke on the record about what McCarthy told her, pleaded with 'patriots' to go public with their own accounts. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' she said. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' Jaime Herrera Beutler said. F-word call: Kevin McCarthy pleaded with Donald Trump to call off his mob on January 6, and when Trump said 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' responded: 'Who the f**k do you think you're speaking to?' 'When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol,' Herrera Beutler recounted. 'McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Other sources told CNN that McCarthy replied to Trump: 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' and that McCarthy had phoned Trump because the MAGA mob were smashing the windows in his office. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called for the suspension of the trial in order to depose GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville and McCarthy about their conversations with the former president during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the trial, issued the call in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal. 'Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting,' Whitehouse wrote, referring to reports that McCarthy lambasted Trump in an expletive-laden diatribe telling him to call off his mob of loyalists, and following Tuberville's admission that he told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 19:57:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MALE, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Maldives has imposed a ban on the movement of vehicles inside the capital region of Greater Male between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. (local time) as a measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19, local media reported here Saturday. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the new measure has been imposed to control a recent surge in COVID-19 cases which has seen active cases rise to 2,302. Maldives has recorded 17,507 cases of COVID-19, out of which 15,142 patients have fully recovered and 56 have died. An ongoing vaccination program has seen 27,367 people inoculated against COVID-19, mainly in the densely populated Greater Male Area. Enditem When Kripal Singh (Chandrachur Singh) sees Inspector Vora (Kanwaljit Singh) at a Sikh shrine in Himachal Pradesh he is determined to kill the police officer. Kripal is a Khalistani militant and the protagonist of Gulzar-directed Maachis (1996). Earlier in the film, Vora had been a part of a police team that turned up in Kripals village searching for militants and had picked up his friend Jaswant Singh Randhawa (Raj Zutshi). Jaswant Jassi, as Kripal calls him is tortured in custody even though the police are aware he is innocent. Unable to get justice through legal means, Kripal turns to the militants. After spotting him in the shrine later in the film, Kripal, armed with a rifle, tracks Voras entourage in the mountainous roads. But he is unable to pull the trigger at the last moment because Voras son is with him in the car. Gulzar refers to this in an interview with poet and academic Sukrita Paul Kumar. [T]he fact the terrorist in the film does not shoot the child thats not a decision out of the intellect, its instinctive with that age group, says Gulzar. Very young boys sucked into the whole thing. None of them wanted to be there. Kripals actions or the lack of it in this case also allows the director to sustain the sympathy the audience feels for him. A terrorist film movies with terrorists or militants as protagonists operates by infecting the audience with Stockholm Syndrome. The most famous example of such a cinematic narrative is Dog Day Afternoon (1975), where Al Pacino and John Cazale are two Vietnam veterans turned bank robbers. As the police turn up in the course of the robbery, it turns into a hostage situation where the trapped bank employees and customers start empathizing with the robbers. Indian films such as The Terrorist (1997), Dil Se (1998), Fiza (2000), and Mission Kashmir (2000) all operate more or less on this same formula. In the dark confines of the cinema hall, the audience becomes a part of the band of outlaws or militants they see on the screen. This is distinctly different from films such as Sarfarosh (1999) or A Wednesday (2008). In Maachis, Gulzar builds the band of militants carefully. Besides the shadowy Commander (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) about whose motivations we dont know, every other character is given a sympathetic backstory. Sanatan (Om Puri) has suffered bereavement in Partition (1947) and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots; Vazira (Suneel Sinha) is separated from a Pakistani woman he fell in love with; Jimmys (Jimmy Sheirgill) grandfather was lynched, again in 1984; and Kuldip (Ravi Gosain) was strip searched at a police station during a passport verification. They might have joined the group on their own initiative but as they well know there is no escape for them. They will either be hunted down by the police or their own comrades. When Kuldip tries to leave, Sanatan doesnt hesitate to eliminate him. From the outside, the revolution seemed so romantic. Even the possibility of experiencing the bullet, Gulzar tells Kumar. But the Movement sucked in the hardcore toughies, the tough leader all he wanted to do is to paralyse the system. For him theres no party, no politics. At other places, different characters explain how the conflict has turned into a lawless guerrilla warfare. It is easy to empathize with the disillusioned young men and women who turn to militants, but Gulzars script expands to include the dreaded police officers as well in this circle of empathy. In one scene, as Kripal stalks Vora, we see the police officer talking to a senior on the phone. Kripal cannot hear him as he beyond a glass window, but the audience can. Vora tells his senior that he has sent his wife and son to Dharamshala to see the ashram of the Dalai Lama. A child should see that world as well, he adds. They have only seen guns in a police officers home. And, a little later he reveals that he was a poet in college, using the pen name Sahil. This is an attempt at humanizing an agent of the state who has been seen as oppressor till now. The police officer, Gulzar seems to suggest, is as trapped in the vortex of violence as the militant. Several human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have accused both the police and the militants of human rights abuses during the Khalistani movement. Thousands of people have been arrested by police and security forces in since 1983 Prisoners have been kept detained for months or years without trial under provisions of special legislation suspending normal legal safeguards. There are many reports of torture during interrogation, wrote Amnesty in a report. Amy Laws and Vincent Iacopino, doctors who have investigated torture, wrote: Sikh militants killed hundreds of people police retaliated with systematic torture and summary executions. more than 2,000 persons killed in police custody were cremated illegally in one district of alone. Iacopino later also studied torture in Guantanamo Bay. Many others were made to disappear a strategy used by Indian forces in Kashmir as well. In recent months, as protests by farmers against the new farm laws have intensified on New Delhis borders, efforts have been made by some pro-government sections to brand them as Khalistanis. Even though fact-checkers pointed out that this was a PR exercise by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence, political leaders such as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell chief Amit Malviya have claimed that the farmers were being supported from across the border. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to delegitimise the protests by claiming in Parliament that the farmers had been misled by andolanjeevis, or professional protestors, suggesting in a way that farmers themselves are naive and incapable for judicious actions. When the individuals voice is not heard and hes frustrated, he gathers people around himself in the name of caste, religion or region, Gulzar told Kumar in the interview cited earlier. Hed say I seek justice now, today, and for myself, just now when I am alive, not for future generations. I am not fighting for any nation. I am fighting for myself. Hes very bitter. When Maachis was released in 1996, the violence of the Khalistani movement was still fresh in everyones mind. Beant Singh, Punjabs CM, had been killed in a car bomb only the previous year. The film does not attempt to provide solutions; it ends on a depressive note, with all the characters whom the audience might have empathized with dead. Solutions are not easy to find in cinema or in real life, as the current protests have shown us. The writers novel, Ritual, was published last year. Just when you thought you explored all the ways to enjoy elote, TikTok gives you the ultimate recipe for these antojitos. Elote, often called Mexican street corn, is a favorite snack for many Houstonians, and Farrah with spicednice on TikTok just showed us the perfect way to grill them up like ribs. MORE TIKTOK STARS: Meet Alvin's Enkyboys and their epic TikTok videos Just hearing the recipe had my mouth watering with all the ingredients she used to whip them up. You can't go wrong with basting the corn ribs with chili powder, lemon pepper, black pepper, paprika and topping it off with a sprinkling of cotija cheese when they're done. I loved her technique for cutting up the corn on the cob and using an air fryer for preparing them. Her chipotle lime mayo sauce is the perfect condiment to add the finishing touch on top. Whether you enjoy your elote in a cup, bowl, grilled with the husk hanging off it, there's sure to be a food truck or eatery around H-Town you will find that has it on the menu. Houston's East End was famous for its elotero, Emilio Vargas, known as the "Elote Man." Vargas is a staple in the community selling his Mexican street corn. TheCrazyGorilla probably explains it best what elotes mean when he said "You know you're Mexican if you get excited when hear that elotero horn." In this case, you know you love elotes when you get excited about a new recipe. I agree with Farrahthese elote ribs just might be the next trend in how to eat this go-to-delicacy. How do you enjoy your elotes? Where's your favorite spots to pick some up? Top left: Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, Fadi al-Batsh, Fathi Shaqaqi, Abu Muhammad al-Masri and Dariush Rezaei-Nejad The New York Times revealed on Nov. 13 that Israeli operatives, at the behest of the United States, killed Abu Muhammad al-Masri, a senior Al Qaeda leader in the line of succession on Aug. 7 in Tehran. The killing of al-Masri by Israeli operatives follows a decades old pattern of targeted killings by the Mossad. FDDs Long War Journal has compiled the following list of notable targeted killings attributed to the Mossad. Abu Muhammad al-Masri and Maryam al-Masri A tweet by Irans semi-official Fars News Agency on Aug. 7, reported that an Arabic-speaking father and daughter were shot and killed in their vehicle on Pasadran street in Tehran, Iran. A little over three months later, The New York Times revealed the pair killed in Tehran were Al Qaedas Abu Muhammad al-Masri and his daughter Maryam al-Masri, the widow of Hamza bin-Laden, the son of former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin-Laden. According to the report, the pair were killed when two gunmen on a motorcycle pulled up beside the vehicle al-Masri was driving and fired five shots from a pistol fitted with a silencer. Additionally, Israels News Channel 12 shed light on why Israel became involved in al-Masris killing. Citing Western intelligence sources, al-Masri planned to attack Israeli and Jewish targets. The killing of al-Masri was a clean operation that was carried out without incident, the Channel 12 report stated. Fadi al-Batsh In Apr. 2018, Fadi al-Batsh, a Palestinian engineer and member of Hamas, was killed when two men on a motorcycle fired approximately one dozen shots at him as he walked down a street in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lampur. According to information obtained by The Times, al-Batsh was part of a training and fundraising network operated from Gaza by Hamas, whose network stretches across the world and has a presence in the UK. Additionally, the money raised by the network was funneled to Gaza and the West Bank for Hamas military wing al-Qassam Brigades to operate against Israeli targets. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan and Dariush Rezaei-Nejad On Jan. 11, 2012, a motorcycle pulled up alongside Ahmadi-Roshans silver Peugeot 405 and stuck a magnetic charge to the door he was sitting beside. The magnetic charge detonated killing Ahmadi-Roshan as the assailants drove away. According to reports, Ahmadi-Roshan was a chief chemist working on Irans nuclear program. Less than six months before the killing of Ahmadi-Roshan, another scientist, Rezaei-Nejad, was shot and killed Jul. 23, 2011, by assailants on a motorcycle in Tehran. Like his counterpart Ahmadi-Roshan, Rezaei-Nejad was reportedly working on Irans nuclear program, although it remains unconfirmed what role he played in it. Fathi Shaqaqi On Oct. 26, 1995, Shaqaqi was shot and killed outside the seaside town of Sliema, Malta. Two men on a motorycle drove up to Shaqaqi as he walked down a sidewalk and fired five shots from a pistol equipped with a silencer. Shaqaqi had just returned from Libya where he had met with the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Qaddafi, to urge him to stop expulsions of Palestinians from the country. Shaqaqi, the founder of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, had long been accused by Israeli intelligence of masterminding suicide bombings against Israelis. He was also a key player in forming the National Alliance, a coalition of eight PLO factions including Islamic Jihad and Hamas who rejected peace with Israel. A pattern of assassinations The killings mentioned above share similar characteristics. All involved assassins on motorcycles, the operations were conducted in countries considered hostile to Israel and those killed posed a threat to the countrys security. There are more notable instances where the Mossad was reportedly behind targeted killings: Hezbollahs Imad Mughniyeh, Black Septembers Ali Hassan Salameh, Hamas Mahmoud al-Mabhouh and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestines Wadi Hadad. It is noteworthy to mention the Mossad rarely admits responsibility for targeted killings. There are rare occasions when a government official hints of Israels involvement in targeted killings, but generally they remain a mystery. As seen with the killing of al-Masri, neither Iran, the United States, Al Qaeda or Israel have officially mentioned anything about the three-month-old assassination. This saves Iran from having to explain its documented relationship with Al Qaeda and how Israel, a chief enemy of Iran, was able to operate inside the country without being detected by Iranian intelligence. Joe Truzman is a contributor to FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the "Stop The Steal" rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Senate Includes Beutler Statement Into Trump Impeachment Record, Moves to Closing Arguments The Senate, House impeachment managers, and former President Donald Trumps counsels have agreed to enter a statement by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) into the record of Trumps impeachment trial as evidence, with the trial moving to the closing arguments phase ahead of a vote on whether to convict. Beutler said in recent tweets and a statement that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) spoke with Trump as a mob was storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and that the president hesitated to call off the riots at McCarthys request. Trump allegedly believed it was Antifa that had breached the Capitol in the first place. Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are, Trump is reported to have told McCarthy after McCarthy reportedly refuted the Antifa narrative. The Epoch Times could not independently verify Beutlers statement. Trump and McCarthys offices didnt respond to requests for comment from The Epoch Times. Before the Senate vote, lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) stated that they wanted to call witnesses because of the alleged phone call between McCarthy and Trump. We would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera [Beutler] regarding her communications with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and to subpoena her contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection, Raskin said. We would be prepared to proceed by Zoom deposition of an hour or less just as soon as Congresswoman Herrera Beutler is available. Raskin further stated that the House impeachment managers would like to take depositions from anyone else who comes forward as Beutler had done. Trumps counsel Michael van der Veen responded that the call for witnesses is inappropriate and improper. After what happened here in this chamber yesterday, the House managers realize they did not investigate this case before bringing the impeachment. They did not give the proper consideration and they didnt put the work in that was necessary to impeach the former president, he said. However, van der Veen said he would like to ask for at least over 100 depositions if the House impeachment managers want to subpoena witnesses. Do not handcuff me by limiting the number of witnesses that I can have, van der Veen said. He emphasized that the proposed subpoena is also irrelevant to the article of impeachment that he said should focus on what happened before the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Raskins call on Beutler to testify prompted Republican lawmakers to issue calls for other witnesses, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), to give testimony. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a series of tweets that he believes it is better for the country for the trial to go to a final vote without calling witnesses. However, if the body wants witnesses, I am going to insist we have multiple witnesses, Graham said in a tweet, adding, We can start with Speaker Pelosi to answer the question as to whether or not there was credible evidence of pre-planned violence before President Trump spoke? Whether Speaker Pelosi, due to optics, refused requests by the Capitol Hill Police for additional resources like the National Guard? Graham said in another tweet. Her testimony is incredibly relevant to the incitement charge. Other lawmakers made similar calls. If the House Managers call Rep. Herrera Beutler as a witness, the first witness Trumps lawyers should call is Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a series of tweets. Several Qs she should answer: What did you know about threats to the Capitol? When? Did you turn down national guard because of optics? he wrote, adding that the next witness that should be called is Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. Following the decision not to have Beutler testify but to enter her testimony into the record, and given that no other witnesses have been called, the respective teams get two hours each for closing statements, meaning that a final vote on conviction is near certain to come on Saturday. At least 17 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would have to join all 50 Democrats to convict Trump, which a number of GOP senators have insisted is highly unlikely. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told CNN that, I think you get at best six Republicansprobably five and maybe six, who will cast votes in favor of a conviction. The six Republicans could be the ones who broke with their GOP colleagues Tuesday in voting that the impeachment trial was constitutional: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Pat Toomey (R-Penn.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.). Lawmakers from both parties have said they would like to wrap the trial up quickly so they could move on to other business, such as confirmation votes on senior Biden administration officials and COVID-19 relief. Allen Zhong contributed to this report. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! The world No.1 took a medical time-out early in the third set against Fritz, received work on the right side of his abdomen his hitting side a few games later and again called for on-court treatment near the end of the set. Three-time champion Wilander was concerned about Djokovics condition. It wasnt a pre-existing injury. It happened at two sets to love, 1-1 in the third set. He had a bit of a slip, it affected his right hip and of course the right hip is the most important hip when you hit forehands, Wilander told Eurosport. He couldnt hit a forehand for about an hour. In the end, something must have happened ... He was in pain. Its very worrying, I guess the reaction we saw from Novak at the end is a positive because it means that he can possibly fix this injury in a way. It does give hope to the lockeroom because Milos Raonic must be thinking Novak is a little bit injured. It gives the other players hope and its worrying times for Novak. Djokovic crept into the second week at Melbourne Park with the 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 win, with the match also disrupted when spectators were ordered from the court due to the imminent start of Victorias five-day lockdown at midnight. Afterwards 17-time major champion Djokovic said consulting medicos would take priority over training on Saturday. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The 33-year-old said he was sad and worried about the injury. Everything was working fine for me, and then beginning of the third set I made this quick move on the return going to the forehand, rotating there, and I just felt a tear, I felt something happen, Djokovic said. Went out for medical time-out when I was tested, evaluated. I have huge pain, I took the highest dose of anti-inflammatories possible. The medication kicked in but he hobbled from the court afterwards. Beginning of the fifth [set] when I actually started to move and I could actually start to rally with him from back of the court. Until that moment, it was only serve for me and kind of hoping and praying that Im gonna get an easy ball after my serve so I could just go for it. I honestly dont know how I won this match. Im very proud, at the same time sad and worried, because its definitely something serious happening with my injury. I dont have much time to recover for the next match. Definitely not training tomorrow. Im coming here to evaluate further more with doctor and medical team, and do some ultrasound and understand whats really going on, so that the doctor and medical team can prescribe best possible treatment and the only possible treatment that I could even have the slightest chance to go out [and play] in less than 48 hours. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video His opponent also tipped Djokovic to be fit next up. I think if you guys all watched the match, looked like he was struggling in the third and the fourth, and he didnt really look like he was struggling in the fifth, Fritz said. He looked fine in the fifth, lets be honest. Maybe he fought through it, but Im happy for him that he had such a good recovery and hes feeling a lot better. State and territory governments across Australia have tightened their border restrictions with Victoria after potential community infection sites of Covid-19 were recorded in Melbourne. Victoria plunged into a five day lockdown from 11.59pm on Friday in response to an outbreak at Melbourne Airport's Holiday Inn, which has grown to 14 cases. Victorians are only allowed to leave home to shop for food and essential items, provide or receive care, exercise and to work or study if they can't from home. Now every state and territory has implemented tough border controls for travellers returning from Victoria. Here's a state-by-state breakdown: States and territory governments are implementing hard border closures following Victoria's potential Covid-19 community infection sites (pictured: Passengers from Brisbane arrive at Perth airport as Western Australia introduces their new border restrictions) Victoria plunged into a five day lockdown from 11.59pm on Friday in response to an outbreak at Melbourne Airport's Holiday Inn, which has grown to 14 cases (pictured: passengers are met by health officials and police officers as they arrive at Ballina airport) New South Wales NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has ruled out shutting the border to Victoria, but will instead copy the state's five-day lock down for residents. The strict five-day lockdown will be implemented to travellers who have been anywhere in Victoria at any time since January 29. Anyone arriving in NSW from Victoria on or after 11.59 on Friday night must remain at their home or place of residence for a five-day period, announced by the Victorian Government. Victoria is on a strict five day lockdown following 13 new recorded Covid-19 cases (pictured: passengers wear facemasks as they disembark a flight that departed from Melbourne) Any New South Wles reisdent who attempts top cross the Victorian border will be required to complete a claration form (pictured: passengers wear facemasks as they disembark a flight that departed from Melbourne) The new Order will require that anyone in NSW who has been in Victoria at any time on or after Friday 29 January 2021 remains at their home or place of residence for the five-day period announced by the Victorian Government. Individuals are required to follow the same rules as Victoria, meaning they cannot leave home expect for exercise, work, shopping for essentials, and providing medical assistance. The new rules only apply to New South Wales residents living on the Victorian border if they visited Greater Melbourne after 11.59pm on Friday night. Any individual attempting to cross the Victorian border will be required to complete a declaration form. Flights have been cancelled at Melbourne Airport as the state enters a strict five day lockdown (pictured) The Melbourne International Airport is left empty as the state enters a 'short, sharp circuit-breaker' lockdown for five days (pictured) Queensland The Sunshine state closed its borders to 36 local government areas in Greater Victoria for two weeks from Friday night. The border closure comes into effect at 1am on Saturday. Health authorities are trying to contact travellers who passed through Terminal 4 at Brisbane Airport on January 9. Travellers will be required to self-isolate for two weeks and test for the virus. A strict five-day lockdown will be implemented to New South Wales residents who have been anywhere in Victoria at any time since January 29 (pictured, Police question a motorist at the Queensland/ New South Wales border) Queensland has closed its borders to 36 local government areas in Greater Victoria for two weeks from Friday night (pictured: The Tullamarine freeway in Melbourne is left deserted as the state enters a five day lockdown) Northern Territory The Northern Territory has banned all Victorian travellers from entering the state from 10.45am on Friday. The whole of Greater Melbourne has been declared a hotspot, resulting in travellers entering the state required to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine at Howard Springs. Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport has been included, meaning anyone who has transited via Melbourne will have to undergo mandatory quarantine Northern Territory has declared all of Greater Melbourne a hotspot and has banned all Victorian travellers from entering from 10.45am on Friday (pictured: Passengers check into their flight at the Perth Domestic airport) Travellers who enter the ACT after the deadline will have to self-isolate for 14 days (pictured: passangers wear facemasks as they disembark from a flight which departed from Melbourne) Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has implemented a hard border closure with Victoria for 72 hours. The border closure began at 6pm AWST (9pm AEDT) on Friday night. Only exempt travellers are allowed into Western Australia and compassionate reasons are available for returning residents. Those exempt will avoid hotel quarantine but will undergo 14 days of self isolation and take a Covid-19 test. Western Australia has implemented a hard 72 hour border closure with Victoria from 6pm AWST time on Friday night (pictured: essential workers walk towards Flingers St Station on the first day of Victoria's five day lockdown) Australian Capital Territory The ACT launched tighter border restrictions from 11.59pm on Friday night. Travellers who enter the ACT after the deadline will have to self-isolate for 14 days. Anyone who entered the state before the deadline is free to travel around. The Australian Capital Territory has launched toghter border restrictions with Victoria on 11.5pm on Friday, forcing anyone who arrives after deadline to self-isolate for 14 days (pictured: Melbourne domestic airport check-in terminals empty following five day lock down) Passnegers arriving from Sydney leave Melbourne airport on Saturday (pictured) as Victoria eneters a strick five day lockdown after 14 Covid-19 cases were recorded South Australia The border to Greater Melbourne closed on Wednesday, but travellers are now banned from transiting through Melbourne as of Friday evening. Victorians living 70km of the Victoria/South Australia border are only allowed to enter the state for essential reasons, including - shopping for necessary goods, provide care, employment and education. Residents are allowed to return but will undergo a 14 day isolation period. Close contacts of travellers to Victoria are required to isolate until they receive a negative Covid-19 test. Anyone who travelled to a Victorian hotspot are required to quarantine for 14 days. South Australia already closed their borders to Victoria on Wednesday, but now banning people who transit through Melbourne from entering as of Friday evening (pictured: person going for a walk on the first day of Victoria's five day lockdown) Tasmania The whole of Victoria has been considered 'high risk' from Friday midnight. Anyone attempting to enter Tasmania from Victoria will be denied entry unless they have prior appproval from the State controller. All travellers from Victoria to Tasmania will have to self-isolate for 14 days, at their home or in hotel quarantine. SEBEWAING, MI After carjacking a teenager at a high school in Michigans Thumb, a man was arrested in Indiana on his way to Florida, police said. Huron County sheriffs deputies and Sebewaing police officers responded to Unionville-Sebewaing Area High School at 2203 Wildner Road for a carjacking report at about 7:04 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. Police learned an 18-year-old woman had been in her grandmothers maroon 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, waiting for a relative to come out of the school, when an unknown man opened the passenger door and sat inside. The man showed a knife, causing the teenager in the drivers seat to flee the vehicle, and then drove off in the Equinox, said Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson. Another person in the parking lot put together what had happened and drove off in pursuit, following the Equinox down side roads into Tuscola County, Hanson said. The pursuer lost the Equinox as it came into Unionville on M-25 from the west, Hanson said. Back at the high schools parking lot, police said they found a 2001 Chevrolet reported stolen in Mason County earlier that morning. They contacted sheriffs deputies there and learned that the vehicle was believed to have been stolen by a known Mason County male in his 20s, police said. Police said they further believed the suspect was heading south to Florida and was likely under the influence of drugs. At about 10:15 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, Huron County sheriffs deputies were contacted by Indiana State Police seeking information on the stolen 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, as they said they believed they had it stopped in Jasper County, Indiana. The driver was believed to be suicidal with a knife and was arrested, Hanson said. Hanson said the same suspect is believed to have committed an armed robbery in the Muskegon area, though he had no further details on that. The mans name is being withheld pending extradition to Michigan and arraignment on criminal charges. Read more: Its a freedom of speech thing for me, says Bay County man flying anti-Biden flag with crude wording Michigan woman whose boyfriend was killed during police raid faces new drug charges Man killed in two-vehicle crash on I-675 in Saginaw Editors Note: A story with more information from interim Superintendent Ann Dixon will appear in Tuesdays edition. --- The 2021-22 Midland ISD school calendar is not a done deal. That is what MISD school board President Bryan Murry told the Reporter-Telegram this week, saying the board wants to hear input ahead of and at the board meeting Tuesday, when it is likely that the board will vote on what it determines to be the best of three options. The calendar discussion likely will center around the term intersessional. It is a type of calendar that allows for one or two breaks during the year that will give those students in need of reading intervention a chance to catch up. The intersession periods would be optional, although the district is expected to start enforcing current policy that students not performing at certain levels will not be promoted to the next grade. You will have to come back and repeat grade, Murry said. This will be the second time in as many regular meetings of the board that the calendar takes center stage at the auditorium at Bowie Fine Arts Academy. Board member Katie Joyner said an intersessional calendar is a threat to the family unit, doesnt take into account divorced parents and households where both parents work, will impact families when it comes to vacations, will create burnout situations for teachers and students and is another burden on children already impacted by COVID. The intersessional calendar will be optional for teachers and students, according to interim Superintendent Ann Dixon. Teachers, who do choose to participate, will receive premium pay, she has previously said. If you go: School board meeting 5:30 p.m. Tuesday Bowie Fine Arts auditorium See More Collapse Board member John Trischitti has been an advocate of the intersessional calendar, voting for a different intersessional calendar last spring. He even penned on op-ed in the Weekend Edition to provide his take on why it makes sense for a district on the academic rebound. Murry made two points about the discussion that will take place Tuesday. He said that those participating need to remember the districts current situation 19 schools were performing at a D or F level when the Texas Education Agency last measured student achievement. Dixon also said at the January meeting that 50 percent of Midland ISDs elementary students need some type of intervention to get them reading on grade level. Murry said doing nothing isnt an option, and those on both sides of the discussion need to provide solutions that will work. Dont say you hate it or love it, Murry said. Give us reasons. Secondly, he said there are other tools that will be used. Murry mentioned that 30 reading angels will go through training before the start of the next school year to provide help to struggling students during the regular school calendar. That angel addresses reading fundamentals for each campus, Murry said. There are three calendars. Two are similar to the calendars discussed in January. One is a calendar that will resemble this years calendar. The other has intersessional weeks in both the fall and spring. A third will be presented with one intersessional week it takes place in the fall. All three calendars are expected to call for school ending prior to Memorial Day one concession made to those who took issue with the intersessional calendar at the last meeting. When the board meeting takes place Tuesday, there will be calls for more specifics about the program. Midland ISD Homework representative Kristin Vasquez emailed the Reporter-Telegram about the unanswered questions regarding execution of the intercessional weeks. Those questions include the number of teachers needed, the training they will need, the cost, transportation of students to and from school and if campus consolidation will be needed. But the biggest question is how many teachers are willing to participate? Vasquez wrote. It is no secret that our district struggles with culture and morale, so presenting this calendar without even asking the teachers if they want to facilitate is a big problem for me. These are all questions that needed to be answered last month when it was presented to the board. Incoming Superintendent Angelica Ramsey stated this week that she will be watching the board meeting online. Her first day as superintendent in Midland is Feb. 22. Regardless of calendar selected, it will be important for us to come together to plan for targeted academic interventions for students across the system, said Ramsey, who has experience with intersessional calendar operations from her time at the Socorro Independent School District in the El Paso area. Real and sustained change happens at the systems level. She did write that ultimately the people who will live with the consequences of decisions like the calendar are the students. Actor Disha Parmar has finally said yes to Bigg Boss 14 fame Rahul Vaidya's marriage proposal. Rahul, who has been hitting the headline ever since he entered the Bigg Boss house, had proposed marriage to Disha on national television in November. Since then, Rahul and his fans had been waiting for the actress' answer. On Valentine's Day special episode, Disha will make a surprise visit to the Bigg Boss house and declare her love for Rahul. In a promo, release by Colors on social media, Rahul gets emotional to see Disha as he is clueless about her surprise appearance. Rahul then asks Disha if she'd marry him, to which Disha says, "Yes, I will marry you." View this post on Instagram A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv) Rahul Vaidya is touted to be one of the strongest contenders to win this season. His friendship with Aly Goni and relentless banter with Rubina Dilaik have kept the Bigg Boss 14 viewers hooked. Meanwhile, earlier in a conversation with Telly Chakkar, Rahuls mom Geeta Vaidya had opened up about her son and Dishas pairing and stated that they share a great bond and have worked together in music videos. She also revealed that Disha often visits their house, however, the family was not aware of Rahuls feelings until he confessed it on BB 14. Disha Parmar is best known for her lead role as Pankhuri in the popular show Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara. Dublin GP Dr Angela Parvu says patients have said their only trips out are for groceries. Photo: Douglas OConnor More than 35 Covid-19 outbreaks have been linked to supermarkets in recent weeks as consumers become complacent, health experts have warned. According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), 35 were linked back to shops in Ireland in the last 11 weeks. Nineteen were recorded in the last month, with three in the last week. Dr Gabriel Scally, the president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine, said there was clear evidence that shops are places where the coronavirus can be transmitted. He said the onus is on consumers and supermarkets to ensure Covid-19 safety is maintained. Read More Shops must ensure shoppers are socially distancing properly, Dr Scally told the Irish Independent. Shoppers should not handle goods and put them back on shelves or in frid ges in shops. He said the virus can survive on surfaces, particularly on chilled surfaces and then be passed on. People need to be refused entry to shops if they dont wear masks properly and sanitise, Dr Scally said. Most of the spread is airborne but there is a worry someone can sneeze on their hands, then touch goods and place them back on the shelves. Its now difficult to pinpoint where cases are coming from because everyone goes to the shops, everyone needs to buy food, he said. I appeal to the big chains to enforce safety properly and for everyone to choose where you shop based on how good the safety is. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan recently asked shops to review their existing protocols to ensure staff and customers are protected as much as possible. Meanwhile, a GP has revealed up to 30pc of patients who recently tested positive claimed they had visited only grocery shops in the days before they became ill. Dr Angela Parvu, based in Coolock, north Dublin, said more than 50pc of patients informed her they had visited only the supermarket before becoming ill. Up to 30pc were actually diagnosed as Covid positive, she said. I have definitely found most people with symptoms are saying the same thing, that they dont go anywhere except the shops, she told the Irish Independent: It surprises me that people believe they are really safe at the shops. Ive seen people moving their masks off their faces, I saw a lady trying to open a bag to put vegetables in and she moved her mask and tried to open it with her mouth. There are so many little things we dont think about when were doing them, theyre automatic. Duncan Graham, managing director of Retail Excellence, said: The number of cases that can officially be traced back to retail are very few. Retailers invested heavily to make sure shops are as safe as possible. Most retailers have done everything they can do to make their premises safe. The vast majority of retailers are taking this very seriously. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: Any setting in which there is social interaction giving rise to physical proximity, particularly indoors, presents a possible risk for transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Petrol, diesel prices hiked again after two days of pause: Check latest rates Petrol, Diesel price May 23: Fuel rates soar after another hike. Check city-wise rates here Petrol, diesel prices rise as international oil prices touch USD 61 per barrel India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: Petrol and diesel prices soared to record highs on Friday after rates were hiked for the fourth day in a row. Petrol price was increased by 31 paise per litre and diesel by 35 paise a litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. This took petrol price to an all-time high of Rs 88.14 a litre in Delhi and to Rs 94.64 in Mumbai. Diesel rates rose to Rs 78.38 per litre in the national capital and to an all-time high of Rs 85.32 in Mumbai. Assam govt presents vote on account in Assembly; petrol, diesel to become cheaper by Rs 5 per litre In four days, prices have gone up by Rs 1.21 per litre for petrol, while diesel has risen by Rs 1.25 a litre. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday had told Parliament that the government is not considering a reduction in excise duty to cool rates from their record highs. Rates have risen as international oil prices touched USD 61 per barrel for the first time in more than a year on improving demand outlook amid the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, he had said. Central and state taxes make up for over 61 per cent of the retail selling price of petrol and about 56 per cent of diesel. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Retail petrol rates have risen by Rs 18.57 per litre since mid-March 2020, after the government raised taxes by a record margin to mop up gains arising from fall in international oil prices. Diesel rates have gone up by Rs 16.09. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 10:10 [IST] Disruption to trade seen in the first weeks of Brexit cannot be dismissed simply as teething problems, but represents the first signs of structural issues which will cut UK GDP for years to come, senior economists have said. Although hard figures on the cost of quitting the single market and customs union will not emerge for a few months, experts speaking to The Independent said they had seen nothing during the first six weeks of 2021 to persuade them to amend forecasts of tens of billions of pounds of damage to the economy over the coming years. The gloomy assessments came after the European Commission released the first formal analysis of the impact of Brexit to be compiled since the transition out of the EUs structures on 1 January. This predicted a 2.25 per cent hit to the UK economy by 2022 equivalent to 40bn in lost growth over two years and more than four times the negative impact on the EU. Follow Brexit live: Liz Truss refusing to answer trade questions as Labour warns of high street crisis Boris Johnsons government has refused to produce its own impact assessment of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement which the prime minister sealed on Christmas Eve. Forecasts of a long-term hit to GDP as a result of Brexit were dismissed as Project Fear by Leave campaigners during the 2016 referendum campaign. But Andrew Goodwin, chief UK economist at Oxford Economics, said that it was precisely the non-tariff barriers of additional form-filling, queueing and regulatory obstacles to trade identified by those studies which are now hitting sectors from fisheries to parcel delivery to financial services. All the reasons why studies like ours said that thered be a hit to GDP are now becoming quite obvious, he said. And they are playing out pretty much as we said they would. What were seeing now in terms of delays and the cost of doing business are exactly what people like ourselves tried to model when we did our studies. The onus now is on the government to find ways of boosting growth in other ways. Rather than teething problems, the difficulties now being experienced are the inevitable consequences of leaving the single market and the customs union, he said. Its now up to businesses to decide how they how they adapt to that. Either you keep going as you are and accept the delays as a fact of life or over time you change where you produce, do more of one thing in the UK and more of something else in the EU. Oxford Economics has previously forecast UK GDP will be around 3 per cent lower in the long term because of the gradual unrolling of Brexit impacts like reduced trade, loss of foreign direct investment and declining competitiveness. And Mr Goodwin said that so far there was no indication that these expectations were misplaced: Certainly we are heading to the sort of outcomes most of our studies forecast. Were pretty happy with our estimate that we made back in 2016, and we see no reason to change it. Thomas Sampson, associate economics professor at the LSE, has predicted a 36 per cent fall in exports to the EU over the next decade. He said it was too early to claim that economists forecasts been validated by the experience of recent weeks. The first tranche of hard data on exports is not expected from the Office for National Statistics until mid-March, and the full impact may not be known for years to come, he said. But he said that anecdotal evidence from exporting businesses so far was indicative that the change in relations is causing problems at the border. He said: The evidence that there is some disruption is what you would expect, but how big the effect will be remains to be seen. At the moment were seeing what happens when you put in a customs border for UK exports to the EU. In July, we actually put in the customs border for UK imports from the EU. And then the other thing economists think is going to affect trade in the long run is, as the UK diverges from the EU in terms of policy and regulation that that will make it harder to trade. Dr Sampson said there was some truth in ministers description of disruption at the borders as teething problems, as companies would certainly get to grips with the additional form-filling as time went by. But he said: There are also permanent changes which are going to make trading harder, even once everyone understands the new system. You might need a staff member whose job it is to fill in those forms and thats an additional cost for businesses. Its going to take longer to cross the Channel. As we start to see regulatory divergence, potentially you have different standards on either side of the channel which imposes an additional cost. Those are the kind of things that will be permanent rather than just teething problems. Kings College London political scientist Prof Anand Menon, said he remained confident in the forecast of a 7 per cent hit to GDP over the next decade made by the UK in a Changing Europe think tank which he heads. The problems reported over the last month and a half were pretty much as we expected, with the exception of the additional uncertainty generated by Covid. Some of it is teething problems, but the vast majority isnt, and youve got to weigh the fact that the full gamut of checks isnt even there yet, as controls on imports dont come in until July, he said. I dont think youll find any economist who says We need to change our forecast because of what we have seen since Brexit happened, Prof Menon told The Independent. One of the interesting things is you know you have this raft of forecasts that came out during the last four or five years. No one has seen it as necessary to revisit those forecasts. That tells you something, doesnt it? Were talking about long-term structural changes to the way we trade. The barriers that people expected are going to be there. Scripps COVID Care Companions keep an eye on patients as they self-quarantine Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A group that spent more than $130,000 on political advertisements in hotly contested Democratic legislative primary election races last year was funded solely by the parent firm of New Mexicos largest utility company. The disclosure that PNM Resources the parent firm of Public Service Company of New Mexico had financed the actions of the Council for a Competitive New Mexico was made Friday as part of a settlement agreement that involved the New Mexico Ethics Commission agreeing to drop a lawsuit it had filed in December. The Ethics Commission also agreed to waive any civil penalties against the group and will not require it to register as a political committee. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Ethics Commission Executive Director Jeremy Farris said securing disclosure of the groups donors was the lawsuits main objective. The commission is committed to improving transparency in New Mexico elections, and ensuring that the businesses and individuals who seek to influence New Mexicos elections through funding campaign-related ads at least do so in the broad daylight, Farris said in a statement. The Council for a Competitive New Mexico had previously argued its contributors did not have to be disclosed, claiming their donations did not meet the states Campaign Reporting Acts definition of a contribution. Charlie Spies, the groups Washington, D.C.-based attorney, said Friday it had entered into the settlement agreement in order to avoid the burden of litigation. CCNM was established to promote economic growth policy and improved education to better the lives of everyday New Mexicans, and acted in good faith while engaging in policy advocacy, Spies said in a statement. The Council for a Competitive New Mexico publicly reported spending nearly $131,000 on campaign mailers, radio ads and phone calls in May and early June 2020 in support of five incumbent Democratic senators, with some of that money also being spent on mailers that targeted four of their primary election opponents. But, at least until entering into the settlement agreement, it did not disclose its funding sources for the campaign-related expenditures. Four of the incumbent senators Richard Martinez of Ojo Caliente, Clemente Sanchez of Grants, Gabriel Ramos of Silver City and John Arthur Smith of Deming ended up being ousted in the June 2020 primary election. The fifth senator, Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces, rebuffed a primary challenge and won reelection to a new four-year term in the November general election. In a statement, PNM spokesman Ray Sandoval said the company supported the Council for a Competitive New Mexicos mission to ensure that voters have the facts regarding key energy and economic issues that will impact our customers and the state as a whole. The lawsuit filed by the Ethics Commission was seen as a test case for 2019 changes to New Mexicos campaign finance laws that were aimed at requiring more disclosure from independent expenditure groups, or those that spend money on political ads, but do not coordinate with candidates or campaigns. I worked for a major music company in Australia during my time at this company I was bullied, belittled, sexually harassed and objectified by my direct manager. Friends Id made were also subject to intense bullying, sexual harassment, assault and rape by the men who head up the executive team within this company. This company is widely known for being one of the most toxic workplaces in the industry. And so goes one of dozens of accounts of inappropriate behaviour, bullying, rape, assault and more that are rightly sending shivers through the Australian music industry. An Instagram account called Beneath The Glass Ceiling has quietly been posting anonymous and harrowing accounts from women who say they have been subjected to horrific behaviour from men within one of Australias most celebrated, but also most cloistered, industries. Lordes former manager Scott Maclachlan has been sacked by Warner over inappropriate behaviour. Credit: Chris McKeen Inappropriate behaviour within the music industry has been an open secret for decades. During my 15 years covering the industry I have heard countless tales that start with oh I make sure Im not alone in a room with him or I make sure I leave the party before he does, you dont want to be the last one there with him. Weve got to figure out a way to do this that doesnt lead to this kind of public mass (conflict). Its not necessary. Its not productive. It leaves lasting scars, Lightfoot said Friday in an interview with the Tribune. Theres a lot of healing that needs to be done in CPS as a result of this latest episode. At school levels, within schools this was like biblical times. Brother versus brother, sister against sister, theres no need for that. This pandemic is tough and hard on its own. We need not add layers of trauma, and yet thats exactly what happened. Ghaziabad: Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee on Saturday visited Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border to extend support to the farmers' movement against the Centre's contentious farm laws, according to a BKU statement. The 84-year-old Bhattacharjee, who is also the chairperson of National Gandhi Museum, exhorted farmers to remain peaceful in their protest and urged the government to take care of the farming community. She was joined by Gandhi Smarak Nidhi chairman Ramchandra Rahi, All-India Sarv Seva Sangha managing trustee Ashok Saran, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi director Sanjay Singha and National Gandhi Museum director A Annamalai. We have not come here as part of any political programme. We have come here today for the farmers, who have fed all of us our whole life, Bhattacharjee said, according to the statement by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the farmers union leading the protest here. We are because of you all. In the benefit of farmers lies the benefit of the country and all of us, she was quoted as telling the protesters, who are camping at Ghazipur since November with a demand that the Centre repeal the three new farm laws and make a new one to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for crops. She recalled that the first fight for independence from the British rule in 1857 had also started from Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh. Bhattacharjee said she has come to the protest site to pray for the farmers, according to the statement issued by BKU's media in-charge Dharmendra Malik. I want that whatever happens, farmers should be benefitted by it. Nobody is unaware of the hard work that the farmers do and it is not to be said again that in the benefit of farmers lies the benefit of our country, and all of us, she said. Thousands of farmers are camping at Delhi's border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November in protest against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September. They claim that the new laws and lack of a law on MSP would hurt their livelihoods while the government has maintained that the legislations are pro-farmer. The impasse continues even after 11 rounds of formal talks between the government and farmers. Live TV The late Christopher Plummer in a scene from the ad filmed in Enniscorthy 39 years ago The death on Friday (5th) of Hollywood legend, Christopher Plummer, was met with world over with great sadness. One of the most iconic actors of his time, Plummer was a Canadian whose career spanned seven decades. While his most famous film and stage roles included the likes of 'Sound of Music', 'Othello' and 'The Man Who Would Be King' what's perhaps less known is how the screen legend once appeared in a TV ad in Enniscorthy for George Killian's Irish Red Lager. The video of the ad is still available to view on YouTube and features Plummer offering up a slightly 'Irish' accent as he proclaims the virtues of George Killian's approach to lager creation. In the video, some famous landmarks of the town are visible in the background as Plummer tells the tale of how the lager came to be and of the plan to relaunch it - so long as it was George's way! The ad, filmed 39 years ago in 1982, was an iconic moment in the history of Enniscorthy and its association with the brewing industry. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Mumbai, Feb 13 : In another swoop in suburban Malad, the Mumbai Police's Crime Branch Unit-12 on Friday late night arrested a drug peddler and seized 3kg of charas worth Rs 1.02 crore, officials said here on Saturday. Late on Thursday, another drug dealer Kisan H. Gaud alias Sathe, 24, was caught from Parekh Nagar in Malad east, but he managed to escape from their clutches. However, his accomplice Suraj Vijaybahadur Yadav, alias Potya, 21, was arrested with charas worth Rs 57 lakh on him. Police teams fanned out into the suburbs and launched a manhunt to successfully arrest Gaud from his hideout in Parekh Nagar along with a plastic bag with 3.20 kg of charas worth Rs 1.02 crore. They were produced before a Magistrate Court which has remanded them to police custody till February 16. The police said that in September 2020, two other accomplices of the duo arrested in Mumbai (Gaud and Yadav) were nabbed by the Bihar Police and also seized 26 kg of charas from their possession. This is the second major action by the Mumbai Police in the past 24 hours, with an earlier seizure of 1.80 tonnes of ganja worth Rs 3.60 crore concealed under a consignment of coconuts from a truck in the eastern suburbs. The new principal of St Brigid's school is looking forward to the school reopening on Thursday morning as it will be the first time he has met the pupils and many of the staff. Eddie Martin, who has taken over the roll following the retirement of Patricia Ward, has been doing his work remotely as all schools have been closed since the Christmas holidays due to the Level 5 restrictions. The Dromintee native comes to St Brigid's after from St Ultan's, Navan, where he was deputy principal for a number of years. He studied at St Mary's College, Belfast before doing post-graduate studies at St Pat's DCU attaining a Masters in Special Education. He brings with him considerable experience and is looking forward to getting to know the school community of teachers, SNAS, pupils and parents. 'I'm six weeks into the job and I haven't met the pupils or most of the staff.' Remote learning 'has been going quite well' he says with teachers engaging with the 97 pupils since the new school year began in January. 'Some of our pupils are working through work packs which were sent home while others are using online platforms.' He says that the needs of the school's students are no different than those in the general school population in that they are missing the routine of regular school and meeting up with their friends. When the school reopens on Thursday, it will be with 50 per cent of students each day. It's envisaged that half a class will go in one day and the other half the next. The concerns of parents reflect those of children in mainstream schools. Some are pleased that their offspring will be returning to the classroom and getting back into a regular routine while others are wary that their children could pick up an infection. As the parent of four children himself, Eddie understands their feelings only too well while as a teacher he is determined to make the school reopening as stress free as possible for all concerned. Ecuador's National Electoral Council (CNE) on Friday approved a partial recount of votes from the disputed first round of the February 7 presidential election. Candidates Guillermo Lasso and Yaku Perez, who have been in close race for second and the final place in an April runoff, met with CNE officials to call for a recount to remove any suspicion over alleged irregularities. CNE President Diana Atamaint said all votes in Guayas province would be reviewed as well as 50% of ballots in 16 other provinces. Former banker Lasso, of the Creating Opportunities party, and Perez, who represents the Indigenous Pachakutik party, have been in a tight battle for the chance to face frontrunner Andres Arauz in the April 11 runoff. During Friday's meeting, which was held in the presence of delegates from the Organization of American States, Perez presented evidence of irregularities during the vote counting process. Lasso was open to Perez's objections, saying he agreed on the need for transparency, but did not support a full recount. Preliminary results of last Sunday's vote saw Arauz winning clearly, followed by Lasso on 19.74% and Perez on 19.38%. As of Sunday, the CNE has 10 days to process the results to finalise the runoff candidates to determine the successor to President Lenin Moreno. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Victorias latest coronavirus case is a friend of a Holiday Inn worker, the government has revealed, as the number of close contacts associated with the quarantine hotel outbreak has grown to almost 1000 people. Premier Daniel Andrews told media on Saturday morning that the number would continue to grow and the testing of those contacts would continue through the weekend and into Monday. Today is not the big day for those results, the balance of those will start to come through tomorrow, and Monday. Thats why we chose Wednesday as the important day for the five- day circuit breaker, he said. Mr Andrews said that within eight hours of the new positive test being confirmed that persons 38 household and primary social close contacts were contacted. Trump Impeachment Plaskett (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Donald Trumps impeachment lawyers singled out comments from women of colour about police brutality protests and painted them as dangerous during their arguments on Friday, impeachment prosecutors argued. Whats not lost on me was so many of them were people of colour and women and black women, said impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett, who represents the US Virgin Islands. Black women like myself who are sick and tired of being sick and tired for our children, your children, our children." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The former presidents legal team used video montages as evidence, which overlayed out-of-context statements from Black women like vice-president Kamala Harris and congresswoman Ayanna Pressley with violent scenes from last summers largely peaceful police brutality protests. In one clip, set to ominous, movie trailer-style music, Ms Pressley says, There needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as theres unrest in our lives. Read more: Follow all the latest Trump impeachment news live In another, vice-president Harris tells late night host Stephen Colbert, Theyre not gonna stop, and everyone beware, because theyre not gonna stop," before the film cuts to a man lying face down in the street, being kicked in the face. Far from encouraging violence, both women have condemned the violence that sometimes occurred at last summers police brutality protests, which were overwhelmingly peaceful. I thought we were past that, Ms Plaskett said. I think maybe were not. Impeachment managers also argued the presidents supporters were racist, citing racial slurs endured by Black officers guarding the Capitol during the riots, where attackers included white supremacists, wore Confederate flags and neo-Nazi apparel. Afterwards, overwhelmed by emotion, he broke down in the rotunda. And he cried for 15 minutes, House impeachment manager Jamie Raskin said, referring to one Black officer there that day. During his time as president, Mr Trump singled out prominent women of colour for especially harsh and oftentimes racist treatment while in office, such as telling members of The Squad a progressive group of congresswomen of color comprising Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ms Pressley to go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came. Story continues He also called various female journalists of colour stupid and a loser. Read More Trump lawyers slammed for false equivalencies in Black Lives Matter video A multimedia impeachment trial: Video takes center stage Have him testify: Democrats dare Trump impeachment lawyers to provide exculpatory evidence Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 3:34 pm I am a retired organic produce farmer in Independence Valley. My farm and house have been inundated by floodwaters numerous times in the 37 years that Ive lived in the Chehalis watershed. Like many farmers in this valley, I chose to live, farm and raise my family in this area because of its prime agricultural soils soils that accumulated due to centuries of flooding. My neighbors and I have adapted to living here and we continue to adapt building critter pads, raised storage areas and more. In 1994, I raised my house 32 inches after getting 9 inches of water in my house. After the 2007 flood and more water inside, I raised it another 32 inches. Nearly all the residents from here to the bridge upstream have done the same. We chose to live next to this river, and weve learned to live with flooding. We dont feel that a flood control dam is the best way to alleviate flooding; it certainly wont benefit the majority of residents in the floodplain. A dam will do nothing to solve the yearly small flood events that are eroding banks, destroying homes and washing away people's livelihoods. Many studies show that "green infrastructure" is often cheaper and more effective than engineered projects like dams and levees; increased permeable surfaces, open spaces and tree planting for starters. Even the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently came out with a new policy promoting mitigation projects that provide environmental benefits in addition to flood protection. Our communities need good paying jobs that will last for decades to come. Bringing in massive amounts of concrete and contractors for a handful of years has only short-term effects on the local economy. Im in favor of creating economic resilience with jobs focused on restoration and resilience stepping stones to a healthier community. Our state and our country are experiencing a fiscal emergency. Lets take forward steps that we know will work to help save our struggling Chinook and steelhead and help solve flooding without building an expensive dam steps like home buyouts to move people out of harms way, assistance in building flood-safe structures to store equipment and livestock, and expanding flood-absorbing natural features such as wetlands and floodplains. Stop filling the wetlands along the I-5 corridor in Lewis County. Restoring the headwaters and changing logging practices in the headwaters is also essential. Our children and grandchildren deserve a functioning and thriving Chehalis Basin, not a concrete structure that will need to be enlarged in 60 years, when models show the dam will no longer have major impacts on flood reduction so the litigation will begin anew. Future generations will have numerous challenges to solve, most caused by the preceding generations inability to act and think long-term. Lets not add to those challenges. A dam is a short-term bandaid, not a long-term solution. I applaud the recent efforts by the Chehalis Basin Board to involve the public, and look forward to participating in upcoming public meetings on Feb. 17 about small-scale, local actions. Betsie DeWreede Rochester Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When I was a teenager, beauty was low-tech. It was also DIY. Nobody I knew ever went to a salon for anything other than a haircut or colour (or, in the 90s, god forbid, a perm). Instead, we attempted to live our best beauty-therapy lives at home: waxing, bleaching, masking (the mud pack variety, rather than the global pandemic one), French manicuring. Oh, the French manicure, the pink-polished nail, finished with a fine white line painted along its tip: surely the very definition of the pointless, impossible beauty task. We must have been mad. Today, beauty norms have little to do with home-made manicures and much to do with things like microneedling. To be a woman now or, increasingly, a teenage girl (although a growing number of men engage with beauty treatments, the industry is still overwhelmingly female-centric) is to be exposed to a world in which no one has hairy legs or short blonde eyelashes or bad skin or frown lines; in which going to a beauty salon is not an occasional treat but an essential routine; in which no one stops at a relaxing facial or an occasional manicure, but regards Botox and dermabrasion and fillers and tattoos and microneedling and laser as standard maintenance. Even the humble eyelash is permed, curled, extended, filled and volumised. Consider the thread facelift: suture thread is inserted beneath our skin to literally pull it tight. Or the vampire facial, a la Kim Kardashian, in which wait for it our own blood plasma is rubbed into microneedled holes all over our faces? (For Kims own experience, see Instagram, circa 2013. Note the blood and also the full eye make-up. Since then shes apparently sworn off the treatment because its too painful. No kidding.) As the French would say (when not doing French manicures), il faut souffrir pour etre beau (one must suffer to be beautiful). One must indeed, but even the French could never have envisioned anything like this. All these treatments are classed as minimally invasive yet theyre painful enough to require local anaesthetic or numbing creams, and have side effects which, though rare, can include drooling, infection, scarring and difficulties breathing. (In 2019, research published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that in the previous year, close to 200 people globally had suffered blindness as a result of receiving dermal filler injections.) Nonetheless, theyre marketed as simple, no-downtime, routine maintenance procedures. They even have a cute nickname: tweakments as if theyre simply tiny, insignificant adjustments on an evermore attainable path to physical perfection. This is not to say they dont work. One of the reasons for the international success of anti-wrinkle injections (Botox is one of several brands but no one remembers the others) is because theyre supremely successful at their main job: paralysing various muscles in your face to temporarily eliminate the dynamic wrinkles we all develop while living, you know, life. Though the effects only last a few months, the average forehead costs around $300 to de-wrinkle about the same as a pot of exclusive face cream. This success, along with decades of intense marketing by Allergan, Botoxs parent company, has managed to reposition Botox away from the scary-mad-woman-plastic-surgery end of the beauty spectrum and right into the mainstream, hitched to the mega-wagon of wellness and self-care. Long-term Botox users can trace this evolution from dangerous to everyday in their own lives. This is why, US sociologist Dana Berkowitz explains, I talk about Botox as a gateway drug. Berkowitz, who has long dark hair and a beautiful new baby who waves her hands at the screen while we talk, is the author of the 2017 bestseller, Botox Nation: Changing the Face of America. It used to be, you know, you want a beauty treatment, you get a manicure. Now you get Botox, and a filler, and needling. Botox was the tip of the spear. In the three years since the book was published, theres been an explosion of treatments. Compared to a decade ago, these treatments are more expensive, more intense, and more aggressively marketed and were having them in greater numbers, starting at a younger age. And according to experts, were doing so because, in cultural terms at least, we have less choice about our physical image now than at any point in human history. Advertisement Today, industry sources estimate that Australian women have one of the highest per capita spends on beauty products and procedures in the world more than 40 per cent higher than the US. In 2015, according to some reports, we spent $1 billion on cosmetic treatments. In 2018, the top three procedures were all tweakments: anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, and laser and IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments. And though it seems almost impossible to believe, the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia industry group estimates that Australians spend as much $350 million on anti-wrinkle injections alone each year. Were having treatments in greater numbers because, in cultural terms at least, we have less choice about our physical image now than at any point in human history. This trend echoes older data from overseas. In 2012, a survey commissioned by German pharma giant Merz Aesthetics of 3000 women across Europe and Russia found 80 per cent thought it was the norm to spend money on procedures like fillers, Botox and laser. In some ways, of course, none of this is a shock. In every age, right back to prehistoric Anatolia, where the first man-made mirror was made from obsidian glass around 6000BC, humans have been obsessed with the way we look, and with the attempt to improve on what nature has given us. And whether it be lead, arsenic, mercury or radium (all toxic, all historically used as complexion aids) or things like X-rays (carcinogenic in high doses, and used for hair removal from the 1920s until after World War II), weve always been prepared to use whatever tools are available to us. Dana Berkowitz had her first Botox injection in 2012. She was 33 years old, living in the US, and researching Botox Nation. Initially resistant to the idea of being injected, she was persuaded by her interview subjects, who told her she couldnt understand it until shed done it herself. Within a week of her first procedure, she wrote, I was in awe of the results. I was surprised at how refreshed, awake, and yes, a little bit younger I looked. But by her second treatment two years later, she felt increasingly self-conscious, even terrified, that my students and colleagues would notice I felt like a fraud, a failure. This is apparently a familiar reaction for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, reared on the ideal of natural beauty. For them, the goal of treatment is to look better, but also to look like they havent actually done anything. Added to which, for those of us raised on nothing more invasive than Clearasil face wash, the idea of, say, a vampire facial takes some getting used to. As Berkowitz who is now in her early 40s explains, My god! I had one of those a few years ago and its just crazy. You have the laser on your face and then the plasma: they get your blood and your blood is all over your face! She grimaces. I remember in my book, sometimes women would say some of these procedures were enjoyable; but I can promise you that none of them actually feels good. Getting your face burnt off, peeled off, needles stuck into your face? It doesnt feel good! But its complicated. For women, physical appearance translates to professional power, economic power. Some women talked to me about it as a democratisation of beauty: I wasnt born beautiful, but I can make myself beautiful. They have an opportunity to control, to change, to improve. Advertisement The new arsenal of treatments increases this opportunity, but also raises the pressure to act on it. Its not just an opportunity, its an imperative. Its not we can, its we should. Its becoming harder and harder and harder for women to reject that beauty imperative. And yet, of course it is the case that when you are treated better, and you make more money, and you have all of these interactive and structural consequences in your life because of how you look, then you are going to feel better. For women, physical appearance translates to professional power, economic power. Some women talked to me about it as a democratisation of beauty. Sarina is a beauty therapist in Sydneys inner west. A former model from Prague, she not only performs but receives many modern beauty treatments. She was an enthusiastic solarium user in her teens and early 20s, which means she shares a common Australian problem of sun-damaged skin. She treats it in herself and others with laser therapy and microneedling. The laser burns away dark pigment in the skin; microneedling causes thousands of tiny holes in the skin, which the body must then heal. The broad principle of both treatments is that the new skin is fresher, smoother and more even in colour and texture than the old. Women come in for the first time and they say Just a little, not too much, she explains. Does it hurt? Of course! And your skin is very red afterwards it feels rough, like a nail file. Then it peels off, which looks very strange. Despite all this, the second time they come, women are like, Do more, more: go harder! For the money [treatments start at about $200 a session], you want to get value. According to Sarina, the pay-off is clear. You feel better. If you look good, you feel good. Nobody wants to have wrinkles. You look in the mirror and if you see wrinkles and dark patches it just makes you feel very down. Very shit, as a matter of fact. We just dont have role models of women who have not embraced the beauty imperative, concludes Berkowitz. Michelle Obama talks about this in her book [Becoming]: she has a stylist, she has a trainer, a hairdresser. She says, I never thought Id be the type of person to have all these things, but women in my position need them. Once upon a time, beauty was not only in the eye of the beholder, but unique to individual cultures and communities. What was beautiful to a European was different to the view of an African, or to someone from Japan or India. Those distinctions, says British philosopher and author of Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal, Professor Heather Widdows, are disappearing. Today, she explains via email, there are four global beauty ideals that women are increasingly, and universally, expected to meet: thinness, firmness, youthfulness and smoothness. Advertisement Hair removal is a good example, she writes. It is wholly a beauty practice, absolutely unnecessary for bodily functioning, and yet it is increasingly seen wholly as a health and hygiene practice: body hair is classed as abnormal and disgusting and showing a lack of self-care. This is beginning to happen with other practices, from teeth whitening, skin lightening, injectables, [to] nails, hair dye. These ideals cross countries and cultures, she argues: so much so that the modern beauty archetype is a rare example of a truly global concept. This ideal, wrote New Yorker journalist Jia Tolentino last year, includes an overly tan skin tone, a South Asian influence with the brows and eye shape, an African-American influence with the lips, a Caucasian influence with the nose, a cheek structure that is predominantly Native American and Middle Eastern. Once an idea becomes part of a moral framework, it stops being just a suggestion, or one of many options, and becomes the dominant means by which individuals judge themselves and each other. There are different pressures in different places, says Widdows, but theyre all tracking in the same direction. More is required to meet minimal standards, to be normal. And theres also an increasingly moral component involved. People say things like, Ive been good, Ive been to the gym today, or Im so bad, Ive eaten that cake. Once an idea becomes part of a moral framework, it stops being just a suggestion, or one of many options, and becomes the dominant means by which individuals judge themselves and each other. Beauty trends are contributing to a debilitating global epidemic of body image anxiety, says one expert. Credit:Getty Images Olivia Smith (not her real name) is 19 and if theres a universal beauty ideal being imposed on her, shes not aware of it: she just wants to look good. She lives in Cronulla in Sydneys south, and is studying accounting at UNSW. She works at a pizza restaurant on weekends, which pays for some, but by no means all of her beauty treatments. Mum helps out, she says. We dont tell Dad. Smith has olive skin and naturally thick dark brows, eyelashes and hair. Nonetheless, she has eyelash extensions (false lashes glued to existing ones), which cost $180, and $80 a fortnight to maintain. She has almost all her body hair full legs, Brazilian, arms, armpits, chin, upper lip and cheeks removed via monthly waxing and laser, which costs at least $100 a session for waxing (depending what she has done) and about double that for laser. Shes also had her eyebrows tattooed into a thick, defined swoop, which cost $700 and needs to be redone once a year. Then theres the weekly maintenance: manicures, pedicures, facials and products: cleansers, moisturisers, masks, serums, make-up. Advertisement Smiths motivation for all this is hard to pin down. She loves Instagram, and spends hours a day examining her own and her friends feeds but she also knows a lot of it is filters, or people taking 50 photos for one good one. Her friends spend at least as much on beauty as she does in fact, she feels pretty restrained compared to them, several of whom have already had things like Botox or lip fillers. And her mum, while exerting some controlling influence (via holding the purse strings) is broadly enthusiastic. She really takes care of herself, says Smith. Her mother has regular Botox and microneedling, and often goes for treatments with her daughter. We love having a mani-pedi together, says Smith. Its like our bonding time. Smith estimates she spends close to $1000 on beauty a month and though shes never considered giving up treatments, she has thought about doing them herself especially last year, when COVID-19 closed salons and, like many clients, she found herself home, alone, and increasingly self-conscious. Ive tried various waxing and hair removal stuff but it really hurts when you do it yourself. Youd only do it if you absolutely had to. Loading Nonetheless, the online beauty business has experienced a phenomenal boom in the past year, thanks to COVID. Standard beauty products, sold by companies like Mecca and Adore Beauty and espoused by influencers such as Zoe Foster Blake, Lauren Curtis and Chloe Morello, now sit alongside more and more extreme treatments: peels, microneedling pens you can use at home, home lasers, crazy facial things, as Berkowitz puts it. These beauty boxes especially all the things coming in from South Korea are really DIY on steroids. Though both anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers must be administered by a doctor or registered nurse in Australia, you can of course buy all sorts of mind-boggling stuff online including fillers and anti-wrinkle treatments, complete with needles. For Smith, these products have the advantage of being super-cheap compared with going to a salon but shes not interested in them herself. I had a friend who bought an eyebrow tattooing kit online, and it was a disaster, she says. Its not worth it. Cosmetic tattooist Georgie Westley grits her teeth at the mention of DIY brow kits. Founder of Distinctive Features Cosmetic Tattoo and Beauty salon in Melbourne, where a new brow treatment costs from $700 (plus maintenance charges), Westley has been doing professional cosmetic tattooing for 20 years. Were seeing the brow boom of our lifetime, she says. But brow tattooing (theres also eyeliner, lip and aureole tattooing) comes in all shapes and sizes, and Westley has some reservations about the current fashion for a very sculptured, defined, dark brow the Kim Kardashian brow (and the Smith brow). I actually disagree with it, she says. It means you need a lot of other treatments to balance things out in your face. You need the lips, the lashes, the whole thing. Added to which, if a Kim Kardashian brow goes wrong, it goes really wrong. Although cosmetic tattoos fade to a certain point, they never fully disappear. We can try to treat them with laser and saline, but it may take 10 treatments over two years to get it fixed. Advertisement Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. ne young worker at old peoples home in Manchester said she had no choice Care home bosses are demanding that staff have the Covid-19 vaccination or risk losing their jobs. Several carers have contacted The Mail on Sunday to claim that they have been threatened with the sack or a pay cut if they refuse to have the jab. One young worker at an old peoples home in Manchester said she had no choice and no voice when making the decision. I told them I was scared to have the jab but they didnt listen to my worries, she told the MoSs Medical Minefield podcast. They said I had to have it within the month or find another place to work. A care home resident, 90, prepares to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine in Hamilton, western Scotland, on December 14 last year (file photo) The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, added: They tried to make me feel guilty, telling me I could bring the virus into the home and people would die. Another carer at a residential home for disabled people near Liverpool claims she was threatened with financial penalties after expressing doubts about the vaccines efficacy. Weve all been told that if we dont have it and were absent from work because of anything Covid-related, we wont get our monthly salary, said the care worker. I thought [the vaccine] had been rushed through, and hadnt been trialled sufficiently. The claims emerged as the deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) warned that the take-up rate among care home staff was still far too low. Speaking to the BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Professor Anthony Harnden, said just 66 per cent had received an inoculation despite overwhelming evidence that both the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are safe. If [care home staff] are to stop potentially transmitting to those vulnerable people who they look after and care for deeply, they need to take the immunisation up, he said. The message needs to come across loud and clear. There are an estimated 680,000 residential care workers in England, suggesting more than 230,000 are yet to be vaccinated. However, the National Care Association (NCA) said only around seven per cent of staff remained nervous or resistant to taking the vaccine. Its chairman, Nadra Ahmed, said: The figure [getting the vaccine] is not as high as wed like it, but it will depend on how many people have been able to access the vaccine. A care home resident prepares to receive an injection of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at the Lady Forester Community nursing home in Shropshire (file photo) Weve got to remember that access was an issue at the beginning and we also know that weve got around 20 per cent who are either isolating or have had Covid and so they will be waiting to get the vaccine. Are care bosses right? Listen to the debate on our new podcast Medical Minefield Find it on our digital edition via mailsubscriptions.co.uk or at Google podcasts, Spotify or Deezer. Advertisement If we assume the 66 per cent figure is right, then of course it is low and we would like it to be higher, but weve got to look behind that to see why it is where it is. Care home residents account for about a third of all deaths from the virus in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics. Around 400,000 people live in homes, many of whom have spent much of the last year apart from their loved ones for fear of catching the virus. Downing Street has said that no jab, no job policies are discriminatory and that vaccines should not be mandatory a view echoed by Prof Harnden. I would much prefer to be able to persuade by the power of argument than to force people or to make people lose their jobs because they didnt take up the vaccine, he said. Some firms have, however, taken matters into their own hands. Barchester Healthcare, for example, has said it will not hire workers who refuse the vaccine and will encourage up take by linking vaccination to bonuses, promotions and enhanced sick pay. Several carers have contacted The Mail on Sunday to claim that they have been threatened with the sack or a pay cut if they refuse to have the jab (file photo) Other care firms are understood to be considering similar measures. But Britains largest union has accused care providers of using punitive tactics to ensure their staff are vaccinated. In a letter to Health Minister Helen Whately, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: The vaccination programme is the way out of this health crisis. The more care workers who get a jab, the safer the sector will be. But care employers who put punitive measures in place for staff, or make it a condition of work, are undermining trust and confidence in the vaccine. They are also at odds with the sensible approach being taken by most employers and the NHS. Companies would do much better to concentrate on informing staff about the benefits of the vaccination, rather than intimidating them. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 12: Anti lockdown protesters are seen gathering in front of the Rod Lavern Arena, following the announcement of the lockdown on February 12, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. Victorians have been warned to remain on alert for coronavirus symptoms following new COVID-19 cases detected in the community linked to the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel. (Photo by Diego Fedele/Getty Images) Australias Hotel Quarantine Under Scrutiny After Third Melbourne Breach The latest in a series of breaches that have led to an outbreak of the UK variant of COVID-19 from Melbournes hotel quarantine, and caused a five-day shutdown of Victoria, has led Premier Dan Andrews to suggest a cut to the number of returning travellers. Andrews said on Friday that there needed to be a cold, hard discussion about reducing the number of travellers returning to Australia from overseas. Victoria entered its third lockdown at 11.59 p.m. on Friday after the UK variant of the virus escaped quarantine at Melbourne Airports Holiday Inn. The outbreak now tallies 13 cases, including a woman who may have worked at an airport cafe while infectious. On Friday evening, the Victorian government announced a pause on all international passenger flights from Saturday, excluding those already in transit. The cap had been set to lift from 1210 to 1310 overseas travellers entering Victoria weekly. Andrews asked whether there should be a much smaller program of hotel quarantine that was based on compassionate grounds. The premier said the more infectious UK variant meant the game (had) changed. This thing is not the 2020 virus. It is very different. It is much faster. It spreads much more easily, Andrews said. We, all of us, have to have a conversation about whats safe, whats proportionate, whats reasonable. A reduced traveller cap would make it harder for Australians stranded overseas to make it home. Thousands are already struggling with constantly cancelled flights and high ticket prices. Andrews said it was for the federal government to decide how many people would be returning to Australia. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended the hotel quarantine program, arguing that leaks are inevitable. The issue is how you deal with it when it occurs, he told 3AW radio on Friday. Hotel quarantine is never 100 per cent fail-safe and to suggest it ever will be is just not realistic. The virus has escaped from hotel quarantine in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide in recent months. The Melbourne outbreak can be traced back to a family of three who quarantined at the Holiday Inn and are believed to have been infected overseas. One family member, who is now in intensive care, used a medical device called a nebuliser in their room, despite them banned outside of medi-hotels. By Hannah Ryan Fauci: Stimulus bill needs to be passed for schools to reopen Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert, said on Sunday that a stimulus bill needed to be passed in order for schools to safely reopen. While appearing on ABCs This Week, Fauci spoke with host George Stephanopoulos about how schools could safely reopen, expanding on new guidelines that were recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It's the first time that its been put down in a document based on scientific observations and data over the last several months to a year, both in the United States and elsewhere. Part of that is to indicate and to suggest strongly that a preference be given to teachers to get vaccinated, Fauci said, though he added it was possible to reopen schools without having all teachers vaccinated beforehand. When asked by Stephanopoulos if schools had the resources available to abide by the new CDC guidelines, Fauci said he did not believe so. I think that the schools really do need more resources and that's the reason why the national relief act that we're talking about getting passed we need that. The schools need more resources. House committees have begun marking up portions of President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, and Democrats have vowed to pass a final bill into law by early next month. News Around the Republic of Mexico Covid Restrictions End in Jalisco, New Plan Announced The containment measures that the Jalisco State government mandated on January 16 - the last to be taken under the Jalisco COVID-19 Plan - will be lifted on Saturday, February 13, 2021. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - On February 11, Governor Enrique Alfaro RamArez announced that the restrictions that the Government of Jalisco implemented to contain COVID-19 worked, and that the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths from SARS-CoV-2 in the state has been greatly reduced. He specified that due to restrictions on economic activity and the collaboration of citizens in staying at home, the number of active cases in the state had dropped from around 11,000 earlier this year to just 6,578 on Thursday, and pointed out that the recent numbers have influenced the National Epidemic Traffic Light, which yesterday returned the State of Jalisco to the orange level. In light of this, all of the containment measures that were This afternoon, the Governor announced the new measures that will be implemented as part of the Jalisco COVID 2021 Plan, a long-term approach for the remainder of 2021 that is based on "coexistence, adaptation and social responsibility." He said that although the COVID-19 plan worked well and "served its purpose, we have a year of work ahead of us in which, although the vaccination program is advancing, we are going to have to live with the risk." He assured that the COVID 2021 Plan will "allow us to continue with the reactivation of the economy" and that when making this new plan, unlike 2020, "we have accumulated experience and scientific evidence that sheds more light on what we have to do." He went on to say that "we want to assure the population, let everyone know that with this new plan we are going to be able to resume our daily activities by lowering the level of risk and generating clear rules that we all have to apply and respect." Among the measures that will be maintained under the COVID 2021 Plan are: a Social distancing a Use of face masks a Frequent hand washing a Adequate ventilation of all spaces, especially closed rooms a Attention to priority groups: people over 60 years of age, pregnant women, people with high blood pressure, people with diabetes, people with obesity, people with diseases that cause immunosuppression. Evaluations and adjustments will be made to the Jalisco 2021 Plan as the year progresses, and there will be a midterm evaluation on June 15, as well as on special occasions such as: a Semana Santa (Easter holidays) a May 10, Mother's Day a The June 6th elections In the case of Semana Santa, the provisions to be implemented for those dates will be announced a month in advance of the holidays. The return to face-to-face classes in Jalisco is scheduled to begin in August. For detailed information (in Spanish) about the Jalisco COVID-19 Plan restrictions that have been lifted, and the protocols to be followed under the Plan Jalisco 2021, click HERE, and scroll through the pages. Sources: jalisco.gob.mx a unotv.com - On February 11, Governor Enrique Alfaro RamArez announced that the restrictions that the Government of Jalisco implemented to contain COVID-19 worked, and that the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths from SARS-CoV-2 in the state has been greatly reduced.He specified that due to restrictions on economic activity and the collaboration of citizens in staying at home, the number of active cases in the state had dropped from around 11,000 earlier this year to just 6,578 on Thursday, and pointed out that the recent numbers have influenced the National Epidemic Traffic Light, which yesterday returned the State of Jalisco to the orange level.In light of this, all of the containment measures that were mandated on January 16 - the last to be taken under the Jalisco COVID-19 Plan designed 11 months ago to face the health emergency, and which "undoubtedly benefited our State" - will be lifted on Saturday, February 13, 2021.This afternoon, the Governor announced the new measures that will be implemented as part of the Jalisco COVID 2021 Plan, a long-term approach for the remainder of 2021 that is based on "coexistence, adaptation and social responsibility."He said that although the COVID-19 plan worked well and "served its purpose, we have a year of work ahead of us in which, although the vaccination program is advancing, we are going to have to live with the risk."He assured that the COVID 2021 Plan will "allow us to continue with the reactivation of the economy" and that when making this new plan, unlike 2020, "we have accumulated experience and scientific evidence that sheds more light on what we have to do."He went on to say that "we want to assure the population, let everyone know that with this new plan we are going to be able to resume our daily activities by lowering the level of risk and generating clear rules that we all have to apply and respect."Among the measures that will be maintained under the COVID 2021 Plan are:a Social distancinga Use of face masksa Frequent hand washinga Adequate ventilation of all spaces, especially closed roomsa Attention to priority groups: people over 60 years of age, pregnant women, people with high blood pressure, people with diabetes, people with obesity, people with diseases that cause immunosuppression.Evaluations and adjustments will be made to the Jalisco 2021 Plan as the year progresses, and there will be a midterm evaluation on June 15, as well as on special occasions such as:a Semana Santa (Easter holidays)a May 10, Mother's Daya The June 6th electionsIn the case of Semana Santa, the provisions to be implemented for those dates will be announced a month in advance of the holidays.The return to face-to-face classes in Jalisco is scheduled to begin in August. Site Map Print this Page Email Us Top Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh How would you assess Vietnams diplomatic achievements in 2020? The global and regional situations were mercurial in 2020, especially with the appearance of COVID-19, which has been heavily sabotaging activities from politics and economy to society and peoples health in all corners of the world. In this context, under the leadership of the Party, our whole political system has been doing a very good job to both control the pandemic and keep the positive economic growth. These were extremely significant attainments for the country in 2020, making for quite a favourable backdrop for all external activities of the Party and the state. Specifically, we have been able to maintain ties with partners despite a lack of direct high-level visits. In 2020, we increased exchanges via video talks or telephones with 33 calls between top Vietnamese leaders and overseas counterparts in a typical year, inbound and outbound visits and exchanges averages only at 10-20. During these calls, expanding ties between Vietnam and those nations were discussed by the Party general secretary, state president; the prime minister; and the National Assembly chairwoman, helping to maintain relations with other nations. Moreover in 2020, we acted as chair of ASEAN and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and also as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). There was the continued highlight of solidarity, bonding, and the central role of ASEAN in solving issues on responding to upheavals in the wider world and in the region. We have also contributed to solving issues at the UNSC, while being a representative for developing nations and smaller countries in the organisation. Regarding economic integration, Vietnam and the EU adopted the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Vietnam and other ASEAN nations also inked the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership with the blocs five partners. These were very important contributions to the Party and the states economic diplomacy in 2020. What exactly did Vietnam achieve in its role as ASEAN chair and what goals have yet to be carried out in full? We embarked upon 2020 as ASEAN chair, and the year was quite different from others. The pandemic had negative impacts on our activities, especially meetings at different levels aimed to exchange and discuss ideas and plans, as well as to map out orientations for activities. Vietnam advanced the theme of being Cohesive and Responsive for ASEAN 2020, which was quite suitable to the situation. It is the goal that ASEAN wanted to head forward in 2020, also the blocs message to the wider world. The second point that the ASEAN chair must address was to ensure the effective implementation of all the priorities it had advanced. In 2020 we have achieved all we set out to do in building up the ASEAN Community. In 2020, more than 80 documents were adopted, with a focus laid on constructing the ASEAN Community via our boosting assessment and review of the ASEAN Blueprint until 2025; on reviewing the ASEAN Charter; and constructing the post-2025 ASEAN Vision. Also last year, Vietnam was expected to advance 32 initiative proposals, and 28 of those have been inserted into ASEANs documents so far. This is also another success of Vietnam as the proposals have met the common interests of ASEAN member states. In 2020, ASEAN rapidly responded to the health crisis, with Vietnam successfully organising special conferences of ASEAN and between the bloc and partners to respond to COVID-19, and advance four related initiatives building up a response fund, developing a regional reserve of medical supplies, formulating a plan to respond to each possible scenario, and charting a post-pandemic economic recovery plan. Moreover, we changed the method of organising ASEANs meetings due to the health crisis. Instead of physical meetings, over 550 online events were held, including 20 high-level meetings such as the 36th and 37th ASEAN summits, and 70 ministerial-level meetings. We also advanced new contents at ASEAN meetings including the highlighted role of women, which has been a consistent issue during our participation in multilateral diplomatic activities not only within ASEAN but also at the UNSC. We also advanced new content in 2020 strengthening connectivity and exchanges between ASEAN and sub-regions, specifically the cooperation of nations within the Mekong region. How has Vietnams prestige and status been enhanced in the international arena over the past year? Our Party and states policy is to take the initiative in international integration, and we have been implementing the Party Secretariats policy on enhancing multilateral external activities. This has been a major target during our international integration, including economic integration. We boost integration and participation in international organisations in order to formulate regulations and laws to ensure the benefits of all nations including our own. This means Vietnam is not just a responsible member, but also a proactive one. We also aim to enhance the countrys independence and self-reliance in formulating external policy and implementing diversification of relations with other nations. Furthermore, we also aim to promote the role of Vietnam in the international arena as Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong has stated, Never has our country enjoyed such fortunes, potential, status, and prestige as it does today. This has also attested to the countrys major achievements over the past 35 years of doi moi that has driven Vietnam forward. Also, the countrys role and status have been increasingly enhanced internationally. Following achievements in 2020, what will be the key tasks and orientations of Vietnams diplomacy in 2021 and beyond? In 2021, it is forecasted that the regional and global situation will continue seeing complicated developments including COVID-19, challenging all nations including Vietnam. However, we also see numerous opportunities including the trend of peace, stability, and continued development. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is also taking place globally, in which digital economy and high technology are offering new opportunities to Vietnam, not only in socioeconomic development but also in new methods in external activities. Thus, Vietnams diplomacy in 2021 will be focused on further sharpening relations with other nations and partners, especially strategic and comprehensive partners and neighbouring nations via new effective methods. We will also continue proactively international integration through our activities at the UNSC. At the same time in ASEAN, we will have to promote the implementation of results achieved in 2020, and foster the blocs development. We have also partaken in many free trade agreements and there will also be adoption of new ones in the future. These deals must be effectively implemented so that opportunities can be materialised. This is a shared task for all ministries, agencies, and localities, not only for the diplomatic sector. One of the issues of prime importance is that we must continue maintaining an environment of peace and stability, and protection of the countrys sovereignty. This is a very critical and consistent task. ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment is a government issued standardized test given to students to evaluate how well the education system is doing. Last year, the test was waived because of the pandemic. This year the test is back - but that isn't sitting well with everyone. Students grades 3 through 8 would typically be preparing for the state test in April. The Minnesota Department of Education says MCA testing is still on for students this spring. MDE says federal law requires districts to administer the MCAs this spring similar to a normal year unless there is a new mandate from the federal or state government. The Department of Education has already expressed concern about the reliability of these tests to the federal government. President of Education Minnesota, Denise Specht, says We see no reason to proceed. If our own Department of Education is questioning that, we should all be questioning that also." She adds the state should focus on COVID recovery. Given all the disruptions and stress that our students have been through, there really is no reason to put them through anymore, when we should be really focused on the social and emotional needs of these students." Specht tells KIMT the state already has plenty of information on students - and says these standardized tests are not the only data they have on how students are performing. The Minnesota Department of Education has asked for federal permission to put more weight on data from 2018-19 and 2021-22 instead. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. ADVERTISEMENT Armed police officers manning the Lekki Tollgate Plaza have arrested about a dozen protesters, the first batch to arrive at the tollgate. The protest, tagged #OccupyLekkiTollgate, scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Saturday, was against the reopening of the tollgate. Another group of protesters, who tagged theirs #DefendLagos, had also planned to gather at the site at the same time, threatening the former group to stay away. Amidst the threat of violence, the police and federal the state governments warned both groups to shelve the protests. On Friday, armed police officers embarked on a show of force across the city, reiterating its call for protesters to stay away from the tollgate. On Saturday morning, dozens of armed police officers were stationed at the tollgate awaiting any protesting group. At about 7 a.m., about three patrol vans filled with police officers headed towards Lekki. It was unclear what their mission was. A few minutes later, a group of protesters were rounded up at the toll plaza. Details later A Republican from Washington state who was one of 10 GOP House members who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump late Friday urged people with knowledge of conversations Trump had during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to come forward. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler said in a statement House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her he spoke with Trump as rioters were storming the Capitol. She said McCarthy asked Trump to publicly call off the riot and told Trump the violent mob were Trump supporters, not far-left antifa members. In her statement, released via Twitter, Herrera Beutler said: Thats when, according to McCarthy, the president said: Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are. The congresswomans disclosure comes as the U.S. Senate is conducting Trumps impeachment trial, which is to resume Saturday. On Friday Trumps defense team denied he had incited the deadly riot and said his encouragement of followers to fight like hell at a rally that preceded it was routine political speech. U.S. House members who are acting as prosecutors in the impeachment say Trump was the inciter in chief who spread election falsehoods, then encouraged supporters to come challenge the results. Herrera Buetler, who represents Washington's 4th Congressional District in the southwestern part of the state, said she has relayed parts of her conversation with McCarthy before to constituents and local media. She then called on people with knowledge of Trumps conversation with McCarthy to speak out. And to the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time, she said. The health ministry today blocked a fake website for demanding money for vaccination, cautioning citizens 'not fall prey to such fraudulent websites'. Apparently, a website link purportedly belonging to the official website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was widely shared via social media. The website claimed to provide COVID-19 vaccines for 4000-6000. Ministry of Health also retweeted the PIB Fact Check's tweet and said, "The site 'http://mohfw.xyz has been blocked. A case is registered and an investigation is taken up. Please be cautious. Do not fall prey to such fraudulent websites." Later, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan retweets it to say: Appreciate PIB Fact Check and MoHFW for their swift response to bust a fake website collecting money on pretext of registration for COVID19 Vaccination Urge people to exercise abundant precaution and verify accuracy of info on various official channels of Govt communication. Ahead of the vaccination drive, fraudulent app named Co-WIN were floating in the app store. The Union Health Ministry asked people not to download or register on the fraudulent apps named Co-WIN, "created by unscrupulous elements", which have been made available on the app store. "Some apps named 'Co-WIN' apparently created by unscrupulous elements to sound similar to upcoming official platform of Government, are on Appstores. DO NOT download or share personal information on these. MoHFW Official platform will be adequately publicised on its launch," the Union Health ministry had tweeted. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 3:55 pm Centralia United Methodist Church will ring the steeple bell at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, to honor the memory of every local life lost from the COVID-19 virus during the past year. Ribbons are being added to a memory tree located in the southwest corner of the church parking lot at the intersection of Plum and Oak streets. All are welcome to participate in this short time of remembrance. More information is available by calling 360-736-7311. Face masks are required for this event. The University of Oxford has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the COVID-19 vaccine it has developed with AstraZeneca Plc in children for the first time, it said on Saturday. The new mid-stage trial will determine whether the vaccine is effective on people between the ages of 6 and 17, according to an emailed statement from the university. Around 300 volunteers will be enrolled and first inoculations are expected this month, Oxford said. The two-dose Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been hailed as a vaccine for the world because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals. AstraZeneca has a target to produce 3 billion doses this year and aims to produce over 200 million doses per month by April. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. EDWARDSVILLE Jackson Budwell is on his way to West Point, but its a journey that started a long time ago. Budwell, a senior at Edwardsville High School, has been accepted to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, for the class of 2025. He received a congressional nomination from Congressman Rodney Davis. The process of me wanting to go to West Point started many years ago, said Budwell, who is an exceptional high honors student at EHS. Ever since I was young, I have been a big fan of strategy, like chess, checkers and that kind of stuff, and Ive also been a big fan of history. Ive been enamored with American war heroes and I knew that some of the biggest names in history, like Dwight Eisenhower and Ulysses Grant, went to West Point. A lot of other people I admire were politicians, but they were also war heroes and Ive always wanted to aspire to that. It was around sixth or seventh grade that I had a more concrete idea of wanting to go to West Point. At that point, I began to do things that would help me get there. I ended up getting accepted unusually early and I consider myself to be extremely lucky because Rodney Davis nominated seven people and only one of them gets to go. For Budwell, it was more than luck that set him on the path to being accepted at West Point. It also took hard work and years of planning. I was a freshman (at Edwardsville) and I knew you need a political nomination to get into West Point, Budwell said. As it turned out, the nomination process was perhaps easier than I anticipated, but I started a chain of events my freshman year by volunteering for (Edwardsville mayor) Hal Patton and that eventually led me to working for Congressman Rodney Davis in his office. Not only did I get to meet Rodney Davis, which is important, but I also got to meet his support staff and work with them at their Maryville office. For all of the nominations, you have a board of people who deliberate and then they go to their Congressman and say they believe you should nominate them. The Congressmen, like Rodney Davis, look over the information and decide whether they agree or disagree. I think I had a leg up because I was able to volunteer and got to know the people who would be nominating me. At EHS, Budwell is the captain of the varsity boys bowling team. He believes that also played a role in his being accepted to West Point. Being a varsity athlete is almost a requirement and about 99 percent of the people who are accepted into academies play a varsity sport, Budwell said. About 75 percent of those people are team captains, so that was another thing I had to do. When I started bowling my freshman year, that was a one-year period that was a very formative time in my life. At the beginning of that year, I wasnt thinking about West Point at all, but I did the right things and I was able to set myself up so that my sophomore year, I started to get serious about life. It was a grow up moment in terms of my ability to see into the future. All of the pieces were in front of me, but I had to put the puzzle together. The Boy Scouts were another part of the puzzle for Budwell. He is also an Eagle Scout in Glen Carbon Troop 8034B, where he has been involved since 2009. He served as the Order of the Arrow Lodge Chief for the Nisha Kittan Lodge for 2018-19. I actually just aged out of scouting, but I had been doing it for 11 going on 12 years, Budwell said. It took me a long time to become an Eagle Scout, but I think thats something that is another deciding factor for getting into a service academy. About 10 to 20 percent of people who get into these academies are Eagle Scouts or Gold Award winners. Budwell is also a small business owner of Bud Networking Solutions, where he provides computer and networking services to the greater St. Louis area. Basically, Im a sole contractor, but Im pretty proficient with computers, Budwell said. Ive gone to state for Business Professionals of America and Im a two-time state champion for computer networking technology. I will be competing in Microsoft server fundamentals this year for state and I hope to compete nationally as well. The biggest challenge for Budwell may be fitting all of his interests into a busy schedule. I have three or four broad areas of my life that are pretty distinct from each other and it just so happens that West Point, which is kind of the military side of things, is winning out right now. My hope is that I will be able to continue these other areas of my life, like my love for technology and being a hobby enthusiast/business owner. Budwell also has a love for language, as he taught himself to speak Japanese and is learning Spanish as well. He is also striving to finish a novel, which he has been working on for the past year during the coronavirus pandemic and hopes to self-publish before he leaves for West Point. Essentially, its a love letter to my favorite author, Kotaro Uchikoshi, who I view as a successful person and kind of my role model, Budwell said. Some of the people I admire are philosophers, authors, war heroes, politicians and theologians. People like that are the complete package and they also speak multiple languages. The person I want to become is kind of like a renaissance man. If I want to become the person I want to emulate, I need to write a book and be an author. Ive tried before in the past, but I didnt have enough maturity or time. The title of the book is subject to change, but it is currently The Crimson Vial. It is also a love letter to Dashiell Hammett, who was a hard-boiled fiction writer, Budwell said. Perhaps it would best be described as Pulp Fiction mixed with Asian influences. In preparing himself for West Point, Budwell had to concentrate on more than just academics and technology. He had to prepare himself physically as well. I want to share a big thank you to Shark Fitness and the Patriot Training Foundation, which is an organization out of St. Louis, Budwell said. I learned by chance around August through email about this organization and Im the outsider because Im from Illinois. The expressed goal of PTF is to train people who wish to go to academies, OTC (Officers Training Corps) or law enforcement and make them ready to go for being in the service. If it had not been for PTF, it is doubtful that I would be in the physical and mental shape necessary to be able to get into West Point. Ive been doing three to four hours of intensive, gut-wrenching boot camp every week for the last five or six months. Budwell plans on tying together the different areas of his life at West Point, including getting a computer science degree and possibly getting a minor in another language. I will most likely enter the cyber branch (of the Army) as an officer doing cyber warfare and cybersecurity, Budwell said. I could also be a signal corps officer, which is much more in line with the computer business and involves building and maintaining networks and structures for the military. But I also want to be a lawyer, so I plan on doing what they call in the military a five and dive, which means you are entitled to an eight-year commitment with five years of active service and three years in the Army Reserves. I could do five years as a cyber officer and then use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to get a law degree essentially for free after reentering into civilian life. I have the option of having the military pay for a law degree, however, I dont really want to be a JAG (Judge Advocate Generals Corps) because I also want to be an entrepreneur and a politician, and I dont want to have to commit those additional years of service. Gina Carano is known for her work as an MMA fighter and a lead in Disney+s The Mandalorian. And she also engaged in a high-profile romance with Man of Steels Superman, Henry Cavill. Unfortunately, the two couldnt make their romance work. Heres why Carano and Cavill broke up and who Caranos boyfriend is now. Henry Cavill and Gina Carano | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage RELATED: The Mandalorian Cast Has Opinions About Gina Caranos return Carano and Cavill seemed like the perfect match. Theyre both incredible into fitness, and it seems like their personalities made them an ideal pairing. A friend of Caranos talked to Us Weekly about the relationship back when the two were still dating. Gina is a complete firecracker, the friend said. And shes finally found someone who can handle her. As for how the two initially started dating, it seems it was romance at first sight. Us Weekly notes the two had an instant attraction after first meeting in 2012. Their relationship wasnt necessarily easy for them when they were in it, though. Several news outlets reported they broke up and got back together around 2013. E! News noted in October 2013 that Cavill was spotted out with Carano while filming The Man From U.N.C.L.E. despite them allegedly being broken up at the time. They were seen sitting in a restaurant and splitting a bottle of wine while in Rome. Why did Gina Carano and Henry Cavill break up? Gina Carano and Henry Cavill attend the EE British Academy Film Awards | John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images RELATED: The Mandalorian: Gina Carano Thought She Was Playing a Completely Different Character So, why did Carano and Cavill break up not once, but twice? It seems its still somewhat of a mystery, as prior to the breakup, the couple adopted a puppy in early 2013. E! News notes the breeders of the dog even commented on how sweet and genuine Carano and Cavill appeared to be when picking up the dog. They stated that it was so great working with Henry and additionally said, getting to meet him as well as Gina was truly a treat! Both Henry and Gina are genuine and a joy to be around, the breeders added. It was truly an honor to add them to our extended family and thank them for their patience in meeting us and our children. Its not every day that an A-list celebrity, much less two celebrities, come to Beebe, Arkansas, to visit. Were sure Carano and Cavill intended to have a long-term relationship if a dog was involved. But Daily Mail notes some believe their relationship may have been a publicity stunt. The two were reportedly represented by the same publicity firm, and they were seen expressing plenty of PDA for a few weeks before their first breakup. Aside from the conjecture, the two seemingly never discussed the failed romance. Who is Gina Caranos boyfriend now? Kevin Ross, Mickey Rourke, and Gina Carano attend SMASH Global VIII n Night Of Champions | Joe Scarnici/Getty Images Its been quite a few years since Carano and Cavill were public. So, is Carano dating anyone now? According to The Cinemaholic, Carano rekindled her romance with past flame Kevin Ross. In 2015, a photo of the couple kissing was posted online, confirming their relationship. Since then, Ross has shown his support for Carano by attending several movie events and premieres by her side. The Sun reports Carano has had nothing but positive things to say about Ross, too. He really did start off my career and gave me meaning to my life, she said. Its weird that it happened, I dont know if it wasnt for him. Hes the kind of person who in one day completely just changed his life and that affected mine. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Robert Menendez said former President Donald Trump sought to overthrow a free and fair election. Cory Booker said Trump incited the Capitol insurrection. Both of New Jerseys U.S. senators, Booker and Menendez, joined every other Democrat and seven Republicans in voting Saturday to convict Trump of inciting the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, when five people died. The 57 guilty votes fell 10 short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump, who last month was impeached by the House for an unprecedented second time. Forty-three Republican senators voted to acquit the former president. President Trumps clear and stated motive was to overthrow a free and fair election in a desperate attempt to cling to power, Menendez said in a statement after the vote. For weeks, he used malicious lies and conspiracy theories to foment anger and mobilized his supporters to descend on Washington in a last-ditch effort to stop the steal. Then, on Jan. 6, as Congress gathered to carry out our constitutional duty, he rallied his angry mob to fight on his behalf and stop the certification of the election results. Booker tweeted out his response. The House Managers showed in powerful & compelling detail that Trump incited the Capitol insurrectionresulting in death & violence. Trump should have been held accountable. History won't be kind to the 43 Senate Republicans who voted to excuse Trump's outrageous misconduct. Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 13, 2021 The outcome, I think, doesnt surprise anybody, Booker told reporters later at the Capitol, according to pool reports, but it is very sad that when the Capitol was under siege and the lives of congresspeople, the vice president, Capitol Police and more were in the valance, that the president only tweeted things that further put his vice president in danger, but clearly from his conversations was proud of what was going on. Its despicable and disappointing, he said. Five people were killed when the pro-Trump mob overran the Capitol, including Police Officer Brian Sicknick, a South River native. Our nation paid a heavy price for the lies President Trump spread so freely, Menendez said. The House impeachment managers also made abundantly clear that President Trump could have quickly acted to save lives and defend the Capitol, but instead spent hours basking in the chaos unfolding in his name. I cannot think of any higher betrayal of our Constitution and dereliction of duty by a commander-in-chief than refusing to act to save American lives. Trump was unrepentant after his acquittal, calling the bipartisan majority support for conviction another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country. Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun, he said. In the months ahead, I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Read what is in the news today: Society Vietnam reported no new community case of COVID-19 infection on Saturday morning, keeping the national tally at 2,142 patients, with 1,531 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths. Four Cambodian nationals were caught illegally entering Vietnam on the Lunar New Years Eve by swimming through the Hau River in the Mekong Deltas An Giang Province. Border guards of Long Binh Border Gate sent all to quarantine camps, having imposed an administration fine of VND5 million ($212) on each. Medical staff in Ho Chi Minh City are urgently conducting mass testing on groups with high risk of COVID-19 community transmission from now to Sunday, or the third day of the Lunar New Year, with around 2,485 samples taken as of Friday night. Vinh Long Provinces Department of Health is coordinating with the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control and relevant forces to quarantine and trace five direct contacts of a COVID-19 patient, who was confirmed by the Ministry of Health on Thursday. Dong Thap Provinces authorities convened an urgent meeting on Friday to secure timely quarantine over 19 out of 20 direct contacts with a COVID-19 positive case named D.T.T., who works at GGM Company at Tan Binh 2 Industrial Zone in Ho Chi Minh Citys Binh Tan District. Business Vietnam shipped 190 tons of dragon fruits to China through Kim Thanh II International Border Gate in the northern province of Lao Cai on Friday, the first day of the lunar New Year. The lot, the first to be exported to China in the Lunar New Year, was valued at VND2.8 billion ($121,500). Vietnam welcomed two foreign commercial vessels, STARSHIP URSA of Marshall Island and CMA CGM J. ADAMS of Malta, to ports in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau on Friday, which marked the first day of the Lunar New Year, according to the Vietnam News Agency. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has decided to levy a temporary anti-dumping tax of 33.88 percent on sugar imported from Thailand after an investigation in September 2020 to see if sugar imported from Thailand had received subsidies from the government. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The sailors were released in late January, thanks to the joint efforts of Ukrainian diplomats and intelligence operatives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Kyiv six Ukrainian crew members of the Stevia vessel, who had been recently released from pirate captivity after being abducted in the Gulf of Guinea in December 2020, according to the President's Office. Having attacked the ship, the pirates abducted six Ukrainian sailors: Oleksander Soruchan, Semen Reznychenko, Kostiantyn Andreiev, Oleksandr Korovkin, Vladyslav Cheban, and Viacheslav Sanderovsky, as well as two Albanian nationals, the President's Office reports. In pursuance of the President's order, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensured the release of sailors from pirate captivity. The negotiation process was ensured between the shipowner and the kidnappers. The Ukrainians were released late January 2021. They were first taken to Port Harcourt, where they underwent physicals, and then to Lagos and Istanbul (Turkey). Today they arrived in Kyiv, the report reads. "We have received information about the capture. We started working via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The kidnappers wanted a lot. But our diplomats did a great job both the Foreign Ministry and our intelligence operatives. A rather complex combination has been carried out. People were returned. The operation went brilliantly, because all people are safe and sound. We know of cases where this could take years. I think this is a great win for Ukraine. We get everyone back," the head of state said, welcoming the sailors home. Read alsoZelensky: Work on freeing Ukrainians from captivity underwayThe president stressed that the return of Ukrainian citizens is a priority for the Ukrainian state, noting high quality of the operation to ensure the release of captured sailors. "I express gratitude to the minister for foreign affairs, chair of the intelligence committee, head of the President's Office, and all diplomats who have worked in Ukraine and beyond. Plenty has been done by our embassy in Nigeria, and we have also cooperated with Albanian diplomats," he said. Zelensky also inquired, where the pirates had been holding the Ukrainians. Sailors said they were held in the jungle among mangrove forests, suffering from mosquito swarms. "It was horrifying. There were 20 people around us at all times, wielding rifles," one of the sailors said, adding that most of the kidnappers had always been severely intoxicated. "Everyone is back, everyone is alive and well. We congratulate you. People are a priority. Therefore - with the return!" the head of state replied. The president also offered that the released men undergo physicals and rehabilitation at the government-run Feofania Hospital in Kyiv. "I'm glad that finally, our sailors are back in their homeland, embracing their families. After months of painstaking work by diplomats and all parties involved, we've been able to ensure their release from pirate captivity. Whatever trouble Ukrainian citizens abroad get into, they can count on protection of the Ukrainian government. It has always been and always will be the case. Ukraine doesn't leave its people to their own devices," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The President's Office also said that last year, thanks to the efforts of Ukrainian diplomats, 42 Ukrainians held on foreign soil were successfully released, including 17 Ukrainian sailors captured in the Gulf of Guinea, 14 crew members of the Ruta vessel, who had been held in Libya since 2017, nine Ukrainian citizens from Syrian refugee camps, and two citizens held hostage in Iraqi Kurdistan. Also, in early January 2021, four citizens crew members of Captain Khayyam vessel, sentenced in Libya in December 2017 to five years in prison, were released and repatriated. Background On December 16, 2020, pirates attacked a STEVIA dry cargo carrier and captured eight crew members, including 6 Ukrainian citizens, in the Gulf of Guinea off the Nigeria coast. The vessel is owned by an Albanian company. Reporting by UNIAN Vistara will open flights for the route between Mumbai and Maldives' Male from March 3 onwards under the air bubble arrangement formed between the two countries. In a tweet, the airline company announced: Now, fly the new feeling to Maldives on Indias Best Airline. We are thrilled to announce our direct flights to Male from Mumbai. Here are the details: The airline will deploy its three-class A320neo aircraft on this route, said its press release. The carrier's flights between Mumbai and Male would operate three times a week - Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The fares for the flights start at Rs: 17699 You can book tickets from the official website of the company Scheduled international flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, special international flights have been operating since July last year under air bubble arrangements formed between India and around 24 countries. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. California released long-awaited data on the demographic breakdown of the states vaccination progress on Friday. The states updated vaccine information page now contains a searchable list of counties with data on how vaccines have been allocated across racial and ethnic groups, plus age and gender. Before the statewide release of racial/ethnicity data, five Bay Area counties posted detailed demographic breakdowns of their vaccine recipients Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara. The lack of available data at the state and local levels concerned some public health experts, including Dr. Maria Garcia, an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF and co-director of the Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center. Im very disturbed, Garcia previously told The Chronicle. We already know that there are inequities in COVID infection in and of itself. In order to address those inequities we need to make sure that we specifically target those very same communities for some of the therapeutics and for the vaccine and for prevention efforts. I find it really hard to believe that that information truly isnt available. Here is the breakdown for what percentage of vaccines have gone to each race and ethnicity group in San Francisco so far: American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.2% Asian-American: 31.8% Latino: 8.4% Black: 3.5% Multi-race: 10.4% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.4% White: 30.6% Other: 7% Unknown: 7.8% Here are the citys demographics according to 2019 U.S. Census estimates: American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.7% Asian: 36% Latino: 15.2% Black: 5.6% Multi-race: 4.5% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.5% White: 40.2% Currently, vaccines have been allocated primarily to health care workers and people over 65 in most counties. These groups may have different proportions than the overall population. Susie Neilson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: s.neilson@sfchronicle.com Richwood, TX (77531) Today Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 73F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 11:37:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) said Friday that BBC World News has undermined China's national interests and ethnic solidarity, highlighting that "double standards shall not be applied to fighting disinformation." The Chinese envoy made the remarks in response to an EU statement on the BBC ban in China. Earlier Friday, the European External Action Service (EEAS) issued a statement, saying that the Chinese authorities' decision to ban BBC World News is a move by China restricting so-called "freedom of expression and access to information." Asked to comment on the EEAS statement, the spokesperson noted investigations show that BBC World News "has seriously violated China's regulations on radio and television services and on overseas satellite TV channel management in its China-related reports which went against the requirements that news reporting must be truthful and impartial, and has undermined China's national interests and ethnic solidarity." As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) has decided not to allow BBC World News to continue its broadcasting service within Chinese territory, and will not accept the channel's broadcasting application for the new year, said the spokesperson. Stressing that "truthfulness, objectivity and impartiality are fundamental requirements for news reporting and important prerequisites for media freedom," the envoy said that "double standards shall not be applied to fighting disinformation. The freedom of press under double standards can only be seen as freedom of disinformation." "I want to point out that RTHK, as a public broadcaster in Hong Kong, has decided to pull the relevant BBC programs off the air in accordance with the NRTA's communication," the envoy said, adding that the EU side "has no right to use it as a pretext to make irresponsible comments on the Hong Kong national security law." Enditem Manchester City powered seven points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday as Ilkay Gundogan's double inspired a 3-0 win over Tottenham, while Liverpool's problems mounted after a dismal 3-1 defeat at Leicester. Pep Guardiola's side stretched their English top-flight record run to 16 successive victories in all competitions. They are unbeaten in their last 23 matches, since their last meeting with Spurs, and look odds-on to win the title for the third time in the last four seasons. Manchester United can close the gap to five points if they beat lowly West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, but City will still hold a game in hand to strengthen their grip on top spot. Tottenham were no match for the red-hot leaders on a freezing evening at the Etihad Stadium. The 25th clash between old rivals Guardiola and Jose Mourinho was a mismatch from the moment Rodrigo put City ahead from the penalty spot. Gundogan has been the main man during City's winning streak and he finished off Tottenham with two ruthless strikes. Spurs have now lost five of their previous six matches in all competitions. Amid Mourinho's awkward rifts with Gareth Bale and Dele Alli, there is a growing feeling Tottenham's season is spiralling out of control. They are languishing in ninth place, four points adrift of the top four. "A fresh team against a very tired team, but we hit the post and going 1-0 up could give us the fuel you need," Mourinho said after Harry Kane's early free-kick came back off the woodwork. "A team that is not united would give up and would be punished but I saw guys giving everything." City went ahead in the 23rd minute after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tripped Gundogan with a trailing leg. After Gundogan made it three penalty misses for City this season in their thrashing of Liverpool last weekend, Guardiola had hinted goalkeeper Ederson might take their next one. City's keeper did start moving towards the Tottenham area for a moment after the challenge on Gundogan, but he was sent back and instead Rodrigo stepped up and saw Hugo Lloris fail to keep out his spot-kick. Story continues "I admire and love the courage to take it," said Guardiola of the surprise choice of penalty taker. "But the taker was not good. We were lucky." Gundogan struck five minutes after half-time as his close-range finish eluded Lloris's weak attempted save. The in-form German midfielder wasn't finished yet and in the 66th minute he sprinted onto Ederson's long kick, gave Davinson Sanchez a subtle nudge and swivelled away from the stumbling defender before firing past Lloris. However, after scoring his 11th goal in his last 12 league games, Gundogan limped off with a concerning looking groin injury for Guardiola. - Liverpool lose again - After sweeping aside City and the rest of the league en route to their first title in 30 years, Liverpool have lost their magic touch. They crashed to a woeful defeat at Leicester after Alisson Becker's latest blunder sparked a stunning collapse. The calamitous nature of Liverpool's late meltdown raises serious questions about their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League. Mohamed Salah had given the Reds the lead in the second half at the King Power Stadium. But James Maddison's VAR-assisted equaliser turned the tide when his free-kick was allowed to stand despite Liverpool protests that Daniel Amartey was offside. That was followed by a howler from Liverpool keeper Alisson, whose miscued clearance was converted by Jamie Vardy. It was another miserable afternoon for Alisson following his two costly mistakes against City last weekend. Harvey Barnes's goal put the seal on Leicester's superb comeback. "The second goal is a misunderstanding obviously," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. "It is a situation where we should shout and I didn't hear anyone shout. It is not that cool." The Reds have now managed just two wins from their last 10 league games, but have been aided by the equally faltering form of those behind them. Aston Villa failed to do their chances of a top-four finish much good with a 0-0 draw at Brighton. Dean Smith's men were grateful to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez just for a point as they edged above Tottenham on goal difference into eighth. At the bottom, Burnley pulled 11 points clear of the relegation zone with a 3-0 win at Crystal Palace. kca-smg/mw New Delhi: Three people lost their lives in flash flood caused due to cloud burst in Doda's Thathri village in Jammu and Kashmir. Rescue operations are currently underway. The flood water inundated the areas along the Batote-Kishtwar National Highway, washing away half a dozen houses and leaving several persons trapped. Six people were trapped under debris who were later rescued. Flash flood triggered by cloudburst hit Thathri town at 2.20 AM resulting in a massive increase in the level of the nullah flowing along the Jamai Masjid locality close to the town a police officer said. Dy SP (headquarters) Doda, Iftkhar Ahmed, said the water level and silt suddenly rose in the drain after the cloudburst, washing away several structures along its path leading to the main market. The extent of damage could not be immediately ascertained. We cannot assess the exact loss of life or property immediately as we are in the middle of rescue operations trying to save those still trapped under the debris. As of now, a 12-year-old boy has been rescued, Ahmed said. Several others were still under the debris and causalities could not be ruled out, he said. The entire district administration along with the police and Army have started rescue operation on a war footing, the police official said. With PTI inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Farmers not considering any option, will not cave until farm laws are repealed India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday revealed plans by farmer leaders to hold meetings in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat and said protesters in Delhi will not return home until the Centre reaches an "agreement" with them. It was not immediately clear if the remark made at a "mahapanchayat" here was a climb down from Tikait's earlier assertion that there will be no "ghar wapsi" unless the laws are withdrawn. The government has been telling farmer unions to consider an option other than the complete repeal of the laws. Bid to connect with farmers: Cots adorn stage at Congress's mahapanchayat He said the government will have to talk with the farmer unions' committee spearheading the agitation against the laws. "This agitation will continue until the Government of India talks to the committee and arrives at an agreement. Till that time, farmers will not return home," he said addressing a "mahapanchayat" organised by the "Dalal Khap 84" near the Tikri border. He also claimed the agitation is spread across the country and not limited to Punjab, Haryana or Uttar Pradesh as being projected by some. More "mahapanchayats" will be held in coming days, he said, adding that they will go to Gujarat as well. Tikait alleged that farmers from Gujarat were being pressured not to lend support to the agitation. "If anyone from Gujarat wants to come here to support the agitation and if it is found they are coming, police are being send to their homes," he alleged. "We will hold meetings in Gujarat and other states," he said. Tikait also said the "business on hunger" will not be allowed and those wanting it will be "driven out" of the country. Hitting out at the farm laws, he claimed these will lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) and exploitation of farmers, from whom big companies will procure their produce at cheaper rates and then store it in godowns. Big godowns will be built, which will be barricaded on similar lines like the ones near the protest sites at the Delhi borders, he said. Without naming anyone, he said attempts have been made to divide the farmers' stir. "They tried to divide us on the lines of Punjab and Haryana, then small and big farmers," he said. "We have said that the three laws are not acceptable to farmers and should be rolled back. But how will they take back these when godowns were built first and laws were framed later," he said. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News "They did business of temple, religion and feelings. Now, they want to do the business on hunger," Tikait alleged. BKU leader warns farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period The BKU leader from Uttar Pradesh has been camping at Ghazipur on the Delhi-UP border for over two months against the central laws enacted in September. The Centre has been saying these laws will bring in new farming technologies and free the farmers from the clutches of middlemen. The farmers have been rejecting these claims, saying these laws will harm their interest. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 9:40 [IST] Chinese internet technology firm ByteDance, which owns popular short video sharing app Tiktok, is mulling to sale the India operations of TikTok to rival platform owner Glance, according to Bloomberg News. As per the report, the talks are in early stage and have been initiated by Japanese investment behemoth SoftBank which has shareholdings in Glance's parent company InMobi Pte as well as TikTok's parent, ByteDance. Unicorn start-up InMobi owns short-video app Roposo that has gained popularity in India after central government banned TikTok in July last year. The popular video-sharing app, along with 58 other apps, was banned in India on June 29 over national security and data privacy concerns. The ban on TikTok has resulted in home-grown video content platforms seeing a dramatic surge in their download numbers coupled with influencers trying newer apps to post the content. One of the biggest gainers from the ban move has been India's first unicorn start-up InMobi, whose Roposo video content platform has reached now over 100 million downloads with nearly 2 billion video views, according to the company. Both the companies, however, have not come out with official statements on this so far. Before the ban in June, TikTok India had over 200 million subscribers and the company was valued at $3 billion. ByteDance that is struggling to soothe the concerns amid anti-China sentiments in India, has reduced its 2,000-plus India team and said in a company memo that it's unsure of resuming operations in India. Apart from India, TikTok is facing major operational issues in countries like the United States. However, in a major respite to Chinese-owned video app, the newly elected US President Joe Biden's administration has asked a US federal court to pause proceedings aimed at banning TikTok as sought by his predecessor Donald Trump. Also Read: China opposes India's action against TikTok, 58 other Chinese companies Also Read: InMobi confident of Roposo's growth thanks to user stickiness, growing ad revenues Jeffrey Smith, 35, shot himself in the head on Jan. 15 as he headed into work for an overnight shift, less than two weeks after he was hit by the pole in the Capitol The second police officer who took his life following the Capitol riots in D.C. 'wasn't the same' after he suffered a serious head injury during the attacks on the building, according to his devastated wife. Jeffrey Smith, 35, shot himself in the head on Jan. 15 as he headed into work for an overnight shift, just a day after he had a follow-up appointment at the police & fire clinic. 'He wasn't the same Jeff that left on the 6th. . . . I just tried to comfort him and let him know that I loved him,' his wife, Erin, told the Washington Post. 'I told him I'd be there if he needed anything, that no matter what, we'll get through it. I tried to do the best I could.' Smith was found in his beloved Ford Mustang. The vehicle had rolled into an embankment along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, just a little ways away. The officer, who grew up in Illinois, would become the second cop from the Capitol riots to take his life. Howard Liebengood, 51, took his life just three days after the riot. Both committed suicide after Brian D. Sicknick died following his collapse in the Capitol. When the rioters initially took to storming the building, Smith texted his wife at around 2.38pm to give her brief insight to the chaos that was unfolding. 'He wasn't the same Jeff that left on the 6th... I just tried to comfort him and let him know that I loved him,' his wife, Erin, said. Pro-Trump protesters tear down a barricade as they clash with Capitol police during the riot The officer, who grew up in Illinois, would become the second cop from the Capitol riots to take his life. Howard Liebengood, 51, took his life just three days after the riot 'London has fallen,' the officer said to Erin, who was watching the violence on live stream from the couple's home in Virginia. Just six minutes after that text and another Capitol Police officer would fire a shot that killed Ashli E. Babbitt, 35, of San Diego, as she stormed her way inside the building. Both took their life after Brian D. Sicknick died following his collapse in the Capitol Smith didn't hear that gunshot, Erin shared, but he did hear the 'shots fired' call that was frantically yelled over police radio. He would later tell his wife that the alert sent him into a state of panic, wondering if he would die at the hands of the deranged rioters. At around 5.35, Smith was struck by a metal pole that hit his helmet and face shield. As the day turned into night, Smith would find himself stationed with other officers outside of a hotel where insurgents were believed to be staying. The officers had been ordered to arrest anyone who exited the hotel, breaking the citywide curfew that had been enforced by D.C.'s mayor. Smith would tell his two supervisors that he was in pain from being hit by the pole at 9pm. He was directed to the Police & Fire Clinic in Northeast Washington, checking into the facility at 10.15, according to records. 'Hit with flying object in face shield and helmet,' Smith wrote about the injury, adding that he 'began feeling pain in my neck and face.' The officer checked out of the clinic at 1.31am on Jan. 7, with his status listed as 'sick.' There was no diagnosis listed, however. 'He told me it was chaos,' Erin said of the clinic. 'There were so many people there.' In the next few days, Erin noted that her husband seemed in constant pain, unable to turn his head. Smith didn't leave the house or even walk the couple's dog. She said that the cop refused to talk with other people or watch television, with her even waking up in the middle of the night to find him pacing or sitting in bed Erin does believe that her husband hated the idea of returning back to work after the riot. Police clash with rioters In the next few days, Erin noted that her husband seemed in constant pain, unable to turn his head. Smith didn't leave the house or even walk the couple's dog. She said that the cop refused to talk with other people or watch television, with her even waking up in the middle of the night to find him pacing or sitting in bed. Erin added that for his follow-up appointment, Officer Smith was only seen for roughly 10 minutes. Police would not comment on the visit, citing privacy laws. She wants his complete medical file, as she wonders whether Smith had a serious head injury, despite being ordered back to work. The widow shares that she and her husband didn't discuss much about the events at the Capitol, but Erin did assert that she felt that the officers went through a terrible ordeal when the building was besieged. Smith had not been diagnosed or exhibited signs of depression prior to then, lawyer's for the family said. Erin does believe that her husband hated the idea of returning back to work. 'If he didn't go to work that day,' Erin said, 'he would still be alive.' A must see presentation on the rich history of the Montgomery County Sentinel, all 164 years of it, at the January 25th Montgomery County Historical Society Conference. Close Anyone involved in Alex Salmond conspiracy should be sacked, MSP says In a committee hearing which has now concluded, former first minister Alex Salmond called on senior members of the Scottish government and the SNP, including Nicola Sturgeons husband, to resign over allegations they conspired against him. The list of those he said should consider their position included the Scottish governments permanent secretary, its chief law officer, Peter Murrell, the chief executive of the SNP who is married to the current first minister, and Ms Sturgeons ministers chief of staff. He stopped short of calling on his successor to stand down, saying it was not for me to decide if Ms Sturgeon had breached the ministerial code and should be disciplined as such. Mr Salmond appeared before the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints as part of the Holyrood inquiry into the unlawful investigation of sexual harassment claims made against him. He was acquitted of 13 charges of sexual assault in a criminal trial and awarded a 512,250 payout after successfully challenging the lawfulness of the government investigation. The Telegraph The partner of Lord Ashcroft's son is in custody after a police officer was shot in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Andrew Ashcroft, whose father is Lord Ashcroft the former deputy chairman of the Conservative party was detained after police say she was found near where superintendent Henry Jemmott's body was discovered on Friday. Mr Jemmott, a father of five, was found floating in the sea next to a pier off the eastern coast of Belize after being shot. Investigators said his police-issued firearm was found on the pier. Police say the pair were alone together before he died. However, Marie Jemmott Tzul, the officers sister, told The Telegraph they were not having an affair. "There was no romantic relationship at all," she said. Mr Jemmotts family claimed that the post-mortem examination had ruled out an accident or suicide. But the police have not confirmed this claim and the results of the inquest are due to be released on Monday. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Ukraine must show more progress on reforms to reach an agreement for a new tranche under a $5 billion program with the international lender. The statement by the IMF representative in Kyiv on February 13 came after the fund's mission held talks with Ukraine. "Discussions will continue," Goesta Ljungman said in a statement, adding that the talks were productive. The talks centered on strengthening governance of the National Bank, improvements to the legislative and regulatory framework for bank supervision and resolution, policies to reduce the medium-term fiscal deficit, legislation restoring and strengthening the anti-corruption framework and the judiciary, as well as on energy policy, Ljungman said. Ukraine expects to receive $2.2 billion in three equal tranches from the IMF in 2021, National Bank Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko told Reuters. The IMF in June approved the $5 billion loan program and disbursed the first tranche of $2.1 billion to help the pandemic-hit Ukrainian economy. However, further loans have been put on hold due to the slow pace of reforms in Ukraine. The IMF also voiced concern over the government's decision last month to regulate household gas prices. Based on reporting by Reuters Gina Carano is working on a film with Ben Shapiro after being dropped from The Mandalorian over a social media post comparing the treatment of Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis to the current US political climate. The actor and Shapiro announced their partnership on Friday. Shapiro is a conservative commentator and podcaster, and co-founder of the conservative website The Daily Wire. Carano shared the news on Twitter, writing: This is just the beginning... welcome to the rebellion. It wasnt immediately clear what the film will be about. The Daily Wire has said it will be released exclusively for its subscribers. Read more: A timeline of Gina Caranos controversial comments The announcement came after Lucasfilm said in a statement on Wednesday that Carano is not currently employed by the production company with "no plans for her to be in the future." "Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable," the statement added. Carano, who played Cara Dune in Disney+s The Mandalorian, faced criticism after sharing a post on her Instagram Story which likened hating someone for their political views to the persecution of Jewish people by Nazis. The post was the latest in a series of inflammatory social media posts by Carano. The Associated Press contributed to this story BILLINGS, Mont. A federal judge on Thursday overturned a Trump administration action that allowed mining and other development on 10 million acres in parts of six western states that are considered important for the survival of a struggling bird species. U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill said the decision under Trump to cancel a prior effort to ban mining failed to fully consider how the move would affect greater sage grouse, a wide-ranging, chicken-sized bird that has seen a dramatic population drop in recent decades. Winmill said the 2017 cancellation was arbitrary. He ordered the U.S. Interior Departments Bureau of Land Management to reconsider whether mining should be allowed. The Idaho-based judges ruling does not revive a temporary mining ban imposed under Democratic President Barack Obama, which expired while the issue was in dispute. Whether that happens will be up to the administration of President Joe Biden, said attorney Michael Saul of the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the environmental groups that sued over the Trump administrations actions. Saul said he was not aware of any major mining projects that moved forward in the affected areas under Trump. Thats a lot of habitat for sage grouse, but its not a lot of land compared to all of the federal estate thats open for mining, he said. Lifting the ban under Trump in 2017 allowed the potential for mining and other development, primarily in Idaho and Nevada but also in parts of Montana, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Officials at the time said an analysis showed mining or grazing would not pose a significant threat to the ground-dwelling birds. Winmill said in his ruling that the analysis was incomplete and ignored prior science on the issue. Millions of sage grouse once roamed the West. Development, livestock grazing and an invasive grass that encourages wildfires reduced the birds population to fewer than 500,000. The quirky birds with long, pointed tail feathers are known for the males elaborate courtship display in which air sacs in the neck are inflated to make a popping sound. The Obama administration declined to place the bird under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, citing the mining withdrwal and habitat plans. National Mining Association spokesperson Conor Bernstein said the group was disappointed in Thursdays ruling. He said the Trump administration had correctly decided that blocking mining across such a broad area was unreasonable. We still firmly believe that the science and the evidence in front of the agencies led them to the right conclusion, Bernstein said. Interior Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said officials were not commenting on Thursdays order. Since Biden took office last month, Interior and other agencies have launched a broad review of Trump programs and policies affecting the environment, wildlife and public health. That includes reconsideration of sweeping land-use plans adopted under the former Republican president that would have relaxed sage grouse protection rules for agriculture, oil and gas and other industries in parts of seven states. Winmill had blocked those plans in 2019 in a separate lawsuit brought by environmental groups. A review under Trump that was meant to justify the plans was not completed until his final days in office, which prevented them from being put into action. --The Associated Press Chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, Jual Oram, on Saturday, said that the committee headed by him has proposed to the government to allow a 30 member committee to visit the Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake areas in the eastern Ladakh after May 15. The region had witnessed a violent standoff between the troops of India and China last year. The 30-member committee, chaired by senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Jual Oram and of which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a member, intends to visit the eastern Ladakh region, sources told news agency PTI. The panel's visit to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) depends on approval from the government. The decision to visit these areas was taken in the panel's latest meeting. Rahul Gandhi has reportedly not attended it. Oram said that the government may have an assessment of its own on the situation in Ladakh and the committee will be notified about the Government's decision after consideration of the proposal. Speaking to news agency ANI Oram said, "In a meeting of the Defence Committee which was held 10 days ago some members of the committee have proposed this. I have asked our section for the permission of the Speaker and I have asked the government to consider this proposal." He further said," Our Defence Committee under my chairmanship has already visited India-China Border, Nathula Pass, Tamang and India-Bangladesh Border. We have also visited South". "Now we have expressed our wish to visit Ladakh but the government has an assessment of what the situation is, the government will consider our proposal and then we will be told about their decision," he added. When asked about Rahul Gandhi's comments on recent India-China skirmishes he said, "The proposal to visit Ladakh was made in the last meeting of the Defence Committee when Rahul Gandhi was not there. Rahul Gandhi does not come to many defence meetings but when he comes he talks something out of the agenda of the meeting, Though it does not have any effect on our committee." After a nine-month standoff between India and China, the militaries of both sides have reached an agreement on disengagement in the north and south banks of Pangong lake that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner. With agency inputs Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. In a move long awaited by educators, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines Friday for how to operate schools safely during the pandemic. The recommendations, more detailed than those released by the agency under the Trump administration, attempt to carve a middle path between people who want classrooms to reopen immediately and those teachers and parents who remain reluctant to return to in-person instruction before widespread vaccination. Q: What do the guidelines say about reopening classrooms? A: With proper mitigation, such as masking, physical distancing and hygiene, elementary schools can operate in person at any level of community virus transmission, the guidelines state. The document says that middle and high schools can safely operate in person at all but the highest level of transmission, which is defined in two ways: When 10% or more of the coronavirus tests in a community come back positive over a seven-day period; or when there are 100 or more virus cases per 100,000 people in the community over seven days. Middle and high schools may open at any level of community spread if they conduct weekly coronavirus testing of students and staff members. The agency also recommended that at higher levels of community spread, all schools reduce attendance by having students come to class on different days or by having some groups of students learn virtually. The guidelines say teacher vaccination, while important, should not be considered a prerequisite for reopening shuttered schools. Q: Will school districts be required to adopt them? A: No, these are recommendations. The majority of the nations school districts are already operating at least partially in person, and the guidelines say that they may continue to do so, even when community transmission is high. Q: Is there a way to see if my school can safely open under the CDC guidelines? A: Sort of. You can look up your communitys test positivity rate and the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days (these numbers are often available on state or county websites, though you might need to do some math to get the rate per 100,000 people), then compare the agencys policy recommendations for that level of transmission with what your school is doing. But the guidelines acknowledge that some schools have been safely open at higher levels of community transmission than the recommendations advise. Q: Will these guidelines encourage more districts to bring students back into classrooms? A: Hard to say. In many districts that remain closed, labor issues are the major barrier to reopening. Some local teachers unions are demanding teacher vaccination, accommodations to allow teachers with vulnerable relatives to continue working from home, and more stringent safety measures in buildings. But the guidelines might help districts and unions reach consensus by pointing to established research on how to operate schools safely during the pandemic. Q: What do doctors and public health experts think of the guidelines? A: They were greeted warmly by many coronavirus experts, who have long argued that schools should be the last places to close and the first to reopen amid the pandemic. Some were puzzled, however, by the lack of emphasis on air quality, and what they said was a misguided focus on cleaning surfaces, given that experts now believe the virus is largely transmitted through the air. Others said they thought the thresholds for opening middle schools and high schools were too restrictive, noting that some schools have operated safely through the pandemic at higher levels of community transmission. Q: What do teachers unions think of them? A: Both of the national unions said they were pleased to see the CDC release clear, detailed guidelines based on science. But both had some concerns. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has more strongly emphasized the importance of in-school virus testing. And Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, echoed expert concerns about the guidelines lack of emphasis on air quality. She was also not happy about what she perceived as wiggle room in the language on physical distancing, which left the impression that 6 feet was ideal, but not strictly required. Q: How do these guidelines compare to those the CDC issued during the Trump administration? A: The new guidelines are significantly clearer; they could be read as being more strict, but they also discuss evidence that schools can open safely at any level of community transmission. The previous guidelines suggested that schools use similar indicators of community transmission to make decisions about whether to open, but provided limited guidance. Both the earlier recommendations and the new guidance allow schools flexibility to make decisions based on individual factors. Q: Do the guidelines say whether schools can ease up on precautions like mask wearing and distancing once teachers are vaccinated? A: Only vaguely. The CDC says that mitigation strategies will need to continue until we better understand potential transmission among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine and there is more vaccination coverage in the community. Many experts believe that some precautions, like masks, will be warranted until all students are vaccinated; there are currently no vaccines approved for children. Whether schools will need to continue to enforce social distancing or keep students in small cohorts is less clear. A model that examines the effects of different mitigation strategies in schools predicts that vaccinating teachers will have a significant effect in reducing transmission, possibly making distancing and keeping students in cohorts less important. Q: Do the guidelines apply to private schools? A: The document does not distinguish between public and private schools, and the recommendations could be adopted by any school. Private schools are more likely to be open currently than public schools, though they are also subject to state regulations about how to operate safely during the pandemic. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Haiti - USA : Congresswoman Wilson urges Biden to suspend deportations to Haiti Florida Democratic Congressman Frederica S. Wilson, who represents one of the largest Haitian-American communities in the United States, sent a letter to the Biden administration in response to the recent deportations to Haiti that took place under a federal public health law (rarely used in the past), known as "Title 42", used to restrict asylum seekers due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The letter urges the Biden administration to reverse this practice and suspend all deportations throughout the duration of the Covid pandemic. Note that in May 2020, Congresswoman Wilson from Florida, presented the Deportation Relief Act https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30752-haiti-usa-congresswoman-wilson-presents-a-bill-to-stop-the-deportations-to-haiti.html , followed in July of the same year, by the Immigration Enforcement Moratorium Act to put an end to all deportations during the duration of the pandemic. Frederica S. Wilson recalls "[...] Haiti has faced severe economic and political struggles for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic and developing constitutional and security crises have compounded the island-nations exiting problems. Haiti is in no state to be accepting deportation flights and many, if not all, of the migrants who are being sent there pose no national security risk [to USA]," adding "I was heartbroken to hear about the numbers of families and children being sent into these increasingly unstable conditions. While I am grateful for President Bidens leadership in seeking to end this pandemic and encouraged by his vision on immigration reform, we can and must do better." Recall that when he came to power US President Biden signed a 100-day moratorium on deportations that were to be limited only to convicted felons and suspected terrorists. However, on January 26, US District Judge Drew Tipton (appointed by Trump), issued an injunction against the Biden moratorium on the basis of a federal contract with the state entered into by the Trump administration that does not bind Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to put an end to Title 42 evictions as confirmed by a recent deportation flight to Port-au-Prince included 72 Haitians including 22 children and a two-month-old baby https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32984-haiti-usa-ice-defies-jo-biden-and-deports-72-haitians-to-haiti-including-22-children.html despite the ban on February 5 by the Biden administration https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32961-haiti-flash-the-united-states-suspends-deportation-flights-of-haitians.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32984-haiti-usa-ice-defies-jo-biden-and-deports-72-haitians-to-haiti-including-22-children.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32961-haiti-flash-the-united-states-suspends-deportation-flights-of-haitians.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30752-haiti-usa-congresswoman-wilson-presents-a-bill-to-stop-the-deportations-to-haiti.html HS/ HaitiLibre FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 11, 2021 Contact: Press@Michigan.gov Kurt Weiss, Weissk1@michigan.gov Gov. Whitmers 2022 budget gets Michigan back to work and supports our schools Budget plan will equitably grow the economy, expand skills training, provide child care for families, rebuild infrastructure, and help small businesses LANSING, Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmers third executive budget was released today, centered on equitably growing the states economy by expanding skills training and childcare for families, providing a further down payment on rebuilding the states crumbling bridges and water infrastructure, and helping small businesses recover from the pandemic. State Budget Director David Massaron outlined the recommendations this morning to a joint session of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The budget recommendation provides investments that will foster the success of Michigan students and teachers, improve the states infrastructure, address the public health crisis, protect our Great Lakes, and provide help and opportunity for families and businesses. Todays Executive Budget Recommendation follows a recent supplemental budget request for the current fiscal year that was sent to the Legislature on January 20, which would provide $5.6 billion in new funding for Michigans recovery from the pandemic. That supplemental request still requires action by the Legislature to ensure the full benefits of Gov. Whitmers Michigan COVID Recovery Plan are realized. It is a plan that is instrumental to the Governors broader economic vision to help businesses and families across the state recover as quickly as possible. To build Michigans economy back better, we must stay laser-focused on getting Michigan back to work and getting our kids back in school safely, said Gov. Whitmer. The budget plan I released today along with the MI COVID Recovery plan I announced last month makes the investments we need to jumpstart our economy and build a better Michigan for everyone. I am committed to working across the aisle with the legislature to ensure that we dont waste a dime of the federal aid we have received thus far, so we can help Michigan families and small businesses get back on their feet. Let's get to work and let's get it done. The Governors budget plan provides needed investments in our roads and bridges, our economy and our schools, said State Budget Director David Massaron. I believe this is a plan that reflects the shared values that all Michiganders support, and I look forward to working with the legislature over the next few months to ensure we finalize a budget that works for Michigan. The budget recommendation totals $67.1 billion and it includes a general fund total of $11.4 billion and a school aid fund total of $14.7 billion. It provides a significant amount of one-time funding made possible by the increase in federal aid and the effective job Michigan has done in managing the pandemic. The recommendation is built with an eye toward the future to ensure that the fiscal year 2023 budget is balanced as well. Budget Recommendations for Children and Public Education The budget recommendation calls for the largest investment in K-12 schools in history, including: $203 million to increase base per-pupil funding to $8,275 for districts at the minimum ($164 per-pupil increase) and $8,611 for districts at the maximum ($82 per-pupil increase) , reducing the gap between the highest and lowest funded districts to $336 per pupil. An i ncrease of 2 percent totaling $14.1 million for economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, special education students, and students in rural and isolated districts. $250 million in one-time supplemental funding to i mplement research-based best practices to support student academic recovery, physical and mental health, and post-secondary readiness and transition . $200 million one-time for d eclining e nrollment to s tabilize budgets for districts experiencing losses in fiscal year 20 22 . $120 million total to p rovide opportunities in 2021 and 2022 for students through summer learning, after school learning, day camps, and other activities designed to support student needs outside of the normal school schedule . Funding for the Education Emergency Relief Fund intended to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on students for use in public schools ($38.9 million) and nonpublic schools ($86.8 million) . $32 million for the Great Start Readiness Program , r ais ing the state payment for a full-day preschooler from $7,250 to $8,275, which is the same as the proposed K-12 base foundation allowance, for 38,000 4-year-olds statewide. $55 million for the Filters First program to b egin statewide implementation of drinking water fixture replacements in schools to ensure that children have access to clean, safe drinking water . $2.9 million to a ddress the e ducator s hortage and p rovide more supports for current teachers as well as incentives to recruit former and future educators. A one-time increase for u niversities and c ommunity c olleges equal to 2 percent of operations funding and an additional $70 million in o ne-time support upon adoption of policies related to COVID-19 testing , quarantining, and contact tracing . The cost and availability of high-quality childcare is a barrier to many working families and a real concern for employers across Michigan, said Sean Welsh, PNC regional president and Talent 2025 Board co-chair. The governors childcare priorities will allow more families to qualify for childcare assistance, help childcare providers keep their doors open, and allow more Michiganders to return to or remain in the workforce. The pandemic has highlighted both the importance of schools to our society and our pre-existing struggles to meet students' needs. After the experiences of the last school year, it is important that we provide safe and flexible learning opportunities that do not simply return us to pre-pandemic standards, but close the opportunity gap for learners across the state. Governor Whitmer's budget recommendation represents much needed materials, resources, programs, infrastructure, and personnel that will empower educators to meet the diverse needs of Michigan learners, said Michigan Teacher of the Year, Owen Bondono. Budget Recommendations for Economic Opportunity The budget recommendation calls for funding centered on economic recovery and opportunity, including: $3 70 million for the expansion of childcare options providing additional supports for Michigan families by temporarily increasing the income eligibility threshold from 150% to 200% and temporarily waiving out-of-pocket copays through fiscal year 2022, with a 10 percen t increase in hourly rates for child-care providers. $120 million one-time for the Reconnect program to p rovide a tuition-free pathway to an in-demand industry certificate or associate degree for Michigan adults age 25 and older . $60 million one-time for the Futures for Frontliners program to f ully fund the first cohort of essential workers and expand the program to include those newly unemployed from November 2020 to January 2021 in our hardest hit business sectors . A $15 million one-time increase for the Going Pro program to expand employer-based training grants that result in industry - recognized credentials and certificates. $3 million for p re -a pprenticeship/ a pprenticeship p rograms that will e xpand Michigans talent pool in the construction and building trades . $25 million one-time for the Mobility Futures Initiative to s upport a new statewide collaboration that address es environmental sustainability, connected and autonomous vehicle deployment, economic and workforce development, and the alleviation of systemic mobility inequities in underserved communities. $1 million one-time for Focus: HOPE to s upport workforce development, youth development, and community empowerment and advocacy programs. General Motors has demonstrated its commitment to an all-electric future and will introduce 30 new EVs globally by 2025. Were also collaborating with charging companies, utilities and communities to increase accessibility and availability of public and workplace charging, said Rick Spina, GM vice president for EV Charging and Infrastructure. But it will take continued leadership, industry collaboration, and supportive public policy to accelerate the mass adoption of EVs. The Mobility Futures Initiative included in Governor Whitmers Executive Budget Recommendation signals important investment in infrastructure and programs that will help advance electrification in Michigan and the Midwest. Budget Recommendations for Public Health The budget recommendation calls for funding centered on the health of Michigan families, including: $ 360 million for a d irect c are w age i ncrease to permanently m aintain the $2/h ou r wage increase for direct care workers . $ 38 million for a one-time n ursing h ome COVID s upplemental p ayment to address lost revenue from reduced bed occupancy during the pandemic. $ 91 million to i mprove access to and consistency of behavioral health for Medicaid enrollees and those served through the child welfare system . $26.5 million for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Pilot to p rovide integrated behavioral health services to adults in the state . $7.4 million to expand the Infant Home Visiting program for evidence-based home visiting services to at-risk families with infants born with substance exposure . $ 3.5 million for c ross e nrollment e xpansion to i mprove technology and communication tools to better identify and enroll individuals needing support and services . $19 million for the MiChoice p rogram e xpansion to p rovide alternatives to nursing home care by increas ing slots for Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver services (increase of 1,000 slots ) . $6.7 million for the Sickle Cell Disease Initiative to e xpand treatment coverage to around 400 adults and increase outreach and clinical capacity supporting the estimated 4,000 Michigan residents living with sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects Black people . $8.4 million to r educe h ealth d isparities and e xpand the use of community-based navigators to enhance access to health coverage , and improve screening, data sharing and interoperability of existing data systems through the Michigan Health Information Network . $ 2.1 million for the Race , Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office to p romote racial equity and inclusion in DHHS-administered services. $10 million one-time for the Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund to help eliminate lead poisoning in homes by injecting private capital into lead remediation efforts . $5 million one-time for a p ilot program to p romote pre-weatherization construction, renovation, and repair services required to make single and multi-family structures eligible for energy efficiency or weatherization programs. $15 million one-time for s tate p sychiatric h ospital s pecial m aintenance for c apital improvements at all five of Michigans psychiatric hospitals. AARP research shows that the overwhelming majority of Michigan residents prefer to age in place in their own homes and communities. Also, rebalancing Michigans long term care system allowing a greater share of the people who need services to remain in their own homes can also save taxpayer dollars. Medicaid dollars can support nearly three older adults in home and community based services for every one person in a nursing home. We applaud Governor Whitmer for expanding the MiChoice program to provide critical alternatives to those in nursing home care, said Lisa Dedden Cooper manager of advocacy at AARP Michigan. Budget Recommendations for Infrastructure The budget recommendation calls for investments in the states infrastructure, including: $300 million for l ocal b ridge b undling to r epair or replace approximately 120 local bridges in serious and critical condition. $ 290 million in i nfrastructure g rants for the MI Clean Water Plan to a ddress sewer overflows and mitigate public health risks by removing sewage discharge to surface water and ground water and e liminate failing septic systems . $40 million to fund high water level and resilient infrastructure and planning grants to local governments for projects that address issues like coastal erosion, flooding, transportation networks, urban heat, and storm water management. $15 million for the Dam Safety Emergency Fund for emergency response w he n dam owners are unwilling or unable to mitigate hazards caused by dam malfunction . $20 million to protect the state from cyber threats from hostile entities looking to attack the states information technology systems. Governor Whitmer has once again shown her commitment to finding adequate funding for Michigans infrastructure in every area possible in her budget recommendations to the Legislature. Many of Michigans local bridges are past their life expectancy and local communities need assistance in replacing these aging assets. In addition, calls for increased funding for underground infrastructure across Michigan will help towards maintaining and replacing our aging water and sewer systems. Many communities do not have funding to maintain those systems which can result in disastrous failures and expensive repairs, said Lance Binoniemi, Vice President of Government Affairs at Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association. Budget Recommendations for Clean Energy and the Environment The budget recommendation calls for funding centered on the environment, including: $20 million for c ontaminated s ite c leanup to support rapid response to contaminated sites that pose an immediate threat . $5 million for the State Facility Green Revolving Fund w hich is a c atalyst for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at state facilities , helping re duce the states carbon footprint . $5 million to s upport the purchase of propane tanks with fun ds provided as grants with a 50 percent match to help meet our energy needs. $5 million for the Michigan Saves Green Bank to l everage private investment in clean energy improvements b y i ncentiviz ing lenders to provide more favorable rates and terms for renewable energy improvements , promoting $150 million in private capital for clean energy improvements across the state. "As business leaders focused on protecting the Great Lakes, we appreciate seeing in this budget a continued commitment to advancing solutions to transition to a clean energy economy and ensuring the Great Lakes are protected by investing in critical water infrastructure needs across the state," said Bob Sutherland, president and CEO of Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, and chairman of the Great Lakes Business Network Clean Energy Working Group. The budget recommendation also helps communities across the state with income tax losses resulting from the pandemic through a $70 million investment, with payments not to exceed $25 million to any one city. A Constitutional Revenue Sharing increase of 1.8 percent is provided to cities, villages, and townships, while a one-time 2 percent increase is provided for Statutory Revenue Sharing. A one-time increase of 2 percent is also recommended for Statutory County Revenue Sharing. Local communities are also supported with $5 million in grants to support efforts in finding and training new law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and paramedics. The budget recommendation also proposes a $175 million deposit to the Budget Stabilization Fund to replace half of the withdrawal in 2020 needed for the pandemic response. In addition, a Venture Michigan II Fund payoff is recommended to purchase the remaining tax vouchers issued by the state. By clearing the remaining debt associated with this program, it is projected that $150 million in general fund will be saved over the course of the next two fiscal years, an 88 percent return on investment. Other recommended investments include a renewed request for $5 million to fund security upgrades at the Capitol to implement a weapons ban, $10 million to alleviate affordable housing needs across the state and revitalize downtown areas, $12 million for local trial courts to comply with new defense standards for low-income individuals, $7.7 million for a trooper recruit school, $20 million to support the enacted clean slate legislation for criminal record expungement, and $73.6 million to support two new veteran homes in Grand Rapids and Chesterfield Township to provide quality long-term care for veterans and their eligible family members. The budget plan also calls for an additional exemption from Michigans 6 percent sales and use tax on menstrual products and provides for $5 million from the general fund to hold harmless the School Aid Fund from the proposed exemption. # # # Copies and more details of the governors recommended budget are available at www.michigan.gov/budget. Join the conversation on Twitter at #mibudget. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Immediately after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, allies of former President Donald Trump began crafting a narrative suggesting the violent attacks were coordinated by Trumps enemies instead of his supporters. Michigans top elected Republican, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, was recorded Wednesday saying he stood by his assertion that the riots were a hoax and prearranged. It was the second time Shirkey was caught on video speculating about what has since been described as domestic terror incident; leaked video showed Shirkey posed the theory to leaders of the Hillsdale Republican Party. That wasnt Trump people, Shirkey said. Thats been a hoax from day one. That was all prearranged ... Hell, Mitch McConnell was part of it. I think they wanted to have a mess. Related: Conservative Christian, prominent businessman, polarizing politician. Who is Mike Shirkey? Shirkey said some of the rioters were Trump supporters who probably got caught up in the emotion of it, but speculated outside agitators led the pro-Trump mob on. Shirkey said blamed his own passion in a statement apologizing for insensitive comments after facing bipartisan criticism and calls to resign. Shirkeys assertions were contradicted by the evidence presented by House impeachment prosecutors seeking to prove Trump incited an insurrection. The Senate Majority Leader hasnt pointed to any evidence to back up his claims. Trump himself acknowledged people involved in the protest were his supporters, telling the mob in a video that we love you. House impeachment managers argued Trump provoked the riot months ahead of the Jan. 6 rally by repeating claims that the election was rigged, supporters had to stop the steal and fight like hell for him. Impeachment managers opened the trial on Feb. 10 by making the case that Trump created a powder keg by claiming the election was stolen while encouraging his supporters to take aggressive action. Trump personally promoted the March to Save America, urging supporters to travel to Washington, D.C and oppose a procedural vote of Congress to certify the election result. The protest was organized by Women for America First, which held smaller rallies in Michigan and other states to promote Jan. 6 rally. The president framed the deadly riots as inevitable in a statement on Twitter published after he told the mob to go home. These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long, Trump said. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever! Videos presented by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, featured a man yelling at Capitol Police officers that We are listening to Trump, your boss. Other videos showed members of the crowd Federal court documents show far-right groups that support Trump played a role in fostering the violent riots on Jan. 6. More than 200 people have been arrested, including members of the pro-Trump groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. Federal charging documents show Proud Boys organizers encouraged its members to attend the demonstration and wear all black, possibly to disguise themselves as antifascists. Ethan Nordean, self-described Sergeant of Arms of the Seattle Chapter of the Proud Boys, allegedly provoked others to unlawfully enter the U.S. Capitol, according to a federal criminal complaint. Social media posts uncovered by the FBI allege he and other members of the Proud Boys planned to organize a group that would attempt to overwhelm police and enter the Capitol, according to federal documents. An affidavit filed in the arrest of Joseph Biggs, a Proud Boys organizer from Florida, alleges several members of the Proud Boys were observed wearing earpieces, presumably to coordinate with each other. Five people who federal prosecutors say are linked to the Proud Boys group face charges for allegedly conspiring to prevent law enforcement from controlling the crowd as it sieged the Capitol. They allegedly obstructed metal barriers deployed by police and encouraged the crowd to take the Capitol, according to a criminal complaint. One of the members allegedly bragged in Snapchat posts that she had successfully led the crowd. Two other Proud Boys who were indicted together are accused of working to interfere with police officers protecting the Capitol, according to federal court documents. Members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right group that attempts to recruit former or active duty law enforcement and members of the military, also had a role in organizing the attack, according to federal documents. Three members of the Oath Keepers were charged together in a conspiracy to stop the Electoral College certification. They allegedly planned an operation for Jan. 6, used social media and text messaging apps to recruit as large a following as possible to go to Washington, D.C. A federal indictment alleges the Oath Keepers members, including two people who were involved with Ohio militia groups, held a training class in January and organized various assignments to fulfill their goal of executing a citizens arrest on members of Congress. Trumps lawyers suggested the violence was caused by extremists of various different stripes and political persuasions, specifically naming antifa. The FBI has previously said there is no evidence that supporters of the antifascist movement organized the riot. Examples of left-wing activists arrested for participating in the riot include John Sullivan, a Utah man who founded a group focused on racial justice reform. Federal charging documents show Sullivan claimed he was only there to record the riot, but could be heard on his recording celebrating being inside the Capitol. Shirkey was recorded pushing back against election fraud claims during his meeting with the Hillsdale Republicans. Shirkey also discussed his meeting with Trump after was summoned to the White House after the election. Shirkey said he was put on a conference call with Trumps attorney Rudy Giuliani, who Shirkey described as unorganized. I had to interrupt him three times. I (said) Rudy, Rudy, loudly because he would keep talking. Finally, he stopped and I said when are you going to file a suit in Michigan? He never answered the question. Three times. He never did file a suit in Michigan. So, you know, I question the veracity. Theres all kinds of claims and all kinds of circumstances and all kinds of things thats looked really strange, but I question the veracity of their data and their evidence. Hillsdale Republicans asked what Shirkey thought of affidavits alleging voter fraud at the TCF Center in Detroit. Shirkey said people were going there to fight, creating a powder keg of tensions that erupted as poll challengers thought they found evidence of fraud. Quite a few observations, thats what an affidavit is, Shirkey said. I looked into most of them. They were either misunderstandings of what they actually saw ... the biggest problem is everybody that was working there was undertrained. They were all asking questions and it escalated. Shirkey also explained to the Hillsdale Republicans that Trump appeared to hold an early lead because absentee votes couldnt be counted until polls closed on Election Day. He said he regretted his decision to block legislation that would have allowed clerks to count absentee ballots earlier. The reality is that we werent ready for the onslaught of early and mail-in votes and there were just big bonuses of absentee ballots that couldnt be processed in time because I wouldnt allow them to process them early, Shirkey said. That ended up being all those big interjections on election night and into the next day. But Trump lost Michigan in Kent County and Oakland County. He actually got more votes on a percentage basis in Wayne County than he did in 2016. Shirkey explained that Trump lost Kent County 54,000 votes while all other Republican candidates won their races. Thats proof that people just split their vote, Shirkey said. They werent voting for Biden. They were voting against Trump. Shirkey said he received 4,000 text messages when Trump publicly listed his phone number on Facebook in a bid to pressure Shirkey into appointing an alternate slate of Republican electors. There was definitely election fraud but not enough to change the election, Shirkey said. READ MORE ON MLIVE: Audit confirms Michigans election results were accurate, state says Michigan man arrested for breaking into Capitol released on bond Progressive women lawmakers call on Mike Shirkey to step down from Senate leadership role This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel.And Russia? President Vladimir Putins government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of the commodity. Authorities will use prisoners to help speed the work, reviving a reviled Soviet-era tradition.The project to modernize and expand railroads that run to Russias Far Eastern ports is part of a broader push to make the nation among the last standing in fossil fuel exports as other countries switch to greener alternatives. The government is betting that coal consumption will continue to rise in big Asian markets like China even as it dries up elsewhere.It's realistic to expect Asian demand for imported coal to increase if conditions are right,'' said Evgeniy Bragin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UMMC Holding, which owns a coal company in western Siberias Kuzbass region. We need to keep developing and expanding the rail infrastructure so that we have the opportunity to export coal.The latest 720 billion ruble ($9.8 billion) project to expand Russias two longest railroads the Tsarist-era Trans-Siberian and Soviet Baikal-Amur Mainline that link western Russia with the Pacific Ocean will aim to boost cargo capacity for coal and other goods to 182 million tons a year by 2024. Capacity already more than doubled to 144 million tons under a 520 billion ruble modernization plan that began in 2013. Putin urged faster progress on the next leg at a meeting with coal miners in March.Russia is trying to monetize its coal reserves fast enough that coal will contribute to GDP rather than being stuck in the ground, said Madina Khrustaleva, an analyst who specializes in the region for TS Lombard in London.Putin is betting that his countrys land border with China and good relations with President Xi Jinping make it a natural candidate to dominate exports to the nation that consumes more than half of the worlds coal. His case is helped by the fact that Australia, currently the number one coal exporter, is facing trade restrictions from China amid a diplomatic dispute over the origins of the coronavirus.But the plan is fraught with risk, both for Russias economy and the planet. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends immediate phasing out of coal to avoid catastrophic global warming and the effects of climate change are expected to cost Russia billions in coming decades. Earlier this month the International Energy Agency went one step further and said no new fossil-fuel infrastructure should be built if the world wants to keep global warming will below 1.5 degrees Celsius. With all but one of the top 10 economies committed to reaching net-zero emissions within decades, the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap calls for phasing out all coal power plants without carbon capture as soon as 2040.Its also not a given that Asian coal demand will keep growing. Coal consumption in China is poised to reach a record this year and the country continues to build coal-fired power plants, but it also plans to start reducing consumption starting in 2026. At the same time it's increasing output from domestic mines, leaving less room for foreign supplies. Even in the IEA's least climate-friendly scenarios, global coal demand is expected to stay flat in 2040 compared to 2019.A coal strategy approved by the Russian government last year envisages a 10% increase in coal output from pre-pandemic levels by 2035 under the most conservative scenario, based on rising demand not just from China, but also India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and possibly Indonesia.The relatively low sulphur content of Russian coal might give it an edge in Korea, which has tightened pollution laws in recent years, but other Asian countries have struggled to secure funding for proposed plants and Indonesia said this week it wont approve any new coal-fired power plants. At a Group of Seven nations meeting, environment ministers agreed to phase out support for building coal power plants without carbon capture before the end of this year.For Putin there is more at stake than just money. At a video conference in March, he reminded government officials that the coal industry drives the local economies of several Russian regions that are home to about 11 million people. Unrest among coal miners helped put pressure on the government before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though the sector is now a much smaller and less influential part of the economy.We need to carefully assess all possible scenarios in order to guarantee that our coal mining regions are developed even if global demand decreases, Putin said. The countrys biggest coal producers are privately run, meaning they arent facing the kind of financing problems currently being encountered by listed companies elsewhere as banks pull back funding for dirty energy. Suek Plc, owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and Kuzbassrazrezugol OJSC, controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, are both planning to increase output. Russia also plans to boost coal production for steel making. A-Property, owned by Russian businessmen Albert Avdolyan, bought the Elga coal mine in Russias Far Eastern region of Yakutia last year and plans to invest 130 billion rubles to expand output to 45 million tons of coal from the current 5 million tons by 2023. A third stage of Russias railroad expansion project will focus on boosting infrastructure for shipping coal out of Yakutia, a Russian Railways official said last month.In 2021, many Asia Pacific states have seen their economies recover from the pandemic, said Oleg Korzhov, the CEO of Mechel PJSC, one of Russias biggest coal companies. We expect that demand for metallurgical coal in Asia Pacific will remain high in the next five years.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. GRAND RAPIDS, MI You wont find any shortage of options at Two Beards Deli in Grand Rapids. With more than 90 different sandwiches, customers can find everything from turkey and ham to vegan and vegetarian options, as well as a selection of salads and soups. And, when you visit Two Beards, you get what you pay for, said Samantha Smart, the restaurants general manager. I think the main thing that people think of when they think of a Two Beards sandwich is how big it is, she said. It really is just a large, big sandwich that you cant get anywhere else. Two Beards, which opened in 2012, is located at 38 Commerce Ave. SW in downtown Grand Rapids. The sandwich shop has a fun, lively atmosphere, and nearly all its sandwiches are named after famous bearded actors, musicians and celebrities. One of the most popular sandwiches: The Anchor. It features turkey, bacon, white cheddar and parmesan herb mayo on a white or wheat panini. It costs $7.50 for a half or $9.50 for a whole. I literally crave that sandwich, Smart said. If I dont work for a week, Im like, I want an anchor. The Fred Sanford is another popular choice. Its made from blackened chicken, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar, avocado spread, tomato, bacon, romaine lettuce and cilantro mayo on a white or wheat panini. It costs $8.50 for a half or $10.50 for a whole. Two Beards was opened by Scott Schulz, who also owns Chery Deli in Grand Rapids, as well as West Side Deli at Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids. He also owns Capital City Deli in Lansing At Two Beards, the menu consists of grilled turkey sandwiches, grilled ham sandwiches, grilled roast beef sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, grilled sausage sandwiches, grilled vegetarian sandwiches, grilled vegan sandwiches, as well as salad sandwiches, salads and soups. Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Two Beards is currently open for takeout only, Smart said. Although, that may change soon, now that state restrictions that prohibited indoor dining have now been lifted, she said. When Two Beards is open for dine-in service, the sandwich shop prides itself on providing quality service in a lively environment, Smart said. Its like a getaway almost, she said, noting that patrons can expect to find a diversity of music, from rock to rap, playing inside Two Beards. Like other restaurants, Smart said the pandemic has been a challenge for Two Beards. But Smart said the sandwich shop is seeing increased customer activity when compared to last year. Our business has been picking up, she said, noting that Two Beards temporarily closed twice last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Were doing good again. Two Beards is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. You can view the restaurants website here, and you can reach the restaurant by phone by calling (616) 719-3802. Read more: 10 ideas Michigan officials have to change the states election process Female polar bear killed by male bear at Detroit Zoo while attempting to breed Violators of dine-in ban, mask mandate get food licenses suspended JS Kwt BHPian Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Posts: 463 Thanked: 2,113 Times Delhi TD issues notice to Tata Motors for Nexon EV claiming 312 km, but never giving over 200 km! Delhi Transport Dept issues Show Cause Notice to Tata Motors over complaint from Nexon EV owner for not getting more than 200km range ever New Delhi: The Delhi transport department has issued a show-cause notice to Tata Motors, seeking its reply in connection with a complaint that one of its electric car models failed to meet the specified range on a single charge, officials said. The complainant claimed that the model (Nexon EV) of the electric car purchased by him from a dealer at the Safdarjung Enclave and registered on December 3, 2020 has failed to provide the specified 312-km range on a single charge, a senior transport department officer said. Quote: "It has been informed that while the vehicle model is specified to provide a 312-km range on a single charge, the vehicle owned by the said customer has never provided a range of more than 200 km," the show-cause notice issued to Tata Motors read. duly followed" various advices of the dealer but no improvement was noticed, despite best efforts. "Therefore, a show-cause notice is issued as the vehicle has failed to provide an optimal range to the consumer as promised by the OEM (original equipment manufacturer," the notice said. The notice has directed the OEM to depute its representative to appear before a transport department officer at 12 noon on February 15. In case no representative of the OEM appears before the transport officer on the designated date and time, further action including "delisting" of the said model from the subsidy-eligible e-vehicles' list can be considered, the notice stated. According to the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, notified by the transport department on August 7, 2020, a purchase incentive of Rs 10,000 per kWh of battery capacity is provided on buying an electric four-wheeler with a cap of Rs 1,50,000 per vehicle. The owners of the first 1,000 e-cars to be registered in Delhi after the issuance of the policy will be eligible for the incentive, officials said. The electric car model under question was approved under the eligibility conditions of the Delhi EV Policy. Quote: A Tata Motors spokesperson said the notice was received and "all possible measures" are being taken to address the concern. The range specified on a single full charge (312 km) for Nexon EV is on the basis of the certification received from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), which is the official body that independently tests all mass-produced vehicles under standard test conditions, before those can be offered to customers, he said. The actual range achieved in EVs is dependent on the usage of the air-conditioner, individual driving style and the actual conditions in which the vehicle is driven. The range achievement is also a function of familiarity with the new technology and customers report improvements upwards of 10 per cent within four to six weeks of familiarity, he said. Source New Delhi: The Delhi transport department has issued a show-cause notice to Tata Motors, seeking its reply in connection with a complaint that one of its electric car models failed to meet the specified range on a single charge, officials said.The complainant claimed that the model (Nexon EV) of the electric car purchased by him from a dealer at the Safdarjung Enclave and registered on December 3, 2020 has failed to provide the specified 312-km range on a single charge, a senior transport department officer said.The vehicle owner, a resident of Najafgarh, also claimed that he has "but no improvement was noticed, despite best efforts."Therefore, a show-cause notice is issued as the vehicle has failed to provide an optimal range to the consumer as promised by the OEM (original equipment manufacturer," the notice said.The notice has directed the OEM to depute its representative to appear before a transport department officer at 12 noon on February 15.In case no representative of the OEM appears before the transport officer on the designated date and time, further action including "" of the said model from the' list can be considered, the notice stated.According to the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, notified by the transport department on August 7, 2020, a purchase incentive of Rs 10,000 per kWh of battery capacity is provided on buying an electric four-wheeler with a cap of Rs 1,50,000 per vehicle.The owners of the first 1,000 e-cars to be registered in Delhi after the issuance of the policy will be eligible for the incentive, officials said.The electric car model under question was approved under the eligibility conditions of the Delhi EV Policy. Last edited by JS Kwt : 10th February 2021 at 11:58 . CLEVELAND, Ohio Starting next week, Ohio will expand eligibility for the coronavirus vaccine beyond the elderly to people diagnosed with an ongoing, high-risk medical condition. During his Thursday coronavirus briefing, Gov. Mike DeWine said about 200,000 people younger than 65 the current cutoff for vaccine eligibility with one of several medical conditions could begin signing up with their providers. Those with the list of conditions will be eligible beginning Monday. Its the same list weve been presenting, DeWine said. We tried to make it clearer, particularly for patients. The conditions are: Sickle cell anemia Down syndrome Cystic fibrosis Muscular dystrophy Cerebral palsy Spinal bifida People born with severe heart defects requiring regular specialized medical care People with severe type 1 diabetes who have been hospitalized in the past year Phenylkutonuria (PKU), Tay-Sachs and other rare, inherited metabolic disorders Epilepsy with continuing seizures, hydrocephaly, microcephaly and other severe neurological disorders Turner syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and other severe genetic disorders People with severe asthma who have been hospitalized for this in the past year Alpha and beta thalassemia Solid organ transplant candidates and recipients Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said that even within some of these groups, there would still be restrictions. As we looked at the literature, as we looked at the data, the data that is available so far that provides us with strong evidence for these conditions that fall into this category are the ones we have listed, Vanderhoff said. For a couple of them, that literature was clearly pointing toward a subset. It was pointing towards individuals who are at the severe end of the condition. Those who received treatment for heart defects when they were a child but no longer need ongoing care would not qualify, Vanderhoff said. The same would apply to those with epilepsy who suffered seizures as a child, but no longer do. For people with type 1 diabetes, Vanderhoff said vaccines would be restricted to people who havent been able to get good control over their blood sugar and have had to go to their doctor. We will, however, be asking providers to affirm their eligibility at registration and to confirm that verbally when they receive their vaccination, Vanderhoff said. DeWine said this method somewhat relied on Ohioans to act in good faith when confirming their ailment. Creating more barriers could disenfranchise Ohioans with the list of conditions who might be poor or dont have access to regular health care from getting the vaccine, he said. Is it on a trust basis? Yeah. I trust Ohioans, DeWine said. Is there going to be abuse? Sure, theres going to be abuse. But to erect barriers because a few might abuse it did not seem to be the logical thing to do or the right thing to do. The state will be tracking the vaccination rate among this population through the Ohio Disease Reporting System to monitor for abuse, Vanderhoff said. Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID news ADVERTISEMENT The 40 peaceful protesters who were arraigned before a mobile court in Yaba by the police on Saturday have been granted bail. Lateef Layeni, the magistrate, granted the protesters bail in the sum of N100,000 each, with sureties in like sum. The protesters, including a popular Nigerian comedian, Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, were charged to court by the Nigerian Police Force following their arrests at Lekki tollgate on Saturday morning. Arraignment Arraigned on three-count charges, the police said the protesters breached public peace and caused unnecessary alarm in the public. The protesters were also arraigned for violating the COVID-19 regulations recently signed by Nigerias president, Muhammadu Buhari, and Section 5 of the Quarantine Act Q2 Law. ALSO READ: NBA condemns arrest of Lekki tollgate protesters In a statement by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Lagos police spokesperson, he said the protesters gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate plaza creating tension and behaving in such a manner that could cause breach of public peace without due regard for COVID-19 protocols major of which are use of nose masks and social distancing. The command has, however, arraigned the suspects today to the mobile court at Panti, Yaba, accordingly but were, however, granted bail by the court, Mr Adejobi said in the statement. Mr Layeni also ordered the protesters to present certificates of COVID-19 tests before the next adjourned date. The matter was adjourned till March 2. The protesters had gathered to protest the reopening of the tollgate, which was the venue where soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters on October 20, 2020. Manitoba's decision to sign a deal with a prospective COVID-19 vaccine developer shows Canada's national strategy to be a "complete and utter failure," an expert on global pharmaceutical policies says. Manitoba's decision to sign a deal with a prospective COVID-19 vaccine developer shows Canada's national strategy to be a "complete and utter failure," an expert on global pharmaceutical policies says. Jillian Kohler, a professor in the faculty of pharmacy at the University of Toronto, said the pandemic has placed Canada in a "desperate situation," where it is dependent upon large pharmaceutical companies and other countries for life-saving drugs. "We need to have our own sovereignty when it comes to essential medical supplies. We cannot be at the mercy of other countries and that's exactly where we are. We are in a really, really difficult place," she said in an interview. On Thursday, Premier Brian Pallister announced an agreement to purchase two million doses of a yet-to-be-approved vaccine from Calgary-based Providence Therapeutics. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS On Thursday, Premier Brian Pallister announced an agreement to purchase two million doses of a yet-to-be-approved vaccine from Calgary-based Providence Therapeutics. The messenger RNA vaccine, similar to approved products developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, is only in the first of a three-stage clinical trial process. While the company and the province say the prospective vaccine could be approved as early as fall, some experts believe that's an optimistic timeline. Kohler, who worked for more than 15 years on global pharmaceutical policy for a number of United Nations organizations, said she welcomes any pressure that can now be brought to bear on the Trudeau government to secure necessary supplies. "This, to me, is a political statement," she said of the Manitoba government's decision. "This is just demonstrating that the federal government has failed to make Canadians feel secure in getting their vaccines." One COVID-19 vaccine tracking agency this week ranked Canada in 38th place in the world at getting jabs in arms, which Kohler calls "appalling." JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Providence's vaccine would be produced at a Winnipeg facility operated by Emergent BioSolutions. Canada's ranking has slipped in recent days as vaccine shipments from overseas manufacturers have been delayed. Every single day matters in the fight against the novel coronavirus, Kohler said. "Lives are being lost and people are getting sick and hospitals are being stretched beyond capacity." The U of T academic, who has researched the impact of nationalism on vaccine supplies, said she was concerned about one aspect of the province's announcement Thursday. She noted Manitoba was assured of receiving the first 200,000 doses produced by a newly licensed Providence product. "It looks like Manitobans first, and then (other) Canadians," she said. "That is a very worrisome trend." Jason Kindrachuk, a University of Manitoba virologist, said while it's unknown whether a Providence dose can be developed on time to be a factor in this year's COVID-19 vaccination program, the province's decision could have benefits down the road. "I think it puts Manitoba in a potentially good position for moving forward for the next public health crises that come down the pike, because there would be additional manufacturing capacity," he said. "And that's certainly what we need in Canada." "It looks like Manitobans first, and then (other) Canadians. That is a very worrisome trend." Jillian Kohler Meanwhile, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont wrote a letter Friday to the province's auditor general, Tyson Shtykalo, expressing several concerns with the deal and asking the AG's office to investigate. Lamont said the agreement commits Manitoba to spending millions of dollars up front for an unproven product when the Canadian government has already procured "approximately 400 million vaccine doses from multiple companies and candidates." The deal with Providence calls for the province to make a downpayment of 20 per cent of the contract's value, and pay an additional 40 per cent once the vaccine is approved by Health Canada. The rest of the money is to flow upon the final delivery of orders. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont wrote a letter to the province's auditor general, Tyson Shtykalo, expressing several concerns with the deal and asking the AG's office to investigate. "Providence has yet to ever complete a human trial of any kind for any of the products it has planned," Lamont said in his letter. Providence chief executive officer Brad Sorenson said Friday while that is true, the technology used to produce mRNA vaccines is new, and his company's work in the field is "on the cutting edge." "Let me put this in perspective," Sorenson said. "Moderna, prior to COVID... had never run a Phase 3 (clinical trials) program, let alone have an approved drug." larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Teresa Gutierrez is still trying to piece together what happened moments before her son was found dead along with his friend on an East Side street. At 2:28 a.m. on Jan. 21, an officer spotted Ruben Rudy Soto, 20, face-down on the opposite side of the road from Matthew Lopez, 28, according to a San Antonio police report. The officer was on a scheduled patrol of the 300 block of Fredonia Street. At least one resident had told police that drug deals were being conducted there and possessions were being stolen from back yards, the report states. When the officer first drove up to the two men, he said he thought they were passed out or injured. But after honking several times, neither budged. The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office said the two had died of multiple gunshot wounds. Their deaths were both ruled as homicides. On ExpressNews.com: They believed him. So they fought. Texas Rep. Castro plays key role in Trump impeachment trial Exactly how Soto and Lopez might have ended up on the street is not listed in a police report released Wednesday. Police have yet to identify any suspects. We really dont know why he was over there, Gutierrez said of her son. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Gutierrez, who only speaks Spanish, broke into tears as she recalled the moment one of her two daughters told her that Sotos body was found. His family called him Cachito, which means little piece in English. The nickname fit because he was very short as a boy, but literally outgrew the nickname when he hit a growth spurt at the age of 16. Gutierrez said Soto was a hard worker who went for jobs that paid the most. He also was family-oriented, dropping everything if his family needed him. He was a good person, and he was always attached to me, his mother said. Whenever he was experiencing turbulence in his life, he would immediately check in with his mother. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox Last year, he ran into trouble after family members said he let his anger get the best of him during a fight with his girlfriend. On March 2, Sotos girlfriend was attempting to walk away from an argument that became physical. He then ran after her and allegedly pointed a gun at her and threatened to unload a clip, according to an affidavit. Soto was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was later ordered to undergo treatment at a mental health facility, his mother said. He had been staying with a relative while waiting for his upcoming court date. Piecing together what little she does know, Gutierrez said she does not think the girlfriend or the incident has anything to do with Sotos death. She also did not believe that her son was involved in any gang activity, though detectives did question her about the fact that both Soto and Lopez were found wearing red shoes. The last time Soto and his mother spoke was about 10 hours before his death. Gutierrez had been locked out of her apartment, so he went to her home and dropped off a key. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News She said she had scolded Soto for not reporting to work that day. He told her he did not go in because it was raining. During their brief visit, she saw Lopez and one other person in a car. Before he left her, Soto offered to take his sisters phone to a repair shop, family members said. On ExpressNews.com: NWS: San Antonio escaping worst cold for now but record-breaking system on its way Gutierrez and his family said they knew little of Lopez, having met him on three separate occasions. They first met him on Christmas Day, when one of Gutierrezs daughters introduced him as her boyfriend. After his body was found, Gutierrez said that Sotos car, a 2013 beige Chevrolet Malibu, was missing. Soto bought the car four days before he died, his family said. SAPD confirmed that they found a burned vehicle belonging to one of the victims on Hoefgen Avenue, more than a mile away from where Soto and Lopez were discovered. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Gutierrez said she asked police to see what became of her sons vehicle, but that they could not show her or answer questions about the case because their investigation is ongoing. Despite a frustration with a lack of answers, she and other relatives said they are hopeful that witnesses who know anything, even small details, will reach out to the police. Humble City Council to take applications for Council Place 3 vacancy On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Humble City Council held a special meeting to determine how to handle the Council Place 3 vacancy. Former council member, Norman Funderburk, recently resigned his seat on the council and announced his mayoral candidacy. The council unanimously decided to accept applications for citizens interested in serving. The council position awardee will serve a term set to end May 2022. The council can choose to either make an appointment by majority vote or call a special election to fill the vacancy per the guidelines set forth in the City of Humble Home Rule Charter, Section 6, Vacancies on City Council. Although the final decision resides with the council, the members prefer to make an appointment rather than enable local citizens to incur expenses due to a formal election process. Mayor Merle Aaron stated, Eligible candidates for elective office must be a qualified voter as outlined in the Texas Election Code. That is, they must be a U.S. citizen, be a resident of the county that is at least 18 years old (registration at 17 years and 10 months), not be a convicted felon unless sentence completion, must be a qualified voter and must not be declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law. For a full list of tax-paying, residency, and other liabilities requirements, refer to the City of Humble website. City Secretary Jenny Page added, Further details can be found on the city elections site at cityofhumble.com/city-elections.html. Additionally, interested applicants may see me in-person or online for an application packet. The application packet contains all the necessary forms and instructions to declare candidacy." Applications are being accepted now and the deadline to file is Thursday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. No date has been set at this time for the final nomination. All documents must be filled out to completion and returned to the city secretary at the Humble City Hall, located at 114 W. Higgins, Humble, TX 77338. The document packet must consist of the application, the General Release of Personal Information form and the Code of Fair Campaign Practices form. Aaron remarked, Good luck to all candidates and thanks to all of our current members of the council for their hard work, dedication and long-time service to the community to date. Questions and comments should be directed to City Secretary, Jenny Page at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 281-446-3061. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has said government was making efforts at all levels to procure COVID-19 vaccines for the country. She said she had been asked to engage two countries; China and Russia, that had developed the vaccines, at the levels of their ambassadors, to find out how they could help Ghana acquire the vaccines. The vaccines have become such a hot commodity and even if you have money it is difficult to procure them, she said. Ms Botchwey said this when she appeared before the Appointment Committee of Parliament for vetting on her re-nomination by President Akufo-Addo as minister-designate for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. She said efforts were being made collectively within ECOWAS, under the West African Health Organisation and the Africa Centre for Disease Control, to obtain the vaccines. She explained that at the level of the ECOWAS Health Ministers, about 240 million vaccines were being procured for the region. Ms Botchwey disclosed that of the 58 Ghanaian embassies and nine consulates across the world, most of the ambassadors and staff worked and stayed in rented houses, which had increased the cost of their operations. She said though her ministry inherited US$50 million from the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) Administration meant for office building and accommodation for diplomats, it was not enough to solve the problem. She pledged to find innovative means to raise money to purchase properties abroad for use by staff of embassies, adding that the Ghanaian embassies in New York and Paris, among other countries, needed to be renovated to befit Ghanas image. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video After the US announced that it is revoking the designation of Yemens Houthi rebels as a terrorist group, the UN welcomed the decision and called it extremely positive. The Biden Administration on February 12 reversed former President Donald Trumps actions that humanitarian groups feared that it would impede aid deliveries to the conflict-torn country facing the worlds worst crisis. However, on Friday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Bidens decision to rescind the designation a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. Blinken said that the new US administration listened to warnings from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, bipartisan members of Congress and others that the designations could have a devastating impact on Yemenis access to basic commodities like food and fuel. It is worth noting that Yemen imports 90 per cent of its food, nearly all purchased through commercial channels. The UN had also warned that the US designation of the Houthis already had companies pulling back from dealing with the Yemenis and would likely lead to a large-scale famine on a scale that we have not seen for nearly 40 years. Following Bidens decision, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called US decision extremely positive. Dujarric said, We hope that helps build momentum for a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. I think the reversal of the designation, the naming of the (US) special envoy (for Yemen), and the clear, clear language from the top of the administration, from president Biden himself, expressing his strong support for the UN-led mediation process ... are very, very welcome indeed. READ: Yemen's Houthi Rebels Claim Responsibility For 'accurately' Hitting Saudi Airbase READ: Timeline: Yemen War Began In 2014 When Houthis Seized Sanaa US remains clear-eyed Yemen has been engulfed in chaos since a civil war began in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the control of several northern provinces and even forces the globally-recognised government headed by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. Later in 2015, the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict to back Hadis government. According to AP, the conflict has been disastrous for Yemen, the Arab worlds poorest country, killing more than 112,000 people, creating a humanitarian disaster, and wrecking infrastructure from roads and hospitals to water and electricity networks. While announcing the decision, Blinken said the United States remains clear-eyed about the Houthis malign actions and aggressions including taking control of large areas of Yemen by force, attacking US partners in the Gulf, kidnapping and torturing citizens of the United States and many of our allies, diverting humanitarian aid, brutally repressing Yemenis in areas they control, and the deadly attack on December 30, 2020 in Aden against the cabinet of the legitimate government of Yemen. (With inputs from AP) READ: Despite Biden's Push, A Difficult Road To Peace In Yemen READ: Saudi TV: Yemen Rebel Attack On Abha Airport Each parent must be given six months paid parental leave if women are to gain equal access to work, equal pay and superannuation, according to Independent MP Zali Steggall. Ms Steggall will call on the federal government on Monday to extend paid parental leave from 18 weeks to 52 weeks that can be split equally between parents. When living in Holland, Alison McGregor and Mario Mortera experienced high levels of government support for parents, thanks to policies aimed at men and women sharing childcare. Credit:Justin McManus Providing six months paid leave to partners would encourage fathers to share care and cause less disruption and long-term impact to mothers careers, she says. Childcare is a major barrier to equitable workplace participation and a major factor in the pay gap of around 14 per cent that persists between genders, said Ms Steggall, the mother of a blended family of five adolescent and adult children. 80% Website yellowpages.uz uses latest and advanced technologies like: Boostrap. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 152164 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 202613 bytes (197.86 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-10-05, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. What do you think about our new website? Share your opinion For over a decade, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been investing and growing in Ireland. We launched our first cloud infrastructure region outside of the US in Ireland in 2007, and since this time, weve grown the number of our staff, expanded our collaboration with colleges and universities, invested in skills programmes, and strengthened our relationships with local communities across the country. This sustained investment demonstrates our deep commitment to Ireland and has delivered a positive impact across key areas for Irelands economy and society. And we want to do more. To better understand how AWS is contributing to the wider Irish economy, Indecon International Economic Consultants (Indecon), a leading firm of independent economists, conducted an evidence-based study of AWSs investments in Ireland during the period 2011-2020. The study sets out the positive impact the company has made in three broad areas: jobs and growth, strengthening the local supplier network, and increasing export opportunities for Irish contractors. Generating more jobs and growth in Ireland Looking at the numbers, Indecon found that AWS investments in Ireland support over 8,700 jobs across the Irish economy and generates an estimated economic growth of 1.45 billion a year. These jobs include over 3,000 of our own employees, nearly 4,000 people working for contractors and sub-suppliers and also more than 1,700 people in jobs induced by these activities. According to IDA Ireland, AWS ranked third among the largest job creators in their client base in 2019 and we have been in the top ten each year since 2015. The IDA has recognised that cloud-enabled digital services are now pervading every industry and Irelands reputation in this space is enabling further investment. Our operations in Ireland have resulted in an expanded economic output in the period 2011-2020 of almost 7.5 billion. In fact, AWS generated growth of an estimated 1.45 billion in 2020 alone and we expect to exceed 1.5 billion each year in 2021, 2022 and 2023. This is all well and good, but what the study demonstrated clearly was that the benefits of this investment go far beyond job creation and economic growth. Strengthening the Irish supplier network It has been incredible to watch Irish suppliers and sub suppliers across the economy including major construction contractors, mechanical and electrical suppliers, professional services and a wide range of services provided by local businesses, grow alongside AWS over the last decade to become industry leaders in their fields. Companies like Collen Construction, Dannan Air, and Hanley Energy are great examples. Meath-based Hanley Energy worked with AWS to develop a prototype which was adopted in AWS data centers worldwide and is now a specialist systems provider offering highly sought-after technology and expertise the world over. It has grown from a small electrical engineering firm with three employees in Ireland in 2009, to a business with 260 people with offices in North America, South Africa and Australia. Indecon also found that AWS had helped to enhance skills among our sub suppliers, especially in areas such as engineering and electronics. They also noted a positive impact on increasing knowledge transfer, underscoring the wider way in which the operation of Irish data centres can help to raise skills in associated sectors, upskill Irelands workforce and maintain its reputation as a global leader in digital services. Creating increased export opportunities for expert Irish suppliers The experience and knowledge Irish businesses have gained in supporting the development of AWS data centres has enhanced the reputation of these suppliers in overseas markets. In the past five years) the value of contracts won by Irish firms in the construction and development of AWS data centres outside of Ireland has increased 14-fold from 16 million in 2015 to an estimated 228 million in 2020. Irish companies, like Collen Construction, are now exporting their expertise to AWS and other data centre operators in 20 countries including the UK, Germany and the Netherlands in Europe, in addition to projects further afield in the USA, Japan, India and Australia. Supporting Irish startups We are also helping Irish organisations including high potential start-ups to lower costs, become more agile and innovate faster through the cloud. Last year we teamed up with Enterprise Ireland to provide entrepreneurs and early stage companies access to a range of resources, benefits and technologies to help them innovate and grow. Since the collaboration launched in January 2020, Enterprise Ireland start-ups have availed of 5.4 million in AWS credits through the AWS Activate programme to launch and grow their businesses. Were proud to work with Irish start-ups such as Intercom and Swrve, who have grown rapidly in recent years; to help telehealth company MyClinic365 to adapt to the pandemic, to provide cloud services to household names such a Ryanair, Bank of Ireland and Netflix, as well as not-for-profits, universities, and government agencies such as Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) and the European Commission. Doing more We are deeply committed to Ireland and we want to do more to ensure we continue to make a positive impact on Irish society and economy. In 2019 we became the first company to sign an unsubsidised corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) in the country and have since signed another two CPPAs. These three projects are projected to add 229 MW of renewable energy to the Irish grid each year, reducing carbon emissions by 366,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, and producing enough renewable energy to power 185,000 Irish homes, per annum. Were also supporting South Dublin County Council with Irelands first custom-built sustainable solution to provide heat recycled from an AWS data centre to public sector, residential, and commercial residents in Tallaght. Were delighted to see the positive impact our investment has made on the Irish economy. This is just the start, and were looking forward to continuing to strengthen and support Irish businesses both domestically and in their work abroad. ADVERTISEMENT The Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded the release of protesters arrested at #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest in Lagos on Saturday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how dozens of protesters have been arrested and whisked away in Black Maria by police officers at Lekki Tollgate. The protesting youth are against the decision of the judicial panel for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to reopen the tollgate months after soldiers opened fire on unarmed #EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020. Pictures and videos trending on social media in the early hours of Saturday expose how protesters are being harassed by security operatives, even before cameras handled by the press. Many Nigerians have tagged the police actions as a breach of citizens fundamental human right to protest. SERAP, in a post on its Twitter account, called on the government and police to immediately and unconditionally release arrested individuals. BREAKING: We urge Nigerian authorities @NigeriaGov @PoliceNG to immediately and unconditionally release #EndSARS protesters detained simply for peacefully exercising their human rights. Authorities should also cease harassing people peacefully exercising their human rights. BREAKING: We urge Nigerian authorities @NigeriaGov @PoliceNG to immediately and unconditionally release #EndSARS protesters detained simply for peacefully exercising their human rights. Authorities should also cease harassing people peacefully exercising their human rights. SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) February 13, 2021 The United Nations @UN_SPExperts @UNHumanRight and concerned governments should press the Nigerian authorities to end the crackdown on peaceful protesters, and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained. @mbachelet @antonioguterres #StandUp4HumanRights The United Nations @UN_SPExperts @UNHumanRights and concerned governments should press the Nigerian authorities to end the crackdown on peaceful protesters, and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained.@mbachelet @antonioguterres #StandUp4HumanRights SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) February 13, 2021 In the same vein, Amnesty International Nigeria called on the government to protect the right of peaceful protesters. Today Amnesty International received reports of the arrest of some protesters #EndSARS at the #Lekkitollgate #Lagos. We (are) calling on all Nigerian authorities to demonstrate commitment to protect the right to peaceful protest. @MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo @jidesanwoolu @PoliceNG Today Amnesty International received reports of the arrest of some protesters #EndSARS at the #Lekkitollgate #Lagos. We calling on all Nigerian authorities to demonstrate commitment to protect the right to peaceful protest. @MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo @jidesanwoolu @PoliceNG Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) February 13, 2021 Meanwhile, a lawyer and right activist, Tope Akinyode, has offered victims of the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest, free legal aid. He made the pledge in a tweet. Free legal aid to all the victims of #OccupyLekkiTollGate & #EndSARS protests. Tweet @ me or send a DM. Free legal aid to all the victims of #OccupyLekkiTollGate & #EndSARS protests. Tweet @ me or send a DM. Tope Akinyode (@TopeAkinyode) February 13, 2021 PM Shmyhal: Ukraine interested in economic cooperation with Luxembourg Cooperation could be established with the Luxembourg Space Agency. Reporting by UNIAN If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Last week, the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust proudly announced that, as part of a new policy designed to address 'health inequalities' for 'marginalised and disadvantaged groups', use of the word 'mother' is to be replaced by more 'inclusive' terminology. Thus its maternity services will henceforth be known as 'perinatal', pregnant women are to be referred to as 'birthing parents', breast-feeding is now 'chest-feeding' and breast milk is either 'chestmilk' or 'milk from the feeding parent'. Of course, the ability to bear children is not what defines a woman. There are plenty of childless women who are proof of that. But the biology itself is unique to the female of the species. Pregnancy and childbirth are women's experiences. Breastfeeding is a woman's experience. So is menstruation. Like it or not, these are biological characteristics which are non-transferrable. Last week, the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust proudly announced that, as part of a new policy designed to address 'health inequalities' for 'marginalised and disadvantaged groups', use of the word 'mother' is to be replaced by more 'inclusive' terminology. Pictured: Stock image To acknowledge this is not an act of bigotry, it is simply a fact, like observing that snow is cold. It also does not mean that someone is hostile to the existence of trans people or to their right to be treated fairly. And yet in the lexicon of modern trans terminology, even to think such thoughts, let alone say them out loud or in print, is considered a hate crime. Any woman who dares question the new orthodoxy is instantly demonised as a Terf Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist and set in the metaphorical stocks. Shutting down dissent in this way is as the experiences of women like JK Rowling (left) (cancelled for objecting to the term 'people who menstruate') and Suzanne Moore (right) Shutting down dissent in this way is as the experiences of women like JK Rowling (cancelled for objecting to the term 'people who menstruate') and Suzanne Moore (pushed out of her job at the Guardian by colleagues scared of being tarred with the same brush) prove a very effective way of neutralising opposition to dogma. Who's real in a world of fraudsters? I had a phone call from HMRC yesterday morning. It was a recorded message telling me my account had been subject to fraud, and could I confirm a few details so they could help. I was about to comply when I noticed the Cambridge dialling code. A scam. Much like the one that pops into my inbox regularly purporting to be from Royal Mail and asking me to fill in a form to release a package stuck at customs. These wretched online fraudsters are a plague, and very much on the increase during lockdown. They also make life impossible for genuine callers. Take the man who rang me a week ago claiming to be from NatWest, with whom I used to bank many years ago. They had found a small sum of money left in my old account, and wanted new details in order to forward the balance. Do I trust him? Or was I right, as I did, to send him away with a flea in his ear? Advertisement Bullies and rigid ideologues understand that most people are easily scared, and when handed a pitchfork will generally run with it if it means they themselves won't end up on a spike. It's a tactic used not just by radical trans activists, but also by BLM and the environment lobby. Bend the knee if you know what's good for you, or suffer the consequences. As George Orwell so skilfully expressed, once you can persuade people, through fear, to believe things that are patently not true, you have won. As Winston says in Nineteen Eighty-Four: 'In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. 'It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it.' I fear this is the situation millions of women face. Unless we agree that we no longer exist, that our biology no longer belongs to us, unless we willingly deny the physical reality of what it means to be female, we face being vilified by the armies of the woke who will accept no other truth save that which they have themselves devised. This is wrong. Of course trans people should be made to feel welcome in the context of maternity services (indeed, all services). But not to the point where their rights begin to eclipse all others. And this is the key. In trying to accommodate the needs of a small group of complex individuals we run the risk of obliterating those of the majority. Women haven't traditionally owned much in this world. Like the trans community itself, we've had to fight hard for our rights, and too many still are denied them. But pregnancy and childbirth, that's always been uniquely ours, our one superpower no one can take away. So, you see, you can't just park your tanks in our maternity hospitals and expect us to surrender. You can't tell us we're not mothers, or tell us we can't breastfeed. If that makes me a Terf so be it. Rather that than a liar and a coward. I have become obsessed with the fact that my neighbour a few doors down still has his Christmas wreath on his front door. Every time I walk past I am gripped by an irrational desire to tear it down. Its made even worse by the fact that its clearly one his kids made, all sweet and wonky. Still, I dont care. Its February. Shouldnt there be some sort of law against this? Put your coat on please, Amanda! Why is it that certain female celebrities feel obliged to brave the elements practically naked simply to prove how much better looking they are than the rest of us? Heres Amanda Holden toasting her soon-to-be 50th birthday in Arctic conditions, wearing a dress that struggles to meet the definition and a pair of strappy open-toed sandals. Its all right, dear. We get the message. Now for Gods sake put a coat on. Heres Amanda Holden toasting her soon-to-be 50th birthday in Arctic conditions, wearing a dress that struggles to meet the definition and a pair of strappy open-toed sandals I had my Covid jab on Monday, and even I was impressed by the efficiency of the operation. The whole process took no more than 15 minutes. What I hadnt anticipated was how rotten it would make me feel. I woke up feeling like I had been run over by a bus, and even now my muscles and joints ache, my head hurts, theres a ringing in my ears and the spot where the needle went in is sore. Apparently this is quite common with the AstraZeneca jab the one I received. Nothing to worry about but a reminder that if what I had is effectively mini-Covid, you really dont want the real thing. Anthea's been savaged... for telling the truth Anthea Turner has been savaged after she tweeted a cartoon of a large woman in a wheelchair eating McDonalds berating a slimmer woman for not wearing a mask. She later apologised, but too late: the entire internet had already accused her of fat-shaming. It wasnt the kindest of sentiments. But there is an uncomfortable truth here that should not be swept aside. The NHS does not exist to pick up the pieces of our poor lifestyle choices. And just as wearing a mask helps protect others against catching Covid, and so lessens the burden on the NHS, doing whatever we can to stay fit and healthy also helps free-up resources. Britain has a serious obesity epidemic; we need open, honest and measured debate about how to tackle it. I have no problem with a black actress Jodie Turner-Smith taking on the role of Anne Boleyn, writes SARAH VINE I have no problem with a black actress Jodie Turner-Smith taking on the role of Anne Boleyn. The job of an actor is to pretend to be someone else. They dont necessarily need to look like them, or share the same sexual orientation or political views. But lets remember this cuts both ways. If Turner-Smith can play a milk-white medieval queen, I see no reason why a white actress couldnt take on the role of, say, civil rights activist Rosa Parks. Equality is equality. And now for the moment youve all been waiting for: an update on last weeks item about lemon drizzle cake. Turns out that there IS a recipe for lemon cake in Mrs Beetons. It contains no fewer than ten eggs and a fiendishly complicated method but sadly no drizzle. She does however recommend enhancing the flavour with the addition of her lemon brandy, pouring it over the cake while it is still warm. Thatll do for me. Randhir Kapoor's youngest brother Rajiv Kapoor breathed his last on February 9, 2021 after suffering a massive heart. The Ram Teri Ganga Maili actor's sudden demise has left the Kapoor family in grief. Recently, in an interview with ETimes, Randhir opened up about his brother's death. Narrating what exactly transpired on the day of Rajiv's death, the veteran actor told the tabloid, "Well, I have a 24-hour nurse since I have a bit of problem in walking due to a nerve related issue. The nurse went to wake him up in the morning at about 7:30 am and he did not respond. She detected that his pulse was very low and dropping further. We rushed him to the hospital but all efforts to save him failed. And, now I am left alone in this house." Randhir remembered Rajiv as a very gentle and extremely jovial person. He was quoted as saying, "It is so tough to believe that he is gone. He had no medical history. His health was simply fine; he had no problems whatsoever." The Kal Aaj Aur Kal actor further revealed that his youngest brother was quite excited for his Bollywood comeback with Ashutosh Gowariker-Bhushan Kumar's film Toolsidas Junior. In the same interview, Randhir also talked about losing several family members in quick succession. Randhir's sister Ritu passed away in January 2020 while Rishi Kapoor died on April 30, 2020. Speaking about it, the actor told the tabloid, "I don't know what's happening. I was equally close to Rishi and Rajiv. I have lost four people from my family--my mother Krishna Kapoor (October 2018), eldest sister Ritu (January 14, 2020), Rishi and now Rajiv. These four were my central core, with whom I did most of my talking." ALSO READ: Sanjay Kapoor Shares A Photo From Rajiv Kapoor's Prayer Meet; Says 'You Will Always Be In My Heart' ALSO READ: Anita Raaj Mourns Dear Friend & Actor Rajiv Kapoor's Death; Says 'I Really Have No Words To Describe The Pain' Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. (Natural News) So you know by now that Gina Beautiful Former MMA Fighting B.A. Mandalorian Actress Who Happens To Be Conservative Carano was fired from the show by Disney for a social media post invoking Nazis to decry cancel culture (irony alert). (Article by Doc Holliday republished from NotTheBee.com) With help from our friends at The Daily Wire and Breitbart, here is a list of a whole bunch of libs who did the same dang thing and not only did they not get canceled, no one gave a rip. Enjoy! 1.) President Joe Biden Yeah. In September Basement Joe compared President Trump to freaking Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda for Nazi Germany and one of the most evil pieces of garbage who ever walked the earth before poisoning his six children with cyanide and then killing himself, landing in hell forevermore. Biden really just compared Trump to Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propaganda minister and one of the most evil men who ever lived https://t.co/nNXes85BYW pic.twitter.com/bout4ajg75 Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) September 27, 2020 Trump is sort of like Goebbels, Biden said, invoking the name of Joseph Goebbels, the mastermind of Nazi Germanys propaganda machine. You say the lie long enough, keep repeating it, repeating it, repeating it, it becomes common knowledge. 2.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez The Bolshie Bae herself? Im shocked. Heres what she said in June 2019: The United States is running concentration camps on our southern border, and that is exactly what they are they are concentration camps. And if that doesnt bother you I want to talk to the people that are concerned enough with humanity to say that we should not, that never again means something. In case youre a balloonhead, Never again is a direct reference to the systematic genocide of Jews in the Holocaust. AOC said Trump was duplicating the Jewish Holocaust on the southern border. 3.) Don Lemon What did Mr. Fancy Pants do? Oh, just literally compared Trump to Hitler in 2019, thats all. Watch: 4.) Robert De Niro Compared Trump to Hitler and Mussolini a few months ago: Its the same playbook as Mussolini, as Hitler, as a dictator, wannabe dictators, said De Niro. Its what theyre going to do for the people, make Germany great again, make Italy great again, make America great again. Weird, huh?? 5.) Beto ORourke Beto brooooo did the same thing in October 2019. Quote: I dont think that speaking the truth and calling things by their right names is in any way disqualifying in being able to do work going forward, ORourke told Washington Post reporter Robert Costa. I think sooner rather than later, a majority of Americans including Republicans are going to see Trump for who he is, and this administration for what its done. Outside of the Third Reich, give me another example of a Western leader who has called people of one faith inherently defective or dangerous or disqualified from being successful in that country. How did a modern country, well-educated, a source of innovation and ingenuity, and a source of moral leadership in the world, descend into that level of barbarity, producing a shame that lives with every single German to this day? 6.) Donny Deutsch MSNBC host Donny Deutsch directly compared Turmp and ICE to Nazis in 2019. Think about that our country now and our commander-in-chief authorized ICE military briefs to literally go to the streets in 10 cities across this country, including New York where we are, and storm and show up and grab families and children. We are going to scary places guys that always happen in other parts of the world and are happening now. These are not MS-13 members. The overwhelming statistics of people coming in are less criminally disposed than the people who live in this country. They are running just like the Jews ran from the Nazis, just like so many other groups are running from persecutions for safety. Oh. Donny Deutsch also did it in 2018. He said: If you vote for Trump, then you, the voter, you, not Donald Trump, are standing at the border, like Nazis, he said. If you vote, you can no longer separate yourself from the evilness of Donald Trump. 7.) Congressman Hank Johnson Yeah. He compared Trump to Hitler. Are you seeing a pattern here? Our democracy teeters on the brink of failure, the Georgia Democrat said at an event held by the Atlanta NAACP earlier this week. Americans elected an authoritarian, racist, anti-immigrant strongman to the nations highest office. Hitler rode a wave of nationalism and anti-Semitism to power. Replace anti-Semitism with all Latinos crossing our borders are rapists, drug dealers and murderers. Does that sound familiar? Johnson asked, to a chorus of yeses from the crowd. Americans, particularly black Americans, cant afford to make that same mistake about the harm that could be done by a man named Hitler or a man named Trump, he said. 8.) Congressman Jim Clyburn Again with the Trump = Hitler: .@WhipClyburn (D-SC): Im beginning to see what happened in Germany back in the 1930s I cannot see that happening here. It may happen, but if it did that means that the American people are much more less, I should say, intelligent than I think they are. pic.twitter.com/5sIut7r3Wh The Recount (@therecount) November 11, 2020 Im beginning to see what happened in Germany back in the 1930s, said Clyburn. I never thought that could happen in this country. How do you elect a person president, then all of a sudden youre going to give him the authority to be dictator? Thats what Hitler did in Germany. Extra credit 1: Rosanna Arquette Shes an actress. Yknow, like Gina Carano. Just not as famous. Which is why shes extra credit. Lookie what she said just 1 month ago: Oh look she did it in November as well: Extra credit 2: Director James Gunn Doesnt have to do with Nazi Germany. But has to do with being despicable and working for the same company Carano just got fired from. Disney rehired James Gunn after his tweets about the Holocaust, pedophilia, and rape This is who they are Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) February 11, 2021 Disney re-hired James Gunn but fired Gina Carano Tells you everything Disney fires James Gunn after old tweets about rape, pedophilia found https://t.co/AEwTrBG6yx Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) February 11, 2021 [Language warning in the image]: Just a reminder: Disney canned Carano for an overwrought Holocaust comparison. They brought back James Gunn despite these tweets. I defended both from cancellation. Would be nice to see Gunn and co. defend Carano. pic.twitter.com/ZiUyLPjmMG Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 11, 2021 Claiming that it would take 10 years to complete the COVID-19 vaccination process in the country, senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of misleading members of the Matua community on providing citizenship to them. Shah attacked the Mamata Banerjee government for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at public meetings in West Bengal on Thursday, and asserted that the contentious citizenship law would be enforced after the completion of the coronavirus inoculation programme. Referring to TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi's resignation from Rajya Sabha on Friday months before the assembly polls, Abhishek Banerjee who is the youth wing president of the party and a Lok Sabha MP, said, "Trivedi said he was feeling suffocated. Let him go and get admitted to the BJP's ICU. "Shah said that the CAA will be implemented once the COVID vaccination work is completed in the country. It will take 10 years to complete the vaccination process in the entire country. He is misleading the Matuas, Banerjee said while addressing a public meeting at Kulpi in South 24 Parganas district. Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. Many of them have been accorded Indian citizenship but a sizeable section of the population has not got it. The Matua community, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party in at least four Lok Sabha seats more than 30 assembly seats in Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas districts. It once stood behind the TMC but had supported the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Now, both the BJP and the TMC are wooing the Matua people ahead of the assembly election due in April-May. On Shah's statement that the TMC will be uprooted from West Bengal in the assembly polls, he said that the TMC is not a cutout which one can uproot. "It is a party of grassroots. The more you cut it, the more it will grow." Claiming that the only poll plank of the BJP is 'Jai Shri Ram' and it has no development agenda, the TMC leader alleged that the saffron party does not know to give respect to women. "They say Jai Shri Ram and not Jai Siya Ram. This is because they don't know to give respect to women", the nephew of Mamata Banerjee said. 'Jai Siya Ram' means 'glory to Sita and Lord Ram' while 'Jai Shri Ram' denotes 'hail Lord Ram'. "See the way the BJP showed disrespect to Mamata Banerjee at the birth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata," he said. Mamata Banerjee, state chief minister and the TMC supremo, on January 23 refused to speak at the event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after "Jai Shri Ram" slogans were raised by a section of the audience just before she was to start her address. The Diamond Harbour MP also alleged that women are tortured in BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the TMC will get more than 250 seats in the assembly polls while the saffron party will find it difficult to cross the double-digit mark. Countering the BJP's claim of coming to power in the state by winning over 200 seats in the election to the 294- member assembly, he said, "West Bengal will elect Mamata Banerjee as the chief minister for the third time." The saffron party's clamour for a double-engine government (same party rule in the Centre as well as state) in West Bengal will fall flat before the single-engine power of Mamata Banerjee, he said adding that the TMC will be in power for 50 years. He claimed that BJP leaders coming from north India are a "bunch of outsiders" who are not aware of the culture of Bengal, and spreading fake news to confuse people. The TMC MP alleged that the BJP is trying to impose north Indian culture on West Bengal. "Let me say our chief minister Mamata Banerjee will stand there like Maa Durga to fight against the BJP which has weapons like CBI and ED", he said. Banerjee claimed that the saffron party is trying to influence farmers of the state by promising to provide Rs 18,000 in their accounts, if elected to power, but "Bengal will never sell its spine to the BJP". The BJP has been saying that if voted to power in the state, it will ensure that each farmer of the state gets Rs 18,000 in arrears under the PM-KISAN scheme. "The BJP should first think of Gujarat, UP and other states. No need to worry about Bengal. Outsiders will not rule Bengal," the TMC leader said. Later, Banerjee conducted a roadshow from Kamalgazi to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas, a stretch of around 4 kilometres, atop a blue coloured bus named 'Didir doot' (agent of Didi). (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Jesse Williams Talks Old Spice, Masculine Vulnerability, and Representation Jesse WIlliams Opens Up and Hopes You Will Too The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Jesse WIlliams is one busy guy. When he is not starring on the still top rated Shonda Rhymes drama Greys Anatomy, he is speaking out on issues of race and equality or rather, lack thereof as a board member of Advancement Project. If he isnt making internationally recognized BET Humanitarian Award acceptance speeches that were still talking about, hes co-parenting his two children. RELATED: How Black Men Move Through the World and Why Change Is Needed Needless to say, the guy is busy, so when he offered to sit down with us virtually to talk about his new #SmellReadyForAnything initiative with Old Spice, we accepted. Turns out, not only is he the sexy TV doctor, civil rights activist, and lowkey dad we knew him to be, but hes also a cool dude who wants to use his platform to help guys out. But why Old Spice? And why now? This last year has been really hard. It's really kicked our asses and folks are not always feeling motivated. We're all in a little bit of a funk, Williams told us. We can certainly all relate to pacing around the house and lacking confidence. You know, feeling like you need a little pick-me-up [and] having self doubt. Confidence is what Williams wants to talk about, and he wants to have an honest conversation with men after first giving himself a pep talk. I think particularly a large swath of guys just don't feel so comfortable being vulnerable and being honest about the fact that actually Im not that confident. I actually am really insecure about what's next. Williams isnt wrong. In a recent Cleveland Clinic survey, 77 percent of men reported their stress level has increased as a result of COVID-19, 59 percent of men have felt isolated during the pandemic, and nearly half (45 percent) of men say their emotional/mental health has worsened during the pandemic. The serious statistics dont stop there. The same survey concludes that three-in-five men feel COVID-19 has had a greater negative impact on their mental health than the 2008 recession while a staggering two-in-three men say they rarely talk about the impact COVID-19 has had on their mental health at all. No one has been immune from the effects of the past year, including Williams. I was in the third week of rehearsals for my Broadway debut, you know, game changing, actor's dream, going to change everything for me personally and professionally, and like everybody else, you know, [COVID-19 happened] and it's canceled, shut down, snatched away and it might never come back, he explains about his brush with job loss during the pandemic. It messes with you. I had a vision for what's next for me and life had other plans. Even though we arent all losing jobs on Broadway, were all dealing with different losses and changes. In fact, it has to be said that not only are we all dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic differently, it is affecting all of us differently disproportionately depending on our race. Enter Old Spice. Believe it or not, Old Spice has been ahead of the curve in shifting away from the grooming industrys default white setting for years. By introducing what is arguably the smartest (and most fun) commercial campaigns of all time, the brand addressed an issue many of us didnt even know it had: white men and their often white female counterparts are the target audience. Isaiah Amir Mustafa, otherwise known as The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, showed up on our screens, and without ever saying it, told us that Black men want to look good too. For far too many of us, that was a notion we hadnt even realized we didnt know. You have obviously a high representation of Black males as athletes, as images of hyper-masculinity when their skills and behaviors in that field can be experienced and enjoyed, but less so when it comes down to getting personal and narrowing in, Who are you? What is your process? Do you even have a process? Williams wouldnt put his name, and reputation for social justice, on the line for just any brand, so when Old Spice approached him, it was because it knew he could reach men through his authentic approach. Old Spice has done a terrific job of being able to have [Black] representation without losing a sense of levity in the process, he continues. And that's why I was open on approach. [Old Spice] earned my attention. [It has] a track record that shows a willingness to both have leadership, but also be playful. After watching his first commercial spot in the #SmellReadyForAnything campaign, it seems pretty clear that playful leadership seems to come as second nature to Williams. Masculinity and vulnerability can coexist in fact, well go on the record to say the world is a bit better when they do and Williams brings a refreshing authenticity in asking guys to open up, break down their walls, and be OK admitting when life gets rough. I've had my own experience with a certain attention my whole life, because of the way I look and communities I've lived in, and I have dreads, but green or blue eyes, and freckles but Im from the hood, but live in a white neighborhood, William muses. But to this, this racialized America, that's hyper expectations of Black and white, I've always gotten attention for the way I look It's not a hardship, but it does create a wall. It has created a wall. Williams continues: I think we all want in some ways a connection, which is really to be seen and considered. And maybe, if you're lucky, [to be] understood and [have] more intimate relationships. Old Spice Dynasty Cologne Scent Deodorant $6.97 at Walmart.com So Williams, Old Spice, and even us here at AskMen want all you guys out there to know that it's OK to feel scared, its OK to be anxious, its OK to doubt yourself, but its also OK to wake up tomorrow, start fresh, and #SmellReadyForAnything. Tag @OldSpice, @IJesseWilliams, and use the #SmellReadyForAnything to show off your confidence. You Might Also Dig: AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Leaders of a small town in Iowa, including the current mayor and police chief, face nearly two dozen charges after a multiyear investigation into alleged wrongdoing. The yearslong probe into Armstrong Mayor Greg Buum, police Chief Craig Merrill, city clerk Tracie Lang and former city clerk Connie Thackery found the suspects deployed a Taser against a civilian in exchange for cash, presented fraudulent public records, misappropriated city funds, falsified ledgers to conceal the embezzlement and engaged in other crimes, authorities said Friday. It was not clear Saturday how much money was taken from the city, which is home to some 945 people and about 150 miles northwest of Des Moines. Buum, Merrill, Lang and Thackery have been charged with 21 felony and misdemeanor counts, according to the Emmet County Sheriff's Office, one of the agencies that led the investigation after irregularities in Armstrong were first brought to light in early 2017. The top count against Buum, Merrill and Thackery is a charge of ongoing criminal conduct, the sheriff's office said. Lang's top count is fraudulent practice in the first degree, according to officials. Three suspects, Buum, Lang and Thackery, were in custody on Friday, the sheriff's office said. Merrill was arrested in Minnesota, the Iowa Attorney Generals Office confirmed to NBC News on Sunday. No pleas have been entered by any suspects yet. New York City, Feb. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The fight for cancer has been something the world has been dealing with for centuries. While scientists have found ways to combat it, for example chemotherapy, there isn't a definitive cure. There are many innovators trying to come up with new treatments, solutions and cures for cancer, but the number one thing they face is the lack of funds necessary to do this. Music Beats Cancer, formerly known as Sound Affects, is a charitable (501c3) crowdfunding platform created with the intentions of helping these innovators access badly needed funds through the charitable donations of the crowd. Music Beats Cancer strategically partners with emerging musical artists to help raise funds and awareness. WHAT IS Music Beats Cancer? Dr. Mona Jhaveri, Founder and Director of Music Beats Cancer, started her career as a cancer researcher and moved into the biotech industry where she quickly realized that fundraising is extremely difficult, if not impossible over time. After receiving her doctoral degree in biochemistry, she went on to do postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute(NCI) where she made a discovery in the lab that could help treat ovarian cancer, one of the deadliest cancers for women worldwide. After accessing the patent rights to the technology from the NCI, she launched a biotech start-up company, Foligo Therapeutics Inc., as an effort to continue developing the technology. Over time, fundraising for Foligo became extremely difficult and the company, along with its technology for fighting ovarian cancer, succumbed to the Valley of Death - A metaphorical place where great ideas go to die because they lack the critical funds to move forward. As a consequence, the Valley of Death impedes progress in reducing the enormous cancer burden the world is facing today, yet the public is unaware. This loss of Foligo, inspired Dr. Jhaveri to launch Music Beats Cancer as a way to support biotech entrepreneurs who are working on cancer-fighting technologies that are at risk of disappearing into the Valley of Death simply because they lack the needed funds. HOW DOES MUSIC BEATS CANCER DIFFER? Music Beats Cancer is unlike other traditional cancer charities because it specifically supports biotech entrepreneurs who have launched start-ups to advance worthy cancer-fighting ideas, rather than academic researchers who conduct R&D at academic laboratories. The Music Beats Cancer model is crowdfunding. In this instance, donors give directly to a cancer-fighting campaign they care about. In return, donors receive quarterly updates on the progress of the campaign from the entrepreneurs they supported. This is in contrast to grant-making models where committees decide where money is donated, but are not tasked to share outcomes of the supported research with the donors. Music Beats Cancer believes that this distinction is important in our new world where choice and transparency is highly valued. The long vision of Music Beats Cancer is to become the publics go-to cancer charity, where the public can support and learn about cutting edge treatments innovators are working on all over the world in the fight against cancer. HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED? Please check out the Music Beats Cancer website and if you feel compelled, make a donation to an active cancer-fighting campaign that inspires you. Also, please do follow us on social media, sign up for our newsletter and stay tuned for future Music Beats Cancer concert events. Note: Monies raised from Music Beats Cancer partnered artists support our Community Mega Fund, a fund dedicated to matching the crowd, dollar for dollar. Media Contact: Mona Jhaveri MusicBeatsCancer +12022512672 This news has been published for the above source. MusicBeatsCancer [ID=16920] Disclaimer: The information does not constitute advice or an offer to buy. Any purchase made from this story is made at your own risk. Consult an expert advisor/health professional before any such purchase. Any purchase made from this link is subject to the final terms and conditions of the website's selling. The content publisher and its distribution partners do not take any responsibility directly or indirectly. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the company this news is about. Attachment Three weather warnings in place across the country. Stock image We will all be wrapping up warm and staying inside this Valentines Day. Status Orange and Yellow wind warnings have been issued throughout the country for tomorrow Sunday 14, while many homes have seen their electricity go today as windy conditions prevail. Up to 8,000 people were left without power this morning as stormy weather prevails across the country. Many of these faults have been restored, however, just under 500 customers are still currently without power across the country. Status Orange wind warnings have been issued for tomorrow in Donegal, Galway and Mayo. Winds in these counties will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h with severe gusts in excess of 110km/h in the west. Where winds are onshore, there is a risk of coastal flooding. The warning is in place on Sunday from 2pm to 4pm. Read More Meanwhile there are Status Yellow wind warnings for tomorrow for the rest of the country excluding Fermanagh. This Status Yellow wind warning comes into effect at 5am until 5pm. ESB said the number of customers without supply will fluctuate over the next number of hours but it hopes to have all supply restored by the end of the day. WASHINGTON - A Virginia man accused of being a coordinator in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was ordered held in jail until his trial, with a federal judge finding Friday that his messages to others discussing bringing weapons to Washington and future attacks on state capitols made him a danger "not just to the community but actually to the fundamental fabric of democracy we also cherish." Thomas Caldwell, 66, of Berryville, Va., is charged with conspiring with two Ohio members of the conservative Oath Keepers to obstruct the electoral vote count, destroy government property and enter a restricted area, though prosecutors acknowledge he didn't enter the Capitol building. Caldwell spoke up three times as U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in the District of Columbia explained his reasons for detaining the retired Navy commander and former FBI employee. "Your honor, these things are taken out of context," Caldwell said as Mehta quoted messages allegedly sent by Caldwell discussing a "Quick Response Team" on the Potomac River "with the heavy weapons standing by," and one message after the Jan. 6 siege that read, "Lets storm the capitol in Ohio. Tell me when!" "I didn't send that," Caldwell interjected. "My life hangs in the balance," he also told the judge, who repeatedly advised him not to speak. Mehta cited a series of communications Caldwell allegedly had since November, over Facebook and other media, to support his finding that Caldwell was a danger to the community and not eligible for release. He said Caldwell apparently joined with others "to plan a potential militarylike incursion on the Capitol on Jan. 6," noting one message allegedly sent by Caldwell that said, "I believe we will have to get violent to stop this." The judge was also troubled by prosecutors' contention that after the riot Caldwell deleted Facebook messages and photos he had posted of himself at the Capitol, which Mehta characterized as destroying evidence. Caldwell also allegedly invited co-defendants Jessica M. Watkins and Donovan Crowl, from Woodstock, Ohio, to stay at his house and store their military equipment with him. Both Watkins and Crowl appear in photos inside the Capitol. Caldwell was arrested at his home on Jan. 19, and federal officials said a search turned up a document titled "Death List." Mehta asked for specifics about the item, which prosecutors said named "an election official from another state." Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy sent a photo of the list to the judge and Caldwell's attorney, Thomas Plofchan Jr., during the hearing; she said it contained the name of one election official from another state who had been in the news, as well as a relative of the official. Mehta and the lawyers did not name the official, and the judge said he did not consider it in his ruling. Plofchan said Caldwell denies that he has any death list. "My client doesn't even recall the words 'death' or 'list' being on a piece of paper in his house," the lawyer said. The judge said Caldwell's use of undetectable electronic communications couldn't be monitored round-the-clock. "Given the extensive planning" for Jan. 6, Mehta said, "given the extensive degree of communications, I don't have any confidence that Mr. Caldwell won't continue to engage in this kind of conduct and this behavior and planning with others if he were to be released." Caldwell is being held at the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange. Plofchan said after the hearing, "The government controls at this stage. As my client kept trying to say, context is everything. And a defense attorney can't counter what we don't know about." Plofchan said Caldwell was not a member of the Oath Keepers, had no history of violence and didn't pose a threat to the community. At least two other alleged participants in the Jan. 6 riot also appeared Friday before federal judges in Washington. Daniel Adams, an East Texas man accused of mobilizing rioters to push past police, also unsuccessfully sought his release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Edwards said Adams was one of the first people in the building and was so aggressive with police that they responded with force and left him with a head injury. Defense attorney Gary Proctor said Adams was at most "middle management" in the assault and that his behavior at the Capitol was an "aberration." Judge Zia Faruqui agreed that Adams "was incited." Without naming anyone, the judge said "Someone poured the gasoline around the capitol building," and "all it took was one spark to light the bonfire." But, Faruqui said, he couldn't let Adams out of jail for fear he would be inflamed again: "We're at a moment still that is a tense moment." An attorney for another defendant, Matt Bledsoe, asked U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell to remove his GPS monitoring, saying Bledsoe didn't mean he himself intended to "execute them all" - as he texted after the Jan. 6 riot - but instead that, as a subscriber to the extremist ideology QAnon, he imagined that lawmakers would be executed by proper authorities in a Judgment Day apocalypse. Howell rejected that, saying "QAnon believers will confront facts and reality in court." "What happened January 6 is no fantasy for people inside the Capitol," Howell said, "or for people in the country. The defendant is entitled to his beliefs. He can believe the QAnon theory. He can believe the earth is flat. He can believe what he wants, but he is not entitled to break the law, and his conduct was such a risk to others that keeping track of his whereabouts while pending trial is a wise decision." She said that in six months, if the case remains pending and Bledsoe abides by his release conditions without exception, his attorney could argue that he had shown his responsibility. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results New Delhi, Feb 13 : Raising questions against former Congress President Rahul Gandhi's act of associating himself with "Break India" fringe group ideologies, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday accused him of making "fake narratives" for lowering the country's image and posed 10 questions linked to his speech on farm laws in Parliament two days ago. As the Finance Minister was replying on the discussion on the Union Budget 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha, she chose to raise questions on Rahul Gandhi's Thursday speech in the house which only focused on the farmers' protest issue and not the Union Budget. Sitharaman asked whether the Congress is joining the fringe groups having a "Break India" thinking and alleged that Rahul as well as his party is "continuously" spreading "fake narratives". The minister recalled how Rahul chose to comment only on the farmers' issue in his speech arguing that it was also part of the Budget discussion. Beginning her series of questions on his "foundation" remark, Sitharaman said she first expected Gandhi to explain the Congress's u-turn on farm reforms as similar promises were part of the party's election manifesto earlier. She returned back with similar 'Hum do, Hamare do' remark of the Congress leader with MNREGA data and other schemes, accusing the party of using schemes only to benefit itself and lacking with its implementations. In his remarks against the government, Rahul had said, "Years ago there was a family planning slogan - 'Hum do, Hamare do' (we two and our two), but just like corona has returned in another form, this slogan too has made a comeback. Today, four people run the country - Hum do, Hamare do," Gandhi had said without taking any names. In her second question, Sitharaman mentioned why farm loan waiver was not implemented in Madhya Pradesh (when Congress was in power) and Rajasthan. "I expected that Rahul Gandhi will explain about loan waiver in MP if he is really sympathetic to farmers' issues," Sitharaman said. Punjab's 'Kala Kanoon" (black law) was the third question of the Finance Minister. "The provisions of the law were used in Punjab to send farmers to jail. I thought he would say he has asked Punjab CM to repeal that law." Stubble burning was the fourth question of Sitharaman on which she said Rahul Gandhi failed to explain. Talking about her fifth point hinting at the three farm laws on which Gandhi was speaking, the minister said she was expecting Gandhi to at least point out one clause of these laws that is anti-farmer. The Finance Minister referred to Gandhi's 'Hum do, Hamare do' jibe in her sixth point, saying "When PM Modi talked about small farmers, I expected Rahul Gandhi to announce that he had also asked 'his two' to return lands to farmers that were acquired at throwaway prices. But he didn't do that." On her seventh question, the minister said she had also expected the Congress leader to clarify that his party won't dishonour its senior leader and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after Modi quoted him on farm reforms. "I expected he would say why the Congress has started to forget Manmohan Singh's ideas." She later challenged the Congress to show a single prof of any APMC being closed anywhere in the country. "I expected him to come up with at least one example." "This is not an expectation, but a question to Rahul Gandhi. Why does he choose to insult constitutional authorities?" Sitharaman asked while raking up the 2013 incident when Gandhi had trashed then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ordinance when Singh was abroad. In her last point about "fake narratives", the minister said, "Rahul Gandhi is identifying with the 'Break India fringe groups'." "I remember what he said about the Covid-19 pandemic. I don't want to waste the time of the House by repeating the same but in summary, it was like 'I will continue to demean India'. The veteran leader is perhaps becoming the 'doomsday man' of India." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The remains of French and Russian soldiers who died during Napoleon's catastrophic retreat from Moscow in 1812 will be laid to rest Saturday in a rare moment of unity between the two countries. A ceremony near the western city of Smolensk will see the re-burial of 126 people killed in one of the bloodiest battles of Napoleon's Russian campaign. The interment takes place as France marks the bicentenary of the military leader's death this year. Descendants of 19th-century Russian and French military leaders as well as dozens of re-enactors are expected to attend the burial in Vyazma, a town more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Moscow. Remains of 120 soldiers, three women and three teenagers were discovered in a mass grave by archaeologists from both countries in 2019. The dig was led by Pierre Malinowski, the Kremlin-connected head of the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historic Initiatives. The three women are believed to be so-called "vivandieres", who provided first aid and kept canteens in the French army, while the three adolescents are believed to have been drummers. All are thought to have fallen during the Battle of Vyazma on November 3, 1812 at the beginning of the French army's retreat from Moscow and before the horrific crossing of the Berezina River. The ceremony, complete with a gun salute, will mark a rare moment of unity between Russia and Europe at a time of heightened tensions over a litany of issues including the Kremlin's increasingly harsh crackdown on political opposition. 'Sign of reconciliation' "Direct descendants of the main players in the conflict are meeting here together in a sign of reconciliation to commemorate the Russian and French soldiers that their ancestors commanded more than 200 years ago," Malinowski told AFP. Yulia Khitrovo, a descendant of Russian field marshal Mikhail Kutuzov -- considered a national hero for repelling Napoleon's invasion -- added: "Death made them equal: they are all in one grave now." Prince Joachim Murat, a descendant of one of Napoleon's most celebrated marshals, called the upcoming ceremony a "symbol of mutual respect" between the once-warring sides. The site was first discovered during construction work and was initially believed to be one of the many World War II mass graves that dot western Russia. But research by the Russian Academy of Sciences later showed that the remains were of victims of Napoleon's campaign, most of them in their 30s at the time of their death, said anthropologist Tatyana Shvedchikova. Alexander Khokhlov, head of the archaeological expedition, said that the discovery of metal uniform buttons helped establish that some of the victims served in the French army's 30th and 55th line infantry regiments and 24th light infantry regiment. Short link: Unleashed: No, this is mine! Food is a primary resource this is true of all animals. However, having a dog that guards their food can be problematic. Im not one to advocate reaching into your dogs bowl, and whipping their food away to prove youre the master and if anything, depending on the dog, this could make things much worse but I do advocate doing lots of work with your dog with food being a central tenet. CommunityPets By Russell D Russell Saturday 13 February 2021, 11:00AM Photo: Karsten Winegeart / Unsplash The language barrier that exists between us humans and our canine companions is such that when dogs snap, or bite, it is often described as something out of the blue. However, dogs are zen masters of communication and body language, so the signs and signals are all there. The reason people end up on the receiving end of a snap, or a bite, is that theyve misread, or missed entirely, the signals the dog was displaying. Resource guarding in general is quite common in dogs as their way of simply saying, No, this is mine! But if a dog is guarding his food, or her toy, and (for whatever reason) you simply need to take it away then there is likely to be some issues. Knowing what to look for is the first step in helping to modify this behaviour, before it becomes a serious issue. There are some key things to look for. SPEED EATING Some dogs always eat fast its just them. If you have a Lab or a Beagle (without being breed-ist about it!) you probably know what I mean. However, these dogs probably eat fast, regardless of situation. But for dogs that feel threatened when people, or other dogs approach will noticeably increase their speed, and maybe position their bodies differently to try and block access to their food bowl. THE HARD FREEZE If the intruder continues to close in on your dogs food bowl, the next step is likely to your dog freezing on the spot. Your dogs snout may still be in the bowl, but he wont be eating. He will be glancing at the approaching target with what is called a hard eye. This is a warning shot, essentially saying, Im not messing about here. GRRRR! If the body block, the freeze and the hard stare dont work, then the dog will escalate to a low, deep growl, which usually includes a lip curl. Its worth noting at this point that dogs arent stupid and would generally prefer to avoid confrontation. They know its costly in terms of energy expenditure and its risky business. Hopefully a well-intentioned threat of violence will suffice. The lip curl and low growl is that, well-intentioned threat. Additionally, the level of the lip curl will give you an insight into the dogs mentality. Dogs that only very slightly curl the lip, maybe just showing the side of a front canine, are dogs that are seriously confident about their abilities if this has to continue. The dogs that are baring ALL their teeth, with the lips pulled right back, are the ones that are perhaps more unsure, and likely to back down if things escalate. The full teeth display is almost a sign of I seriously hope this works, as its all I have. SNAP! If all warning signs have so far gone unheeded, the next level on offer for a dog is an air snap. This is usually the point where folks start to back out. The dog may partly lunge, snapping his teeth together a few times in your direction. Ive often heard people saying they didnt get bitten, because they moved their hand away too quickly for the dog. Rubbish. Dog reactions are five to seven times faster than ours. If the dog wanted to bite you at this point, he would have done. He just didnt want to, he only wanted to warn you. This air snap may be repetitive and also coincide with further growling, or even barking. HOLD IT! If at this stage, either the person, or other animal, still hasnt got the picture, then the dog may offer whats called a bite hold. This isnt a bite per se, its not intended to puncture or cause damage, its literally a hold. Its akin to someone putting their hands on you really firmly as if to say, Enough is enough. CHOMP And lastly, the actual bite. But, darn it, you cant say you werent warned! Its also worth mentioning here that the time it takes for dogs to go through these stages depend on numerous factors. Not least of which is the dogs own temperament. You all know people that have very short fuses when it comes to anything confrontational, dogs can be the same. Equally, some dogs are very tolerant its not breed-specific, its purely down to the individual dog. So, as you can see, there is a lot of information that our dogs will give us when guarding particular items, be it toys, or food. And whilst growling on its own may be impolite to you, it is also a key piece of information. The dog is clearly saying, hes uncomfortable with something. Identify what is causing the dog to feel that way, and thats the bit we work on re-conditioning. If you would like some more information on canine training, or behavioural issues, then please contact us on 091 654 1960, email info@k9pointacademy.com, or check our website www.k9pointacademy.com. CPA is accredited with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), as an American Kennel Club (AKC) Evaluator and a Professional Member of the IACP. At least six people suffered injuries after an explosion close to the presidential palace in Somalias Mogadishu on February 13, a government spokesperson said. According to reports, the blast hit the Sayidka junction on the main road towards the palace. The explosion occurred at 9am (local time) and was followed by gunfire. The government spokesperson informed that the security forces had thwarted a potentially massive suicide attack near the Sayidka junction after the perpetrator ignored orders to stop at the Dabka checkpoint. The officials said that soldiers fired at the car before the blast went off. The damage was minimised, but six people were injured. Further, the officials said that the attacked was confirmed dead. Somalias local media reported that seven people were wounded and the death toll is likely to increase. It is worth noting that Mogadishu is regularly targeted with attacks by the Al-Qaeda linked Al Shabaab terror group. Earlier this month, a hotel in Somalia was attacked by terrorists, who barged into the premises with guns and started firing indiscriminately on people after a vehicle carrying explosives hit the entrance gate. The attack was claimed by the terrorist organisation Al-Shabab, who took responsibility on their radio channel Andalus. The attack took place near the capital Mogadishu's strategic K-4 junction. READ: Somalia's Talks On Troubled Election Fail 2 Days Before Vote READ: Al-Shabab Terrorists Attack Hotel In Somalia's Mogadishu; 7 Casualties Reported So Far Somalia conflict Meanwhile, the ongoing civil war in Somalia escalated after the fall of the military junta government in 1991, which was led by Siad Barre. The country became a failed state with no law and order in the absence of a central government. The United Nations intervened in 1992 but had to withdraw its peacekeeping forces following attacks on its personnel. Several factions were formed and with no one to fill the power vacuum an all-out civil war broke out in the country. Religious laws were imposed in many parts of the country, especially in the South by rebel militant groups. In the early 2000s, a Transitional National Government took over the affairs in the country, which brought the fighting under control to some extent. In 2006, after the Ethiopian Army invaded the southern part of Somalia and overthrew the Islamic Courts Union, the violent re-escalated. Members of the ICU broke away and formed smaller militant groups, one of which became to be known as Al-Shabab. The terrorist group notably took over Mogadishu from the Ethiopian Army, which was occupying the city at the time. The internationally recognised Somalian government managed to take back Mogadishu from Al-Shabab in 2011 but violence continues until this day. (With inputs from ANI) (Image: @mckaadiye/Twitter) READ: Time Running Out On Somalia's Troubled Vote As Citizens Sigh READ: Ugandan Troops In Somalia Say 189 Extremists Killed In Raid Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. EC statement on compliance of COVID norms in elections in light of Madras HC observations and order Lawyer on EC's panel resigns for values not being in consonance with poll body Election Commission to set up 'core committee' to identify shortcomings during assembly polls TN, Puducherry polls to be held simultaneously: CEC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Chennai, Feb 13: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said here on Friday the Assembly polls due in the next few months would be held simultaneously in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. He was addressing reporters here before ending his two- day visit, along with a team from the Election Commission, to the Union Territory to review its poll preparedness. Asked about voting rights of members nominated to the Territorial Assembly, he said the Supreme Court had in 2018 ordered such members had voting rights. Central police forces will play a greater role in poll bound states: CEC Arora He read out the provisions for nomination of members in the Union Territory Act and from the extracts of the apex court judgement on voting rights for nominated legislators. Arora said he and his team have had discussions with the officials of various departments such as the enforcement departments and state-level bankers committee, among others. "It was a fruitful meeting," he said. The Chief Election Commissioner further said the commission would ensure free, fair, inducement-free and COVID-19-safe elections. He said there would be zero tolerance to misuse of money power and illegal distribution of freebies and other inducements to voters. He said the number of polling booths would be increased from 952 to 1,564 in the Union Territory. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News The election official said it was also insisted at the meeting that no polling station should be above the ground- level as the aged and physically challenged voters should face no difficulty. He released a booklet on SVEEP (systematic voters education and electoral participation) and also flagged off a vehicle to highlight the chief features of SVEEP. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 11:34 [IST] State regulators are gearing up for potential power outages early next week as a winter storm and bitter cold strain electricity and natural gas supplies. Both wholesale power and natural gas prices are soaring as frigid weather moves into Texas and the states grid manager projects record power consumption during the cold snap. Wholesale electricity prices were surging to $1,000 per megawatt hour for Monday and Tuesday, according to S&P Global Platts, while spot prices for natural gas hit $100 per millon British thermal units in Texas markets. Wholesale power prices averaged $22 per megawatt hour last year, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Natural gas spot prices were less than $3.50 per million British thermal units at the Henry Hub delivery location in Louisiana early this week. Tomlinson: Coal plants present dilemma for power producers as they confront climate change The Texas Railroad Commission on Friday night issued an emergency order to manage the potential shortages of natural gas as residents crank up the heat to stay warm and power plants crank up generation to meet electricity demand. The commissions order requires that gas is first delivered to residences, hospitals, schools, churches and other locations that meet human needs, then to power plants and then to industrial users. Temperatures Monday night could dip to near single digits after a weekend with highs barely breaking 40 degrees. Western and northern areas of Texas have already been coated by ice that has taken out large swaths of power generating wind turbines as power demand soars. The grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, projects that demand will peak at around 72,000 megawatt hours during periods Monday and Tuesday, according to S&P Global Platts, well above the previous winter record of 65,915 MW set on Jan. 17, 2018 It is going to be a really tight weekend. It is going to be particularly tight on Monday and Tuesday, Public Utility Commission Chairman DeAnn Walker said at a Friday meeting. My understanding is, the wind turbines are all frozen. I encourage everyone to keep all that in mind. We are working already to try and ensure we have enough power but its taken a lot of coordination. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state power grid and the flow of power to more than 26 million Texas customers, is working with generators to make sure they can supply power during the coldest periods, said communications manager Leslie Sopko. Weve had a significant number of wind facilities that had to be taken out of service due to icing. That is certainly something that we are having to work around during this time, she said. The wind turbines that have been coated in ice will need time and warmer temperatures before they can function again, says Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer at the University of Houston. When ice forms on a turbine, it weighs it down and can break it, Krishnamoorti said. There is significant load on the electricity and gas markets, and we could lose a big source of electricity generation from the wind turbines. That is the conundrum we are facing. Wind generates about 20 percent of electricity in Texas. But the rest of the states power system isnt immune to the extended cold period and precipitation. The sustained period of colder than normal temperatures will put pressure on demand as people try to keep their homes warm. With a cold snap, which Texans are fairly accustomed to, the temperature drops below freezing for about a day, said Andrew Barlow, director of external affairs at the Public Utilities Commission. But what we are looking at is sustained temperatures below freezing for a couple of days. Krishnamoorti is not ruling out the possibility of blackouts with the incoming storm. It could very well happen, absolutely, because of the two factor effect, he said. If it just gets cold, it might not be so bad. It it gets cold and it is wet, that really causes a problem. Downed power lines caused by icing could keep some customers in the cold and dark for an extended time. That kind of restoration isnt a matter of simply flipping a switch. You have to send out a crew, Barlow said. Sopko said ERCOT, which manages the flow of power to more than 26 million Texas customers, is working with generators to make sure they can supply power during the coldest periods. CenterPoint Energy, the regulated utility that delivers electricity to Houston-area homes and that provides natural gas service, is preparing for the storm and monitoring weather conditions, spokeswoman Alejandra Diaz said. We have completed a readiness assessment for inclement weather operations, Diaz said. We are also planning to pause planned outages scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, unless needed for emergency purposes. CenterPoints crews are ready to work long hours throughout the storm in an effort to restore power when necessary, she said, adding that the companys natural gas system is ready for the added demand. "Our natural gas systems and equipment are tested regularly and are prepared to function properly during lower temperatures and increased energy usage," Diaz said. Houston last saw a storm of this magnitude in February 2011, when rolling blackouts left residents in the cold and dark. The outages left thousands of area children in dark, cold classrooms as about 30 of the 300 HISD schools lost power for as long as a couple of hours. At Hobby Airport, four partial blackouts temporarily dimmed some terminals but didnt interfere with security or prevent flights from taking off or landing. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told President Donald Trump that he had heard gunfire outside the House chamber, when the two leaders talked during the insurrection - a conversation that is now at the center of the Senate impeachment trial. ABC News' Jonathan Karl reported Saturday that McCarthy had made a specific reference to shots being fired as he encouraged Trump to call off the MAGA mob. On Saturday morning, the lead impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin, made a surprise announcement that the Democrats wanted witnesses on the heels of CNN's blockbuster Friday night report that included new details about Trump refusing to rein in his supporters who were attacking the Capitol on January 6. New details about a call between President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (pictured) triggered chaos Saturday morning when Democrats announced they wanted witnesses for the impeachment trial. ABC News reported that McCarthy had told Trump he heard gunfire during their conversation mid-insurrection Rep. Jamie Raskin made the surprise announcement Saturday morning that the House Democratic impeachment managers wished to call witnesses, after details about a call between McCarthy and Trump became public Friday night CNN reported that Trump, seen on January 6, got into a screaming match with McCarthy who told the president that the rioters were breaking his windows. When Trump made his comment about them caring more about the election, McCarthy replied with, 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' In particular, the House Democratic team wanted to hear more from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who went public with what she knew about the call between McCarthy and Trump. McCarthy had debriefed a number of GOP lawmakers on the conversation after the fact. 'For that reason and because this is the proper time to do so under the resolution the Senate adopted to set the rules for the trial we would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera regarding her communications with the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and to subpoena her contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection,' Raskin told the Senate audience. 'We will be prepared to proceed by Zoom deposition of an hour or less just as soon as Congresswoman Herrera Beutler is available and to then proceed to the next phase of the trial, including the introduction of that testimony shortly thereafter,' he added. The new twist to Trump's impeachment trial, which was expected to conclude Saturday, came after CNN reported Friday night new details about the call. CNN said that Trump and McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. McCarthy, who was described by CNN as 'furious,' yelled at Trump that the rioters were breaking his windows. 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' the top House Republican yelled at the president of the United States. CNN's sources were Republican members of Congress, who believed that the contents of the call prove that Trump had no interest in calling off the deadly riot. 'He is not a blameless observer, he was rooting for them,' one GOP unnamed lawmaker said. 'On January 13, Kevin McCarthy said on the floor of the House that the President bears responsibility and he does.' 'This proves that the president knew very early on - what the mob was doing, and he knew members were at risk and he refused to act ... it's a violation of his oath of office to fail to come to this defense of Congress and the constitutional process immediately,' another GOP member familiar with the call told CNN. Herrera Beutler, a Washington state Republican who voted in favor of Trump's impeachment, mentioned Trump's comments to McCarthy during a town hall this week. She later confirmed the exchange to CNN. 'You have to look at what he did during the insurrection to confirm where his mind was at,' Herrera Beutler said. 'That line right there demonstrates to me that either he didn't care, which is impeachable, because you cannot allow an attack on your soil, or he wanted it to happen and was OK with it, which makes me so angry.' 'We should never stand for that, for any reason, under any party flag,' the lawmaker continued. 'I'm trying really hard not to say the F-word.' And she again stood by her account in a Twitter statement on Friday evening. She wrote: When McCarthy finally reached the President on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol. McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: "well I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are." 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here now would be the time.' Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio Republican who voted to impeach Trump, told CNN that he believes the exchange 'speaks to the former President's mindset.' 'He was not sorry to see his unyieldingly loyal vice president or the Congress under attack by the mob he inspired. In fact, it seems he was happy about it or at the least enjoyed the scenes that were horrifying to most Americans across the country,' Gonzalez said. During Friday's impeachment trial, Trump's lawyers tried to deny the president even knew that individuals like Vice President Mike Pence were in peril. 'The answer is no. At no point was the president informed the vice president was in any danger,' Trump's attorney Bruce Castor said, despite Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama saying that on a call he had with Trump during the insurrection he mentioned that Pence was being whisked away to a secure location. After Friday's proceedings, Tuberville told reporters he stood by his account. Tuberville's testimony or his phone records could also be requested by the Democratic impeachment managers. As part of efforts to mark this years World Radio Day, Fidelity Bank Ghana, has presented chocolates, PPEs and other souvenirs to selected radio stations across the country to recognize the role of radio stations in the development of the nation in general and the success of Fidelity Bank in particular. Some of the radio operators appreciated by the Bank include Peace FM, Okay FM, Citi FM, Joy FM, Adom FM, Happy FM, Vision 1 FM, and Starr FM. World Radio Day 2021, which marks the 10th anniversary of this global celebration, celebrates radio for its contribution to humanitys history. As the world changes, so do radio. The theme for this years edition, New World, New Radio Evolution, Innovation, Connection, is a tribute to the strength of radio and the recognition of its ability for continuous adaptation to societal changes and the ever-evolving needs of its audience. Commenting on the occasion, Head of Marketing of Fidelity Bank Ghana, Yvonne Y. Botchey, stated, Today we at Fidelity Bank celebrate World Radio Day and the unique ability of radio to touch lives and bring people together from every corner of the country. We will endeavour to work together with radio stations in the country to better the lives of Ghanaians through innovative financial products and services. We want to use this occasion to thank all radio stations in the country for the wonderful work that they are doing by way of informing, educating and entertaining us, she added. Fidelitys recognition of Radio Operators on World Radio Day forms part of the Banks Together Were More brand promise that views success as a collaborative effort, achieved by working together with key stakeholders like the media, customers and the general public. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Rishi Sunak was today urged to come to the aid of Britain's Covid-hit 'night-time economy' with a 4.5 billion rescue fund. Representatives of nightclubs, music venues and bars joined with MPs to warn the Chancellor that without help the sector 'will all but collapse'. In a letter to Mr Sunak, they said that would have a 'devastating impact' as the sector was worth 66 billion a year and was 'integral to the economic and cultural life of our nation'. They acknowledged the 'unprecedented interventions' the Chancellor had already made to support the economy and the wider hospitality sector through measures including the furlough scheme and business rates relief. Rishi Sunak was today urged to come to the aid of Britain's Covid-hit 'night-time economy' with a 4.5 billion rescue fund. Pictured: The nightclub Cafe de Paris near Piccadilly Circus, London, announced it would shut down permanently in December last year But they warned that 'significant parts' of the night-time economy businesses that operate between 6pm and 6am had 'fallen through the cracks of the support already offered'. They raised fears that 400,000 of the sector's 1.3 million workers had already been made redundant. 'In the past nine months, our viable nightlife sector has been obliterated,' they said, adding: 'Many businesses in the sector have been totally closed since March 2020 with no meaningful opportunity to open and trade. Those that have been able to trade have operated under serious restrictions on capacity, opening hours and wet [drink] sales.' They added that 'freelancers and sole traders in our sector have been excluded from financial packages and closed nightlife businesses are still suffering from debilitating debts and overheads'. That meant the sector was 'in desperate need of targeted support and funding beyond measures already provided'. In a letter to Mr Sunak, they said that would have a 'devastating impact' as the sector was worth 66 billion a year and was 'integral to the economic and cultural life of our nation' They called for a grant scheme understood to amount to 4.5 billion over the next six months. The Chancellor was also urged to extend the furlough scheme, business rates relief and reduced VAT as well as provide a 'roadmap to recovery for our sector'. Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night-Time Industries Association, said: 'We have been told that we will be one of the last sectors to be allowed to open its doors. We need a Budget that is focused on rescue and regeneration, not recuperation.' Labour MP Jeff Smith, chairman of the night-time economy all-party parliamentary group, warned that if the sector was allowed to collapse 'it would rip the heart out of our town and city centres' and leave 'a gaping hole in the economy and the social lives of millions'. Volvo Cars India has appointed Jyoti Malhotra as the new Managing Director of the company. The new appointment will come in to effect from 1 March. With the appointment of Jyoti Malhotra, Volvo Cars India has chosen the first Indian to lead the company in India. Currently, Malhotra serves as the Director Sales and Marketing for the company and he joined the company in August 2016. Malhotra has over 24 years of automotive experience in the sales and marketing domain. Before his initial position in Volvo Cars India, Malhotra has held national, regional and local positions in various automotive companies like Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Fiat Auto India. Prior to Malhotra, Charles Frump was at the helm of the company since October 2017. "Frump has completed a successful tenure in India and is moving over to another global assignment. Jyoti takes over from Charles on March 1, 2021," the Swedish automaker said in a statement. Under Frump, the company started its local production in India, introduced new generation models and expanded Volvo's footprint in India. "India is one of the most dynamic automobile markets in the world and it has been an honour to be a part of the same for over three years now... "At present, we are at a critical juncture in the Indian market where the industry is moving towards a significant transformation to electric mobility and I am confident Jyoti will lead the company through this phase in an extremely seamless manner," Frump said. With Inputs from PTI Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. 404 When Sex and the City arrived on our screens in 1998, sex was already on the brain for much of the audience. The Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal was dominating the airwaves, and talk of incriminating stains, wayward cigars and phone sex was ubiquitous in media coverage and water-cooler conversations around the world. Yet while Lewinsky was cast as a laughingstock and a "tramp" - a popular perception that has since undergone mass re-evaluation post-#MeToo - Sex and the City (SATC) took a very different view of female sexuality. Carrie Bradshaw was introduced as a sort of sexual anthropologist, investigating whether women could have "sex like a man" - that is, "without feeling". Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha were single women seeking sex for sex's sake, and they weren't punished for it, nor depicted as "fallen women". Now, 22 years on, the landmark show is set to return - without Samantha - into a new pop-culture landscape, where many of our most pervasive cultural moments feature women speaking candidly about sex, from Fleabag's shamelessly libidinous narrator asking viewers "do I have a massive a**hole?" to the women of Girls Trip demonstrating the "grapefruit technique" to the sexually explicit lyrics of chart-topping songs such as Ariana Grande's 34+35 or Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's WAP. And though elements of SATC have undoubtedly aged poorly - most notably its glaring lack of diversity and its characters' outrageous standards of living - many of its girl-talk scenes are still relevant today. "SATC was the first time I saw a realistic portrayal of how women speak about sex and relationships to each other," says Jenny Claffey, co-host of the It Galz podcast, which blends cultural commentary with unfiltered chat about sex and dating. She notes she was struck by "how frank the conversations are, how they're not always romanticised but often approached with comedy". Over six seasons, SATC featured some of pop culture's most graphic discussions of female sexuality. Expand Close Chris Noth stars as Mr. Big, left, and Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chris Noth stars as Mr. Big, left, and Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City In a refreshing, even radical, departure from most mass-media depictions of women's sexuality, the central characters insisted on the female orgasm as an essential part of sex, devoting a season-four episode to Samantha's search for her "lost" orgasm. "SATC signalled almost a 'giving permission' to women that the world was ready for them to express their sexuality and desires," says Muire O'Farrell, health promotion officer with Cork's Sexual Health Centre. "It also portrayed single women as inherently sexual people with full lives. SATC enabled women - all different types of women - to see themselves and their own desires portrayed publicly and unapologetically for the first time." Although the TV series was based on Candace Bushnell's book of essays, Aoife O'Toole, manager of the Dublin Feminist Film Festival, points out that the show was created by a man, Darren Star. And while many episodes were helmed by influential female film-makers such as Nicole Holofcener, Susan Seidelman and Alison Maclean, both films were directed by Michael Patrick King. Aoife says that in the years since SATC ended, women have been increasingly empowered to tell their own stories in shows like Broad City, Girls and Insecure. "A lot of 'mainstream' shows still struggle with depicting women's sexual desires without tying it to some sort of plot point or character trait - as in, 'She has sexual desires because of X/Y/Z personality issue,'" says Aoife. "Often, historical shows and genre shows handle this better, like Outlander or Masters of Sex, [where] their sexuality is one facet of a multi-dimensional character. Lesbian film and television also seem to be pushing forward in novel ways, such as the recent Portrait of a Lady on Fire." Expand Close Lizzy Caplan in Masters of Sex / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lizzy Caplan in Masters of Sex Elsewhere, the podcasting boom of the last decade has brought with it a new space for women to speak honestly about their sexual appetite, from sex-advice shows like Call Her Daddy to Thirst Aid Kit's musings on celebrity crushes to erotic scripted dramas such as Dirty Diana. "I think the medium of podcasting is amazing as we are no longer dependent on producers and mainstream media to represent 'normal women'. We now have the ability to represent ourselves through open conversation," says Jenny, adding that some audiences are reluctant to hear what women have to say. "From an Irish perspective, it is not mainstream. As a sex podcast, we're still seen as controversial and risque, and some of our more sex-themed content exists behind a paywall for that reason. People get very uncomfortable when women talk about sex in the same ways that men do, and they judge women for it, but I do think that is changing, slowly but surely." The stigma around representations of desiring women may have lessened, yet this coincides with what Diane Negra, professor of film studies and screen culture at UCD, describes as "the collapse of romantic hopefulness". "Think about the great Hollywood tradition of romantic couples. That is meant to be a filter over the relationship between Carrie and Big: the idea that the couple stands at the centre of 'the good life' as it's meant to be lived. I think that kind of scene-setting has now been cast into great doubt," she explains. "So even though women are more licensed to express desire, the question of what women should want or how it can ever be realised has gotten a lot murkier." Though female desire is now more socially acceptable, Diane argues that it's also "not purposeful" - as our faith in traditional social institutions, particularly marriage, has wavered, women have lost confidence in what they believe will make them happy. Such uncertainty is echoed in shows such as Dublin Murders or Run starring Domhnall Gleeson, which Diane cites as examples of narratives that take an ambiguous, ambivalent view on whether their couples should stay together. "I'm seeing a lot of hedging on romance, and portrayals in which there's a lens over the romance that suggests that it won't survive for very long," she explains, pointing to the rise in romances "marked by illness or dysfunction", such as Silver Linings Playbook and Five Feet Apart, where a character's mental or physical illness means the romance isn't permitted full closure in the classic Hollywood mould. "The chick flick is in a deep state of decline," Diane says. Instead, we're seeing films where the generic terrain of the Hollywood rom-com is satirised, such as the brain-injury comedy Isn't It Romantic, which she suggests reflect a wider tentativeness around romance. When SATC was on air, Diane notes, popular culture was in the midst of a lengthy phase of over-investment in what has been termed the matrimonial industrial complex, which reinforced the idea that making the "right match" was central to a happy, fulfilled life, as showcased in films like Father of the Bride and The Wedding Planner. "My sense is that that desperate, naked focus on bridal culture is no longer plausible," says Diane. Expand Close Fleabag: Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Andrew Scott / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fleabag: Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Andrew Scott "This leaves us in a very unclear place when it comes to what sexual culture looks like and what intimacy consists of, because I think the bigger picture here is how technologised intimacy has become." Technological advancements mark the clearest social distinction between then and now - the year of SATC's debut, 1998, also saw the release of the Nokia 5110 and, according to UK studies, only 25% of the population had a mobile phone. A 2019 survey by Deloitte found that 96% of Irish people have a mobile phone, while couples today are just as likely to meet on Tinder or Bumble as in a glitzy cocktail bar. "If you want to think of the consummate example of post-SATC intimacy culture, I might propose that it's MTV's Catfish, and that sense that we don't know who we're dealing with," says Diane. "I think that intimacy culture has gotten very, very mistrustful, and what we're seeing in a lot of representations now is an openly transactional relationship to sexuality, in which older ideas about intimacy and a sense of deep affinity with another person have really, really declined." How the SATC revival chooses to tackle technology will be fascinating, as will its approach to modern sexuality, although later instalments in the franchise roundly failed to capture the zeitgeist. "On the one hand, it's a franchise that has shown that it can't evolve with the times, because everything kind of fell apart with that last film, which badly misjudged the early global financial crash moment," says Diane. "But on the other hand, in this time we're living through, where you have these high unmet social needs, and television has emerged as the premier parasocial comfort for most of us, it's an opportune moment for pre-sold franchises that recall another era." She notes that the big question going into the revival is how the show will treat the characters' age, given the leading actresses are in their mid-fifties - comparable in age to Dorothy, Rose and Blanche of 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls. "There's a possibility for SATC to do something very interesting, which is to meaningfully engage with midlife women's experiences and concerns. That's something that our popular culture has tended to do hardly at all and very badly," says Diane. "Inevitably, because of the nature of the series, it can only deal with what it's like to be a midlife, rich, white woman in New York now, and I think one of the differences between now and, say, 20 years ago, is a massive social transition in terms of privilege consciousness, so that will probably colour the reception of this series in a way the first series didn't have to account for as much." In 2017, fans poked fun at the more dated aspects of the show with "woke Charlotte" memes that recast the group's most conservative member as its voice of reason. In 2021, however, Diane observes that the gang are more likely to be perceived as "Karens", the reboot arriving at a cultural moment when midlife white women are being excoriated for their privilege. "I'm struck by the fact that SATC is going to be foregrounding the question of what white midlife women's lives are like at a time when it's become pretty common to satirise, mock and attack such women. I think the series is going to have to push back against that a little bit," she adds. Jenny also wants to see the revival address the characters' age "directly and honestly", but not without humour. "I would love for the women to approach topical things like gender and sexuality being more fluid, and things like OnlyFans and internet culture, but from the perspective of an older woman - I think they could approach this in a really funny way," she says, wary of an overly earnest meditation on privilege. "I really hope they don't lose the comedic element of the show, especially when approaching more sensitive topics." With Samantha absent, all of the women of SATC will be married for over 10 years. Muire is eager to see how the show will cover how desire evolves in long-term relationships, something rarely represented in our youth-obsessed popular culture. "Realistically, how sexually active are you at that point? What is important in a sexual and physical relationship as you age with a partner? Does that relationship last? And if not, what does it mean to be 50 and single in today's world?" she says. "You don't become sexually redundant after 50, and I have no doubt Sex and the City will make that known." Government will be moving to clamp down on food establishments which have been trying to beat the COVID restrictions, by bringing out their staff to prepare meals, which are then put on sale at other locations. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said that he is aware of reports of individuals avoiding travel restrictions by travelling to Tenerife under the auspices of having dental work done. "We don't regard a dentist's appointment in Tenerife as being a reasonable excuse to travel," the Commissioner said on Friday's Late Late Show. Mr Harris said that while medical intervention and medical treatment are permitted under current regulations, there was a question of how reasonable a trip abroad like this may be. I would suggest that travelling to Tenerife, thousands of kilometres, whenever there are perfectly good dentists here in Ireland is not reasonable. The Commissioner said that from Friday morning, gardai had "changed their approach" and admitted that the 500 fine was "perhaps not the deterrent we thought it might be." "We found out today that people have turned back rather than be prosecuted and have a criminal record and risk actually imprisonment or a suspended sentence which is far greater penalty than a 500 fixed penalty notice," he said. Elsewhere in his interview, Mr Harris revealed that he himself was out of work with Covid-19 for about two and a half weeks over Christmas and the new year. He described his experience as mild but unpleasant and said that his heart goes out to all of those who have suffered and who continue to suffer from it. I count myself as being very fortunate, and very lucky, he said. Commenting on the overall availability of Gardai throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the commissioner said that while the force had had a bad period in terms of staffing in January, the force was currently 95% operational. "In more normal times we would be at about 97% so we have 200-300 who are either suffering from Covid or self-isolating." Restriction compliance and garda availability The Commissioner also spoke to host Ryan Tubridy of the experience of gardai generally over the last year, and of the levels of public compliance with public health guidelines. "We are seeing an awful lot of compliance, the vast majority are compliant, but we are also seeing irresponsible behaviour," he said. "Irresponsible behaviour which is risking lives in the end and so we have had to adopt an enforcement approach around situations like shebeens and perhaps in terms of travel restrictions. "The advice is 'stay at home'. There are exceptions to that, but those must be with reasonable cause, you must have some reason why you are out of your home." Host Ryan Tubridy and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on Friday's Late Late. Picture: RTE/ Twitter Asked about whether some powers given to gardai could infringe on civil liberties, Mr Harris said the extraordinary powers do make him nervous in a certain regard. "They make me nervous in so much as we must have some set clauses and cut off points and that's what's built into our legislation in any case. There's a huge amount of cheques and balances in our system," he said. Mr Harris said that even within a large organisation like An Garda Siochana there was always going to be a "very small minority" who sometimes "let the side down" in terms of discipline and adherence to public health guidelines. "That's for me to deal with. We are a disciplined service," he said. "We uphold the law so therefore we must set an exemplary standard to others in our behaviour and our adherence to the law." The impact of his father's murder Towards the end of the interview, Mr Harris was asked about the impact the murder of his father had had on his life and career. The Commissioner's father, Alwyn Harris, a Royal Ulster Constabulary superintendent, was killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on October 8, 1989. "I think that it takes a long time to come to terms with something as difficult, and traumatic and as awful in your life and to carry it with you every day. "Every day I would think about my father," he said. He said that the traumatic experience of losing his father in that way had given him "an empathy for those who have been the victim of serious crime." "I would have spent a lot of my service dealing with murder investigations and overseeing murder investigations and I always thought that was our opportunity to give the person who was the victim their last voice. "In lots of ways it has had a profound effect on my outlook on what policing should be," he added. In the wide range of unlikely eventualities which, only a year ago, you could not even have imagined - pubs closed, elbow-bumping, home-schooling, cutting your own hair and not being allowed into a bank WITHOUT a mask - this week has produced another stonker: being threatened with 10 years in prison for telling lies about where you've been on holiday. Ten years! To put this in context, Al Capone got 11. It's not even a new thing - people lying about their holidays. Not so long ago, it was standard policy to talk your break up a bit. "Oh, you should have seen the hotel. Fabulous. And the weather - it was almost too hot. Total chill-out for both of us." When the truth was the hotel was a dive, it rained every day and the pair of you fought the bit out for the week you were there. Holidays are now more or less illegal. Fly back to England from 30 red-list destinations and you'll be lifted at the airport and whisked to a three-star airport hotel for 10 days' incarceration at your own expense. Quite hefty expense, too. 1,750 per person. For that, you get three meals a day, wash your own sheets and are confined to quarters by guards. Even San Quentin has an exercise yard. Okay. There are good reasons for strict rules. Scary new mutant strains. And in the grand scheme of things, given the suffering that so many people have had to go through over this last, awful year, being told that we're going to have to put up with restrictions on freedom for a while yet is understandable. But the reason, I think, why so many people have gone off at the deep end this week over the Government's suggestion that vacations, even staycations, will be out for summer 2021, is that it's further evidence of what you could call the suppression of hope. Made worse by Matt Hancock revealing, only hours after Grant Shapps had delivered his getaway fatwa, that actually he and Mrs Hancock and the kids had booked for a break in Cornwall. Nice for some. Say what you will about Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann, but while he may not always be official spokesperson for the light at the end of the tunnel, at least he is consistent and honest. This week, he outlined a roadmap for restriction release. (Next week, we may hear from Arlene on local holiday travel rules.) Westminster, by contrast, is continually all over the show. In any 24-hour period, they go through more U-turns and contradictory pronouncements than we go through seasons in a day. In one press conference, Boris is holding out a brochure for Sun, Sand and Sea, 2021. Next one, he's pulling the beach towel from under you. Don't, whatever you do, imagine that one day soon you can park your campervan on the sunlit uplands. They're not just curtailing our liberty with this - they're outlawing daydreaming. Even on the telly, the getaways have gone - the travel shows and the travel ads. Now the ads (daytime TV especially) are mostly charity appeals for poor donkeys and unfortunate kittens. It would wear you down, it really would. Not so long ago, we were being told the vaccine would be a game-changer. There was optimistic talk about holidays in summer 2021. People made bookings on the back of it. Now, unlike the airline industry, that's once again all up in the air. People need something to look forward to. A break from gloom. They may take away our freedom, but they shall never take away our holiday brochures. Keep eyes glued on DIY hair stylist In Louisiana, DIY hair stylist Tessica Brown, having run out of Got2B Glued hairspray, reached for that obvious replacement - Gorilla Glue. A permanent adhesive so strong it can even bond metal. A month on, she's still stuck with her new hairdo. She's been to ER and has sought cosmetic surgery. Joking aside, it does sound horrible. But on the plus side, Tessica's attracted a global online following and now has a manager and an agent. She's also said to be considering court action against the glue company. A legal sticking-point may be that she's obviously daft as a brush. Campbells observations un-Christian In an unusual move for a DUP politician, Gregory Campbell has taken it upon himself to castigate Christians singing the praises of the Lord. Not on theological grounds, but on account of skin colour. Gregory insists he is not a racist, but, having done an inventory of those participating in a TV gospel-singing competition, notes that contestants, judges and presenters were all black. This is a BBC sop, he feels, to the Black Lives Matter lobby. He missed one participant. Jesus, central to many of those songs of praise, would also count as BAME. Meghans victory is a hollow one Expand Close Meghan Markle Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan Markle Meghan Markle this week won a legal action against the Mail on Sunday. But might it feel like a hollow victory? What the court case has flagged up, yet again, is that this cheerleader for love and understanding and outreach to all mankind remains estranged from her dear old da. He's never met Prince Harry. Never met his own grandson. The royals live by the dictum Never Explain, Never Complain. Sometimes when you do, you win the battle. But you lose the war. Siemens Energy has signed an agreement with Canada-based TC Energy Corporation (TC Energy) to commission a novel waste heat-to-power pilot installation in Alberta. The facility will capture waste heat from a gas-fired turbine operating at a pipeline compression station and convert it into emissions-free power, said the statement from the company. The electricity produced will be put back into the grid - resulting in estimated greenhouse gas reductions of 44,000 tonne per year, equivalent to taking more than 9,000 vehicles off the road. As part of the agreement with TC Energy, Siemens Energy will build, own, and operate the facility, with the option for ownership to be transferred back to TC Energy at a later date. At the heart of the facility will be an innovative heat recovery process designed by Siemens Energy. The patented technology, licensed under Echogen Intellectual Property, is based on an advanced Rankine Cycle and uses supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) as the working fluid to convert waste heat into power. Because of its properties, sCO2 can interact more directly with the heat source than water/steam, eliminating the need for a secondary thermal loop, typically required in traditional waste heat recovery systems, said the statement from Siemens Energy. By deploying sCO2-based waste heat recovery solutions, midstream operators can realize greater value than traditional alternatives based on Organic Rankine or steam cycles. Benefits include a 25 40 percent smaller footprint than steam-based systems, a 10 percent increase in compressor station efficiency, and the capability to produce clean, emissions-free electricity. Moreover, because the working fluid is contained within a closed-loop system, no boiler operator is required, making the system suitable for remote operation. "This pilot project is a testament not only to our extensive capabilities but also to Siemens Energys broader commitment to bring new technologies to market that can support decarbonization in the oil and gas industry," said Arja Talakar, Senior VP, Industrial Applications Products for Siemens Energy. "We are proud to partner with TC Energy to build this first-of-its-kind facility and look forward to scaling the technology to other installations in the coming years," stated Talakar. The pilot project is supported by $8 million in funding from Emissions Reduction Albertas (ERA) Industrial Efficiency Challenge. For more than 10 years, ERA has been investing the revenues from the carbon price paid by large final emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions. Since ERA was established in 2009, they have committed $616 million toward 186 projects worth $4.55 billion that are helping to reduce GHGs, create competitive industries, and are leading to new business opportunities in Alberta. These projects are estimated to deliver cumulative reductions of 35 million tonnes of COe by 2030. The new facility is expected to be commissioned toward the end of 2022 and could generate enough electricity to power more than 10,000 homes. Corey Hessen, Senior VP and President (Power & Storage) TC Energy said: "The agreement with Siemens Energy on this initiative exemplifies TC Energy's long history of embracing innovation and leading-edge technology in its operations." "We are committed to integrating sustainable energy solutions that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our footprint and look forward to having this operational at one of our compressor stations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The congressman and former Black Panther sat with theGrios April D. Ryan to discuss the feature film. The newly released Judas and the Black Messiah tells the story of how an FBI informant infiltrated the Black Panther Party. Congressman Bobby Lee Rush, a representative of the first district of Illinois and a former Black Panther himself, shared with theGrios political correspondent April Ryan his reaction to the feature film. Read More: Dozens of Chicago cops resting in Rep. Bobby Rushs burgled office face suspensions theGrio reported the film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, is produced by Ryan Coogler and stars Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton and Lakeith Stanfield plays FBI informant William ONeal. Martin Sheen co-stars as J. Edgar Hoover, who was the head of the FBI during the notorious events. Rush, a former Black Panther, was not only affiliated with the political movement, but he also had ties to Hampton as he carried out his lasting legacy. He has seen the film and shared his opinion that it be required viewing. [It] is a very important movie. This movie must be seen by all freedom-seeking, justice-seeking, good-hearted Americans because it really is a movie that shows all to see this brilliant, young, courageous Black man, Fred Hampton, who was an upstanding, courageous man, Rush shared with Ryan. He continues, A young man who was a leader of men even at 21 years old. He had such a deep-seated love, even a sacrificial love for his people and not just Black people but for poor people in general. Poor whites. Poor Latinos. Poor Asians. He had such deep-seated human values that he just couldnt hold back. He had to express. WASHINGTON, DC JULY 14: Chairman Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) listens during testimony at a House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Energy hearing in the Rayburn Building titled Oversight of DOE During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The hearing will examine the impacts of COVID-19 on the energy industry on July 14, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images) In 1968, Rush helped cofound the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and after Hamptons assassination, he became the acting chairman. As a member of the party, he established the Free Medical Clinic in Chicago and other efforts to empower and sustain the community. He eventually left the movement but stayed in politics. Story continues From 1983 to 1993, Rush was a member of the Chicago City Council. Since 1993, he has served the first district of Illinois in Congress. Read More: Rep. Bobby Rush introduces Mamie Till-Mobley Memorial Stamp Act on Juneteenth During his time as a Black Panther, Rush was aware of the governments view of the then grassroots movement. He shared the magnitude of the believed threat the group caused to politicians of the time. The Black Panther Party in general, was called by J. Edgar Hoover himself, the number one threat to national security, And why was it the number one threat to national security? Because it was an organization that really was committed and had the discipline to study and understand social movements in the past, he remarked. We had the courage as an organization, to stand and use the laws of this nation, to take on the numerous police departments all across this nation. We knew the police as an occupying army that really trampled on human rights and civil rights, [and] the legal rights of Black and poor people, just like some do today, Rush added. Darrel Britt-Gibson, Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield appear in Judas and the Black Messiah by Shaka King, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Glen Wilson. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or Courtesy of Sundance Institute. Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited. In 1969, Hampton was killed while laying in bed during a police raid. According to the Washington Post, the 21-year-old community leader was shot dead as well as fellow Black Panther 22-year-old Mark Clark. Four other members of the Panthers and two police officers were wounded in the incident. Seven Black Panthers were charged with attempted murder and which was eventually dropped. Documents released in a civil suit revealed the group was targeted by the FBIs COINTELPRO campaign. ONeal shared information with the FBI, allegedly drugged Hampton, and gave law enforcement a layout of the apartment to prepare for the raid. He died by taking his own life in 1990 at the age of 40. According to the Chicago Tribune, he was struck by a car after running onto the highway. Although ruled death by suicide, his wife informed the outlet she believed it was an accident. Although Hampton was a life taken too soon, Rush remembers him daily. He shared his belief in the potential of his former colleague and friend. it is hard for me to put into words how great Fred Hampton was because every day I live in the spirit of Fred Hampton. I have no doubt that had he lived to become more of an adult, Fred would have been one of the greatest probably lawyers, and maybe even politicians that we ever had. He had a desire to be a lawyer, he wanted to go to law school, Rush shared. Fred was such a dedicated, talented, courageous leader and had an amazing love for the people. Fred would raise his voice when he saw even members of the party taking advantage of their leadership position and being cruel or being antagonistic toward regular party members, he concluded. Judas and the Black Messiah opened in theaters on February 12 and is available to stream on HBO Max. Have you subscribed to theGrios new podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post Rep. Bobby Rush calls Judas and the Black Messiah a film that must be seen appeared first on TheGrio. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 20:56:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Italian President Sergio Mattarella (L) and Prime Minister Mario Draghi pose for a photo at the Quirinal presidential palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 13, 2021. The Italian government formed by newly-appointed Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who was the former chief of the European Central Bank (ECB), was officially sworn in on Saturday. (Pool via Xinhua) ROME, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government formed by newly-appointed Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who was also the former chief of the European Central Bank (ECB), was officially sworn in on Saturday. Draghi formally accepted the mandate on Friday evening after meeting President Sergio Mattarella. The former ECB chief had received the task on Feb. 3, following the collapse of the previous government led by Giuseppe Conte after a junior ally pulled out of the coalition. The ceremony took place at the Quirinal presidential palace on Saturday noon. The new cabinet counts 23 ministers, comprising 15 political figures and 8 technical ones. Some were confirmed in their offices, such as Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio, leader of Five Star Movement (M5S) majority party, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, Health Minister Roberto Speranza, and Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini. Draghi also called in new figures whose roles would be crucial in the months ahead, with regard to both the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recovery. Among them, Bank of Italy's deputy governor Daniele Franco was named as Economy and Finance Minister; senior right-wing League party official Giancarlo Giorgetti as Minister for Economic Development; and former chief executive officer of Vodafone Group Vittorio Colao as Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition. New names were also Roberto Cingolani, scientific director of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), appointed as Minister for Ecological Transition; statistician Enrico Giovannini as Infrastructure and Transport Minister; and former president of Italy's Constitutional Court Marta Cartabia as Justice Minister. Next week, the cabinet will have to go before parliament for the necessary double votes of confidence in the senate and lower house, respectively. During consultations with parties before formally accepting his mandate, Draghi received the support of all the political forces in parliament but one. A key priority for his government will be related to the plan to allocate the 209-billion-euro (253 billion U.S. dollars) package the European Union (EU) will provide to restart the Italian economy. A national Resilience and Recovery Plan has already been outlined by the previous government, which specified the macro-areas of intervention, and the necessary reforms to relaunch the country. The new cabinet will have to complete the plan, eventually amending it, before submitting it to the European Commission for approval by April. Enditem Loading Separately, a senior federal government source said the view was other states had managed to clamp down on quarantine outbreaks, including outbreaks of the UK variant in Perth and Brisbane, and that this isnt a problem in quarantine, this is about problems in contact tracing. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed on Saturday that Victorian contact tracers had taken too long to get in touch with people exposed to the latest outbreak of the coronavirus. During two meetings of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, Victorias Chief Health Officer came under pressure to explain why almost half of the close contacts from the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel cluster were not contacted within the benchmark 48 hours on Tuesday. Mr Andrews has attributed to COVID-19 outbreak that caused Victoria to enter lockdown on Friday night to a returned traveller using a nebuliser in a quarantine hotel. The traveller, who has asked not to be named, said he was granted permission to do so twice but Mr Andrews and COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria commissioner Emma Cassar on Saturday said the passenger did not declare the medical device, which can help aerosolise the virus, to staff at the hotel. The European Union says it will ensure a smooth process for the delivery of Pfizer vaccines to Australia. Credit:AP Mr Andrews said on Saturday that just five more planes already en route to Melbourne would be permitted to land and that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had agreed to the request to suspend flights. Therell be five more flights arrive between now and midnight. And we think theres about 100 passengers on those, therell be appropriately taken care of. But theres no further flights beyond those five until, at the earliest, next Thursday, he said. Just in terms of the broader issue of hotel quarantine, Ive asked our experts to look at a risk assessment in terms of these issues, in light of this rapidly, infectious, fast moving and very, very infectious UK strain. Loading In the interview, Mr Hunt also welcomed a fatwa, or religious ruling, by Australias peak Muslim body that supported the vaccine rollout as the government ramps up a $31 million information campaign targeting 3.7 million Australians who speak languages other than English. He was cautious about saying on what day this week the Pfizer vaccine would arrive in Australia because of concerns over potential last-minute delays. But in a sign of the federal governments growing confidence about its vaccine rollout, Mr Hunt said he had spoken to Pfizer Australia again on Friday and the vaccine was on schedule. We are on track for three things. [First], the vaccine commencement at the start of the last week in February with Pfizer, he said. Second, subject to TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] approval, the commencement of the international AstraZeneca vaccine in early March which will deliver approximately 1.2 million doses across the month. And then third, we are on track for CSL to deliver one million doses [of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine] per week from late March, with two million doses to be delivered by the end of March. That will then continue at approximately a million [doses] per week. Once the Pfizer vaccine arrives in Australia the shipment will be physically checked by the Therapeutic Goods Administration before distribution to vaccine hubs around the country, where the doses will be stored at ultra-low temperatures. The vaccine rollout has been described by the government as the most complex logistical exercise in Australian history. Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits the CSL vaccine manufacturing facility on Friday. Credit:Getty Images Labor Health spokesman Mark Butler criticised the federal government on Saturday for ducking its responsibilities on borders and quarantine and demanded to know when the vaccine rollout would start. So much for Scott Morrisons guarantee that Australians would be in the front of the queue. Its time for Scott Morrison to definitively say when the vaccinations start and is he going to deliver his promise to vaccinate 4 million Australians by the end of March? National cabinet agreed on February 5 to increase the international arrival cap with NSW taking 3010 per week, Queensland taking 1000, Western Australia taking 512, South Australia taking 530 and Victoria agreeing to raise its cap from 1120 to 1310 per week. The governments $31 million information campaign is targeting culturally and linguistically diverse communities with information about the vaccine and Mr Hunt said the federal government had worked closely with cultural communities on it. We do know from the UK that vaccine hesitancy has been higher among many people of culturally and linguistically diverse origins, he said. The Islamic community went away, did their research, and of their own volition issued this statement. Religious rulings are entirely a matter for that community, but the confidence it provides to that particular community is important and valuable. A new fatwa from the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Sharia Board stated we, the Muslim community must not promote or disseminate unsupported conspiracy theories in relation to any matter and must stick to proven facts. Loading We, the Muslim community must consider the matter of vaccination rationally. Once the medical professionals consent to a vaccination program, we advise that believing Muslims should...take the means of healing (including vaccination if deemed necessary) and rely on Allah to heal us. In a message to fellow Victorians caught up in another lockdown, Mr Hunt acknowledged this is immensely hard for so many people. One of them is to maintain macro-financial stability. Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Larisa Galadza has listed three important reforms that Ukraine should be implementing. Speaking in an interview for the English-language project #KyivNotKiev, the diplomat noted that the main thing is the reform of the judicial system. "For Canada right now and for the G7 [Group of Seven, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the U.S.], I think as well, it's judicial reform. There is a moment, there is an opportunity, there is a need. The risk is great. The political will is there, and so that is a high priority right now," Galadza said. She also mentioned macro-financial stability as another "important priority" in implementing reforms in Ukraine. "Maintaining macro-financial stability is really important, an important priority for us to see that Ukraine is able to do that into the future," she said, adding that security sector reform is also important. Read alsoEU High Representative on judiciary reform in Ukraine: "Mother of all reforms" (Video) Galadza noted that Canada is Ukraine's partner not only in the G7, but also in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "The partnership that Ukraine has and wants to deepen with NATO is of direct interests to Canada," Galadza said. Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine: Short bio Ambassador of Canada Larisa Galadza arrived in Ukraine in November 2019. She replaced Roman Waschuk, who had represented Canada in Ukraine since 2014. Galadza in 1994 received a bachelor's degree with honors in Political Science and Ethics at Trinity College, Toronto, and in 1996 a master's degree in International Affairs from Carleton University, Ottawa. After training in 1996, she began working at the Department of National Defense of Canada. In 2016, she became director general of the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program at Global Affairs Canada. Reporting by UNIAN Like restaurants everywhere, Sonomas celebrated the Girl & the Fig restaurant has struggled due to the coronavirus pandemic over the past year, navigating temporary closures and reopenings as regulations changed. Wine Country wildfires last year added to the uncertainty for the usually thriving business. But when it decided to shut its doors this week, neither health hazards nor climate change was to blame. Instead, a dispute over a servers desire to support the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing a BLM face mask has gone viral and led to charges of racism. The former server said she felt pressured to quit over her support of a civil rights issue. The restaurants owner said it was about maintaining a uniform look for an upscale vibe. Now, both are receiving death threats, and some have threatened to burn the restaurant down. Its the latest blowup in a series of clashes over workplace dress codes, and whether political or social justice messaging should be allowed or encouraged. Some companies, such as Starbucks and Taco Bell, quickly reversed their bans on Black Lives Matter attire, while others, like Whole Foods, stood by their decision to prohibit logos and slogans. Often, the dispute involves a debate over whether Black Lives Matter is a political or human rights movement. Those companies, though, are national chains. For independent restaurants like the Girl & the Fig, grappling with how to handle the issue can be critical to their survival, experts say. A younger generation of diners prefers to know the values of the businesses they patronize, with many saying that staying apolitical is a statement in itself. And with the downturn in sales due to the pandemic, any negative attention can be enough to sink a restaurant. With younger, more inclusive and more diverse groups coming into leadership and vocalizing their opinions and their stances on issues, its only going to grow stronger, said Shaun Fletcher, a public relations professor with San Jose State University. The younger generation, theyre not bound by the politics and the business parameters that older generations have been bound by. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Almost since it opened in 1997, the Girl & the Fig has been a Wine Country destination, beloved for its French-influenced cuisine using local ingredients. Its owner, Sondra Bernstein, is widely respected in the Bay Area restaurant industry. The restaurant became a hotspot for celebrities like Lady Gaga and New York Times writers who found a charming and, in many ways, old-school restaurant where service is paramount and duck confit is almost always on the menu. The restaurants uniform look for staff a crisp white shirt and green apron has long been part of the employee handbook. With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, and the added impact of wildfire smoke, face masks became standard, but the restaurants roughly 50 employees were allowed to wear masks they chose. Kimi Stout, 34, began working as a server at the restaurant in early 2020, and in the summer after the death of George Floyd, she started wearing masks inscribed with Black Lives Matter. Stout, who identifies as part Asian, Mexican and queer, is a former Miss Sonoma County, longtime restaurant worker and current sales associate. She said she chose the masks because she wanted to show her support for the movement. The controversial saga started in August, after her mask drew a hostile complaint from a customer. Her manager suggested she not wear it for her personal safety; she declined and continued wearing the masks. Three weeks later, on Sept. 1, the Girl & the Fig unveiled a new face mask policy, requiring staff to wear plain surgical masks or masks with the restaurants brand. Co-owner John Toulze says the new mask policy had been in the works for a while, an extension of its existing dress code after servers wore neon-colored masks or ones that didnt cover their nose. But Stout says she felt personally targeted, and after declining to adhere to the new policy, felt pressured to quit. On Feb. 4, she went public with her story on Instagram, leading to a viral report by SFGate. (The San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.) Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle The backlash was swift. The Girl & the Fig shut down its Instagram account, and its Yelp and TripAdvisor pages became flooded with one-star reviews calling the owners racist. Its phone lines keep ringing, emails keep coming in, with threats to burn down the Sonoma restaurants building. The company has alerted local police and temporarily closed the restaurant, along with its cozy Glen Ellen offshoot the Fig Cafe & Winebar, out of an abundance of caution. Stout and her supporters called on the Girl & the Fig to support Black organizations, something the restaurant historically hasnt done. Toulze called it a blind spot. The restaurant donates to nonprofits focused on local seniors, Latinos and the queer community a combination Toulze says reflects the demographics of Sonoma County, a region thats 62% white, 27% Latino and 2% Black. Last summer, during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, Toulze said there werent as many protests or as much visible support compared to cities like San Francisco and Oakland. We were insulated from the greater Black Lives Matter conversation because it wasnt a part of our community in the way I think it is in other parts of the Bay Area, Toulze said. We werent really dealing with it to be frank, and maybe thats the problem. Stout is feeling overwhelmed by the online attention, both positive and negative. On one end of the spectrum, she is a hero, exposing the hypocrisy of a beloved restaurant that claims to be inclusive. On the other side, people paint a picture of an entitled liberal, just trying to get attention. On Thursday, she says she also started receiving death threats on social media. A lot of those types of people who are criticizing me are the people who have granddaughters and daughters that participate in the Miss America program, Stout said. Maybe Im not just someone seeking attention. Ive actually done things in the community. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Many longtime customers have reached out to the Girl & the Fig, saying theyll come back to the restaurant when it reopens but plenty of others are saying they wont ever return. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. At some point you start going, am I really a bad person? I dont know, Toulze said. When people are constantly telling you how horrible you are, its hard not to start feeling it. For independent restaurants, the topic of a uniform may seem straightforward, but as public opinion shifts, managers need to be flexible when issues like this arise. Engaging with employees on their values is now smart business practice, and ultimately, Toulze failed to see the bigger picture, according to Fletcher. It came across as disingenuous and somewhat callous in order to maintain his standing with the consumer base thats largely white, he said. I dont think he fully understood how strong the (Black Lives Matter) movement was its much stronger than a policy that he set. During a politically divisive time, Fletcher said owners need to read the environment and understand that anyone speaking out about injustice can go viral on social media in minutes, attaching a stigma to the restaurant that can be hard to shake. By appearing to bow to customers who might complain about a Black Lives Matter mask, the Girl & the Fig alienated those who support marginalized communities. Whether that was the intention doesnt ultimately matter, Fletcher said. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Toulze doesnt know when hell reopen the restaurants, but hes talking to employees about ways to move forward. The company will require diversity and inclusion training for all staff and ownership, and it has pledged to contribute to an organization that calls on major retailers to stock 15% of their shelves with products from Black-owned businesses. The face mask policy will remain in place, however, though Toulze is exploring other options to allow employees to express themselves while still in uniform, perhaps by wearing buttons. While Stout says she doesnt feel every single restaurant needs to take a stand on issues like Black Lives Matter, shed prefer it if businesses were more transparent about their values. I no longer believe in being quiet about your political stance out of respect, she said. The people who prefer to keep politics out of it are the ones who dont vote for my best interests as a brown, queer, female person. Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size After months of being pitted against one another, Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian decided they would walk into the pre-Christmas national cabinet meeting shoulder to shoulder in a show of unity. But security protocols at Parliament House would not allow it. The two premiers have had different ways of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic despite both leaders assuring their communities that decisions are underpinned by health advice. Palaszczuk has been cautious when lifting restrictions, while Berejiklian has imposed less tough restrictions in the hope of keeping business ticking along. Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian walked out of the December national cabinet meeting together in a show of unity. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen They have disagreed, traded barbs and rolled eyes. But away from the cameras, they get along quite well, Palaszczuk insists. Shell always stand up for her state, Ill stand up for my state, but everyone tries to portray it as some sort of fight and its simply not. It is simply not, she says. Advertisement I think it is over-reporting, we get on incredibly well behind the scenes. Palaszczuk believes the fact both leaders are women might have something to do with the headlines. Their plan to tear down that rivalry narrative was cooked up at a leaders dinner, the night before national cabinet met in person before Christmas. We had a really good chat, Palaszczuk says. We were actually going to walk into national cabinet together the following morning. But unfortunately, our cars were taken underneath [the building]. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pictured near her electorate office in Brisbane. Credit:Paul Harris Berejiklian is the daughter of Armenian immigrant parents who came to Australia from Jerusalem and Syria in the 1960s, her father was a boilermaker. Advertisement Palaszczuk is the granddaughter of a Polish migrant who fled Europe after World War II and emigrated to Australia where he also worked as a boilermaker. Despite coming from similar backgrounds, Palaszczuk says: I dont think we are similar. [Except the fact] we both have long surnames, and we both have a strong multicultural background, Palaszczuk says. Both are incredibly close to their family and were instilled with a strong work ethic from their parents. Ever since I was three or four Ive been going along to different Labor Party events, Palaszczuk says. I used to sell the raffle tickets when I was like five or six. Born into a political dynasty, Palaszczuks father Henry believes it has always been his daughters destiny to lead the state. Advertisement Nicknamed Henry the Eighth for his eight consecutive election wins in Inala, Mr Palaszczuk held the western Brisbane seat for 22 years before his daughter took the reins. She was elected to Parliament in 2006 at aged 37, replacing her father in one of the safest Labor seats in Queensland. Her accession to the Premiers office followed decades of political grooming. After studying arts and law at the University of Queensland, at age 23 Palaszczuk went to the United States to follow Bill Clintons election campaign. Then she went to the United Kingdom where she gained a masters in arts at the University of London, then spent a year studying at the London School of Economics. The now-Premier also helped out on former UK prime minister Tony Blairs 1997 campaign. Known as Stacia to family and friends rather than Anna, she spent years working as a political staffer, honing the craft before taking over her fathers seat in 2006. Advertisement I am still Henrys daughter. Everywhere I go around the state, particularly in regional Queensland, It is always how is Henry going? not how am I going? she says. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with her father, Henry Palaszczuk, voting at Inala State School in October. Credit:Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire Pool At an event on the Gold Coast on Thursday night where Palaszczuk was the keynote speaker, there was someone in the audience, and she had come hoping she would see my father. While her father remains popular, she has surpassed her fathers successes. At the October state election, she became the first Queensland premier to increase a governments seat count across three successive elections, cementing herself as the most successful female politician in Australian history. Palaszczuk first led Labor to victory in 2015, just three years after the party endured one of the greatest electoral defeats in modern Australian political history. Labor was relegated to opposition, with only seven MPs in the 89-seat Parliament. Those seven MPs survived the 2015 election and added 35 more Labor members to their ranks, securing crossbench support to form a minority government. It was a victory that shocked many within the party, some of whom were already lining up her successor. Advertisement Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-14 00:15:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday condemned an attack against the peacekeeping mission in Mali, the MINUSMA. Through a statement attributable to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief condemned "the complex attack by unidentified armed elements against a temporary operating base of the United Nations Integrated Stabilization Mission for Mali in Kerena, Douentza region. The attack, which took place on Feb. 10, resulted in the wounding of 27 Togolese peacekeepers, and the death of one peacekeeper." "The secretary-general expresses his deep condolences to the family of the victim, and to the people and Government of Togo. He wishes a full recovery to those injured," said the statement. "The secretary-general emphasizes that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime. He calls on the Malian authorities to spare no efforts in promptly holding to account the perpetrators of this heinous attack. The secretary-general reaffirms the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and Government of Mali," said the statement. The attack was launched against the MINUSMA's base near the town of Douentza around 0700 GMT Wednesday, according to a MINUSMA statement. Enditem TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Human Rights Committee at the Shura Council has denounced the false and based allegations cited in the report issued by Amnesty International regarding the human rights situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The report lacked integrity, objectivity and credibility, as it was not based on the correct facts and information that reflect Bahrains democratic and human rights reality, based on the foundations and principles of human rights that were launched and spearheaded by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the committee said in a statement. In this regard, the panel stressed that Amnesty Internationals statement had been misleading, as it contained incorrect allegations against the Kingdom, and did neither adhere to professionalism nor to objectivity in conveying the human rights reality in the country. The Shura committee noted that Amnesty International had relied, as usual, on information from unreliable sources, and failed to contact the relevant official authorities to obtain correct and documented information about the human rights situation in the Kingdom. The committee expressed, marking the 20th anniversary of the overwhelming endorsement of the National Action Charter by the loyal Bahraini people, its deep pride in the progress and prosperity achieved by Bahrain across the political, economic, human rights and cultural levels. According to some references, the event is associated with a traditional sacrifice of a goat or a dog, whose flesh was slapped on women in the hope that it would boost fertility Valentine's Day is celebrated every year on 14 February. The date is also called Saint Valentine's Day as well as the Feast of Saint Valentine. While broadly celebrated as a day dedicated to love, it has its origins as a minor Western Christian feast day in honour of Christian martyr Saint Valentine. As per a report in BBC, St Valentine was a priest from Rome in the third century AD. Emperor Claudius II, who was known to be embroiled in several conflicts and wars, had been struggling to maintain a formidable army. Claudius believed that men in his empire were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families. As a result, he banned marriages among his subjects because he thought that married men were incompetent soldiers. Valentine felt that the rule was unfair and thus broke it and arranged marriages in secret. When the emperor found out, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. He was executed on 14 February around the year 270 AD It is believed that while in jail, Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and when he was taken to be killed on 14 February, he penned her a love letter signed, 'From your Valentine.' However, it is also believed that Valentine's Day might have had a darker origin. The ancient Roman festival Lupercalia has been one of the earliest records of the term Valentine's Day. The event, usually held on 15 February would see a traditional sacrifice of a goat or a dog. A group of priests called the Luperci would then cut off a piece of the skin of the two animals, touch it to their foreheads and then strike it against every woman nearby. They believed that it would make the women more fertile. However, by the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius replaced the festival with St Valentine's Day. There are also reports that the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who penned The Canterbury Tales during the Middle Ages was the first to link the day to love. This started the tradition of courtly love, a ritual of expressing love and admiration, usually in secret. As per The Indian Express, despite its origins, Valentine's Day celebrations did not catch on in India until 1992. The day gained prominence through television commercials and radio programmes, along with economic liberalisation. Whatever your Valentines Day looks like -- binge-watching "Bling Empire" or fancy takeout and flowers -- you owe it to yourself and your partner to nurture your relationship beyond V-Day. Fall in love or remind each other why you fell in love with daily acts of affection in the form of playfulness, flirting, emotional intimacy, and sexy time. Heres a cheat sheet of ideas that range from small gestures to darling date nights to unbridled passion to help keep your creative (cough *and other* cough) juices flowing long after February. Knock Knock What I Love About You Today Checklist Knock Knock What I Love About You Checklist Note Pad - amazon.com 10.13 Shop Now Keep it playful with this cheeky checklist -- fill it out and give to your loved one to let them know you appreciate them in a really cute way. Heart-Shaped Post-it Notes Post-it Super Sticky Notes, 3 in x 3 in, Heart Shape - amazon.com 5.54 Shop Now Let them know youre thinking of them with a sticky note on their mirror, laptop, or windshield. Sweet handwritten notes are the easiest way to make any love feel like young love. The Adventure Challenge, Couples Edition The Adventure Challenge Couples Edition is for couples who want to inject spontaneity and playfulness into date nights -- think body paint, blanket forts, recreating the famous scene from "Ghost." There are three ways to experience: A date night scrapbook with 50 scratch-off date plans; a set that includes the scrapbook and a very cool LomoInstant Automat Camera; and a subscription box with the date night supplies so you can skip a trip to the store. Polaroid Now iType Instant Camera Polaroid Now i?Type Instant Camera - polaroid.com 99.99 Shop Now Whether you want to capture PG or naughty moments, let your imaginations run wild with the vintage-inspired Polaroid Now i-Type Instant Camera. Framebridge Heartstagram The Heartstagram: 11x11 - framebridge.com 49 Shop Now The Framebridge Heartstagram will send hearts racing with its sweet sentiment and modern style. Choose a photo, maybe it was your first date or your last vacation together, and simply upload, choose the style, and youre done. Glamping Tent Glamping Tent - Etsy 198.00 Shop Now For a fraction of the price of an actual glamping outing, you can have your own dreamy getaway just outside your door. The large natural canvas tent is easy to set up and only requires you, your boo, and a blanket for a romantic departure from a Groundhog Day-like new normal. Two-Person Hammock 2 PERSON HAMMOCK - Cream Hammocks - - etsy.com 135.00 Shop Now Relax side by side in a two-person hammock that wont fold you up into a taco; the sturdy, quilted fabric and hardwood spreader bar allows for maximum room and comfort. Custom Constellation Star Chart Custom Constellation Star Map Art Print - Etsy 9.71 Shop Now Do you remember when and where you first said you loved each other? Customize this artsy star chart with the location and date that means the most as a reminder of your journey together. Heres one with a simpler design that looks equally chic. Picnic Cooler Tote Lifewit Collapsible Cooler Bag Insulated 24L - amazon.com 29.99 Shop Now Turn a trip to the park into an opportunity for quality time with an insulated picnic tote thatll keep drinks and snacks chilled. Dont forget the blanket! Vinyl Moon: Deluxe Vinyl Discovery Relationship experts say that discovering new things with your significant other can keep things fresh, so why not ditch the phones and discover music together? With a Vinyl Moon Deluxe Vinyl Discovery subscription, youll get a monthly, themed mixtape featuring expertly curated music pressed onto the most gorgeous vibrantly-hued vinyl youve ever seen. Magnetic Poetry - Poet Edition Magnetic Poetry - The Poet Kit - amazon.com 19.95 Shop Now You may remember magnetic poetry from your dorm days but the fridge artform is also a cute way to communicate with and entertain your person with romantic, silly, and just-plain-weird poems and phrases. Love Language: 150 Conversation Starter Questions for Couples Intimacy Deck by BestSelf 150 Engaging Conversation Starters for Couples - amazon.com 24.99 Shop Now Emotional intimacy and vulnerability are vital to a strong and lasting relationship. This deck of romantic, personal, and thought-provoking conversation starters will help couples connect and reconnect. Once you roll through those questions, check out the Intimacy Deck by BestSelf. Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Exfoliating Scrub Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub - sephora.com 36.00 Shop Now Exfoliate your way to touchably-soft skin with Herbivore Botanical Coco Rose Exfoliating Scrub. Sugar and pink clay slough away rough, dry skin while coconut oil and shea butter moisturize. Get a head-to-toe glow with their entire line while its on sale! Brazilian Bum Bum Cream Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - sephora.com 45.00 Shop Now Its been said that warm, gourmand scents like vanilla, caramel, and pumpkin pie are an aphrodisiac for men. Not only does cult-favorite Brazilian Bum Bum Cream have a light salted-caramel, pistachio, vanilla scent that both men and women find irresistible, but its also one of the best moisturizers out there with a fluffy texture and ingredients that tighten and smooth skin. Fur Oil Fur Oil - Moisturizing - amazon.com 28.00 Shop Now Care for your most sensitive skin with Fur Oil, it softens hair and soothes skin pre- and post-shaving/waxing, and clears pores for fewer ingrown hairs while being free of yucky ingredients. And while this luxe oil was designed for public hair and skin it can be used on cuticles, scars, and as a bath oil. Try the ingrown concentrate spot treatment, too! Lunya Washable Silk Slip Dress Washable Silk Slip Dress - Lunya 198.00 Shop Now Its easy to get comfortable with your S.O., especially with so many couples working from home together. But, you can treat both yourself and your partner by swapping cozy pants for Lunyas effortlessly sexy slip dress, the ultra-flattering silk loungewear is both ridiculously chic and machine washable. Maude Burn No. 1 Massage Candle Maudes best-selling Burn No. 1 Massage Candle, a blend of amber, cedar leaf, lemongrass, tonka bean, and medjool date, is heavenly as a home scent but doubles as a massage oil. Its made with jojoba and soybean oil -- both have a low melting point -- so the lightweight, moisturizing oil can be safely poured onto skin. Maude Shine Organic Lubricant Finally, a bottle of lubricant you wont have to hide! Maudes Shine Organic Lubricant is pH-balanced, made with moisturizing aloe, and is fertility-friendly for those who are TTC. Lelo Gigi 2 Vibrator With a curved shape and flattened head for both G-spot and clitoral stimulation, The Lelo Gigi 2 is one of the best-selling pleasure products out there. The rechargeable vibe has four vibration modes so you can experiment to your hearts desire, with a partner or solo. Valentine's day is just around the corner, and people are now busy preparing a thing or two for their loved ones. From the grandest of gifts to the simplest of gestures, the day of love is usually the special occasion where lovers get to be extra nicer with each other. There are different ways that people celebrate the special day that reflects their own cultures and traditions all over the world. However, aside from the heart, there is one thing that is universally recognized as the symbol of love; the rose. So the question many people are asking is: how did the rose become the symbol of Valentine's day? Millions of people share the flower each year on Feb. 14 to show their affection. According to the Society of American Florists, upwards of 250 million are created annually for Valentine's Day, as of 2018. "The red rose symbolizes affection, marigold sorrow, and potato benevolence, according to the language of flowers and plants. There were other plants, though, which may mean lust, passion, intimacy, and friendship as well. Ultimately, the reason why the rose is the chosen one to stand for all that was that it could withstand a great deal only. But, that wasn't always the case. Related Article: Houston Zoo Sells Artwork Made by Animals for Valentine's Day! Cultural Significance Women's positions in society in Victorian England were constrained by traditions and norms. Learning the language of flowers, the idea that each flower has its own significance, was one practice considered domestically acceptable for them under these constraints. Mary Brooks wrote in "Silent Needles, Speaking Flowers," and for ladies, in that case, her communicative possibilities often carried an attraction that other domestic arts lacked; "there is the chance that some women sought methods of covert communication and expression." Flower Giving Gesture Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of an 18th century British ambassador to Turkey, is credited with the early popularization. In 1716, Lady Montagu, enthralled by a Turkish edition of the flower language, wrote a collection of letters home to England. To send hidden love letters, she described the Turkish tradition to assign significance to objects. "There is no color, no flower, no weed, no fruit, herb, pebble, or feather that does not have a verse that belongs to it: and you may quarrel, reproach, or send letters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even of news, without ever inking your fingers," she wrote. Montagu's letters, written in 1763, wrote of her perceptions of this method. Misinterpretation But the Lady was actually incorrect in her interpretation. In spite of the confusion of Montagu, word of the concept spread like wildfire. Langage des fleurs, Charlotte de Latour's dictionary of the language of flowers, was published in France in 1819, a century after Montagu's discovery. According to The Culture of Flowers by Jack Goody, nine editions of the book's English version, which alphabetically described each flower, were printed within three decades of its publication. The most famous flowers we purchase, sell, and offer today were protected by the Language of Flowers translated by De Latour, from the value of the mistletoe during Christmas to the symbolization of "capricious beauty" by the musk rose. Rose in Demand Suppliers had to produce, pack, and transport flowers from places like Columbia, Ecuador, Kenya, and other African or South American countries after the industrial revolution and Valentine's Day's commercialization. The rose can survive all this torment while maintaining its distinctive look. So the simple rose has nothing to do with those romantic feelings that you have for that special person and more to do with how simple it is to farm, ship and pack. Just romantic. ALSO READ: $5 Valentine's Present: Name A Cockroach After Your Ex and Let it Be Eaten by Animals For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is developing a Blue Economy Strategy to grow our ocean sectors through job creation, inclusion and conservation. This strategy will harness opportunities on all three coasts to spur innovative ideas, create more jobs, leading to a more prosperous future for Indigenous and coastal communities. It will also position Canada as a world leader in the global blue economy. An effective Blue Economy Strategy is one in which Canadians from coast to coast to coast will see themselves: ocean industries, innovators, environmental groups, indigenous and non-indigenous communities across the country. Over the past week, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard held roundtable discussions with leaders in some of these key sectors including the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, academia, and women leaders in ocean sectors to hear their suggestions on a successful blue economy strategy. During these roundtables, Minister Jordan has heard about the importance of British Colombia's fisheries and coastal tourism from the Pacific region, the level of importance of having reliable, timely, and accessible data on our oceans from ocean scientists and professors and the need for collaboration between communities, first nations and industry to produce a strategy that considers economic, social and environmental factors. The Government of Canada will continue to host roundtable discussions and shortly Canadians will be invited to share their feedback through online engagement. Those interested will also be able to visit the Blue Economy website where they can download an engagement toolkit to host their own discussions. The engagement of Indigenous peoples is critical in the development of this strategy. Indigenous peoples bring vast knowledge and valuable experience given their longstanding and close relationship with Canada's oceans. Indigenous stakeholders will be engaged through ministerial and departmental roundtables, and all Indigenous peoples will be able to share their views about how a Blue Economy Strategy could better serve their economic and environmental priorities through the online engagement. Quotes "What we heard this week was that Canadians agree - our Blue Economy has so much potential for growth. We're going to keep working with Indigenous peoples, industry, environmentalists and more to create a strategy that will ensure we're sustainably harnessing our ocean resources to their full potential. Canadians want a thriving Blue Economy that is built on protection, production, prosperity, and that's exactly what we're striving toward." The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Quick Facts Minister Jordan launched the engagement on Canada's Blue Economy Strategy on February 8, 2021 . Between February 8-12, 2021 , she held 9 roundtables with fisheries and aquaculture leaders, ocean innovators, academia, and women leaders in ocean sectors. launched the engagement on Blue Economy Strategy on . Between , she held 9 roundtables with fisheries and aquaculture leaders, ocean innovators, academia, and women leaders in ocean sectors. The World Bank defines the blue economy as the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health. Pre-COVID-19, Canada's ocean-based economy contributed significantly to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding approximately $31.7 billion annually (1.6 per cent of total GDP) and nearly 300,000 jobs across a broad range of sectors. ocean-based economy contributed significantly to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding approximately $31.7 billion annually (1.6 per cent of total GDP) and nearly 300,000 jobs across a broad range of sectors. DFO will continue working with federal partners, including Transport Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Global Affairs Canada, regional development agencies, and others, to advance this whole-of-government federal initiative. Related Products: Associated Links Stay Connected Follow Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/rss-eng.htm SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada For further information: Jane Deeks, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 343-550-9594, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected] Related Links http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca Only 50 per cent of studies are now required to be from within Canada for the B.C. PNP international student categories. International graduates who studied remotely can now immigrate to B.C. Only 50 per cent of studies are now required to be from within Canada for the B.C. PNP international student categories. International graduates who studied remotely can now immigrate to B.C. Only 50 per cent of studies are now required to be from within Canada for the B.C. PNP international student categories. International graduates who studied remotely can now immigrate to B.C. Only 50 per cent of studies are now required to be from within Canada for the B.C. PNP international student categories. Mohanad Moetaz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A International graduates from B.C. now only need to have completed at least 50 per cent of their studies from within Canada to be eligible for the international student immigration categories, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) announced on February 2. This means that graduates can complete up to half of their studies from their home country. Those who completed most of their studies in Canada and who stayed in their home country during the COVID-19 pandemic may still be eligible to immigrate to the province. Students who graduated before March 1, 2020 must have completed 50 per cent or more of their studies on-campus. However, those who graduated on or after March 1, 2020 must have completed 50 per cent or more of their studies while residing in Canada, however the studies do not need to be completed on-campus. To demonstrate that studies were completed within Canada, candidates can use documents such as tenancy agreements, bank statements or utility bills. This amendment to the online learning requirement comes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions have been put in place in Canada and abroad to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Students who attended distance education programs remain ineligible for nomination. These programs are completed almost exclusively online. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration International students exempt from travel restrictions International students are among those who are exempt from Canadian travel restrictions, provided their designated learning institution has obtained approval of its COVID-19 response plan from the government. However, it is still difficult for many international students to travel for various reasons, such as airport closures. Many learning institutions across Canada have chosen to hold their lectures online. For that reason, many students are choosing to attend their classes while staying in their home countries. Students may be further discouraged from making the trip to Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced stricter travel measures to control COVID-19. Travellers will be required to take a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test upon arrival and will need to stay at a government-approved hotel for at least three days while waiting for the results. This may cost travellers an estimated $2,000. Requirements for international graduates British Columbia remains committed to immigration. The province continues to regularly hold BC PNP draws, having recently invited 216 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. There are four ways candidates can become eligible to immigrate to B.C. as international graduates: The Express Entry B.C. Stream is aligned with the federal Express Entry system. This means that you must have a valid Express Entry profile to be eligible through this stream, and must be eligible for one of Canadas main economic class immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). If you are an international graduate and wish to immigrate to B.C. through the Express Entry B.C. Stream, you must have graduated from an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada and you must have a job offer from an eligible employer. In addition, you must meet the minimum income requirements for the job offer. For the Skills Immigration stream, international graduates will also need to meet the same above requirements. In addition, they must have graduated in the last three years, and they must meet the language requirement for that occupation. They also must show that they can support themselves and their family. If you are an international post-graduate and wish to immigrate to B.C. through the Skills Immigration stream or the Express Entry B.C. stream, you must have received a Masters degree or a PhD degree in an eligible field, such as engineering, health professions, physical sciences, among others. You also need to provide evidence that you wish to live in B.C. permanently. A job offer is not required for international post-graduates. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. The Senate was thrown into disarray and chaos Saturday after senators voted to consider allowing witnesses be called during former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. The move had many in the Democratic base cheering as it brought an unexpected twist to what everyone had expected was going to be a quick acquittal on Saturday. But the excitement didnt last long. Shortly after the vote, the House impeachment managers, Trumps legal team, and leaders in the Senate all reached a deal to not call witnesses. Advertisement The agreement to eschew the consideration of witnesses came after Senate Democrats were caught off-guard by the call for witnesses from the impeachment managers. It seems the managers didnt actually make the final determination to call for the vote until minutes before the session started Saturday morning. Lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, said he wanted to subpoena GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who shook up Washington Friday night with a statement that said that mid-riot Trump had expressed sympathy for the rioters who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6 during an expletive-laden phone call with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who was asking for him to call them off. In the end, rather than call Herrera Beutler as a witness, senators decided to enter her statement into the trial record. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats in the Senate said that it shouldnt be seen as abnormal that they didnt know there was going to be a push for witnesses. We dont coordinate with the managers, Sen. Ben Cardin said. So we did not know that they were going to request witnesses or not. And thats how it should have been. But it seems Democratic leaders were not too fond of the idea that Trumps second impeachment trial could go on for days or weeks longer. Now both sides give their closing arguments Saturday and there will be a vote on Trumps guilt. Earlier, Raskin had said senators needed to hear from witnesses in order to determine whether Trump is responsible for inciting the deadly riot in the Capitol that ended up killing five people. In the end, 55 senators agreed to debate the call for more witnesses and evidence. That meant five RepublicansSens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Ben Sasse of Nebraskajoined all Democrats in the vote. Graham, who had had previously warned Democrats that calling witnesses would open a Pandoras box, ended up switching his vote from no to yes. Ultimately, though, it came to naught. Advertisement Advertisement The chaos over the witness vote came as it seemed pretty clear the Senate was getting ready to vote to acquit Trump in his second impeachment trial on the basis of Republican votes. Earlier, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had signaled to colleagues that he would be voting to acquit Trump. He had previously signaled he could consider voting to convict Trump and his vote was seen as likely to influence others in his party. Given that Senator McConnell made clear in public statements in part blaming President Trump for the violent riot here in the Capitol, it was assumed he was at least open to conviction, so thats a significant development, Sen. Christopher Coons, Democrat from Delaware, told reporters before proceedings started Saturday. The Senate is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. A two-thirds majority is required to convict. Tennessee Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn were among those who voted on Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump in the Senate impeachment trial. There were not enough votes to meet the two-thirds majority requirement for impeachment. The vote was 57 to 43 to impeach, but 67 votes were needed. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in supporting impeachment. Senator Hagerty said, Instead of putting the needs of the hardworking men and women of this country first, the Senate has spent this week watching a political performance by the House managers designed to humiliate the former president, discredit his successful policies, and shame the 74 million Americans who voted for him. But they have failed spectacularly. It has been a wasted week. I voted to acquit President Trump because the article of impeachment was unconstitutional. But it was also unsubstantiated by the House managers complete lack of investigation, smoke-and-mirrors presentation, and distortion of basic First Amendment principles. "More importantly, it could have paved the way for a dangerous precedent of allowing Congress to punish any former official when control of the legislative branch shifts to a different party. The Senate is not the forum for this, and the time wasted with this political show-trial did nothing to help Tennesseans overcome the ongoing pandemic and resulting recession or put students back in the classroom safely. Senator Blackburn said, The House Impeachment managers launched an unconstitutional show trial to humiliate the former President and his supporters. The Impeachment managers have accomplished nothing but to extend the pain of the American people. They achieved one thing Donald J. Trumps acquittal. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said, Last month, I voted against impeaching President Donald Trump. Today, the Senate rightly voted to acquit President Donald Trump, finally concluding this unconstitutional impeachment trial. The Senate does not have the Constitutional power to convict a former official and a conviction would have set a dangerous precedent. The Senate has wasted a week of the 117th Congress on this unconstitutional impeachment trial. Its time for Congress to stop wasting time and do our jobs we need to focus on getting students back into schools, creating jobs, getting vaccines to all Americans, and restoring the American dream. Ravi Zacharias committed 'spiritual abuse,' accused of 'rape': independent investigation Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Ravi Zacharias International Ministries issued an apology Thursday as it announced the results of a monthslong independent investigation in which victims claimed the late Christian apologist engaged in sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape during his life. Atlanta law firm Miller & Martin, independent investigators hired by RZIM, released an in-depth report this week detailing serious allegations of sexual misconduct by Zacharias. In a statement accompanying the report, the board of RZIM said it was shocked and grieved by Ravis actions and feels a deep need for corporate repentance. We believe not only the women who made their allegations public but also additional women who had not previously made public allegations against Ravi but whose identities and stories were uncovered during the investigation, the RZIM statement explains. Tragically, witnesses described encounters including sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape. We are devastated by what the investigation has shown and are filled with sorrow for the women who were hurt by this terrible abuse. The lengthy report includes interviews with more than a dozen massage therapists who treated Zacharias over the years. One massage therapist said the evangelist often tried for more than a massage, while four massage therapists said Zacharias masturbated or asked them to touch his genitals during massages. Five said he touched or rubbed them inappropriately. Another massage therapist reported details of many encounters over a period of years that she described as rape, according to the report. "Only one of the witnesses we interviewed said that Mr. Zacharias engaged in sexual intercourse," the report states. "This witness reported details of many encounters over a period of years that she described as rape. To protect her identity, this report does not disclose many of the details she shared with us." After Zacharias talked with her about her faith and finances, establishing himself as a father figure, he arranged for his ministry to provide her with financial support. However, he then demanded sex and warned her not ever to speak out against him or she would be responsible for the millions of souls whose salvation would be lost if his reputation was damaged. A number of aspects of this account involved similar behavior and escalation as the accounts of other therapists who would not have known each other and who treated Mr. Zacharias in different contexts over time, notes the report. The investigation discovered that a collection of explicit photos many of them of much younger women were also found in Zacharias possession. Romantic emails Zacharias sent to a woman in South Korea and a massage therapist in Thailand, whom he called his angel, were also uncovered. We also reviewed Mr. Zachariass electronic devices and found evidence of text-and email-based relationships with women who were not his wife, as well as over 200 selfie-style photographs of women, the report reads. Throughout his decades-long ministry, Zacharias, who died of cancer at the age of 74 last May, was a globally respected apologist. A prolific figure in American Christian radio and TV, he founded RZIM in 1984. Today, the ministry has offices in 15 countries and nearly 300 staffers. In 2017, Canadian Lori Anne Thompson accused Zacharias of engaging in a sexually inappropriate online relationship. The apologist denied the claims, accusing her and her husband of extortion. Zacharias was also accused of inflating his academic credentials that same year. In the fall of 2020, additional allegations surfaced against Zacharias. Several massage therapists at day spas co-owned by the prolific speaker and author alleged that he would expose himself, masturbate, ask for explicit photos and proposition them during his treatments for back pain. RZIM hired Miller & Martin to investigate the claims. In December 2020, RZIM admitted in an interim report that the late apologist had indeed engaged in sexual misconduct at the spa. The investigative team was given broad discretion and authority to follow leads into other sexual misconduct that might arise beyond the spa allegations. In its statement Thursday, the board said that based on the latest report, it now believes that witnesses who spoke about Zacharias conduct are telling the truth. It must have been deeply painful for the victims of Ravis abuse and misconduct to tell their stories and to relive their terrible experiences as they participated in this investigation, the board said in a statement. To you we say directly: Words cannot come close to expressing the sorrow that we feel for what you have been through or the gratitude we feel for the bravery with which you have responded. We are so thankful to you, and we are so sorry. San Francisco attorney Steve Baughman, who first reported on the accusations by massage therapists, told The Christian Post in a statement that [t]his is no longer about Ravi Zacharias but about the evangelical business world that enabled him to lead a double life for so many years. As long as we only focus on the individual, the system will never change and we can expect the victim body count to keep rising, he said in a statement. In a Tweet on Feb 9, Thompson said she is hopeful that her whispers in the dark have prepared the way for other victims to shout in the day. What happened to these women matters greatly, she wrote. Moving forward, RZIM is taking steps to help the victims of Zacharias abuse. The organization has engaged victim advocate Rachael Denhollander to educate and advise the board and senior leadership to understand trauma, abuse and best-standard practices. Denhollander will serve as a confidential liaison for survivors to help guide the process of care, justice, and restitution for those who have been victimized. RZIM has also engaged the compliance consulting firm Guidepost Solutions to conduct a thorough evaluation of RZIM, its structures, processes, finances and policies to help foster a top-down and grassroots cultural reform. In light of the findings of the investigation and the ongoing evaluation, we are seeking the Lords will regarding the future of this ministry, the statement reads. We are learning much through this time and hope to have the chance to apply these lessons in the future. We remain passionate about seeing the gospel preached through the questions of culture. We will be spending focused time praying and fasting as we discern how God is leading, and we will speak to this in the near future. In an op-ed for The Christian Post, Carson Weitnauer, who previously led the U.S. speaking team, lamented how RZIM handled allegations of sexual misconduct. He called on RZIM to change its name, remove Ravis material, repent for its many failures, and provide a restorative response to the harm that Ravis victims experienced. If they want to avoid following RZIMs example, Christian ministries and churches should rigorously evaluate how their systems and culture could prevent them from personally experiencing this crisis, he wrote. May God give us the clarity and courage we need to become faithful advocates for the survivors of abuse and to deter such abuse from occurring in the future. About ninety minutes before Donald Trumps second impeachment trial began, I spoke by phone with Senator Sherrod Brown, the progressive Democrat from Ohio, who was preparing to serve as a juror. Brown is the new chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and he had been occupied with the main legislative business of the new Congress, President Bidens $1.9 trillion economic rescue package. When I asked Brown whether he viewed impeachment as being secondary to this business, he said that wasnt quite right, but it was not primary either. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Joan Lucey, nurse, mother and widow is terminally ill. She has advanced cervical cancer. Her life story involves years of serving this State on the front line, yet now in her dying days she finds herself fighting that same State. Joan has taken a personal injuries claim against the HSE and two laboratories in which she alleges a failure to accurately detect and/or report on her cervical smear slides taken in 2011. It is claimed this allowed cervical cancer to develop and spread unidentified, unmonitored and untreated culminating in her becoming terminally ill. Read More The 73-year-old grandmother knows that by going public her name will be added to the list of woman associated with what has become known as the CervicalCheck scandal but wants others to know they are not alone. Joan was a district nurse in the West Kerry area for many years and there is hardly a family she hasnt helped in some way. Her former employer, the HSE, and the laboratories involved in screening her CervicalCheck scans deny liability in her case. She wants the dispute to be resolved by mediation but neither the HSE nor the laboratories invited her to engage in such a process. Instead her legal team have unsuccessfully tried to initiate out-of-court talks. One of the laboratories is willing to mediate if a third party, that they now blame, is also present at the mediation. Mediation may therefore not occur and Joan, a dying woman, will be faced with the onerous task of proving her case in court. She will thus have to spend what remains of her days on this Earth in court. There is a possible scenario whereby Nurse Joan Lucey, who served the sick of West Kerry with such love and skill for so many years, might have to give evidence from her bed if this case is not settled and settled soon. She was too ill to speak to me but her Sean is an able deputy. Sean and his sisters, Eileen and Sinead, are at home in Dingle minding their Mom. They are very much together. Joans husband Robbie died in 1995 and she was left to rear three young children. Now its their turn to return that love. Mom went to back to nursing courses in Cork when Dad died, says Sean. She had given up nursing and after she completed her retraining, Mom worked for the HSE as a district nurse. She worked hard and was involved in many community groups including cancer care fundraising here in Dingle. Mom did so much for us. She is an amazing woman. He knows her case has gone largely under the media radar until now but his mother told him, If my speaking out helps other women in the same position to know they are not the only ones being dealt with in this way, it will be worth it all. She wanted to tell other women what they could do if they were being denied mediation. Mom is a fighter and if necessary she will fight. She was angry when the fact the HSE still hadnt offered to mediate with her directly before the matter was for mention before the court on Thursday. Shes not giving up. On Thursday in the High Court her vastly experienced Senior Counsel Liam Reidy said Joan had only weeks left to live. He added: It seems to me an absolute outrage that the HSE dont mediate with her legal team directly and deal with the other defendants later. There are complex legal issues to be tried but there is a real concern that Joan will not be around to see a full case through court. The matter is scheduled to be heard at a trial starting on February 26. Her solicitor Aisling Maher, of Cantillons Solicitors, has asked for mediation due to her clients deteriorating medical condition but so far there is no breakthrough. So here we have a woman who cared for so many people in extremis, who knows exactly what is in store for her, and she has not been offered direct settlement talks with her former employees. Back in 2018 after Vicky Phelan brought the CervicalCheck scandal into the open by refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement, Leo Varadkar, speaking as Taoiseach, said a case like this couldnt happen again. What we propose to do is to offer mediation in every case so that women can avoid having to go to court and avoid the trauma of a court hearing, he said. The HSE last night directed queries to the States Claim Agency (SCA). A spokesperson for the SCA told the Irish Independent it would be inappropriate to comment on the particulars of Joans case. The SCA aims to resolve all cervical cancer screening claims against the HSE in a sensitive manner and as quickly as possible. It uses mediation wherever possible, as an alternative to a formal court hearing, and places a high priority on treating the people who have made the claims, and their families, with dignity and compassion. The spokesperson added: While the SCA does not act for the laboratories, and others, that are co-defendants in these cases, which have separate legal representation, its approach in this and all similar cases is to exhort all the parties to use mediation to seek resolution of the case in the shortest possible time period. There are complications in this case in that another party has been added to the proceedings by one of the labs but Liam Reidy argued in the High Court this should not stop the HSE mediating with the plaintiff now and dealing with the defendants and the third party at a later date. Mr Justice Kevin Cross urged the sides to enter into mediation, but he was not going to force the parties to the table. Sean Lucey is calm as he speaks. Our family is very upset that the State didnt invite our mother to mediate her claim or offer to mediate the claim with her directly without the other defendants and that shell have to go to court to fight her case against the HSE and the labs. Joan is a devoted grandmother. She has three granddaughters aged 12, 13 and 15 who live in Dublin. Her granddaughters love her and she loves having a few laughs with them, says Sean. She is a very young person at heart. Moms spirit is phenomenal. She is fighting tooth and nail. I ask Sean a question I hated asking. How long does she have? He is emotional. There is a terrible strain on all the family. The old saying of getting your affairs in order applies. Months? I ask. Maybe. Weeks? Sean doesnt answer. How can he? The court was told: It is an absolute outrage in this case. She is on her deathbed. Vicky Phelan, who is the US undergoing treatment for her cervical cancer, describes Joans case as another breakdown in the system. It is terrible that there is no mediation for a dying woman. There is another old Irish custom from back west and it is the wish for a happy death or bas sona. The expression is in itself a bit of a contradiction but not when your name is Nurse Joan Lucey and you are dying of cervical cancer through no fault of your own. First we were told masks didnt work. Then they did. And now, it seems, one isnt enough. The trend for double-masking wearing two masks at the same time began in America. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have both been seen wearing two, while the countrys chief medical adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci, has promoted the trend for several months. And last week, US health chiefs officially recommended wearing two masks, saying that it could reduce the potential spread of virus particles. President Joe Biden seen appearing to wear two face masks while making a Veteran Day stop at the Korean War Memorial Park in Philadelphia with his wife in November last year The guidance came after US health watchdogs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tested a number of different ways to wear masks. They found that wearing one surgical mask and one cloth mask trapped and neutralised 92 per cent of particles leaving the mouth, while wearing just one surgical mask blocked only 42 per cent of particles. While masks arent seen as a way to stop you catching Covid, they do effectively block the virus from being emitted from the mouth and nose of sufferers. Research has shown that 60 per cent of people infected with the Covid-19 virus are asymptomatic they dont show any symptoms and are not ill. British virus experts suggest double-masking should be adopted here too. Dr Julian Tang, a consultant virologist and honorary associate professor in the Department of Respiratory Sciences at the University of Leicester, believes the strategy would be an effective means at plugging a dangerous hole. He said: The greater number of masks you wear, the more chance youll have of blocking virus particles from spreading. Doubling down: Vice President Kamala Harris wearing two masks while arriving at the US Capitol on December 11 last year in Washington, DC Official UK guidance on masks states they should fit securely against the face to cover the mouth and nose. It also recommends that masks be made with at least two layers of fabric. Surgical-grade masks are typically made with a triple layer, but many hand-made masks bought online are just a single layer. Along with looking at double-masking, the CDC also tested tightening the mask strap behind the ears as well as tucking it in at the sides. This was found to reduce the release of Covid-sized particles by 83 per cent, and the authors of the study said their experiments highlight the importance of good fit to maximise overall mask performance. Whether the Government will change its guidance, however, is a different matter, said Dr Tang. Weve consistently been slow to adapt to new Covid evidence, he added. A state legislator adjusts her face masks while asking a question at the Capitol. Official UK guidance recommends that masks be made with at least two layers of fabric (file photo) Wearing just one mask in a shop wasnt mandatory until several months into the pandemic. I think its unlikely theyll react to this. Recent studies have shown that about two-thirds of Britons say they wear a face mask when they leave the house a major increase from the first lockdown in March, which at the time showed less than eight per cent of Britons did so. However, 15 per cent of Britons still say they rarely or never wear a face mask. By contrast, 92 per cent of Americans say they wear a face mask when they leave the house. Professor Benjamin Voyer, a behavioural scientist at the London School of Economics, said: Britain was slow to take up mask-wearing, partly due to initial confusion over the benefits, partly because of conflicting messaging from the Government over when and where to wear them. Another change to the recommendations could lead to even more confusion and less adoption in general. A gas tanker exploded on Saturday at a customs post in Afghanistan on the Iranian border, local Afghan officials said, adding that scores of officials were assessing the damage caused by the massive fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Iranian media quoted an Iranian customs spokesman in the northeastern province of Khorasan as saying the blast had occurred around noon at the Islam Qala border customs post in Afghanistan. Short link: The New York Times Mask mandates have eased, a welcome milestone in the battle against COVID-19. But for the two dozen domestic companies that jumped into the mask-making business last year, the good news comes with a downside: a calamitous drop in sales. Some of the slackening demand is tied to the loosening of masking guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but industry experts say a bigger factor has been the return of inexpensive protective gear from China that began flooding the U.S. market earlier this year. Industry executives and some members of Congress have accused China of dumping, noting that many imports are priced so low sometimes one-tenth of what U.S. factories charge for comparable products that there is little chance for domestic companies to survive. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times In recent weeks, at least three companies have stopped producing masks and medical gowns, and several others have markedly scaled back production among them Premium-PPE, a year-old surgical mask-maker in Virginia that recently laid off most of its 280 workers. Our industry is in break-glass mode, said Brent Dillie, co-owner of the company. Like other startups, the company got into the mask business after China, the worlds largest producer of protective medical gear, halted exports at the start of the pandemic. Six months from now, many of us wont be around," said Dillie, "and that wont be good for America the next time theres a national health emergency. The crisis faced by domestic producers is an urgent test for the Biden administration and embodies two of its most important priorities: shore up U.S. manufacturing and ensure that health care workers will never again scramble to find adequate protective gear. Those shortages, health experts say, most likely contributed to the high rates of infection among front-line workers, more than 3,600 of whom died of COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic, according to a tally by The Guardian and Kaiser Health News. The White House has announced a few measures aimed at buoying domestic producers of personal protective equipment, but industry executives say they are still awaiting more substantial trade policies and supply-chain reforms that would bolster their companies chances of survival. Tim Manning, the White House COVID-19 supply coordinator, said the administration has tried to address some of the industrys challenges: They have pushed federal agencies to procure domestic supplies, and they have introduced startups to the distribution giants that supply the nations hospital chains. The administration, he said, was also poised in the coming months to allocate billions of dollars in federal relief spending that would replenish the Strategic National Stockpile with U.S.-made medical goods. The scale and scope of these efforts is something were still working through, Manning said in an interview. In Congress, a bill with bipartisan support would allocate $500 million in annual spending over the next three years to support domestic manufacturers of vital medical equipment. While industry executives commend these moves, they say that time is running out. The American Mask Manufacturer's Association, a recently created trade group, said its 27 members had already laid off 50% of their workforce. Without concerted action from Washington, most of those companies will go belly up within the next two months. An immediate boost, they say, would be to rescind the CDC guidelines, born during the pandemic, that force health workers to repeatedly reuse N95 masks, even though they are designed to be thrown away after contact with each patient. Many hospitals are still following the guidelines, despite the 260 million masks gathering dust in warehouses across the country. Were not looking for infinite support from the government, said Lloyd Armbrust, the associations president and the founder and chief executive of Armbrust American, a mask-making company in Texas. We need the governments support right now because unfair pressure from China is going to kill this new industry before the legislators even get a chance to fix the problem. The association is planning to file an unfair trade complaint with the World Trade Organization, claiming that much of the protective gear imported from China is selling for less than the cost of production. The price for some Chinese-made surgical masks has recently dropped to as low as 1 cent, compared with about 10 to 15 cents for U.S. masks that use domestically produced raw material. This is full-on economic warfare, said Luis Arguello Jr., vice president of DemeTech, a medical suture company in Florida that earlier this month laid off 1,500 workers who made surgical masks. He said that in the coming weeks, 500 other workers who make N95 masks would also likely be let go. China is on the mission to make sure no one in the industry survives, and so far theyre winning, Arguello said. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. The International Trade Administration, a division of the Commerce Department, declined to say whether it would support an anti-competitive complaint against China. The agency, a spokesperson said in a statement, continues to monitor market trends closely and assess options to ensure American manufacturers are competing on a level playing field. The Office of U.S. Trade Representative, which makes trade policy recommendations to the president, did not respond to interview requests. The flood of inexpensive imports also affects producers of other medical gear. Merrow Manufacturing, a 183-year-old textile company in Fall River, Massachusetts, produces an unlikely array of goods from lingerie and bulletproof vests to tank covers. It entered the surgical gown business last year, prompted in part by the desperation of hospitals across New England that suddenly could not obtain medical supplies from China. Our phones were ringing off the hook with people asking if we could help, said Charlie Merrow, who runs the company with his brother. Hundreds of workers were quickly retrained; dozens more were hired; and after a retooling that cost $10 million, Merrows sewing machines were churning out 700,000 gowns a week by last summer. The governor of Massachusetts stopped by the factory to lionize their efforts. The governor of Rhode Island described the Merrows as heroes. These days, not many hospitals are calling, and Merrow recently stopped production after the number of unsold gowns hit 1 million. The companys $18 reusable gowns, he said, do not stand a chance against similar products from China that sell for $6. Its really a lost opportunity for the country when you consider that our national security is at stake, he said. The Merrows are determined to stay in the protective gear business. They are pivoting to making scrubs and other medical garments from recycled material, but other companies have decided to call it quits. National Filters, a surgical mask company in Harbor Beach, Michigan, ceased production earlier this month, and Protective Health Gear, a year-old mask startup in Paterson, New Jersey, is weeks away from laying off its remaining 40 workers. Were hanging on by a thread, said Brian Wolin, the chief executive. The industry shakeout comes as no surprise to Mike Bowen, co-owner of Prestige Ameritech, a Texas company that is one of the largest mask manufacturers in the country. Bowen, who has been in the business since 1986, has long warned political leaders in Washington about the nations dependence on foreign suppliers. I have 14 years of letters to presidents, members of Congress and hospital executives telling them a whole bunch of people are going to die without serious changes, and thats exactly what happened, he said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 2021 The New York Times Company The White House has been accused of hypocrisy after Jen Psaki said a one-week suspension was 'serious punishment' for TJ Ducklo for threatening to 'destroy' a reporter - despite Joe Biden vowing to fire 'on the spot' any aides that 'disrespect' other people. White House Press Secretary Psaki defended her decision to suspend the deputy press secretary for one week without pay during Friday's press briefing insisting it was an 'important step' to show his behavior was 'completely unacceptable'. Ducklo had called Politico reporter Tara Palmeri to say he would 'destroy' her over an article she was planning to write about his romance with Axios journalist Alexi McCammond. As well as the threat, the nature of his comments have also been slammed as sexist as he accused Palmeri of being jealous of McCammond because a past male wanted to 'f***' the Axios reporter instead of her. The incident took place on Inauguration Day but did not come to light until this week. The White House is coming under fire of its handling of the matter, which took place on the very day that the president issued his 'no tolerance' warning to staff. There are also questions over why Ducklo has only been suspended now his behavior has been made public and was not reprimanded at the time. The White House has been accused of hypocrisy after Jen Psaki (in Friday's press briefing) said a one-week suspension was 'serious punishment' for TJ Ducklo for threatening to 'destroy' a reporter - despite Joe Biden vowing to fire 'on the spot' any aides that 'disrespect' other people Psaki avoided directly answering the question when asked why Ducklo had not been immediately fired over the incident saying 'we felt it was a serious punishment' to give him a one-week suspension. 'It doesn't meet our standard, it doesn't meet the president's standard,' Psaki said. 'It was important that we took a step to make that clear and that included not just an apology directly from him and apologies directly from us at the highest levels there, but also a step to suspend him for one week without pay. She added: 'That, in our view, was an important step to send the message that we don't find it acceptable.' Psaki said she felt the punishment was adequate. 'No one wants anyone to feel uncomfortable to be put in an uncomfortable position and that's not behavior that we will tolerate. So those were the steps that were taken and we felt it was a serious punishment,' she noted. CNN White House reporter Kaitlan Collins pressed Psaki on the content of what he said and the sexist tone of his remarks: 'It wasn't just a hostile conversation. I think we've all probably have plenty of those and vice versa, those happen. 'But you know the language that he is alleged to have used according to this report - it is arguably or even not arguably sexist. So, what are you doing to deal with that part of it.' White House Press Secretary Psaki defended her decision to suspend the deputy press secretary (pictured) for one week without pay during Friday's press briefing insisting it was an 'important step' to show his behavior was 'completely unacceptable' 'It's completely unacceptable. He knows that. I've had conversations with him about that,' said Psaki, who is Ducklo's direct supervisor. She emphasized apologies had been made to Politico by Ducklo and by senior White House press staff. 'We've reached out at every level there to convey our apology and been clear this will never happen again. And it is not going to be tolerated here at the White House,' she said. When asked why he wasn't suspended until the story became public, she said it had been handled privately by staff and Ducklo was spoken to about what he said to Palmeri. 'There were conversations that occurred with the reporter, as well as editors at Politico immediately after the conversation occurred. That was how we engaged in a private manner. And, you know, that was, that was what we felt was appropriate at the time,' she said. Psaki also argued Ducklo was speaking about his personal life and not a White House issue. 'He had a heated conversation about a story related to his personal life. I'm not saying that's acceptable but I just want to be clear that it was not about an issue related to the White House or a White House policy or anything along those lines,' she said. Ducklo had called Politico reporter Tara Palmeri (left) to say he would 'destroy' her over an article she was planning to write about his romance with Axios journalist Alexi McCammond (right) Psaki said the decision around an appropriate punishment had been made by her and not Biden. 'No I have not discussed it with the president. It was a decision I made with the approval of the chief of staff,' she told reporters. While swearing in his staff on Inauguration Day, Biden issued a warning that he would 'fire you on the spot' if he heard them treating others 'with disrespect'- 'no ifs, and no buts.' 'I am not joking when I say this, if you are ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot,' he said at the time. 'On the spot. No ifs, ands or buts. Everybody is entitled to be treated with decency and dignity. That's been missing in a big way the last four years.' Some time the same day Ducklo made the threat to Palmeri: 'I will destroy you.' Several journalists and members of the public have slammed the administration's response for its 'hypocrisy.' '#Biden said If you ever work with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, will fire you on the spot, he said that day. No ifs, ands or buts. That didnt last too long!! #Ducklo #Hypocrisy,' one person tweeted. Another person chimed in: 'Total BS. Its rank hypocrisy and Psaki knows better. How does she keep a straight face? And how is she and WH not reclused by, and done with, this reprobate Ducklo?' CNN's Jake Tapper wrote on Twitter: 'Standards that are not upheld are not standards. They're lies.' CNN reporter Abby Philip's tweeted: 'Keep in mind the WH has known about this since January.' And CNN's Chris Cillizza wrote: 'One week? Didn't Biden say he had a 'zero tolerance' policy for this sort of behavior.' The White House is coming under fire of its handling of the matter, which took place on the very day that the president issued his 'no tolerance' warning to staff vowing to fire 'on the spot' any staff who treated others with 'disrespect' And New York magazine's Olivia Nuzzi wrote: 'If Ducklo's conduct as a White House official is so unprofessional that, 3 weeks into the administration, he has been banned from working with reporters from a major news organization, how can he do his job?' CNN's Jim Acosta warned the situation was similar to that experienced in Trump's White House that Biden vowed would not happen under his watch. 'What Ducklo did was wrong. No WH official should ever threaten reporters no matter which party is in power. When Trump WH officials tried to destroy the careers of reporters they were cheered internally. Trumps use of terms like the enemy of the people put reporters in danger,' he tweeted. Vanity Fair on Friday revealed that Palmeri reached out to McCammond to ask her about the romance while one of Palmeri's male colleagues contacted Ducklo about it. But Ducklo called Palmer, instead of her male colleague, and threatened her in an effort to kill the story. He told her he would 'destroy' her and accused her of being jealous that an unidentified man in the past had 'wanted to f***' McCammond 'and not you.'. 'I will destroy you,' Ducklo told Palmeri, sources told Vanity Fair, adding that he would ruin her reputation if the story about his relationship was published. After Ducklo's comments to Palmeri, a Politico editor reached out to the White House, which led to several conversations between Politico staff and senior-level White House communications staff, including Psaki, Bedingfield, and Anita Dunn, director of West Wing operations and a longtime Democratic operative. In one conversation, the White House officials acknowledged that Ducklo's handling of the call with Palmeri was inappropriate. Several journalists and members of the public have slammed the administration's response for its 'hypocrisy' He later emailed Palmeri a note he was sorry he lost his cool but did not address the allegations and threats. CNN obtained a copy of it: 'Last night on the phone with you I lost my temper in a way that was unprofessional, and I apologize for that. I should have done a better job at keeping my emotions in check during our conversation. It won't happen again.' Psaki also faced questions on how Ducklo would work with female reporters going forward - given his assignment as a White House spokesperson - and why his suspension took so long to be given. The original call between Ducklo and Palmeri happened on January 20th - inauguration day. After Vanity Fair published its story, the White House announced Ducklo had apologized again to Palmeri - presumably a stronger one than his original - and was on suspension. 'TJ Ducklo has apologized to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life. He is the first to acknowledge this is not the standard of behavior set out by the president. In addition to his initial apology, he has sent the reporter a personal note expressing his profound regret,' Psaki said. She said with the approval of White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein, Ducklo was suspended and would not work with Politico reporters going forward. 'With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one week-suspension without pay. In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico,' Psaki noted/ Both Alexi McCammond and TJ Ducklo posted about their relationship in their Instagram stories When Politico informed the White House they were publishing their story about it on February 9th, a story appeared about the romance appeared on People Magazine's website the night before on February 8th. The glowing piece said Ducklo and McCammond were friends first and started dating in November, upon which they disclosed their relationship to their superiors. They told People they got to know each other through work but, at the start, Ducklo was single while McCammond was in a serious relationship. They cite the change in their relationship came as Ducklo was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer in December 2019. He's been receiving treatments while working on the campaign and in the White House. McCammond said Ducklo's diagnosis helped her realize her view of him had changed. 'After the election, when we both had some downtime, it was clear that our years-long friendship had the potential for something else. When TJ was diagnosed I had a sense then how much he meant to me and I'm just grateful that I get to be there for him now every step of the way as his partner,' she told People. They also both posted about their relationship on Instagram. Politico noted in its piece on the relationship: 'POLITICO first contacted the White House in late January with questions about Ducklo and McCammond. On Monday evening, Playbook informed Biden's comms staff that this item would be published today. Hours later, a glowing profile of McCammond and Ducklo's relationship was published by People.' STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The next group of New Yorkers eligible for the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine can begin scheduling their appointments on Sunday morning. On Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions can begin scheduling their appointments to receive the coronavirus vaccine through the states Am I Eligible website starting Sunday, Feb. 14, at 8 a.m. Appointments will be released on a rolling basis over the coming weeks, and the state continues to urge patience as demand for the vaccine continues to outpace supply. To prove eligibility, New Yorkers must provide either a doctors letter, medical information evidencing comorbidity or a signed certification. Eligible comorbidities include: Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers) Chronic kidney disease Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis and 9/11-related pulmonary diseases Intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Down Syndrome Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension (high blood pressure) Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system), including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines or other causes Severe Obesity (body mass index of 40 kg/m2) and obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher but less than 40 kg/m2) Pregnancy Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus Cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain Neurologic conditions, including but not limited to Alzheimers disease or dementia Liver disease With approximately seven million New Yorkers now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, the federal government has agreed to increase the states supply by 20% in the coming weeks to handle the influx of newly eligible residents. We have the infrastructure in place to get shots in arms as quickly as possible - we just need the supply to do it - and with a new leader in Washington were finally beginning to get more supply, allowing us to open vaccination appointments up to New Yorkers with comorbidities starting next week, Cuomo said. The governor also announced Saturday that New Yorks seven-day average COVID positivity rate dropped to 3.9% -- the lowest point since Nov. 29. Saturday marked the 36th consecutive day of declining positivity rates throughout the state, dropping the seven-day average positivity rate 51% from the post-holiday peak earlier this year. Our vaccine supply is going up, the positivity rate is going down and were getting one step closer to winning the war against COVID each day, Cuomo said. The numbers show that were moving in the right direction, and to maintain this trajectory we must win the footrace between vaccinating New Yorkers as quickly and fairly as possible and keeping the infection rate down. The declining positivity rates come as New York City begins to lift various coronavirus-related restrictions, with indoor dining in New York City allowed to resume at limited capacities on Friday, Feb. 12, and the states arenas and stadiums set to reopen to a limited number of fans starting Tuesday, Feb. 23. We can almost see the light at the end of this dark tunnel, and it is critical that all New Yorkers continue to wear a mask, practice social distancing and act responsibly so that we can defeat this beast once and for all, the governor said. Sorry! This content is not available in your region A nursing program added to Illinois College in the fall is getting a boost through a federal grant. The college has been awarded $237,000 to support its clinical nursing program. Congressman Darin LaHood said the grant is through the U.S. Economic Development Administration. New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Thursday directed Delhi Police to submit status report of Sunanda Pushkar death case in three days. The next date of hearing in the case is August 1. "Delhi Police said that they have no objection to CBI inquiry if the Court decides so," said BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. Earlier on July 14, Delhi police on Friday sought the damage report of the sealed suite no. 345 from Hotel Leela Palace where Sunanda was found dead on January 17, 2014. The Hotel Leela Palace room no. 345 has been closed since 2014 and the Police have no clue so far how Sunanda, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor died. After several forensic experts visits to the room and five others reports from different medical boards, nothing could be found about the cause of her death. Swamy on July 6 had filed a petition in the court seeking a court monitored enquiry into the death of Sunanda. The Court also asked Swamy that why he woke up so late for which Swami replied he has come after exhausting all other options. Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was found dead in a suit of The Hotel Leela Palace in South Delhi on January 17, 2014. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 90 Day Fiance is full of fan-favorite couples, but Loren and Alexei Brovarnik arguably take the cake. They were a part of season 3 of the original 90 Day Fiance, but they became even more well known with the franchises spinoffs. Most recently, the pair can be seen on episodes of Pillow Talk and they frequently bring their son, Shai, into the mix. The couple and their son are taking a road trip vacation in Florida, and its Shais very first vacation. We have the details you need to know. Loren and Alexei Brovarnik from 90 Day Fiance Alexei and Loren Brovarnik from 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After | 90 Day Fiance/TLC/YouTube So how did the couple meet? It all went down when Loren traveled to Israel on a Birthright trip that she was staffing in 2013. Alexei happened to be the medic of the group, and hes from Israel. Although the pair did the long-distance thing for a while, they finally were married in 2015 in the United States and again in Israel in 2016. Loren, who is 32, and Alexei, who is also 32, have appeared in seasons 1 and 2 of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After, as well as numerous seasons of Pillow Talk. They were also on 90 Day Fiance: What Now? and they had their own segment called Loren and Alexeis Baby Special. Theyve also been seen on 90 Day Diaries, exclusively on discovery+. An addition to the family came in April 2020 with their son named Shai. The happy little family resides in Hollywood Beach, Florida, and they have continued to be fan favorites. Both Loren and Alexei have a strong following on social media. Loren herself has 1.1 million followers on Instagram, and her husband has 709,000. Both have been known to share sweet moments with their little family, and they dont disappoint. Loren and Alexei took their son, Shai, on his very first vacation RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Loren Brovarnik Says She Relates to Elizabeth Potthast Castravets Marriage Dont I Know That! The couple is currently on a trip in Florida. They both shared updates on their Instagram Story, so fans were able to see a little of the trip so far. Were going on vacation this weekend. Were doing a roadtrip, and its Shais first vacation, Loren tells her fans on her Instagram story. She asks her son if hes so excited, and she shares her packed vehicle full of stuff thats mostly for Shai. The couple made a stop at a fishing store for Alexei, as hes an avid fisher. Loren says its literally the one store that she cant really find something for herself. It looks like the couple is vacationing with friends, as they stopped and met up with another couple with a child. During the trip, we see Loren in the car showing Shai off as they ride to their next destination. That evening, the couple enjoyed themselves with a glass of wine and some hookah. The next day, Loren says it its not even 7:30 in the morning, and Alexei is already fishing while the weather is quite cold. Loren spots him on the beach. Their beach house is quite nice, and its literally right on the beach. The deck opens up right out on the sand and water, so it looks like the ideal vacation spot. On Alexeis Instagram Story, he shows himself fishing in pants and a jacket, and it looks cold there on the water as he casts his line out. Next, he shares a cute selfie with Shai all wrapped up in his jacket out on the beach. The fun is just getting started for their weekend vacation. Hopefully, Loren, Alexei, and Shai make lasting memories. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Advertisement Indoor dining has resumed in New York City, almost two months after Gov. Andrew Cuomo suspended the practice amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases. On Friday, relieved restaurant owners were finally able to let patrons back inside for the first time since December 13 - albeit at a reduced capacity. Restaurants are currently allowed to fill just 25 percent of their indoor space - with many saying they will still not survive with three-quarters of their tables staying empty. Some are pushing Gov. Cuomo to allow eateries to operate at a 50 percent capacity - an idea he says he is open to as long as the number of coronavirus cases continues to decline. New York City is still recording thousands of new COVID-19 cases per day, but numbers are dropping slightly following a post-holiday surge. On Friday, the seven-day average COVID positivity rate for the Big Apple was at 7.9 percent. Deaths and hospitalizations remain far lower than they were during the spring of 2020, during which time the city was the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Cuomo was initially poised to reopening indoor dining on February 14, but decided to bring the date forward by two days. As of Sunday, restaurants will also be able to operate for an additional hour - with a closing time of 11 pm, as opposed to current mandated time of 10pm. I'll have what she's having! Indoor dining has resumed in New York City, almost two months after Gov. Andrew Cuomo suspended the practice amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases. Happy diners are seen inside Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan's Lower East Side, famous for being a location in the 1989 romcom When Harry Met Sally A group of gal pals are pictured catching up for lunch inside of Dante in Manhattan on Friday Restaurants are currently able to fill just 25 percent of their indoor space - with many saying they will still not survive with three-quarters of their tables staying empty. Dante in Manhattan is pictured Cheers to that! Eager New Yorkers were pictured happily heading inside for a drink at the Red Lion, Greenwich Village, after months of being left out on snow covered sidewalks Patrons were still separated by plastic screens inside Cafe Reggio in Manhattan's Greenwich Village on Friday On Friday, eager New Yorkers were pictured happily heading inside restaurants, despite the CDC stating that indoor dining brings about an increased risk of spreading and contracting COVID-19. Locals were eager to enjoy the warmth of eateries after months of eating on snow covered sidewalks in below freezing temperatures. On Friday, restaurateurs told local news networks that they hope they will never have to close indoor dining again. 'We hope this is the ultimate, here to stay now, light at the end of the tunnel, vaccine's here, numbers are going down,' one operations director of a Manhattan steakhouse told CBS2. 'If this happens again, devastation will be complete. It's so hard to pay the bills with only outdoor seating.' Last week, the NYC Hospitality Alliance welcomed Cuomo's decision to reopen indoor dining two days early in order for eateries to maximize business over Valentine's Day weekend. 'We commend Governor Cuomo for permitting indoor dining to resume in New York City on Friday, instead of Sunday the originally scheduled date. 'This will allow restaurants to generate much needed revenue from the Valentines Day weekend business, much of which they would have lost because the holiday falls on a Sunday this year. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the news. 'Brooklyn restaurants and industry workers are surviving by a thread, and with COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations declining across the city, were supporting Governor Cuomos decision to move up the safe reopening of highly regulated, 25% occupancy indoor dining to Friday before Valentines Day. 'Many Brooklynites will now be able to celebrate the holiday at a restaurant earlier in the weekend, providing a few days head start for struggling small businesses and workers to earn a little more money to support themselves and their families,' Randy Peers, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO told DailyMail.com. Last week, the NYC Hospitality Alliance welcomed Cuomo's decision to reopen indoor dining two days early in order for eateries to maximize business over Valentine's Day weekend Gov. Cuomo was initially poised to reopening indoor dining on February 14, but decided to bring the date two days forward. As of Sunday, restaurants will also be able to operate for an additional hour - with a closing time of 11 pm, as opposed to current mandated time of 10pm The great indoors! Patrons enjoy the comfort of a warm booth inside The Metro Diner on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Friday Table for two! Restaurants hope they will have a busy weekend as couples head out to celebrate Valentine's Day. One pair were photographed eating at Shuka in Manhattan AKRON, Ohio -- The odds of winning the lottery sound better than the odds of spotting a rare blue American lobster. Well, you dont have to gamble to get a look at a blue lobster at the Akron Zoo. Clawdia made her underwater debut today. According to the zoo, about one in every 2 million lobsters has a blue shell, the result of a genetic anomaly. The female blue lobster was named Clawdia, after Red Lobsters mascot, Clawde. Clawdia came to live at the Akron Zoo in July 2020 after restaurant employees at the Cuyahoga Falls location recognized the rarity of the blue shell. The connection between the Akron Zoo and Red Lobster came from a conservation partnership called Seafood Watch. The program, run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, strives to help consumers and businesses choose seafood that is farmed sustainably and fished in ways to support a healthy ocean. The aquarium reached out to the Akron Zoo, and the animal care staff quickly made a new home for the female Lobster. After the move to Akron, Clawdia went through a quarantine process, giving her time to acclimate to her new home. Last fall, she went through the molting process, shedding her exoskeleton. After the molt, Clawdias new exoskeleton was not as solidly blue as before. Instead, her shell is more rainbow-colored, featuring an array of blue, yellow, green, and orange colors. Clawdia now resides in a habitat in the zoos Komodo Kingdom building. Winter hours, are 11 a.m. 4 p.m. and admission is $8 per person. Children under two are admitted free, and parking is $3. Tickets must be purchased online in advance. For more information visit www.akronzoo.org. Bengaluru, Feb 13 : Nearly 200 Lingayat-Veerashiava seers under the aegis of the National Federation of Veerashaiva-Lingayat Seers held a meeting demanding that Karnataka chief minister, B. S. Yediyurappa recommend all subsects of Lingayats community to the Central Backward Class list. This new demand has mainly come from the Lingayat Virakta Mathas in the state. These Mathas generally attract devotees from every sect of Lingayat community unlike subsect-based Lingayata Mathas in the state. The Lingayat community is one of the most socio-political influential communities in the state, and has given 13 of the 29 Chief Ministers in the last 60 years in Karnataka. Prior to the meeting, one of the chief organisers of this event, Mahantlinga Shivacharya Swamiji of Vibhutipura Matha, told reporters that none of the participating seers are opposed to those who are demanding reservations for their respective subsects. "It is their Constitutionally guaranteed right, who are we to question about their demands or to oppose them? Our demand is simple and we have not chosen a confrontational path," he explained. He claimed that seers from across the country - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and other states as well are together on this. "All of us are demanding that all sects of our community should be included in the Central government's Other Backward Class quota. This will benefit the entire community in one go," the seer argued. According to him, there are 102 subsects in Lingayat community and so far only 30 have been included in Central OBC reservation list. "Our fight is to get justice for all 102 subsects instead of thinking about one or two sects," he said. Answering to a question, he said that issues raised by Panchamsali subsect are entirely different from what Virakta matha seers are demanding here. "Panchamsali demand is limited to Karnataka and it has to be decided within the state itself. Whereas our demand is directly linked to Central government, thus, we are only handing over memorandum to Chief Minister, Yediyurappa or to his representatives" he explained. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here Mr Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, the Minister-designate for Parliamentary Affairs, has vehemently disagreed with the practice of organising primaries to elect parliamentary candidates every four years. The practice, he said, often resulted in high attrition rate of experienced Members of Parliament, adversely affecting the work of the legislature. Mr Mensah-Bonsu, also a Member of Parliament for Suame, was responding to the question of how he would help in ending high attrition rate of MPs when he appeared before Parliament's Appointments Committee on Friday for vetting. He said though Article 55 (5) of the 1992 Constitution enjoined political parties to comply with democratic principles but did not necessarily mean that parliamentary candidates should be chosen through elections. He indicated that parliamentary candidates could be chosen through popular acclamation and appointments, which would help in maintaining experienced MPs in the legislative house. The Majority Leader said in some developed democracies, political parties set up a committee after the end of tenure of MPs and assess the performances of parliamentarians and thus, propose that MPs who distinguished themselves continue without going through any elections. Mr Mensah-Bonsu was of the view that until political parties realised the need to make reforms with regard to the mode of choosing parliamentary candidates, the high attrition rate of MPs would go on unabated. "Mr Chairman, there are other considerations other than the performance of an MP comes into play in electing parliamentary candidates and this results in MPs losing their seats," he explained. He alluded to some experienced MPs including Inusah Fuseini, Dr Assibey Yeboah and Ben Abdul Bandah who lost their seats due to the frustrations in the primaries and eventually lost. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Lindsey Graham's November 13 phone call to Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, is being called into question as part of a wider investigation into Donald Trump's actions in the hard-fought swing state. Fani Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County - the most populous county in the state - opened an inquiry on Wednesday. She will look at Trump's actions in the state, and focus in particular on his January 3 call to Raffensperger when he asked the election official to 'find' votes for him. Lindsey Graham, pictured on Wednesday, called Georgia's secretary of state in November Brad Raffensperger (pictured) was telephoned by Graham on November 13 to discuss the vote On Friday The Washington Post reported that Graham's November call was also being investigated. Raffensperger had raised alarm at the time about the call, which came from one of Trump's staunchest allies. During the call, Graham asked him whether he had the power to toss out all mail ballots in certain counties, Raffensperger told the paper. He said Graham appeared to be asking him to improperly find a way to set aside legally cast ballots. Graham said he contacted Raffensperger on his own and was not asked to do so by Trump. Graham's spokesman, Kevin Bishop, said that suggestions the call was dubious were 'ridiculous'. 'Sen. Graham was asking about how the signature verification process worked,' Bishop said. 'He never asked the Secretary of State to disqualify a ballot cast by anyone. 'The timing on this is also quite curious. It seems to be a less than transparent effort to marginalize anyone who helps President Trump.' South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham is seen on Friday heading to meet Trump's lawyers Fani Willis said right from the start that her probe will go beyond Trump's infamous phone call Shortly after Graham's call, on November 19, the state was called for Joe Biden - a surprise victory for the Democrats, after 25 years of Georgia voting Republican. The result enraged Trump. On January 2 Trump himself telephoned Raffensperger, a Republican, and asked him to 'find' votes for him, to prevent Biden claiming the White House. In the call Trump says: 'All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,' referring to the narrow margin of President Joe Biden's victory in the state, one of a handful of swing states that cost Trump the White House. The call was taped, and leaked to the media. Willis' investigation will look into both Trump and Graham's calls to Raffensperger. 'This investigation includes, but is not limited to, potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election's administration,' she wrote in a letter on Wednesday, announcing the inquiry. Willis' letter says the next Fulton County grand jury is due to convene in March, at which time 'this office will begin requesting grand jury subpoenas as necessary.' It makes note that there is 'no reason to believe' any Georgia official will be investigated. Raffensperger's own office announced on Monday that they too had opened an investigation, in response to an outside complaint. Jordan Fuchs, Raffensperger's deputy secretary of state, said on Friday that the office would not look at Graham's call as part of its investigation, in part because there is no audio recording of the call. The Irish Wheelchair Association in Laois is calling on the Government to prioritise people with disabilities in their Covid vaccination plan, amid concerns over vaccine supplies. The Laois branch of the IWA wants the Government to prioritise people with disabilities under its vaccination plan, as concerns grow over vaccine delays. The charity said that people with physical disabilities are at severe risk due to underlying conditions. Josephine Kenny is a member of the Laois branch. Many people with physical disabilities are at severe risk of Covid due to health conditions that could cause complications and hospitalisation, yet they have not been recognised as a vulnerable group by the Government. She said that their members are also confined in their homes. The Government must also recognise that in the absence of regular day services, many people with disabilities have been confined at home since the virus took hold last March, adding additional stress. People we support are eager to get the vaccine and are highly concerned about how long they will wait with vaccine supplies lower than planned," Josephine said. She said that people in Laois are being cared for by frontline workers visiting their homes. In Laois, we have a strong team of frontline workers, who have been visiting people at home every day since Covid arrived almost a year ago. We are helping people get out of bed, get dressed, preparing meals, helping around the home, making trips for shopping, the chemist and with personal care. Our immediate priority is to protect people with disabilities and to ensure that the most vulnerable have all the support they need while they cannot be with their family and friends. Our members have added vulnerabilities to the Covid-19 virus. They must be included on the Governments vaccine priority list. At the current time, people over 65 in residential settings with disabilities are rightly getting vaccinated. Yet worryingly, those living independently in the community and being assisted at home in Laois and across the country are not. This is a real issue. Our members have told us they are very keen to be vaccinated, but are concerned that they will be left waiting. With concerns about vaccination supplies, we urge the Minister for Health to urgently include people with disabilities on the priority list to ensure their protection," she said. Irish Wheelchair Association is Irelands largest organisation supporting people with physical disabilities to lead active and independent lives and has 20,000 members. The association currently has 1,500 staff across Ireland visiting 4,000 homes each month, caring for individuals with disabilities, in their own homes. Sammy Cotter has been running his grocery wholesalers for a quarter of a century. But now hes living day to day. Ive got 7,000 worth of goods sitting in Manchester, he tells me. It was supposed to be delivered on December 21. But Im still waiting. At first glance, his warehouse in Quarry Heights, Newtownards, County Down, resembles a mini Aladdins Cave. But then I notice the rows of empty shelves against the far wall. This is the problem, he says, holding up an impenetrable-looking form with several rows of eight-digit Commodity Codes. Weve been shipping things from England for years. But now each product needs its own number. And the people Im buying from still havent got to grips with the new system. There are at least 40 separate items that cant get across. Its this bureaucratic but to Sammy all too real trade border across the sea that has brought me to Northern Ireland. Ive been told that Boriss abandonment of his Democratic Unionist Party partners, combined with post-Brexit EU sabre-rattling, has pushed Ulster to boiling point. The fragile peace brokered on a Good Friday is even said to be in jeopardy. During the Brexit referendum, the issue of Northern Ireland and borders seemed completely abstract. A historical aberration. But to both of Northern Irelands communities, they are neither an abstraction, nor a historic curiosity. But Mr Cotter seems more resigned than resentful. He admits to feeling let down. We shouldnt have this happening. This is part of the UK and we sell to the UK. If this stuff was going on [to the Irish Republic], fair enough. But weve been supplying locally for decades. But he refuses to criticise Boris. And he expresses support for DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who recently called on the Government to get to grips with the issue. As I head back down the hill, I begin to wonder if all the talk of rising tensions had been overhyped. Then I swing out on to the main road taking me back to Belfast. In front of me is a long, grey terrace. The graffiti DUP Sell-Outs Be Warned!! is scrawled on the wall in giant letters. Next to it is a symbol of a snipers crosshairs. The catalyst for the current concerns about renewed violence was an announcement that Customs inspectors had been withdrawn from the port of Larne following direct threats against them. As with much in Northern Irish politics, that incident has itself become mired in confusion and controversy, as the Police Service of Northern Ireland, trade unions and nationalist politicians all cast doubt on the validity of the threat. But as I approach Larne, it quickly becomes clear the level of local opposition to the implementation of the Brexit agreement is real. A makeshift Larne says No to the Irish Sea Border banner quickly gives way to a series of professionally produced signs demanding Scrap the NI protocol. At the roundabout at the port entrance, you are welcomed by graffiti proclaiming No Irish Sea border and another set of snipers crosshairs. Walking around the half-deserted port town, a couple of other things quickly become apparent. One is that given the sensitivity of the graffiti, it seems strange it hasnt quickly been removed. Another is that its hard to see how such an overt campaign could be mounted without support from the local community. Irish Sea Border and the Northern Ireland Protocol has culminated in threats appearing on walls in hardline loyalist areas against port staff implementing border checks on animal and foodstuffs icoming from GB into Northern Ireland Ive come to Larne to meet Robert he wont give me his last name who Ive been told is involved in co-ordinating the anti-protocol campaign at grassroots level. As a harsh wind sweeps off the bay, he says its true hes involved in the poster campaign: Its so popular we cant keep up with demand. But he denies involvement with any graffiti or threats. I ask if its true that claims tensions are bubbling over are over-hyped. Its the other way round, he tells me, if it wasnt for Covid, things would be really escalating. I think theres a real chance were going to see street violence. Could it still reach that point, I ask. He nods. If the politicians are going to act, they need to do it quickly. As I leave Robert and drive away, I pass yet more graffiti. All bets are off, it says. During the Brexit referendum, the issue of Northern Ireland and borders seemed completely abstract. A historical aberration. Even when youre in Larne, you look out across the bay to the Irish Sea and the barrier that is causing all the problems remains invisible. But to both of Northern Irelands communities, they are neither an abstraction, nor a historic curiosity. And as I return to Belfast, I get to observe a nightly ritual. Just a couple of minutes down from the mural of hunger-striker Bobby Sands is Northumberland Street, a small through-road connecting the Republican Falls Road with the Protestant Shankill Road. At the Falls end are two steel gates. The Northern Ireland Justice Department refers to them as Interface Gates, but theyre more commonly known as the peace line. Every Monday to Thursday, at 6.30pm sharp, a man appears in a small white Transit van. He parks, gets out and walks up to the gates and pulls them shut. Then he locks them. As I watch, a red car comes racing up the road. But its arrived a split second too late. The driver turns, reverses, then heads off the way he came. Behind him, the Loyalist and Republican communities have been safely locked in for another night. Or safely locked apart. The villagers of Crossmaglen are equally well aware of the hard realities of a hard border. During the Troubles, this tiny South Armagh village was the heart of bandit country. Dozens of British soldiers and RUC men were gunned down patrolling the surrounding lanes and fields. Last week, Michael Gove held meetings with EU officials to find a way of easing border restrictions. Could this be a possible solution? The Loyalist community believes its being betrayed. By a Government it thought was its ally. And by a nation it had pledged allegiance to And it, and dozens of similar communities that nestle alongside the Irish Republic, have again found themselves thrust into the centre of the spiralling tensions over Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement. As I park up in the square, alongside the monument to the Republican movement, a simple remedy is proffered. The Solution To Brexit Irish Unity says a sign. Above it stands a large mural, the Roll of Honour to the South Armagh Brigade. But, of course, a resolution is not quite that simple. The creation of the trade border in the Irish Sea was designed to prevent one forming along the land border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, anathema to the Norths Nationalist community. But then last week, in a bid to tackle the spread of Covid, the Irish government appeared to announce the border would in fact be closed. Garda roadblocks were being introduced to fine or turn back those crossing without a valid reason. Mary (not her real name) runs one of the local shops. She explains to me that if there is a new Covid border, its about as effective as one made of Swiss cheese. People are still crossing all the time, she says. Mike (again, not his real name) is setting up a stall from his van. I got stopped on Wednesday, he says, but then they [the Garda] moved on. Its no real bother. Unfortunately, it is to a Unionist community who think a border has been imposed down the Irish Sea because one between the Republic and Northern Ireland was unconscionable. Jamie Bryson describes himself as a loyalist activist who is involved with community groups. He asks me not to disclose where we meet because of threats, but as I pull up I pass more of the ubiquitous No Irish Sea Border graffiti. You now have a border between East and West in order to keep away a border between North and South. That has upset the balance. The view across Unionism and Loyalism is that border was put in the Irish Sea to placate the threat of violence by Irish Nationalists who said you couldnt have so much as a CCTV camera on the border, he says. Last week, Michael Gove held meetings with EU officials to find a way of easing border restrictions. Could this be a possible solution? I ask Jamie. If you paved the Irish Sea border with gold, it still wouldnt be acceptable to the Unionist community, he says. So how close are we to a resumption of serious violence? The Government is playing with fire. No loyalist group is there at this point in time. But its very difficult to argue against someone who says, Nationalism used the threat of political violence, we didnt, and look whats happened to us. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Had the Irish Sea border been what its creators intended it to be a pragmatic but flexible bureaucratic solution to a seemingly intransigent problem Northern Irelands loyalist community might, just, have worn it. But given it is causing real hardship to real lives, anyone who spends more than five minutes here can see even the most moderate Unionist cannot countenance it. Yes, people may be playing politics as next years Northern Ireland Assembly elections hove into view. Maybe the likes of Jamie Bryson may have their own intricate games to play within Unionisms myriad factions. But if the border issues gets layered over an existing Stormont crisis, and Unionisms factions do fracture, it will end in catastrophe. Because one thing is clear. The Loyalist community believes its being betrayed. By a Government it thought was its ally. And by a nation it had pledged allegiance to. I spoke to a Bangor fisherman called Paul Leeman, and asked how he had voted in the referendum. I voted to leave, he told me, and I know some people are saying, Serves you right! But seriously, what way is that to speak to your own kin? As I leave Northern Ireland, one thing stands out. Paul and Sammy and Mike and Mary share a different heritage. But they are essentially the same. Working men and women, trying to make their way. And each has the same view of one thing. None of them wants a border in their lives. But they keep being forced upon them. The Peace Border between Belfasts communities. The Vaccine Border imposed by the EU two weeks ago. The Covid Border imposed by the Irish government. The Trade Border imposed by the British Government down the Irish Sea. The people of Northern Ireland have enough borders. Its time to open them. Before its too late. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Armed robbers attack all-night church service in Ghana, 2-y-o among 3 injured Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Suspected armed robbers attacked a church in the West African country of Ghana Saturday, leaving three wounded during a nighttime service. Police sources told Daily Mail GH that a gang of armed robbers stormed the Action Prayer Ministry in Kumasi around 2 a.m. Saturday, where they interrupted an all-night prayer service. According to witnesses, one of the robbers fired a pistol into the congregation, forcing churchgoers to flee. One of the three injured victims is only 2 years old, while the oldest of the three is 22, authorities report. All three victims sustained minor gunshot wounds on their legs, an unnamed church member told a Ghanaian-based independent digital news outlet. Those injured in the attack are said to have been taken for treatment to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, the capital city of the southern Ashanti Region. Police are reported to have rushed to the scene after being alerted about the incident. Before they arrived, members of the church arrested one of the attackers, identified as 22-year-old Sunday Ayine. Meanwhile, an accomplice identified only by the name Emannuel is still at large. Police discovered BB cartridges and an empty shell, according to the report. The church attack comes as there have been several robbery cases recorded nationwide in recent weeks. According to GhanaWeb, the increase of robbery cases could portend a looming security crisis. The attack on the Action Prayer Ministry came just days after armed robbers attacked the River of Life International Global Prayer Centre in Bolgatanga during a service. GhanaWeb reported at the time that the robbers physically assaulted the churchs head pastor and stole money, phones and motorcycles that belonged to congregants. Police explained that a machete and empty bullet shell were discovered at the River of Life prayer center. Pistol retrieved. Victims were interviewed. They claimed their mobile phones and monies were taken, a police spokesperson told GhanaWeb. The attack in Bolgatanga marked the second attack on a house of worship in Ghanas Upper East Region in four months. In November 2020, witnesses said robbers attacked two elders of the Church of the Pentecost in Sandema. The robbers allegedly stole the churchs offerings as well as phones and tablets belonging to churchgoers. "I was in the company of a deaconess, who is our financial secretary, and one elder. When the two men entered the church, we even thought they were part of a COVID-19 team sent by [the] government to ensure that the church adhere[s] to the COVID-19 protocol, presiding elder Francis Ayeuenkanbe Apanab told a local radio show at the time, according to Ghanian Times. They instructed us to lie down. They took the offering and bolted on their motorbike while giving warning shots. The United States-based persecution advocacy organization International Christian Concern reports that Ghana has historically been a safe country for Christians as 2010 census data show that over 70% of its population is Christian. While Muslims and Christians have generally lived peacefully among each other, fears of religious tensions have increased, especially toward the northern Burkina Faso border, ICC said in a statement. Though it is unclear if this attack [in Kumasi] was religiously motivated or just a random act of crime, attacks on churches is a bad sign for the freedom of religion in a region where Islamic radicalism and attacks on Christians is growing rapidly. In neighboring Burkina Faso, the rise of radical extremist violence has led to a mass displacement of residents. Last August, the United Nations called Burkina Faso the worlds fastest-growing humanitarian crisis as 5% of its population was displaced. The international body estimates that the crisis has displaced over 1 million people. Mrs Maureen Rowley of Hyde Street, Mohill, died on Tuesday, February 2, following a short illness. She was a loving mother, a wonderful grandmother, a generous neighbour and an outstanding and forgiving friend to many who had the privilege of knowing her. Maureen was from Ballyconnell, County Cavan, and in Bawnboy Technical School she received a quality education in domestic science, equipping her with skills that she later put at the service of her family and the wider community. Following her marriage to Alf Rowley she came to live in Mohill town where the couple raised five children. Maureen was busy with her duties as a wife and mother, but she also found time to keep herself in good shape, joining one of the badminton teams in the Hunt Memorial Hall, where she helped them to win many titles. As well as that, she regularly entered competitions at Mohills annual Agricultural Show, bringing honour to herself and in later years encouraging her grandchildren to take part too. Maureen was a first class cook. My late father, who ran a butchers shop down the street from Maureens home, said that she could take a lambs shank and within a matter of hours she would produce a dinner fit for a king. She also baked apple tarts, rhubarb tarts, pastries and cakes for every occasion, and there are several people in the greater Mohill area whose baptisms, birthdays, weddings, holy communions and confirmations were crowned by her gift of a commemorative cake. Maureen was also generous towards the local parish church, giving a long service with the Altar Society and excelling in that work, especially at Christmas time, when the church was decked out in beautiful floral arrangements. After several decades at that ministry, old age finally caught up with her and she had to retire. I was at Mass that Christmas Eve when Father Murphy publicly thanked her for her outstanding service. With that, the congregation burst into a loud and sustained applause as a token of their appreciation. Maureen also had a soft spot for any neighbours in difficulty, regularly inviting one of them to her home for Christmas dinners, and also cooking a Sunday dinner for a vulnerable neighbour whose elderly mother, as she was dying, had asked Maureen to keep an eye out for his welfare. By the life that she led, Maureen bore witness to the heights and depths that an honest Christian life can reach. One of her children has Down Syndrome, and after an initial shock at that diagnosis the couple shouldered the daily tasks of raising that girl, and indeed all of their family, with dignity and love. Alf died in the late 1990s. He and Maureen had only one son, Cormac, and when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness around six years ago, his own wife Brenda and their children, as well as Maureen and her family, rallied round to do everything possible for him. I spoke to Maureen at his wake, and I came away with an impression that despite her heartbreak, she was enveloped by a peace that came from another world. Afterwards I pondered on the fact that Maureen had a great attachment to Our Blessed Lady, and I wondered if Mary had comforted her in hidden ways. For just as Mary had stood at the foot of the Cross when her only son was dying, Maureen too had stood by another cross, where she bore witness to her love for her only son as he was passing. Mary had gone ahead, both in love and in suffering, and with an uncanny precision the ever faithful Maureen had followed in Marys footsteps. There were also many happy days in the lives of Alf and Maureen. They saw one of their daughters win a prestigious Gold Medal on graduating from one of Irelands leading schools of nursing, while another daughter, a highly qualified oncology nurse, was featured on TV and in newspapers the length and breadth of the country as the poster girl for Irelands Daffodil Day. A third daughter proved her solicitude for her elderly mother whenever Maureen had to attend hospital appointments. The daughter would discreetly phone me when Maureen was on her way home from the hospital, asking me to turn on the heat in Maureens house, so that it would be crisp and cosy by the time she arrived home. Maureen appeared on the Late Late Show in the run up to Christmas one year, after the same daughter had written to Ryan Tubridy, and she was taken by surprise when another daughter, who had been resident with her family in the US, walked into the RTE studio with her four handsome sons. It was a Christmas gift with a difference. I often wonder if God might occasionally send messages of appreciation to those of his friends who accept a heavy cross out of their love for him, and to prove my point I will tell you this story about Maureen. Among her children were four daughters and only one son, but among her grandchildren there were nine boys and no girls. Maureen told me that it looked like she would have no granddaughters at all. Then we heard that there was something stirring. A tenth grandchild was on the way, and that child turned out to be a girl. Now, Maureen adored all of her grandchildren, but she was thrilled, tickled almost, that at the final throw of the dice God had sent her such an adorable granddaughter. I count myself among the many local people who will miss Maureen Rowley dearly, but I also believe that when we regain our composure we will realise that we had the privilege of knowing someone who was outstanding in her faithful love for God and her merciful love for others. May she rest in the peace that only God can give, and may her family take consolation from these words of Jesus, Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. David Logan Aim of Trump Impeachment Is to Chill and Criminalize Speech that Opposes Leftist Agenda: Tom Fitton Tom Fitton, conservative activist and president of Judicial Watch, told The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders in an interview that he believes the aim of bringing an incitement of insurrection charge against former President Donald Trump is to chill and criminalize speech that opposes the agenda of those on the political left. Calling Trumps second impeachment trial anti-constitutional, Fitton remarked that it amounts to an attempt to silence the voices of those raising issues of concern that run counter to certain political objectives. Its really an attack on civil rights and President Trump, the civil rights of his supporters who share his concerns about the issues hes raised, Fitton said. And what the left is trying to do is outlaw opposition to its agenda. Number one on the list is concerns about election integrity, he said. If you raise concerns about it, you need to be de-platformed, or worse. House Democrats making the case for impeachment have argued that Trump set the stage for violence through repeated claims that the election results were fraudulent. On the second day of the trial, Democrat impeachment managers laid out the case that the Jan. 6 Capitol breach was not caused by a single speech but was rather the outcome of a months-long model of messaging that sowed doubt about the election and fueled anger among Trump voters by reinforcing the view that they had been cheated out of a win and disenfranchised due to fraud. They also alleged that Trump summoned a mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders, and did nothing to stop the violence as it played out on television. Trumps defense lawyers have argued that Trump urged the crowd to demonstrate peacefully, and his Jan. 6 remarks about fighting were mere figures of speech no different from the kind that politicians typically make, and anyway allowable under First Amendment protections. To claim that the president in any way wished, desired, or encouraged lawless or violent behavior is a preposterous and monstrous lie, Michael van der Veen, one of Trumps lawyers, said Friday. They also accused Democrats of waging a campaign of hatred against Trump, of using the impeachment trial to settle political scores, and of hypocrisy. On Friday, Trumps lawyers played a montage of clips showing Democrats, some of them senators now serving as jurors, also telling supporters to fight, seeking to establish a parallel with Trumps rhetoric. This is ordinary political rhetoric that is virtually indistinguishable from the language that has been used by people across the political spectrum for hundreds of years, Van der Veen said. Countless politicians have spoken of fighting for our principles. David Schoen, one of the attorneys representing Trump, said Friday that this unprecedented effort is not about Democrats opposing political violence. It is about Democrats trying to disqualify their political opposition. It is Constitutional cancel culture. Asked to comment on Schoens remarks, Fitton said he believes they accurately reflect the intention behind the impeachment push. This is an effort to de-platform the president from our nations political life, he said. And to try to remove a player from the chess board who would be an effective advocate, a leader against their agenda. Jan Jekielek contributed to this report. Despite of freezing cold weather in the northern part of Vietnam, four types of travels listed below could be ideal choices for short trips at the weekend. The year 2021 will see the big changes in travel trade, not only in the destination but also in the types of tourism that tourists will choose. There are four types of tourism would become trendy among Vietnamese and expat tourists this winter or even for the entire of 2021, according to the prediction of booking.com. Having an onsen bath The type of relaxation that many tourists look for is onsen or hot spring bath. Originating in Japan, taking an onsen bath would bring back a delicate balance, helping to re-energize the body and mind of the travelers after a year full of fluctuations. Not only being a trend to relax in winter, onsen is also an ideal cure, which could be performed both outdoor or in private. This type of relaxation is great for groups of friends or families, especially for 71% of Vietnamese tourists on a survey conducted by Booking.com, who see travel after the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to connect the emotion between loved ones. Lets go trekking Trekking through the jungle or mountain is a great way to stay active and healthy during the cold winter months instead of staying at home watching TV or on the phone. Hiking not only brings great physical benefits such as strength, balance, flexibility and rapid warmth, but spending time outdoor can also help people to combat seasonal sadness syndrome" in the gloomy weather in the North. Fansipan moutain trekking. Photo: Viet Trekking Moreover, trekking is also a great opportunity to take photos of floating clouds and watch the starry sky shining on the mountain tops. Immersing yourself in the wild nature is an ideal way for spiritual relaxation. In recent years, Ta Nang-Phan Dung is the most beautiful trekking route in Vietnam. With a length of more than 50 km, Ta Nang - Phan Dung forest road spans through three provinces of Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan in the southern part of the nation and said to be always hiding miracles for those who love nature exploring. Beginners can also explore Lang Biang - the highest of the three mountain peaks in Dalat, stretching four kilometers across the pine forest. In the North, trekking tours to explore Bach Moc Luong Tu, Pu Ta Leng or Fansipan moutains are always interesting suggestions. Taking a trekking tour seems to be suitable for 57% Vietnamese travelers who have pledged to not take luxury travel for granted in the future. There is only 10% are now actually planning a luxury getaway (such as a villa, 5-star hotel), while 43% others plan a normal relaxing trip to get rid of the pandemic concerns, as Booking.com survey conducted. Getaway at the weekend with a campfire Winter get warmer when you are with friends. Photo: Da Lat Travel What is "not cold winter"? Getting around a campfire always brings a very interesting feeling. Furthermore, camping at the beach during the low season also offers an opportunity to enjoy the feeling of "getting out of the crowd" for discerning travelers. Having an outing at the weekend seems to be in ideal choice for travelers who wish for a short escape of the bustling city. Sixty-seven per cent of Vietnamese travelers want to take more shorter breaks in 2021. A further 38% also revealed their preference of a weekend breaks during the pandemic, showing travelers desires to be able to escape reality, even for just a few days. Food for thought Trying local specialties is a must when traveling around. Photo: Booking.com Travelers desire to explore the world has not diminished but traveling abroad is still being avoided by a majority of Vietnamese travelers (73%) even when travel restrictions are lifted. That is why local travel is the new way of exploring the world, with culinary delights being top of the list. And with taste buds at the ready, 53% of the travelers are keen to taste and indulge in local cuisine while traveling, with 45% wanting to eat out more often with the money saved from not travelling abroad. According to Anthony Lu, Regional Director, Vietnam at Booking.com, the effect of COVID-19 pandemic has evolved and will continue evolving the way people travel, impacting their choices and decisions in the near future. While travel in 2021 will be different, it is reassuring to see that Vietnamese are still optimistic about its possibilities and have found creative ways to fulfil their wanderlust despite the pandemic. The findings of the Booking.com research and emerging trip types are testament to the fact that travel is a vital part of people lives and when the best, and safest, possibilities permit, travelers will confidently take a step forward to chase their travel dreams once again. Thuy Duong (Hanoitimes) Vietnamese, international street food at Ho Thi Ky Street At Ho Thi Ky Street in HCM Citys District 10, known as a paradise for street food, with over 100 stalls, visitors can find famous dishes. In a regulatory filing it said,that the net profit fell 52.1 % (QoQ) to 1378.23 crore. The revenues rose 0.6% to 17, 023.8 crore in third quarter. Standalone net profit in October-December quarter at 1,378 crore was 67.4% lower than 4,226 crore net profit in the same quarter of the previous year, the company said in a statement. The board has also approved interim dividend of 35%, i.e. 1.75 on each equity share of 5. The total payout on this account will be 2,201.55 Crore. The Record date for distribution of dividend has been fixed for 20 February, 2021 which has been intimated to the stock exchanges. "The total payout on this account will be 2,201.55 crore," the statement said. The company realised $43.9 on every barrel of crude oil it produced and sold in the third quarter of the current fiscal, down from $58.24 a barrel it had realised in the same period a year back. Government-mandated gas price dropped to USD 1.79 per million British thermal unit from USD 3.23 per mmBtu rate it got in October-December 2019. Turnover was down 28% at 17,024 crore. "Despite countrywide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, ONGC has almost reached last years production levels in case of Crude oil from its operated blocks. The shortfall in gas production is primarily due to less offtake by customers due to COVID-19 pandemic," the company said in a statement. ONGC has declared total 8 discoveries (3 in onland, 5 in offshore) during FY 2020-21 in its operated acreages. Out of these, 4 are prospects (1 in onland, 3 in offshore) and 4 are pools (2 in onland, 2 in offshore). This new prospect discovery will add to the existing reserve base of the area and will be taken up for early monetization due to its proximity to the existing Mukta field. On the BSE, the stock dipped 2.46% to close at 97.00 on Friday. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. I am not generally a fan of futility, which is why I was sceptical about the wisdom of congressional Democrats pursuing a second impeachment and post-presidential conviction of Donald Trump. The ending of this unprecedented exercise was written before it even began: Once again, Trump would be acquitted by the Senate, where fewer than the requisite 67 would vote to convict him. And once again, it would be safe to predict that the 45th president will claim this is some sort of exoneration. It seemed smarter, and politically safer, to punish Trump some other way perhaps with a censure, which would require only a majority. But having watched what has unfolded this week in the Senate chamber a scene of the crime I now realise I was wrong. The House managers have laid out a devastating case, for the American public and for history. They are making clear not only Trumps culpability but the complicity of the Republican hierarchy that enabled him and the murderous, self-styled patriots who took up his call for insurrection. These people are now the face of Republicanism. That is probably why a Gallup Poll this week found that only 37pc of Americans approve of the GOP, which is a six-point slide from November. (By comparison, Democratic favourability has shown a slight rise, to 48pc.) Trump well understood the spineless opportunism of those who claim to be the leaders of his party, as well as the gullibility of people who could chant U-S-A! U-S-A! as they committed acts of insurrection based on his lie that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen. Isolated and aggrieved, he was counting on the impulses that he had been stoking. The impeachment managers played clip after clip of Trump encouraging violence, going back long before the mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol. These tactics were road-tested, said Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin, the lead impeachment manager. January 6 was a culmination of the presidents actions, not an aberration from them. As one of the rioters shrieked in a video shown during Thursdays proceedings, We were invited here! We were invited by the president of the United States! At least one rioter beat a police officer with a pole that was flying an American flag. Read More Until this trial, the horror of January 6 was, for most Americans, a series of vignettes snippets of video that went viral, news accounts of individual perpetrators. Even those who were in the Capitol that day had only a narrow sense of what happened. Only now, thanks to the case laid out in excruciating detail by the House managers, is it clear how close a call that day was for so many, including Trumps own vice president. Or how little regard the president had for their safety. Let me be very clear: The president wasnt just coming for one or two people, or Democrats like me, Californian Ted Lieu, said. He was coming for you. For Democratic and Republican senators. He was coming for all of us, just as the mob did at his direction. There can be no doubt that Trump knew the seriousness of the situation. Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville told Politico that he had personally informed Trump that Vice President Mike Pence had been evacuated from the Senate chamber. Trumps concern, however, was for himself. Right around the time he learned that Pences life was in danger, he tweeted his outrage, not at the mob, but at the vice president, who lacked what he said was the courage to violate his constitutional responsibility to certify the result of a fairly decided election. Senior aides to the impeachment managers team claim they are seeing signs that some Republicans may be wavering and might be convinced to vote for a conviction. As one aide put it on Thursday: Evidence has the power to change minds. I remain sceptical, given that all but six of the Republican senators have already voted against allowing the trial to proceed at all. They will continue to cling to a procedural reed, asserting that once Trump was out of office, he should go free on any impeachable offences he committed while he was president. Legal experts across the political spectrum disagree. An acquittal does not foreclose the possibility that the Senate could still consider censuring Trump. ( Washington Post) Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 05:04:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GENEVA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said here on Friday that given the scale of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO expects many people to be affected by "post-COVID condition," also referred to as "long COVID." Speaking at a virtual press conference, he also said that the best way to prevent this condition is to prevent COVID-19 in the first place. According to the WHO chief, earlier this week the WHO held a global meeting of patients, clinical experts and other stakeholders to advance the understanding of "long COVID". This meeting, the first in a series, focused on agreeing on a clinical description of the condition, which will be important for experts to diagnose and treat it, Tedros said. "Long COVID" affects patients with both severe and mild COVID-19, Tedros said. "Part of the challenge is that patients with long COVID can have a range of different symptoms that can be persistent or can come and go." Dr. Janet Diaz, an expert with the WHO's Health Care Readiness team, said at another press conference here that the post COVID-19 condition was a heterogeneous group of symptoms that could occur up to six months after the illness. According to the expert, reports showed that the most common symptoms were fatigue, post-exertional malaise and cognitive disfunction sometimes described as "brain fog". Shortness of breath, coughing, mental and neurological complications have also been reported, she said. Dr. Diaz explained that patients experiencing this condition "could have been hospitalized patients," but also those with mild symptoms, who were treated in ambulatory settings. "There is still a need to better understand this condition. It is not yet clear who is most at risk, and why it is happening in the first place," she said. Enditem Three people were stabbed in the Melbourne in the early hours of Valentine's Day. A man in his 20s was allegedly stabbed in his leg and two teenage boys were stabbed in their arms during a fight at a home in Point Cook in the city's southwest. Victoria Police Senior Constable Adam West said a man is under police guard at hospital following the brawl. 'Investigators have been told that a number of people were gathered at an address in Lennon Boulevard on Saturday night,' he said. A man is in hospital under police guard after three men were allegedly stabbed at a Point Cook home, in Melbourne, during the early hours of Sunday morning 'About 11.45pm a man and a woman attended the address in a Holden Commodore. 'The man got out of the vehicle and was involved in an altercation with a number of people at the address.' Police will allege a fight ensued and the three victims were stabbed before the man and woman drove away from the scene. The three men from the address were rushed to hospital to be treated for their injuries. After patrols of the area, Senior Constable West said officers found a man, possibly from the Holden, at a local convenience store with a suspected broken leg and he was taken to hospital under police guard. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, with information or footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au. Major churches are at odds with authorities over the AstraZeneca vaccine, with religious leaders telling parishioners they are entitled to request a different jab but the federal government saying most people wont have a choice. Religious concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine arise from its use of decades-old aborted fetal cells in the development process, which is common scientific practice that some Christians find objectionable. The stoush could frustrate or delay attempts to inoculate the country against further COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns as authorities prepare to start the vaccine rollout later this month. Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher. Credit:James Alcock While Australia will import 20 million Pfizer doses for high-risk populations, most Australians will be offered the AstraZeneca jab, with 50 million doses to be made locally and expected to begin in late March. A third vaccine, Novavax, should be available later in the year pending clinical trials and regulatory approval. Police are hunting for a serial sex attacker after nine assaults were reported in the same park over just five hours. South Wales Police received reports of the attacks between 8am and 1pm on Friday and arrested a 24-year-old man before releasing him. Officers are patrolling the popular Singleton Park in Swansea and an investigation is ongoing. The force has released a picture of a cyclist in a hoodie who they believe could help with inquiries. South Wales Police has released a picture of a cyclist in a hoodie who they believe could help with inquiries It has also appealed for witnesses who were in the park at the time and may be able to assist. Detective inspector Peter Collins said: 'We appreciate these incidents are concerning to local residents who are regularly using the park during lockdown. 'We are taking this very seriously and our investigation is ongoing. We also have extra patrols in and around the park. South Wales Police received reports of the attacks between 8am and 1pm on Friday and arrested a 24-year-old man before releasing him (file photo) 'We are keen to hear from anyone who was in park between 8am and 1pm on Friday no matter how insignificant you feel your information maybe as it could help with our inquiry.' A statement from the force read: 'We have received four reports of women being indecently assaulted by a man on a bike in and around the Singleton Park area this morning. 'We have an investigation ongoing which includes a number of officers patrolling the area. The suspect is described as wearing black clothing with a hood up.' Ten retired general and flag officers, including the former director of the National Security Agency, have filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting expansion of draft registration to include women. Retired Air Force Gen. Mike Hayden, former director of the National Security Administration; Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal; Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy and others filed a "friend of the court," or amicus, brief Wednesday supporting a case brought against the government by the National Coalition For Men, a group challenging the constitutionality of the Selective Service System's male-only registration restriction. The case landed in the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court ruled in August that the male-only draft is constitutional. Read Next: Navy's First Black Female Four-Star Joins Commission on Renaming Bases The plaintiffs -- and the retired flag officers -- argue that the exclusion is discriminatory and "inimical to the nation's security interests." "Including women in the selective service would double the pool of candidates available to draft, raising the overall quality of the conscripted force and enabling the nation to better meet its military needs," wrote Hayden and the others. The case -- National Coalition For Men, James Lesmeister and Anthony Davis v. Selective Service System and Donald Benton -- began as a lawsuit in 2013 by Lesmeister, later joined by Davis and the San Diego-based men's organization. U.S. men between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to register with the Selective Service System. The lawsuit asserts that the system discriminated against Lesmeister and Davis based on gender. Lesmeister and the coalition argued that women should be included in the system database and subject to the draft if it is ever needed. A U.S. District Court judge agreed with the plaintiffs in February 2019, ruling that the male-only draft was unconstitutional, discriminating against men on the basis of sex in violation of the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause. A three-judge panel with the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in August that, while the facts of an earlier Supreme Court decision that set precedent confirming the legality of the male-only draft registration had changed, this "does not grant a court of appeals license to disregard or overrule that precedent." In the amicus brief, the general and flag officers argue that women, who make up 17% of the armed forces, now work in combat and non-combat roles -- something that does not "lower military standards." "Rather than lowering military standards, fully integrating the armed forces has ensured that each individual, regardless of gender, is thoroughly qualified to meet the specific needs of his or her position," they wrote. An attorney who helped the officers draft their brief, Todd Toral of the Los Angeles-based firm Jenner & Block, called the restriction "one of the last examples of overt sex discrimination written into law from a bygone era." "For years, American women have prevailed in our nation's toughest military schools and military ranks. It's time we value their contributions and service, and it's time that our policies reflect this cultural shift," said Toral, a Marine Corps veteran. Other groups that have filed briefs in favor of the plaintiffs include the Modern Military Association of America, the National Organization for Women Foundation, Women's Law Project, Gender Justice and Women's Law Center of Maryland. The National Coalition For Men, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed its case petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 8. The federal government's response is due by March 15. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Debate over Draft Registration Takes a Deadly Twist Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. Lana Condor and Noah Centineo bring the To All the Boys series to a close, Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield recreate history in Judas and the Black Messiah and Regina King hosts Saturday Night Live this weekend. ADVERTISEMENT In addition, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo go on vacation in Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella comes back from the '90s and American Idol kicks off Season 19. Here's a rundown on some of the films, television shows and concerts set to be released this weekend. Film 'Judas and the Black Messiah' -- HBO Max Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield star in this historical drama from director Shaka King, which comes to HBO Max on Friday. Kaluuya portrays Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Black Panther Party and Stanfield plays FBI informant William O'Neal, who infiltrated the Black Panther party and betrayed Hampton to avoid jail time. 'Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar' -- VOD Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are two best friends who leave their small Midwestern town for the first time to vacation in Florida in Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar, which premieres Friday on video-on-demand services. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! 'To All the Boys: Always and Forever' -- Netflix Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) enters into her final year of high school and thinks about her future with Peter (Noah Centineo) in To All the Boys: Always and Forever, which arrives on Netflix Friday. The film is the third and final entry in the To All the Boys series. 'The Map of Tiny Perfect Things' -- Amazon Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen play a couple who are repeating the same day in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, which comes to Amazon Prime Video on Friday. The pair work together to try and escape their never-ending day. 'Music' -- VOD Sia wrote, directed and produced musical drama Music, which premieres Friday on video-on-demand services. Kate Hudson's Zu is a newly sober drug dealer who starts caring for her half-sister Music, portrayed by Maddie Ziegler, who is on the autism spectrum. 'Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella' -- Disney+ Disney+ is bringing back 1997's Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, which comes to the streaming service on Friday. Brandy stars as Cinderella with Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, Natalie Desselle Reid, Bernadette Peters, Paolo Montalban, Jason Alexander and Veanne Cox also star. 'Xico's Journey' -- Netflix A girl, a dog and her best friend set out on a journey to save a mountain from a greedy corporation in animated film Xico's Journey, which arrives Friday on Netflix. Veronica Alva, Pablo Gama Iturraran and Luis Angel Jaramillo provide voices. TV 'Buried by the Bernards' -- Netflix Netflix follows the Bernard family who manage a Memphis funeral home in reality series Buried by the Bernards, which comes to the streaming service on Friday. The Bernards manage their unconventional business with laughter and deal with family drama. 'Nadiya Bakes' -- Netflix Nadiya Hussain shares her favorite homemade cakes, pastries and more in Nadiya Bakes, which premieres Friday on Netflix. Hussain will also showcase new recipes inspired by other bakers. 'Hate' by Dani Rovira -- Netflix Comedian Dani Rovira presents new stand-up special Hate, which arrives Friday on Netflix. Rovira will reflect on nonsensical hatred while performing in his hometown of Malaga, Spain. 'Hip Hop Uncovered' -- FX and Hulu FX explores the unsung heroes of hip hop's legacy in this six-part documentary series, which premieres Friday at 9 p.m. EST o FX. The series, which will also tell the untold story of how America's streets helped shape hip hop culture, will also be available Saturday on Hulu. 'Saturday Night Live' with Regina King -- NBC Regina King of Watchmen and One Night in Miami is hosting the next installment of Saturday Night Live Season 46 on Saturday at 11:30 p.m. EST on NBC. Nathaniel Rateliff is the musical guest. 'WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day' -- WWE Network NXT Champion Finn Balor defends his title against Pete Dunne at WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, which takes place Sunday at 7 p.m. EST on the WWE Network. NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai also defends her title in a Triple Threat match against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez. 'American Idol' Season 19 -- ABC American Idol returns with judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan for Season 19, which premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Claudia Conway, the daughter of former Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, auditions in the premiere episode. 'Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham' -- Starz Outlander's Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish explore and celebrate Scotland in new travel docuseries Men in Kilts, which arrives Sunday on Starz at 9 p.m. EST. Heughan and McTavish learn about Scottish history and culture while meeting local artisans and visiting sites where great battles took place. 'The Luminaries' -- Starz Eva Green is a fortune-teller who clashes with Eve Hewson in The Luminaries, which premieres Sunday at 9:30 p.m. EST on Starz. The series takes place in the 19th century on the wild West Coast of New Zealand's South Island during the boom years of the 1860s gold rush. Ewen Leslie and Himesh Patel also star. But when she chose her Town Hall set list, it was the nation's traumas that preoccupied her: the Vietnam War, the killing of President John F. Kennedy, for whom she'd sung at a Dinner With the President event in January 1963, and the bloody battle for Black voting rights, which Collins supported by singing and speaking out. I definitely knew I wanted to sing The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, a great Dylan song about the murder of a Black waitress at a Baltimore hotel [by an elite racist]; The Battle of Medgar Evers [the slain civil rights leader]; and Hey, Nellie, Nellie, about Lincoln and racism over the centuries. She sang tunes including Coal Tattoo, by the West Virginia mining-town runaway Billy Edd Wheeler; Tom Paxton's The Last Thing on My Mind, Bottle of Wine and Ramblin Boy"; and the stirring English folk ballad The Cruel Mother, about 17th-century prejudice against illegitimate children. The recording of that show was nominated for a Grammy, and The New York Times raved, Judy Collins made her New York concert debut Saturday and established herself without delay in the front rank of American balladeers. By the evening's end she had moved her large audience to cheers, whistles and bravos all heartily deserved. A revived concert for a new tumultuous time Collins says that the 1964 period of pain and rumination was not unlike the tumults of today. I was able to use the pandemic time doing a lot of thinking, writing and reflecting, she says. So it made sense to reprise her Town Hall show with a slightly different group of songs. What viewers and listeners will enjoy Feb. 12 is a 15-song mix of the politically activist gems from 1964 accompanied by her stories about that time and some of her most beloved signature hits, including Dylan's The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll and Mr. Tambourine Man, two Paxton tunes, and Coal Tattoo. Her songs will all be freighted with personal emotional resonance as well as historic importance. She'll sing Ian Tyson's Someday Soon, whose lilting warmth and irresistible melancholy, and its reference to her home state of Colorado, are close to her heart, and her best-known recording, her rendition of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides, Now. Collins told me that the struggle for a woman to be an artist and the pain of losing a child something she shared with Mitchell, who in youth gave her baby up for adoption is something she deeply felt animated her attachment to Both Sides, Now." If anyone has seen life from both sides now, it's Collins. Here is a teaser snippet of her performance of it nowadays: Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resigned on Friday and again apologized for his sexist remarks that sparked a global outcry, leaving the troubled Olympics searching for a chief five months from the start. "My inappropriate comments caused a big trouble. I am sorry," Mori, 83, said at an Olympic organizing committee meeting. He said the most important thing now was for the Tokyo Olympics to be a success. His resignation only months before the postponed Summer Games are scheduled to begin will further erode confidence in the organizers' ability to pull off the event during a coronavirus pandemic. Mori, a former Japanese prime minister, sparked a furor when he said during an Olympic committee meeting earlier this month that women talk too much. After a global outcry for him to be sacked, he apologized for his comments but refused to step down. New Delhi: The farmer unions on Saturday (February 13, 2021) demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the January 26 violence that took place during the tractor rally in the national capital. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) during a press conference at Delhi's Singhu border, asked farmers who are getting police notices not to appear before the force directly and, instead, approach the legal cell constituted by the unions for any assistance. Kuldeep Singh, a member of SKM's legal cell, said that a retired judge of the Supreme Court or High Court should probe the incidents to unravel the 'conspiracy' behind the January 26 violence and the alleged 'false cases' against the farmers. The SKM leaders stated that 16 farmers who had participated in the tractor parade are still untraceable. Another farmer leader Ravinder Singh said that 122 farmers had been arrested by Delhi Police in connection with 14 of the 44 FIRs. He also added that SKM will provide legal and financial aid to all the arrested farmers. Singh said that the Morcha will provide Rs 2,000 to every arrested farmer for spending in the prison canteen. This is to be noted that the farmers' tractor rally on January 26 in Delhi had turned violent and clashes were reported between several farmers and the Delhi Police personnel. Thousands of farmers have camped at three Delhi border points since late November 2020 and are demanding a repeal of the three agri laws. They also demand a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP). The farmer representatives and the Centre have had 11 round of talks but have failed to break the deadlock. Live TV Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. North Korea is an enigmatic place with a virtually unknown leader, though tales often slip out of the tyrannical domination of the ruling Kim family. Through snippets of information leaked from the Hermit Kingdom (as North Korea is commonly known), experts have gleaned a picture of the country, its society and its leader, 37-year-old Kim Jong Un. A new National Geographic documentary, "North Korea: Inside the Mind of a Dictator," examines the country and the people who live there and delves into the psychology of its young leader. The series is full of interviews with experts, childhood friends, escaped bodyguards and even former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, who sat down with Kim during his summits with President Donald Trump. Before you watch, here are some fundamental things to know about the country and its equally closed-off leader, courtesy of North Korea expert B.R Meyers and his book, "The Cleanest Race." 1. North Korea has its own brand of communism. Much to the chagrin of other communist countries, North Korea slowly developed its own kind of "socialist utopia," seen in the symbolism used by its ruling party. Where most communist countries use the hammer and sickle to symbolize the union of the peasantry and the working class, the Korean Workers Party integrates a Korean calligraphy brush, to incorporate Korean intelligentsia. The symbol of the Korean Workers Party replaces the communist hammer and sickle in North Korea. (KCNA) In traditional Leninism, intelligentsia were considered part of the bourgeoisie, and many found themselves jailed, deported or executed in other communist states. After the fall of the Soviet Union, North Korea purged itself of any link Marxism-Leninism in favor of its own policy, "Juche." 2. "Juche" is North Korea's guiding philosophy -- and it's bunk. In the earliest days of North Korean nationalism, founder Kim Il Sung needed to come up with a guide for his people, similar to Mao Zedong's "Little Red Book." North Korea expert B.R. Meyers says Kim's official ideology, "Juche," reads like a college term paper, designed to fill a certain amount of space while ensuring no one actually reads it. The result, he says, is thick books with little substance. In short, the doctrine pushes for North Korea's total self-reliance and independence from the outside world. Forget that the country was completely dependent on the Soviet Union for the first 50 years of its existence, Meyers says. North Korea isn't anywhere close to self-reliant. "Juche" was meant to be worshipped, not read. 3. North Korea makes money like the Mafia because it has to. When news stories report that North Korea lives under "crippling sanctions," that's both true and misleading. It's true that the country lives under sanctions that block everything from military equipment to coal. It can't even get foreign currency. To get around that, North Korea reportedly operates an underground crime syndicate. It allegedly runs black markets in human trafficking; illegal drug production and smuggling; counterfeiting foreign currency and legal drugs; wildlife trafficking; and arms dealing. There's even a special office designed just to create a slush fund of cash for Kim Jong Un's personal use. 4. The North Koreans think they're better than you. Not in so many words, but that's what it amounts to. North Korea's propaganda machine finds its origins in an ideology similar to that of the Japanese before and during World War II. One of the central tenets of that ideology is that Koreans have a moral superiority above that of all other races. According to Meyers, this innate goodness is the reason they've been invaded and mistreated by foreign powers so often over the years. The goodness of the Korean people is exactly why they need a powerful, charismatic leader to protect them. Someone like, say ... the Kims. North Korean founder Kim Il-Sung featured in a propaganda art depicting his more parental qualities. 5. Each Kim had his own personality cult. In "The Cleanest Race," Meyers describes the pillars that hold up the legitimacy of each successive North Korean ruler. Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather and founder of the North Korean state, had a cult of personality that relied on protecting the good Korean people from the excesses and evils of outsiders. His strength and military skills kept them safe from being killed by invaders or starving to death. His son, Kim Jong Il, took over with an entirely different set of issues. He rose to power after the fall of the Soviet Union and amid a growing famine in North Korea. His personality cult centered around his military ability. The famine would undermine his economic abilities, so instead his cult created the idea of a looming threat from outside North Korea -- America. He implemented the infamous "military first" policy that left many North Koreans to fend for themselves, redirecting what few resources the state had to what was then the fourth-largest army in the world and a developing nuclear program. The famine lasted four years and killed somewhere between 2 million and 3.5 million North Koreans. 6. Kim Jong Un was expected to be a reformer. Kim's official titles include General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission. (KCNA) After Kim Jong Il's 2011 death, his son Kim Jong Un took over. Given his extensive experience with the West, many thought he would be more willing to open North Korea up to Western culture and ideas. Others thought he might abandon the country's nuclear program and turn North Korea into a Chinese-model economy. Others, Like Foreign Policy Magazine's Victor Cha, werent so certain. Instead, Kim Jong Un developed a nuclear missile capable of reaching the United States. He also consolidated his power by executing rivals. Kim even told Trump about how he executed his own uncle and displayed the body. It's now believed that Kim Jong Un is empowering his sister Kim Yo Jong to do the dirty work, while he works on becoming more of a world leader. Learn more about the life and regime of Kim Jong Un by watching "North Korea: Inside the Mind of a Dictator" on Monday, Feb. 15, on the National Geographic Channel. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: (Newser) One bright spot emerged at the end of Friday's impeachment hearings for President Trump: the US Senate coming together to honor a Capitol Police officer. NPR reports that Eugene Goodman received a standing ovation in the Senate chamber, as well as a unanimous vote from senators to bestow on him the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian awards in the United States, for his role in protecting people during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. Goodman has been receiving accolades since being seen on video luring a mob of rioters away from the Senate chamber on the day of the attack, likely saving lives. During the impeachment hearings this week, new footage emerged showing him also directing GOP Sen. Mitt Romney, who came perilously close to the rioters, out of harm's way. story continues below "Here in this trial, we saw a ... powerful video showing calmness under pressure, his courage in the line of duty, his foresight in the midst of chaos, and his willingness to make himself a target of the mob's rage so that others might reach safety," Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said, acknowledging Goodman, who sat at the back of the chamber as Schumer spoke, per the Washington Post. Goodman himself stood to honor his colleagues when the senator also lauded all of the other Capitol Police officers who fought back against the insurrectionists, noting the "scars seen and unforeseen" they still bear from that day. "In the face of lawlessness, the officers of the US Capitol lived out the fullest sense of their oaths," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell added. Per the Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to all officers on the scene on Jan. 6. More on Goodman here. (Read more Eugene Goodman stories.) ADVERTISEMENT The Anambra State Government has lifted a state-wide dusk-to-dawn curfew which was imposed eight days ago to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The Secretary to the State Government, Solo Chukwulobelu, in a statement on Thursday, said the suspension of the curfew takes effect on February 13. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Anambra State Government, on January 8, imposed a night curfew in the state and also directed civil servants from grade level one to 12 to work from home until further notice, because of the surge in COVID-19 infections. The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Anambra was 1,053 as of February 5, while 19 people had died from the pandemic, according to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. COVID-19 infections in the state climbed to 1,271 by February 12, with no additional deaths. Mr Chukwulobelu said the suspension of the curfew followed a report by the state COVID-19 Task Force that an increasing number of residents were now observing the preventive guidelines. We are not relenting. We shall continue with our various interventions, including public enlightenment, engagement with market leaders, churches, hospitals, caregivers and other stakeholders, Mr Chukwulobelu stated. He advised residents to continue to adhere to the guidelines, which include the use of protective face masks in public places. We urge residents to maintain social distancing in public gatherings, regular handwashing and use of hand sanitisers, he added. He further advised residents to approach a hospital or health facility, rather than indulge in self-medication, whenever they feel sick or show symptoms of COVID-19. He said the mobile courts set up to enforce governments guidelines on COVID-19 were still sitting, hence the need for residents to sustain adherence. The centre for disease control, on Thursday, said there were 1,005 new COVID-19 cases across Nigeria, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 144,521. So far, 1,734 deaths have been recorded from the viral infection, nationwide. (NAN) Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. BANGKOK (AP) Pro-democracy protesters in Thailand clashed with police Saturday night while seeking the release of four comrades awaiting trial on charges of defaming the monarchy. The four top leaders of the student-led movement were ordered to stay in custody Tuesday on the so-called lese majeste charge, which carries a punishment of three to 15 years in prison. They were also charged with sedition. The protest movement campaigned last year for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his government to step down, the constitution to be amended to make it more democratic and the monarchy reformed to make it more accountable. The demand about the monarchy is the most controversial, because the institution has been widely considered an untouchable, bedrock element of Thai nationalism. Police deputy spokesperson Krissana Pattanacharoen said more than 20 police were injured and seven or eight protesters detained. There was no information on the number of protesters hurt when they tried to breach heavily defended police lines. At one point, footage showed riot police descending on and beating a medical volunteer who was waiting for his friend, another volunteer, to fix his motorcycle. The man wore a green vest identifying him as part of medical volunteers offering service at protests. The volunteer service said the man was taken to a police station, and police said he was released Sunday morning. The protest began at Bangkok's Democracy Monument, where participants were urged to write their wishes for Thailands future on a big red cloth that was wrapped around the structure as those present sang the national anthem. Members of the crowd of about 1,000 also removed plants that had been placed around the monument, alleging they had been put there last week to deny space for protesting. Attapol Buapat, one of the protest leaders, said that if their friends were not freed from jail within seven days, protesters from around the country would head to Bangkok to join a big rally next Saturday. Story continues They should have been allowed bail, said Attapol, also known as as Kru Yai. The protesters then tried to march to the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine, the capitals symbolic spiritual center, which is treated as the protector of the country and the monarchy. At least 100 police in riot gear backed up by two water cannon trucks blocked their path. Attapol won agreement from the police to allow four protest representatives to carry out activities at the shrine. However, he could not control the crowd and front-line protesters dismantled barriers set up by police and threw bottles and smoke bombs at them. After the four protest representatives returned from the shrine, organizers declared an end to the rally and the crowd began to disperse. MACOMB, Ill. (AP) Will Carius had 27 points as Western Illinois defeated Denver 75-69 on Friday night. Colton Sandage had 12 points and six rebounds for Western Illinois (6-12, 4-7 Summit League), which earned its fourth consecutive victory. Tamell Pearson added 12 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. He also had seven turnovers. Cameron Burrell had 11 points and 13 rebounds. Jase Townsend had 25 points for the Pioneers (2-14, 1-8). Kobey Lam added 14 points. Sam Hines Jr. had 13 points. ___ For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25 ___ This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com Donald Trump's historic second Senate impeachment began this week, just over a month after the US Capitol riot for which Democrats have accused the former president of "incitement to insurrection". On 9 February, Senators officially started proceedings for the trial in the same building in which pro-Trump supporters stormed only weeks earlier, leading to the deaths of five people. There is no set timeline for the length of an impeachment trial, but there is good reason to believe that the impeachment will play out quickly, as both parties have reasons to aim for a short trial. While it's hard to tell exactly how the proceedings will play out, allotments provide a skeleton structure and suggest if witnesses are not brought, the trial could be over by the start of next week. Read on to find out how the trial could pan out over the coming days. Read more: Follow live Trump impeachment updates Thursday On Thursday Democrats will continue to present additional arguments. The impeachment managers are entitled to up to 16-hours to present their case in total. Proceedings will reconvene at 12pm EST (5pm GMT) and Democrats have about eight hours left to make their case for convicting the former president. Watch proceedings as they unfold on Independent TV here and find out about what coverage is on offer throughout the trial here. Friday/ Saturday/ Sunday Once Democrats have made their case, the former US presidents lawyers will also have up to 16 hours to pose a counter-argument to allegations he caused the Capitol riot. This could in theory mean up to another two eight-hour days that lead into the weekend as the defence states its own argument. Currently Trump's legal team have suggested they'll keep their case short and they expect to wrap up on Friday. Next week The trial is expected to continue if necessary during the federal holiday Monday for Presidents' Day, CNN reported. After arguments are laid out by both the prosecution and defence, senators will have a total of four hours to question the prosecutors and the defense team. This could take place either over the weekend or next week depending on the length of proceedings at the end of the week. Following this, the Senate will then decide whether they will call on witnesses and documents, which will include a debate and a vote in the Democratic-led Senate. It is yet unclear whether the Senate will vote to call witnesses. If they do this will add more time to proceedings but if not the trial could then swiftly come to a close with its final steps. When will the trial end? Potential motions by senators, up to four hours of closing arguments, time for deliberation, and then finally a vote on whether to convict Mr Trump for incitement to insurrection would follow. The former presidents previous impeachment trial took three weeks, but this time around there has been speculation that the proceedings will only take around a week before a vote is taken. However, a definitive answer can not be given for certain as to how the trial will play out. Democrats are also keen to allow US president Joe Biden to pass his legislative agenda through Congress, and will not want to spend too much time on the proceedings. How will the Senate vote? In order to secure a conviction, a supermajority of 67 votes, will be needed. At least 17 Senate Republicans alongside all 50 Democratic senators would have to vote against Mr Trump. However, this seems unlikely as only six Republican senators voted on Tuesday that the trial was constitutional and should go ahead at all. (Natural News) Texas Sen. Ted Cruz condemned The Walt Disney Company for capitulating to cancel culture. The Republican lawmaker defended fellow Texan and The Mandalorian star Gina Carano, whom the media giant fired over her social media posts. Cruz said in a Feb. 12 tweet that Carano played a key role in making Star Wars fun again and expressed his dismay over her termination. Cruzs tweet followed the former mixed martial arts superstars termination from The Mandalorian, which airs on the Disney+ streaming service. She appeared as bounty hunter Cara Dune alongside Game of Thrones and Narcos star Pedro Pascal, who plays the titular role. Her firing came after she shared a controversial story on Instagram comparing conservatives in the current time to Jews in Nazi Germany. The post Carano shared on Instagram said: Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers, but by their neighbors even by children. Because history is edited, most people today dont realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them for simply being Jews. She captioned the post with a question: How is that any different from hating someone for their political views? The former MMA fighter also shared a post of a person wearing multiple masks with the caption Meanwhile in California. Both posts have since been deleted. Backlash toward Carano was swift despite her deletion of both posts. NPR reported that a Lucasfilm spokesperson confirmed the actress termination. Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable, Lucasfilm said in a statement. The studio founded by filmmaker George Lucas which Disney eventually acquired is behind Star Wars and The Mandalorian. The latter is a spin-off of the larger Star Wars franchise. Talent management firm United Talent Agency has also severed ties with Carano. Disneys bias clearly shows with its firing of Carano and re-hiring of director James Gunn The Texas lawmaker wrote in his tweet that Carano broke barriers in the Star Wars universe by portraying someone who kicked ass instead of portraying victims or emotionally tortured characters. The actress and former MMA fighter is no stranger to controversy on social media, being embroiled in a few issues of her own. In September 2020, she changed her social media bio to the words beep/bop/boop following harassment by the trans community. She later explained in a tweet that her bio did not mock trans people. Rather, it was meant to expose the bullying mentality of the mob that has taken over the voices of many genuine cases. (Related: Ricky Gervais SLAMS Liberals Cancel Culture, says it is a new form of fascism.) Three days after the November 2020 election, Carano urged lawmakers to clean up the election process by enacting anti-vote fraud laws and flushing out the fraudulent votes. A subsequent tweet by Carano mocked mask-wearing mandates ordered by Democrat officials amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A source close to Lucasfilm said Caranos removal from The Mandalorian was already in the works for some time now. [The studio has] been looking for a reason to fire her for two months, and [her posts were] the final straw, the source told The Hollywood Report. Caranos firing clearly contrasts with Disneys actions toward James Gunn. The Guardians of the Galaxy director was fired in 2018 over offensive tweets that joked about rape and pedophilia. Former Disney Chairman Alan Horn announced Gunns firing, saying that the directors tweets were indefensible. Horn said in a statement that time: The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James Twitter feed are indefensible [and] inconsistent with our studios values, and we have severed out business relationship with him. (Related: Wheres the media outrage? Disney movie director James Gunn has LONG history of joking about his child rape fantasies.) Disney eventually re-hired Gunn to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 following an open letter petitioning Gunns return. The directors public apology in July 2018 following the tweets played a big role in the decision to re-hire him. Gunn thanked Disney and his supporters in a March 2019 tweet, saying he was excited to continue making films that investigate the ties of love that bind us all. Visit LiberalMob.com to read more about cancel culture being used to intimidate celebrities with different opinions. Sources include: NYPost.com Twitter.com 1 PageSix.com NPR.com Twitter.com 2 Twitter.com 3 Twitter.com 4 HollywoodReport.com BBC.com 1 BBC.com 2 Twitter.com 5 Longford Womens Link is a partner in the DEAL Programme, co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Commission, which brings together seven organisations from five European countries (Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Italy and Spain). The most recent partner meeting was held online due to Covid-19 restrictions. DEAL (Digital Entrepreneurship for Adult Learners) stems from a number of trends: according to official reports of the EU Commission, more than 40% of Europeans lack basic digital skills and almost half of them are unemployed and at risk of severe socio-economic marginalisation. In addition, an ageing society is leading to digital and economic divide and it is adult who require digital skills who are the ones who are most exposed to risks of socio-economic exclusion due to lack of digital competences. The DEAL project aims to provide strong, reliable, evidence-based and practical digital entrepreneurship and business management knowledge/tools to empower self-employability and entrepreneurship for adults. The DEAL Project tackles various EU priorities: l the promotion and valorisation of active aging l the digitalisation of the European population (with specific regard to low skilled adults) l enhancing and boosting the entrepreneurial spirits across the EU During the meeting, the consortium discussed the overall project implementation schedule, defining timelines and respective duties in the following months. In particular, the partnership will upload the OER platform by the end of 2020: the DEAL official website will represent a repository of projects outputs, results, news and contacts. A mapping activity will follow in order to identify the main trends, issues, best practices and policy support systems in the countries represented in the Consortium. The DEAL project lead partner is Equal Ireland and LWL are represented on the project by CEO Tara Farrell. Tara is also the Chairperson of AONTAS, the national adult learning organisation in Ireland. LWL is recognised as an adult education and social inclusion expert and will play a key role in the mapping of digital skills and competences and in content development. LWL delivers training and education programmes to over 400 students per year at its QQI-accredited Womens Community Education Centre, including third level outreach via its community partners. The focus of the training and education element of LWLs model encourages women to broaden their horizons and explore learning opportunities in innovative and creative ways. For further information on DEAL: www.projectdeal.eu UXBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nature's Medicines, an expanding group of national cannabis dispensaries, will open its doors at 1045 Quaker Highway in Uxbridge on Tuesday, February 16. The new Adult Use dispensary will serve Uxbridge and surrounding areas including Northbridge, Blackstone, Milford, Sutton and Grafton, Massachusetts, as well as Woonsocket, North Smithfield, and Pascoag, Rhode Island. The attractively designed location will offer an extensive selection of award-winning cannabis products including pure, high-quality flower, concentrates, vapes, edibles, accessories and more. "We thank the community of Uxbridge for welcoming us," said Stephen Borges, General Manager. "Our staff is looking forward to educating our new guests about the different strains of cannabis and guiding them to the products that best match their needs." Guests may order in store or pre-order online. Curbside pick-up will be available. Debit cards are preferred but cash will also be accepted. In light of COVID-19, Nature's Medicines is committed to keeping guests and staff safe at all times. Masks are required, and social distancing as well as all other recommended CDC procedures will be in place. "Nature's Medicines makes a point of diligently following the State's cannabis laws and ensuring the legal safety of our customers," said Borges. "Our Personal Service Providers are highly-trained to advise guests about our products and guide them through their legal enjoyment of cannabis." Borges recommends that guests go to naturesmedicines.com to view changing menus and keep up with dispensary news. About Nature's Medicines: Nature's Medicines is an award-winning, vertically integrated cultivator and retailer with locations across the United States. Our mission is to provide patients and customers with professional and compassionate educational and self-care advice concerning the trusted medical products we provide. SOURCE Nature's Medicines Related Links naturesmedicines.com Opponents of Myanmars military coup sustained mass protests for an eighth straight day on Saturday as continuing arrests of junta critics added to anger over the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Thousands assembled in the business hub, Yangon, while protesters took to the streets of the capital Naypyitaw, the second city Mandalay and other towns a day after the biggest protests so far in the South-east Asian country. Stop kidnapping at night, was among the signs held up by protesters in Yangon in response to arrest raids in recent days. The United Nations human rights office said on Friday more than 350 people, including officials, activists and monks, have been arrested in Myanmar since the February 1 coup, including some who face criminal charges on dubious grounds. Anger in Myanmar has been fuelled by videos showing more arrests of government critics including a doctor who was part of the civil disobedience movement. Some arrests have taken place during the hours of darkness. Internet memes captioned Our nights arent safe anymore and Myanmar military is kidnapping people at night have circulated widely on social media. The government did not respond to requests for comment on the arrests. Concerns The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group for political prisoners, voiced concern. Family members are left with no knowledge of the charges, location, or condition of their loved ones. These are not isolated incidents, and nighttime raids are targeting dissenting voices. It is happening across the country, it said in a statement. The army said it had seized power because of alleged fraud in a November election that Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party had won in a landslide. The armys complaints were dismissed by Myanmars electoral commission. Transition halted The coup halted a tentative transition to democracy that began in 2011 after nearly half a century of isolation and stagnation under military juntas. Suu Kyi, for decades the standard-bearer of the fight for democracy in Myanmar, faces charges of illegally importing and using six walkie-talkie radios found in a search of her house. The 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Friday calling on Myanmar to release Suu Kyi and other officials from detention and refrain from using violence on protesters. Thomas Andrews, the U.N. rights investigator for Myanmar, told a special session of the rights council in Geneva that the U.N. Security Council should consider imposing sanctions and arms embargoes. Myint Thu, Myanmars ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told the session that Myanmar did not want to stall the nascent democratic transition in the country, and would continue international cooperation. The United States this week began imposing sanctions on the ruling generals and some businesses linked to them. Airline staff, health workers, engineers and school teachers were among groups that joined the protest marches on Saturday and which have rallied to a civil disobedience campaign that has shut down a swath of government business. We are preschool teachers, Every child our future, We dont want dictatorship, said one banner. ADVERTISEMENT The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said thousands of people had joined pro-military demonstrations in parts of Myanmar on Friday. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report. The junta remitted the sentences of more than 23,000 prisoners on Friday, saying the move was consistent with establishing a new democratic state with peace, development and discipline and would please the public. (REUTERS) France 24 is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish WASHINGTON - The Biden administration indicated Friday it will not try to resurrect the Clean Power Plan, a controversial Obama-era policy that set climate pollution targets for every state's electricity sector and gave officials flexibility on how they would make those reductions by the end of the decade. Instead, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a federal judicial filing, the Biden administration is seeking a court's blessing to propose a new rule aimed at limiting greenhouse gas pollution from the nation's power plants, which represent the second-largest source of emissions. "As a practical matter, the reinstatement of the [Clean Power Plan] would not make sense," Joseph Goffman, the acting assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, wrote in an accompanying memo to the agency's regional offices. He noted that the deadline for states to submit their plans had passed and that "ongoing changes in electricity generation" mean the goals of the Obama-era regulation already had been met. The EPA did not detail what type of oversight it might pursue instead of the Clean Power Plan and declined to comment further Friday. But the Biden administration has made no secret of his intention to aggressively curb greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector, which has done more to cut its carbon output than any other part of the U.S. economy. President Joe Biden has pledged to make the electricity sector carbon-neutral by 2035. The Clean Power Plan, which mandated that power plants make 32 percent reductions in emissions below 2005 levels by 2030, would not put the nation on such a trajectory. The Clean Power Plan ran into legal trouble in 2016, as Republican attorneys general and others joined a lawsuit arguing that the Obama EPA had overstepped its authorities under the Clean Air Act. The Supreme Court halted enforcement of the plan until a lower court ruled on its legality. That legal fight remained unresolved when President Donald Trump took office in 2017. The Trump administration eventually replaced the Clean Power Plan with its own more lenient rule, which then-EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, signed in June 2019, saying that it would lower electricity costs. But the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated that effort, saying the goal of the Trump administration's EPA had been "to slow the process for reduction of emissions," and the court called that "arbitrary and capricious." The three-judge panel said "the central operative terms" of the Trump rule "hinged on a fundamental misconstruction" of the Clean Air Act. Biden had pitched the shift away from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy as a potential jobs boon for the United States, even as the oil, gas and coal industry has warned of the economic harm that some communities could face if the country moves too quickly. He also has begun a major effort to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. "Transforming the American electric sector to produce power without carbon pollution will be a tremendous spur to job creation and economic competitiveness in the 21st century, not to mention the benefits to our health and to our environment," Biden said late last month as he signed far-reaching executive actions focused on climate. In its filing on Friday, the EPA acknowledged that it is obligated to regulated remissions from electric generating plants under the Clean Air Act and said it intends to "consider the question afresh." Biden's pick to lead the EPA, Michael S. Regan, made a similar point in his Senate confirmation hearing this month. "Is it your understanding that the president intends to come back with a new version of the Clean Power Plan?" West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, asked him at the time. "It's my understanding that we have to take a look at what [were] the plans for the Clean Power Plan and what were the plans for the ACE rule," Regan said. "The reality is that it presents a significant opportunity for the Environmental Protection Agency to take a clean slate and look at how do we best move forward." Regan added that he plans to convene people from across the spectrum with a stake in how EPA oversees the power sector to "think about how we harness the power and the statutory authority of the Clean Air Act in concert with major investments that we should see government-wide and the input and the statements from those who will be impacted by any potential actions we take." If the United States is to live up to Biden's ambitious plans for climate action, the country will need to tackle its largest sources of emissions. New data released by the EPA on Friday show that while emissions from the power sector continue to fall, declining 8.3% between 2018 and 2019, it remains the nation's second-largest source of greenhouse gas pollution. The biggest source, transportation, has continued to climb. Its emissions rose by 1 percent between 2018 and 2019, according to the draft report, while the carbon output of the country's agricultural, industrial and residential sector also increased. Overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dipped just 1.7 percent between 2018 and 2019, according to the draft report. While carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide fell slightly, two other powerful greenhouse gases rose - including methane, which is released by animals and oil and gas operations. And while the pandemic-induced economic slowdown is likely to lower the U.S. carbon footprint for 2020, experts expect emissions to start rising again as the economy recovers and Americans begin traveling more. Ann Weeks, legal director for the Clean Air Task Force, said in an email that EPA's filing on Friday shows the agency "is looking to erase any ambiguity in the Court's decision, to allow it to craft a rule that meets today's realities, rather than having the Clean Power Plan spring back to life." The legal question of how aggressively the new administration can move to curb carbon emissions from the power sector is not entirely resolved, since the conservative-leaning Supreme Court could ultimately rule against the Biden administration if it pushes the boundaries of what's allowed under its executive authority. Jeff Holmstead, a partner at Bracewell LLC who headed the EPA's air office under George W. Bush, said "there will be pressure from some environmental groups for them to do a more aggressive version" of the Obama-era rule, "but they know this is unlikely to pass muster in the Supreme Court." Given the longstanding battles on this issue, he added, "anything the Biden administration does to regulate carbon emissions from power plants will almost certainly go to the Supreme Court." West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who led the legal challenge to the Clean Power Plan and was able to get the Supreme Court to stay the rule, said in an email Friday that he will be watching carefully to see what the new administration does in the months ahead. "There are clear limits to the EPA's authority in this area," Morrisey said, "and our state-based coalition will work vigorously to enforce those limits and ensure that West Virginian and American energy and manufacturing jobs are protected from unlawful federal overreach." - - - The Washington Post's Anu Narayanswamy contributed to this report. Sitharaman said the challenges of the pandemic did not deter government from undertaking reforms for maintaining long term goals of the country Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, responding to a discussion on the Union Budget in Parliament, lambasted the Congress party on Saturday. She termed former finance minister P Chidambaram's criticism of the financial document 'verbose', while calling the party's former president a 'doomsday man'. Sitharaman heaped praise on the Prime Minister for leading the country in times of pandemic with a 'clear-headed approach'. However, she did agree to allocate more funds to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme if needed, a common point of criticism made by several MPs across political lines. Sitharaman defends Budget, promises more funds for MGNREGA if needed Defending the Union Budget 2021 after a detailed discussion on the same in Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said the Union Budget 2021-122 has set the pace for India to become 'Aatmanirbhar'. The minister also said the challenges of the pandemic did not deter government from undertaking reforms for maintaining long term goals of the country. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON PARLIAMENT HERE The reforms undertaken will lay the path for India to become one of those fastest-growing economies in the world, she said. She said that it was the clear-headed approach taken by the government since the start that caused the pandemic to recede, adding that she will say so with some hesitancy given that the pandemic's progression was unpredictable. With regards to increasing allocation for rural job guarantee scheme, the finance minister said the government will allocate more funds for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme for 2021-22, if needed, as against Budget estimate of Rs 73,000 crore. MGNREGA, which promises 100 days of employment each year to every rural household in demand of work, was one of the tools that allowed rural India to absorb the initial shock caused by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. The scheme had also received a Rs 40,000 crore boost under the Centre's Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package during the pandemic. She also said that the Budget was designed to accommodate the welfare of the minorities, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. "Some members have questioned whether allocations for minority affairs, allocation for SC & ST has been reduced. No, they have not. Total allocation for minority affairs is Rs 4,811 crores in 2021-22 which is an 8.6 percent increase for the ministry, higher than actual expenditure. The overall allocation provided for welfare of Scheduled Castes has shown an increase from Rs 83,257 cr in 2020-21, compared to Rs 1,26,259 in 2021-22. Overall allocation provided for welfare of STs has also increased from Rs 53,653 cr from 2020-21 to Rs 79,942 cr in 2021-22," said Sitharaman. FM slams Congress on Budget criticism Hitting out at the Opposition, Sitharaman said the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi works for common people and not for crony capitalists. Attacking Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of government policies, Sitharaman said that he is becoming a "doomsday man" for India by constantly insulting constitutional functionaries and creating fake narratives on various issues. Responding to Gandhi's speech on Thursday, during which he talked about farm laws but declined to speak on the Budget, she said, "he is probably becoming a doomsday man for India." "We need to recognise these two tendencies of the Congress party... this makes it clear that their belief in a democratically elected parliamentary system is completely finished," Sitharaman said. The minister further said that Gandhi laid the "foundation" but did not speak about the Budget during the discussion on it. Sitharaman said she wanted Gandhi to speak on 10 issues but was disappointed as the Congress leader made no mention of them. "I wanted to know from the Congress why it took a U-turn on the farm laws but no reply came," she said, adding that Gandhi did not tell the House why Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh did not waive farm loans promised in their manifesto. Sitharaman further said Gandhi did not talk about the farmers issue in Punjab where Congress is in power and the steps being taken by the government with regard to stubble burning. Gandhi also did not refer to any clause in three agri bills which was against the farmers, she said. Congress party is only concerned about "Hum Do and Hamare Do," Sitharaman said adding that she expected Gandhi to return the land which "Damadji" had taken from farmers at pittance. Also, she added, Gandhi did not say anything about the statement of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had advocated reform of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC). Sitharaman alleged that the Congress has joined the 'break India fringe group' and that it is continuously creating false narratives to 'demean India'. Former finance minister Chidambaram was also in Sitharaman's line of fire. Participating in the discussion on the Budget in Upper House, Chidambaram had said that the Budget presented by Sitharaman was "for the rich, of the rich, and by the rich". He had also lashed out at the ruling dispensation, charging it with "incompetent economic management". Sitharaman, in her reply in the Upper House, had termed Chidambaram's speech verbose and a poor attempt at copying Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's style of oratory. Earlier this month, the finance minister presented a Rs 34.5 lakh crore Budget for 2021-22 in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Budget, she said, has laid emphasis on increasing capital expenditure, raising allocation for healthcare capacity building and development of agriculture infrastructure, among others, which are expected to have a multiplier effect on the economy. With inputs from PTI In 1922, Berlin was the literary capital of the Russian emigre community. Driven away by political instability following the revolution, some of the greatest Russian writers and thinkers of the era including Vladimir Nabokov, Marc Chagall, Marina Tsvetayeva and Boris Pasternak descended on the German capital, setting up publishing houses, cultural associations and emigre journals. One of those journals, Beseda (Colloquy), was still trying to get off the ground when a public tantrum by a literary critic named Viktor Shklovsky threatened to derail the entire project. At a lecture sponsored by the journal, Shklovsky had become unhinged and harangued the speaker, a young poet Beseda was excited to have just persuaded to come on board. The editors were, understandably, furious. Shklovsky, tail between his legs, sent a note afterward to beg forgiveness. Im certainly in the wrong, he conceded, but there was an explanation: In short, Im in love and desperately unhappy. Along with his apology, Shklovsky included the manuscript of a new book he was working on, an epistolary novel called Zoo, or Letters Not About Love that chronicled his unrequited romance with Elsa Triolet, a Russian living in Berlin. Zoo, which takes its title from the Berlin zoo (near which many Russian emigres lived), was initially meant to be a portrait of Russian writers living in the city. I needed to write a book about people, something along the lines of A Hundred Portraits of Russian Writers. But I was in love, Shklovsky wrote years later. Perhaps I chose love, he postulated, the way a weakened organism chooses diseases. Here, Shklovsky refers to his struggles to adjust to life outside of Russia; in fact, the last letter of the original edition of Zoo is addressed not to Elsa (renamed Alya in the book) but to the Russian government, asking to be allowed back in. He experienced exile as a kind of unrequited love, and thus Zoo is really a story of mirrored longings for a lover, for a country or some combination of the two. I was bound to be broken while abroad, he wrote, and I found myself a love that would do the job. In later decades, Elsa Triolet would move to France, marry the Surrealist Louis Aragon and become the first woman to win the Goncourt Prize (for a book of novellas about the French Resistance, in which she also participated). But in 1922, she just wanted Shklovsky to lay off. She found his letters, which arrived daily, overwhelming, effusive, tediously literal in sum, what we expect from love letters. I love you very much, he wrote in an early one. You are the city I live in; you are the name of the month and the day. Elsa, flummoxed, told him he could continue to write her only under one condition: that he not write her about love. My dear, my own, she implored him. Dont write to me about love. Dont. Im very tired. New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Delhi Police Crime Branch, probing the Red Fort violence on Republic Day, took the arrested accused Deep Sidhu and Ikbal Singh to Red Fort on Saturday to recreate the crime scene. The Crime Branch is studying the route taken by Sidhu and Ikbal to reach Red Fort when the violence broke out on January 26 during the farmers' tractor rally. The Crime Branch is probing if it was part of a larger conspiracy. Forty-five-year-old Ikbal Singh hails from Ludhiana. He along with Punjabi actor-activist Deep Sidhu and others were part of the tractor rally that changed course and created chaos in the national capital. His videos went viral on social media where he was purportedly heard threatening cops on duty and inciting protesters to go on a rampage. Following the violence, the Delhi Police announced cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each for Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh, and Rs 50,000 each for Jagbir Singh, Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Ikbal Singh for their alleged involvement in the violence that saw at least one person die and several injured, including policemen. Sidhu and Ikbal Singh are in police remand and the crime branch is probing all angles to the violence and also who else aided them on January 26 and sheltered them when they were on the run. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Norwegian Refugee Council, February 10, 2021 Recent fighting between Afghan security forces and armed opposition groups has destroyed a girls high school in Faryab province in Northern Afghanistan. The destruction of the school has robbed more than 3,000 students of their classrooms. The recent fighting shows yet again the high risks and dangers for students in Afghanistan wanting to receive an education, said Astrid Sletten, Afghanistan Country Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). All parties to the conflict must protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools. Jan Bibi Uoz Bashi Girls High School in Qaisar district of Faryab province in Northern Afghanistan was at the centre of an airstrike and intense fighting between Afghan security forces and armed opposition groups on Sunday 7 February. The fighting shattered the boundary wall, meant to protect it from the conflict, damaged the schools walls and windows and destroyed almost all school equipment, according to local sources. Thankfully, as the school was not open on the day of the attack, no students or teachers were harmed in the fighting as far as the NRC is aware. Jan Bibi Uoz Bashi Girls High School was recently rehabilitated by NRC with funding from Norway. This fighting has cruelly disrupted the education of more than 3,000 girls who attend the school daily. Ongoing attacks on schools across the country threaten to reverse the tremendous gains made on girls education in recent decades, said Sletten. Despite efforts to rebuild the public education system since 2001, nearly half of all school-aged children in Afghanistan are out-of-school, 60 per cent of them girls. Insecurity negatively affects school attendance, with higher rates of out-of-school children in the most affected provinces. Girls, who are already less likely to go to school in Afghanistan, have been particularly impacted by the violence. Norwegian Refugee Council carries out informal education programmes for children and youth from displaced families as well as the host communities. Afghanistan remains one of the deadliest countries in which to receive an education. The UN verified 155 attacks against schools between July 2019 and July 2020, while unofficial reports are significantly higher. PDP president and former chief minister on Saturday claimed that she was placed under house arrest ahead of her visit to the family of Athar Mushtaq, one of the three alleged militants killed in an encounter in Parimpora locality here in December last year. Placed under house arrest as usual for trying to visit the family of Athar Mushtaq killed allegedly in a fake encounter. His father was booked under UAPA for demanding his dead body. This the normalcy GOI wants to showcase to the EU delegation visiting Kashmir (sic), Mehbooba said on Twitter. She also uploaded a video of her interaction with her security staff at her 'Fairview' residence in the Gupkar area here. This reign of suppression & terror in Kashmir is the unvarnished & unpalatable truth that GOI wants to hide from the rest of the country. A 16 year old is killed & then hurriedly buried denying his family the right & chance to perform his last rites (sic), she said in another tweet. In the video, when Mehbooba asks security officials why she was being stopped from visiting Pulwama, they tell her there is a security problem. The PDP chief said she was being stopped from visiting different areas of the Valley without being informed about the reasons. Why am I not being allowed to go? Am I a prisoner, or a criminal? What is the reason? Show me the orders, the sections, under which I am being detained, she told the officials. Mehbooba claimed the gate of her house was locked and additional security forces were put outside it to stop her from leaving the residence. Referring to the upcoming visit of a delegation of the European Union, Mehbooba asked the officials how can the security forces secure them when they cannot provide security to the people here. When you cannot provide security to me, how are you going to secure the delegation?... Let you keep my security and allow me to go there without the security. You cannot keep the gates of my residence locked always, she says in the video. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The year 2020 was a disaster for many industries. If there were a handful that were on top that faced the worst of the disaster, they were airlines, travel and hospitality. The raging pandemic, global lockdowns and subsequent travel restrictions have taken a heavy toll on these related industries. In India, airlines were left to fend for themselves without any monetary support from the government. While IndiGo, with its cash reserves, was sure to tide over the crisis, other airlines did not have the luxury of such reserves to sustain them through the turbulence. As the year closed, domestic air traffic in India was down 56.27 percent by passenger numbers. The capacity was down 48.02 percent by Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) and down 48.76 percent by departures. After two months of a complete shutdown of air traffic and the subsequent gradual restart that was controlled by the government, air traffic in India stood at 2013 levels just seven years behind, unlike many geographies that fell back by over a decade. Vistara: Best passenger numbers Vistara, the TATA-SIA Joint Venture, flew 52.94 percent of the passengers it flew in 2019. This was the best record among the major airlines in the country while the countrywide average across all airlines stood at just 43.73 percent. The higher numbers came on the back of an additional and sudden capacity increase in 2019. The airline inducted 09 aircraft that earlier flew with Jet Airways as it wanted to fill the void left by Jet Airways and the government had linked additional slots to inducting additional capacity. In pure percentage terms, the incremental capacity was huge for the airline. In addition, the airline also had two B787-9 Dreamliners at its disposal. With global travel coming to a standstill the airline deployed them on domestic routes and hence while the departure count was low, capacity by seats was higher, letting the airline take in more passengers. The most interesting factor in the post-pandemic world has been fare capping. The Indian government implemented a floor price and ceiling price when aviation restarted. The government also mandated that 40 percent of the seats be sold at median fares or lower, a requirement that has since been lowered to 20 percent. With low demand and a fare cap in place, seats in the premium full-service carrier were available at the same price as those in other low-cost carriers, which would have prompted many to opt for Vistara over others, leading to the higher passenger numbers the airline carried. AirAsia India added flights but not many passengers Another Tata carrier, AirAsia India, closed the year with 61.07 percent departures of its 2019 numbers, deploying 61.73 percent of its capacity by ASK. However, the airline carried only 48.71 percent of the passengers it flew last year. Who was impacted the most? The biggest impact was on AirIndia Express, the low-cost arm part of the Air India group. However, the airline primarily operates international flights and the domestic segments are essentially flights that operate to base the aircraft before an international flight. With international flights out of action except for those under air bubbles and the Vande Bharat Mission, the impact on domestic flights was the maximum for AirIndia Express. However, the real impact was on Go Air. The low-cost carrier did not restart services on May 25 when other airlines did and decided to wait until June 1. The drop in its passenger numbers was a steep 64.5 percent as it carried only 35.5 percent of the number of passengers it flew in 2019. This comes on the back of the airline deploying much lower capacity in terms of ASK as well as departures compared to its peers. National carrier Air India did marginally better than Go Air and carried 36.19 percent passengers compared to what it did in 2019. Air India has a lot of aircraft that have been grounded and many others have been committed to the Vande Bharat Mission, which could have seen the airline deploy lower capacity in the domestic market. Tail Note In this melee, IndiGo seems to have crossed the bridge with caution. While the airline deployed 55.66 percent of its capacity, it flew 47.94 percent of passengers. The numbers could be very different when 2021 comes to a close. Will all the airlines survive? Will AirAsia India undergo a name change? Will Jet Airways make a comeback? There are more questions than answers. Until then every airline is focused on earning its daily bread and hoping for a quick vaccination drive. Snowmen are on display during a Relay for Life snowman building contest Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 at the Midland County Fairgrounds. Former President Donald J. Trumps legal team mounted a combative defense on Friday focused more on assailing Democrats for hypocrisy and hatred than justifying Mr. Trumps own monthslong effort to overturn a democratic election that culminated in last months deadly assault on the Capitol. After days of powerful video footage showing a mob of Trump supporters beating police officers, chasing lawmakers and threatening to kill the vice president and House speaker, Mr. Trumps lawyers denied that he had incited what they called a small group that turned violent. Instead, they tried to turn the tables by calling out Democrats for their own language, which they deemed just as incendiary as Mr. Trumps. In so doing, the former presidents lawyers went after not just the House Democrats serving as managers, or prosecutors, in the Senate impeachment trial, but half of the jurors sitting in front of them in the chamber. A rat-a-tat-tat montage of video clips played by the Trump team showed nearly every Democratic senator as well as President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris using the word fight or the phrase fight like hell just as Mr. Trump did at a rally of supporters on Jan. 6 just before the siege of the Capitol. Suddenly, the word fight is off limits? said Michael T. van der Veen, one of the lawyers hurriedly hired in recent days to defend Mr. Trump. Spare us the hypocrisy and false indignation. Its a term thats used over and over and over again by politicians on both sides of the aisle. And, of course, the Democrat House managers know that the word fight has been used figuratively in political speech forever. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Generally speaking, the young professionals, whether they are in jobs or managing their own business or industry, are experiencing lots of stress day in and day out in varying degrees across the globe. Undoubtedly, the competition is huge and cutthroat. Consequently, they often get tired and indisposed too rather more frequently, which badly affect their self-confidence, general health/well-being and productivity at their work place. It also impacts their family life adversely. In fact, medical experts have been noticing an abnormal increase in the number of young professionals falling prey to psychosomatic ailments which involve both our body and mind. In majority of cases, it is the fall out of perpetual stress and tension. Ultimately, the person starts suffering from medical disorders such as headache, migraine, ulcer, hypertension, diabetes etc. This is not a happy situation for any individual and his or her family. The question is how to cope up with this situation on an on-going basis without visiting a doctor and without taking medicine on every such occasion? The simple and very effective solution is practicing Yoga sincerely and regularly. In an address given at Gandhi memorial College, Bhopal, on 28th February, 1979, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, the founder of world famous 'Bihar School of Yoga' said, "Today, the thinking people, who have eyes to see and who are able to understand the secrets of yoga with an open mind, have come to the conclusion that the science of yoga has a definite, clear and indisputable solution for the difficulties of man. The science of yoga covers a great range of human problems. It not only solves the problems of spiritual life, but it can also help to ease the problems of our day to day illnesses. The science of Yogasanas, Pranayama, Mudras and Bandhas, including Hatha Yoga - the science of physiological balance and physical purification- has brought to us the knowledge that diseases can be relieved by the practice of yoga." To say in plain words, through regular practice of yoga, preferably in the early morning hours in a relatively open space, we gradually learn to look inside, explore our latent potential, achieve higher level of mindfulness in our every action and thereby gain control over our body and mind. In reality, besides achieving a better physical fitness level, we do improve our power of concentration and the capacity to remain calm and quiet even in moments of distress and indisposition. As a result, we become far more capable to handle and manage any hardship we normally confront in the journey of our life and become more productive and satisfied most of the time. So, the simple prescription is to spare minimum 30 minutes out of 1440 minutes in a day to practice yoga every morning to manage your stress significantly and hence keep yourself healthier and happier now and always. Finally before signing off, let us enjoy the motivating lines of Swami Vivekananda, 'All power is within you. You can do anything and everything. Believe in that.' Milan Sinha has worked in senior positions in financial sector for three decades following three years of active writing in various newspapers and magazines. He is a post graduate in Chemistry from Patna University and also a graduate with Economics. Presently, besides being a freelance writer / a regular contributor to newspapers & magazines, also engaged as a Stress Management, Lifestyle Management & Wellness consultant, Motivational Speaker and Awareness campaigner. Moblie: +919608708344, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 06:32:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mario Draghi addresses the media at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy, Feb. 12, 2021. Former president of the European Central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi has officially accepted the mandate as Italy's new prime minister, Secretary General to the Presidency of the Republic Ugo Zampetti stated on Friday. (Pool via Xinhua) ROME, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former president of the European Central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi officially accepted the mandate to lead the new Italian government as Prime Minister on Friday. Draghi announced his decision early Friday evening, after a 45-minute talk with President Sergio Mattarella, from whom he had received the task on Feb. 3, following the collapse of the previous government led by Giuseppe Conte after a junior ally pulled out of the coalition. KEY MINISTERS In a short briefing with the media, Draghi unveiled the official list of ministers in the next cabinet, which included Daniele Franco -- current Bank of Italy's senior deputy governor -- as Minister of Economy and Finance, and and Giancarlo Giorgietti, a senior figure in the right-wing League party, as Minister for Economic Development. Roberto Cingolani, scientific director of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), is appointed as Minister for Ecological Transition. Luigi Di Maio, leader of Five Star Movement (M5S) majority party, was confirmed in the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with Luciana Lamorgese as Interior Minister, Roberto Speranza as Health Minister, and Lorenzo Guerini as Defence Minister. Other cabinet members included Marta Cartabia, former president of Italy's Constitutional Court, as Justice Minister, and economist Renato Brunetta as Minister of Public Administration. The new team will be officially sworn in at the Quirinale Palace on Saturday, Draghi said. After this passage, the cabinet will go before the parliament next week, reportedly on Tuesday and Wednesday, for the necessary votes of confidence from the lower house and the senate. MAIN CHALLENGES Draghi, 73, was governor of the Bank of Italy between 2005 and 2011. He served as ECB chief from 2011 to 2019 and is acknowledged for preserving the euro during the worst of the debt crisis in 2012, and for launching the bond-buying Quantitative Easing scheme to support the economies of the European Union member states. The new government is expected to lead the country possibly until the natural end of the current legislature in March 2023, and through a difficult phase marked by the coronavirus pandemic and by the need to recover from its economic effects, local media reported. After receiving the mandate last week, Draghi said the priorities of his possible government would be to "overcome the pandemic, complete the (COVID-19) vaccination, provide answers to the citizens' immediate problems, and re-launch the country." A key task in Draghi's agenda will be related to the plan to allocate the 209-billion-euro (253 billion U.S. dollars) package the European Union (EU) will provide to restart the Italian economy. A national Resilience and Recovery Plan has already been outlined by the previous government, which specified the macro-areas of intervention, and the necessary reforms to relaunch the country. Once eventually amended and completed, this recovery plan will have to be submitted to the EU Commission for approval by April. Italy is one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Friday, it counted over 2.6 million cases and over 93,000 deaths. The pandemic has shown a decreasing trend in the last weeks in terms of active infections, and some restrictions were lifted in early January, but health authorities have warned that the trend might easily go up again, and especially due to the spread of the coronavirus variants. On the base of the latest monitoring survey, the Italian Health Institute stated on Friday that the variant first detected in the UK was estimated to be responsible for 17.8 percent of active cases currently registered. Meanwhile, 242 candidate vaccines are being developed worldwide -- 63 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Feb. 9. Enditem During the 2020 lockdowns, things were relatively quiet from a criminal standpoint. It wasn't that crime wasn't happening, but a lot of violent crime wasn't. After all, most of the potential targets of such crime were staying at home amid concerns over COVID-19. But then all that went out the window when riots swept across the nation in the wake of the death of George Floyd. See, as bad as the rioting was, it also marked the end of the media's initial fearmongering over the virus. People suddenly felt like it was fine to go out and do again. After all, if the virus wouldn't hurt those burning their communities to the ground, why would it hurt them. Along with that, though, came a new wave of violent crime that made previous crime rates pale in comparison. Now, despite the virus still being a thing, some are trying to claim there's another public health crisis that needs to be addressed. So-called 'gun violence'. A former General Election candidate who was racially abused in an anonymous phone call has revealed he was left with a 'huge level of fear' and left constantly looking over his shoulder. John Uwhumiakpor, who ran in last year's General Election in the Dublin Fingal area as a candidate for People Before Profit party, was informed by the anonymous caller 'Don't get involved in Irish politics. Irish politics is for Irish people." John, who is originally from Nigeria but is now an irish citizen and has been living in the country for the past 15 years, said initially he was 'taken off balance' by the call which he received at 12.26pm on January 29 last year in the run up to the General Election. Last week, 61-year-old Edward Smith, of Mount Talbot in Co Roscommon pleaded guilty at Balbriggan District Court to sending a message by telephone which is grossly offensive or menacing to Mr Uwhumiakpor at his home address. He claimed he was drunk at the time and 'lost the run of himself'. The court heard Smith anonymously phoned Mr Uwhumiakpor and asked if he was John. He then racially abused him by telling him: 'Don't get involved in Irish politics. Irish politics is for Irish people.' Mr Uwhumiakpor reported the racial attack to his local gardai. After Smith was tracked down by Detective Garda Ross Rowan, he apologised for his actions and apologised to Mr Uwhumiakpor. He was charged and appeared before the district court in Mr Uwhumiakpor's hometown last week. Judge Dermot Dempsey said it would be a 'step too far not to convict him', as it was a 'very serious matter with serious effects on the injured party and his family'. The judge then convicted and fined Smith 200 and ordered he pay 600 in compensation to Mr Uwhumiakpor. Mr Uwhumiakpor, who has made the seaside town of Balbriggan his home for the past ten years, has now opened up about the fear and profound effect Smith's horror phone call caused him and his family. He is also encouraging others who suffer racial abuse to report such instances to the gardai. 'I didn't know the caller. 'It was an anonymous call and what he said to me took me off balance at first,' John told The Fingal Independent. 'He called me just before lunchtime on the day and when he said what he said I was like; what? 'I was shocked and I couldn't process the information at first. 'Then it hit me and I realised what he said and implied,' the father of six said. 'I was left fearful as I was in the public eye at that stage running for the general election and because I didn't know who made the call, I was constantly looking over my shoulder while I was out canvassing for the election. 'That was the greatest fear as I didn't know where the call came from.' 'The call had a profound effect on me and my family psychologically and emotionally,' he added. Mr Uwhumiakpor was also racially attacked in a social media post in the same month when a photograph of his election poster went viral with a caption: 'Another Wifi password looking for votes up in Balbriggan', mocking his name. At that time he said it was sad to see that some are focusing on people's identity to attack them. Following the conviction of Smith, Mr Uwhumiakpor told The Fingal Independent he is now relieved the court case is over and justice has been served. He said: 'It has given me some comfort that the case is now over. He apologised and has been convicted so I think that suffices. 'It's not about the money as I wasn't expecting monetary compensation. 'He understood what he said was wrong and what he did was wrong and he owned up to it so I think that is the way forward. 'Going forward we should continue to see ourselves as one and see the good in everyone.' 'Ireland has accepted multiculturalism and no-one should have to go through this in this day and age,' Mr Uwhumiakpor, who has acted as general secretary of the Balbriggan Integration Forum for seven years, said. He helped form that group in 2013 to promote integration in the north Fingal community. He also said he has a deep gratitude to Det Rowan and the gardai who tracked Smith down and unravelled the mystery of the horrific anonymous phone call. He explained: 'I had to stand up to him and I would encourage others to do the same and we need to create that environment that they can do it', adding that he definitely would run in politics again. Mr Uwhumiakpor also ran in the 2019 local elections where he received 4% of first preference votes. 'I would run again and again and again because it is about contribution and representing people in the community every voice matters,' he said. Pubs and restaurants will reportedly be able to serve customers food and alcohol outside from April as ministers continue to plan Britain's route out of lockdown. The reopening of hospitality is being accelerated in an attempt to boost the struggling sector, a government insider told the Sun. Hospitality had previously been expected to reopen in May, with the possibility of the return of takeaway pints in April. This has reportedly now been fast-tracked, but the 'rule of six' and social distancing will remain in place throughout the summer as a compromise for the return of pubs and restaurants. It was said the reopening of hospitality could only take place if coronavirus cases continue to fall at the current rate. A Downing Street source said: 'We will hopefully be sipping pints in the spring sunshine sooner rather than later.' Pubs and restaurants will reportedly be able to serve customers food and alcohol outside from April as ministers continue to plan Britain's route out of lockdown. Pictured: Stock image The reopening of limited indoor mixing in pubs and restaurants is still expected in May, it was reported. It comes as it was suggested the number of coronavirus patients in England will more than halve over the next month, according to internal government projections seen by The Times. Admissions and deaths in British hospitals are predicted to fall to October levels, it was said, as the infection rates are falling faster than expected ahead of the planned reopening of schools on March 8. The UK's R rate - the coronavirus reproduction number - yesterday fell below one for the first time since July as Britain begins to battle its way out of the pandemic. The figure is now between 0.7 and 0.9, according to the latest estimate, and is below one in every region of the UK. Covid cases and deaths are also continuing to plummet across Britain, official data revealed on Friday. Department of Health bosses declared another 15,144 cases, down 21 per cent in a week. It means 4million Britons have tested positive since the pandemic began but the true toll is millions more. Another 758 fatalities were also added to the official toll, with the figure having fallen by a quarter on last Friday. And in yet another glimmer of hope that the UK could be freed from draconian restrictions soon, the NHS is on course to reach its target of vaccinating 15million Britons tomorrow. In a major step forward in the battle against coronavirus, 14,012,224 first doses of the Pfizer and Oxford jabs have been administered. The total includes more than 500,000 from Thursday, meaning the 15million target should be hit today 48 hours ahead of schedule. The focus has been on the top four priority groups: the over-70s, care home residents, healthcare workers and people shielding. Hospitality had previously been expected to reopen in May, with the possibility of the return of takeaway pints in April. Pictured: Stock image But it emerged yesterday that the vaccination programme is so advanced in some areas that over-50s are being offered jabs. It comes as hopes that families will be reunited at Easter suffered a blow last night as government scientists demanded a cautious route out of lockdown. Advisers are urging the Prime Minister to keep the brakes on for at least another two months. Boris Johnson is determined to start reopening schools on March 8 but it could be several weeks before other restrictions begin to be lifted. It means holiday plans for the period around Easter, which falls on April 4 this year, may still be ruined. A government source yesterday said it was 'too early' to think about holidays, which will not be possible until infection numbers are at much lower levels. On the current rate of reduction in Covid cases, official scientific advisers think it is likely to take until the start of May for numbers to come down low enough to consider easing restrictions. The UK's R rate - the coronavirus reproduction number - yesterday fell below one for the first time since July as Britain begins to battle its way out of the pandemic Government scientists are sticking to the mantra 'the lower the better' and are likely to push for infections to be at similar levels to June and July last year, when the first lockdown was lifted. They also believe current travel restrictions reduce the chance of new Covid mutations such as those found recently in Bristol and Liverpool being spread around the country. Officials warned last night that hopes of families being reunited with relatives in different parts of the country at Easter hang in the balance. Whitehall sources said ministers are waiting for more data showing the vaccine's effect on transmission of the virus before deciding if UK-based getaways will be allowed. Despite the pessimism in Westminster, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said he hoped it might be possible to allow holidays in Wales. At a press conference in Cardiff, he suggested self-catered accommodation may reopen if infection rates continue to decline. Covid cases and deaths are also continuing to plummet across Britain, official data revealed on Friday. Department of Health bosses declared another 15,144 cases, down 21 per cent in a week. Pictured: Stock image The reopening of limited indoor mixing in pubs and restaurants is still expected in May, it was reported. Pictured: Stock image 'I'm trying to give an indication that if everything continues to improve, we will do what we can to respond to [the tourism industry's] wish to be able to resume trading over the Easter period,' he said. Mr Johnson will publish a detailed roadmap on February 22 setting out his plan for lifting the lockdown. It is expected to begin with the reopening of at least some schools next month, with primaries likely to be prioritised. Outdoor exercise rules could also be eased at this stage. The plans will then lay out a timetable for wider reopening, with shops likely to be first, followed by gyms and hairdressers and, finally, pubs and restaurants. Ministers are expected to wait at least a couple of weeks between each step so they can assess the impact of lifting each measure. A Whitehall source last night: 'This has to be done quite carefully because we want this to be the final lockdown. The last thing we want is to go into further restrictions.' Today, much like last year, Guam wont be collectively gathering to thank and honor the troops who never came home. But that doesnt mean this Read more Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is keeping a close eye on the US militarys presence in the Middle East as new Pentagon leadership prepares to review the distribution of American forces across the globe. Its about making sure that we have a robust enough deterrent capability in the Middle East, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters on Friday. On a day-to-day basis, its very much on his mind to make sure that we have both the fixed and the rotational capabilities in the region to deal with the threats that are posed by Iran, Kirby said. The US currently has some 2,500 troops in Iraq, roughly 900 in Syria and an additional 2,500 in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon. Thousands of additional American troops are based in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and more recently Saudi Arabia, while units continue to deploy to nearly every country in the region for partnered training. Kirby added that Austin is comfortable with the current US military presence in the Middle East and that the defense secretary is in constant communication on the matter with the head of all US forces in the region, Gen. Kenneth Frank McKenzie. Austin, who previously led Central Command during the Obama administration, has ordered a sweeping review of the distribution of US forces around the world. The Pentagon predicts it will be completed by this summer. The assessment comes as President Joe Biden has ordered the Defense Department to review Americas national strategy toward the expected rise of China, both economically and militarily. Previous Defense Secretary Mark Esper also initiated an assessment of US force posture during his time in office before being fired by former President Donald Trump in November. That evaluation led top generals with responsibility in regions outside of Asia to vouch publicly for the strategic importance of their own commands, at times highlighting Russian and Chinese investments and military sales to governments in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. CENTCOM, which spans the Middle East and now includes Israel, has been comparatively flush with resources in large part due to Washingtons two-decade focus on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet as the United States increasingly looks to bolster states in East Asia against Chinas assertive posturing, the investment required to maintain military forces in the Middle East has increasingly fallen into question. In recent years, internal disputes between former President Donald Trump and his top advisers over the militarys presence in the region occasionally spilled over onto the public stage. Trump frequently said he wanted to end Americas endless wars abroad a phrase also deployed by press secretary Kirby on Friday, although the current president has shown no sign of intent to suddenly yank troops from foreign fields as Trump did. American forces in Iraq and Syria, although nominally there under the authority of the multinational mission to crush the Islamic State, continue to provide the United States with some leverage against Irans expanded activities and influence in the region. In recent months, Gen. McKenzie has choreographed a renewed US-led show of force in the Gulf region amid tensions with Iran and the fraught presidential transition at home. The general has credited such displays with deterring further overt attacks by Iran, thus allow[ing] the diplomats to do their work, he said last week. His comments came as the Biden administration looks to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. We want to see Iran meet its commitments under the JCPOA, Kirby said Friday. As the secretary has said, no problem in the Middle East is easier solved with a nuclear-armed Iran. Elsewhere in world, the White House appears less certain about committing troops, at least so far. Biden administration officials have deliberated in recent weeks over whether or not to relocate US Special Operations troops in Somalia, where they have helped the central government in Mogadishu to expand its influence by hunting down members of al-Qaedas local franchise, al-Shabaab. Just days before Biden took office, the military announced US troops had finished withdrawing from Somalia. The "repositioning" followed a last-minute order from Trump, though observers warned that releasing pressure on al-Shabaab could scarcely come at a riskier time for the fledgling East African democracy. Meanwhile, US-led operations in Somalia have continued from bases in nearby Kenya and Djibouti. So far, the Biden administration has taken no decision on troop levels in Afghanistan, where CENTCOM says the Islamic State's local branch is once again on the rise. Dani Dyer furiously fired back at mum-shamers on Saturday, who accused her of dressing her baby son Santiago in too many layers. The Love Island winner, 24, who welcomed her first child last month, had earlier shared a sweet snap of the tot wrapped up in a navy padded suit as they prepared to head on a walk. However, Dani faced criticism for how she dressed her boy and soon called out the trolls on her Instagram stories as she defiantly declared: 'I won't overheat my child!' Not impressed: Dani Dyer furiously fired back at mum-shamers on Saturday, who accused her of dressing her baby son Santiago in too many layers The cute snap of Santiago saw him resting peacefully in his outerwear while in his pram, with the little one donning a grey and white hat with his name embroidered on it. She wrote on the image: 'Happy 3 weeks baby boy. Mummy loves you more than you will ever know.' Speaking directly to the camera a short while later, Dani bemoaned the amount of comments she received over her son's outfit. She said: 'Also before anyone gets upset, it's mad now the amount of DMs I get as a new mum, from the mums and stuff. Cute: The Love Island winner, 24, who welcomed her first child last month, had earlier shared a sweet snap of the tot wrapped up in a navy padded suit as they prepared to head on a walk 'My child was not in the car in his outfit, okay? In the pram so whatever you wanna call it... He just goes on walks with that outfit on. 'I'm not going to overheat my child, don't worry about it. So yeah...' Over her online rant, she wrote: 'He had been on a walk in that pram suit.. I wouldn't overheat my child in the car.' Dani has been keeping fans updated on her journey through motherhood and recently opened up about the challenges of breastfeeding. Defence: However, Dani faced criticism for how she dressed her boy and soon called out the trolls on her Instagram stories as she defiantly declared: 'I won't overheat my child!' Fed-up: 'My child was not in the car in his outfit, okay? In the pram so whatever you wanna call it... He just goes on walks with that outfit on. I'm not going to overheat my child' The reality star was recently asked by a fan online: 'How is feeding going? Are you breast of bottle?' She responded: 'I've been doing a mix of both but it took a while for my milk to really come through.. 'I always wanted to just exclusively breastfeed but it didn't end up that way. I breastfeed as much as I can but do use Aptamil milk when I feel like he isn't settled. 'If my milk decides to come through more then I definitely will just breastfeed but I think you have to take it step by step xx'. 'I've become obsessed with how to feed my baby!': Dani spoke candidly about comparing herself to other breastfeeding mothers on her Instagram Story on Sunday Dani recently confessed she can't help comparing herself to other mums since welcoming her son. The star has been breastfeeding and expressing milk for her newborn but admitted in her Instagram Story on Sunday she is becoming 'obsessed' with the best way to feed her baby. The first-time mum discussed using a hands-free breast pump which allows her to multi-task and get other things done around the house while expressing breast milk. She said: 'I'll just use it mostly because imagine if I'm getting things done it's just nice to know I'm expressing milk because I just like to know how much he's feeding. Breast pump: The Love Island star has been breastfeeding and expressing milk for her son Santiago but admitted she was becoming 'obsessed' with the best way to feed her baby 'And as much as I love him on the boob, I like to know how many ounces he's having especially at the night time so then I can sleep.' The reality TV star welcomed baby Santiago at the end of January with her boyfriend Sammy Kimmence. Dani ended up having to give birth by emergency caesarean as 'the baby didn't want to come out'. She explained: 'I had to have a caesarean in the end and I was crying about that. 'I never wanted to have a C-section, I know they are very common and I know they happen but I never wanted one - that was never in my birth plan, so I started feeling like a failure. 'The baby didn't want to come out, my waters broke and I was at five centimetres and he wasn't dilating. I ended up having to have a c-section, it was an emotional day.' Donald Trump phoned Sen. Mike Lee two minutes after he tweeted an attack on Vice President Mike Pence, who had just fled the Senate chamber amid the Capitol insurrection, according to new evidence disclosed by House impeachment managers. Lee (R-Utah) shared his call log with the impeachment managers and Trump defense as the Senate trial neared conclusion Saturday. The record shows a White House call reaching Lee's phone at 2:26 p.m. on Jan. 6, two minutes after Trump's 2:24 p.m. tweet hitting Pence for lacking "courage" by refusing to stand in the way of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. The former president's call was intended for Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and was intended to encourage Tuberville to throw up more procedural roadblocks to Congress' certification of the election results. Lee passed the phone to his colleague for a brief call before they were ushered out of the Senate chamber to safety, minutes before a mob stormed the room. During the brief discussion, Tuberville informed Trump that Pence had been evacuated from the chamber just minutes earlier, the Alabama senator has confirmed. Trump's trial defense team said he was unaware that Pence was in danger when he tweeted. Tuberville's initial disclosure of the call to POLITICO earlier in the week raised the possibility that it occurred before Trump tweeted his attack. But the new timeline reveals that Trump's tweet attacking Pence came just prior to the discussion. In either case, Trump made no public comments to tell his supporters to leave the Capitol until hours later, and he made no public attempt to defend his vice president while the violence unfolded. It's unclear whether Trump was aware of Pence's exit from the chamber via other sources it was widely televised and Pence's Secret Service team was likely in communication with the White House throughout. . Egypt parliament the House of Representatives - will get down to business again this week On Sunday, the Senate's 292-article bylaws will be up for discussion and will be in for a vote after receiving approval from the House's Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee. The Senate Egypt's upper house advisory chamber discussed and approved its bylaws on 29 November 2020 and referred them to the House of Representatives to be enacted into law. The bylaws include some controversial articles such as article 155 which states that the Senate's plenary meetings can not be valid unless they are attended by two thirds of the majority of members. Article 164 also states that the Senate can hold secret meetings upon the request of the president, the prime minister, the speaker or at least 20 senators. The amended bylaws will strip the prime minister of his right to invite the Senate to hold plenary meetings. The bylaws however, state that the Senate can hold "special meetings" upon the request of the president or the prime minister to exchange views on issues related to supreme national interests or listen to statements and clarifications on decisions related to the state's internal and external public policies. The bylaws also left in place a controversial article requiring that senators take prior approval from the speaker before traveling abroad. Another controversial article is that the senators' rewards will be exempted from all kinds of taxes. The Senate bylaws state that each senator will obtain a monthly reward of EGP 5,000 and in any case this amount can't exceed EGP 20,000. As for the Senate's speaker, he will obtain a monthly reward equal to the prime minister's. On Sunday, the House is also scheduled to discuss an eight-page report on the policy statement delivered by Minister of Information Osama Heikal. The report, prepared by the House's Media and Culture Committee, directs scathing criticism of Heikal, accusing him of poor performance and financial negligence. It also said Heikal's policy statement, delivered before the House on 19 January, is rejected because "Heikal failed to achieve the objectives of his ministry and that he violated a number of financial and administrative regulations." The report said the fact that Heikal also works as chairman of the Egyptian Media Production City a constitutional and legal offence. "This (EMPC) is goes against Article 166 of the constitution and stock companies' law," said Article 79 of the joint the report. It also said that a number of public announcements made by Minister Heikal have done a lot of political damage to the state's reputation and image. "The minister's aggressive statements against Egyptian journalists and media people in terms of accusing them of poor performance were exploited by hostile television channels (broadcasting from Qatar and Turkey) to attack the Egyptian state," said the report, adding that "Heikal made another bad announcement when he claimed that Ethiopian media excelled the Egyptian one in its coverage of the GERD negotiations in Washington last year." The report recommended that the information ministry be scrapped, but it states this decision should be left to the president. Heikal is the only cabinet minister which received ferocious attacks from MPs, leading many to believe that he will be fired in any expected cabinet re-shuffle. Also on Sunday, parliament is scheduled to discuss and vote on two new laws, the first is one exempting bonds up for sale in foreign markets from all kinds of taxes and fees. The second is government-drafted and is on regulating blood transfusion and plasma collection operations with the objective of processing and exporting its derivatives. On Tuesday, the minister of justice will appear before parliament to deliver his ministry's policy statement. A number of 29 cabinet ministers have so far addressed MPs on the implementation of the government's "Egypt Kicks Off" programme. Short link: The Biden administration on Friday afternoon revoked permission for states to impose work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries. The move comes two weeks after President Joe Biden ordered federal officials to review policies that make it more difficult for Americans to access federal health care programs. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it is rescinding a rule change made by the Trump administration in 2018 that allowed states to apply to develop programs that would force Medicaid recipients to work at least 20 hours per week, provide community service, or attend school or training in pursuit of a job. A long-running struggle over benefits: Supporters of Medicaid work requirements say they are intended to conserve public funds and to help low-income beneficiaries get back into the workforce, with the goal of leaving the program as quickly as possible. Critics say the requirements violate both the letter and spirit of the law that established Medicaid, and serve to unfairly restrict access to publicly funded health care for the poor. At least 12 states received permission from the Trump administration to impose work requirements, though efforts in Arkansas, Kentucky and New Hampshire were halted following legal challenges, and other states have waited to see how those legal issues play out before rolling out their own programs. The Supreme Court is expected to hear a case next month related to the legality of the work requirements in Arkansas and New Hampshire, but the Biden administrations reversal could render that case moot. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. This time last year, as bushfire smoke had just started to clear from our suffocating skies, the Victorian government was on the cusp of setting emissions reduction targets for the critical decade to 2030. Then the pandemic hit, and we were all wearing face masks for a different reason. Faced with the worst public health crisis in living memory, the Andrews government put the climate targets decision on the backburner and focused on stopping the spread of this deadly virus instead. The environment dropped as a priority when the pandemic broke out. Credit:Getty Fair enough it was a necessary delay, and most people could agree with the shift in focus while case numbers soared. Public safety must come first. Even now, on the cusp of rolling out the vaccine, governments are dealing with a volatile situation as the virus mutates and various states - including Victoria - have needed to call short, sharp emergency lockdowns. But as we learn to live alongside COVID-19, governments will need to balance this urgent pandemic response with long-term planning and address the backlog of outstanding decisions. Businesses need this certainty to invest. Thats why once this latest outbreak is under control, Victoria should announce climate targets to help guide Victorias economic recovery. Data: Duke Global Health Innovation Center; Chart: Michelle McGhee/Axios The Biden administrations purchase of 200 million additional Pfizer and Modern doses means the U.S. could fully vaccinate 300 million people with just those two vaccines and 355 million more people if four additional vaccines gain FDA approval. Why it matters: The U.S. is home to 250 million adults, many of whom wont elect to be vaccinated. It's also now in control of a big chunk of the global vaccine supply. The White House says the U.S. will eventually donate excess doses to other countries, but it hasnt released a plan to do so. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free The state of play: The administration has been focused almost entirely on ensuring that every American who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by this summer. With the additional Pfizer and Moderna doses and up to 40 million Johnson & Johnson doses ready to be deployed if approved the White House is increasingly confident theyll reach that goal. In the meantime, the administration will "develop a framework to supply surplus doses ... including through the COVAX facility as appropriate," says State Department spokesman Ned Price. Theyll have to balance distributing doses around the world with holding them back for potential booster shots or the vaccine hesitant. Between the lines: Sources in the administration emphasize that despite the bulk orders, only two vaccines have been approved and supplies remain scarce on the ground. Until that changes, they say, it's too early to focus on sharing doses globally. The state of play: Many countries vaccination plans rely entirely on the global COVAX initiative, which aims to distribute two billion doses this year, mainly to low and middle-income countries. Some don't expect to vaccinate the bulk of their population until 2023. COVAX is developing a platform for donations, which it expects to ramp up in the second half of 2021 as wealthy countries start to meet their domestic needs, according to a spokesman for Gavi, the international vaccine alliance. Biden has said the U.S. will participate in COVAX, which Donald Trump snubbed, but has yet to provide specific commitments. Countries including Canada and France have said theyll contribute doses to COVAX, but only Norway has promised to do so in parallel with its domestic vaccination program. Meanwhile, India and China are making bilateral donations to neighboring countries, while China and Russia are selling their state-funded jabs all over the world. Story continues White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki warned on Friday that China and Russia could use vaccines to make other countries beholden to them. She has also stressed that the U.S. committed $4 billion to Gavi in December for global vaccinations, and Biden's recovery plan includes $11 billion more for the global relief effort. Canada and the U.K. have actually purchased even more doses relative to their populations than the U.S., but the U.S. controls the most total doses. What they're saying: From a U.S. perspective, were losing a bit of the messaging war out there, says Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, director of Duke Universitys Global Health Innovation Center. If we look six months from now, it may well be the fact that the U.S. has donated more doses than any other country in the world. But right now the storyline is how were buying more and hoarding more of the supply. Dr. Zeke Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, acknowledges that the bulk purchases have sparked international criticism, but says things will look much different in the spring. By then, the U.S. will have ramped up domestic distribution and be able to think more about supplying doses globally. Emanuel, who served on Bidens COVID-19 advisory board during the transition, says that as one of the worlds biggest biggest coronavirus hotspots and its biggest economy the U.S. should be a priority country for vaccination under any circumstances. He also says that the billions invested by the U.S. could help expand global vaccine production in the longer term. For now though, every time a bilateral deal gets struck it means capacity is taken out that could go towards supporting equitable access, the Gavi spokesman said. The bottom line: As Dr. Anthony Fauci has noted, the emerging variants of COVID-19 underscore the necessity of efficiently distributing vaccines all over the world to truly get the pandemic under control. The U.S. "will be a part of that process," Fauci says. But it's not yet clear what America's role will be. Worth noting: Most of the 1.2 billion doses of six vaccines currently on the books were purchased as part of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed. Sanofi's isn't on our chart because it's not expected until late 2021. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. 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We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Pink released on Friday a duet with her 9-year-old daughter Willow Sage, titled "Cover Me in Sunshine," alongside an accompanying music video. ADVERTISEMENT Pink and Willow spend time together on a farm riding horses and collecting chicken eggs in the clip. "Cover me in sunshine/ Shower me with good times/ Tell me that the world's been spinning since the beginning/ And everything'll be alright/ Cover me in sunshine," the mother and daughter duo sing together. "Cover Me in Sunshine" is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal and Soundcloud. Pink recently joined TikTok and posted a video of Willow singing the song. Pink, 41, shares Willow with her husband Carey Hart, 45. The couple are also parents to 4-year-old son Jameson Moon. Willow previously joined Pink for a duet of Nat King Cole 's "The Christmas Song" during The Disney Holiday Singalong in November. Pink last released the album Hurts 2B Human in 2019. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Nations Sanctions Committee Friday rejected the Belgian government's request to lift the freeze on Libyan funds deposited with one of its banks, official statement issued here said India begins roll out of second shot against COVID-19 today India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: The second shot of the vaccine against COVID-19 will be administered today across the country, 28 days after the drive was launched. Automated SMS message as well as direct phone calls are being made to ensure that the eligible recipients turn up for what will be a logistical challenge for the campaign, which is the largest in the world. The experts have said that the recipients will not need to take a second dose exactly at the 28 day mark, but a window of two weeks will be given. This would mean that the dose will need to be taken 4 to 6 weeks after the first shot was administered. 7 more states to administer Covaxin from next week: Health Ministry Dr. V K Paul, member (health) of Niti Aayog, who took his first Covaxin dose on the launch day of January 16 said that the second dose can be given anytime between 4 to 6 weeks. That is the window period we have, he also said. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Though I am eligible to take the shot on February 13, I am most likely to take the second dose on Monday, he also said. Dr. N K Arora, member of the National Task Force said that there are people on the job to ensure that not a single beneficiary is missed. The second shot can actually be taken even up to 8 weeks after having taken the first shot but sooner it is the better. This is why up to 6 weeks is what is being told, he also said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 8:06 [IST] Into the world of hard seltzers, canned cocktails, alcoholic sodas, and yes, those hazy IPAs, comes what could be the next big thing. A mimosa in a can. Thats right. They mixed the fruit juice and sparkling wine for you. And Ohza Mimosas, one of the first canned versions of the brunch favorite to hit the market, has several connections to Central New York. Ohza Mimosas are made using sparkling wine produced at several Finger Lakes wineries. Theyre mixed and packaged at the F.X. Matt (Saranac) Brewing Co. in Utica. Its good for brunch, of course, but its not just for brunch, said Ryan Ayotte, the 27-year-old from Cambridge Mass. who founded Ohza two years ago. Its for a lot of other occasions now that its portable. Its been around for a few years, mostly in New England, but Ohza is now becoming more widely available across Upstate New York (and other states). Its at selected Wegmans markets and other outlets, like some Byrne Dairy stores. (See store finder). It can also be delivered. Ohza is coming to bars and restaurants, in both cans and a draft version, but that probably wont really take off until the Covid-19 pandemic eases, Ayotte said. Ohza is not just made the classic way, with orange juice. There are flavors like mango, cranberry and Bellini (named for a classic peach and sparkling wine cocktail) and come individually or in mixed packs, so you can make your own mimosa flight. Theyre 5% alcohol, similar to a domestic lager like Budweiser. (Thats one reason Ohza can be sold in grocery stores in New York). They contain 80% less sugar and 60% fewer calories than a regular mixed mimosa, the company says. The story of how a then-25-year-old Ayotte thought of putting a mimosa in a can is one he likes to tell: He and some friends were on a boat bobbing in the choppy waters off Cape Cod, trying to mix sparkling wine and orange juice. They made a mess of it. I thought, there has to be better, easier, way, he said. Ayotte comes from a family of entrepreneurs, so he put some thought into how to make a pre-packaged mimosa. He knew he wanted to make it, sort of, healthful. The trick was to make it a good-for-you alcoholic drink, but with flavor, too, Ayotte said. So we want to cut back on the sugar, but leave the flavor there. The cans say each 12-ounce serving has 140 calories and 11 grams of sugar. Thats at least heading in the direction of hard seltzers, if not getting quite there. The Ohza drinks do contain real fruit juice, after all. Working with the folks at Matt Brewing, Ayotte played around with ratios to make it work. Matt Brewings Utica brewery has experience with this sort of innovation: It is also home to the Finnish Long Drink, a canned cocktail made from gin and grapefruit, first popularized in Finland. And Matt, in addition to its own Saranac beer line and Utica Club, has a long history of brewing for notable craft beer brands, like Brooklyn. Mimosas traditionally use Champagne or other sparkling wines. For the Ohza drinks, Ayotte turned to the Finger Lakes, which is building a reputation for producing good sparkling wines. Ayotte wouldnt identify the specific wineries involved, but said the wines are made from from Niagara grapes (one of the native varieties), and are brut, one of the driest styles of sparkling wine (that means theres not much sugar in the wine). People like mimosas for a reason, Ayotte said. The fruit, the sparkle. Theyre fun. And now you can take them with you anywhere you go. So whats it taste like? Blair Frodelius of Syracuse is a cocktail expert who posts reviews, stories and more at his blog, Good Spirits News. He posted this review last year: Ohza Mimosa (5% ABV) Mimosas are a great way to start your Sunday morning brunch, but sometimes you cant finish that 750ml bottle of sparkling wine before it goes flat. A can of Ohza Mimosa is a perfect way for two people to share a glass each and celebrate. We were definitely surprised by both the balance between the wine and the orange juice, plus the relatively light sweetness of what is typically pretty heavy on the fructose. A first taste is very wine forward with a dry edge, and the juice just bringing a hint of sweetness. After the second sip, it becomes apparent that this is the perfect ratio to keep things elegant and perfect for pairing with a classic French breakfast. You could easily have two glasses and not feel as though youd just imbibed boozy orange soda. All in all, these are great to bring to a party, or keep in your fridge for that last celebratory morning before Monday arrives. GSN Rating: B+ More on drinks in Upstate New York Hard seltzer spike drives Anheuser-Busch to invest millions in its CNY brewery New Yorks still-young craft distilling industry generates billions of dollars, study says CNY beverage company launches a CBD-infused seltzer, among the first in the state Distilleries in Central NY: Where to find local whiskey, vodka and more New Yorks best distilled spirits for 2020. The winners are ... Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. (Natural News) When does a free state become a police state? Is it when government declares itself essential but religious worship selfish? Or when making a living becomes a crime? Or when free speech rights are afforded only to those who say correct things? Or maybe when tens of millions of Americans find themselves unexpectedly labeled as domestic terrorists by the military-media complex overnight? (Article by J.B Shurk republished from AmericanThinker.com) Perhaps the telltale sign is this: simply asking why becomes subversive. Questions become bigger threats than foreign missiles. Words are regarded as weapons legally possessed only by those in power. For all else, they are rendered contraband. If Congress were transparent, rather than vindictive, and if its members worried more about finding truth than burying it, then lawmakers in D.C. would have spent the last few months quelling doubts about the 2020 election instead of intensifying those doubts with a second, inflammatory impeachment. Alas, were ruled by unserious people who take their power very seriously. Consider the following contraband questions Congress will never answer: Why should the 2020 election be viewed as legitimate if the outcome depended entirely upon the unprecedented use of mass mail-in balloting implemented, in some cases, against state law? Why is Congress not interested in knowing how many mail-in ballots were counted in battleground states that were either received after legal deadlines or in violation of signature-matching requirements or other safeguards for authenticating voter identity? Why is Congress so incurious about the reality that Donald Trump won nearly every bellwether county from coast to coast by double-digits on his way to losing the election? Why is Congress so incurious about how an incumbent president could expand his support by over ten million new voters and increase his share of the minority vote, yet still come up short against an opponent with historically low levels of enthusiasm among his own base? Why is Congress so incurious about the conspiracy between corporate news and social media to censor negative stories about Joe Biden during the campaign while aggressively deplatforming conservative commentary and online social networks of Trump-supporters for years before the 2020 election? Why is Congress so incurious about a secret cabal of wealthy and politically connected elites who conspired to manipulate the rules and laws of an election in order to win? Why does Congress deem such reasonable questions so threatening? Why do lawmakers insist on threatening American citizens for thinking critically just because Congress itself abandoned critical thinking long ago? All of these questions are now too dangerous or too inconvenient for the U.S. government to abide. They are too dangerous or too inconvenient for Google, Facebook, and Twitter to tolerate on their free speech platforms. They are too dangerous or inconvenient for our domestic intelligence services to permit a private citizen to say out loud. So spurious criminal charges are leveled at ordinary citizens just as they have been leveled at the president of the United States. When it becomes natural for politicians to flex the muscles of government with the intent of intimidating citizens, and when governing institutions become more concerned with their own survival than with the security and protection of those for whom they were created, then free speech is always the first liberty summarily executed by those in power. Benjamin Franklin, though only sixteen years old at the time, said it best: Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation, must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. Look how fast questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election became a state offense. In November, doing so was mocked as mere conspiracy-mongering. In December, it had become a threat to democracy. By January, it was insurrectionist. And by February, Congress is holding a Soviet show trial to punish the president; the FBI is busy arresting his supporters; the military is purging MAGA troops from its ranks; and prominent media personalities openly suggest drone strikes against American citizens. This is not normal in a free country, and it is important to say so. Free people neither fear nor punish debate; open and continuous disagreement is, in fact, a hallmark of all free societies. Anybody who claims that political speech should be punished as criminal incitement is no friend to freedom. Anybody who pretends that words are violence is only looking to police thought. And make no mistake: everything from the second public inquisition of President Trump to the Department of Justices decision to stigmatize freedom-minded Americans as terrorists for questioning the 2020 election is entirely about policing thought not preventing or punishing statutory crimes. When Representative Cheney impugns President Trump as being the subject of a massive criminal investigation, she throws innocent until proven guilty out the window. When Representative Raskin says President Trumps refusal to testify at these Star Chamber proceedings should be cited as evidence of his own guilt, Raskin torches Americans Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination in the process. Surely, anti-Trump Republicans and Democrats who find it expedient to discard constitutional rights in order to settle scores and silence critics should never be trusted in positions of power, and surely, any congressperson who seeks to justify the criminalization of speech by appealing to national unity has no intention of governing other than as a tyrant. What Congress is doing by labeling President Trumps political speech as treasonous is a far greater threat to the countrys survival than anything China has in mind for our future. However else this spectacle of a witch trial against the president unfolds, the greatest deliberative body in the world proves that it is neither great nor deliberative. If the former leader of the free world can be labeled a premeditated murderer and domestic enemy for asking questions out loud, ordinary people learn pretty quickly that question marks are too dangerous except when whispered far from prying ears. So we have two worlds now the real world that everyone knows is true but must pretend is false and the political world that everyone knows is false but must pretend is true. We have become a country of dissidents trapped within a prison of lies. When a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything else his own. Franklin said that, too. And when that is the case, a police state has taken over. There is a wonderful corollary, however: when the greatest threat to a states survival becomes questioning its monopoly on truth, then ordinary people become extraordinarily powerful simply by asking questions. The most dangerous thing to any police state is a person capable of thinking clearly. Read more at: AmericanThinker.com and PoliceState.news. (Natural News) Mike Shirkey, the Michigan Senate Majority leader, was recently caught on hidden camera explaining that the Capitol Riot was a hoax. (Article by Daniel republished from WeLoveTrump.com) Specifically, Shirkey claims: He added that everything that happened was all staged and implied that Senator Mitch McConnel and other GOP leaders wanted to have a mess. This mess would then damage President Trump. Majority Leader MIKE SHIRKEY told the truth on camera. Storming the U.S. Capitol building "That's been a hoax from day one." He said, later adding that what occurred was "all staged" and implied Senator Mitch McConnell they "wanted to have a mess". #ImpeachmentTrial #America pic.twitter.com/mEnmiBd4ZC Think about it. The Capitol Riot only HURT Trump. The Senators voted to initiate the Electoral Count Act. In fact, Republican Senators like Ted Cruz were calling for a 10 day investigation into voting integrity before certifying and counting the votes. So. why would Trump supporters want to interrupt that? It would have appeared that momentum was on their side! Remember it only takes one spark to start a wildfire The New York Times confirms that Shirkey was caught on hidden camera: Mr. Shirkey, whom Mr. Trump pressured to reverse the election results in Michigan after President Biden won the state, has walked a line between demonstrating loyalty to fervid Trump supporters and not taking a torch to democracy. His comments during the lunch were made to officials of the Hillsdale County Republican Party one day before it censured him for not standing up strongly enough to Ms. Whitmer. Ms. Whitmer was repeatedly a target of sexist name-calling by Mr. Trump and baseless accusations over fraud in the Michigan election. Six men with extremist ties were charged in a plot to kidnap her. A video of the lunch was uploaded to YouTube. Mr. Shirkey also made offensive remarks that day about Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat, saying he and fellow Republican lawmakers had spanked her hard in the Legislature. I did contemplate inviting her to a fistfight on the Capitol lawn, he added. At a restaurant last week, Mr. Shirkey told a group of Republican officials, That wasnt Trump people, referring to the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Thats been a hoax from Day 1, he added. It was all staged. Mr. Shirkey was heard speaking on an open microphone in the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday in what he apparently thought was a private conversation. I frankly dont take back any of the points I was trying to make, he said, a reference to recent comments about the Capitol siege, which is the focus of former President Donald J. Trumps impeachment trial in the Senate. Michigans top elected Republican, Mike Shirkey, the State Senate majority leader, said on Wednesday that he stood behind previous remarks in which he called the attack on the U.S. Capitol a hoax and indicated he might challenge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to a fistfight. Clearly the riot happened. But its not far fetched to believe that radical far-left people instigated the mob. Then innocent Trump supporters got caught up in the moment (mob mentality). After all, isnt that what Democrats are accusing Trump of doing? Inciting violence? Michigan state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey was caught on a hot microphone on Wednesday approaching Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and doubling down on conspiracy theory comments he made about the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6 https://t.co/6HyK1n0db3 The reality is that there is PLENTY that we still dont know about the Capitol Riot. But instead of doing investigating and looking into all the facts, the Democrats rushed to yet another sham impeachment. Fox News Tucker Carlson has pointed out there is still a lot we dont know: Its funny how change happens. You thought the big change came on Election Day, when the incumbent president lost, but that turned out to be nothing compared to the change that came two months later. On Jan. 6, supporters of Donald Trump swarmed the Capitol building. Some forced their way inside, and Washington has never been the same. It may never be the same. As a result of what happened on Jan. 6, your descendants will live in a very different country. Some in Congress have compared that day to 9/11. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has likened it to Pearl Harbor, which spurred Americas entry into the Second World War. Every day we hear new and more florid comparisons from Democratic partisans. But Tuesay night, CNN outdid all of them by comparing what happened Jan. 6 to the Rwandan genocide. Keep in mind that close to a million people were murdered in Rwanda in 1994, about 70% of all ethnic Tutsis in the country. Entire towns were hacked to death with machetes. People were set on fire and crushed alive by bulldozers. Hundreds of thousands of women were raped. It was among the most horrifying crimes in human history. How does a country recover from something like that? Well, first, obviously, you punish the guilty quickly and severely. Then, and this is more important, you set about reordering your society from top to bottom to make certain nothing like that ever happens again. So you purge the military, suspend basic civil liberties, send troops to the capital, tear down the old, destroy all vestiges of the past in order to save the future. However, before we remake America to prevent future genocide at the Capitol, maybe we should know a little bit more about the crime that occurred on Jan. 6, if only to understand the justification for overturning our lives permanently. What exactly did happen that day? You may be surprised to learn how little we know, even now. In fact, its remarkable how many of the most basic questions remain unanswered more than a month after the fact. Lets start with the headline of the day: Five Americans died on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. Youve heard that, but it doesnt really tell you very much. Its the details, as always, that matter. Who were these people and how did they die? Thats how you understand what actually happened. So with that in mind, here are the facts: Four of the five who died that day were Trump supporters. The fifth was a Capitol Hill police officer who apparently also supported Donald Trump. Why is this relevant? Of course, the political views of the deceased shouldnt matter, but unfortunately, in this case, they do. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and many other elected Democrats claim the mob was coming for them that day. Yet the only recorded casualties on Jan. 6 were people who voted for Donald Trump. The first among them was a 34-year-old woman from Georgia called Rosanne Boyland. Authorities initially announced that Boyland died of a medical emergency. Later video footage suggested she may have accidentally been trampled by the crowd. Were still not sure, but thats the best guess. The second casualty was 55-year-old Kevin Greeson, who died of heart failure while talking to his wife on a cell phone outside the Capitol. Kevin had a history of high blood pressure, his wife later said, and in the midst of the excitement, suffered a heart attack. The third was 50-year-old Benjamin Phillips of Ringtown, Pa. Phillips was a Trump supporter who organized a bus trip to Washington for the rally that day. He died of a stroke on the grounds of the Capitol. There is no evidence that Phillips rioted or was injured by rioters or even went inside the Capitol building. The fourth person to die, the only one from intentional violence, was 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, a military veteran from San Diego. Babbitt was wearing a Trump cape when she was shot to death by a Capitol Hill police lieutenant. Babbitts death was caught on video, so hers is the best-documented death that took place that day. Yet it is surprising how little we know about it. Babbitt was shot as she tried to crawl through a broken window into the Speakers Lobby within the Capitol, and thats essentially the extent of what we know. Authorities have refused to release the name of the man who shot her or divulge any details of the investigation they say theyve done. We may never know exactly why this unnamed Capitol Hill police officer took her life. According to that officers attorney, There is no way to look at the evidence and think that he is anything but a hero. Of course, we cant actually look at that evidence, because theyre withholding it. We cant even know his identity. Killing an unarmed woman may be justified under certain specific circumstances, but since when is it heroic? When the dead woman has read QAnon websites? Republicans arent asking that question. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., has said he immediately hugged the officer who shot Ashli Babbitt and told him, Listen, you did what you had to do. Did the officer really have to do that? We dont know. We do know that Ashli Babbitt was not holding a weapon when she was killed. Nevertheless, at the impeachment trial this week, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., described what happened at the Capitol as an armed insurrection. Cicilline is a former mafia lawyer from Providence, so presumably he knows what it is to commit a felony with a firearm. There are no reports of rioters at the Capitol building Jan. 6 discharging weapons or threatening anyone with a gun. So what exactly is David Cicilline talking about? Apparently, hes referring to the death of Officer Brian Sicknick. In the hours after the riot, The New York Times reported that Trump supporters had brutally beaten Oficer Sicknick to death with a fire extinguisher. The news of Sicknicks death by violence was quickly picked up by countless other media outlets that repeated and then amplified it. That account forms the basis of the myth that Democrats have constructed around Jan. 6. Sicknicks remains lay in honor at the Capitol building. Streams of politicians, who just months before had told us that cops were racist by definition, praised Brian Sicknick as a hero. They had finally found a police officer who served their political uses. Just one problem: The story they told was a lie from beginning to end. Officer Sicknick was not beaten to death, with a fire extinguisher or anything else. According to an exhaustive and fascinating new analysis on Revolver News, theres no evidence that Brian Sicknick was hit with a fire extinguisher at any point on Jan 6. The officers body apparently bore no signs of trauma. In fact, on the night of Jan. 6, long after rioters at the Capitol had been arrested or dispersed, Brian Sicknick texted his brother from his office. According to his brother, Sicknick said hed been pepper sprayed twice but was otherwise in good shape. Twenty-four hours later, Officer Brian Sicknick was dead. How did he die? The head of the Capitol police union has said he had a stroke. His body was cremated immediately, and authorities have refused to release his autopsy. No one has been charged in his death, and no charges are pending. Whatever happened to Brian Sicknick was tragic, obviously, but it was also very different from what they have told us. They have lied about how he died. Theyve lied about a lot. How did this riot start, anyway? Was it a spontaneous event incited by a reckless president in a fit of vicious pique? Was the riot long-planned, the result of a conspiracy? Those are two theories of what happened and both cannont be true. This weekend, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund claimed in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that there was no intelligence suggesting that a riot might be imminent at the Capitol. Apparently, the Washington Post has better sources than Sund. Days after Jan. 6, the newspaper reported that it was well-known that a group of Trump supporters was headed to the city to cause trouble. The FBI almost certainly knew this. They likely had paid informants in the ranks of protesters. One of Melbournes most disadvantaged high schools has dumped the Victorian curriculum in favour of a personalised learning program that ditches compulsory subjects and lets students study what they like from year 8 onwards. Hampton Park Secondary College students Fadak Jabbar, Vernon Santiago, Zahra Akhlaqee, principal Wayne Haworth, Paige Read, and Skyline Paileguto. Age-based year levels have also been scrapped at Hampton Park Secondary College, a state school in Melbournes south-east, and replaced by three progressive learning stages named Explore, Enhance and Excel. Previously compulsory subjects such as history and science now jostle for a spot alongside specialist fields ranging from robotics to rugby. The school has already seen a rise in interest this year in vocational subjects such as kitchen operations, parks and gardens and business. UN urges to investigate escalation of violence in Colombia Malaysia to open mega-centers for vaccination against coronavirus Police find 5 million in cash in London apartment French citizen to face trial in Iran on spaying charges Over 60 children in UK undergo surgery due to TikTok challenge Iranian Central Bank governor dismissed Armenian opposition: The one who liberated Artsakh will not go to debates with the one who sold it Iranian energy ministry: Iraq to allocate $ 125 million of frozen funds for vaccines No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects Armenia ex-PM says at least 2 more secret documents signed but not published yet Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia UK PM gets married in London Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia 2 people die in Armenia road accident Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released 61 quakes recorded in Congo per day Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Marie Nangle, a GP from Tullamore, receives her second dose of the Moderna vaccine from Kayte Gamble, a GP registrar, at the GP vaccination clinic in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise (PA) Almost 5,000 Covid-19 vaccines are being administered to doctors and practice nurses at mass vaccination centres across the country this weekend. The HSE is hoping that the vast majority of them will have had at least their first dose of the vaccine over the next two days. The Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines are being given at centres in Dublin, Portlaoise and Galway, with 1,800 expected to receive their second dose. It comes as Taoiseach Micheal Martin urged the public to keep their guard up and protect the hard won progress as those vaccines are rolled out. Mr Martin said: The recent spike in cases has pushed our frontline healthcare workers to the limit. But they have persevered. There is hope of better times to come. Cases are falling and vaccines are here. Over the next few months we must protect the hard won progress as those vaccines are rolled out, starting with our most vulnerable citizens. Now is not the time to drop our guard. Now is the time to stick to the basics. Among those helping to administer vaccines at the Portlaoise centre was Defence Forces doctor, Captain Fiachra Lambe. He told the PA news agency: Its really positive. Lots of relief, lots of happiness, lots of people saying that it gives them a bit of hope for the future. Its a really nice thing to be involved in these days. Expand Close Captain Dr Fiachra Lambe prepares to administer the Moderna vaccine at the GP vaccination clinic in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Captain Dr Fiachra Lambe prepares to administer the Moderna vaccine at the GP vaccination clinic in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise (Brian Lawless/PA) Its positive, its people seeing change in progress and seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Dr Lambe said the centre was running quickly and smoothly, and that lessons have been learned about the logistical approach from previous operations. He said: Its been busy. But theres been lots of good admin and logistics. I think everybody learned how things did and didnt work from our last time out. Speaking to all the people coming through, theres no time wasting. Theyre not getting any time to sit down or wait around before they get a vaccine. Its very productive, very slick. People have nominated times from their first dose. So the logistical operation has really improved. Dr Lambe was among eight Defence Forces doctors administering vaccines this weekend. Six medical officers were deployed to the centres in Galway, Dublin and Laois to assist with the mass vaccination of GPs. Another two were deployed to assist with vaccinations in nursing homes in Dublin and Kildare. Tullamore GP Dr Marie Nangle was there to receive her second dose of the vaccine. She said the centre at Portlaoise was very efficient and well run. Expand Close Dr Marie Nangle, a GP from Tullamore, receives her second dose of the Moderna vaccine from Dr Kayte Gamble, at the GP vaccination clinic in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Marie Nangle, a GP from Tullamore, receives her second dose of the Moderna vaccine from Dr Kayte Gamble, at the GP vaccination clinic in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise (Brian Lawless/PA) She said: Its great, its really good to have it. I thought it was so efficient. Im really grateful to everyone who organised it, it was really well run. She added: I didnt actually have to wait around at all to receive my vaccine. We went into a cubicle with another health care professional and got the dose. Then theres a waiting areas being provided by the National Ambulance Service. You wait a prescribed amount of time to make sure theres no reactions. It was very quick, it was great. She said having the vaccine will make a huge difference to her work. She said: Its that reassurance, that youre kind of protected against it. It just makes things a lot easier. I know we still have to wear masks, because theyre a bit unsure about whether you can still transmit it or not. But you definitely feel a lot more confident, dealing with patients on a daily basis when youve been vaccinated. Dr Katye Gamble received her second dose of the vaccine and was also on hand to administer it to the public. She said: I think you feel far more reassured going into work yourself, when youre dealing with patients face to face. Its reassuring to know that youre protected. I think the IT side of it, and the fact they had similar vaccinators to the last rollout in Portlaoise, the system was flawless today. It moved very, very quickly and smoothly and there were no waiting times, which was great for the patients. This weekend sees nearly 5000 vaccines for frontline workers in General Practices. Huge collaboration and meitheal spirit in Phoenix Park where Drs. Philip Crowley and David Hanlon join vaccinators volunteering their time to protect others. Ar scAth a chAile a mhaireann na daoine pic.twitter.com/9duqdUiPuz Dr Colm Henry, CCO HSE Ireland (@CcoHse) February 13, 2021 Regina Leonard, a care worker at St Michaels House in Dublin, said she would now feel much more confident about going to work. She said: It means that I feel more confident and safer in myself, going into my work. I also look after my dad, who has dementia. After work I didnt feel confident going in to him, but hopefully now I wont be passing on anything. And its reassuring for my own safety as well. I just feel so grateful that I was given the opportunity to get it today. Saturday saw 66 further deaths related to Covid-19, the Department of Health said. There were also an additional 1,078 confirmed cases of the disease notified in the past 24 hours. Of the deaths recorded on Saturday, 41 occurred in February, eight were in January and another nine took place in November or earlier. There has been a total of 3,931 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland to date. The number of people in intensive care units is down by two, to 171. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help ADVERTISEMENT One person was confirmed dead on Friday as a result of a fight between a cobbler and a cart pusher in Shasa market area in Ibadan, Oyo State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the clash erupted on Thursday but reached its peak on Friday when the cobbler was confirmed dead as a result of the injury sustained during the clash. A witness told NAN the cart pusher stabbed the cobbler with a knife as a result of a misunderstanding between the two. The witness said the cobbler was rushed to the hospital for treatment and later confirmed dead on Friday morning. He said the situation sparked trouble as traders and other residents of the area stormed the Shasa market on Friday, to avenge the death of their colleague. When NAN visited the area, it was discovered that some shops and houses were burnt while the market was deserted. Security operatives, including the police, the state Joint Anti-Crime security patrol team Codenamed Operation Burst and Amotekun operatives, were seen at different locations to ensure that normalcy returns in the area. ALSO READ: Police arrest protesters at Lekki Tollgate The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the incident in an interview with NAN on Friday, in Ibadan. Mr Fadeyi said the violence erupted as a result of a minor misunderstanding between two persons which later resulted in the death of one of them. The Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadako, and Gov Seyi Makindes aide have been to the place to talk to the aggrieved parties. (NAN) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. UN urges to investigate escalation of violence in Colombia Malaysia to open mega-centers for vaccination against coronavirus Police find 5 million in cash in London apartment French citizen to face trial in Iran on spaying charges Over 60 children in UK undergo surgery due to TikTok challenge Iranian Central Bank governor dismissed Armenian opposition: The one who liberated Artsakh will not go to debates with the one who sold it Iranian energy ministry: Iraq to allocate $ 125 million of frozen funds for vaccines No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects Armenia ex-PM says at least 2 more secret documents signed but not published yet Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia UK PM gets married in London Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia 2 people die in Armenia road accident Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released 61 quakes recorded in Congo per day Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country The Worst Cooks in America winner accused of beating her adopted daughter to death claims the little girl drowned after drinking too much water and that bruises found on the three-year-old's body were the result of a botched Heimlich maneuver she performed in a bid to save her. Ariel Robinson, 29, and her husband Jerry, 34, have both been charged with homicide by child abuse over the death of toddler Victoria Rose Smith in Simpsonville, North Carolina on January 14. A coroner determined that Victoria died from blunt force trauma, with police claiming that the Robinsons committed 'child abuse by inflicting a series of injuries, which resulted in the death of the victim.' At the time of her death, Victoria had deep purple bruising on her abdomen, back and legs, as well as abrasions on her face. On Friday, Ariel Robinson appeared via video link for a hearing, where she was denied a $40,000 bond. Ariel Robinson, 29, and her husband Jerry, 34, have both been charged with homicide by child abuse over the death of toddler Victoria Rose Smith in Simpsonville, North Carolina on January 14. Ariel and Victoria are pictured in a social media snap Ariel and Jerry Robinson are pictured in police mugshots 'Based on the seriousness of the charges and the egregious nature of the allegations in this case, I do find the defendant in this case is a flight risk or does pose a substantial danger to the community, most particularly to the children who are in her custody, and potentially even to herself,' the judge stated. During the court proceedings, prosecutors claimed that the reality TV star had told first responders on January 14 that little Victoria had drowned after drinking too much water. Ariel claimed Victoria 'went limp' after ingesting an excess of liquids and she subsequently performed the Heimlich maneuver on the girl because she thought she was choking. Ariel allegedly asked her husband, Jerry, to call 911 at the time, and began pressing down on Victoria's chest with excessive force. When asked about other bruises found all over the toddler's body, Ariel allegedly blamed Victoria's brother, who she claimed had 'anger issues'. However, Jerry Robinson, counters those claims and now says his wife 'spanked and beat Victoria with different things, including a belt, paddle, flip flop or whatever', according to WYFF4. On the day that Victoria died, Ariel allegedly hit the girl with a belt. On Friday, Ariel Robinson appeared via video link for a hearing, where she was denied a $40,000 bond Ariel is best known for winning season 20 of Worst Cooks in America, and receiving a $25,000 cash prize Ariel is best known for winning season 20 of Worst Cooks in America, and receiving a $25,000 cash prize. She and her husband Jerry have two children of their own, before they took in Victoria and her two brothers, aged five and seven, last year. On social media, Robinson presented a happy picture of a blended multi-racial family. Robinson portrayed the family as being 'complete' and 'diverse'. She said she was 'invested' in tackling systemic racism and used her blended family as a proof of it. She gushed that the adopted kids allowed her to teach all of her children equality by parenting them the same way despite their different races. On social media, Robinson presented a happy picture of a blended multi-racial family. Robinson portrayed the family as being happy, 'complete' and 'diverse'. She said she was 'invested' in tackling systemic racism and used her blended family as a proof of it Ariel and her husband Jerry have two children of their own, before they took in Victoria and her two brothers, aged five and seven, last year. However, Victoria's biological family now say that she and the two white brothers were being abused by the Robinsons for months and that the system 'failed' them. Victoria's biological great aunt, Michelle Urps, blames social workers for not paying proper attention to the situation. She says she noticed possible bruises and markings on Victoria's body in pictures Ariel had uploaded to social media. 'I knew something was wrong by looking at her social media so why couldn't they?' Urps told DailyMail.com. Victoria's biological great aunt, Michelle Urps, blames social workers for not paying proper attention to the situation. She says she noticed possible bruises and markings on Victoria's body in pictures Ariel had uploaded to social media At the time of her death. Victoria had deep purple bruising on her abdomen, back and legs, as well as abrasions on her face 'You have to question, do these case workers have the right training? Is the screening process adequate? Are they looking in the right places?' Urps has started a petition on the Change.org website calling on state lawmakers to reform the SCDSS. By Tuesday morning her demand for 'Victoria's Law', which calls for better screening and non-scheduled visits to check how children are being treated, had attracted more than 26,000 signatures. People watch the spray as large seas pound the coast near Tamarama Beach in Sydney on March 6, 2017. (William West/AFP via Getty Images) Aussie Fishermen Dead Despite Heroic Rescue Effort Investigations are continuing into the deaths of two rock fishermen who died in the New South Wales (NSW) Illawarra, with police and lifesavers praised for saving a third man. The fishermen were swept off of rocks near Port Kembla south of Sydney. Police said the alarm was raised by members of the public when three men from Lakemba and Wiley Park in western Sydney were washed into the sea on Friday evening near Hill 60 Lookout. Its the same spot where three men drowned last month. Two of the fishermen, aged 38 and 31, died. A 42-year-old man is being treated in Wollongong Hospital for water inhalation and hypothermia. The actions of our officers, our surf lifesaving partners, our ambulance officers and the toll helicopter certainly saved one persons life, NSW Police Superintendent Dean Smith told reporters on Saturday. One of the police officers swam about 100 metres to retrieve a fisherman and police said all three fishermen were supported in the water. Smith paid tribute to the traffic and highway patrol officer who swam 100 metres to one of the fishermen, saying he was proud of the officer. Its something that doesnt happen every day, he said. Smith said that two other police officers suffered minor injuries when they were hit by a wave while spotting for the rescue helicopter. Police and surf lifesavers on Saturday again issued warnings about the dangers of rock fishing. We want people to be aware of the danger, we want them to be aware of the environment theyre going into, Smith said. Surf Lifesaving NSW CEO Steven Pearce said there was a dangerous swell on Friday night and its believed none of the men were wearing life jackets or personal devices. Pearce said that the actions of lifesavers and police was outstanding. It was an extremely heroic effort to do CPR on the rock platforms with still waves crashing over the rock platform, he said. It just would have been a scene of havoc. NSW Ambulance Inspector Norm Rees urged people to take all safety precautions when taking part in activities around water. No words can describe the chaotic scene that paramedic crews and other first responders were faced with, he said in a statement. It was absolutely heartbreaking to respond to a scene where previous lives have been lost despite the warnings. By Liv Casben Irish dairy co-operatives and their farm families throughout Ireland answered a clarion call by county Longford dairy farmer Mike Magan to help raise funds for the people of Yemen who are afflicted by war and famine. The results of that grassroots campaign were revealed on Friday as the leaders of co-operatives from all over Ireland joined ICOS President Jerry Long and Mike Magan in an online ceremony to transfer 190,000 to the Irish Red Cross, represented by Secretary General Trevor Holmes. Well known Killashee farmer Mr Magan supplies milk to Lakeland Dairies and the farmer owned co-operative strongly backed his initiative. Chairman Alo Duffy said, Lakeland Dairies is proud to have supported this very thoughtful and caring initiative by one of our own dairy farmers and we are very grateful to our milk producers for their kindness and support, which has contributed to this great good achieved by the dairy farmers of Ireland. An additional 100,000 was also donated by other companies and individuals in the dairy supply chain in support of the initiative. As a milk producer, Mike Magan had described his feelings on seeing the dreadful plight of children and families in Yemen. He proposed a grass roots initiative asking each of Irelands dairy farmers to donate the equivalent of one day's milk from a cow to the Red Cross for its work in Yemen. Irish farm families and their dairy co-operatives responded immediately. Mike Magan said, Im humbled but not surprised by the wonderful response of the dairy farming community and others who have donated to this cause. We live in a land of plenty, and have very significant resources. While our country currently has its own major health crisis, the crisis in other countries is magnified a hundredfold, so I thought why not share some of our good fortune. He added, Ive been blown away by the response and I send my warmest appreciation to farmers, co-operatives, members of the public and everyone who has supported this call. Pressing the button for the transfer of 190,000 to the Irish Red Cross, ICOS President Jerry Long said, This is a very significant gesture of solidarity by the dairy farmers of Ireland, along with their co-operatives and milk purchasers, to recognise and respond to the plight of those significantly less fortunate than ourselves. The inception of this initiative comes down to the passion of one man, Mike Magan, who reached out to ICOS among others, with his idea to respond to a shocking human tragedy that was emerging in Yemen. Its success was then assured as co-op leaders and farm families across the country responded magnificently, each using methods appropriate to their own structure, to raise the necessary funds. Mr Long continued, Its important to acknowledge the fruits of the campaign, and to thank the farmers of Ireland, and their co-ops and milk processors, for responding so generously and we are privileged to make this donation on their behalf to the Irish Red Cross, which carries out immensely valuable work in the interests of humanity. Dairy farmers and our industry represent an enormous force for good, generating sustainable livelihoods for tens of thousands of families in the rural and sometimes forgotten parts of Ireland, based on an understanding for the basics of life, of nature, and genuine empathy and human decency. I pay tribute to all dairy farmers, Mike Magan, the Irish Red Cross, all contributors and everyone who has put their shoulder to the wheel behind this initiative, concluded Jerry Long. The NYPD is still guarding monuments of Christopher Columbus 24/7 across New York City as a Republican council member has said they must be protected from 'psychotic leftists' wanting to tear them down over 'a 400-year-old historical squabble'. Police vehicles and barricades were still visible around at least five monuments in Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens this week around nine months after officers first set up guard around monuments amid racial justice protests. It is not clear how much the round the clock protection for the statues is costing the Big Apple but it comes as New York state is grappling with a $15 billion budget deficit. Statues, flags and displays of Confederate or racist symbols and historical figures have been taken down or toppled across America in recent months, amid widespread protests calling for an end to systemic racism following the death of black man George Floyd. An officer stands guard at the Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus Circle in Manhattan on Friday. Monuments across NYC have been guarded 24/7 for nine months Some of the police vehicles in Central Park were snowed in after the recent cold weather in New York City Police vehicles could be seen at the Columbus statue in D'Auria-Murphy Triangle in the Bronx Republican City Councilmember Joe Borelli of Staten Island says the protection is necessary While the removal of some historical figures has been more clear cut, commemorations of Columbus have divided America for years. To Native Americans, he is seen as a symbol of violence with his arrival in continental US in 1492 unleashing centuries of European colonization and slavery. But to the Italian American population, he is a hero providing an cultural icon for Italian immigrants to hold on to when they arrived on US soil in the late 1880s and faced xenophobia. There are five Columbus in the city's parks including one each in Central Park in Manhattan, Columbus Circle in Manhattan, Columbus Park in Downtown Brooklyn, D'Auria Murphy Park in the Bronx, and Columbus Square in Astoria, Queens. The monuments often become the focal points for local Columbus Day parades and festivities. Police vehicles and barricades were still visible around Columbus statues, including this one in Central Park The Christopher Columbus statue in D'Auria-Murphy Triangle in the Bronx on Friday Officers were on the scene protecting the bronze statue of Christopher Columbus inside Central Park on Friday All five still had either NYPD vehicles or metal barricades around them this week. The D'Auria-Murphy Triangle in The Bronx was locked and under watch by a police van Friday, while a cop cruiser was seen standing guard next to the bronze statue in Astoria, Queens. In Central Park, at least two cop cars as well as a metal barricades were seen erected around the statue on Friday. Local residents slammed the ongoing police protection as 'wasteful' several months on from renewed calls to remove the likeness of the controversial figure. 'I definitely find it odd and I find it wasteful,' Eleanor Carey told The City. 'My daughter asks me all the time, 'The police is still there?' Jeremy Wilcox, who used to lead tours past the Columbus statue in Central Park, told the outlet its 'upsets' him to see the monuments 'locked up.' 'You want to paint this narrative that New York is safe and it's open, but when people see police protecting statues, they might say, 'How safe can the city be?' he said. 'We're cutting off access to public space. And it's just another example of no one being willing to tell the NYPD, 'No, you guys gotta get out of here.' Wilcox has repeatedly posted about the police presence on social media blasting it as 'truly astonishing'. A police van on station in Columbus Circle amid the snow in Manhattan on Friday In Central Park, at least two cop cars as well as a metal barricades were seen erected around the statue on Friday Monuments to Columbus remain under constant NYPD protection and behind locked fences But Republican City Councilmember Joe Borelli of Staten Island told The City the protection is necessary. 'Protecting public monuments and art is part of the NYPD's mission,' Borelli said. 'As long as there are psychotic leftists who want to make amends for a 400-year-old historical squabble by destroying a monument, then we have to protect them.' Cops have been guarding the statues across the city since at least June. At the time a police source told the New York Post the monument in Columbus Circle was 'a known target'. The NYPD did not respond to DailyMail.com's questions Friday about how much the taxpayer-funded police protection is costing the city. It was also unclear how many statues are under constant protection from police vehicles or barricades and whether any specific threats had been made recently against any of the statues. A spokesperson said 'police coverage at the locations is evaluated on an ongoing basis'. Nationwide, several statues of the colonialist have been removed in recent months. On Columbus Day in November a statue in Rhode Island was splashed with red paint amid calls to rename the day Indigenous Peoples' Day. In July, figured in Grant Park and Little Italy in Chicago were taken down by city officials after thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters called for their removal. This came after California officials removed a monument of Columbus from the state capitol, ruling the presence of the 'deeply polarizing historical figure' was 'completely out of place today' while a statue in Boston was beheaded the same month. The statue of Christopher Columbus in Providence, Rhode Island, was vandalized (pictured above) on Columbus Day in November Chicago's controversial statue of Christopher Columbus was removed from Grant Park in July Some states including Michigan, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia have renamed Columbus Day - the public holiday held on the second Monday in October each year - 'Indigenous Peoples' Day' in recent years to recognize the native populations that were colonized by the explorer. Nationwide, Columbus Day continues to be a federal holiday, meaning it is recognized by the US government but individual states can choose not to observe a federal holiday and change the name and intent of the holiday. The months-long taxpayer-funded round the clock protection for New York City's statues comes as the Big Apple's budget deficit has worsened amid the pandemic. Cops have been guarding the statues across the city since at least June. NYPD cars around the Columbus Circle monument in June The state has been left with a $15 billion budget deficit, 50 percent higher than its previous worst deficit of $10 billion. Last month, Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed raising taxes on the wealthy to a combined level of 14.7 percent to help plug the gap. This would generate $1.5 billion for the state but would mean the highest state-and-local tax rate across the whole of America. The tax increase would raise $1.5 billion for the state, Cuomo said Tuesday in an address unveiling his 2022 budget proposal. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Victorian hospitality businesses set for one of the best weekends of the year are instead throwing away tens of millions of dollars worth of produce in a lockdown catastrophe that industry figures warn will be the final nail for otherwise profitable businesses. Florists too were left scrambling on Friday and on Valentines Day eve to switch to a click and collect setting and get deliveries out the door amid uncertainty about whether they were even allowed to trade at all under current stage four COVID-19 restrictions. North Carlton florist Rahnee Moller called in friends to help rush out Valentines Day orders before lockdown. Credit:Jason South Restaurant and Catering Industry Association chief executive Wes Lambert said a five-day lockdown would normally cost the industry about $90 million. However because this lockdown fell on the triple whammy of a rare weekend Valentines Day, the Australian Open tennis and the beginning of Chinese New Year festivities, the figure would be considerably more. He said those in his industry would have to throw away about $27 million worth of perishable produce in the coming days, and that figure does not include pubs and clubs. WASHINGTON - Donald Trumps impeachment lawyers accused Democrats of waging a campaign of hatred against the former president as they sped through their defence of his actions and fiery words before the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, hurtling the Senate toward a final vote in his historic trial. Members of the national guard patrol the area outside of the U.S. Capitol during the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) WASHINGTON - Donald Trumps impeachment lawyers accused Democrats of waging a campaign of hatred against the former president as they sped through their defence of his actions and fiery words before the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, hurtling the Senate toward a final vote in his historic trial. The defence team vigorously denied on Friday that Trump had incited the deadly riot and said his encouragement of followers to fight like hell at a rally that preceded it was routine political speech. They played a montage of out-of-context clips showing Democrats, some of them senators now serving as jurors, also telling supporters to fight," aiming to establish a parallel with Trump's overheated rhetoric. This is ordinary political rhetoric that is virtually indistinguishable from the language that has been used by people across the political spectrum for hundreds of years," declared Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen. Countless politicians have spoken of fighting for our principles. But the presentation blurred the difference between general encouragement to battle for causes and Trumps fight against officially accepted national election results. The defeated president was telling his supporters to fight on after every state had verified its results, after the Electoral College had affirmed them and after nearly every election lawsuit filed by Trump and his allies had been rejected in court. The case is speeding toward a vote and likely acquittal, perhaps as soon as Saturday, with the Senate evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans and a two-thirds majority required for conviction. Trump's lawyers made an abbreviated presentation that used less than three of their allotted 16 hours. In this image from video, Michael van der Veen, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, speaks during the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) Their quick pivot to the Democrats own words deflected from the central question of the trial whether Trump incited the assault on the Capitol and instead aimed to place impeachment managers and Trump adversaries on the defensive. His lawyers contended he was merely telling his rally crowd to support primary challenges against his adversaries and to press for sweeping election reform. After a two-day effort by Democrats to sync up Trump's words to the violence that followed, including through raw and emotive video footage, defence lawyers suggested that Democrats have typically engaged in the same rhetoric as Trump. But in trying to draw that equivalency, the defenders minimized Trump's months-long efforts to undermine the election results and his urging of followers to do the same. Democrats say that long campaign, rooted in a big lie, laid the groundwork for the mob that assembled outside the Capitol and stormed inside. Five people died. Bruce Castor, left, and Michael van der Veen, lawyers for former President Donald Trump, arrive at the Capitol on the fourth day of the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) On Friday, as defence lawyers repeated their own videos over and over, some Democrats chuckled and whispered among themselves as many of their faces flashed on the screen. Some passed notes. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal threw up his hands, apparently amused, when his face appeared. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar rolled her eyes. Most Republicans watched intently. During a break, some joked about the videos and others said they were a distraction or a false equivalence with Trump's behaviour. Well, we heard the word fight' a lot, said Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. In this image from video, security video is shown to senators as House impeachment manager Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said it felt like the lawyers were erecting straw men to then take them down rather than deal with the facts." We werent asking them fight like hell to overthrow an election," Blumenthal said. After the arguments ended, senators asked more than 20 questions of the lawyers, read by a clerk after submission in writing, including several from Republicans who are being closely watched for how they will vote. In this image from video, Michael van der Veen, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, answers a question from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana asked about Trumps tweet criticizing Pence moments after having been told by another senator that the vice-president had just been evacuated. Van der Veen responded that at no point was the president informed of any danger. Cassidy told reporters later it was not a very good answer Trump's defenders told senators that Trump was entitled to dispute the 2020 election results and that his doing so did not amount to inciting the violence. They sought to turn the tables on prosecutors by likening the Democrats' questioning of the legitimacy of Trump's 2016 win to his challenge of his election loss. The defence team did not dispute the horror of the violence, painstakingly reconstructed by impeachment managers earlier in the week, but said it had been carried out by people who had hijacked what was supposed to be a peaceful event and had planned violence before Trump had spoken. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, left, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., leave the Senate chamber as the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump adjourns until Saturday, in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) You can't incite what was already going to happen, van der Veen said. Acknowledging the reality of the January day is meant to blunt the visceral impact of the House Democrats' case and pivot to what Trump's defenders see as the core and more winnable issue of the trial: Whether Trump actually incited the riot. The argument is likely to appeal to Republican senators who want to be seen as condemning the violence but without convicting the president. Anticipating defence efforts to disentangle Trump's rhetoric from the rioters' actions, the impeachment managers spent days trying to fuse them together through a reconstruction of never-been-seen video footage alongside clips of the president's months of urging his supporters to undo the election results. This image from video shows one of many slides presented by Democrats prosecuting the impeachment of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. The video, which showed Trump's supporters chanting "Fight for Trump!" after they stormed into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, was used by prosecutors as they sought to connect the mob with Trump and make the case that the president had incited them to insurrection. (Senate Television via AP) On Thursday, they described in stark, personal terms the terror they faced that January day some of it in the very Senate chamber where senators now are sitting as jurors. They used security video of rioters searching menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice-President Mike Pence, smashing into the building and engaging in bloody, hand-to-hand combat with police. Though defence lawyers sought to boil down the case to a single Trump speech, Democrats displayed the many public and explicit instructions he gave his supporters well before the White House rally that unleashed the deadly Capitol attack as Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Bidens victory. And they used the rioters own videos and words from Jan. 6 to try to pin responsibility on Trump. We were invited here, said one Capitol invader. Trump sent us, said another. Hell be happy. Were fighting for Trump. The prosecutors' goal was to cast Trump not as a bystander but rather as the inciter in chief who spread election falsehoods, then encouraged supporters to come challenge the results in Washington. The Democrats also are demanding that he be barred from holding future federal office. Trump's lawyers say that goal only underscores the hatred Democrats feel for Trump. Throughout the trial, they showed clips from Democrats questioning the legitimacy of his presidency and suggesting as early as 2017 that he should be impeached. Hatred is at the heart of the house managers fruitless attempts to blame Donald Trump for the criminal acts of the rioters based on double hearsay statements of fringe right-wing groups, based on no real evidence other than rank speculation," van der Veen said. Trump's lawyers noted that in the same Jan. 6 speech he encouraged the crowd to behave peacefully, and they contend that his remarks and his general distrust of the election results are all protected under the First Amendment. Democrats strenuously resist that assertion, saying his words werent political speech but rather amounted to direct incitement of violence. By Andrew Korybko Editor's note: Andrew Korybko is a Moscow-based American political analyst. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday that "The Chinese and Indian frontline troops at the southern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake start synchronized and organized disengagement from February 10." This follows the outcome of their ninth round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting. Provided that the agreement is implemented in full, then Asia will breathe a collective sigh of relief as the two largest countries in the world finally de-escalate tensions that first surged last year following several violent incidents along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China blamed India for the first deadly clashes between their forces in decades, while India blamed China. What's important at this point, however, is to focus on what comes next and how such regrettable incidents can be avoided in the future. The agreement to synchronize the disengagement of their forces shows that neither side wants matters to escalate any further than they previously did. It also speaks to the success of the difficult but ultimately successful meetings between their military representatives since then. In the end, diplomacy won out over more forceful means for resolving their differences. That's exactly how it should be since any large-scale armed conflict between these neighboring nations and historically connected civilizations was bound to end in a mutually detrimental outcome. After all, the 21st century is supposed to be the Asian Century according to many analysts, but that can't unfold to its maximum potential if China and India remain at loggerheads over the LAC. To be clear, their territorial differences aren't conclusively resolved, but with diplomacy nowadays leading the way, there's renewed optimism that such differences will remain manageable without either side resorting to military means again. The international context in which their synchronized disengagement is taking place is worth mentioning. Newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden is presently reviewing his country's role in the world after the chaotic past four years of the former Donald Trump Administration. It was the 45th U.S. president who aimed to divide and rule Asia by provoking hostilities between China and India, but with him finally out of the White House after only a single term in office, it's interesting that they were able to patch up their differences so quickly. This likely isn't a coincidence either since the Biden Administration is comparatively more pragmatic than the Trump one. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the "Howdy, Modi!" rally along with then U.S. President Donald Trump, in Houston, Texas, the U.S., September 22, 2019. /Xinhua Although President Biden recently spoke about what he expects will be a prolonged period of "extreme competition" with China, he at least hasn't yet done anything comparatively "out of the ordinary" by former President Trump's standards. Although his country's hostile rhetoric has continued, as does its misleadingly described "freedom of navigation operations" in the South China Sea, the Biden Administration doesn't seem as interested in exacerbating differences between China and India as the Trump one was. It's likely partially due to this lesser degree of meddling that they were able to reach their recent deal. From the Indian perspective, New Delhi cannot rely as much on Washington as before for support during its tense disagreements with Beijing. This is because President Biden promised to focus on what he described as the "international rules of the road," which hints at a willingness to abide more by international norms than before. The key qualifier here is "more," not entirely, since it's taken for granted that the U.S. will still unilaterally abrogate those same "rules of the road" as it feels necessary to advance its interests. Even so, it hasn't sought to do this with respect to Chinese-Indian relations, at least not yet. New Delhi likely interpreted that as a signal to stabilize relations with Beijing so that both countries can constructively focus on areas of mutual interest such as managing their other differences like those in the economic sphere. So long as military tensions remain low as both sides hope they will pend the full implementation of their synchronized disengagement deal, then the likelihood of reaching agreements on other issues improves. With this hope in mind, everyone should welcome their latest military agreement since it gives hope for getting relations back on track and refocusing on the Asian Century that both want to achieve. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Srinagar: The National Conference on Saturday (February 13) said it would mount a legal challenge against the election of District Development Council chairperson in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, accusing the administration of murdering democracy in the Union territory. NC vice-president Omar Abdullah said, An independent candidate is made the chairman of District Development Council (DDC) despite his party having eight members, out of the total strength of 14, in the council. He added that his party also had the support of a member of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement, a part of People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Talk about murdering democracy in J&K. I met 8 of our DDC members of Budgam district. There is at least 1 more alliance member of Javaid Mustafa Mir's party so 9 out of a total strength of 14 & yet in an election' an independent member was made the chairman, he tweeted. Talk about murdering democracy in J&K. I met 8 of our DDC members of Budgam district. There is at least 1 more alliance member of Javaid Mustafa Mirs party so 9 out of a total strength of 14 & yet in an election an independent member was made the chairman. pic.twitter.com/u6dwBP902C Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 13, 2021 Omar alleged that all this was done with the active involvement of the district administration which issued blatant threats about powers to detain people for two years. Early next week we will challenge this undemocratic action in the courts of law, he said in another tweet. The National Conference (NC) has already taken up the issue with the State Election Commissioner, K K Sharma. The party's Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi had raised the issue of unfair mode of selection of DDC chairman Budgam with Sharma, terming the entire exercise a clear violation of law and rules. It is the betrayal of people's mandate. The mode and manner in which the entire exercise was conducted has already been brought to light by nine DDC members of Budgam district with the media, said Hasnain Masoodi. The group of nine elected DDC members from Budgam had held a protest here on Tuesday (February 9), demanding re-election for the post of chairperson. Earlier this week, Nazir Ahmad Khan, an independent DDC member, was elected as the chairperson, while Nazir Ahmad Jahara of NC was elected as the vice-chairperson of the council. Live TV Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) There is insufficient proof to declare a community transmission of the fast-spreading coronavirus variant, even after recording 19 more cases of it, a Department of Health official said Saturday. Hindi natin masasabi ngayon. There is no sufficient evidence to say na kumakalat na ba yan or iyong transmission niya ay ganito na, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. [Translation: We cannot say there is already a community transmission of the B.1.1.7 variant. There is no sufficient evidence to say it is already spreading or that there is already that kind of transmission.] The DOH earlier said there is local transmission of the variant first detected in the United Kingdom in Bontoc, Mountain Province. Local transmission means those infected can still identify how they may have gotten the virus. Community transmission means the source of infection can no longer be traced. The country has 44 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant. DOH said Friday three of the 19 new cases were from Davao Region but they currently do not have any known link to each other. One of the two cases from Calabarzon has no known exposure to the virus. Meanwhile, eight UK variant cases were returning overseas Filipinos. As for the last six, the DOH said it is still verifying if they are local cases or returning overseas Filipinos as well. The agency said it initiated case investigation and contact tracing. UK researchers earlier said the E484K mutation which is known to evade antibodies was detected in some samples of the B.1.1.7 variant. This concerned experts as it may affect the efficacy of vaccines. A high flying University College Cork student from Buttevant, is among 11 recipients from UCC to receive scholarships under an initiative aimed at supporting female students undertaking degrees in STEM related subjects. Now in its third year the Johnson & Johnson (J&J)Women in STEM2D (WiSTEM2D) Award Programme, refers to Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing and Design. Each year it awards second, third and fourth year to students studying a wide cross section of subjects including computer, agricultural and food sciences, genetics, physics & astrophysics and business information systems. Buttevant native Katie O'Brien was announced as the winner of the 2021 Biomedical Science scholarship during a virtual ceremony, which was addressed by Irish aeronautical engineer and award-winning STEM advocate, Dr Norah Patten. Katie has been a member of UCCs Biomedical Science society since first year, taking up the role of vice-chairperson in 2019/2020 and chairperson in 2020/2021. Katie has introduced several initiatives such as the 'Buddy Programme' and 'Can U Help' annual charity (Cork University Hospital). In 2020 she attained a UCC Societies 'STARS' Individual Award and a UCC Works Award. Speaking during the ceremony Dr Patten pointed to a recent Department of Education study that found significant gender imbalances in STEM subject choices made by male and female students at the post-primary level in Ireland and that it is critical to encourage greater participation of girls in these subject areas. "This programme is an important initiative which serves to support and encourage these female students who, although still in a minority, have made it into the STEM field, and this is crucial to keep them in the sector going forward," said Dr Patten. Due to the Covid pandemic, WiSTEM2D programme will this year move to a virtual format, providing students with virtual site visits and regular online mentoring sessions. Past Award recipient Jessica Silva said involvement in the initiative "shaped my career trajectory". "With the support of a J&J mentor and the network I was able to build, I quickly found myself feeling empowered, confident and fully believing in my worth. Upon completing my degree in Biomedical Engineering, I was very fortunate to join J&Js Global Operations Leadership Development program," said Jessica. "I have had the opportunity to live in three different countries, experience different sectors and hold four different positions in the last 2.5 years. I will always be grateful for the WiSTEM2D programme and the role it has played in my career," she added. Specialist police underwater search teams on the River Trent. (SWNS) Two bodies have been recovered from a submerged car in River Trent. Police dive teams retrieved the bodies of a man and woman on Saturday morning after a major search operation in Nottinghamshire. They had located an object believed to be a vehicle on 2 February, a day after a car with two passengers was reported to have been seen floating along the river at Hoveringham, between Newark and Nottingham. High river levels have since hampered efforts to recover the vehicle but the bodies were removed from the water at about 10.30am when the car was located on the riverbed using sonar equipment. Read more: Burst pipe floods road leaving thousands without water Police liaison officers have notified family members of the deaths. (PA) No formal identification has yet taken place but family members have been informed by a family liaison officer. A tug boat from Newark is helping to remove the car. Police were called at around 4.15pm on 2 February to Boat Lane in Hoveringham. The force said a witness saw a car with two passengers enter the River Trent and they believe we know who those people are. An aeroplane and helicopters were deployed by police to try to locate the vehicle, as well as divers from the north-west region diving team. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service also responded to the incident. Read more: Couple arrested on suspicion of murdering one-year-old boy they were adopting Inspector Tim Ringer, leading the recovery operation, said: This has been a difficult and complex operation involving dozens of people from multiple agencies. Underwater recoveries of this nature are always very challenging, but our divers work has been further complicated by the very fast-flowing water at the site. It was simply not safe to attempt this work before today. Our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased who have asked for their privacy to be respected at what I know is an immensely difficult time. A file will now be prepared for the coroner. Mrs Delese Darko, Chief Executive Officer, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has met with Mr Pedro Luis Despaigne Gonzalez, the Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, to discuss progress on the development of Cubas Covid-19 vaccine. A statement issued by the FDA in Accra on Thursday, explained that the meeting followed an earlier one held in November 2020, where the Centre for State Control of Drugs and Medical Devices (CECMED) of the Ministry of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba (MINSAP), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the FDA, to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in the area of health promotion. It said the present meeting, which was at the request of the Ambassador, was therefore to brief Ghanas FDA on the status of clinical trials being conducted in Cuba on four Covid-19 candidate vaccines, with each at different phases of clinical development. According to Mr Gonzalez, the COVID-19 vaccine, Soberana 02, was Cubas most advanced candidate against the COVID-19 virus, which had currently passed Phase I trials in Cuba. He indicated that Phase II trials had also been carried out on 910 patients, while Phase III trials would commence in February 2021. Mr Gonzalez again said Cuba intended to offer the transfer of technology through an agreement with the Ghanaian Pharmaceutical Industry for the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredients for the formulation, production and packaging of the vaccine in Ghana. According to the statement, Mr Gonzalez had stated that countries like India, Vietnam, Iran, Venezuela and Pakistan had also expressed interest in acquiring the Soberana 02 vaccine. Mrs. Darko on her part had expressed gratitude to the people and Government of Cuba for their continued solidarity, and pledged the continued support of the FDA in the sharing of its experience as a Maturity Level three regulatory agency of the World Health Organization (WHO). She further expressed her utmost appreciation for the intended technological transfer support from Cuba, stressing that the meeting presented an opportunity to render support, build capacity, further develop and challenge the local pharmaceutical industry (allopathic and herbal). She said through the relationship, the pharmaceutical industry would make advances in promoting health, thus improving the health standards of the Ghanaian. Present at the meeting were Mr. Seth Seneake, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Health Products and Technologies Division, Mrs Yvonne Nkrumah, the Deputy CEO for Corporate Services, and Mrs Mercy Mintah Gyampoh, the Pharmaceutical liaison for the Republic of Cuba in Ghana. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Imperial Valley News Center Nineteen South Bay Residents Charged In Alleged Scheme To Funnel Drugs Into U.S And Firearms To Mexico San Francisco, California - A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment charging fourteen defendants, mostly South Bay residents, with crimes related to two conspiraciesone to transport drugs from Mexico to the San Jose Area, the other to transport firearms illegally from the United States to Mexico, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. In a press conference Thursday, U.S. Attorney Anderson announced all the charges were the culmination of a federal investigationone of four simultaneous investigations into the movement of drugs from Mexico to the streets of the San Jose area. One methamphetamine seizure outlined in this indictment represents the largest federal seizure of methamphetamine ever in the Northern District of California, said U.S. Attorney Anderson. The vast majority of these drugs were acquired in Mexico, including from Mexicos Sinaloa Cartel. Firearms and their components, as described in the indictment, are acquired in the United States to export to Mexico. The two-way flow of drug shipments heading north and firearms, including assault weapons, sniper rifles and grenade launchers, heading south is a potently dangerous situation. It is impossible to characterize this alleged conduct as victimless. Methamphetamine that is pure, potent and cheap has flooded the American market and drug trafficking organizations see an opportunity to profit. They utilize distribution hubs, like the Bay Area, to distribute their poison, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. As methamphetamine overdoses rise, the significant drug seizures in this investigation has undoubtedly saved lives. DEA will continue to target and to bring to justice these criminal organizations who traffic drugs in our community to keep Americans safe. As a result of Operation Burnt Orange, the FBI and DEA successfully seized 16 firearms, 17.4 pounds of heroin, and 817.7 pounds of methamphetamine from this dangerous organization - which ranks as one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in recent memory here in the Northern District of California, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Fair. Simply put, we wont allow dangerous and violent groups to use our neighborhoods as a thoroughfare to traffic drugs or as a venue to conduct illegal activity. The superseding indictment, filed February 4, 2021, charges David Campoy as the leader of two related conspiracies: a drug trafficking conspiracy and a firearms trafficking conspiracy. With respect to the drug trafficking conspiracy, David Campoy, his adult son, Jose Melchor Campoy, and co-conspirators David Wilcott Greenman, Kimberly Carrasco, Lamberto (a Mexican national whose last name currently is unknown), Juan Carlos Velazquez Ortiz, Ignacio Espinoza, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Naranjo, and Nicolas Ardanuy are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. David Campoy allegedly used connections with the Cartel de Sinaloa (or Sinaloa Cartel) in Mexico as well as connections in Southern California to obtain methamphetamine and heroin. The indictment alleges David Campoy and Jose Campoy delivered controlled substances to other members of the drug trafficking organization for distribution. In addition to the conspiracy charge, several of the defendants face additional charges in connection with individual drug sales and use of a communication facility to assist in such sales. The facts disclosed in the indictment and additional court documents depict a prolific drug distribution operation. The indictment describes a drug ledger in which drug purchase orders are recorded in quantities such as of hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, and payments are made in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, during his arrest in January 2021 with his son and others, law enforcement seized approximately 572 pounds of methamphetamine, several pounds of heroin, and 16 firearms. In additional court filings the government argues that based on intercepts and intelligence obtained during the investigation, David Campoy, through the quantity he controlled and trafficked, exercised market power over the price and availability of methamphetamine in Northern California. With respect to the firearms conspiracy, the indictment alleges David Campoy, Michael Ozuna Guizar, Roberto Campoy Robles, Luis Guillermo Sendino, and Ivan Campoy Morales orchestrated illegal exports to Mexico of weapons and components of firearms for sale in the black market. The defendants manufactured, exported, and dealt in weapons including assault weapons. The superseding indictment describes how defendants allegedly unlawfully purchased firearms and components of firearms in the United States through licensed federal firearm dealers. The defendants allegedly combined the firearms with grenade launchers assembled in Mexico, and attempted to obtain .50 caliber sniper rifles and grenade launchers for resale on the black market. In sum, the defendants are charged with the crimes and face maximum penalties as indicted in the chart below: Defendant/Age Charges Statute Maximum Penalties David Campoy, 46 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; Possession with the intent to distribute heroin; Use of a communication facility in facilitating the commission of a felony under the Controlled Substances Act; Felon in possession of firearms and ammunition; Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; Conspiracy to manufacture and deal in firearms; Conspiracy to manufacture and deal in firearms; Conspiracy to export arms and munitions; Unlawfully manufacturing and dealing in firearms; Arms export control act export of arms and munitions 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and (b)(1)(B) 21 U.S.C. 843(b) 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) 18 U.S.C. 924(c)(1)(A) 18 U.S.C. 371 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(n) 22 U.S.C. 2778(b)(2) and (c) and 22 C.F.R. 121.1, 123.1, and 127.1 Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release 4 years imprisonment $30,000 fine 1 year supervised release 10 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release Lifetime imprisonment $250,000 fine 5 years supervised release 5 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 10 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 20 years imprisonment $1 million fine 3 years supervised release Jose Melchor Campoy, 21 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; Possession with the intent to distribute heroin; Use of a communication facility in facilitating the commission of a felony under the Controlled Substances Act 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and (b)(1)(B) 21 U.S.C. 843(b) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release 4 years imprisonment $30,000 fine 1 year supervised release David Wolcott Greenman, 34 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Attempt to possess with the intent to distribute heroin; Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and (b)(1)(B) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Kimberly Carrasco, 27 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Lamberto LNU, age unknown Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Use of a communication facility in facilitating the commission of a felony under the Controlled Substances Act 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) 21 U.S.C. 843(b) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release 4 years imprisonment $30,000 fine 1 year supervised release Juan Carlos Velazquez Ortiz, 32 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Ignacio Espinoza, 30 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Use of a communication facility in facilitating the commission of a felony under the Controlled Substances Act 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) 21 U.S.C. 843(b) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release 4 years imprisonment $30,000 fine 1 year supervised release Jose Manuel Rodriguez Naranjo, 39 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Nicholas Ardanuy, 52 Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Michael Ozuna Guizar, 40 Use of a communication facility in facilitating the commission of a felony under the Controlled Substances Act; Conspiracy to manufacture and deal in firearms; Conspiracy to export arms and munitions; Unlawfully manufacturing and dealing in firearms; Arms export control act export of arms and munitions 21 U.S.C. 843(b) 18 U.S.C. 371 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(n) 22 U.S.C. 2778(b)(2) and (c) and 22 C.F.R. 121.1, 123.1, and 127.1 4 years imprisonment $30,000 fine 1 year supervised release 5 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 10 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 20 years imprisonment $1 million fine 3 years supervised release Miguel Angel Carrizal Zamora, 23 Possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Roberto Campoy Robles, 48 Conspiracy to manufacture and deal in firearms; Conspiracy to export arms and munitions; Unlawfully manufacturing and dealing in firearms; Arms export control act export of arms and munitions 18 U.S.C. 371 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(n) 22 U.S.C. 2778(b)(2) and (c) and 22 C.F.R. 121.1, 123.1, and 127.1 5 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 10 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 20 years imprisonment $1 million fine 3 years supervised release Luis Guillermo Sendino, 48 Conspiracy to manufacture and deal in firearms; Conspiracy to export arms and munitions; Unlawfully manufacturing and dealing in firearms; Arms export control act export of arms and munitions 18 U.S.C. 371 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(n) 22 U.S.C. 2778(b)(2) and (c) and 22 C.F.R. 121.1, 123.1, and 127.1 5 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 10 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 20 years imprisonment $1 million fine 3 years supervised release Ivan Campoy Morales, age unknown Conspiracy to manufacture and deal in firearms; Conspiracy to export arms and munitions; Unlawfully manufacturing and dealing in firearms; Arms export control act export of arms and munitions 18 U.S.C. 371 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(n) 22 U.S.C. 2778(b)(2) and (c) and 22 C.F.R. 121.1, 123.1, and 127.1 5 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 10 years imprisonment $250,000 fine 3 years supervised release 20 years imprisonment $1 million fine 3 years supervised release Juan Leopoldo Garate Aguirre, 25 Possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Jose Manuel Rodriguez Naranjo, 39 Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Miguel Martin Pacheco Martinez, 34 Conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Alberto Martinez Navarro, 36 Conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release Miguel Angel Moreno, 46 Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Lifetime imprisonment $10 million fine Lifetime supervised release An indictment and a criminal complaint merely allege that crimes have been committed, and each defendant must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The court may order additional terms of supervised release and restitution, if appropriate; however, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. 3553. The defendants who are scheduled to appear before the court are as follows: Defendant Next Court Date David Campoy, David Wolcott Greenman, Kimberly Carrasco February 12, 2021 Jose Melchor Campoy, Ignacio Espinoza, Nicholas Ardanuy, Michael Ozuna Guizar, Miguel Angel Carrizal Zamora, Luis Guillermo Sendino, Juan Leopoldo Garate Aguirre, Miguel Martin Pacheco Martinez February 11, 2021 Miguel Angel Moreno March 3, 2021 The case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California. The investigation of this case was conducted by the DEA and the FBI San Francisco Division. Assistance was provided by FBI Los Angeles, Phoenix and Tuscon; LA IMPACT Group 1; California Highway Patrol; San Jose Police Department the police departments of Santa Clara, Watsonville, Vallejo; the Sheriffs Offices of Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County; and the U.S. Marshal Service. This investigation and prosecution is part of OCDETF, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 02:50:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Houthi fighters walk in front of the closed U.S. embassy to protest against the U.S. designation of the Houthi militia as "a terrorist organization" in Sanaa, Yemen, Jan. 18, 2021. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the decision to reverse the previous administration's policy was a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday announced that he would revoke the designations of Yemen's Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist effective on Feb. 16. Blinken said in a statement that the decision to reverse the previous administration's policy was a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. "We have listened to warnings from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, and bipartisan members of Congress, among others, that the designations could have a devastating impact on Yemenis' access to basic commodities like food and fuel," he said. The top U.S. diplomat noted that three Houthi leaders were still on the sanctions list, adding the United States remained clear-eyed about the group's malign actions. Last week, President Joe Biden announced an end to U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen, which he called a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe that must end. The former Donald Trump administration blacklisted the Iran-backed group in its final days in office, which led to widespread concerns over humanitarian and political consequences as about 80 percent of Yemen's population live in areas under Houthi control. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Meredosia board members focused their recent meeting on several community-improvement projects. One project aims to improve the villages streets, and the board approved an estimate to be sent to the state for work to be done. The village might be able to use $22,000 of its Rebuild Illinois funds to repair Eagle Drive, Mayor David Werries said. Repairs to streets in Shady Acres and elsewhere in the community also were discussed. Ordinance 712, which covers vehicles, traffic and parking, was amended to include stop signs that have been installed on Locust and Maple streets. The board approved a plan to put new LED lights in the water plant, village hall and the village shed by the former elementary school. The project cost is estimated at $1,200 for the village hall, $1,200 for the water plant and $1,500 for the shed, with funds to be taken out of the general, water and sewer funds. The village anticipates the lights paying for themselves by lowering the villages utility bills. A $627 bid by Chris Wrensch to buy the antique fence that was removed from the cemetery was placed and accepted. Wrensch owns the building that once housed a blacksmith shop and plans to put the fence around that property according to, Werries said. The village still is working to make fiber optic internet available in the community. Two trees are to be removed, including one on North Washington Street by the pump station and one on South Washington Street by the fire department. A bid of $1,400 was accepted for Smith Landscaping to remove the trees. The village will be advertising to accept bids to mow the cemetery, the park, and five lots owned by the village. The current mowers contract will expire on May 1. Draghi and his new cabinet are sworn in. Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, has been sworn in as Italy's prime minister, in charge of the country's 67th government since world war two, at a midday ceremony at Palazzo Quirinale on Saturday 13 February. The swearing in of the veteran economist comes after he formally accepted the mandate from President Sergio Mattarella to be Italy's new premier and put together a government following the collapse of the coalition led by Giuseppe Conte. Draghi unveiled his cabinet line-up yesterday evening, comprising members of all but one of Italy's main parties and covering a wide political spectrum, from right to left. Eight of Draghi's 23 ministers are non-political technical appointments, while the rest of the cabinet is made up of politicians from the parties supporting the new government. The cabinet features four politicians from the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), three each from the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) and Matteo Salvini's right-wing Lega, and one each from Matteo Renzi's centrist Italia Viva (IV) and the left-wing LeU group. The line-up gives a stake to all parties except the right-wing Fratelli d'Italia (FdI), which chose not to back Draghi, and means that the new government will have such a majority that no one party will be able to bring it down on its own. Draghi's cabinet. Photo ANSA. Seven of the ministers held the same positions in Conte's outgoing government including Luigi Di Maio (foreign affairs), Roberto Speranza (health) and Dario Franceschini (culture). The new team features some familiar faces too, with several ex-ministers from previous governments including Mara Carfagna (minister for the south), a member of FI and former equal opportunities minister; Maria Stella Gelmini (regional affairs), FI and former education minister; and Renato Brunetta (civil service) who held the same position under Silvio Berlusconi between 2008 and 2011. Several key posts went to technocrats including the new economy minister Daniele Franco, director general of the Bank of Italy; and Roberto Cingolani, a physicist and IT expert, who will head the newly created ministry for green transition; and former Vodafone boss Vittorio Colao, to head a new ministry of technological innovation and digital transition. Draghi also created a new tourism ministry, separating it from the culture portfolio, to be headed up by Massimo Garavaglia (Lega). There are eight women ministers in the new line-up. The youngest cabinet minister is Di Maio (34) while the oldest is 73-year-old Draghi. The main priorities for Draghi and his cabinet will centre around the allocation of around 200 billion from the EUs recovery funds, and overseeing Italy's anti-coronavirus vaccination programme. Draghi, one of Italy's most respected institutional figures, is expected to unveil his policy plans in both houses of parliament early next week. Special ham radio callsigns to celebrate Greek Revolution In 2021, Greece is celebrating the bicentennial of the 1821 Greek Revolution after a period of 400 years of occupation by the Ottoman Turks The Greek Revolution of 1821 is a key chapter in Greek history as well as a piece in the puzzle of world history. (www.greece2021.gr). Additionally to the projects and events that are officially planned and organized in Greece and globally by state and private organizations, Greek radio amateurs will be active throughout 2021 with the following special call signs: Radio amateurs with a license of Class 1 will use the prefix SX200 followed by the suffix of their home call sign, e.g. SV1XXX will operate as SX200XXX. Radio amateurs with a license of Introductory Level will use the prefix SY200 followed by the suffix of their home call sign, e.g. SY1XXX will operate as SY200XXX. (Please take into consideration that there are restrictions of this license re. frequencies and modes.) Club stations will use the prefix SZ200 followed by the suffix of their home call sign, e.g. SZ1XXX will operate as SZ200XXX. Natasha SV1KP RAAG Secretary https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Greece Five months before a killer flash flood washed away more than 200 people along with two hydropower projects in Uttarakhands Chamoli district on February 7, the hill state had informed the Supreme Court about the criticality of hydropower and the acute shortage of electricity in the state. This appraisal came as the apex court was hearing a petition from GMR Energy Limited, which wanted to restart its 300 MW Alaknanda hydropower project in the Badrinath valley. On January 21, the matter was listed before a bench presided over by the Chief Justice of India, who posted it for a hearing in June. With rescue efforts still underway even a week after the massive winter flood, environmental activists are now likely to flag the failure of NTPCs 520 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad hydro power plant and 13.2 MW Rishiganga project to argue against the lifting of the stay imposed on 24 proposed hydropower projects by the SC in the wake of the 2013 disaster. Read: The once-prosperous Uttarakhand villages and their long wait for rehabilitation Till a few years ago, it was a time of boom for hydel projects in the hill state the birthplace of two of Indias mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna. Nearly 70 hydropower projects were approved at one point in time. Even though some of these projects have now been cancelled, the thirst for cheaper hydel power is so intense that the rivers in the higher reaches of Himalayas move from power generation tunnels of one project to the other within a few kilometres. Take the example of the impacted basin: The waters of Rishiganga flow through the privately-run Rishiganga hydel power project at Raini village barely a kilometre before merging with the Dhauliganga River. Nine kilometres downstream, the Tapovan-Vishnugad project was being developed by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to divert the waters of Dhauliganga to run turbines of a 520 MW hydel power project. A few kilometres on, the Dhauliganga merges into the Alaknanda at Vishnuprayag, the site of a 400 MW privately-run hydel project that was commissioned in 2006. About 40 km downstream at Pipalkoti, a 444 MW run-of-the-river project is under development. The muck from the Rishiganga and Tapovan has now affected the 400 MW project at Vishnuprayag. Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited, which built and operated the project here, has stated in a regulatory filing that sudden development of a force majeure event had led to the closure of power generation. Since the Kedarnath floods, some of the proposed hydropower plants have been cancelled, but there are seven big projects that were allowed to be completed. NTPCs Tapovan-Vishnugad was one of them. But the lessons of Kedarnath were short-lived. Within three years of the disaster, the Centre came up with its 889 km of highway development scheme in the Himalayas connecting Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Read: We live with a sense of fear, say villagers from Uttarakhand's Raini The entire project was divided into 53 segments, each less than 100 km, in order to bypass the environmental impact assessment norms. Though the project was challenged before the top court, the government went ahead with constructing of the highway cutting the hills, blasting away rocks and dumping the debris on the hillside and river bed. Trail of destruction The whirring of rock drilling machines is a constant companion as one moves upstream along the banks of the Ganga, from Rishikesh to Badrinath. Rocks cut from the mountains make their way to stone crushers located at several places along the road, which is then used to build the highway. The rest of the 'muck' makes its way to various identified dumping sites in the Ganga valley, some of which rolls down into the rivers. It is little surprise then that environmentalists have been against the project right from the start. "Since the project began in 2016, there were nearly 200 landslides on the Char Dham routes and now the developers are seeking extra money to deal with the landslides. Soil erosion in that area is more than three times than the rest of the country, Hemant Dhyani, one of the members of the Supreme Court-appointed panel to review the project told DH. Irreversible loss In its 2020 report, the Supreme Court appointed-high-powered committee on the Char Dham project noted that most of the panel members were deeply disturbed when they saw the massive slope cutting, unmindful of the irreversible loss it was causing to the fragile terrain. The panel headed by the Himalayan expert Ravi Chopra, director of the Peoples Science Institute, Dehradun was divided on the issue of road width, as it entails more hill cutting. The project currently proposes a 12 metre wide Double Lane with Paved Shoulder design, but has no space for the mandated sidewalks and roadside plantations. The bone of contention was a section in the report which recommended that road width be reduced to 5.5 metres, in accordance with a 2018 circular by the Ministry of Road Transport, with recommendations on roads to be built for hilly terrain. However, a majority of the panel members and government officials have orchestrated an "alternative" report, leading to a majority and minority report before the Supreme Court. The waters have been further muddied by the Defence Ministry, which wants at least 7 metre wide roads to move its vehicles to the areas close to the China border. So the Union Road Ministry, under Nitin Gadkari, amended its own 2018 circular to recommend that for roads in hilly and mountainous terrain which act as feeder roads to the Indo-China border or are of strategic importance for national security, the carriageway width should be seven metres, with a 1.5-metre paved shoulder on either side. The matter is now before the Supreme Court. Tourism However, a section of the locals is happy, seeing the Char Dham project as a means of improving their livelihood. It has come as a boon and has improved access to these parts of the state. It will bring more tourists, says Pramod Nautiyal, who runs a hotel in Karnaprayag near the confluence of rivers Pindar and Alaknanda. The project is a myopic way of looking at developing the tourism sector. The high-powered committee report also indicates that the highway would likely lead to the pilgrimage spots well exceeding their carrying capacity of tourists within the next decade. Despite the two disasters in the same area within seven years, the Uttarakhand government is unlikely to move away from this unsustainable path of development. I request everyone not to use this natural disaster as a reason to build an anti-development narrative, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on February 8. I reiterate our governments commitment to developing the hills of Uttarakhand in a sustainable manner and we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the achievement of this goal." But the critics remain fiercely sceptical about the project's sustainability. All it would do is allow SUVs to race at 80-100 km and turn pilgrimage sites into tourist hotspots. It would destroy the environment and trigger many such disasters in future, says Dhyani. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Los Angeles: Actor-activist Ashley Judd has revealed that she almost lost a leg in a catastrophic fall in a Congo rainforest and is currently recovering at a South African trauma unit. In an Instagram Live chat with New York Times, Judd, who is a frequent visitor to Congo, said she tripped over a fallen tree, shattering her leg and was currently in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Im in an ICU trauma unit in beautiful South Africa, which has taken me in from the Congo: a country I deeply love which is not, unfortunately, equipped to deal with massive catastrophic injuries like I have had. And the difference between a Congolese person and me is disaster insurance that allowed me 55 hours after my accident to get to an operating table in South Africa," the actor said. The 52-year-old humanitarian said a faulty head lamp made it difficult for her to see during one of the excursions in the region and she tripped over a fallen tree, breaking her leg. The Divergent" star described the next 55 hours as incredibly harrowing," and said the torture started with five hours of lying on the forest floor" with one of her colleagues until she was rescued. With his leg under my badly misshapen leg, biting my stick. Howling like a wild animal," she said showing the piece of wood. Judd shared that she spent the night in a hut in the city of Jolu, before being flown to the capital of Kinshasa for a 24 hours stay. She was eventually taken to South Africa to be treated in an ICU. On her Instagram page, the actor said she decided to share her experience after the accident to spread the word about what it means to be Congolese in extreme poverty with no access to health care, any medication for pain, any type of service, or choices. From true crime documentaries to comedy and Netflix originals, there's something for everyone this spring on Netflix. And in other Netflix news and in case you have been living under a rock, fans of series Bridgerton will be happy to hear that the show has been renewed for a Season 2! The new series will begin filming shortly and this season will focus on Anthony Bridgerton, the viscount in the Bridgerton family. No release date has been set yet so for now entertain yourself with Netflix's February releases. Firefly Lane This series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and is based the New York Times Bestselling book. It tells the sweeping story of two inseparable best friends and their enduring, complicated bond, spanning four tumultuous decades. Malcolm & Marie Sam Levinson teams up with Zendaya and John David Washington for an achingly romantic drama in which a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) return home following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits whats sure to be imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love. Working with cinematographer Marcell Rev, Levinson creates a film of rare originality; an ode to the great Hollywood romances as well as a heartfelt expression of faith in the medium's future. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel From director Joe Berlinger (CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAPES, PARADISE LOST), CRIME SCENE: THE VANISHING AT THE CECIL HOTEL is the first season in a new documentary series that deconstructs the mythology and mystery surrounding infamous locations in contemporary crime. For nearly a century the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles has been linked to some of the citys most notorious activity, from untimely deaths to housing serial killers. In 2013 college student Elisa Lam was staying at the Cecil when she vanished, igniting a media frenzy and mobilizing a global community of internet sleuths eager to solve the case. Lams disappearance, the latest chapter in the hotels complex history, offers a chilling and captivating lens into one of LAs most nefarious settings. RELEASED Feb 10 News of the World Netflix and Universal Pictures are proud to present Tom Hanks starring in News of the World, a moving story written and directed by Paul Greengrass, reuniting for the first time with his star from their 2013 Best Picture nominee Captain Phillips. Five years after the end of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks), a veteran of three wars, now moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe. In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna (Helena Zengel, System Crasher), a 10-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier and raised as one of their own. Johanna, hostile to a world shes never experienced, is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two will face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place that either can call home. News of the World is directed by Greengrass (the Bourne films, United 93) from his screenplay with Luke Davies (Lion), based on the National Book Award finalist and best-selling novel by Paulette Jiles. The film is produced by Gary Goetzman (Mamma Mia! franchise, Greyhound), Gail Mutrux (The Danish Girl, Donnie Brasco) and Gregory Goodman (22 July, 8 Mile). The executive producers are Steven Shareshian and Tore Schmidt. Released Feb 10 Red Dot Red Dot is a Swedish action thriller set in the Swedish mountains and follows David and Nadja, a couple in their late twenties, who've been struggling with their marriage. When Nadja becomes pregnant they make an attempt to rekindle their relationship and decide to travel to the magnificent expanses in the north of Sweden for a ski hike. But after what started as a quarrel with two local hunters, their romantic trip slowly turns into a nightmare. Soon, a red laser dot appears in their tent and they are quickly forced to flee into the cold, unforgiving wilderness. Totally isolated in the mountains, they are now being pursued by reckless shooters. Meanwhile, during this sadistic hunt, the couples past also comes back to haunt them. Released Feb 11 To all the boys: always and forever This film is the third and final installment in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before film series. As Lara Jean Covey prepares for the end of high school and the start of adulthood, a pair of life-changing trips lead her to reimagine what life with her family, friends, and Peter will look like after graduation. Released Feb 12 Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie Bear Grylls returns with Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild movie, an exciting 90 minute interactive movie for the whole family. The protective fence surrounding a wildlife sanctuary has mysteriously suffered a breach, and now animals are on the loose. Bear is called in to help rescue a mischievous baboon, track down a hungry lion, and fix the fence before any more animals get out. Three urgent missions await you with only so much time and Bear needs your help. With the possibility of completing a secret mission, each decision impacts this interactive adventure, so make your choices count! Feleased Feb 16 Behind Her Eyes Simona Brown plays Louise, a single mother who has an affair with her psychiatrist boss David (Tom Bateman). Her life takes a strange turn when she later befriends his wife Adele (Eve Hewson), and she finds herself caught in a web of secrets and lies where nothing is what it seems. Also starring Robert Aramayo, Behind Her Eyes is produced by Left Bank Pictures (The Crown) and written by Steve Lightfoot and Angela LaManna, based on the best-selling novel by Sarah Pinborough. Released Feb 17 Pele This documentary feature tells the story of iconic footballer Pele, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he attained. As well as unprecedented interview access to Pele, the film includes astounding archive footage and interviews with legendary former team-mates including Zagallo, Jairzinho and Rivellino. The story looks back at the extraordinary 12-year period in which Pele, the only man to win three World Cup titles, went from young superstar in 1958 to national hero in 1970; a radical yet turbulent era in Brazils history. PELE is directed by David Tryhorn and Ben Nicholas. Released Feb 23. EAST LANSING, MI Michigan State University is lifting a two-week enhanced physical distancing directive and will use a phased approach to reopening that will be modified on a week-to-week basis. MSU issued the directive on Jan. 31 as COVID-19 cases on campus continued to rise. It is being lifted at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. Although the university is seeing a slight reduction in positivity rates in the on-campus community, it has not met a safe enough level to fully lift the directive, according to a letter to students from Vennie Gore, interim vice president for student affairs and services, and David Weismantel, a university physician. Michigan State University issues enhanced physical distancing directive as COVID-19 cases rise During the first phase of reopening, dining halls will open for in-person dining with one person per table, campus intramural facilities will open for physically distanced exercise and the MSU Union and student services buildings will return to normal building hours, the letter states. Public seating areas in residence halls are still closed, and laundry rooms and computer labs will remain open with enforced capacity limits, the letter states. Students are also being told not to gather with others, either on or off campus. It is our expectation that all students living on campus and within the East Lansing area will continue to use caution as you engage in daily activities outside of your residence, the letter states. Students living on-campus are receiving a second message from us with more detailed information about our expectations of on-campus residence. Students are expected to complete a daily health screening form and participate in MSUs COVID-19 Early Detection Program to participate in any on-campus activity, including in-person classes or employment. According to MSUs COVID-19 dashboard, which was updated Feb. 8, the Ingham County Health Department reported 205 COVID-19 cases in the MSU community for the week of Jan. 25 and 99 cases for the week of Feb. 1. If students engage in unsafe behaviors, positivity rates will increase again and MSU will be compelled to enact another period of enhanced distancing, according to the letter. We do not want to do that, but we will if it helps us keep the campus community safe, the letter states. More information can be found here. READ MORE: Off-campus gatherings lead to increase in COVID-19 cases at University of Michigan, officials say Michigan State University selects new chief of police Handling of Larry Nassar survivor fund prompts call for resignation of Michigan State University trustee Grandma never had so many friends. Kids, grandkids, neighbors. Strangers online. Suddenly everyone this week was craving a little quality time with the older and wiser among us, looking to get out of the house and go for a drive ... maybe to Gillette Stadium, or the Eastfield Mall. The sudden popularity of the so-called Silent Generation had to do with Gov. Charlie Bakers new policy on vaccinating the 75-and-older cohort. Beginning Thursday, Baker said that anyone who accompanied an eligible senior citizen to a state-run vaccination site could get the shot as well, regardless of their age or health. The new policy was Bakers latest attempt to turn around his administrations much-critiqued COVID-19 vaccine program and get more shots in the arms of the most vulnerable residents. The companion policy was packaged with the announcement of new mass vaccination sites opening this month at the Natick Mall and former Circuit City in Dartmouth as Baker spent a good part of the week touring vaccination clinics. Later in the week, the administration announced improved features on the states appointment website and the expansion of call center hours to include evenings and weekends. Joan Hatem-Roy, CEO of Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore, said the companion policy would be a game changer, making elderly citizens more likely to reach out for help and be willing to go somewhere like Fenway Park, which may seem like an overwhelming proposition otherwise. But Baker and Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders had no sooner articulated the details of the new policy than the criticism came pouring in. There were, of course, the family members who had just brought their loved ones in for a shot and felt they missed their chance at getting vaccinated themselves (they can still get a first dose when the 75+ person gets their second). There were also people who felt making the young and healthy eligible before, say, teachers or people aged 65 to 74, was a major miscalculation. And others still thought the policy, while well-intentioned, would exacerbate an equity problem that already exists in the distribution of vaccines, favoring the elderly who have children or family that can take time off of work and have access to a car. The scammers on Craigsllist didnt help, either. The Department of Public Health reported Thursday that 232,900 shots were administered over the previous seven days, but the new supply of about 108,000 doses a week is still not enough to meet demand. Long lines at mass vaccination sites in Springfield and Danvers led to the deployment of small teams of National Guard to handle logistics, and people were reportedly hanging around for leftover shots at the end of the day. The administration also said it was slowing distribution to hospitals in favor of high throughput locations, like mass vaccination sites, retail pharmacy sites, and community health centers until more vaccines are made available by the federal government. All patients and hospital staff with existing appointments will get their first and second shots, and the administration is hopeful more vaccines will arrive soon for more providers, including hospital systems, a COVID-19 Command Center spokeswoman said. Everyones got an opinion on Bakers vaccine rollout these days, and most of them concern his management of the effort or personal belief systems about what is the fairest way to go about the massive project. Former state Sen. Benjamin Downing had his own thoughts. The 39-year-old East Boston transplant from Pittsfield announced Monday that he would be running for governor, starting early ahead of what could be a crowded 2022 Democratic primary after eight years of Baker. I think the vaccine rollout has been fumbled pretty badly, and I think there are surprisingly simple solutions to the position that weve found ourselves in, and you see that in other states, you see that in some of our own communities, Downing told the News Service in an interview announcing his campaign. Even though Baker hasnt said whether hell seek a third term, if he doesnt run surely Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will, and shell have to do so on this administrations record. Which means the 2022 campaign is on. And by the time voters go to the polls, mail-in balloting and same-day voter registration may be a permanent part of the election landscape in Massachusetts. Secretary of State William Galvin said he would be filing a bill to do just that, and Sen. Cynthia Creem and Rep. John Lawn filed separate bills that were similar to Galvins proposal. Sen. Becca Rausch also wants to see vote-by-mail and same-day registration enshrined in law, but she went further than anyone, proposing to make Election Day a holiday and push the relatively late September primary up to June. The contest to become the next speaker of the House is also on. Speaker Ron Mariano said so himself the day he succeeded DeLeo in the top post. Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka rolled out their leadership teams and committee assignments Friday. Spilkas top advisors are unchanged, with Majority Leader Creem holding down the number two slot. The same is not true in the House where a change at the top trickled down through the ranks. As had been rumored, Mariano tapped Rep. Claire Cronin for majority leader after the Easton Democrat guided the House through debates on policing accountability and abortion access last year as Judiciary Committee chair. Mariano has also surrounded himself with Rep. Kate Hogan, who takes over as speaker pro tempore, Assistant Majority Leader Michael Moran and Second Assistant Majority Leaders Joseph Wagner and Sarah Peake. Mariano, 74, has already made clear he wont be around for as long as former Speaker Robert DeLeo, who occupied the speakers office for 12 years, and the next speaker could come from among that group, or returning Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz. Undersecretary for Climate Change David Ismay wont be returning at all. The former Conservation Law Foundation attorney resigned after the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance released a video of him telling the Vermont Climate Council that there were no more big polluters to turn the screws on in Massachusetts, therefore it would be the consumers whose will would need to be broken. Few even tried to argue that what Ismay said was wrong, but his clumsy choice of wording left him with few defenders. He carried the metaphor too far, and not even Gov. Baker stuck up for him. So he quit. And speaking of quitting, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh got a little closer to the day he will resign to become U.S. secretary of labor after a Senate committee voted 18-4 to send his nomination to the full Senate for confirmation. In anticipation of that moment, Rep. Chynah Tyler filed the home rule petition approved by the City Council and signed by Walsh to call off the special election that would be triggered if the mayor resigns before March 5. The Boston delegation had a Zoom call Monday to discuss, and were in agreement that they would recommend it to the speaker. Now the question is how quickly can the House, and Senate, act. It doesnt hurt that Rep. Dan Ryan, a Charlestown resident, is the new chair of the Committee on Election Laws. The week started with Congressman Richard Neal at the State House joining Gov. Baker to talk up their shared desire for another federal stimulus package. With the Senate engaged in its impeachment trial, Neals Ways and Means Committee is working to turn Presidents Biden $1.9 trillion stimulus package into legislation that he said Congress could pass by mid-March, before enhanced unemployment benefits for millions of Americans expire. But its not just the unemployed who need the help, Baker said. The feds can play a huge role with respect to vaccinations, testing, school reopenings for both K through 12 and higher education, food insecurity, housing, rental, energy and water assistance, small business support, and support for states, local governments and territorial governments....., the governor said. Baker welcomed Neal to the State House a day after Tom Brady won another Super Bowl ring, only this one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sunday, it turned out, was also the day Baker would return the climate bill to the Legislature with a slew of amendments, hoping lawmakers feel like being team players. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Senior Living ("Discovery") has announced the acquisition and rebranding of 16 senior living communities across Texas, North Carolina and New Mexico. The move, which was the single, largest acquisition in Discovery Senior Living history, resulted in the creation and launch of Morada Senior Living, the company's newest division and regional brand. Discovery Senior Living, in partnership with White Oak Healthcare REIT ("White Oak"), executed the purchase and commenced operations of the portfolio on Jan. 21, 2021. Morada Senior Living will be based in Dallas, Texas and operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Discovery Senior Living, with a dedicated management team lead by a Division President. Operations, sales, marketing, human resources, treasury, finance, accounting and business analytics support will be provided through the company's Florida headquarters. The expansion further diversifies Discovery Senior Living's growing, multi-brand portfolio and establishes a stronghold in Texas, where 26 communities in total across 4 different brands make for the highest number of communities in any of the 15 states where the company currently owns and operates. "We are extremely enthusiastic to execute the purchase of this portfolio with our long-standing partner, White Oak Healthcare REIT. The portfolio of communities, on-site leaders and teams of dedicated professionals are a perfect fit for our Morada Senior Living brand, and the acquisition aligns very well with our strategy of growth by operating a portfolio of both national and regionally-focused brands with dedicated management teams," said Richard J. Hutchinson, CEO of Discovery Senior Living. "We are very excited to have completed this acquisition with Discovery and to continue expanding our long-standing relationship. Discovery is an industry-leading operator and White Oak is excited to be part of its new, regional brand initiative," said Jeff Erhardt, Managing Director of White Oak Healthcare REIT. "We feel fortunate to continue being able to execute our business plans and work closely with seasoned capital partners, such as White Oak, to accomplish highly accretive acquisitions during these challenging times and are extremely bullish on the future of this portfolio, the industry in general and our ability to differentiate ourselves for our customers, team members and capital partners," added Hutchinson. With this most recent transaction now complete, Discovery Senior Living currently operates a portfolio of 69 communities with more than 11,000 units, placing the company among the nation's top 10 largest senior living operators. About Discovery Senior Living Discovery Senior Living is a family of companies which includes: Discovery Management Group, Morada Senior Living, Discovery Development Group, Discovery Design Concepts, Discovery Marketing Group, and Discovery At Home, a Medicare-certified home healthcare company. With almost three decades of experience, the award-winning management group develops, builds, markets, and operates senior-living communities across the United States. By integrating the company's highly innovative and successful "Experiential Living" operating philosophy across its flourishing portfolio of more than 11,000 existing homes or homes under development, Discovery Senior Living has become a recognized industry leader in creating world-class, customized experiences at its communities. About White Oak Healthcare REIT White Oak Healthcare REIT is a healthcare real estate investment platform with extensive capabilities in acquisitions, underwriting, and asset management. The REIT makes equity investments in seniors housing and skilled nursing assets under NNN leases or Joint Venture structures with industry-leading operating partners. It is a business division of White Oak Healthcare Finance, LLC ("WOHCF"), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, LLC. WOHCF is a lender to all subsectors within the healthcare industry including healthcare services, pharma and life sciences, medical devices, healthcare technology, healthcare real estate, hospitals and SNFs. WOHCF has deep domain expertise with a sole focus on healthcare which enables it to provide flexible and creative solutions with certainty of execution. Media Inquiries: Heidi Miller LaVanway, Vice President of Marketing, Discovery Senior Living [email protected] | 239.301.5330 Related Images morada-senior-living.jpg Morada Senior Living Established through the acquisition of 16 senior living communities in Texas, North Carolina and New Mexico, Morada Senior Living represents the latest division and regional brand for Discovery Senior Living. SOURCE Discovery Senior Living Millions of savers could face 'chaos' and 'confusion' as the Government prepares to implement a two year rise in the age at which they can access their retirement pot from April 2028, experts have warned. The Treasury is consulting on how best to apply its decision to increase the age when people can start tapping into their private pension savings from 55 to 57. The rise in the normal minimum pension age is designed to reflect rising life expectancy and to stay in line with the state pension age, which is scheduled to increase to 67 in the same year. Pension changes: The age you can tap into your private pension is due to rise from 55 to 57 in 2028 and the Government is consulting on how best to implement the change But under the proposals, the Government said pension schemes should have some flexibility to decide how and when the increase is rolled out to members - a plan that triggered warnings from industry experts. The Government report states: 'The NMPA is the minimum age under the legislation at which most pension savers can access their pension savings. 'Pension schemes and providers are permitted to have a higher minimum age under their individual scheme 9 rules. The Government therefore believes that schemes should be free to decide how and when to move to the new NMPA (age 57) by 2028. 'For example, some schemes might decide to increase the minimum age in their rules before 2028. 'The Government expects trustees and managers of schemes to notify members of the increase in NMPA when it is practicable to do so and in any event in line with usual disclosure of information requirements.' But experts have said that allowing pension providers to decide when and how to make these changes could result in chaos and confusion for savers, especially those aged 47 or under, who must now plan ahead if they want to retire early. 'Leaving the door open to pension schemes to implement this change sooner is likely to cause confusion among both providers and pension savers,' said Becky OConnor, head of pensions and savings at Interactive Investor. Alistair McQueen, head of savings and retirement at Aviva, said that leaving pension schemes and providers to decide how they each choose to transition could cause confusion Alistair McQueen, head of savings and retirement at Aviva, said that while it was 'right' that the age of access rises to 57, leaving thousands of pension schemes and providers to decide how they each choose to transition could cause confusion. 'Freedom & Choice could be replaced with Chaos & Confusion. We have seven years to transition from age 55 to 57. Im hopeful we can find a transition that works for the UKs savers.' Steve Webb, partner at pension consultant at LCP, says that if all new pensions from today start having an access age of 57 from 2008, this will affect younger savers who are thinking of merging old pensions into their current one. It means older pensions with an access age of 55 could be 'thrown away', he says. Many people 'tidy up' old pensions by merging them into a new one when they move jobs, often without getting financial advice, but this can have disadvantages which Webb explains here. What is pension freedom? Pension freedom reforms have given over-55s greater power over how they spend, save or invest their retirement pots. Key changes from April 2015 included removing the need to buy an annuity to provide income until you die, giving access to invest-and-drawdown schemes previously restricted to wealthier savers, and the axing of a 55 per cent 'death tax' on pension pots left invested. The changes apply to people with 'defined contribution' or 'money purchase' pension schemes, which take contributions from both employer and employee and invest them to provide a pot of money at retirement. They don't apply to those with more generous gold-plated final salary or 'defined benefit' pensions which provide a guaranteed income after retirement. However, those still saving into such schemes can transfer to DC schemes, provided they get financial advice if their pot is worth 30,000-plus. Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, said: 'Communicating pension changes to people is very important. 'Unlike with the state pension where increases are phased in, this two-year jump creates the need for more sophisticated retirement planning for a certain group of people.' Members of the armed forces, police and the fire service will be exempt from the rise, but most other savers will not and will face a 'cliff-edge' change in 2028. The Government report states: 'Protection from the increase in NMPA will only apply to those individuals who have an existing right within their scheme rules at the date of this consultation to take pension benefits before age 57. 'In other words, a members protected pension age will be the age from which they currently have the right to take their benefits. 'For members of a registered pension scheme (active, pensioner or deferred members) who do not have such a right, they will retain the current NMPA (age 55) until April 2028, from which point the NMPA will increase to age 57.' Greer at Quilter said this meant there was the potential for some people to be caught in the middle 'where they will be able to access their pension at 55 prior to April 2028, before having to wait until they turn 57 to access any untouched pension funds after this date where they dont qualify for protection'. As part of the consultation, the Government also said it does not currently propose to automatically link the 'normal minimum pension age' to 10 years below the state pension age. So far, the age at which one can access their private pension savings has increased broadly in line with the state pension age, which is also rising to 67 in 2028. The report says: 'The governments position remains that it is, in principle, appropriate for the NMPA to remain around 10 years under state pension age, although the government does not intend to link NMPA rises automatically to state pension age increases at this time.' House and Senate Democrats ratified their committee assignments for the two-year session Friday, approving the leadership and committee structure that includes new posts meant to boost oversight of the states COVID-19 response, federal stimulus funds, and the U.S. Census and redistricting process, and to weigh the myriad issues that await Massachusetts on the other side of the pandemic. Speaker Ronald Mariano unveiled the first committee slate of his speakership in a Friday afternoon caucus and Senate President Karen Spilka doled out assignments for her branch at a unpublicized noontime caucus. Mariano had announced his core leadership team Thursday and Spilka revealed Friday that her main leadership group will remain the same as last session. Fridays assignments put the typical committee structure in place for the Legislature to get to work reviewing the roughly 1,800 House bills and about 1,200 Senate bills filed so far to deal with the COVID-19 response, the pandemics disproportionate impact on communities of color, the racial justice issues that sparked last years massive protests, routine local matters, and the typical potpourri of any legislative session. Some committees will break new ground on issues this session, while others are more likely to start off by trying to find resolution on issues that were debated at length last session. The representatives and senators appointed Friday to serve as chairs of committees will wield influence over the legislation before their panels and will aim to control the flow of bills to the House and Senate floors. Though the joint committees are made up of members from both branches, representatives outnumber senators on each committee, giving the House and the House chair the upper hand in the joint committee structure. >>> Compare this sessions committee assignments to last sessions roster here <<< New Committees Rep. William Driscoll of Milton, who has a background in disaster response and emergency management, was tapped by the new speaker to serve as the House leader of the new Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management, which Mariano and Spilka created to provide oversight of the states pandemic response and to take on an advisory role for the Legislature. Rep. Jon Santiago of Bostons South End, who works as an emergency room doctor at Boston Medical Center, will be the House vice-chair. Sen. Jo Comerford of Northampton, who led the Senates own COVID-focused working group last session, will serve as Senate co-chair. Mariano said last week that the Baker administrations vaccine rollout has been marked by communications and operational shortcomings that need to be corrected, in part guided by feedback from the Legislature, as the effort continues. Specifically, we have witnessed a disconnect between the Department of Public Health and those administering the vaccine, siting and availability issues in many regions across the state, and communications breakdowns in the vaccine booking system, the speaker said. We must be particularly mindful about addressing gaps in health equity and supporting individuals with disabilities and those without access to transportation. Rep. Bud Williams of Springfield will chair the new Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion for the House and will oversee a review of existing laws and proposals, a study of the impacts of existing laws, and whatever legislation the committee advances so that the legislature can craft policy to begin to dismantle systemic racism and promote equitable opportunities and outcomes for all residents, the speaker and Senate president said when they announced the new committee. Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz of Jamaica Plain will be Williams Senate counterpart. The third new joint committee, the Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity, will be chaired in the House by Rep. Linda Dean Campbell of Methuen and for the Senate by Sen. Barry Finegold of Andover. The House also created a new House Committee on Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight, two major issues of 2021, that will be led by Rep. Daniel Hunt of Dorchester. The panel will be tasked with reviewing federal spending, including stimulus bills and block grants, and recommending ways Massachusetts can tap into additional federal resources. It will also work with the special redistricting committee to ensure continued communication with all stakeholders, including the Secretary of States office, to ensure the Commonwealth has the necessary structure and resources in place for an accurate and complete census count, Marianos office said. Shuffling the Deck Marianos elevation of Rep. Claire Cronin of Easton created an opening atop the Committee on the Judiciary, which the speaker chose to fill by appointing Rep. Michael Day of Stoneham to lead the crucial and often busy panel. Day opened a private practice after practicing law at Mintz Levin in Boston for almost a decade and then serving as special assistant district attorney in Middlesex County. Sen. Jamie Eldridge of Acton will be Senate co-chair again this session. And Rep. Thomas Golden of Lowell moving into a division leader position meant there would be a new chair of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. That job went to Rep. Jeff Roy of Franklin, who most recently chaired the Committee on Higher Education. Roy could now lead the House through its response to the amendments Gov. Charlie Baker recently returned with a major climate policy bill that Golden helped write and negotiate. Sen. Michael Barrett will continue to co-chair the committee for the Senate. Roys former chairmanship at the helm of the Committee on Higher Education this session will be held by Rep. David Rogers of Cambridge, who last session led the Committee on Cannabis Policy. That panel will be chaired this session by Rep. Daniel Donahue of Worcester. The retirement of Rep. Harold Naughton left open the chairmanship of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. Rep. Carlos Gonzalez of Springfield, who chaired the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus last session and was one of the six conference committee members who negotiated the final policing reform law, will lead the Public Safety Committee as the police accountability law is implemented over the next two years. That committee will have two new chairs -- Sen. Walter Timilty of Milton will take the reins on the Senate side from Sen. Michael Moore of Millbury. Moore will instead lead the Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee. Rep. Josh Cutler of Duxbury will lead the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development for the House, a panel that deals with major issues like the minimum wage and worker safety protections each session but could have an even more significant role over the next two years as Massachusetts tries to rebound from the massive job losses of the pandemic and position itself for, as Gov. Charlie Baker calls it, the future of work. Sen. Patricia Jehlen of Somerville returns to serve as Senate co-chair. The Committee on Health Care Financing, which could be key to the speakers stated priority of working to stabilize community hospitals, will be newly under the leadership of Rep. John Lawn of Watertown. Lawn last chaired the Election Laws Committee, which will be handed off to Rep. Daniel Ryan of Charlestown. Sen. Cindy Friedman will return to chair the Health Care Financing Committee on the Senate side. The committee has been in flux more often than not over the last few years. The death of Chairman Peter Kocot in 2018 preceded failed negotiations with the Senate on a significant health care bill and the last representative tabbed to lead the committee, Rep. Jennifer Benson, resigned in early 2020 to lead the Alliance for Business Leadership. The Committee on Elder Affairs, led last session by Rep. Ruth Balser of Newton, will this session be led by Rep. Thomas Stanley of Waltham. Balser was elevated to serve as a division leader this term. Sen. Jehlen will continue in her role as Senate co-chair. Rep. Denise Garlick of Needham, who previously served as the number-two on the Ways and Means Committee, is Marianos pick to chair the House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading, which former Rep. Ted Speliotis vacated when he retired. The committee is responsible for reviewing all bills and resolves for constitutionality and proper grammar, and to avoid duplication. Its one of the least visible committees, but virtually no legislation is passed without going through the committee. Similarly left vacant by a retirement was the chair of the House Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling, another of the Legislatures more obscure, but inherently powerful, panels. Rep. Kevin Honan of Brighton, who previously chaired the Housing Committee, was chosen to head up the committee charged with identifying the major matters pending before the General Court, the relative urgency and priority for consideration of such matters, and alternative methods of responding to such matters by the General Court. Rep. James Arciero of Westford will now lead the Housing Committee. Marianos committee assignments shuffled the Houses redistricting committee structure in a year when lawmakers will redraw the boundaries for legislative districts. The House replaced its branch-specific Redistricting Committee with the new Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight Committee. Mariano also tapped members to a separate Special Committee on Redistricting and Reapportionment, with Rep. Michael Moran of Boston as House chair and Rep. Marcos Devers of Lawrence as vice-chair. Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leadership convened a Senate Standing Committee on Redistricting led by Sen. William Brownsberger of Belmont, just as it did in the 2019-2020 lawmaking session. Diminished Roles, and a Comeback Though some representatives and senators logged off of their virtual caucus with promotions, some found out that they may have diminished roles, at least in title, as the new session gets underway. Rep. Patricia Haddad of Somerset held the number-three House role, speaker pro tempore, for nearly all of Robert DeLeos record-setting tenure as speaker and was re-appointed to the position when Mariano was elected speaker in December. She was not reappointed to a leadership position and on Friday was named vice-chair of the Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. Rep. Paul Donato of Medford, who was one of DeLeos second assistant majority leaders and played a key role in Marianos desire to keep House business running smoothly amid his transition and the chaotic end of the session, will this session serve as assistant vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee. On the Senate side of the building, Sen. Diana DiZoglio, who has frequently challenged the transparency of both House and Senate leadership during her time serving in both branches, was moved from her chairmanship of the Committee on Community Development to the less visible Committee on Export Development. The Methuen Democrat called the title a moot point since she said she was unable to get multiple requested meetings with Democratic leadership to work on bills moving through that committee. I do take issue with the lack of diversity in our leadership team & increased centralization of power, she said on Twitter. And Sen. Marc Pacheco of Taunton, the dean of the Senate and one of the loudest voices for climate action in the Legislature, was removed from his position as chairman of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. He will still co-chair the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, but Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem will lead the Global Warming Committee for the next two years. Returning to a position of power for the first time since Sal Dimasi was speaker of the House is Rep. John Rogers of Norwood, who will serve as vice-chair of the Committee on Housing. Rogers spent two sessions (2001 to 2004) as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and then served as DiMasis majority leader. But he lost a speakership fight to DeLeo and has not held a chairmanship or vice chairmanship since. The European Commission is said to be dissatisfied with a draft of Slovenias Recovery and Resilience Plan, which it must approve in order to allocate the country 1.6 billion euros in grants and 3.6 billion euros in repayable funds to soften the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. According to public broadcaster RTV SLO, European officials have expressed concerns over parts of the plan, including the 76 million euros which have been earmarked towards the creation of a new flag carrier. The Commission is currently in dialogue with the Slovenian authorities with the aim of making the best possible use of the funds to support economic recovery, in line with the European Union's priorities. Slovenia will see the greatest decline in commercial flights and capacity in Europe this month despite government attempts to alleviate the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic through aid and subsidies. In February, both traffic and capacity at Ljubljana Airport will decline over 90% compared to the same month last year. This is despite Russias Aeroflot restoring operations to the Slovenian capital yesterday after eleven months, with a one weekly service from Moscow with a Sukhoi Superjet 100 planned for the foreseeable future. In total, there are 7.740 seats on sale to and from Ljubljana on commercial flights this month. In January, the airport handled under 5.000 passengers. On the other hand, the European Commission has approved the five million euros in aid the Slovenian government has granted to Ljubljana Airports operator Fraport. In a statement, Europe's executive body said, The European Commission has approved, under EU state aid rules, a five million euro Slovenian aid measure to compensate Fraport Slovenija, the operator of Joze Pucnik Airport, for the damage it suffered due to the coronavirus outbreak. The aid measure, which will take the form of a direct grant, will allow the Slovenian authorities to compensate the airport for revenue losses suffered during the period between March 17 and June 30, 2020. The aid measure includes a claw-back mechanism, whereby any possible public support in excess of the actual damage received by the beneficiary will have to be paid back to the Slovenian state. Therefore, the risk of the state aid exceeding the damage is excluded. Sorry! This content is not available in your region The United Workers Union (UWU) has responded to Coles indefinite extension of a three-month lockout of workers at the Smeaton Grange warehouse in southwestern Sydney by ramping up its campaign to impose a sell-out agreement and a return to work at the facility on management terms. Locked out Smeaton Grange workers outside Coles [WSWS Media] The UWU officials are using a playbook that has been repeatedly employed by the unions to shut down workers opposition and enforce a defeat on them in one dispute after another over the past several decades. Firstly, this involves an insistence that the union, which claims 150,000 members, can do nothing, other than collaborate with the company in secret, backroom negotiations. Then, the bureaucrats state that management is refusing any concessions and the offer on the table is the best that workers will get. And finally, the officials orchestrate an endless series of ballots, aimed at wearing workers down until they eventually see no choice but to ratify an agreement they have rejected numerous times before. The UWU held yet another vote yesterday on Coles enterprise agreement offer, which has remained substantially unchanged since the beginning of the dispute. Counting unofficial union polls and surveys, as well as ballots organised by the company and the industrial authorities, this was at least the eighth occasion on which workers were asked to vote on Coles proposals. On February 2, workers rejected the agreement in an official ballot of all Smeaton Grange workers. This was one of the only votes that actually had legal standing. It was a major blow to the attempts of Coles and the UWU to impose a sell-out, which they had been presenting as a done deal, and has triggered a crisis for both the company and the union. Coles responded by coming back with an identical offer, plus a contemptuous $1,000 bonus. This was rejected at a delegates meeting on February 5, and then in a UWU-organised survey of all union members last weekend. Now, the union officials are calling for the sign-on bonus to be increased to $5,000. The UWU ballot of union members yesterday asked whether they would agree to Coles putting a revised offer to a general vote of all workers at the site, in a company ballot. In addition to the higher cash handout, the union is touting provisions for a greater number of workers to be provided with early voluntary redundancies once the lockout ends. In other words, one of the key selling points, for the union, is that the deal will assist the company to enforce a speedy closure of the warehouse and the destruction of the jobs there. The deal would still provide for the shutdown of the warehouse, the destruction of most, if not all, of the 350 jobs, a wage rise of just 3.5 percent per annum in the meantime, and the inadequate redundancy provisions put forward by Coles early in the dispute. It remains entirely unclear whether Coles, which reported a net profit of $951 million last financial year, will agree to increasing the bonus to $5,000. Even if it does, the figure represents a fraction of the wages that workers have been denied over the course of the lockout. Some workers have noted that the various versions of the agreement pushed by the UWU demonstrate the extent to which the union has abandoned even its own inadequate log of claims. The union has always insisted that the closure and the job destruction are inevitable. But it previously claimed to be pushing for a just transition. Even this posturing has been completely dispensed with. Over the past months, the union has abandoned its initial wage demand of 5.5 percent per annum, adopting the companys 3.5 percent; it has dropped calls for redundancies capped at 104 weeks of past employment, accepting the companys offer of 80 weeks; and it has ditched any talk of some workers being given the right to redeploy to the new automated facility that is set to replace Smeaton Grange. According to UWU figures, texted to workers, 80 percent of union members who took part in yesterdays ballot voted yes to the new offer being put to all workers in a company poll, while 20 percent voted no. The participation rate was low, with the UWU reporting 216 valid votes. That compares with 255 valid votes in a January 22 union ballot that was aimed at overturning previous rejections of the deal in company-organised votes. The January 22 union poll, which registered a narrow endorsement of Coles offer, was marked by substantial irregularities, including more than one hundred votes, or almost a third of the total, being discounted as duplicates. In yesterdays vote, the union only reported six duplicates and one vote with an invalid ID. It nevertheless remains the case that the only two occasions, out of eight, when a yes majority has been recorded on any ballot relating to the agreement, have been in-house union operations that cannot be scrutinised by workers or independent observers. In any event, workers are being made to vote with the equivalent of a gun to their head. Yesterdays ballot followed a meeting of workers at Smeaton Grange last Monday. Matt Toner, the UWUs warehousing director, had flown from the unions plush national headquarters in Melbourne to address the Smeaton Grange picket in the working class suburbs of southwestern Sydney. That Toner, who has been intimately involved in the sell-out operation, travelled interstate, at short notice, amid an expanding coronavirus crisis in Melbourne, demonstrated that he was on a mission. Matt Toner [Linkedin] The bureaucrat restated the unions refusal to provide any strike pay, under conditions in which workers have been compelled to exhaust their savings and their superannuation to survive. At the end of last financial year, the UWU reported $300.8 million in total assets, including $94.2 million in cash reserves. Toner insisted that the union could not do anything other than engage in backroom talks with management and call ballots, because it had to represent all workers including those who had registered their support for the sell-out agreements. In fact, many workers who have voted yes in the various ballots have done so because they are being starved out by the union. Toners intervention had the character of a one-two punch coordinated with the company and aimed at convincing workers they had no option but to accept a sell-out. Two days after Toners trip, Matt Swindells, Coles chief operations officer, announced an indefinite extension of the lockout. The senior manager pilloried workers for repeatedly rejecting the sell-out and Coles attacks on their wages and conditions. According to Coles 2020 annual report, Swindells received $709,200 cash and a total remuneration package worth $2,355,277 last financial year. While he was intensely hostile to the workers, Swindells praised the UWU for its collaboration in seeking to impose a company deal. He made clear that workers would not be allowed to return, and receive a wage, until they ratified a regressive enterprise agreement. Swindells, who is in the executive leadership team of one of Australias largest corporations, railed against extremist anti-union socialists who had disrupted the company-UWU operation. Coles chief operations officer Matt Swindles delivering the briefing [Screenshot: Coles/Vimeo] This makes the real battle lines at Smeaton Grange absolutely clear. The experiences of the past three months have demonstrated that workers cannot defend any of their rights and conditions within the framework of the union. The fight for a continuing rejection of the sell-out in company and official ballots that will likely be forthcoming, must be connected to a broader political perspective. The alternative to abject capitulation to the company pushed by the union is what Swindells warned against: the program fought for by the Socialist Equality Party and the World Socialist Web Site. That is for a rebellion against the union, and the establishment of independent rank-and-file committees at Smeaton Grange, throughout Coles and Woolworths operations and at warehouses everywhere. A network of such committees could coordinate a genuine industrial and political offensive in defence of all jobs, and against a series of slated closures in the sector, including Smeaton Grange, four other Coles warehouses and three operated by its rival Woolworths. This is a political fight against not only the company, but also the government, Labor, the unions and the Fair Work laws that they use to suppress any collective action by workers. It requires a socialist program, aimed at placing Coles, Woolworths, the major corporations and the banks under public ownership and democratic workers control. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help Matt Harvey throws a pitch. The unexpected fall of Matt Harvey has been unfortunate to watch, but the former All-Star pitcher is getting another chance to revitalize his career. Harvey, who spent the 2020 season with the Kansas City Royals, is reportedly signing a minor-league deal to the Baltimore Orioles. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman was first to report the news that Harvey is signing with the Orioles. Its truly a low-risk, high-reward move for the franchise. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Earlier in his career, Harvey was regarded as one of the best pitchers in the MLB. In his second season, he had a 2.27 ERA and 9-5 record en route to his first All-Star appearance. After missing the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery, Harvey was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year in 2015 due to his 13-8 record and 2.71 ERA in 29 starts. Following his run with the New York Mets, the Dark Knight had brief stops with the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals. Harvey struggled mightily during the 2020 season, giving up 15 runs in just 11.2 innings worth of work. At this rate, its tough to tell if hell ever get his career back on the right track. That being said, itll be interesting to see Harvey back on the mound. The post Former MLB Star Matt Harvey Reportedly Signs New Contract appeared first on The Spun. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 8 March on Friday. Both Houses of Parliament will reconvene for the second leg of the Budget session on 8 March The first leg of the Budget session of Parliament ended with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaking in the Lok Sabha on 'reforms' and the push for 'self-reliance'. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday stated that the Centre will "definitely" restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir "at the appropriate time". Shah was addressing MPs during the debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Bill was later passed by the Lower House through voice vote. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 8 March on Friday. Both Houses of Parliament will reconvene for the second leg of the Budget session on 8 March. Earlier, in her reply in the debate on the Budget in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, Sitharaman said that the government had been pursuing reforms to achieve "sustained long-term growth" despite the COVID-19 pandemic. She added that the Centre is seeking to make India "one of the top economies of the world in the coming decades". She added that the Union Budget 2021 has set the pace for India to become self-reliant or aatmanirbhar. Earlier this month, the Finance Minister presented a Rs 34.5 lakh crore Budget for 2021-22, in the backdrop of the pandemic. Soon after Sitharaman concluded her speech, the Lok Sabha took up the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The bill, moved by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishen Reddy, seeks to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre of civil services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. The Budget session usually is held in two phases. In the first phase, the president addresses both the Houses, as it is the first session of the year. The Union Budget is also introduced in phase one. The recess allows department-related standing committees to examine demands for grants of various ministries. The Finance Bill and related demands for grants are passed in the second phase of the Budget session. Jammu and Kashmir's statehood will 'definitely' be restored, says Amit Shah Shah addressed various concerns raised in the debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha on Saturday. He said that the Modi government has done more for Jammu and Kashmir since Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019, than those who ruled it for generations. He also listed developmental projects undertaken in the Union Territory. Some Opposition members questioned the timeline of when the Centre will restore the region's statehood and stated that the proposed law negates the hopes of the region getting back its status as a state. "This legislation has nothing to do with statehood, and Jammu and Kashmir will definitely be accorded the status at an appropriate time," Shah said in reply. He said the region's status as a Union Territory "is temporary". Jammu and Kashmir has been a top priority for the current government since it took power in 2014, he added. "Decentralisation and devolution of power have taken place in the Union Territory following the revocation of Article 370," Shah said, noting that panchayat elections saw over 51 percent voting. "Panchayats have been given administrative and financial powers for local development, something they lacked earlier," he added. Now people chosen by the masses will rule Jammu and Kashmir, not those born to "kings and queens", he said, attacking dynastic parties in the region. Even our rivals could not allege any wrongdoing in these polls which were conducted fairly and peacefully, Shah added, referring to the panchayat polls. Opposition MPs speak against Jammu and Kashmir reorganisation amendment bill Raising objections on the bill in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked why the Centre had brought in an ordinance. His statement was echoed by the BJD. Chowdhury said regularly promulgating an ordinance is not good for a parliamentary democracy, as an ordinance should be preceded by an emergency situation or any urgency. He also slammed the Centre over the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. "Our point of contention is loud and clear," he said, adding after the abrogation, the government showed a "dream" to the people that they would "make heaven" in Jammu and Kashmir and create jobs there. "The introduction of this bill reflects that the government took the step of abrogating Article 370 without any preparation," Chowdhury alleged. The Congress leader said Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state and the cadre should be local and officers having ground knowledge should be appointed there. He alleged that "militancy is still prevalent and people are living in an atmosphere of fear". The government tried to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a large prison, the Opposition leader said, adding they blocked telecommunication services and failed to normalise the situation there. "There is unemployment, restriction, lost avenues and total confusion," Chowdhury added. He further said the government had promised to bring back Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir valley but has failed to ensure their return. "Please think for Jammu and Kashmir with new ideas and do not take adhoc measures," he said, adding the government should make Jammu and Kashmir a state and create a cadre to appoint officers there. National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi also opposed the bill and said it is "akin to an assault on the people of Jammu and Kashmir". "You are continuously increasing confusion...What is the objective of this bill? ...You are taking Jammu and Kashmir towards uncertainty through this bill," he said, adding appointed officers should have connect with the ground realities. He added that the government should restore the position of Jammu and Kashmir to that prior to 5 August, 2019. Rahul Gandhi becoming 'doomsday man' for India, says Sitharaman In the Lok Sabha on Saturday, Sitharaman said that her Budget has provided the highest capex growth of 34.4 percent by providing more money to railways, roads and defence. Emphasising that sustained commitment to reform is blended in the Budget, she said, "Reforms are going to lay a path for India to be one of the top economies of the world in the coming decades." On the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sitharaman said, "The death rates are the lowest in the world, active cases have come down... we have actually managed to bend the curve. And as a result, the revival of the economy looks a lot more sustainable and this Budget gives necessary impetus." Responding to the charge of crony capitalism, the minister said that the government under Narendra Modi "works for common people and not for cronies". Addressing criticism of cut in spending on defence for the fiscal beginning 1 April, she said it has increased both on revenue and capital side and there is a decline only in provision for pensions as the previous year's spending included payment of arrears for the one-rank-one-pension (OROP) scheme. On defence, she said revenue expenditure budgeted for 2021-22, is 1.3 percent more than the previous year and capital spending is 18.8 percent higher. Apart from replying on the Budget debate, Sitharaman also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. She said Gandhi is becoming a "doomsday man" for India, by "constantly insulting constitutional functionaries and creating fake narratives on various issues". She added that the former Congress chief does not have patience to listen to replies on allegations levelled against the government. "We need to recognise these two tendencies of the Congress party. One is creating fake narratives and second, lack of belief in a democratically elected Parliamentary system. "In banks, you did phone banking and left huge NPAs. This is one tendency, create institutions and use them for 'Hum Do Hamare Do' and at the end of the day keep accusing others," she said. 'Hum Do Hamare Do' expression was used by Gandhi in his speech on Thursday, during the general debate on the Budget, referring to the fact that only four persons are ruling this country including two business houses. Retorting to this, Sitharaman said this expression "fits the Gandhi family". With regard to the tendency of Congress, she said, "we will put allegations, use abusive language, but when under Parliamentary procedure they have to respond to... they only shout and walk out." She criticised the Congress for inconsistency in their approach in the two houses of Parliament. "The same party in Rajya Sabha takes part in Budget discussion and asks questions and listens to answers... why that does not happen in Lok Sabha... why take different positions in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha... what is this," she wondered. Responding to Gandhi's speech on Thursday, during which he talked about farm laws but declined to speak on the Budget, she said, "he is probably becoming a doomsday man for India." Centre introduces bill to abolish five tribunals in Lok Sabha A bill to abolish some tribunals, where public at large is not litigant, was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur on Saturday. The government proposes to wind up five tribunals, including Airport Appellate Tribunal, Authority for Advance Rulings and Intellectual Property Appellate Board. The Appellate Tribunal under the Cinematograph Act and Plant Varieties Protection Appellate Tribunal will also be abolished. The proposed law seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the Customs Act, 1962, the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001 and certain other Acts. "With a view to streamline tribunals, the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2021 is proposed to be enacted to abolish certain tribunals and authorities and to provide a mechanism for filing appeal directly to the commercial court or the High Court, as the case may be," the statement of objects and reason said. Observing that these tribunals only add an additional layer of litigation, it said having separate tribunal requires administrative action in terms of filling up of posts and such other matters, and any delay in such action further delays disposal of cases. "Reducing the number of tribunals shall not only be beneficial for the public at large, reduce the burden on public exchequer, but also address the issue of shortage of supporting staff of tribunals and infrastructure," it said. The Bill proposes the transfer of all cases pending before such tribunals or authorities to the Commercial Court or the High Court on the appointed date. With inputs from PTI Andhra Pradesh sets new record by concluding assembly budget session in one day No objection to use of 'Krishnapatnam medicine': Andhra Pradesh govt NGT slaps Rs 1.17 crore penalty on 21 stone crushers in Andhra Pradesh for causing pollution Andhra Pradesh Phase 2 gram panchayat poll: YCP set to sweep, TDP distant second India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 13: Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP candidates are leading on majority of seats in the Andhra Pradesh gram panchayat second phase polls while TDP is reported to be a distant second. As per reports, YCP backed candidates have won 1189 Sarpanch seats while TDP backed candidates have so far bagged only 191 seats. BJP's ally Jana Sena has won eight seats so far while others including independent candidates have won 34 seats. The second phase of polling for 2,786 panchayats in Andhra Pradesh ended peacefully with 81.61 percent voter turnout. The State Election Commission (SEC), in a statement in Amaravati on Saturday, however, did not provide the total number of eligible voters. The Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gautam Sawang, in a statement, said the second phase of polls ended peacefully. According to the figures provided by the SEC, Prakasam district witnessed the highest turnout with 86.60 while Srikakulam saw 72.87 percent. Polling began at 6.30 am and ended at 3.30 pm. The counting of votes began at 4 pm, a poll official said. Elections were also held to elect 20,817 ward members. With two phases being over, the polls would be conducted in another two phases till 21 February. Though the elections were to be held for 3,328 panchayat sarpanchs, 539 have been unanimously elected while no nominations were filed for three villages, an official press release had said on Friday. As many as 7,507 candidates contested for sarpanch posts and 44,876 were in the fray for ward members. The elections were held using ballot paper and without any political party symbols. Totally, 29,304 polling stations were set up out of which 5,480 have been identified as sensitive and 4,181 as hypersensitive, the release had said. All necessary precautions were in place as per COVID-19 protocols amid tight security. Meanwhile, the SEC issued orders directing the Krishna (rural) district police to register a case against state Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Venkateswara Rao for his alleged derogatory remarks against the poll body under section 504 (intentionally insulting) and 506 (criminal intimidation), among others. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Health reported Saturday afternoon that the state has 2,799 new coronavirus cases. This brings the total number of cases to 937,541 which includes confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. A total of 16,340 people have died from COVID-19, up 1,204 from Friday. The Ohio Department of Health on Wednesday announced an error in which 4,100 coronavirus-related deaths were not reported publicly. The state is working on adding those deaths to the dashboard. Newly reported deaths will be higher during the next few days as ODH completes this reconciliation, the dashboard says. The state follows the federal Centers for Disease Control and Preventions definition of a case, which includes those diagnosed through genetic PCR or antigen tests, or people diagnosed in a clinical setting -- experiencing symptoms who are linked to a confirmed COVID-19 case, among other criteria. Between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, another 33,669 doses of vaccine were reported to have been administered in the state. The total number of people who have completed their vaccine is now at 408,103 which represents 3.49 percent of Ohios population. Most children are not eligible for the vaccine yet and some out-of-state residents have gotten shots in the state because they work here. More than 108 million people worldwide have or have had COVID-19 and more than 2.3 people have died from the deadly virus. More than 27 million people in the United States have or have had COVID-19 and more than 480,000 people have died from the it. Read more coronavirus coverage on cleveland.com: 49 new cases of COVID-19 coronavirus, now new deaths reported in Cleveland: Friday update CDC announces roadmap for reopening schools -- no vaccine necessary Vitamin C and zinc dont reduce coronavirus symptoms, Cleveland Clinic study says A resignation, a reassignment and a new boss: Ohio Department of Health announces details of reorganization after coronavirus death data error Akron Art Museum to reopen Feb. 18 for first time since November NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating CM Life Sciences, Inc. ("CMLF" or the "Company") (CMLF) relating to its proposed merger with Sema4. Under the terms of the agreement, CMLF will acquire Sema4 through a reverse merger, with Sema4 emerging as a publicly traded company. The investigation focuses on whether CM Life Sciences, Inc. and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, and 2) whether the transaction is properly valued. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/cm-life-sciences-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. About Monteverde & Associates PC We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2019 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases. If you own common stock in CM Life Sciences, Inc. and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405 New York, NY 10118 United States of America [email protected] Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC Related Links http://www.monteverdelaw.com An election candidate who was subjected to menacing racist phone calls says he will not be intimidated out of public service after a man was convicted over the incident this week. General Election 2020 candidate John Uwhumiakpor told the Sunday World that while he will continue to run for office such incidents frighten potential candidates from ethnic minorities from becoming involved. Edward Smith (61), from Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon, made the call to a People Before Profit candidate just weeks before last year's election, in which he unleashed a racist tirade starting with: "Stay out of Irish politics, Irish politics is for Irish people." Nigerian-born Mr Uwhumiakpor, who did not get elected in Dublin's Fingal constituency, said that after hearing the first sentence from Smith he couldn't take in any more of his tirade because he was so shocked. "He said more than that, but my mind was in shock and I wasn't able to process what he said after that. Eventually, I recovered and said: 'Thanks for calling'. Then I hung up." Read More Gardai later tracked down Smith and this week he pleaded guilty to sending a message by telephone that is grossly offensive or menacing to Mr Uwhumiakpor at his home address in Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, on January 29, 2020. He was fined 200 and also offered another 600 as a token of his remorse. He said he was extremely sorry for what he had done and had lost the run of himself while drunk. Frightened Care worker Mr Uwhumiakpor, who did not attend court due to Covid restrictions, told how the incident frightened him and his family but will not deter him from continuing in politics. "At that time I was at home and I was just getting ready to go out to campaign. I was with my little daughter and my wife. I turned to my wife and said 'I'm not going to stop'. That is not right. That is like being a coward to listen to this call and stay away." Internet posts from Smith show how he was a big fan of conspiracy theorist Gemma O'Doherty and former American president Donald Trump and attacked a seven-year-old girl by describing her as "right little snowflake". Mr Uwhumiakpor said O'Doherty, who ran unsuccessfully in Dublin Fingal on an anti-immigrant platform, had posted a video about him before the call. "Gemma O'Doherty put my campaign poster on a video she was making at that time. "I live in Balbriggan. She targeted Balbriggan so furiously during the campaign. She was trying to get a foothold in Balbriggan to stir up confusion. "A lot of people wouldn't subscribe to her philosophy so they stood and pushed her out of the community. " He said he was willing to accept Smith's apology. "Why not. I would have loved to have seen him and I know with Covid we can't shake hands, but I would have. There is no point in keeping an enemy. Support "The short time we have we should support each other to make life easier. Life is too difficult in itself without creating more problems for people. If you take the colour of our skin out of our body we are all the same. Tell him I don't have anything against him. " It is the latest incident to highlight the abuse political figures from ethic minorities receive. Dublin's Lord Mayor Hazel Chu, who is an Irish woman of Asian heritage, is regularly targeted by the far right, while Limerick Deputy Mayor Abul Kalam Azad Talukder who is Muslim has also received racist abuse. Mr Uwhumiakpor came to Ireland 15 years ago and his children were all born here. Since arriving here he became a social care worker and got a degree in psychology after putting himself through college. SAN DIEGO (AP) The Biden administration on Friday announced plans for tens of thousands of people who are seeking asylum and have been forced to wait in Mexico under a Trump-era policy to be allowed into the U.S. while their cases wind through immigration courts. The first wave of an estimated 25,000 asylum-seekers with active cases in the Remain in Mexico" program will be allowed into the United States on Feb. 19, authorities said. They plan to start slowly, with two border crossings each processing up to 300 people a day and a third crossing taking fewer numbers. President Joe Biden's administration declined to publicly identify the three crossings out of fear it may encourage a rush of people, but U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, said officials told him that they are Brownsville and El Paso in Texas, and San Diego's San Ysidro crossing. The move is a major step toward dismantling one of former President Donald Trump's most consequential policies to deter asylum-seekers from coming to the U.S. About 70,000 asylum-seekers were enrolled in the program officially called Migrant Protection Protocols since it was introduced in January 2019. On Biden's first day in office, the Homeland Security Department suspended the policy for new arrivals. Since then, some asylum-seekers picked up at the border have been released in the U.S. with notices to appear in court. Biden is quickly making good on a campaign promise to end the policy, which the Trump administration said was critical to reversing a surge of asylum-seekers that peaked in 2019. But the policy also exposed people to violence in Mexican border cities and made it extremely difficult for them to find lawyers and communicate with courts about their cases. As President Biden has made clear, the U.S. government is committed to rebuilding a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. This latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nations values. Asylum-seekers will be released with notices to appear in court in cities close to or in their final destinations, typically with family, administration officials said. Homeland Security said the move should not be interpreted as an opening for people to migrate irregularly to the United States. Administration officials say the vast majority of people who cross the border illegally are quickly expelled under a public health order that Trump put in place in March amid the coronavirus pandemic. But some asylum-seeking families have been released in Texas and California, working against that messaging. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that she was concerned limited releases in the U.S. may encourage others to cross illegally. We dont want people to put themselves in danger at a time where it is not the right time to come, because we have not had time to put in place a humane and moral system and process, she said. Court hearings for people enrolled in Remain in Mexico have been suspended since June because of the pandemic. Getting word to them about when to report to the border for release in the United States may prove a daunting job. Homeland Security said it would soon announce a virtual registration process online and by phone for people to learn where and when they should report. It urged asylum-seekers not to report to the border unless instructed. The International Organization for Migration will help with logistics and test asylum-seekers for COVID-19 before they enter the U.S., spokeswoman Liz Lizama said. The U.N. migration agency's Mexico director, Dana Graber Ladek, said it will seek to inform asylum-seekers across the country about eligibility. The announcement provides no relief to people whose cases were dismissed or denied, though administration officials did not rule out additional measures. Advocates argue that communication problems, including lack of working addresses in Mexico, caused some people to miss hearings and lose their cases as a result. Mexico agreed to take back more asylum-seekers in June 2019 to defuse Trump's threats of tariff increases. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador welcomed Biden's changes, saying at a news conference Friday that it would be good for the U.S. to host them instead while their cases wind through the system. The Remain in Mexico releases will come as more people are getting stopped crossing the border illegally since Biden took office, challenging the administration in its early days. Raul Ortiz, deputy chief of the Border Patrol, said Tuesday that more than 3,000 people had been stopped in each of the previous 10 days, compared with a daily average of 2,426 in January. About 50 to 80 adults and children have been arriving daily since Jan. 27 at Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, which temporarily houses people released by the Border Patrol, said Sister Norma Pimentel, the groups executive director. The charity tests for COVID-19 and sends anyone who tests positive to a hotel for isolation. Jewish Family Service of San Diego housed 191 asylum-seekers the first 10 days of February after they were released, up from 144 in January and 54 in December, said Eitan Peled, the groups border services advocate. They are quarantined in hotels for 10 days. Imperial Valley News Center Doctor Sentenced for Role in Unlawful Distribution of Opioids Cincinnati, Ohio - An Ohio physician was sentenced to two years in prison Monday for his role in illegally distributing opioids. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney David DeVillers of the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin of the Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) Detroit Division, Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge William C. Hoffman of the FBIs Cincinnati Field Office, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Interim Administrator/CEO John Logue of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, and Executive Director Steven W. Schierholt of the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy made the announcement. Morris Brown, M.D., 73, of Dayton, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances on Feb. 21, 2020. Brown was charged in an April 2019 indictment along with four co-defendants: Ismail Abuhanieh, 50, of Phoenix, Arizona; Mahmoud Elmiari, 44, of Bellbrook, Ohio; Yohannes Tinsae, 48, of Beavercreek, Ohio; and Mahmoud Rifai, 50, of Detroit, Michigan. All four of Browns co-defendants were charged for their roles in agreeing to obtain controlled substances by fraud or misrepresentation for Dayton Pharmacy, which leased space in a building owned by Brown.. Abuhanieh, Elmiari, and Tinsae have been sentenced pursuant to guilty pleas. Rifai is the subject of an active arrest warrant in connection with the case. The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, Ohio Attorney Generals Office, Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, and Ohio Board of Pharmacy investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Chris Jason, Tom Tynan, and Leslie Garthwaive of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the ARPO Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 85 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing approximately 65 million pills. The ARPO Strike Force is part of the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, led by the Fraud Section. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion. In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Sections Victim Witness website for more information Chick Corea performs with Eddie Gomez and Brian Blade perform during their concert in Moscow, Russia, May 15, 2017. Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. AP Chick Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy Awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday of a rare form of cancer, his team posted on his website. His death was confirmed by Corea's web and marketing manager, Dan Muse. On his Facebook page, Corea left a message to his fans: ''I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It's not only that the world needs more artists, it's also just a lot of fun.'' A prolific artist with dozens of albums, Corea in 1968 replaced Herbie Hancock in Miles Davis' group, playing on the landmark albums ''In a Silent Way'' and ''Bitches Brew.'' He formed his own avant-garde group, Circle, and then founded Return to Forever. He worked on many other projects, including duos with Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He recorded and performed classical music, standards, solo originals, Latin jazz and tributes to great jazz pianists. Harvey Mason Jr., interim president and CEO of The Recording Academy, wrote: ''Chick rewrote the rulebook for jazz in his more than five-decade long career, receiving mass critical acclaim along the way for his musical excellence.'' Corea was named a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master in 2006. He was a member of the Church of Scientology and lived in Clearwater, Florida. He regularly won the title of Jazz Artist of the Year from Downbeat Magazine. In addition to his Grammy wins, Corea also had four Latin Grammy wins. In a tweet, the Latin Recording Academy called him ''a virtuosic pianist and one of the most prominent Latin jazz musicians of all times.'' The Blue Note jazz club in New York City simply called him ''irreplaceable.'' Drummer Sheila E. took to Twitter to mourn. ''This man changed my life thru his music and we were able to play together many times. I was very fortunate to call him my family,'' she wrote ''Chick, you are missed dearly, your music and brilliant light will live on forever.'' Hip-hop star Q-Tip called Corea ''one of the coldest pianist/keyboardist/songwriters of all time'' and rapper Biz Markie celebrated Corea's 1972 jazz fusion group Return to Forever, calling it ''fossil fuel for an eternity of rap samples.'' Last year, Corea released the double album ''Plays,'' which captured him solo at various concerts armed simply with his piano. ''Like a runner loves to run because it just feels good, I like to play the piano just because it feels good,'' he told The Associated Press at the time. ''I can just switch gears and go to another direction or go to another song or whatever I want to do. So it's a constant experiment.'' The double album was a peek into Corea's musical heart, containing songs he wrote about the innocence of children decades ago as well as tunes by Mozart, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder, among others. Corea is the artist with the most jazz Grammys in the show's 63-year history, and he has a chance to posthumously win at the March 14 show, where he's nominated for best improvised jazz solo for ''All Blues'' and best jazz instrumental album for ''Trilogy 2.'' Corea was born in Massachusetts and began piano lessons at 4. But he bristled at formal education and dropped out of both Columbia University and the Juilliard School. He began his career as a sideman. Corea liked inviting volunteers onto the stage during solo concerts, sitting them down near his piano and creating spontaneous, entirely subjective tone poems about the person. ''It starts as a game _ to try to capture something I see in music,'' he told the AP. ''While I play, I look at them a couple of times like a painter would. I try to see if, while I'm playing, are they agreeing with what I'm playing? Do they think that this is really a portrait of them? And usually they do.'' Late last year, Corea was working had two commissions: A trombone concerto for the New York Philharmonic and a percussion concerto for the Philadelphia Orchestra. ''I get interested in something and then I follow that interest. And that's how my music comes out,'' he said then. ''I've always followed my interest. It's been my successful way of living.'' He's also started teaching online, creating the Chick Corea Academy to offer his views on music and share the opinions of others, take questions and chat with guests. He hopes his students will explore their freedom of expression and think for themselves. ''Does everyone have to like what I like? No. And it's what makes the world go around that we all have different likes,'' he told the AP. ''We come together and we collaborate.'' Corea is survived by his wife, Gayle Moran, and a son Thaddeus. Bela Fleck, a virtuoso on the banjo, who recorded and toured with Corea, called him ''my hero, mentor and friend,'' adding ''The world has lost one of the great ones. I'm so honored to have known him.'' (AP) OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - International students bring so much to Canada, contributing more than $21 billion annually to our economy and supporting the vitality of our communities. The pandemic has presented myriad challenges for international students, and the Government of Canada has taken action to assist them through this difficult time with a variety of measures, including offering open work permits for former international students who hold or held a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). As part of the Government's efforts to support international students, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today announced further measures to ensure that international students won't miss out on opportunities after they graduate due to the pandemic. With the prospect of many international students continuing online learning from abroad for several more months, temporary changes to the PGWP Program put in place earlier in the pandemic are being extended and expanded. These measures will assist international students by ensuring that studies completed outside Canada will count towards a future PGWP, and by allowing international students to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a PGWP. The measures apply to all international students who are enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program, and meet all other PGWP criteria. The government has made significant efforts to encourage international students to settle permanently in Canada. They bring strong employment and language skills, bolstered by their Canadian education and work experience, so they are typically well positioned to apply for permanent resident status. More than 58,000 graduates successfully applied to immigrate permanently in 2019, and their decisions to stay in Canada will help to address our stark demographic challenges. As we confront the pandemic's second wave and chart a course for our recovery, attracting skilled immigrants is a central part of our plan. This new policy will help more graduates fill pressing needs in areas like health care, technology and more. As we look forward, it will help even more former international students build their futures in Canada, contributing in ways large and small to our short term recovery and long term prosperity. Quotes "Whether as health workers on the pandemic's front lines, or as founders of some of the most promising start-ups, international students are giving back to communities across Canada as we continue the fight against the pandemic. Their status may be temporary, but the contributions of international students are lasting. This new policy means that students hoping to work in Canada after graduation won't miss out on opportunities, while ensuring that Canada meets the urgent needs of our economy for today and tomorrow. Our message to international students and graduates is simple: We don't just want you to study here, we want you to stay here." The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Quick facts: In 1971, there were 6.6 people of working age for each senior. There are currently 3 Canadian workers for every retired Canadian, but by 2035, there will be only 2 workers for every retiree. Without immigrants to help support the needs of an aging population, younger Canadians will end up paying more per person to provide the same benefits. These measures apply to all international students who are enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program began, or will begin, a program in any semester from spring 2020 to fall 2021, or whose program was already in progress in March 2020 have a study permit or approval for a study permit, or applied for a study permit prior to starting their program and are eventually approved meet all other PGWP criteria Associated links: SOURCE Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada For further information: (for media only): Alexander Cohen, Minister's Office, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 613-954-1064, [email protected]; Media Relations, Communications Branch, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 613-952-1650, [email protected] Related Links http://www.cic.gc.ca The recent missing person search along the River Backwater has served to highlight the importance of voluntary search and rescue units and the key role they play in assisting the emergency services during operations of this kind. Run on a voluntary basis, these units receive little or no statutory funding, relying almost exclusively on fundraising events, donations from the public and the money members spend from their own coffers to remain operational. Like so many other voluntary organisations they have been hit hard by the Covid pandemic, with the cancellation of fundraising events meaning a key source of their income has dried up. As a result they are left with no option but to dig into their often meagre reserves and when they run dry members cover the costs of remaining operations from their own pockets. In north Cork we are fortunate to have two units, the Fermoy-based Blackwater Search and Rescue Unit and the Mallow Search and Rescue Unit. In a two-part series we speak to a representative from each unit about the difficulties they have faced over the past year and what the future may hold for them. Noel Hayes, fundraising officer with the Fermoy unit, admitted it has been a struggle to make ends meet and that the future survival of the unit is by no means guaranteed. Expand Close Blackwater Search and Rescue Unit dive officer Dave Carey briefing divers from Blackwater SAC, Cork SAC and West Cork Underwater Unit with Cork Missing Persons Search Unit during the recent search and recovery operation in the Kilworth area / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Blackwater Search and Rescue Unit dive officer Dave Carey briefing divers from Blackwater SAC, Cork SAC and West Cork Underwater Unit with Cork Missing Persons Search Unit during the recent search and recovery operation in the Kilworth area Since its inception 40-years ago the unit has taken part in countless search and recovery missions, both locally and across the country. Noel said that it costs approximately 20,000 per annum just to cover basic operational costs such as insuring their rescue boats and land vehicle, utilities and clubhouse maintenance, oxygen for their diving cylinders and the general upkeep of essential equipment. "Normally, we hold church gate collections, flag days and have collection boxes in some local pubs as well as holding our annual St Stephen's Day fin Swim, which is our biggest event of the year. However, these have all been cancelled due to Covid, in fact we have not held a Fin Swim since Christmas 2019," said Noel. "We are lucky in that the Avondhu Blackwater Partnership has helped us get grants for certain equipment along the way and that individual members cover the cost of their own divers insurance and the purchase of their equipment." However, as Noel pointed out, all the members participate on a voluntary basis, often at their own cost, and have to use up annual leave days from their full-time jobs to take part in rescue missions. "We are part of a national network of units so, we could be tasked to a mission anywhere in the country. That is in addition to local searches and providing safety cover for water related events such as regattas, triathlons, animal rescues etc," he said. "While we do try to keep costs to a minimum, they can rack up and with our funding streams all but dried up it is becoming a struggle to keep going. Being a small organisation helps in that it does reduce overall costs and the willingness of members to covers costs from their own pockets has been instrumental in helping us remain fully operational." However, Noel conceded that this kind of dedication and financial commitment to the unit could not last forever. "None of us do this for personal gain. We do it because we want to help people who are going though the trauma of missing a loved one or to prevent a tragedy on the water. However, Covid has made that more difficult not just in terms of fundraising, but also in terms of protocols that have to be adhered to when we are tasked to an event," he said. "There is a spirit and determination within the unit that has kept us going over the past year. However, it is not inconceivable to think that we could lose members if the financial burden on them becomes too much. We will keep going, but without some form statutory funding assistance if we are unable to fundraise, we cannot keep going forever," warned Noel. In next week's edition of The Corkman we speak to John Woulfe of the Mallow Search and Rescue Unit about how they have been coping during the Covid pandemic. A Fine Gael councillor has asked the council to provide an update on issues raised by the deputation from Seabury Tidy Districts Group to the Operations Area Committee last March. Cllr Anthony Lavin raised his motion at a recent Local Area Committee meeting. The council noted that further to the deputation meeting between Fingal County Council and the Seabury Tidy District Group on Wednesday March 4 2020, two main issues were raised. The first issue related to the renaming of Seabury Park, which the council is to now consider renaming Estuary Park, at the request of local residents. A plebiscite is required to facilitate this change. The second issue related to public lighting at the entrance up the steps from Killeen Estate to the linear park near Seabury Place. This has been listed for consideration on the Howth Malahide Programme of Works 2021. Cllr Lavin said he looked forward to seeing public lighting at the entrance up the steps from Killeen Estate 'as soon as possible.' He noted a pathway connecting Seabury to Swords Road would effectively be a cycleway as well as a walkway. This would be welcomed by people with buggies and wheelchairs who could not navigate the steps, he said. Cllr Lavin asked what the next step was with regard to the plebiscite for the name change of Seabury Park, and for more detail on this. A council official, responding to Cllr Lavin, said prior to the commencement of a plebiscite, the council must be in receipt of a petition from local residents for the name change to take place.The council will then start statutory proceedings when this petition has been received.The official noted the local authority has no objection to the name change of Seabury Park to Estuary Park, but that it had to go through a process. The petition must represent over two-thirds of local residents, the official said. Advertisement President Donald Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen ended the ex-president's defense at Saturday's Senate impeachment trial with an incendiary laundry list of grievances, even accusing Democrats of inspiring the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6. 'Many of the people who infiltrated the Capitol took pictures of themselves and posted them on social media,' van der Veen pointed out. 'To some, it seems, they thought it was all a game. They apparently believe that violent mobs, destruction of property, rioting, assaulting police and vandalizing historic treasures was somehow now acceptable in the United States.' 'Where might they have gotten that idea?' the Trump lawyer mused. 'I would suggest to you that it was not from Mr. Trump.' While House impeachment managers had spent hours this week trying to pin the blame on Trump - with chief House impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin, calling the ex-president the 'inciter-in-chief' on the floor Saturday, van der Veen ended the trial by arguing it was their party, their allies and the media that was really responsible for the insurrection. 'I submit to you that it was month after month of political leaders and media personalities, bloodthirsty for ratings, glorifying civil unrest and condemning the reasonable law enforcement measures that are required to quell violent mobs,' van der Veen said. In the trial's waning moments, van der Veen continued to accuse the House Democratic managers of 'doctoring' evidence. 'They fabricated evidence. They made it up. They never addressed that in their closing, as if it were acceptable. As if it were alright. As though that's the way it should be done here in the Senate of the United States of America,' van der Veen said. President Donald Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen ended the ex-president's defense with an incendiary laundry list of grievances, even accusing Democrats of inspiring the MAGA mob He was angry the House Democrats recreated tweets, as Trump's Twitterfeed no longer exists. 'As we've shown, the House managers were caught creating false representations of tweets, manipulating videos and introducing into the record completely discredited lies just as the "fine people" hoax as factual evidence,' the lawyer continued. The 'fine people' quote was truncated during the Democrats' presentation, though when played in full by the ex-president's defense, Trump is heard explaining why he believed there were 'fine people on both sides' of the racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. Trump's Senate impeachment trial took a dramatic turn Saturday when lawmakers negotiated an agreement that ensures the trial does not hear from witnesses but does receive jarring testimony from GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler about a phone call Trump made to Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Following the jolt of tension, Democrats got the evidence, which provides a window into Trump's conduct while the Capitol riot was underway although it was not expected to change the vote breakdown in a meaningful way or take the trial in a new direction. House Manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland stunned senators Saturday morning when he spoke on the need for hearing from Herrera Beutler, a Republican from Washington state, on what she says McCarthy told her about the call even as the MAGA mob was rampaging through the Capitol. It was the second major development of the day, after Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell revealed he would vote to acquit the former president, while sharing his procedural reasons. Herrera Bautler says Trump told McCarthy: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Democratic managers could use the statement to argue that Trump inflamed the riot rather than trying to stop it. But Raskin's request threatened to blow up the trial schedule, potentially dragging it out for weeks, especially after Trump's legal team threatened to call more than 300 witnesses. That evidently was an outcome neither side was willing to stomach, for different reasons. After a break, both Trump's lawyer and Raskin agreed to a 'stipulation' of the evidence, which Raskin then read into the trial record. Trump lawyer Bruce Castor said Trump through his lawyers was prepared to stipulate that Rep. Herrera Beutler, were she to testify under oath, it would be consistent with her Feb. 12th statement, which Raskin then read. The agreement then allowed the trial to move on past the witness phase - meaning none will be called. It was a swift conclusion to the matter only hours after House managers moved to call Rep. Herrera Beutler for testimony about her stunning claims about what Trump said his supporters were ransacking the Capitol. With the evidence in the record and in hand and with neither side demanding more witnesses Raskin immediately pounced on the new information, saying Trump took actions that 'further incited the insurgents to be more inflamed and to take even more extreme selective and focused action against Vice President Mike Pence.' Raskin read Trump's quote from Herrera Beutler's notes to McCarthy aloud again. 'Think about that for a second. This uncontradicted statement that has just been stipulated as part of the evidentiary record. The president said, "Well, I guess these people" - meaning the mobsters, the insurrectionists - "are more upset about the election than you." That conduct is obviously part of the constitutional offense that he was impeached for, namely incitement to insurrection, that is continuing incitement to the insurrection,' he said. He said it provided 'further decisive evidence of his intent to incite the insurrection in the first place.' Another manager, Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, repeated the quote in his own arguments afterward. He said Trump 'was essentially saying: You got what you deserve.' 'His sole focus was stealing the election for himself,' said Cicilline. The earlier vote on witnesses before a deal prevailed on a procedural vote with five Republicans voting to hear from the Republican lawmakers. Among them were four Republican senators who had voted that the trial itself was constitutional Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump loyalist who changed his vote to back the move. For hours Saturday move threw the trial's schedule into doubt, with some lawmakers having earlier predicted it would wrap up Saturday. For a time, it reframed what had appeared to be the culmination of the impeachment trial, with the schedule and lawmakers plans to go home thrown into chaos and Joe Biden's legislative agenda being caught up in the confusion. Trump advisor Jason Miller soon brandished a list of 301 witnesses 'so far' that the president's team threatened to call, and a list that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, said on the Senate floor Saturday he wanted to depose Rep. Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) as well as her contemporaneous notes about what she knows. He said there was overwhelming evidence of Trump's 'dereliction of duty.' Rep. Herrera Beutler says McCarthy told her about the contents of her tense phone conversation with Trump on Jan. 6. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland moved to be able to depose Republican Rep. Jaime Herera Beutler after she reiterated comments about what she says House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about his conversation with President Donald Trump Raskin said the deposition could take place on Zoom and would take only an hour. His request drew an immediate explosive response from Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen. 'If they want to have witnesses, Im going to need at least 100 depositions. Not just one,' he fumed threatening to drag out the trial that senators were forced to view in silence for nearly a week. Then he raised the stakes even further. Rep. Raskin put the witness question to a vote after Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler issued a statement about her conversation with Rep. Kevin McCarthy The move to subpoena witnesses and documents got 5 Republican votes Michael van der Veen, attorney for former President Donald Trump, bristled at the Democratic request for witnesses. 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' he said House impeachment manager Delegate Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., center, walks through the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate on the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 in Washington Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voted for Raskin's witness motion, then got in a clash with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin 'Nancy Pelosi's deposition needs to be taken. Vice President Harris' deposition, absolutely, needs to be taken. None of these depositions should be done by zoom. We didnt do this hearing by Zoom,' said Van der Veen. 'These depositions should be done in person in my office in Philadelphia. Thats where they should be done!' 'Thats where they should be done. I need to do the 911-style investigation that Nancy Pelosi called for,' he said. His Philadelphia comment brought audible laughter inside the chamber. 'I dont know why youre laughing,' said van der Veen, whose Philadelphia firm touts numerous awards he has won to victims of automobile accidents. He said that's how depositions are done in civil proceedings. 'I haven't laughed at any of you. And there's nothing laughable here,' he scolded senators. 'Now is the time to end this,' he argued. After a series of angry statements by the Trump lawyer, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, presiding, cautioned senators to refrain from statements 'non-conducive to civil discourse.' 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' Van der Veen fumed. Raskin responded to information that emerged Friday night about Herrera Beutler's claims. She said it reinforced 'the President's willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief of the United States, his state of mind and his further incitement of the insurrection on January 6.' 'For that reason, and because this is the proper time to do so under the resolution of that the Senate adopted to set the rules for the trial, we would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera regarding her communications with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Its is a subpoena for contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection,' he said. He said the deposition would be an hour 'or less' just as soon as the lawmaker is available, and that managers would then proceed to the next phase of the trial, including the introduction of that testimony shortly thereafter. But he raised the possibility of more witnesses for the prosecution. 'Congresswoman Beutler further states that she hopes other witnesses to this part of the story, other patriots as she put it would come forward and if that happens, we would seek the opportunity to take their depositions via zoom also for less than an hour or two subpoena other relevant documents as well,' said Raskin. But not all senators were entirely sure what they were voting about, with Sen. Todd Young of Alaska asking in mid vote what was the substance. After the drama on the floor, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson complained about the sudden turn after being spotted having an angry clash with Sen. Mitt Romney inside the chamber. 'It's not healing it's not, it's not unifying it's just like opening up a wound and just rubbing salt in it and I thought we were going come to a conclusion here today and it was rip the wound back open, let's let's rub more salt in it,' he complained. He also claimed the public hearing he organized as chairman on claims of election irregularities being pushed by President Trump was done to 'defuse' the situation. As senators worked to reassemble a way forward, Graham tweeted that it was better to go to a final vote but 'if the body wants witnesses, I am going to insist we have multiple witnesses.' He said it was best to start with Pelosi to see 'as to whether or not there was credible evidence of pre-planned violence before President Trump spoke?' He said it was 'incredibly relevant' to the incitement charge. Sparks flew several more times throughout closing arguments after both sides agreed to move on without witnesses. Cicilline said two things during his turn that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote "Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,"' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, "I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,"' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. 'Mr. President moments ago, House manager Cicilline,' Lee got up and said. Leahy told him that 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying the proceeding. First thing Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republicans that he planned to vote to acquit Trump on charges incitement of insurrection a signal that the House-led effort to convict the former president would fail. 'While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction,' McConnell said in the letter. Although he had denounced Trump's actions in an emotional Senate floor speech immediately after the Jan. 6 MAGA riot in the Capitol, McConnell also did not act to hasten the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office. He voted along with 44 other Republicans that the post-presidency impeachment was unconstitutional a position that did not prevail. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives at the US Capitol for the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump, on February 13, 2021, in Washington, DC. He told colleagues he will vote to acquit Trump The drama unfolded after it was revealed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told colleagues he plans to vote to acquit Trump House Democratic managers brought up numerous Trump administration officials who quit following the riot among them McConnell's wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. McConnell's decision makes it likely that only a handful of Republicans cross over to join Democrats voting to convict. With two-thirds of the Senate required, this raises the likelihood that Trump would be impeached and acquitted twice. There was a last minute wrinkle Friday night, however. CNN reported Friday that Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted for Trump's impeachment and who spoke on the record about what McCarthy told her, pleaded with 'patriots' to go public with their own accounts. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' she said. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' Jaime Herrera Beutler said. F-word call: Kevin McCarthy pleaded with Donald Trump to call off his mob on January 6, and when Trump said 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' responded: 'Who the f**k do you think you're speaking to?' 'When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol,' Herrera Beutler recounted. 'McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Other sources told CNN that McCarthy replied to Trump: 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' and that McCarthy had phoned Trump because the MAGA mob were smashing the windows in his office. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called for the suspension of the trial in order to depose GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville and McCarthy about their conversations with the former president during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the trial, issued the call in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal. 'Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting,' Whitehouse wrote, referring to reports that McCarthy lambasted Trump in an expletive-laden diatribe telling him to call off his mob of loyalists, and following Tuberville's admission that he told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. The 2021 TV Week Logie Awards ceremony looks set to take place, after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Herald Sun this weekend, organisers are 'quietly getting back up to speed with planning underway on exactly what form the event will take place'. While a date has not yet been confirmed, should the red carpet event take place, trophies will still be awarded with TV bosses having begun submitting candidates. Ready to roll out the red carpet? According to the Herald Sun this weekend, the 2021 Logie Awards ceremony 'WILL take place' after being shelved last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: Grant Denyer at the 2016 ceremony Daily Mail Australia has reached out to ARE Media group publisher Fiona Connolly for comment. Fiona announced the cancellation of the 2020 ceremony, originally scheduled for June, in April last year. 'We have spent the last few weeks discussing with our event partners what the TV WEEK Logie Awards could look like in 2020 while adhering to government restrictions and working around the challenges of COVID-19,' the statement read. 'All parties agree the most positive outcome is to not hold the Logies, including public voting, in 2020, but to stage an even bigger event on the Gold Coast in 2021.' Reports: While a date has not yet been confirmed, should the red carpet event take place, trophies will still be awarded with TV bosses having begun submitting candidates. Pictured: Waleed Aly and his wife Susan Carland at the 2017 ceremony, held in Melbourne Shelved: Organisers promised 'an even bigger event on the Gold Coast in 2021' when the 2020 event was officially cancelled in a statement released early last year. Pictured: Delta Goodrem (left) and Kelly Rowland (right) at the 2019 ceremony The 2019 event, which featured a packed red carpet and celebrity guests seated at tables inside, was held at The Star on the Gold Coast and aired on Channel Nine. Having begun in 1959, the cancellation of the prestigious event last year, would have no doubt caused a financial blow for Gold Coast tourism. Comedian Tom Gleeson, 46, still holds the top honour, having been awarded the Gold Logie in 2019. During his acceptance speech, The Hard Quiz host poked fun at the candidates who had sincerely campaigned for the award, and said his victory was a win for 'taking the p**s' and 'not giving a s**t'. Top honour: Comedian Tom Gleeson (pictured), 46, still holds the top honour, having been awarded the Gold Logie in 2019 Fellow 2019 Gold Logie nominee Amanda Keller, 58, admitted on her WSFM radio show in July 2019, that she found Tom's Gold Logie speech upsetting. 'He's a comedian and I get what he was doing, which was trying to subvert the result and good luck to him, he did it. That's how it goes. I have no problem at all with that,' she said on Jonesy & Amanda. 'But I think in his speech when he said, "Everyone that works in television, if you want to win this, you're a wanker", that kind of upset me.' The interdepartmental commission on the implementation of Turkmenistan's international obligations in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law held a meeting in Ashgabat. It was attended by heads and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and other ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, as well as the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan and heads of public associations. In his opening statement, the Chairman of the interdepartmental commission, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov spoke about measures taken by Turkmenistan in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law. The meeting heard the reports on the activities of the interdepartmental commission in 2020 and outlined the priority areas of work for the coming period. Members of the interdepartmental commission briefed the meeting on the ongoing activities, including workshops, meetings and consultations on preparation of national reports and reviews. The importance of studying best practices in the implementation of human rights was also emphasized. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. Brady Corporation, a global leader in safety, identification, and compliance solutions, is hosting a free webinar on Solutions for Cable & Wire Identification & LIVE hands on demo broadcasting on February 17 at 3 to 4 PM, Dubai time. Well identified wires, cables and components give professionals an immediate insight into how an installation works and how it is connected. This enables them to perform repairs, installation updates and upgrades faster, in a safer, more secure way and with a reduced risk of human error. There is a lot more to professional identification labels than meets the eye. Depending on the context of their job, it is better to choose a more resilient material that ensures legibility for the lifetime of a cable or component, Brady said in a statement. The online event will be an opportunity for professionals to learn about the best practice in cable and wire identification with a live stream of the hands-on demonstration and ask questions. Farah Montenegro, Local Product Expert at Brady Corporation is the speaker at the webinar. The main agenda of the webinar is: 1. Importance of professional labelling; 2. Norms and specifications; 3. Wire and cable identification; 4. Do It Yourself on-site label printing power - Live Demo broadcasting; 5. Questions & Answers Date and time: Wednesday 17.02.2021, 03:00 - 4:00 PM Dubai time Speaker: Farah Montenegro, Local Product Expert, Brady Corporation Number of participants is limited, so please reserve your place now. New Delhi: Footage has emerged of what leading UFO researchers believe to be an alien "mothership" the mammoth craft was spotted on NASA's live feed of the space region adjacent to the International Space Station (ISS). Truth revealed about what is leading leading UFO researchers believe to be an alien "mothership". It was only after a video was released on Thursday by brothers Blake and Brett Cousins who run YouTube channel thirdphaseofmoon'. In the footage released, a hazy object 'the mammoth craft' was spotted on NASA's live feed of the space region adjacent to the International Space Station (ISS). It is seen like a mere line of burning orange orbs initially, quickly forming the shape of what appears to be a spacefaring vessel gains contour and colour. The clip itself, the Cousins duo said, is sped up by 900 percent the actual event lasted over nine minutes. The pair enlisted the expertise of a UFO aficionado to shed some light on what the apparent craft which they claimed was "tracking" the station might actually be. Till now the video has been able to get the attention of over 40,000 views following its upload date (July 17). Also Read: Google street view's latest destination ISS, user can see 360-degree "It's pretty obvious we're either a protected planet like a nature reserve or under the protection or rule of another alien race. People wonder how come so many different craft come here. It's like the aliens are not allowed to say 'hello.' Why? Because we have been ruled from day one and still are. Pretty simple logic. Other aliens probably visit us to look, but have an agreement to not contact us, hence crop circles, graffiti? They probably say, 'poor humans being slaves I wish we could tell them!' But it's much similar to the tribe that lives in the Andaman Islands, they have no contact with the rest of the world, they have no idea what's out there. Our governments won't let us say hello, and that's on Earth, so people don't be shocked that they are here but not allowed to speak to us, it's like the Earth is being run by Kim Jong-il," speculated user MrSonicseeds. The footage was apparently missing from a subsequent NASA upload, leading some ufologists to suggest the agency deliberately edited the footage. Also Read: Elon Musk suggests SpaceX will abandon Red Dragon mission on Mars For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Recall the Governor, Shiv Sena urges Centre India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Feb 13: The Shiv Sena, which is in power in Maharashtra, on Saturday accused state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of toeing the BJP's line, and said that if the Centre wants the Constitution to be upheld, it should recall him. The party also asserted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation is stable and strong, and added that the Centre cannot use the governor's shoulders to take aim at the state government. "Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is back in news again. He has been in politics for the last many years. He was a Union minister and also the chief minister of Uttarakhand. Maha Governor takes regular airline after CM says no for use of VVIP aircraft However, ever since he became the Maharashtra governor, he has always remained in news or landed in controversy," the Sena said in an editorial in mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "Why he is always landing in controversy is a question. Recently, he is in news over the use of a state government's plane. The governor wanted to go to Dehradun using the state aircraft. But the government denied permission to it. He sat in the aircraft on Thursday morning, but as the plane did not have approval to fly, he had to disembark and take a commercial flight to Dehradun," it said. The opposition BJP is creating an issue out of it. But why did the governor sit in the plane even as the government had not given its approval for it to fly, the party asked. It was a private tour of the governor and as per the law, not only the governor, but even the chief minister cannot use a state plane for such purposes. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has acted in accordance with law, it said. "But Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis accused the state government of being egoistic. The country knows who is indulging in politics of ego. Despite the death of over 200 farmers during the ongoing protest on Delhi borders over the three farm laws, the government is not ready to withdraw them. Isn't that ego?" the Uddhav Thackeray-led party asked. A governor should pursue the agenda of the government of the day and not that of the opposition, it added. The Sena also criticised the delay in governor's approval of 12 names recommended by the state cabinet for their nomination to the Legislative Council from his quota. "The governor is acting like a puppet," it alleged. The governor of Maharashtra is an honourable person. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News But it is also his own responsibility to keep the prestige of the position that he occupies. However, he is being forced to dance to the BJP's tunes, it said. "If the Union Home Ministry wants the Constitution, laws and norms to be upheld, it should recall the governor," it said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 13:08 [IST] Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. The meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) will be held on Friday, February 19, at the premises of the President's Office (OP) at 11 Bankova Street. "Threats to the national security of the state, which must be eliminated, require mandatory tough decisions within the limits determined by the Constitution of Ukraine and current legislation," the Presidents Office reported on Saturday. The message said that society should see the state, which absolutely knows the current risks and knows how to respond to them professionally and quickly. "It is also obvious that, unfortunately, in the period until 2019, the Ukrainians clearly saw that the necessary decisions to protect national security were long overdue, but were postponed for political reasons. The lack of sufficient political will then laid many mines under the foundations of our statehood, which are in need of systemic opposition today," the message says. It was also said that it is an unconditional priority for President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to fulfill the president's constitutional duty to ensure the national security of the state. "The decisions that are made as a result of the collegial work of the National Security and Defense Council are fully consistent with the interests of Ukraine at this stage of development of our state," the message says. As reported, the President of Ukraine instructed the NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov to start preparations for the NSDC meeting. Some of the questions will be considered behind closed doors. For the second time, the U.S. Senate has acquitted former President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial. The final vote was 57-43 in favor of convicting the former president, but Trump was acquitted because the Senate didn't reach the two-thirds majority. Both of the senators from Alabama, Senator Richard Shelby and Senator Tommy Tuberville voted "not guilty" on Saturday. The Democrats argued in the short trial that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. Five people died when they then laid siege to the Capitol. Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that he was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump. In total, seven Republicans vote to convict Trump at Senate trial, which was the most impeachment defections ever from a president's party. A Dallas police officer was killed early Saturday by a suspected drunk driver, tweeted Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia. The officer had been blocking the scene of a freeway accident at 1:45 a.m., standing outside of his patrol car with his emergency lights on. A Kia Forte crashed into him, and he died of his injuries at Baylor Hospital. The Kia Forte driver, a 32-year-old man, was taken into police custody. Charges are still pending. The driver was not injured, nor was a female passenger in the car. The investigation is ongoing, and no names have been released. Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Banco Hipotecario del UruguayGlobal Credit Research - 12 Feb 2021New York, February 12, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review discussion held on 10 February 2021 in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology (ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.Key rating considerations are summarized below.Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay's (BHU) Baa2 long-term deposit and debt ratings are at the same level as Uruguay's sovereign rating and derive from the bank's baseline credit assessment (BCA) of ba2. The ratings also incorporate Moody's assessment that, as a government-backed bank, BHU would benefit from very high support from the government, resulting in three notches of uplift from its BCA. The bank's deposit ratings incorporate the full and unconditional guarantee of the Uruguayan government to BHU's obligations.BHU's ba2 BCA reflects the bank's specialized operation in consumer mortgage financing. The bank's very strong capital position provides meaningful cushion against potential loan losses and is the main support to its ba2 BCA. BHU has a sizable share of its funding base in the form of low-cost local currency demand and savings deposits, another positive influence on its BCA. Deposits, though stable, finance a long-term mortgage loan book, generating assets and liabilities mismatches. Profitability metrics have been steady for the past four years; nonetheless, the very small diversification in the bank's earnings mix and loan book is a challenge to the bank's financial profile.This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.The principal methodology used for this review was Banks Methodology published in November 2019. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.This announcement applies only to EU rated, UK rated, EU endorsed and UK endorsed ratings. Non EU rated, non UK rated, non EU endorsed and non UK endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history. Alexandre Albuquerque Vice President - Senior Analyst Financial Institutions Group Moody's America Latina Ltda. Avenida Nacoes Unidas, 12.551 16th Floor, Room 1601 Sao Paulo, SP 04578-903 Brazil JOURNALISTS: 0 800 891 2518 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 M. Celina Vansetti-Hutchins MD - Banking Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. 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Speaking on World Radio Day, he noted that he himself listens to radio and feels that the medium plays an important role despite the presence of various other state-of-the-art communication platforms. World Radio Day: Radio a fantastic medium that deepens social connect, says PM Modi "Radio is also an important means of spreading awareness in society," he said. "Radio has a worldwide reach and this powerful and very cheap medium of communication is suitable for residents of rural and remote areas, which provides them a platform for public discussion," the chief minister added. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Gehlot said the medium also helped in making people aware, providing necessary information and alerting them against rumours during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 15:15 [IST] Waha Capital, a leading investment company in Abu Dhabi, has announced a net profit of AED231 million ($63 million) in 2020, compared to a loss of AED616 million ($168 million) in 2019. Announcing the audited financial results for 2020, Waha Capital said that its consolidated operating income too surged to AED662.2 million from AED4.8 million the year before. During the third quarter, Waha Capital made an investment of $50 million in Despegar.com, a leading NYSE-listed company in the online travel sector in Latin America. The general and admin expenses were reduced by 15.8% to AED 217 million against AED258 million in 2019, while the total assets stood AED 8.9 billion against AED9.3 billion in 2019. On the solid results, Chairman Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi said: "It is a testament to the robustness of Waha Capitals governance and risk management processes that the company was able to navigate the past year, with all its challenges, so successfully. That we were also able to accomplish a change of leadership so seamlessly in the third quarter says much for the effective overall management of the business." "The positive results we saw in 2020 are rooted in the implementation of a turnaround strategy that demonstrated commendable determination and resilience, such as going ahead with a number of ground-breaking investments and launching a new fund," he added. CEO Ahmed Khalifa Al Mehairi said: "The story of our performance in 2020 portrays the success of both verticals of the business - Public Markets and Private Investments - in pressing ahead with their strategies for the year despite the high volatility brought about by the pandemic." "On the investment side in particular our teams were able to generate excess returns ahead of industry benchmarks while taking advantage of attractive valuations that brought short term gains as well as ones likely to crystallise into longer term value for our investors. Our portfolio of private investments continued to implement turnaround strategies leading to a positive contribution from this business in 2020," he stated. Waha Capitals two flagship funds significantly outperformed industry benchmarks, despite market turbulence as a result of the ongoing pandemic, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Opportunities to present the economic and investment potential of Lutsk in Israel were the subject of an online meeting between the Ambassador of Ukraine in the State of Israel Yevhen Korniychuk and the Mayor of Lutsk Igor Polishchuk. The Embassy of Ukraine reported tis at Facebook. During the conversation, the issues of Lutsk's cooperation with Israel in various spheres were discussed, as well as the prospects of bilateral cooperation in the agro-industrial and woodworking spheres. The parties also expressed interest in organizing joint business events to present the city's economic and investment potential in Israel, - the message says. It was reached an agreement to work out the idea of establishing twinning relations between Lutsk and one of the Israeli cities. The issues of cultural and humanitarian cooperation were discussed separately in the context of teaching Israeli students in Lutsk universities, participation of creative teams of the city in events in Israel and restoration of Jewish cultural monuments in this regional center, - the Embassy said. Britains Karim Khan has emerged as the front-runner to become the new chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). BBC News Africa has learnt that Mr Khan is now one of only four candidates in contention to replace Gambian Fatou Bensouda, whose term expires in June. The other five candidates, including a Nigerian and Uganda judge, have dropped out of the intensive process which requires lobbying and securing the support of voting members. The other remaining candidates are Fergal Gaynor from Ireland, Spaniard Ferdinand Carlos Castresana and Italian prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi. The elections will be held in New York later on Friday as 123 member states of the Rome Statute - the law that set up the ICC - meet for their general assembly. Mrs Bensouda has been the ICCs chief prosecutor since 2011, after replacing Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo. During her tenure, she secured more convictions than her predecessor - the latest being the historic case of former Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen who was this month convicted of war crimes. But the ICC has also faced sharp criticism, mainly that it's targeted Africans. Last June, Mrs Bensouda was banned from traveling to the US after the then American President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing financial sanctions on her. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of social media platform Twitter, has announced he and US rapper-turned-businessman Jay-Z are investing a chunk of their own money into bitcoin development in Africa and India. Mr Dorsey says they are putting a total of 500 bitcoin, worth around $23.6m (17m), in the endowment fund called trust. JAY-Z/@S_C_ and I are giving 500 BTC to a new endowment named trust to fund #Bitcoin development, initially focused on teams in Africa & India. Itll be set up as a blind irrevocable trust, taking zero direction from us. We need 3 board members to start: https://t.co/L4mRBryMJe jack (@jack) February 12, 2021 According to news site Quartz, Nigeria is second only to the US when it comes to the amount of bitcoin traded over the past five years.The BBC's Catherine Byuaruhanga says that in Africa's commercial hubs like Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg, a growing number of people are finding that cryptocurrencies offer a cheaper solution to the expensive problem of transferring funds across borders.However, Nigeria's Central Bank is worried about their rise, and last week ordered banks to close the accounts of anyone associated with trading cryptocurrencies Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video U.S. House impeachment managers presented riveting videos this week of the intense violence that marked the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, as the mob attempted to stop Congress from counting the Electoral College votes certifying President Joe Bidens victory over former President Donald Trump. But that wasnt the first or only case during the Trump era in which unruly mobs have threatened seats of democratic government. In May, for example, heavily armed protesters opposed to the states COVID-19 public health measures stormed into the Michigan Capitol and disrupted the legislative session. And even in normal times, tempers sometimes run hot at local government meetings regarding everything from taxes to zoning to personal beefs with council members. In 2013, resident Rocke Newell killed three people and wounded several others at a Ross Twp., Monroe County, municipal government meeting after a long-running dispute over land use. Following the Trump-supporting mobs Jan. 6 insurrection, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti closed Scranton City Hall on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20, the latter of which was Scranton native Bidens presidential inauguration. Gov. Tom Wolf also closed the state Capitol for those days. State law precludes barring guns from government buildings and property other than courthouses. Cognetti has asked state legislative leaders to allow local governments to bar weapons in their buildings. History shows that it is a simple matter of common sense and public safety. Its also an acknowledgement that policy disputes in a democracy should be settled by words rather than violence. Barring guns in government buildings is long overdue. The Legislature should not just allow it but require it as a matter of state law, and include significant penalties for violations. All degree colleges, state, private universities and other educational institutions of higher learning across will re-open in from February 15 while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, said an official communication on Friday. According to the communication letter between officials of higher education, it will be mandatory for all teachers and students to wear face masks. Along with this, social distancing will be followed by students sitting at a distance of six feet. All the institutes have to ensure sanitation and thermal scanning. "All universities, degree colleges and other educational institutions of higher learning across the state will function normally from February 15. These institutions were reopened with restrictions on November 23, 2020," reads the letter (dated February 12) of Special Secretary of Higher Education Department Abdul Samad sent to the Vice-Chancellors and Directors of Higher Education of all the private and state universities of The Higher Education Department has asked the educational institutions to fully sanitized the campus before re-opening. If a student, teacher or employee has symptoms of cough, cold or fever, they should be sent back home giving first aid. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop in students or staff, immediate testing should be done and results should be recorded, it said. The educational authorities have been asked to take COVID-19 prevention measures while conducting the classes. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Washington: US on Wednesday expressed concern over the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops and said both India and China should work together to come up with "some better sort of arrangement" for peace. Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face-off in the Dokalam area of the Sikkim sector for over a month after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building aroad in the disputed area. "I know that the US is concerned about the on going situation there," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference. She was responding to questions on the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Dokalam area. "We believe that both parties, both sides should work together to try to come up with some better sort of arrangement for peace," Nauert said. Earlier, a State Department official told PTI that the US encourages India and China to engage in a direct dialogue to reduce border tensions. China claimed that they were constructing the road within their territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out ofthe Indian troops from the disputed Dokalam plateau. New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its north eastern states. India has conveyed to the Chinese government that theroad construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for it. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutanrecognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. And since its launch in the late '50s, the Huey has been used in plenty of military conflicts, including Vietnam, where it helped the United States army during a series of critical operations.But the Bell helicopter was eventually shipped to plenty of other nations across the world, as its estimated the parent company manufactured over 16,000 units until 1987 when it officially dropped the production.During its adventure in combat, however, the Huey has also received plenty of upgrades, and the UH-1H is one of the most common. This particular configuration comes with an upgraded engine allowing for the transport of up to 13 people, while also offering enough space for the installation of other military equipment, including landing lights and machine guns.Without a doubt, the Huey has a well-deserved place in the history of the world, and if you want to own such an iconic helicopter , all you need is the money. Because right now, there are plenty of models part of the UH-1 series up for sale out there, including the one we have here and which has previously been used by the special forces in Thailand.Unfortunately, were not being provided with too many specifics, but Northwest Helicopters, the company in charge of selling the helicopter, explains this particular model is currently being restored back to the original condition. It comes with documented combat time with the special forces in Thailand, the listing reads A photo with the helicopter shows this UH-1H previously belonged to the United States Army, so for a full history, you should reach out to the dealership.The price of this little piece of history hasnt been shared, but if the restoration project is completed, you should expect the UH-1H to get close to $1 million given its history. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 17:22:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses a Chinese Lunar New Year reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 10, 2021. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council held the reception on Wednesday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- As China rings in the Year of the Ox, President Xi Jinping has urged promoting "the spirit of the ox" in pursuit of fully building a modern socialist China. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has highlighted the spirit of serving the people as willing steers, blazing new trails in development as pioneering bulls and engaging in an arduous struggle as hardworking oxen. Xi promoted the spirit at a New Year gathering organized by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Dec. 31, 2020. "We must promote the spirit of the ox in serving the people, driving innovative development and working tirelessly. We must continue to be careful, as we were in the past, guarding against arrogance and impetuosity, and continue to fear no hardship and be enterprising, marching forward bravely on the new journey of fully building a modern socialist country, and marking the centenary of the CPC with outstanding achievements," Xi said. Xi reiterated the spirit of the ox in his Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Wednesday. People walk on a street decorated with ox-themed statues for the Chinese Lunar New Year in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Qing) In China, an ancient civilization nurtured by its agriculture and fertile lands, the ox has always been considered an important animal as they help farmers cultivate the farmlands. "In Chinese culture, the ox is a symbol of diligence, dedication, endeavor and strength," Xi said. Stressing the virtues of modesty and prudence, Xi called for efforts to achieve the second centenary goal and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of securing peace and development for all mankind. The ox is the second zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle, represented by 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The previous Year of the Ox was 2009. After an interval of 12 years, a new Year of the Ox began this month. Despite complicated international and domestic situations in 2020, China has made major strategic achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, conquered serious floods and achieved positive economic growth. The country has lifted nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty over the past eight years, securing a decisive victory in ending absolute poverty. These hard-won, remarkable achievements would not have been attained without the spirit of the ox, which will play a more important role in the year 2021 as China strives to achieve rural vitalization, implement a new development paradigm and deepen reform and opening up. Harrisburg Area Community College faculty members on Saturday rallied in favor of forming a union, saying their main goal is a greater say in decisions that impact the education and experiences of students. Several dozen gathered and held signs along Cameron Street near HACCs main campus in Harrisburg on Saturday afternoon. Others planned to rally near HACCs Lancaster campus. A major issue driving the effort, they said, involves what they called a lack of say in decisions impacting their work and ability to serve students. They said HACC long followed a shared governance model that gave faculty a strong voice in decisions. That has severely eroded in recent years, leading to a strained relationship between faculty and administration, said Amy Withrow, an English professor and leader in the union drive. A union would help return stability and allow faculty to focus their energies on our students and our classrooms. Withrow said the consequences of the eroded input were seen in 2019 after HACC, in a reorganization, eliminated positions of 20 faculty members who also were involved in counseling students. The move caused many objections among students and mental health advocates, and HACC eventually contracted with an outside firm to provide mental health counseling. But according to Withrow, those faculty members had roles in other things, including new student orientation, and the move had unforeseen consequences such as delaying orientation for thousands of students. She said the problems wouldnt have happened had faculty been more involved. Deb Shover, a communications professor, said positions have been cut and demands on instructors have increased, impacting her ability to create courses and serve students as well as she would like. Our time has been continually stretched and stretched and stretched and Im worried about the student experience with that, she said. Caroline Mellinger, a history professor, said her main goal is equalization of power between faculty, and all employees really, and administration. She acknowledged pay and benefits are also a concern, probably more so for adjunct professors and newer faculty who earn less. HACC has 700 full-time and adjunct faculty members at campuses in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, Gettysburg and York. HACC instructors who work 9.5 months per year earn average salaries of $45,784; assistant professors earn an average of $50,469; associate professors earn an average of $61,925; professors earn an average of $71,913 and senior professors earn an average of $74,795, according to a website created by union organizers. Financial information wasnt available for adjunct professors, who are paid according to credit hours taught, and who comprised about 70 percent of the faculty as of 2017. HACC administrators on Saturday said they had no immediate comment on the rally. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuss stopped by the rally. He noted hes a former teacher and union member and agrees collective bargaining is needed for instructors to have an adequate say. Its a good thing for HACC and the city certainly needs a strong HACC, he said. HACC faculty members took part in a vote in December which allowed a unionization effort. They are being represented by the Pennsylvania State Education Association. They are moving toward a decision that will involve the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board and HACC administrators that will define who is in the collective bargaining group. Union organizers want to include all full- and part-time faculty and some others such as librarians. Withrow said organizers hope to hold a final unionization vote before summer. The HACC organizers say the HACC faculty is the only community college faculty in Pennsylvania that isnt unionized. Note: This article was revised to include average salaries of faculty who work 9.5 months per year, as do the majority of HACC faculty members. Kaiser Permanente, which serves the largest share of the states health insurance market and runs a vast hospital system, has received a disproportionately small share of vaccines from the state, according to the company and government officials. That leaves some of its older members out of luck while seniors with other providers stand a better chance of getting a shot, a dynamic highlighting inconsistencies in the states distribution of limited resources. Across California, Kaiser is still prioritizing vaccines only for members over 75, even as other health care providers and the states mass vaccination sites are now open to Californians over 65. In Northern California, the state has given Kaiser 269,500 vaccines too few to cover its members over the age of 75, let alone its health care workers. When the state changed to age-prioritized guidelines a month ago, supply didnt keep up, the company said. The supply we received did not increase aligned with our coverage of 25% of the states population, a Kaiser spokesperson said. We have been working with the state to address this, and over the last couple weeks the allotment we have received has increased. We expect the allocation to continue to increase. The issue has been stark in Santa Clara County, where Kaiser received less than 10% of vaccines despite serving about 30% of the population, Dr. Rakesh Chaudhary from Kaiser said during a town hall this week. Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian said that at one point, Kaiser didnt have enough vaccines to inoculate its health care workers as eligibility opened to the public and got at least 4,000 doses from the county to fill the gap. Last week, Kaiser had to cancel more than 5,000 vaccine appointments because it didnt get a promised shipment of doses. The county public health department said inequitable supply was the reason it changed its guidelines two days later to a no wrong door policy that offers vaccines to anyone eligible regardless of their health care provider meaning that Kaiser patients 65 and up can get vaccinated elsewhere. Brittany Hosea-Small / Special to The Chronicle The county confirmed that Kaiser has received a small allocation relative to the number of people it serves but said the health system is expected to receive a much larger share next week. Darrel Ng, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, said he could not comment on allocations to any specific provider and did not answer why Kaiser had received a disproportionately small supply. Last week, the state reallocated an additional 150,000 doses to Kaiser, with 50% going to its members and 50% going to disproportionately affected populations, Ng said. Kaiser said thanks to that reallocation, it was able to provide vaccines to anyone over 65 at Moscone Center. The No. 1 factor in the lack of vaccines for any state, county, health system or provider is the extremely constrained vaccine supply overall, Ng said. California has so far administered 5 million doses a fraction of the roughly 17 million needed to give to all health care workers and Californians over the age of 65. For the first four to six weeks of the vaccine rollout, allocation was based on populations of health care workers, then readjusted for those over 65 a month ago, Ng said. The state has been giving 80% of its vaccine supply to counties and 20% to multicounty entities, including Kaiser, Santa Clara County officials said Thursday. Sutter Health and UCSF Health, which also get doses directly from the state, opened up vaccinations to people over age 65, even though they dont yet have enough vaccines for everyone eligible to receive one. Kaiser has not yet done so for that age group, but expects to receive a larger share next week. The state distribution system, it just somehow missed the mark, Chaudhary said last week. I know we have a lot of members that are worried and frustrated. I share that frustration. Santa Clara County health officials said Palo Alto Medical Foundation, run by Sutter Health, experienced similar, scant vaccine allocations from the state, though that system is offering vaccines to those over 65. Sutter declined to provide upon request specific data on its allocations compared to the proportion of patients and health care workers. To date, the health system has administered more than 200,000 doses. The type and amount of vaccine allocation we receive from the state changes each week, requiring careful and highly complex coordination to make sure the appropriate type and number of doses get to the right place at the right time while working to meet incredible demand, said Sutter spokewoman Monique Binkley Smith. UCSF, which also gets supply directly from the state, has received 59,750 doses nowhere near enough to vaccinate its eligible patient population, spokeswoman Kristen Bole said. So far the health system has vaccinated around 13% of its patient population over 65 and 85% of its health care workers. The city supplemented the health systems vaccine supply at the City College site when UCSF was running out, she said. For some older adults, getting a vaccine in the Bay Area has felt like taking part in a game of chance. Stella Walker, 90, who was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, kept calling Kaiser and receiving the same message there werent enough vaccines. A friend told her she could book an appointment at a county-run site in Rohnert Park. She got one but shell have to wait until March 3. I didnt know whether Kaiser was going to come around, said Walker, who otherwise praised the health system providing her cancer treatment. Im really shocked they had no room and no appointments available. Berkeley residents and Kaiser members John Culver, 70, and his wife, Janine Bajus, 68, agreed to wait given the limited vaccine supplies, but watched as some of their younger friends started receiving shots through Stanford Health Care. Suddenly this is just a big free-for-all. That was the point I began to feel very frustrated, Culver said. At a certain point, we just became fatalistic. They finally got their first doses through Berkeleys city health department Thursday. Culver questioned why a small city managed to get vaccines for his age group while Kaiser couldnt, fueling his concerns about inequity for others. Brittany Hosea-Small / Special to The Chronicle It seems very disorganized and chaotic. and it depends on what health system youre in, it kind of depends a little bit on who you know, it depends quite a bit on where you are, he said. In Mountain House in San Joaquin County, just across the county line from Alameda County, Kaiser member Misty Van Atta has tried through the state, county, Safeway and CVS to try to get shots for her parents, ages 70 and 73, to no avail. Her father is partially paralyzed and uses a wheelchair after a stroke. Van Atta lives with her parents and her 8-year-old son, heightening their anxiety about the virus. Her son is now receiving counseling because of pandemic fear, she said. Hes terrified that if we go out to the grocery store, if we accidentally bring something back, he could kill his whole family, she said. Everybody is frustrated. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench Cabinet ministers have backed the use of vaccine certificates for travellers wanting to head abroad this year. The certificates will verify Covid inoculations and will be developed by the government, following the likes of Greece, Spain, Poland, Iceland and Portugal to commit to similar schemes. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will head up the programme which is likely to operate like yellow fever cards. Cabinet ministers have backed the use of vaccine certificates for travellers wanting to head abroad this year The development is going ahead in anticipation of an agreed international system for travel, with countries requesting the certificates as a condition of entry. It comes despite a government source saying on Friday it was 'too early' to think about holidays, which will not be possible until infection numbers are at much lower levels. An association of airlines, IATA, has held talks with the UK about its app TravelPass, which could function as the certificate, The Telegraph reports. The app is already being trialled by IAG, the company that owns British Airways, and its CEO Alexandre de Juniac said he was 'pretty optimistic' the system could be up and running by the end of March. He added the Department for Transport was 'very interested'. Travellers would have to either download the app as proof of their vaccination or airlines could use the existing IATA technology and incorporate it within their own apps. The Cabinet's Covid operational committee discussed the proposals at a meeting on Friday. They agreed in principle to prepare options in anticipation of the recognised international system. Mr Shapps said earlier this week: 'Just as we have things like the yellow fever card, I imagine that in the future there'll be an international system where countries will want to know that you've been potentially vaccinated or had tests taken before flying, before you come in.' Other potential methods to prove vaccinations could involve facial recognition software QR scanning codes at airports. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will head up the programme which is likely to operate like yellow fever cards The optimism regarding holidays for those vaccinated is being dulled by scientists who fear opening up international travel could lead to mutations being brought back to the UK and spread much faster. It has led to confusion among ministers who bickered over whether it is safe to book a summer break in the UK this year. Shapps sparked a furious backlash after declaring this week: 'People shouldn't be booking holidays right now not domestically or internationally.' As anger mounted, Downing Street appeared to distance itself from Mr Shapps at lunchtime, saying it was a 'choice for individuals'. But Boris Johnson, who earlier this month said he was 'optimistic' about the prospect of summer holidays, appeared to change his mind. The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference it was 'just too early for people to be certain about what we will be able to do this summer'. Health Secretary Matt Hancock then revealed to Tory MPs he has already booked a holiday in Cornwall this summer. Whitehall sources told the Mail that, despite the cautious message from the PM, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden are working on packages to promote holidays in the UK. Ministers have already put dreams of a summer break abroad in jeopardy with the introduction of draconian border controls backed by the threat of ten-year prison sentences for those who try to cheat the system. It comes as the NHS is on course to reach its target of vaccinating 15million Britons on Saturday. In a major step forward in the battle against coronavirus, 14,012,224 first doses of the Pfizer and Oxford jabs have been administered. The total includes more than 500,000 from Thursday, meaning the 15million target should be hit 48 hours ahead of schedule. The focus has been on the top four priority groups: the over-70s, care home residents, healthcare workers and people shielding. The R number is now below one for the first time since July. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 18:59:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People watch destructed vehicles after a blast in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Feb. 13, 2021. One person was killed and seven others injured when a suicide bomber drove a vehicle laden with explosives past a security checkpoint in Somalia capital, Mogadishu early Saturday, the police have confirmed. (Xinhua/Hassan Bashi) MOGADISHU, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and seven others injured when a suicide bomber drove a vehicle laden with explosives past a security checkpoint in Somalia capital, Mogadishu early Saturday, the police have confirmed. Sadiq Aden, the police spokesman said the suicide bomber died after the police shot at his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) which exploded at a checkpoint junction near the Somali presidential palace. Aden also confirmed that eight vehicles and nine motorcycles were destroyed in the blast, adding that no one was killed as people fled the scene soon after the shooting. "Nobody was killed except the terrorist. The blast left seven civilians wounded, eight vehicles and nine rickshaws extensively damaged," he told Xinhua. Aden said the VBIED had sped off at the police checkpoint in Debka Junction, prompting the police to pursue it but reached the presidential guard checkpoint where it exploded after security forces fired at the vehicle. The checkpoint at Sayidka junction is strategic as it links Mogadishu to a secure area which hosts Parliament, the presidential palace and other key installations. A police officer said the VBIED was heading towards parliament when security forces manning the Debka junction fired at it after it failed to stop at Sayidka checkpoint. "The car was being chased by the police and when the suicide bomber attempted to pass through the checkpoint the security forces fired at the car killing the suicide bomber and then the car exploded," the officer said. Witnesses reported the blast saying huge smoke was billowing from the scene "The blast was huge and the security forces cordoned off the area, there were casualties and mass destruction of properties," Ibrahim Abdi, a witness said. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the latest attack which comes as Somali leaders are due to hold a consultative meeting aimed at breaking the deadlock on the electoral process on Monday. The Somali National Army (SNA) backed by African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) drove al-Shabab out of Mogadishu, but the group is still capable of conducting attacks, targeting government installations, hotels, restaurants and public places. Enditem The plush Imperial Ballroom of the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston was packed with middle-aged white guys in tuxedos. There were no women. They were banned. In the 21st century. A few months earlier the Governor of Massachusetts had declined an invitation to speak to the all-male Clover Club, a fraternal organisation of predominantly Irish-Americans. Governor Deval Patrick cancelled a scheduled appearance, citing its refusal to allow female members. Founded in 1883, the membership included Irish-American business and civic leaders. In the late 1990s, the refusal to allow women members had prompted then Fianna Fail cabinet minister Mary ORourke and Irish consul Orla OHanrahan to turn down invitations. The diners on that rainy night in 2010 were treated to a choir singing Irish classics such as When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, followed by the national anthem, Amhran na bhFiann, and the English version, The Soldiers Song. The guest of honour at this exclusive and all-male event was Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Fein. Adamss attendance was rather at odds with Sinn Feins claim it was committed to equality and was part-founded out of the womens movement. Read More Adamss attendance at an event that was snubbed by US politicians made headlines in the US media. Sinn Fein told the Boston Globe he accepted the invitation because the male-only groups president did charity work in Ireland. Whether Adams lambasted the crowd for their outdated practices will never be known. Members of the Irish media were told to leave as it was a private event. Standing at the entrance to the ballroom, a female Irish journalist was informed: Maam, you cant be here. Later that week, Adams took part in a pre-St Patricks Day march through Boston. Boston mayor Thomas Menino refused to attend because gay people were not invited. Attendance by a senior political figure like Adams at such events on this side of the Atlantic would have sparked outrage. Even before the same-sex marriage referendum and Me Too movements, society had moved on from such discrimination. Adams explained away his actions. I am against exclusion, I am for inclusivity. I know about exclusion, we made our position very, very clear on that, he said. We believe in equality, all groups should be free to be involved in any assembly, particularly one which is celebrating Ireland and which is about a celebration of the Irish. Sinn Fein talked about inclusivity and equality at home but applied different standards in the US. There wasnt a peep of discomfort from his party. Of all parties, Sinn Fein knows the value of trips to the US around St Patricks Day. The Sinn Fein machine and Republican movement has milked the Irish-American community for years. Rather than being of national benefit, the party can even measure it in its bank balance. Since it was set up in 1994, Friends of Sinn Fein, the partys US fundraising arm, has raised more than 13m. Adams saw the value of Irish-American lobbying at the highest level when he was controversially granted a visa to travel to the US at that time by then President Bill Clinton, overruling the advice of the State Department and ignoring objections from the British government. The Provisional IRA was still active at the time. A group of 12 senators wrote to Clinton to push the case to admit Adams and a British official said the White House were shaking under the Irish-American bombardment. Clinton gambled that giving a visa to Adams would actually put him under more pressure to deliver a ceasefire. In the words of one Clinton official, the calculation was that the trip was a diplomatic win-win: Engage him... or show him to be a fraud. More than a quarter of a century later, the value of face-to-face meetings in the US remains. Yet Sinn Fein says Taoiseach Micheal Martin needs to lead by example by not going to Washington due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hypocrisy will always out-trump principles in Sinn Fein. Now, if they cant travel this year, they dont want anybody else going there. Mary Lou McDonalds party saw a populist position to adopt and jumped at the chance. The responsibility of being the main Opposition party and explaining to the public the importance of keeping up US diplomacy didnt outweigh a chance for a cheap dig. The most Irish-American US President since John F Kennedy has been elected to the White House in Joe Biden and McDonald was happy to ignore the obvious gains of the Taoiseach travelling. Martin made it clear this week he would travel to Washington and would be vaccinated if he was invited to the White House. The invitation is an offer a Taoiseach cant refuse. Its not transferable and there is always uncertainty over whether it will arrive. The rule of thumb for years is a Taoiseach is never going until hes actually formally invited. Martin now appears unlikely to travel to the US next month due to Covid-19. The White House has confirmed a St Patricks Day meeting is on the table. However, it now looks like the meeting with President Biden will be virtual. Any president other than Biden and this would be seen as a really bad precedent to set. Aside from the normal Irish-American cultural, business and political ties, there is still a necessity to lobby for illegal Irish emigrants as the Biden administration formulates its agenda. Moreover, US support will still be required in the wake of Brexit. A recent report by a leading London think tank looked enviously at Irelands diplomatic operation in Washington, comparing it to the Israelis, and detailing how the UK was completely outflanked on Capitol Hill on Brexit. The Irish Embassy was highly proactive in engaging with the media, diaspora groups, think tanks and a small number of champions in Congress on the issue, the Policy Exchange report says. The bedding-in difficulties with the Irish Sea border and the triggering of Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol by the European Commission shows the Brexit battle has a long way to go yet. We need to meet our friends in high places not chat with them on Zoom. Read More The reality is, Mr. Trump was not in any way, shape or form instructing these people to fight or to use physical violence, Mr. van der Veen said. What he was instructing them to do was to challenge their opponents in primary elections to push for sweeping election reforms, to hold big tech responsible. Serving as one of Mr. Trumps lawyers is a true high-wire act for a range of reasons, from his indifference to the law and norms to his long-held belief that he is his own best defender and spokesman. In the 1970s, under the tutelage of the lawyer Roy M. Cohn whose aggressiveness was matched by his lack of adherence to ethical standards Mr. Trump began conflating legal and public relations problems. These factors have often led Mr. Trump to ignore legal advice and dictate to the lawyers what he wants them to do. Some lawyers have survived for years with Mr. Trump through various investigations, such as Jay Sekulow and the Florida-based couple Marty and Jane Raskin. They were involved in defending Mr. Trump in his first impeachment battle. And they had successes defending Mr. Trump in the highest-profile investigation he faced as president, the special counsel inquiry into possible conspiracy between the Trump campaign in 2016 and Russian officials. But those lawyers are not part of his current team. Neither is Pat A. Cipollone, the former White House counsel who spent weeks at the end of the Trump term batting away various efforts to overturn the election results. As he did with a previous White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, Mr. Trump repeatedly wanted the White House counsels to act as his personal lawyers. And Mr. Trumps willingness to listen to lawyers who tell him what he does not want to hear dwindled significantly after the Nov. 3 election. Instead, he relied on Mr. Giuliani, whom other Trump aides blame for ensnaring Mr. Trump in his two impeachment battles, to guide him in his effort to overturn the results of the election. Seventy German academics founded the Network for Academic Freedom on February 3. Even though the organization consists merely of an empty website, a brief press release and a list of names, the mainstream media has given it widespread publicity. The Networks founding received more recognition in the mainstream media than almost any other political event in academia in recent months, wrote the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung. If the founders were remotely honest, they would name their organization the Network for the Rehabilitation of Adolf Hitler. They seek to conceal their true aims behind a barrage of propaganda. They portray themselves, in a press release, as a persecuted minority whose positions and opinions have been marginalised and morally sanctioned, and complain about restrictions on academic freedom, which often follow an ideological or political agenda. In reality, the founders consist of professors who can express their opinions wherever and whenever they like. They possess access to well-financed university departments, as tenured academics cannot be fired and have unrestricted access to the media. Their network is not aimed at defending academic freedom, but rather at suppressing any criticism of their right-wing agenda. If they are asked to provide concrete examples of people who have been excluded for outsider positions, the inevitable response is Jorg Baberowski, who has developed into the leading academic voice of right-wing extremism over recent years and is also a member of the network. Baberowski cracks down on critics: 2/12/2014 - WSWS Editor-in-Chief David North is barred from attending an event with Robert Service with the help of security | 1/20/2020 - Baberowski tears down IYSSE election posters It is grotesque to portray the Berlin-based historian as a victim of an attack on academic freedom. He is himself responsible for ruthlessly persecuting his critics. He has banished students from public meetings, dragged them before the courts, insulted them in the most gratuitous manner and threatened them with violence for contradicting his right-wing extremist views. A widely viewed video reveals Baberowski tearing down election flyers for the International Youth and Students for Social Equality and threatening their spokesperson, Sven Wurm, with a raised fist, declaring, Should I smack you in the face? Baberowski also slanders specialists in his field when they dare to criticise him. Not even a week went by after the formation of the network before the first of them spoke out publicly. Jan Plamper, a history professor at Londons Goldsmiths College, described on the blog of the Merkur newspaper how he was cancelled by Baberowski. Baberowski sought to eject Plamper from the editorship of a joint project after he expressed criticisms of Baberowski. Public radio station Deutschlandfunk Kultur broadcast a segment on February 1 and 2 titled, Dispute over Berlin-based historian: They are trying to silence Jorg Baberowski. It amounted to a despicable attack on the IYSSE that employed distortions, falsifications, and flat-out lies, and violated the most elementary standards of journalistic practices. The segment was obviously prepared in coordination with the Networks founders. There was no other contemporary reason for itthe incidents it dealt with took place in many cases several years ago. The author, Sebastian Engelbrecht, previously distinguished himself as a defender of Baberowski. Baberowski and his supporters are furious with the IYSSE, because its members were the only ones who sounded the alarm seven years ago when Baberowski claimed in Der Spiegel that Hitler was not vicious. Thanks to an intense struggle to clarify the facts, Baberowski is seen today by the vast majority of students and the public at large for what he is: a right-wing extremist professor who downplays the Wehrmachts crimes, defends Hitler, agitates against refugees and receives praise from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), neo-Nazis and Breitbart News. When Baberowski sought to sue the student council in Bremen and the IYSSE, the courts confirmed that he could legitimately be described as a right-wing extremist. Despite all the efforts by university managements, professors, politicians and the media to defend the right-wing extremist professor, his reputation has largely been ruined. The new Network is therefore less concerned with Baberowski as an individual than it is with the project he has sought to realise for yearsHitlers rehabilitation. It is necessary to return to the outset of the controversy with Baberowski in 2014 to understand the significance of this issue. Baberowski defends Hitler On February 10, 2014, Der Spiegel published The Transformation of the Past, by Dirk Kurbjuweit, later translated into English as Questions of culpability in WWI still divide German historians. The article pursued the self-proclaimed aim of reevaluating the question of German guilti.e., reevaluating Germanys crimes in both world wars100 years after the outbreak of World War I and 75 years after the eruption of World War II. The publication coincided with a decisive turning point in German foreign policy. One year earlier, 50 representatives from politics, academia and the media drafted a document, New power, new responsibilities, under the aegis of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), which called for the revival of an imperialist and militarist German foreign policy. At the Munich Security Conference, held simultaneously with the Der Spiegel articles publication, Defence Minister Ursula Von der Leyen, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Joachim Gauck each energetically argued for this course. As the IYSSE commented at the time, in an open letter to the university administration at Humboldt University, the revival of German militarism requires a new interpretation of history that downplays the crimes of the Nazi era. This was the task of the Der Spiegel piece. Kurbjuweit interviewed political scientist Herfried Munkler in order to downplay Germanys responsibility for the First World War. This task was much harder to accomplish for the Second World War, because it is virtually impossible to deny that the initiative for the war came from Germany. Kurbjuweit based himself on Ernst Nolte and Baberowski on this issue. Nolte, who has since died, triggered the so-called Historians Dispute (Historikerstreit) in 1986 with the claim that Nazism was an unfortunate but understandable reaction to Bolshevism, a claim subsequently associated with the far right. In a Der Spiegel interview, Nolte accused Britain and Poland of bearing joint responsibility for Hitlers 1939 onslaught on Poland that triggered the outbreak of the Second World War. He also assigned the Jews a share of the blame for the Gulag, because various Bolsheviks were Jews. Baberowski defended Nolte in 2014. Nolte was done an injustice. Historically speaking, he was right, he commented in Der Spiegel. But he went well beyond anything Nolte stated when he said about Hitler, Hitler was no psychopath, and he wasnt vicious. He didnt want people to talk about the extermination of the Jews at his table. Stalin, on the other hand, delighted in adding to and signing off on the death lists. He was vicious. He was a psychopath. The Trotskyist movement already understood that Stalin was a vicious murderer when Baberowski, then a Maoist, was still defending Stalin and raising funds for the mass murderer Pol Pot, since Left Oppositionists and other socialists were Stalins primary victims. But to portray Hitler in a relatively positive light is a form of the most obscene historical falsification, comparable to Holocaust denial. It was significant that in 2014, no one, apart from the IYSSE and Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP), responded to Baberowskis statement. In 1986, Noltes much vaguer formulations triggered a storm of protest, which led to his discrediting as a scholar. Today, the Network for Academic Freedom would welcome Nolte as an honorary member and describe him as an alleged victim of cancel culture. Baberowskis statement was not only an outright falsification of history, but also trivialised the Nazi dictatorship, since an important role in its crimes was played by Hitlers personal cruelty. Peter Longerich wrote in his 2015 biography of Hitler that the latters personality not only (played) a role that should not be underestimated in important political decisions, but also (co-determined) the essence of his politics. At one point, Longerich graphically describes how Hitler personally travelled to Munich during the Rohm putsch to issue arbitrary death sentences against former comrades-in-arms. In his biography of Hitler, Ian Kershaw describes the savagery with which Hitler executed the leaders of the July 20, 1944, assassination attempt after they had been tortured in prison and humiliated in front of the Peoples Court: The normal mode of execution for civilian capital offences in the Third Reich was beheading. But Hitler had reportedly ordered that he wanted those behind the conspiracy of July 20, 1944, hanged, hung up like meat carcasses. On the orders of Hitler and Goebbels, the executions were filmed and photographed. Kershaw writes, The condemned men were led in, wearing handcuffs and prison trousers The hanging was carried out within 20 seconds of the prisoner entering the room. Death was not, however, immediate. Sometimes it came quickly, in other cases, the agony was slow, lasting more than 20 minutes. In an added gratuitous obscenity, some of the condemned men had their trousers pulled down by their executioners before they died. And all the time the camera whirred. The photographs and grisly film were taken to Fuhrer Headquarters. Speer later reported seeing a pile of such photographs lying on Hitlers map table when he visited the Wolfs Lair on August 18. Baberowski, who specialises in research into violence, is well-versed in these questions. When he asserts, in spite of knowing better, Hitler was not vicious, it amounts to a deliberate trivialisation of Hitler and the Nazi dictatorship. His claim that the extermination of the Jews was not discussed at Hitlers table is also an outright falsification. There are countless extracts from the Table discussions recorded by Hitler in the Fuhrer Headquarters between the summer of 1941 and early 1942 in which he angrily rails against Jews and claims that Europe will be Jew-free by the end of the war. The Nazis greatest crime, the murder of six million Jews, was directly initiated and ordered by Hitler, as Longerich proves. He writes in the summation of his biography, It was Hitler who took the fundamental decisions about the colonisation of the conquered areas by German and Germanic settlers, and the persecution of the native inhabitants, and it was he who in the spring and early summer of 1942 resolved to take measures that would lead to the extermination of the European Jews during the war. The return of fascism The new Network has been established to justify these unprecedented historical crimes under the fraudulent banner of academic freedom. The fact that 70 professors have joined shows that right-wing and fascist ideas are gaining ground among academics. The membership list overlaps to a considerable degree with the signatories of the Appeal for Free Spaces for Debate last December, which was signed by right-wing extremists like Monika Maron, Vera Lengsfeld and Matthias Matussek. Alongside well known right-wingers, like Peter Hoeres, Egon Flaig and Andreas Rodder, the founders of the Network include academics who are moving rapidly to the right under the pressure of the social crisis. Anyone who believes the return of fascism in Germany is impossible is blind. In the AfD, a right-wing extremist party is playing a major role in German politics for the first time since the Nazis. Hitler has many admirers in the ruling elite, which is now preparing his gradual rehabilitation. Around the world, the bourgeoisie is turning ever more openly to authoritarian and fascistic forms of rule. In the United States, the oldest Western democracy, a sitting president for the first time organised an attempted coup from the White House to prevent the coming to power of his democratically elected successor. The fascist conspiracy, which extends deep into the Republican Party and the state apparatus, is continuing following Trumps departure. The bourgeoisie is responding to the sharp social tensions that are being further intensified by the coronavirus pandemic and the criminal policy of placing profits ahead of human lives. They fear a social rebellion and are turning, as in the 1930s, to fascist forces to suppress it. Another factor is the massive programme of military rearmament, which is strongly opposed by the population at large. Although military spending has increased dramatically since 2014, the German ruling elite insists that this is nowhere near adequate to transform Europe and Germany into a military world power. Widespread opposition to this is also developing. The miserable role played during the Third Reich by the university chairs, who interpreted every critical voice among students as an insult to the authority of the state, is well known. Several joined the Nazis prior to 1933, while the rest could no longer restrain themselves when it became clear that Hitlers victory was beyond doubt. While their Jewish colleagues went into exile, hundreds of learned professors signed a written Affirmation of Professors at Germanys Universities to Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist State. In his essay The Fuhrer Protects the Law, the jurist Carl Schmitt justified the murder of 200 people on Hitlers orders alone during the Rohm putsch. It should be noted in passing that Baberowski dedicated his latest book, The Endangered Leviathan, to Carl Schmitt. The IYSSE and the SGP have shown it is possible to effectively resist the rise of the far right. Although Baberowski has powerful supporters in politics and the media, the struggle against his positions found strong support among students and workers. Such a struggle requires the complete independence from all established parties, including the Left Party, and a socialist programme. Prabhas is a busy bee these days. The actor literally has no time to chill as he is completely occupied with his humongous projects. After kicking off Salaar's shooting, the Rebel Star is now prepping to commence shooting for Om Raut's Adipurush. Yes, you read that right! As per reports, Prabhas will be joining the director and team on February 15, 2021. Reportedly, a few highlighting sequences of the film featuring the pan-India actor will be shot during this schedule. Though there were speculations regarding Saif Ali Khan joining the sets with Prabhas, reports suggest that the Bollywood actor is not included in the current schedule and he will start shooting later. Though Prabhas was supposed to join the team days ago, the sudden fire break out on the sets of Adipurush delayed the process as most of the setups erected and costumes were burnt during the unfortunate incident. On a related note, Adipurush's motion capturing began on January 19. The actor had even shared a picture of Om Raut and his team, to share the big news with his countless fans and followers. Adipurush made on a humongous budget of Rs 400 crore, will be shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi and will also have a massive release with the dubbed versions in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and other foreign languages. Backed by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Om Raut, Prasad Sutar and Rajesh Nair, the pan-India project will have a tremendous release on August 11, 2022. Notably, the other cast and crew members of the film are yet to be revealed by the makers. If reports are to be believed, Kriti Sanon has been zeroed in to play the leading lady in the epic drama. However, an official confirmation is awaited. Also Read: Prabhas 21: Massive Updates Of Prabhas Starrer To Be Out On January 29 & February 26; Confirms Nag Ashwin Also Read: Salaar: Confirmed! Madhu Guruswamy To Play The Antagonist In Prabhas Starrer! (From Left) Jaipur Literature Festival producer Sanjoy K Roy with co-directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple. (File image) Instead of footfalls on the hallowed ground of the Diggi Palace, the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) will be counting clicks on its website this year. Dubbed the "Kumbh Mela of literature", JLF kicks off next week in a virtual edition. The setting and atmospherics are going to be missed but the 14th edition of the festival has an impressive line-up of speakers from around the world to talk about books, the pandemic, racism and nationalism. Attended by nearly half-a-million people in 2020, the festival has moved its traditional January schedule by a month for an extended online edition that will be held during February 19-28. Access to the festival will continue to be free with a pre-event registration available on the JLF website (www.jaipurliteraturefestival.org). Book lovers will be offered a virtual experience of attending daily sessions on the popular Front Lawn and Durbar Hall venues by clicking a link on the main festival website. "With the lockdown and the immediate impact of every gated community and high rise becoming a republic of its own, we realised the vital importance and need to ensure the free flow of knowledge and information across boundaries to help understand the pandemic and the evolving situation in the world," says Sanjoy K Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts, which produces the festival. This years line-up is led by celebrated American philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky. In a 45-minute session on February 21 (begins at 6 pm) named after his 2014 book, Who Rules the World? Chomsky is expected to talk about public participation in changing policies besides covering topics such as freedom and human rights. He will also question the exercise of power by the United States in conflict areas after the 9/11 terror attacks. American philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky. The coronavirus pandemic will figure on the opening day in the session Pandemics: Past and Future (February 19, 6 pm-6.45 pm) by Chinmay Tumbe, author of Age of Pandemics (1817-1920): How They Shaped India and the World, British science journalist Laura Spinney, who wrote the 2017 book Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World and Delhi-based vascular surgeon Ambarish Satwik. In another session, Till We Win: India's Fight Against the Covid-19 Pandemic (February 21, 11 am-11.45 am), Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, will join leading public policy and health systems expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya and renowned infectious disease researcher and virologist Dr Gagandeep Kang to discuss how India continues to fight the pandemic. The fault lines within governments in the face of the pandemic will be talked about in the Wake-up Call session (February 19, 7 pm- 7.45 pm) by John Micklethwait. The editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News will discuss his 2020 book, The Wake-Up Call: Why the Pandemic has Exposed the Weakness of the West, and How to Fix It. Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and its Member (Health) Dr Vinod Paul will join CK Mishra, Secretary for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to discuss strategies for public health mitigation measures, concerns about new virus strains, the effectiveness of the vaccine and economic recovery. The Virus and the Vaccine-A Moving Target session will be held on February 25 from 2:30 pm-3.15 pm). The audience at the Front Lawn venue of the 2020 Jaipur Literature Festival. "We have tried to address the questions that confront us with the pandemicthe anxieties, the challenges, the learnings. There are also pressing themes before us regarding our planet. We have attempted to search the mood of our times, the key issues, and how writers and thinkers have responded to them," says author Namita Gokhale, co-director of JLF. Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates will make his first appearance at JLF in the session How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (February 25, 11 am-11.45 am). Gates will detail his wide-ranging plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions to avoid a climate catastrophe. Indian writers are represented by Avni Doshi (February 25, 1.30 pm to 2.15 pm), whose Burnt Sugar (The Girl in White Cotton in India) about the complex relationship between a mother and daughter was shortlisted for Booker Prize last year, Dharini Bhaskar (February 28, 12 pm-12.45 pm) on her debut novel These, Our Bodies, Possessed by Light, and S Hareesh (February 19, 12 pm-12.45 pm) on his debut novel, Moustache (first published in Malayalam as Meesha), which won the JCB Prize for Literature in 2020, joined by his translator and author Jayasree Kalathil. Indian-origin sculptor Anish Kapoor is among the speakers at the lit fest. Making sense of a paralysed word in the pandemic will be famous Indian-origin sculptor Anish Kapoor (February 28, 3 pm-3.45 pm), whose first work on India, Descension, was part of the second Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014. Scottish-born and New York-based author Douglas Stuart, who won the 2020 Booker Prize for his first novel, Shuggie Bain, will speak on February 21 (5 pm- 5.45 pm), while Irish novelist Colm Toibin devotes his session (February 23, 12.30 pm to 1.15 pm) to the roots of his writing process and celebrated career. The festival will observe the 700th anniversary of poet Dante Alighieri, the father of the Italian language in a session (February 20, 2 pm-2.45 pm) on Divine Comedy attended by Dante scholar Piero Boitani, author Claudio Giunta and Italy's Ambassador to India Vincenzo de Luca. Other highlights of the festival include sessions by Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas on her memoir Unfinished, and British-Pakistani author Samira Shackle on her debut book Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City. "As the world came to grips with the impact of the pandemic, literature, the arts and ideas became a source of inspiration, more than ever before, offering points of human connection in a world where we found ourselves physically and mentally isolated," says Roy. Adds Gokhale, "The virtual avatar of JLF 2021 has a larger canvas than before, as we can reach out to writers who can join us online rather than getting on a flight." (Faizal Khan curated Indias first football films festival with artist Riyas Komu at the 2011 International Film Festival of India, Goa. He was the curator of a football films programme in the Artists Cinema section of the second Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014.) EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 Sustaining a Fight for Creative Development in the Real World Feb. 12 , 2021 (EIRNS)On Friday, The LaRouche Organization held a day-long live-stream event commemorating the second anniversary of the passing of Lyndon LaRouche. A memorial concert celebrating LaRouches life opened the event, which incorporated speeches, videos, and debate appearances by LaRouche himself, as well as reminiscences from his dear colleagues over the yearsincluding his wife and collaborator Helga Zepp-LaRouche. The event took place against a dramatic world backdrop, in which the gross and manifest disparities between the narrative world and the real world demand press freedom to burst through the attempted control imposed by the legacy media and Big Tech companies. For example, the story of a U.S. Capitol Police Officer being killed by fire-extinguisher-wielding Trump insurrectionists is false. The supposedly unparalleled evil of Trumps urging his supporters to fight like hell is belied by the mountain of footage presented at the impeachment trial, of Democrats using similar language. Other videos presented by Trumps defense team showed the false framing of his Charlottesville fine people language, and the rank hypocrisy of Democrats expressing feigned outrage about challenging the results of an election. Firings and shamings for uttering secular blasphemyregardless of intent, in the words of the New York Timescreate a chilling effect on speech and encourage self-policing of thought itself. Lies about a Chinese plot to ensnare the world in debt are promoted to prevent the establishment of a new economic paradigm in the world. Project Veritas, a news outlet that specializes in undercover investigations, is the latest victim of the ongoing purge from Twitter of voices unwelcome to the Silicon Valley-Wall Street-intelligence slime-mold. And the Biden Administrations decision to appeal the British decision to not extradite Julian Assange continues the assault on press liberties that Barack Obama advanced with his use of Espionage Act prosecutions. (Even Obama didnt prosecute Assange.) Meanwhile, what is offered as the comforting balm of all things good and holy is actually the unsavory embrace of the British Empires Great Reset/Green New Deal, designed to reduce the worlds population, quickly, in the name of combatting climate change. Executive Intelligence Reviews powerful report, The Great Leap Backward, is now available to subscribers and will soon be available for individual purchase in both print and electronic form. To identify the incorrect axioms of ones narrative world, to free oneself to better understand the real world, requires not only a creative method of resolving paradoxesa method fostered by a hands-on, creative education based on recreating past discoveriesbut also the staying power to do the long and hard work required to make that real world a better place. In his 1979 autobiography The Power of Reason, Lyndon LaRouche wrote about the great effects that can be achieved by an impassioned commitment: As I gauged myself against great minds during my adolescent philosophical project, and have done so in reading and related experiences constantly ever since, and as I have had the opportunity to gauge myself against key figures of this century, including leading figures in various parts of the world among my contemporaries, I know the measure of existing men and women, those who are considered outstanding as well as others. In my own work, I know that my experience is that which on a relative scale of things is one of greatness. I know what the realized pinnacles of human potential development are in our time and, to large measure, in earlier times. I have, essentially, matched them. Thus I can address a concerned parent, or a child, and inform them of the nature of greatness as it is experienced from the inside. Apart from those exciting moments in which a valid new discovery of some exceptional usefulness ... there is no melodramatic glory in the process of greatness. Mostly, from moment to moment, greatness has outwardly an ordinary, homely appearance. Greatness is reflected in particular in small decisions made from moment to moment. It is not seen often as capacity for occasional big and important acts of melodramatic potential. It proceeds in a succession of little, moment-by-moment decisions, whose cumulative effect is to steer ones development and the cumulative effect of ones actions in a certain way, so that after a passage of time, something important, something cumulatively important has happened.... It is the persisting, growing determination to stubbornly pursuing a determination to reach that which may be seemingly impossible, yet necessary.... Greatness is a quality of concentration span which is sustainable across decades, which can alter its steps without changing its course or objective.... At many points, from childhood on, there were always persons who seemed to be walking the same sort of homely steps I walked. yet, in most cases, they have fallen behind somehow along the way.... It is the difference ... between the person whose steps are governed by a commitment to a course and a destination, and one whose course and destination are usually the unforeseen consequence of decisions one at a time concerning individual steps. From moment to moment, both persons steps are usually equally ordinary, equally homely in overall character. There are many moments of greatness in Lyndon LaRouches lifemajor breakthroughs in thought, diplomacy, science, music, and policy. Such singularities are driven by an ongoing commitment, including seemingly small steps. Too often, attempts at political organizing are held back by a concern that they will not be big enough, or are too small to achieve their intended aim. But where will you be led by a decades-long commitment? What will guide your steps today? Next year? The Schiller Institute is taking a step on Saturday to deflate the narrative world containing arch super-villains Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping while presenting a compelling vision for a future real world, in a forum entitled Worsening U.S.-Russian RelationsReverse Them with a New Paradigm, or Face Nuclear War, chaired by LaRouches closest collaborator, Helga Zepp-LaRouche. Please register to join us. Outside Military Tribunal Court in Beirut, Friday, violent confrontations ensued between the Lebanese protestors and the armed security forces, as the crowd assembled in tens of thousands, demanding the release of the jailed anti-government demonstrators in Tripoli. Roads surrounding the Military Tribunal Court remained blocked, and traffic was disrupted as protesters relocated to Martyrs Square, according to on-ground reports by state press. Police used lethal tactics, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse the mob, which entered its fourth month into the anti-establishment demonstrations amid deepening economic crisis due to the pandemic. Taking to the streets, citizens demanded the ouster of the sitting government as they ignored the polices orders to disperse. Earlier, last week, Lebanons riot police arbitrarily arrested hundreds of anti-government protesters following intense deadly clashes in northern Lebanon. Lebanons army, meanwhile, in a statement warned that it detained scores of, what it described, rioters in the countrys northern city of Tripoli. The armed forces alleged that the rampant demonstrators set fire to several government buildings in Tripoli, leading to violent clashes with the police that left one person dead and more than 250 others wounded. [Riot police fire rubber bullets against the anti-government protesters, during ongoing protests. Credit: AP] [A protester throws back a tear gas canister towards riot policemen during a protest. Credit: AP] Read: US, France Call On Lebanese Leaders To Urgently Form 'credible' Government Read: Anti-lockdown Protests Rock Lebanon's Tripoli Despite Heightened Security Ten persons including a Syrian citizen were referred to military prosecutors over the attacks on state institutions including setting fire to the historic municipal building, the Lebanese army later informed in a release, accessed by AP. Following the death, chaos, and injuries at the demonstration site, a Red Cross ambulance made it to the spot and reported 80 in critical condition, all of whom were rushed to nearby medical facilities. Medics, on-site, treated at least 140 others. FINAL UPDATE: 18 ambulances, 80 EMTs and 6 dispatchers from the LRC responded to the protests in downtown Beirut. Over 80 victims have been transported to nearby hospitals and over 140 injured were treated at the scene. LRC teams are still on standby and ready to respond. pic.twitter.com/p1OG7WFqwl Lebanese Red Cross (@RedCrossLebanon) January 18, 2020 Protesters yell 'won't pay the price' Violence, that injured dozens, started after the mob hurled plant pots at police guarding the road leading to the parliament building, according to the visual evidence that emerged across social media. "We won't pay the price chanting crowd charged the police line with metal barricades, stones, and traffic signposts, which led some in the security forces, to open fire. Condemning the shocking scenes, Lebanon's Interior Minister Raya El-Hassan said: "I always asserted the right to protest, but for the protests to turn into a blatant assault on the security forces, on public and private property, is condemned and not acceptable at all. Read: Lebanon Activist Lokman Slim Found Dead In His Car Read: Lebanon Tightens Security In Tripoli After Anti-lockdown Protests Take A Violent Turn Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday replied to the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill of 2021 in Lok Sabha. "Many MPs said that bringing the bill means that the union territory would not get statehood. I am piloting the Bill, I brought it. I have clarified the intentions," said Shah. Earlier on Monday, Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterated the Congress party's demand to restore statehood status to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the Union Government abrogated Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Here are the highlights from Shah's speech in Lok Sabha J-K to get statehood at an appropriate time: The home minister iterated that the union territory would be given statehood. "Nowhere is it written that Jammu and Kashmir would not get the statehood. Where are you drawing the conclusion from? I have said in this House and I say it again that this Bill has got nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Statehood would be given to the UT at an appropriate time," he said. Attack on opposition: On Adhir Ranjan's remarks in Lok Sabha that there was still no normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Amit Shah asked what has Congress done for J-K. "We were asked what did we do about promises made during abrogation of Article 370. It has been 17 months since the abrogation and you are demanding an account for it. Did you bring the account of what you did for 70 years? Had you worked properly, you need not have asked us," he said. "I have no objection, I will give an account for everything. But those who were given the opportunity to govern for generations should look within if they are even fit to demand an account," he added. On situation in Kashmir: After questions were raised regarding the delay in restarting 4G connection in the UT, Shah said: "There are people who say we have taken the decision on 4G after pressure from outside. This is a BJP government. We are not under pressure. 2G connection was there because of security reasons. If there is no peace and tranquillity, there is no point." Amit Shah also went on to say that people who demand statehood, "Why didn't they remove Article 370 for 70 years?" 'Days of unrest': Speaking about the unrest" in J-K, Shah said: Recall Congress days, thousands were killed and curfews were imposed for days. Peace in Kashmir is a big thing," adding that "such situations wont be repeated under the BJP rule." On Panchayat elections: Speaking about recent DDC polls, the home minister said: "Nobody, not even our rivals can say that there was fraud or unrest during the election (DDC). Everyone voted fearlessly and peacefully. 51% votes were cast in the Panchayat elections. Jinhone Dhara 370 waapis laane ke aadhar par chunav lada tha wo saaf ho gaye saaf (Those who had fought the elections based on the issue of bringing back Article 370 have lost.) What is J-K reorganisation bill? The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021was introduced by the Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy in Rajya Sabha on February 4 to replace Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The new bill is aimed to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers with that of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory (AGMUT). Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye, NPP National Youth Organizer, has made shocking revelations about Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, the Lead Counsel for former President John Dramani Mahama in the ongoing election petition before the Supreme Court. Tsatsu Tsikata's Unrelenting Character Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, in defending his client, has made several applications which have been dismissed by the Supreme Court Justices. First, it was an application to serve the Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa some interrogatories but his application was denied by the court unanimously. He then filed for a review of the application and the Justices dismissed it too. Mr. Tsikata also argued for Mrs. Jean Mensa to be in the witness box to account for her conduct during the 2020 Presidential elections but once again the Apex Court dismissed his invitation. . . simply put, we are not convinced and will not yield to the invitation being extended to us by Counsel of the petitioner to order the respondents to enter the witness box to be cross-examined accordingly we hereby overrule the objection raised by the counsel for the petitioner against the decision of the respondents declining to adduce evidence in this petition," Chief Justice Anin Yeboah declared as the Supreme Court dismissed Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata's request. Notwithstanding, Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata remains resolute to defend his client, John Mahama who is the petitioner in the court case. Lawyer Tsikata continues to show an unrelenting character as he has filed to reopen his already closed case in court. "We will now seek your Lordships permission to reopen our case in order to have a subpoena on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. My Lords, we know that we can issue a subpoena without leave but since we have closed our case on the assumption that she will be (in the witness box) . . . so we intend to file a formal motion," he said during Thursday's hearing. Why Tsatsu Tsikata Is Determined In Court? At first, one would say Tsatsu Tsikata is determined to win the petitioner's case and that's why he is not ready to throw in the towel. But from Henry Nana Boakye's perspective, there is more to what Tsatsu seeks in court than meets the eye. According to Nana Boakye, popularly called Nana B, Tsatsu Tsikata is seeking his own interest and not the petitioner's because he wants to have a law masterpiece. He revealed that Lawyer Tsikata is writing a book on Presidential elections and has decided to delay the ongoing court case so that he will have more chapters in his book.Nana B noted that Mr. Tsatsu's strategy is to drag the case and the more he does it, the many pages and chapters he can compile into his yet-to-be released book."His own people have told me he's writing a book on Presidential petition which is very good. When it comes, I will be the first person to buy a copy because academic exercise helps law students . . . I think because of the book that Tsatsu wants to write, he has laid aside the petitioner's interest to have more chapters in the book he wants to launch. Because, first, they sent interrogatories which were dismissed; that's a chapter in his book. He also sought a review . . . so the review is another chapter in the book."For me, it appears the interest of the petitioner, himself, I'm not sure that what Mr. Tsatsu is seeking but rather seeking his own interest because he is writing a book and wants more pages and chapters, so he wants to drag the case," he said during"Kokrokoo" programme Friday morning. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter extends support to protesting farmers India oi-Deepika S Ghaziabad, Feb 13: Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee on Saturday visited Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border to extend support to the farmers' movement against the Centre's contentious farm laws, according to a BKU statement. The 84-year-old Bhattacharjee, who is also the chairperson of National Gandhi Museum, exhorted farmers to remain peaceful in their protest and urged the government to "take care" of the farming community. She was joined by Gandhi Smarak Nidhi chairman Ramchandra Rahi, All-India Sarv Seva Sangha managing trustee Ashok Saran, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi director Sanjay Singha and National Gandhi Museum director A Annamalai. "We have not come here as part of any political programme. We have come here today for the farmers, who have fed all of us our whole life," Bhattacharjee said, according to the statement by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the farmers union leading the protest in Ghaziabad. "We are because of you all. In the benefit of farmers lies the benefit of the country and all of us," she was quoted as telling the protesters, who are camping at Ghazipur since November with a demand that the Centre repeal the three new farm laws and make a new one to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for crops. PM Modi's parasite reference has deeply hurt farmers: Union leaders She recalled that the first fight for independence from the British rule in 1857 had also started from Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh. Bhattacharjee said she has come to the protest site to pray for the farmers, according to the statement issued by BKU's media in-charge Dharmendra Malik. "I want that whatever happens, farmers should be benefitted by it. Nobody is unaware of the hard work that the farmers do and it is not to be said again that in the benefit of farmers lies the benefit of our country, and all of us," she said. Thousands of farmers are camping at Delhi's border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November in protest against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September. They claim that the new laws and lack of a law on MSP would hurt their livelihoods while the government has maintained that the legislations are pro-farmer. The impasse continues even after 11 rounds of formal talks between the government and farmers. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 23:57 [IST] Gorgeous Rare White Grizzly Bear Sighted In Canada DOGO. From last year, missed it then. Captive bears set free into mountains of Iraq Reuters (resilc) Pigs can play video games with their snouts, scientists find BBC. So when do they get Robinhood accounts? Deadlier great white variant spotted in Mossel Bay, South Africa No genetic sequencing needed. pic.twitter.com/JIdaneMmST Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) February 12, 2021 Lulu the dog inherits $5m from deceased US owner BBC (David L) Stonehenge: Did the stone circle originally stand in Wales? BBC (David L) Dust devil Psyche Films (Chuck L). Not what youre expecting. Mars Dust Storm Is So Intense Its Now Encircling The Entire Planet Science Alert (Chuck L) Tampons vanish as Mexico City takes aim at single use plastics Financial Times Scientists Discover an Immense, Unknown Hydrocarbon Cycle Hiding in The Oceans Science Alert (Chuck L) Andrew McAfee and the Myth of Americas Green Growth Foreign Policy. UserFriendly: Important!!!! A Pie Every Night London Review of Books. On the most schizophrenic family. #COVID-19 Nebulizer That Vaporized Virus Starts New Australia Outbreak Bloomberg Science/Magazine US CDC releases guidelines for reopening schools The Hill Overloaded schedules and Covid cowbells: For pharmacists, the Covid-19 vaccine rollout brings exhaustion, but some relief STAT. One reader reported that some pharmacists in his area had quit over greatly increased job duties with no extra pay and no increase in support staff. Finance/Economy China? New Cold War Why Russia is driving the West crazy Pepe Escobar, Asia Times Syraqistan Big Brother is Watching You Watch Imperial Collapse Watch North Adams Trying to Address Failing Hydrant System iBerkshires. Resilc: Multiply this by about every town in usa usa.but we have a space force. Impeachment Poll Finds Nearly 40 Percent of Republicans Think Political Violence Is Justifiable and Could Be Necessary Slate (resilc) Lincoln Project Accused of Protecting Predator John Weaver New York Magazine (UserFriendly) Cuomo And The Lincoln Project Are Media-Created Monsters David Sirota and Andrew Perez The Lincoln Project, Facing Multiple Scandals, is Accused by its Own Co-Founder of Likely Criminality Glenn Greenwald The Real World And The Narrative World Caitlin Johnstone (Kevin W) WA launches investigation into 200,000 missing cows at center of Easterday bankruptcy, legal fight Tri-City Herald (mb) Florida consumers flabbergasted as property insurers push for double-digit rate hikes Reuters (resilc) Tesla spent $1.5B in clean car credits on bitcoin, the filthiest asset imaginable Amy Castor NYPD Still Babysitting Christopher Columbus Statues on Taxpayer Dime THE CITY Opioid Settlement Tax Breaks Sought by Drug Firms Wall Street Journal. No doubt McKinsey too. The Revolution Robinhood And Reddit Are Looking For Happened Years Ago Heisenberg Report (UserFriendly) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy plans to eliminate two-day delivery for first-class mail and hike postage rates as USPS struggles with billions in losses Daily Mail. And the Biden Administration is nowhere to be found. Second to None in the Creation of Extraordinary Wealth Notes on Liberty Class Warfare Antidote du jour. From Eric S. His presumably unrelated cats seem to get on well: Attached, please find a pic I took of my three cats this past weekend. I elected to entitle it kitty coronation as it appears that Skippy (the big Siamese looking fella) is being knighted (imprecise terminology usage, I know) by Rainbow (the ginger), while Cinnamon (the tabby) looks on approvingly. In any event, I thought it was amusing and I submit it for consideration as an antidote du jour. Thank you for running nakedcapitalism, I have enjoyed it for years now and was even inspired to create my own Econ-related FB page for some of my friends. Have a great day! Happy Lunar New Year! Tony K sent this seasonal offering: And a bonus video. John Siman: From 1906 Best cat video ever! (Remastered and colorized silent film). Moi: Only place Ive even seen a cat striped like that was in Istanbul. See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. This is your politics as usual, Mr Barilaro? Youve got the Big End of Town well looked after, but what about the blackened, singed folk on the edge of the towns, actually fighting the fires? Cant we look after them? And while Ive got you, can you explain Mayor Greenhills question to me, how, if $1 million was the criteria, no fewer than 34 of the grants handed out were under that amount, including: $131,000 to Kempsey oyster farm; $194,000 to a St Ives honey wine producer; and just $43,000 to a cellar door in the Snowy Valleys region? And how, while denying $75,000 to Mt Riverview R.F.S. you can still find $107,000 to Macleay River Haulage in Kempsey Shire to purchase safe and effective machinery that will produce bulk firewood. All of those grants in Coalition electorates, of course. I look forward to your thunderous reply. Meantime, the mind boggles. No urban myth This weeks news that a Sydney teenager caught a massive barramundi in the Parramatta River is fascinating on a couple of counts. Like the famed Blue Mountains panther often claimed to have been seen, but never captured the Barra in the Parra was meant to be an urban myth, one of those stories that fishermen tell of no more credibility than You shoulda seen the one that got away. But here it was, and a healthy one at that, at 38 centimetres. True, it is a mystery how a fish native to Northern Australia found its way into our waters but I am hoping it is a sign of the increasing health of our harbour more than anything. There is still a way to go, mind, before we get back to the grand old days. Back in 1992, I interviewed an old man born at Blues Point in the early part of last century, Bill Barnett, who reminisced about his early memories of troop ships blowing their whistles in victory as they steamed up the Harbour in homecoming from the Great War, sending their wash over the five car ferries that were doing the job that the Bridge does now. And he also talked of the fishing! It was a different time back then, he told me. The Harbour was clean and teeming with fish. Mum would say Bill, go and catch us some bream for tea and youd just throw a line in the Harbour until you caught bream or the sort of fish she wanted and it would never take long. The traditional rule Ive been told is that fish caught east of the Bridge are safe to eat, while fish caught to the west might be suspect due to remaining pollution, but the waters have been wonderfully cleaned up of late, and if theres a barra in the Parra, we must be on the way up! A barra in the Parra provides hope that water quality is on the improve in Sydney Harbour. Credit:SMH An odd episode The Stan Grant thing that has been splashed all over the papers this week? Its all rather odd. My wife and I have had an Australia Day party for a couple of decades for long-time friends and close colleagues we have come to know well in the media. Stan has been a semi-regular attendee, only to write a mocking piece about it in The Australian a fortnight ago. And thats where the trouble started . . . His contention that it was all just fun fiction, all satire, seemed odd as the piece ran complete with real names and a photo of my wife and I, with a comments section where punters in turn sneered at my approach to Indigenous matters. For the record, and contrary to what Stan wrote, I dont have a framed Redfern speech on my wall, nor a photo of me hugging Cathy Freeman, nor Indigenous paintings. We dont even have the party on Australia Day any more, having moved it to an Independence Day gathering the day before, for obvious reasons. Loading As to Stans most oft quoted line that it is a lefty love-in, that too was passing odd. I am not in the habit of bandying around the names of my guests because I respect their privacy, but as my friendships have never been confined by political allegiances tedious! over the years there have been plenty there from across the political spectrum. As I say, all very odd, but the guts of it is Stan certainly took umbrage at my book on Captain Cook, which, far from being a whitewashing of Cook, was the first major one to point out that it was Cook himself who fired the first shots on the First Nations men so heroically defending their land at Botany Bay. So thats where it stands. As to those people who have contacted me asking why they werent invited to the annual party, fear not. A couple of vacancies have recently opened up! Joke of the Week A young man from Potts Point has just got his drivers licence and asks his father if they could discuss using the family car. His father replies that hed like to make a deal with his son. You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut, then well talk about the car. The lad thinks about that for a moment, before deciding hell settle for the offer, and they agree on it. After about six weeks, his father says, Son, Im real proud. You brought your grades up and Ive observed that you have been studying your Bible. On the other hand, Im really disappointed that you havent got your hair cut. The young man pauses a moment and says, You know, Dad, Ive been thinking about that, and I noticed in my Bible studies that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair and theres even a strong argument that Jesus had long hair. To this his father replies, Did you also notice they all walked everywhere they went? Tweet of the Week I wonder what his policy will be on pork-barrelling. Because paleo. - Shaun Micallef @shaunmicallef responds to the news that Paleo Pete Evans might run for the Senate. Quotes of the Week We are not worried, or Im certainly not worried, about what might happen in 30 years time. - In one sentence Michael McCormack blows away all idea that the Coalition is serious about reducing emissions. Deputy PM how can you claim to care about action on climate change if you dont care about where we will be in 2050? It is your duty as a responsible leader to care! As far as cities go, Sydney is on another level. So the question is, why do we put up with eyesores like the Cahill Expressway. Why is it controversial to even suggest that something has to be done about the White Bay precinct? The western harbour (the area around White Bay) is such a beautiful stretch of waterfront, that in any other city in the world would be a major visitor attraction, so its ironic that, until recently, all you could ever do there was to get on a boat to go somewhere else - Tasmania, no less. - NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet. She was reported to have moved on to a new romance with boyfriend Luis Ruelas in November. And now Teresa Giudice has shared her family's reaction to her new beau in an interview with E! News published Friday. The 48-year-old Real Housewives Of New Jersey star revealed that she got a stamp of approval from her four daughters and even from ex-husband Joe Giudice. Seal of approval: Teresa Giudice, 48, revealed to E! News on Friday that her ex-husband Joe and their four daughters all thought highly of her new boyfriend Luis Ruelas (L) 'They like him, they think he's great also, which I'm glad,' Teresa said of her daughters Gia, 20; Gabriella, 17; Milania, 16; and Audriana, 12. Her former husband also seemed to think the match between his ex-wife and the 46-year-old entrepreneur was a good one. 'Joe's happy for me, I'm happy for Joe. Right now he's living in the Bahamas so everything's good. We're all a happy family, which I'm glad,' she continued. Luckily, Teresa and Joe seem to have gotten over the potential awkwardness of discussing their new romances with each other. 'We didn't share until we needed to, you know?' she said. 'So the girls went to Italy and met his girlfriend, Gia and Milania went and met his girlfriend. And then when I met Luis, I didn't tell them right away but when it was the right time I told them and it was all good and he was happy for me and I'm happy for him.' Thumbs up: 'They like him, they think he's great also, which I'm glad,' Teresa said of her daughters Gia, 20; Gabriella, 17; Milania, 16; and Audriana, 12 Amicable relationship: 'Joe's happy for me, I'm happy for Joe,' she continued. Teresa said the two were now able to discuss their new romances on friendly terms; seen in 2013 together But the reality star also thought her late parents were smiling down on her and hew new love. 'I know my mom and dad sent my boyfriend to me. They did, you now, because my dad left me and he's like, "you can't stay alone," so I know he sent him to me,' she said. 'Him and my mom, they really did. I swear, I asked them to send me an amazing person and then I met him a few weeks later on the same street.' Meant to be: Teresa said her late mother and father helped match her with her new love from beyond the grave. 'I swear, I asked them to send me an amazing person and then I met him a few weeks later on the same street' Teresa also explained the chance way in which the two sparked their romance. 'I was walking by at the Jersey Shore and he was packing up his car to go back home,' she explained. The lovestruck TV star gushed about how well the relationship was going so far. 'Everything's really good,' she said. 'I'm so happy. He's amazing, he's beautiful inside and out. He's really special.' Teresa was also asked if she would be walking down the aisle again after divorcing Joe. 'I don't know. I have no idea. I have no idea what's going to happen,' she replied. 'I hate answering questions for the future because I remember doing that when the show first started and then look what happened. So I just like to talk about the future. I'm all about whatever is meant to be is meant to be.' Loved-up: The Real Housewives Of New Jersey star was first linked to the entrepreneur in November 2020, and they've been going strong ever since Teresa's boyfriend Luis co-founded the company Digital Media Solutions, which helps advertisers track the performance of their online ads. The father of two lives nearby Teresa in New Jersey, so distance has never been an issue for them. She was previously married to Joe from 1999 until their divorce was finalized in 2020. In 2014, the couple pleaded guilty to multiple counts of bank, mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud. She was sentenced to 15 months in prison, while Joe received a 41-month sentence due to extra charges for not paying taxes for multiple years. After his discharge, Joe was transferred to an ICE facility, as he was born in Italy and had never become an American citizen. He moved to Italy in late 2019 so as to get out of ICE custody, but his appeals on his deportation case were denied in April 2020. China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the team's investigators said. The lack of data potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began over a year ago, after it was first detected in China's Wuhan. The team had requested raw patient data on the 174 cases of COVID-19 that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases. However, they were only provided with a summary, said Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert who is a member of the team. Pictured: Dominic Dwyer, a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), responds to journalists' questions, from a balcony at a hotel in Wuhan, China on January 29, 2021 Such raw data is known as 'line listings', he said, and would typically be anonymised but contain details such as what questions were asked of individual patients, their responses and how their responses were analysed. 'That's standard practice for an outbreak investigation,' he told Reuters on Saturday via video call from Sydney, where he is currently undergoing quarantine. He said that gaining access to the raw data was especially important since only half of the 174 cases had exposure to the Huanan market, the now-shuttered wholesale seafood centre in Wuhan where the virus was initially detected. 'That's why we've persisted to ask for that,' he said. 'Why that doesn't happen, I couldn't comment,' he said. 'Whether it's political or time or it's difficult ... But whether there are any other reasons why the data isn't available, I don't know. One would only speculate.' While the Chinese authorities provided a lot of material, he said the issue of access to the raw patient data would be mentioned in the team's final report. 'The WHO people certainly felt that they had received much much more data than they had ever received in the previous year. So that in itself is an advance.' A summary of the team's findings could be released as early as next week, the WHO said on Friday. The WHO-led probe had been plagued by delay, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and criticised the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research. The team, which arrived in China in January and spent four weeks looking into the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak, was limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts and prevented from contact with community members, due to health restrictions. The first two weeks were spent in hotel quarantine. The head of WHO on Friday insisted that the theory Covid-19 emerged in a laboratory in Wuhan has not been dismissed following a controversial fact-finding mission to China. Pictured: WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus There have been fears the mission would become part of Chinese white-washing exercise with potentially embarrassing or incriminating evidence hidden from researchers. Pictured: President Xi Jinping, addresses a Chinese Lunar New Year reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, February 10 China's refusal to hand over raw data on the early COVID-19 cases was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal on Friday. The WHO did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment but Beijing has previously defended its transparency in handling the outbreak and its cooperation with the WHO mission. Dwyer said the work within the WHO team was harmonious but that there were 'arguments' at times with their Chinese counterparts over the interpretation and significance of the data, which he described as 'natural' in such probes. 'We might be having a talk about cold chain and they might be more firm about what the data shows than what we might have been, but that's natural. 'Whether there's political pressure to have different opinions, I don't know. There may well be, but it's hard to know.' Cold chain refers to the transport and trade of frozen food. Beijing has sought to cast doubt on the notion that the coronavirus originated in China, pointing to imported frozen food as a conduit. Pictured: People watch a traditional dragon dance performance during the second day of Spring Festival in Han Kou Li on February 13 in Wuhan - where the virus was first detected On Tuesday, Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation, told a news conference that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility, but pointed to market vendors selling frozen animal products including farmed wild animals as a potential pathway that warrants further study. Embarek also said that the team was not looking further into the theory that the virus escaped from a lab, which it considered highly unlikely. The previous U.S. administration of President Donald Trump had said it suspected the virus may have escaped from a Wuhan lab, which Beijing strongly denies. 'It was an unanimous feeling,' Dwyer said. 'It wasn't a political sop whatsoever.' WHO backtracks on Covid Wuhan lab: Theory that virus emerged in laboratory has NOT been dismissed, health chief insists - as it emerges China WON'T hand over raw data on early infections By Faith Ridler For Mailonline, 12 February 2021 The head of WHO today insisted that the theory Covid-19 emerged in a laboratory in Wuhan has not been dismissed following a controversial fact-finding mission to China. The investigation to Wuhan, where the first cases were detected, failed to identify the source of the virus but appeared to disregard the theory that it leaked from a virology laboratory in the city. However, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today said that following the 'very important scientific exercise ... all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies.' It comes after Peter Embarek, the leader of the WHO team, this week concluded it was 'extremely unlikely' that the virus emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Shi Zhengli works with other researchers in a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province in February 2017 Speaking from Geneva today, Dr Tedros said: 'Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded. 'Having spoken with some members of the team, I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies. 'Some of that work may lie outside the remit and scope of this mission. We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the virus. 'The mission achieved a better understanding of the early days of the pandemic, and identified areas for further analysis and research. And we will continue working to get the information we need to answer the questions that still need to be answered.' Did coronavirus originate in Chinese government laboratory? The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been collecting numerous coronaviruses from bats ever since the SARS outbreak in 2002. They have also published papers describing how these bat viruses have interacted with human cells. US Embassy staff visited the lab in 2018 and 'had grave safety concerns' over the protocols which were being observed at the facility. The lab is just eight miles from the Huanan wet market which is where the first cluster of infections erupted in Wuhan. The market is just a few hundred yards from another lab called the Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (WHCDC). The WHCDC kept disease-ridden animals in its labs, including some 605 bats. Those who support the theory argue that Covid-19 could have leaked from either or both of these facilities and spread to the wet market. Most argue that this would have been a virus they were studying rather than one which was engineered. Last year a bombshell paper from the Beijing-sponsored South China University of Technology recounted how bats once attacked a researcher at the WHCDC and 'blood of bat was on his skin.' The report says: 'Genome sequences from patients were 96% or 89% identical to the Bat CoV ZC45 coronavirus originally found in Rhinolophus affinis (intermediate horseshoe bat).' It describes how the only native bats are found around 600 miles away from the Wuhan seafood market and that the probability of bats flying from Yunnan and Zhejiang provinces was minimal. In addition there is little to suggest the local populace eat the bats as evidenced by testimonies of 31 residents and 28 visitors. Instead the authors point to research being carried out within 300 yards at the WHCDC. One of the researchers at the WHCDC described quarantining himself for two weeks after a bat's blood got on his skin, according to the report. That same man also quarantined himself after a bat urinated on him. And he also mentions discovering a live tick from a bat - parasites known for their ability to pass infections through a host animal's blood. 'The WHCDC was also adjacent to the Union Hospital (Figure 1, bottom) where the first group of doctors were infected during this epidemic.' The report says. 'It is plausible that the virus leaked around and some of them contaminated the initial patients in this epidemic, though solid proofs are needed in future study.' Advertisement It comes as it emerged China refused to provide WHO investigators with 'raw, personalised data' on early coronavirus cases that could help them figure out how and when the virus first began to spread. Authorities reportedly refused requests to provide this data on 174 cases of Covid-19 that were identified from the early outbreak in December 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported. Dominic Dwyer, an Australian microbiologist on the WHO team, said: 'They showed us a couple of examples, but that's not the same as doing all of them, which is standard epidemiological investigation. 'So then, you know, the interpretation of that data becomes more limited from our point of view, although the other side might see it as being quite good.' It was said that China provided their own analysis of data on these cases, but would not provide the raw data which would have allowed WHO experts to carry out their own studies. Earlier, Mr Embarek said it was 'extremely unlikely' the virus emerged from a lab in Wuhan, adding: 'It is not in the hypotheses that we will suggest for future studies.' The findings amount to an almost full backing of Beijing's explanations for the source of the pandemic and will be a PR coup for the ruling communist party, which has repeatedly tried to pin the blame outside its borders. It will also give ammunition to WHO's critics, who feared the investigation would be used to give legitimacy to a Chinese white-washing exercise with possibly embarrassing or incriminating evidence hidden from investigators. It is hardly the first time that the WHO has come under fire for uncritically parroting information from Beijing - ex-President Trump made the same allegations last year before pulling US funding, a move that President Biden has now pledged to reverse. Dr Tedros has also come in for heavy criticism for his praise of China - describing its 'commitment to transparency' as 'beyond words' during the early stages of the outbreak, despite strong doubts about data coming from Beijing and a past history of covering up disease outbreaks. It was also revealed that Dr Tedros received support from Beijing while in the running to become WHO chief, and that China has often donated large sums of money to governments or organisations that he has been a part of. During his press conference, Dr Embarek also backed assertions from Beijing that there is no evidence of transmission 'in Wuhan or elsewhere' in China before December 2019 - despite multiple studies suggesting the virus was circulating globally months earlier than that. Outlining the findings of his team's month-long fact-finding mission, Dr Embarek said the team had failed to establish where the virus came from or how it first jumped into humans. Instead, he said the team had come up with four theories about its origins. He said the most likely explanation is that the virus passed from its original host animal into an intermediary animal that comes into close contact with humans, before making the leap into people. Intermediary animals could include frozen or chilled animal products sold at markets in Wuhan, including those imported from overseas, he said, outlining his second theory. The next most-likely theory is that the virus jumped directly from its original host into humans, Dr Embarek said, putting forward bats as a likely source. But, he said, humans and bats do not come into close contact in Wuhan and swabs of bats and various other animal species in China - including wild animals, pets, and farm animals - has failed to find the original source. Dr Embarek called for more research to be carried out into all three of these theories, and said teams should be looking outside as well as inside of China's borders. Dr Tedros today said he hoped a summary report from the mission would be published next week, with the full final report to follow in the coming weeks. Multiple countries have uncovered evidence that the virus was circulating months earlier than originally thought. While Beijing has tried to insist this proves the virus originated elsewhere, most scientists still think China was the origin - raising the prospect that communist officials simply hid evidence of the early spread Chinese scientists and officials have been keen to point the finger of blame outside their own borders - variously suggesting that the virus could have originated in Bangladesh, the US, Greece, Australia, India, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia or Serbia ADVERTISEMENT Award-winning Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana alias Falz has condemned Saturdays arrest of comedian, Debo Adebayo aka Mr Macaroni, and other protesters, including passersby, at the ongoing #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest. Which crime did you see there?!! Which f**king crime?!! When the real criminals are out, you are busy hiding. GTFOH, he fumed on Twitter. I am tired of just coping. I am tired of just managing. This is a fucking shithole we are living in and we simply cannot continue like this. They are using this threat of force & violence because they expect that we would naturally fear for our lives, but the life we dey live no kuku get meaning before. I am tired of just coping. I am tired of just managing. This is a fucking shithole we are living in and we simply cannot continue like this Bop Daddy (@falzthebahdguy) February 13, 2021 The Nigerian government basically saying they do not want peace oh Bop Daddy (@falzthebahdguy) February 13, 2021 What is this shameful behaviour?! Are these people insane?!? Citizens are peacefully protesting and you are arresting. How is this supposed to solve the problems that they have already caused ?! Bop Daddy (@falzthebahdguy) February 13, 2021 His colleague, Djinee, also, joined the debate, saying, Imagine if instead of brutalizing unarmed peaceful protesters, Gov @jidesanwoolu had ordered the police on the ground at the #Lekkitollgate to provide protection for protesters against touts who might come to cause trouble. Another chance to write his name in gold missed here. More protesters arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate have been taken away from the scene in a Lekki Concession Company Black Maria, as armed policemen continue to crack down on peaceful protesters at the toll plaza. The van, conveying about 13 protesters, was driven off to an unknown location. The comedian took to his Instagram page on Saturday morning to stream a live video of his arrest at the Lekki tollgate axis of Lagos alongside other protesters. Im being arrested. Im being arrested. Nigerians you can see. So they are collecting our phones right now. We are not fighting them, he said in another clip., he said in the video clips. In another clip, he could be seen inside a police van alongside other protesters. The live video was, however, halted as security operatives seized his phone and that of the others in the Black Maria. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2021) Former US President Donald Trump said after he was acquitted in a 57-43 Senate vote that the impeachment trial was a 'witch hunt.' In the final tally on Saturday, 57 US senators endorsed and 43 rejected a single article of impeachment accusing Trump of inciting the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The conviction required a two-thirds majority vote - of at least 67 out of 100 Senators. "This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president," Trump said in a statement after the Senate vote, as quoted by ABC news. He critiqued the Democrats for their aggressive political approach. "It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree," Trump said. The former president thanked his lawyers and other members of his team, as well as all the Congress members who defended the Constitution. "Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people," Trump said. He thanked all Americans who stood by his side, saying "there is nothing we cannot accomplish." But Mr. Malley, the son of a Jewish Arab leftist, is a well-known advocate for engaging with groups and governments including, over the years, Hamas, Hezbollah and President Bashar al-Assad of Syria widely considered enemies of the United States and Israel and, by some, morally off limits for contact. To his critics, he is overly suspicious of American power and overly sympathetic to foreign actors including Iran and the Palestinians who have deep disputes with the West. As Mr. Bidens point man for Iran, responsible for reining in its expanding nuclear program, those critics fear, Mr. Malley will press for a new deal with Tehran that will concede too much to its clerical rulers in the name of reconciliation. When word of his appointment first appeared in the news media, Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, condemned radicals like Malley who, he said, holds a long track record of sympathy for the Iranian regime and animus towards Israel. Other opponents of negotiating with Iran expressed concern in more temperate terms. The appointment of Rob Malley may be a clear indication that the Biden administration is prioritizing a return to the J.C.P.O.A. over a policy of deploying American power to get a more compressive and permanent agreement, said Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which he has long opposed. Malley is not a believer in American power, he added. Defenders of Mr. Malley, whose position does not require Senate confirmation, say that he has become a convenient target for an opening salvo from the American and Israeli right intended to warn the Biden administration against trying too hard to work with Tehran on another nuclear deal like the 2015 agreement that became one of the most bitter foreign policy battles of the Obama years. Most of the judging of Rob comes from people who do not know him and who choose to believe that he has no conception of American national interests, and that its all about trying to find a way at any costs to reconcile with our enemies, said Aaron David Miller, a Middle East peace negotiator under multiple presidents who worked with and is close to Mr. Malley. While addressing the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday lashed out at the Centre, questioning what the government had done for the Kashmiri pandits who had been displaced from Jammu and Kashmir. "Amit Shah ji, you'd said that you'll bring back Brahmins. Did you succeed in bringing back Pandits? You say you'll bring back Gilgit Baltistan. It's a matter for later. But at least bring back those who were internally displaced, those who can't go to Kashmir valley," said the Congress leader. "The dreams that you had shown after the abrogation of Article 370 have not been fulfilled. J&K has not returned to normalcy. More than Rs 90,000 cr of local business has finished. We want you to tell us how will you improve things in J&K. You didn't succeed in giving 200-300 acres of land to Pandits. In your election manifesto, you'd promised that you will bring back Pandits. Did you succeed? You should at least say, 'raat gayi to baat gayi, election gaya to vaada gaya'. You should clarify your stand," Adhir Ranjan added. In the budget session of the Parliament, the Congress has also raised the demand to restore an elected government in the UT, a demand that has been put forward by the J&K NC, PDP, Apni Party, and others. During his speech, retiring Rajya Sabha LOP, Ghulam Nabi Azad had praised the J&K administration for holding the DDC polls, panchayat polls in the Union territory while asking for the restoration of statehood saying, "Now, there is no excuse left to have an elected government in J&K. In a sensitive border state like J&K, local MLAs are necessary. In a state which is affected by Pakistan and China to have local elected representatives is important for security". The Centre has assured that this will be done in due course of time. Read: Parliamentary Committee Holds Meeting With Stakeholders Over J&K's All-round Development Read: 4G Mobile Internet Services Restored In Entire J&K After 18 Months Home Minister counters Congress While addressing the House on the J&K reorganisation (amendment) Bill-2021, Amit Shah slammed Adhir Ranjan, asking if the Congress party was even fit to demand an account from the Centre. "We were asked what did we do about promises made during abrogation of Article 370. It has been 17 months since the abrogation & you are demanding an account for it. Did you bring the account of what you did for 70 yrs? Had you worked properly, you need not have asked us," said Amit Shah. "I have no objection, I will give an account for everything. But those who were given the opportunity to govern for generations should look within if they are even fit to demand an account," he added. Read: BJP Issues Whip, Seeks Support On A 'very Important Legislative Business' In Lok Sabha Read: 'No Change In US Policy On J&K,' Says US State Department; Lets Twitter Fend For Itself (With Agency Inputs) He pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud. Ukrainian citizen Oleksandr (Aleksandr) Musienko was on February 11, 2021, sentenced in the United States to more than seven years in prison for participation in a scheme to launder funds for Eastern European cybercriminals who hacked into and stole millions of dollars from online bank accounts of U.S. businesses. The U.S. Department of Justice said the 38-year-old native of Odesa had been sentenced to 87 months in prison, the news outlet NV reported. Read alsoExposed: Russia's military intel behind "destructive" Telegram channels prominent in Ukraine Musienko pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud. He is also ordered to pay over US$98,750 in restitution. According to the investigation, Musienko collaborated with hackers from Eastern Europe in 2009-2012 to obtain over US$3 million from U.S. victims' bank accounts and launder the stolen funds overseas. In particular, in September 2011, Musienko's partners in the scheme hacked into the online accounts of a North Carolina-based company and transferred a total of US$296,278 to two bank accounts controlled by Musienko's mules. Musienko instructed the mules to wire the funds to several European bank accounts, although the company's bank detected the fraud and deducted $197,526.36 in stolen funds from one of the mules before it was wired overseas. Musienko was arrested in South Korea in 2018 and extradited to the United States in 2019. In or about April 2019, the FBI searched Musienko's laptop and identified files containing approximately 120,000 payment card numbers and associated identifying information for persons other than Musienko. Other related news reports Reporting by UNIAN GEORGETOWN Ronald McInnis, who won the Democratic primary special election for the Georgetown City Council seat Tuesday night, is a first-timer in the political world, but has a story to tell that led him to who he is today. McInnis moved to Georgetown when he was a child, his parents relocating to the area to teach school. He remained in the area for the bulk of his life, stead a 4-year period in the Air Force. And a 13-year period in which he was incarcerated. In 1989, McInnis was arrested in Charleston and charged with trafficking cocaine and was in prison until 2004. While in prison, he dedicated himself to turning his life around, focused on returning home to serve his community. But it didn't come to him right away. While in prison, older staff members and inmates positively poured into McInnis, showing him the potential he had outside of the prison walls to be a person who could impact others in a productive and good way. I was raised in a Christian home, but it wasn't until that point that I started to get really serious about studying God's word, and as God would have it there was a chaplain that was placed in my presence that mentored me his name was Jim Brown, McInnis said. He pulled me under his wing, he gave me a lot of encouragement and a lot of encouraging words just to help me look at things differently, look at life differently and not play the blame game, but to be proactive and do things differently. Sign up for our Myrtle Beach weekly update newsletter. Sign up for weekly roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Myrtle Beach area. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Myrtle Beach news staff. Email Sign Up! When he was released, he moved back to Georgetown and began volunteering with youth and advocating for a shift in mindset for the city, something he still advocates for today and ran his campaign on. He believes in the value of every person, no matter who they are, and that the city must work together to solve its problems. McInnis will face Republican nominee Jonathan Angner on April 13 in the general election for the seat that was previously held by Rudolph Bradley, who died in November 2020. McInnis is now a pastor at Mount Olive AME Church in Myrtle Beach and a program coordinator with Helping Hands of Georgetown County, an organization that works to create sustainable futures through job training and youth empowerment to relieve generational and situational poverty, while meeting immediate needs of food insecurity, utility support and dental care, according to its website. On Tuesday night, McInnis said he felt humbled that the community noticed his dedication to helping Georgetown enough to vote for him by a large enough margin to avoid a runoff election, and that he is usually not a fan of being in the spotlight. Ive had it on me several times but Im not a person that is comfortable with that, so I didnt have a great idea that a lot of my work was being noticed and last night it came to me that somebody has been noticing what Ive been doing in this community, McInnis said. Long-time friend of McInnis', Carl Anderson, said that McInnis' extensive experience in community outreach in Georgetown as well as his previous experience in working for a building company make him stand out as a candidate for city council. "He's a humble person, he is willing to look into things before making a wrong decision, maybe," Anderson said. Looking ahead at the general election in April, McInnis said he will continue to do what he has done the last few months: communicate with and listen to people and make sure people are registered to vote. It's very important that we keep people informed on our (voting) dates, that was an issue with our election (Tuesday), McInnis said. We want to get more people registered and involved in our local elections, they're very important. Voters can check registration information at scvotes.gov. Voters must be registered at least 30 days prior to any election in order to vote in that election. This year, SF Beer Week won't be its usual abundance of beer-tasting galas, all-you-can-eat dim sum beer brunches and boozy yoga classes. Not only has COVID-19 driven most of the hop-fueled events to pivot to virtual, but beer week is also now a statewide event, transforming into "California Craft Beer Week" (Feb. 12-21). But Bay Area breweries are rolling with the punches. For the past two years, Fort Point Beer Company has led a guided bike tour of San Francisco landmarks that inspired their packaging design, ending with beer at their Ferry Building taproom. Out of an abundance of caution, the brewery has decided to avoid all in-person beer week events this year but that doesn't mean the iconic bike tour is canceled altogether. "We were thinking about what we could do that would be similar," said Fort Point creative director Dina Dobkin. "For us, whenever we think of digital content, we want to talk about San Francisco and be a place where people can learn about the city. We were also thinking about how talking about beer is great and we love beer, we drink a lot of it and make a lot of it, but the best part of beer is how it can complement an experience. Having these kinds of events that aren't just about beer is important to us." This year, Fort Point is co-hosting a virtual livestream with the Western Neighborhoods Project called "SF Landmarks Demystified," in which they will discuss the history behind the six S.F. landmarks that inspired several Fort Point beers and their can illustrations. Western Neighborhoods Project will also showcase rare, historic photographs of S.F. and share stories of the city's past. Other speakers include Jaime O'Keefe of Guardians of the City, historian John Martini and members of San Francisco Heritage and Shaping San Francisco. Proceeds will go towards supporting all of the historians appearing at the event. Sarah Chorey/Fort Point Beer Co. And of course, there will be beer: Attendees receive a mixed 6-pack of beers featuring S.F. landmarks (Coit Tower, the Sentinel Building, Sutro Tower, Kelly's Cove on Ocean Beach, The Wiggle, and the Cliffhouse and Sutro Baths). "For all our cans, they picked a part of the city, whether it's a neighborhood or a specific landmark that inspired the beer," explained Dobkin. She shared the typical process for how designing a Fort Point beer unfolds, using their Sfizio Italian pilsner as an example. Every step is made with paying homage to their city in mind. "The way the process usually starts is our innovation team thinks about what type of beer they want to be brewing," said Dobkin. "After it's been brewed and tested and refined, the next big thing is making sure it has the right name. The Italian pilsner we named it Sfizio it's an Italian word that means 'little treat' or 'indulgence' ... we loved it because it has 'SF' in it." Next comes the S.F.-centric packaging design of the can. "A no-brainer if you think about Italian style in S.F., is you obviously think of North Beach, so the can has the Sentinel Building, a beautiful North Beach landmark, and then it has a cafe illustration because so much of hanging out in North Beach is cafe culture," said Dobkin. "... The other thread that came through is this beer is really refreshing and easy to drink and sparkly the perfect beer to have when you're walking through North Beach during the day and just want to sit down at a cafe and have a snack and watch people." Sarah Chorey/Fort Point Beer Co. Besides this event, Fort Point has also created a COVID-safe version of its legendary beer week dim sum beer brunch at the Hong Kong Lounge banquet hall. Dobkin says they considered taking this event virtual, too, but ultimately decided against it. "At the beginning of COVID, we were all a lot more amenable to jumping on Zoom and having fun social experiences, but it's been almost a year now and one of the last things I want to do is have another meeting that's supposed to be fun," she said. Instead, this year they teamed up with the Richmond District restaurant to create a take-home version of the meal instead: a 13-piece dim sum platter paired with a mixed 6-pack of Fort Point beers chosen to complement the menu. SF Landmarks Demystified event: Feb. 18 at 6 p.m., $25. Pre-order here. Fort Point Dim Sum beer brunch (at home): Feb. 20, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $55. Pre-order here. A few other noteworthy Bay Area events to check out this beer week Courtesy of Woods Beer & Wine Co. Cheers to San Francisco at Woods Beer Co. Woods has crafted a special San Francisco neighborhood brew dedicated to each Woods outpost location for this year's beer week. The brews each support a local nonprofit, and are inspired by neighboring small businesses. "Cheers to Polk Street," for example, is an apple fritter cider inspired by Bobs Donuts famous apple fritter. This week, each Woods location will release its namesake beer, some with food pairings: Bob's has donated apple fritters for the Polk Street beer launch. Cheers to the Castro: Woods Cerveceria, 3801 18th St., San Francisco on Friday, Feb. 19, 12-6 p.m. Cheers to Polk Street: Woods Polk Station, 2255 Polk St., San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 20, 12 p.m. (sold out). Cheers to the Sunset: Woods Outbound, 4045 Judah St., San Francisco on Sunday, Feb. 21, 12-7 p.m. Cheers to the Haight: Woods Lower Haight, 530 Haight St., San Francisco on Sunday, Feb. 21, 12-7 p.m. Courtesy of Local Brewing Co. Local Brewing and Tartine Teacakes Local Brewing Co.'s popular annual collaboration with Tartine Manufactory is still happening this year, albeit much smaller. The brewery is taking the event socially distanced, where they will pair four limited-release beers with Tartine teacakes and pastries (think pineapple guava cider paired with apple walnut teacake, or bourbon barrel-aged imperial porter paired with tahini babka). Local Brewing, 69 Bluxome Street, San Francisco. Saturday, Feb. 20, 2:30-4 p.m. and 4:30-6 p.m., $40-140. Virtual Dumpling Making Class With EatChoFood Alameda's Almanac Beer Co. is teaming up with cook and writer Kristina Cho for a virtual dumpling making class, to be paired with Almanac beers. A portion of every ticket sold goes to support Save Our Chinatowns. Via Zoom, Feb. 20, 1-3 p.m., $30. Pies with Purpose Uhuru Foods Pie Pop-Up At Drake's Barrel House in San Leandro, Uhuru Foods and Pies will be hosting weekly Wednesday pop-ups to celebrate African History Month. Uhuru Foods, a nonprofit that offers pies including sweet potato, cranberry apple and chocolate bourbon pecan, cites a mission of building an independent economy for African people. Ask a Drake's beertender for advice on which brew pairs best with which pie. Drake's Barrel House, 1933 Davis St., Building 177, San Leandro. Feb. 17 and Feb. 24, 1-7 p.m. Preorder your pie here. Zhaodeal.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 3 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the zhaodeal homepage on Twitter + the total number of zhaodeal followers (if zhaodeal has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the zhaodeal homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the zhaodeal homepage on Delicious. 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND GKN's owners were in a standoff with MPs last night as a cross-party backlash grew against the decision to close its last British automotive plant. Critics accuse Melrose, which bought the engineer in an 8billion hostile takeover in 2018, of forcing through cuts despite earlier pledges to make the firm a 'UK manufacturing powerhouse'. It has prompted Darren Jones, chairman of the Commons business, energy and industrial strategy committee, to intervene and call on GKN's bosses, who were appointed by Melrose, to explain themselves in Parliament. Jones said: 'Aerospace and automotive are two of our most significant manufacturing sectors in the UK, employing many thousands of people across the country. 'My committee is keen to understand the challenges and opportunities post-Brexit and what this means for workers. 'Some businesses, such as GKN, are investing in aerospace but disinvesting in automotive. Its important we understand why thats happening and what it means for the future of British manufacturing. The hearing has been arranged under the committee's ongoing inquiry into the impacts of Brexit on businesses. However, in a snub to MPs, the request was yesterday rejected by the company setting the stage for a tense showdown. If the executives continue to refuse, the committee has powers to compel them to appear. Critics also wanted to know why Melrose chief executive Simon Peckham and vice chairman Christopher Miller had not been called to the committee. When Melrose's bought GKN, Peckham and Miller, the two senior executives, vowed to make GKN a British manufacturing powerhouse. Tory West Midlands mayor Andy Street has expressed anger, adding his voice to Labour and Liberal Democrat protests. Street has said the decision to close the car component factory in Birmingham goes 'entirely against the spirit' of Melrose's promises three years ago. It is feared the closure will also hamper efforts to make the Midlands a leading hub of electric car manufacturing in future, dealing a blow to the Government's industrial strategy. The Melrose mantra towards acquiring businesses is 'buy, improve, sell'. However, bosses previously told the business committee that they would act like long-term investors. GKN insists the automotive plant in Birmingham, which counts Jaguar Land Rover among its customers, is no longer globally competitive and work done there will be transferred to Europe. One industry expert said the move puts 'another nail in the coffin' of the UK's car industry. Labour's Jack Dromey, the local MP for Birmingham Erdington, said: 'As the industry seeks to recover from a huge fall in production in 2020 and looks towards a transition to electric vehicles, the loss of GKN would be a serious blow. No show: Critics also wanted to know why Melrose chief executive Simon Peckham (pictured) and vice chairman Christopher Miller had not been called to the committee 'It is right that GKN are being called to give evidence in Parliament following their shameful decision to announce the closure of the GKN plant in Erdington a crucial part of the automotive supply chain, supplying components into car plants across the country. 'To add insult to injury, the firm first sacks 519 workers and then refuses to justify why to Parliament. 'GKN cannot be allowed to treat employees and Parliament with contempt if the company fails to give evidence to the select committee then Melrose must come forward to justify why they have broken the promises they made.' Yesterday Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow business secretary, and Liberal Democrat business spokesman Sarah Olney joined calls for Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to intervene. Miliband called the GKN factory closure 'shameful'. Melrose insists it has kept promises made at the time of the 2018 takeover. A GKN spokesman claimed the company's bosses had refused the select committee's invitation because they will be represented by industry group the SMMT, 'as is usual for these engagements'. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cassius Ventures Ltd. (NEX: CZ.H) (the Company) announces that the board of directors of the Company has approved the granting, of 250,000 incentive stock options pursuant to the Companys Stock Option Plan to a director and officer of the Company. The options are exercisable at a price of $0.07 per share. The options expire on February 12, 2026 with 25% of the options granted vesting each quarter over the next four (4) quarters. CASSIUS VENTURES LTD. On behalf of the Board of Directors John A. Thomas P. Eng Chairman, CEO and President +1 604 558 1107 Neither the NEX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the NEX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Over the past one year, there is not a single sector that has not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But, aviation, hospitality, and tourism are among the worst hit as people stopped travelling. As the situation eased and the world got used to living with the virus, there have been some improvements, but the aviation industry doesn't forecast a return to pre-COVID levels before 2023. BCCL 2020 saw the largest grounding of flights in history, followed by massive job cuts and some airlines even filing for bankruptcy. This has those working in aviation worried so, it is only natural that some are seeking job assurances from their employers. But for some India-based flight attendants of German airline Lufthansa, it did not go down well, and the company has terminated the services of 103 of them. This was after the employees, who were offered a leave without pay option for two years sought "job assurance" from the management. Reuters According to PTI, these employees had been working on a fixed-term contract with the airline and some of them were with the carrier for more than 15 years, the sources added. All due to pandemic A Lufthansa spokesperson, however, said that the severe financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic leaves it with no choice but to restructure the airline and as part of that "it will not be extending the fixed-term employment contracts of its Delhi-based flight attendants". The statement further said that Indian cabin crew with unlimited contracts remain unaffected from restructuring as it "was able to reach individual agreements with these flight attendants". In June 2020, Lufthansa which had come close to being grounded was saved by the German government with a $10.1 billion bailout. Reuters The airline said that since it is still burning several hundred million euros every month, Lufthansa must take steps to secure its future. Exhausted every possible option "We exhausted every possible option and had even already reached an agreement with the Indian union we were in close consultation at all times. It would have avoided compulsory redundancies for our cabin staff. "We had signed an agreement with the Indian union providing for two years of unpaid leave, with Lufthansa continuing to provide the local health insurance even for enrolled family members," the statement said. But according to those whose services have been terminated, it happened overnight, without serving any prior notice to them, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters "These terminations happened overnight without giving any prior notice. Some of these terminated people had been employed for nearly 15 years... The management had wanted us to proceed on leave without pay for two years. We had agreed for it but wanted job assurance after the completion of the LWP period," one of them said. They have now taken their former employer to the Central Government Industrial Tribunal under the Industrial Disputes Act. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Just as the metro area has begun reopening slightly after months of tight COVID-19-related restrictions, Mother Nature is threatening to send everyone back home. With Albuquerque bracing for a combination of snow and frigid temperatures starting Sunday, the city is warning residents that driving is likely to be problematic and they should stay off the roads as much as possible. The city has road maintenance crews scheduled to work around the clock starting at 4:30 a.m. Sunday and running through Tuesdays forecast storm, according to Johnny Chandler, a spokesman for the Department of Municipal Development. The city also has an ample supply of de-icing material, but extremely low temperatures can limit its effectiveness. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Chandler said the crews will do what they can to clear streets but conditions may become treacherous. Low temperatures will likely prevent snow and ice from dissipating, he said. Its going to be too cold; the roads are not going to thaw. Even if the sun is shining, its just a stay-at-home situation, he said. Were going to do the best we can; were going to work around the clock, but we have to have the publics assistance in making sure everyone stays safe. The most snow is expected to fall this weekend in northern and eastern New Mexico. Albuquerque has a 90% chance of snow on Sunday, and could receive about 3 inches of snow by Monday night. Temperatures wont likely get above freezing on Sunday. Blowing snow from 25 to 35 mph winds could reduce visibility on roads in the metro area. Wind gusts may reach 50 mph. Road conditions are updated at nmroads.com, and the latest forecasts and snow amounts can be viewed at weather.gov/abq. Chandler said the city crews prioritize major roadways, intersections, bridges and emergency routes. The state this week relaxed some COVID-19-related restrictions for the metro area, moving Bernalillo County to the yellow level from the red. That allowed restaurants to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity; it also loosened limits at grocery stores, hotels and other businesses. Chandler acknowledged that asking people to stay home even longer is tough. Im really sorry; weve been doing this for so long, he said. But this storm has the potential to make (roads) treacherous. State officials are also warning about travel this weekend, citing the severe weather anticipated in the northern, central and eastern parts of New Mexico. Please be prepared for freezing temperatures and potential road closures or other roadway impacts through the weekend and into early next week, Bianca Ortiz Wertheim, secretary of the states Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said in a statement Friday. If you can avoid traveling through the end of this cold spell, please do so. Dont take on the cold, wind and snow. Wind gusts and cold will make driving a risk. Please stay informed about risks in your local area, particularly the risk of difficult driving conditions. Communications Consultant, New York, United States Organization: United Nations Environment Programme Country: United States City: New York, USA Office: UNEP New York, USA Closing date: Thursday, 11 February 2021 Posting Title: Communications Consultant Department/Office: United Nations Environment Programme Duty Station: NEW YORK Posting Period: 05 February 2021 - 11 February 2021 Job Opening Number: 21-United Nations Environment Programme-149519-Consultant United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity Result of Service 1. Fact sheets, messages, posters, photos, media advisories and press releases etc., social media cards and messaging, and media monitoring. Ensure materials are uploaded on NY Office website 2. Images, infographics, graphics 3. Digital communication strategy 4. Newsletter 5. Daily curation and organization of social media and weekly reports 6. Updated email list for media, UN Missions, Second Committee 7. Updated website and intranet Work Location New York Expected duration 08 February 2021 - 07 August 2021 Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations systems designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. Communication lies at the heart of UNEPs mandate and effective communication is an integral part of the strategic management of the organization. This consultancy is required to strengthen our role in communicating UNEPs core messages, campaigns, raising environmental awareness and enhancing the profile of UNEP with Member States, UN agencies, stakeholders and partners in UN Headquarters. This post is located in the UN Environment New York Office. RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONSULTANT The Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Information Officer and will perform the following key roles: Support strategic online communications planning and processes that contribute to UN Environments mission and work to increase visibility of the organization and raise public awareness Support the management of UN Environment New York Office online presence on social media, including regular updates and campaigns Monitor and analyse online conversations around priority and emerging environmental issues and identify opportunities for UN Environment New York Office to engage in these conversations Explore avenues to collaborate on popular digital platforms Tags digital communications editor environmental policy information officer journalism media monitoring online communications press releases Prepare analytic reports on a regular and ad-hoc basis that synthesize digital impact and suggest adjustments of outreach initiatives based on data Produce and support the production of communication products and materials like infographics, videos, etc. Assist in the collect information and preparation of content for the webpage Analyse complex information, including statistics, qualitative and quantitative data and technical reports and publications to extract key messages and present them in visual form, including images and infographics for UNHQ audiences Contribute to visual and digital communications, including photo gathering and editing, graphic creation and presentation, and other multi-media editing, including video and audio; Assist in the organization of events Ensure UN Environment branding standards are applied consistently across all communication platforms Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: Advanced University degree in Journalism is required. A first level University degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the Advanced University degree. Experience: A minimum of ten years demonstrated experience in communication and editorial work is required; Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS BANK ACCOUNTS. Do not fall prey to BJP's promise of citizenship, Matuas told India oi-Deepika S Thakurnagar, Feb 13: The Bangla Pokkho, an organisation which propagates Bengali sub-nationalism, on Saturday urged members of the Matua community not to fall prey to the BJP''s promise of providing them citizenship by implementing the contentious CAA. The BJP is trying to destroy West Bengal, leaders of the organisation alleged at a rally held against CAA and NRC at Thakurnagar, the headquarters of the Matua sect, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a public meeting on Thursday, ahead of the assembly election in the state. As soon as the COVID-19 vaccination programme ends, the process of granting citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will begin, Shah had said at the rally. "They (BJP leaders) are continuously misleading people in the name of citizenship. I will ask the people of this area not to fall prey to their plan," Bangla Pokkho functionary Kaushik Maity said at the meeting. Bengalis of BJP-ruled Assam are the victims of the NRC exercise, he alleged. "Many Bengalis in Assam are being forced to go to detention camps and many of them are Hindus. Many Bengalis died by suicide in Assam and most of them were Namasudras," Maity claimed. Matuas are also Namasudras by caste. Originally from East Pakistan, they are weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. The Matua community, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party in at least four Lok seats and more than 30 assembly seats in Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas districts. It once stood solidly behind the TMC but had supported the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He said that the Bangla Pokkho is opposed to the alleged conspiracy of the BJP to divide West Bengal by creating separate Gorkhaland state. "It''s our fight for survival. When someone wants to uproot us from the ground, we fight by remembering the words of our gurus," Garga Chattopadhyay of Bangla Pokkho said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 22:52 [IST] Those behind a new planned podcast series exploring the life of legendary Wexford man William Lamport, the inspiration behind the fictional character Zorro, are hoping to track down his descendants in Wexford as part of their project. Locally based Crannog Media are the producers of the HedgeRadio podcast and are hoping to give an in depth look at one of the county's most fascinating historical figures. 'He is revered in Mexico as their first champion of Mexican Independence but his origins lie in the narrow streets of Wexford,' said Chris Hayes of Crannog Media. 'His family arrived in Wexford with Strongbow in the late 12th century and became well known Catholic merchants in the town, their faith would put them at odds with future kings of England as they fought with the Irish clans for freedom from English rule.' The podcast aims to look at Lamport's life and influences, but most importantly the producers are hoping to find some of his descendants. 'We've been told descendants lived for a long time around Our Lady's Island, and the name became Lambert, but the Lamport name is still found in records in the 17th Century', said Chris. Anyone with information on links to Lamport is asked to email chris@crannogmedia.ie. CHICO, Calif. - While coronavirus cases are decreasing, health officials are concerned about the spike of a variant first identified in the United Kingdom that is believed more transmissible than the conventional variety. Butte County Public Health Officer, Doctor Robert Bernstein, said there are almost 1,000 cases of this variant in the United States. It's about 50% more contagious than the other COVID-19 variants. RELATED: 2 cases of South African virus variant found in California Action News Now asked Bernstein if Butte County has seen any of the UK variants. The simple answer to your question is that we know the variants are present in California," said Bernstein. "We are going to have more and more opportunities to characterize the variants in our county but that is early stages." The UK variant may cause a more life-threatening illness and the CDC says it could increase the risk of death. Bernstein added, the south Africa variant is present in California but not as much. LAist only exists with reader support. If you're in a position to give, your donation powers our reporters and keeps us independent. Our reporting is free for everyone, but its not free to make. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe When State Senator Holly Mitchell won a seat on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors last year, the 30th District lost its representative in Sacramento. Gov. Newsom scheduled a special election for March 2 to fill the vacancy for the rest of Mitchell's term. If no one gets more than 50% of the vote in the primary, there will be a runoff on May 4. Democrats hold a supermajority in both the state Assembly and Senate, so the election won't change the balance of power in the legislature, but California senate seats are powerful. There are only 40 members of the upper chamber, so each state senator represents close to a million people -- more than members of congress. Seven candidates qualified for consideration. The top-fundraiser is 54th District Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager, who was Holly Mitchell's district director and has the backing of many fellow Democratic officials, as well as endorsements from the state and county Democratic parties. Culver City councilman Daniel Lee, also a Democrat, is giving her a progressive challenge. He's earned the support of environmental justice group Sunrise Los Angeles and progressive organizers Ground Game L.A. The winner of the special will be facing reelection in 2022. HOW TO VOTE Every registered voter in the 30th District has been mailed a ballot, according to the L.A. County Registrar's office. You can fill it out at home and mail it back (no postage required!) or drop it off using one of the county's official ballot drop-boxes. Find a ballot drop-box location here. If you have a problem with your ballot or you simply prefer to cast your ballot in-person, vote centers will begin to open for this election on Saturday, Feb. 20. This map can help you find a vote center, or check this list of locations, including dates and times they are open. The deadline to register online to vote in the special election is Feb. 16, but remember: You can conditionally register to vote in-person in California all the way up to -- and including -- Election Day, which is March 2. Your ballot will be counted once your registration information is validated by county election workers. THE 30TH DISTRICT The 30th State Senate District includes areas of central, south and west L.A., such as Culver City, Ladera Heights, Westmont, Crenshaw, Florence, West Athens, Century City, Mar Vista and much of downtown Los Angeles. It's home to many historic Black neighborhoods and, according to the nonpartisan California Target Book, it has the most Black voters of any district in California -- though Latinos make up the majority of the population. Nearly two-thirds of voters in the district are registered Democrats, followed by just under a quarter who identify as 'no party preference,' while Republicans make up roughly 7%. Map of California's 30th State Senate district in Los Angeles. (Senate.CA.Gov website) WHO'S RUNNING? (In alphabetical order) Renita Duncan - A military veteran and Command Sgt. Major in the Army Reserves. No Party Preference. (Campaign website.) - A military veteran and Command Sgt. Major in the Army Reserves. No Party Preference. (Campaign website.) Ernesto Alexander Huerta - Community organizer working in South Los Angeles. Peace and Freedom Party. (Campaign website.) - Community organizer working in South Los Angeles. Peace and Freedom Party. (Campaign website.) Sydney Kamlager - Assemblymember representing the 54th district. Democrat. (Campaign website.) - Assemblymember representing the 54th district. Democrat. (Campaign website.) Daniel Lee - Culver City City Councilmember and Vice Mayor. Democrat. (Campaign website.) - Culver City City Councilmember and Vice Mayor. Democrat. (Campaign website.) Joe Lisuzzo - Businessman. Republican. (Campaign website.) - Businessman. Republican. (Campaign website.) Cheryl Turner - Attorney and president of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. Democrat. (Campaign website .) - Attorney and president of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. Democrat. (Campaign website Tiffani Jones - Business consultant. Republican. (Campaign website.) ON THE ISSUES We asked each 30th District candidate the same four questions. Here are their answers, in part: Question #1: Why do you want to represent the 30th District? Renita Duncan: "I'm running because I feel like my voice has not been heard as a mother and a veteran trying to live in California. I really want to challenge the status quo of the way politics is done here in California." "I'm running because I feel like my voice has not been heard as a mother and a veteran trying to live in California. I really want to challenge the status quo of the way politics is done here in California." Ernesto Alexander Huerta: "The Democratic Party has failed to meet the needs of people in the 30th District. I'm running because there is a definite need for bold progressive and socialist ideas, like Medicare for all, and canceling rents and mortgages." "The Democratic Party has failed to meet the needs of people in the 30th District. I'm running because there is a definite need for bold progressive and socialist ideas, like Medicare for all, and canceling rents and mortgages." Sydney Kamlager: "I represent much of the district in the Assembly, and I know the community very well. We need someone with the experience to carry on the good work of Supervisor Holly Mitchell, to fight for real progressive change, and step in on day one to build consensus and build the kind of California that we all deserve." "I represent much of the district in the Assembly, and I know the community very well. We need someone with the experience to carry on the good work of Supervisor Holly Mitchell, to fight for real progressive change, and step in on day one to build consensus and build the kind of California that we all deserve." Daniel Lee: "I'm focused on bringing single payer health care to California, accelerating our response to the climate crisis, and achieving practical results around the unprecedented uprisings against police brutality and white supremacy last year." "I'm focused on bringing single payer health care to California, accelerating our response to the climate crisis, and achieving practical results around the unprecedented uprisings against police brutality and white supremacy last year." Joe Lisuzzo: "I'd like to bring my business expertise to the state senate to act with a sense of urgency to solve the many problems that we have, and follow the money at every level of government to make sure that all taxes and bond measures go solely to cure the issues for which those taxes were levied." "I'd like to bring my business expertise to the state senate to act with a sense of urgency to solve the many problems that we have, and follow the money at every level of government to make sure that all taxes and bond measures go solely to cure the issues for which those taxes were levied." Cheryl Turner: "I am born and bred in Los Angeles and this district. I decided, after decades of work in public service, as well as working back and forth in Sacramento as a state commissioner, that I would be a great state senator for my district." Question #2: How would you address the twin problems of California's housing shortage and L.A.'s growing homelessness crisis? Renita Duncan: Duncan vowed to bring greater accountability to organizations that Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority contracts with to serve homeless residents. "We continue to put money into building new infrastructure and programs, but I'm not seeing any forward movement," she said. Ernesto Alexander Huerta: "We need to transform housing from a commodity into a constitutional right," Huerta said. He advocates for the state to seize the close to 1 million vacant housing units in California to redistribute to homeless people and those in precarious housing situations. "The solution is socialized housing." Sydney Kamlager : "This year, I introduced the Street Medicine Act, which would allow us to get preventative and regular care to those who need it most who are also unhoused," Kamlager said. She also supports improving "case conferencing" -- where nonprofit service providers and government agencies work to coordinate care and share updates on individuals' progress, allowing them to tailor services to a person's needs and avoid duplication. "We should know unhoused individuals by name, we should know their stories and what they need to stay healthy and whole while getting them housed," she said. Daniel Lee: Affordable housing production and homelessness prevention are the same goal, Lee said. "Thanks to Article 34, we can't build exclusively affordable housing without a local referendum," Lee explained. "But we can build mixed use developments that incorporate commerce and housing together as a means to help pay for some of the affordable units." "I want to encourage housing production, but also make sure that housing production does not lead to gentrification and displacement, particularly for black and brown residents in the 30th district," Lee said. Joe Lisuzzo: Lisuzzo said that taxpayer dollars have been misspent during the implementation of HHH, the 1.2 billion housing bond measure voters approved in 2016. He pledged to bring a sense of "urgency and accountability" to the job. "2017 -- nothing was open. 2018 -- nothing was open. 2019 -- nothing was open," he said. "It wasn't until 2020 that housing actually opened, and then at the whopping cost of about half a million dollars per unit. This is straight up bad business and unconscionable." Cheryl Turner: "We need to do more to create housing. Southern California is a highly desirable place to live, and the cost of housing is skyrocketing," she said, adding she would "remove the red tape involved in building new housing -- there's a lot of red tape involving inspection and permitting." Other solutions Turner supports: tax incentives, public-private partnerships, enforcing regional requirements for cities to build more affordable housing. Question #3: What would you change about California's COVID-19 response? Renita Duncan: Wants to empower entrepreneurs and improve communication between government officials and small businesses. "Government officials are working with the Department of Health, but not considering people at the ground level," Duncan said. "They've dictated, instead of collaborating." She criticized the state for not getting kids back in school yet, but said teachers must to be part of the planning process to safely return to the classroom. Ernesto Alexander Huerta: California must transition to a Medicare for all system. "It's really simple: If we wanted to guarantee public health and public safety, we would guarantee everyone's healthcare," he said. Huerta also proposed a major public education campaign to address misinformation and xenophobia related to COVID-19, and a jobs training program to combat unemployment and build up California's social work and healthcare workforce. Sydney Kamlager: "We have to get more vaccines from the federal government," Kamlager said. "We are also seeing huge disparities in distribution for communities of color." "We really have to continue to use an equity lens as we accelerate the distribution of vaccines across the state," she said. "We have to work more aggressively with small community clinics and providers in COVID hotspots to make sure that they have allocations they need to get vaccines to vulnerable Angelenos." Daniel Lee: "The state opened up way too early," Lee said, "and the pandemic has been lengthened as a result." Lee said he disagrees with the governor's age-based vaccine rollout strategy. "People over 65 are more susceptible to the virus, but many of them also have the option of staying home," Lee said. "Essential workers -- including medical workers, farm workers, fire, police, and grocery store workers -- should have a greater priority." Joe Lisuzzo: Lisuzzo opposed the state of California's restrictions on churches and other houses of worship, which were recently overturned by the Supreme Court. "Why don't we look at our need for God as being essential in the same way as big box stores or everything else that was allowed to stay open?" He said. Similarly, he's critical of Gov. Newsom's public health orders that have kept most schools closed since early in the pandemic. "Many of our schools should not have been shut down unilaterally," Lisuzzo said. "If we had followed the science, there are a lot of students who were never in a high risk category. And the kids could have been taught by teachers who were also not in that high risk category" Cheryl Turner: "Teachers, the school administrators and staff need to be vaccinated to safely reopen our schools," Turner said. To stave off a wave of evictions once pandemic-era protections sunset, the state "must step in very quickly to provide renters the assistance they need, and we need to look at forbearance for mortgages," Turner added. Question #4: How would you approach law enforcement and criminal justice reform, especially in light of recent shootings by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department? Renita Duncan: "We need to improve training around unconscious biases and race relations," Duncan said. "And [police departments] are going to need money for this training." "I would love to see programs for police officers to be able to rent or purchase homes in the areas where they work," Duncan added. "That creates some accountability." She also pledged to analyze leadership demographics within law enforcement departments to see if they reflect the diversity of populations they serve. Ernesto Alexander Huerta: Huerta has worked with the families of Anthony Weber, a 16-year-old killed by L.A. Count Sheriff's Deputies in the Westmond neighborhood in 2018, and Dijon Kizzee, killed by deputies in the same area in August. "The Sheriff's Department completely terrorizes that community," Huerta said. He advocates for defunding the police and putting public safety decisions in the hands of the community. "South LA understands that the most well funded gang in South LA is the sheriff's department," Huerta said. Sydney Kamlager: Last year, Kamlager requested an audit of spending by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, which is due to be finished in March. Kamlager also plans to reintroduce the CRISIS Act in 2021, a bill she authored last session that "would fund community-based responders to step in and respond to 911 calls so that law enforcement doesn't have to," she said. She added she supports reform efforts by L.A. County's new D.A., George Gascon. "We have to be incredibly supportive of the directives he has implemented," she said. Daniel Lee: Lee said he pushed for Culver City to move forward with a mobile crisis intervention team, which would send mental health professionals and other service providers to respond to some 911 calls instead of police. "At the statewide level, we should require that every county and every 911 dispatcher is trained to know when to deploy mental health professionals, police or firefighters and we should require that every county has mental health teams that can respond without additional law enforcement support," he said. Joe Lisuzzo: "There isn't any industry that can't be improved upon, and it's the same with criminal justice," Lisuzzo said. "But I am not for defunding the police. I think we should refund the police in order for them to improve training and employ more officers from minority communities." "The number one goal of government is to protect the citizenry, and we must never forget the victims of crime," Lisuzzo said. "Right now in the city, D.A. George Gascon, who's come in from San Francisco, has lost touch with that." Cheryl Turner: Turner wants to introduce legislation that makes it easier to see the disciplinary records of law enforcement officers, "to require the disclosure of an officer's past misconduct," she said. And while cases involving excessive use of force by police are typically adjudicated in federal court, Turner said, where state law applies, she would like to address qualified immunity laws that shield problem officers from accountability. "They feel that they have this protection when they shoot, kill, or choke someone," she said. (Feb. 13: This section has been updated with responses from Joe Lisuzzo and Cheryl Turner.) SPRINGFIELD When Madeline Fernandez walked into the All Inclusive Support Services center Feb. 4, there were 146 voicemails for her and her staff to go through, all from people needing help registering for COVID-19 vaccines. We were expecting to get some calls, but nothing like what we have seen, said Fernandez, a program manager at the center. The center is an initiative of the Hampden County Sheriffs Department to help former inmates, their families and others in the community in need of social services. A week ago Cocchi expanded the program to serve as a call center for anyone in Western Massachusetts struggling to navigate the online vaccine registration process. Since then the call center has answered 553 phone calls as well as 10 walk-ins. We mostly have older people calling who do not have access to a computer. Some of them still own flip phones and they dont have children or other family to help them navigate the website, Fernandez said. Springfield - An employee of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department All Inclusive Support Services center helps a resident register for the COVID-19 vaccine online. The center has 21 staff members, including several who speak Spanish and Russian. Fernandez said the calls have come from across Western Massachusetts. We have had people calling not just from Springfield but from Monson, Westfield, Belchertown, Holyoke. We have people whose native language is Italian or Portuguese or they are from an Asian country, she said. There are a lot of people who are in the next phase, 65 and older, who are calling and we have told them we will get back in touch with them once they are eligible to register for the vaccine. Sheriff Nick Cocchi made the decision to expand the centers services to include the hotline after receiving numerous calls from residents who could not figure out how to use the website and get an appointment. People were reaching out for help because these appointments have to be made online and there are so many barriers in booking a time slot for the people who need the shot the most. It shouldnt be this complicated for the public to get a potentially lifesaving vaccine, Cocchi said. The state launched its own vaccination appointments call center last week following criticism of the web-based system. That phone number is 211. Fernandez said a lot of the callers to her office are not tech-savvy. Even if they managed to get to the state website, the subsequent steps were too confusing. One website will send you to a link, then there is another and another. Our staff prepared in advance so we could be ready to help people when they called, and it really is not that easy of a process, especially if you are not familiar with smart phones or iPads, she said. Anyone who is eligible and needs help signing up for the vaccine can call the All Inclusive Support Services center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 413-278-5584. If the call goes to voicemail, clearly leave your name and a phone number. Callers should have their personal information on hand, including ID, date of birth and health insurance card if insured. Although it is preferred to set up a meeting via phone, the center will also accept walk-ins at its facility inside the W.W. Johnson Life Center at 736 State St. in Springfield. Cocchi commended the center staff for taking on the challenge on short notice. We have an amazing staff at AISS to help wherever we are needed. I couldnt be more proud of them and we will be here through the rest of this process, and for whatever challenges come next with the pandemic, he said. While the volume of calls has been overwhelming, Fernandez said the staff has been positive and motivated to help people. We get people who call us to thank us after they go and get their shot. They actually call back and let us know how it went, she said. We also have people calling and crying on the phone once we register them for their appointment because they have no one else to help them. It makes us feel good to know we are doing something for our community. Related Content: .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON The Latest on former President Donald Trumps second Senate impeachment trial (all times local): 11:00 p.m. President Joe Biden is responding to the acquittal of Donald Trump by stating that all Americans, especially the nations leaders, have a duty and responsibility to defend the truth and to defeat the lies. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Biden says that in doing so, that is how we end this uncivil war and heal the very soul of our nation. That is the task ahead. And its a task we must undertake together. The new president also says that violence and extremism has no place in America. The White House issued Bidens statement late Saturday night, several hours after the Senate failed to muster the two-thirds vote needed to convict Trump of incitement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The 57-43 vote included seven members of Trumps own Republican Party. In looking back on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Trumps role in it, Biden says this sad chapter in American history is a reminder that democracy is fragile and must always be defended. He also says that the nation must be ever vigilant. ___ 5:30 p.m. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi scoffed at the cowardly Senate Republicans who voted to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the Capitol siege. With the impeachment trial now over, some Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have suggested censure as an option. Pelosi panned those efforts as grossly inadequate in the face of the violent attack on the nations seat of power. Five people died. What we saw in that Senate today was a cowardly group of Republicans who apparently have no options because they were afraid to defend their job, she said at the Capitol. We censure people for using stationary for the wrong purpose. We dont censure people for inciting insurrection that kills people in the Capitol. Pelosi joined House prosecutors at a press conference at the Capitol following the Senate impeachment trial. ___ HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMPS SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: The Senate met in a rare weekend session to wrap up Donald Trumps second impeachment trial. An unexpected morning vote in favor of hearing witnesses threw the trial into confusion, but both sides ultimately reached a deal that allowed it to proceed with no witness testimony. The trial ended with closing arguments, followed by a vote on whether the former president incited the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol. Read more: Republican leader McConnell votes to acquit and then condemns Trump. Seven GOP senators vote to convict. Rep. Herrera Beutler in middle of impeachment trial turmoil. Graffiti painted outside Trump attorneys home. ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON: 5:05 p.m. Trump lawyer jokes after acquittal: Were going to Disney World! Donald Trumps legal team is taking a victory lap after securing his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial. Addressing reporters after the trial concluded, the team thanked the Senate for finding the former president not guilty of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Michael van der Veen, who presented the bulk of the defense, fist-bumped a colleague as he departed the Capitol. He joked: Were going to Disney World! The vote on Trumps impeachment was 57-43, with seven Republicans joining all Democrats to vote for Trumps conviction. Two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, was needed for conviction. ___ 4:30 p.m. Minutes after voting to acquit Donald Trump of the impeachment charge, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said there is still no question that Trump was practically and morally responsible for provoking the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. McConnell said he could not vote to convict Trump because he is constitutionally not eligible for conviction because he is no longer president. He added that a conviction would have created a dangerous precedent that would give the Senate power to convict private political rivals and bar them from holding future office. McConnell added that impeachment is a narrow tool for a narrow purpose. The Senate voted 57-43 on Saturday to acquit Trump. A conviction required 67 votes. ___ 4:25 p.m. House impeachment managers were the driving force behind the last-minute move to call witnesses, then strike an agreement to avoid that step. Thats according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss internal deliberations and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. The person said the managers hadnt initially planned to call witnesses, but came to Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, to ask them to vote to allow the witnesses on Saturday. The managers later decided they should settle for an agreement with Trumps lawyers not to call the witnesses. That decision came, in part, after they decided that calling witnesses wasnt likely to drastically improve their case, the person said. By Michael Balsamo. ___ 4:10 p.m. The Senates top Democrat says Jan. 6 will live as a day of infamy in American history and that the vote to acquit Donald Trump will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States Senate. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, took to the Senate floor on Saturday to decry the Senates acquittal of the former president on a charge that he incited the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He applauded the seven Republicans who joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Trump. He called the day of the riot the final, terrible legacy of Trump and said the stain of his actions will never be washed away. ___ 4:05 p.m. Former President Donald Trump is welcoming his second impeachment acquittal and says his movement has only just begun. Trump in a lengthy statement is thanking his attorneys and his defenders in the House and Senate, who he said stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country. He is slamming the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. And he is telling his supporters that, Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun and that he will have more to share with them in the months ahead. While Trump was acquitted by the Senate, seven Republicans voted to convict him, making it the most bipartisan vote in the history of presidential impeachments. ___ 3:58 The Senate has acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, bringing his trial to a close and giving the former president a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. Trump is the first president to be impeached twice, and he is also now twice acquitted as the majority of Republicans defended his actions. The Senate voted 57-43 that Trump is not guilty of incitement. Two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, was needed for conviction. House Democrats argued that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then calling on his supporters to fight like hell just before they laid siege to the Capitol. Democrats argued that Trump had obvious intent as he egged on supporters they said were primed for violence. Trumps lawyers argued that the trial was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump and that it was unconstitutional because he had left office. They said the rioters acted on their own accord, despite Trumps words. And they argued that Trump was protected by freedom of speech and to convict him for something he said would set a dangerous precedent. The House impeached Trump before he left office for incitement of insurrection after the violent mob broke into the Capitol, destroyed property and hunted for lawmakers as they counted the presidential electoral votes. Five people died. If Trump had been convicted, the Senate would have taken a second vote on whether to ban him from running for office again. Only two other presidents, Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868, have been impeached. Both were also acquitted. 3:55 Seven Republicans have voted to convict former President Donald Trump at his Senate impeachment trial. Though the chamber voted to acquit him Saturday, it was easily the largest number of lawmakers to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty at impeachment proceedings. Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. Romneys guilty vote at Trumps initial impeachment trial last February had made him the first senator to ever vote to convict a president of the same party. ___ 3:50 p.m. Enough senators have cast not guilty votes to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The vote will give the former president an historic second acquittal in an impeachment trial. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. The Democrats argued in the short trial that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. Five people died when they then laid siege to the Capitol. Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that he was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump. ___ 3:40 p.m. The White House was not involved in the discussion on Capitol Hill about calling witnesses for former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. Thats according to a senior administration official not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and speaking on condition of anonymity. The official says White House officials were watching the drama over witnesses play out in the Senate, but were not involved in brokering the agreement that ultimately allowed the trial to proceed to closing arguments and a vote Saturday. President Joe Biden spent the weekend with family at Camp David, the traditional presidential retreat in Maryland, and had plans to meet with his national security advisers on Saturday. ___ 3:15 p.m. A lawyer for Donald Trump says everyone acknowledges the horror of the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last month but that the former president wasnt responsible for it. Michael van der Veen gave his closing arguments on the Senate floor on Saturday in the impeachment trial of Trump. He says there is no evidence that Trump incited an armed insurrection to overthrow the U.S. government and to think that Trump would have wanted that is absurd. He says the event on Jan. 6 was supposed to be peaceful but that a small group hijacked it for their own purposes. He also repeated the arguments from Friday that other politicians have engaged in incendiary rhetoric, though impeachment managers noted that none of those speeches precipitated an attack on the U.S. government. ___ 3:10 p.m. As a vote in Donald Trumps impeachment trial nears a close, lead Democratic impeachment manager Jamie Raskin told the Senate that this is almost certainly how you will be remembered by history. Raskin said that none of us can escape the demands of history and destiny right now as the House managers argue that Trump incited the violent Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the Senate decides whether to convict him. He said the trial is not about Trump, but about who we are. Trumps lawyers, and many Senate Republicans, have argued that the trial is unconstitutional. They also say Trump did not intentionally incite the riot when he told a mob of his supporters to fight like hell to overturn his election defeat and march to the Capitol as Congress was counting the electoral votes. The House managers laid out video evidence of the violent assault, in which five people died. Raskin said they proved that Trump betrayed his country and betrayed his oath of office. ___ 3 p.m. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has told senators in an email obtained by The Associated Press that his decision to vote to acquit former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial was a close call. McConnell says he believes presidents can be prosecuted for criminal misconduct after they leave office. He says that eases the otherwise troubling argument House prosecutors have made that not convicting Trump would create a January exception for trying impeached presidents whove already left office. McConnell says he thinks impeachment is chiefly to remove an official and we therefore lack jurisdiction. ___ 1 p.m. Senators have resumed Donald Trumps impeachment trial without calling witnesses after agreeing to accept new information from a Republican congresswoman about his actions on the day of the deadly Capitol siege. After a delay of several hours, the trial is back on track with closing arguments and Saturdays session heading toward a vote on the verdict. Under the deal, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutlers statement on a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol was entered into the trial record as evidence. No further witnesses were called. Senators brought the proceedings to a standstill when a majority voted Saturday morning to consider potential witnesses. The information from Herrera Beutler sparked fresh interest on Trumps actions that day. ___ 12:45 p.m. Senate leaders are working on an agreement that could end a standoff over calling witnesses in Donald Trumps impeachment trial and allow it to proceed with closing arguments and a vote on whether he incited the deadly Capitol siege. Under the agreement being discussed, the information that a Republican congresswoman has made public about Trumps actions on the day of the riot would be entered into the record of the trial in exchange for Democrats dropping plans to deposition testimony from the congresswoman, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington No witnesses would be called to testify. That would allow the trial to resume Saturday with closing arguments and a vote on the verdict. A Democrat granted anonymity to discuss the private talks confirmed the pending agreement. The Senate came to a standstill shortly after convening for the rare Saturday session when a majority voted to consider calling witnesses. Herrera Beutlers account of Trumps call with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters were breaking into the Capitol on Jan. 6 sparked fresh interest in Trumps actions that day. Lisa Mascaro. ___ 12:30 p.m. Republican senators are warning that any vote to allow witnesses at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump will significantly prolong the case, and that they have their own lists of people they would want to hear from. Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters that if there are witnesses called by Democrats, the process wont be one-sided and the former president will be able to have his own witnesses, too. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was among five Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to consider witnesses, said that although hed like to see the case go to trial, hell insist on multiple witnesses if Democrats get to have theirs. He says he would want to hear from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. A Trump adviser was seen holding a sheet of paper showing that Trumps lawyers are prepared to call more than 300 witnesses. The vote Saturday to consider witnesses upended the trial, which had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump. ___ 11:15 a.m. Former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial came to an abrupt standstill after a majority of senators voted to consider calling witnesses about the deadly storming of the Capitol. Even senators seemed confused by the sudden turn of events Saturday. The quick trial had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump. Under Senate rules for the trial, it appears debate and votes on potential witnesses could be allowed, potentially delaying the final vote. House prosecutors want to hear from a Republican congresswoman who has said she was aware of a conversation Trump had with the House GOP leader as rioters were ransacking the Capitol over the election results. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler of Washington has widely discussed her reported conversation with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who had called on Trump to stop the attack by his supporters. Five Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting 55-45 on a motion to consider witnesses and testimony. Trumps defense attorneys blasted the late action. Attorney Michael van der Veen said its time to close this case out. Senators are in a brief recess as leaders confer on next steps. ___ 10:50 a.m. The proceedings in former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial have come to an abrupt halt, with senators seemingly confused about the next steps. Senators were huddling on the floor of the chamber as leaders spoke to the clerks at the dais. Impeachment trials are rare, especially for a president, and the rules are negotiated for each one at the outset. For Trumps trial, the agreement said if senators agree to hear witnesses, votes to hear additional testimony would be allowed. Its unclear if there will be support in the evenly split Senate for calling witnesses. ___ 10:35 a.m. Senators have voted to consider witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Closing arguments were expected Saturday with no witnesses called. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Raskin said it was necessary to determine Trumps role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot. There were 55 senators who voted to debate the motion to subpoena, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who changed his vote in the middle of the count. Trumps attorney Michael van der Veen balked at the request, saying hed then call 100 witnesses and said it was not necessary. ___ 10:30 a.m. Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen is telling senators that if Democrats wish to call a witness, he will ask for at least 100 witnesses and will insist they give depositions in person in his office in Philadelphia. His animated statement was met with laughter from the chamber, which visibly angered van der Veen. Theres nothing laughable here, he said. The trial is being held in person, but lawmakers are wearing masks and the coronavirus pandemic has halted most normal activity, including close contact in offices for depositions. In many civil and criminal cases, such work is handled via conference call. Closing arguments are expected Saturday in the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland has asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. ___ 10:20 a.m. House impeachment prosecutors say they will be preparing a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information in Donald Trumps trial over the deadly attack at the Capitol. Lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Saturday he would seek to hear from the Republican congresswoman, who has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Its unclear if she or any other witnesses will be called. Raskin said he would pursue a virtual interview with the Washington lawmaker. Senators are meeting in a rare Saturday session in what is expected to be the final day in Trumps historic trial. ___ Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Falun Gong Adherent Dies While Imprisoned in China for Her Beliefs Ding Guiying, a female resident of Kunming city, in Chinas southwestern Yunnan Province, was secretly sentenced to jail for her beliefs in Falun Gong and recently died in detention, according to a Feb. 9 report by Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that tracks the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Chinese spiritual practice consisting of simple, slow-moving meditation exercises and teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It grew in popularity during the 1990s, with 70 million to 100 million adherents in China by the end of the decade, according to official estimates at the time. Feeling threatened by its popularity, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a systematic elimination campaign in July 1999. Since then, millions have been detained inside prisons, labor camps, and other facilities, with hundreds of thousands tortured while incarcerated, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. On Aug. 28, 2019, around 7 p.m., domestic security officers (an agency specifically for stamping out dissent) of Guandu district, Kunming city, raided Ding Guiyings home without providing legal grounds and confiscated her personal items. Local domestic security agencies are in charge of stamping out dissent. Ding resisted their arrest and was forcibly carried from her home and placed into a police vehicle. Ding, who is in her 70s, was held at the Kunming detention center. Her family was denied from visiting her. The family persistently went to the domestic security division and demanded they release her from the detention center. In mid-January 2021, Dings family unexpectedly received a call from the Yunnan Second Womens Prison in Kunming city. They said that Ding was incarcerated there and had passed away on Jan. 15 at 8:53 a.m., after unsuccessfully trying to treat her sudden illness, which occurred the day prior. On Jan. 19, Dings body was transported by prison guards to the crematorium. It was only after Dings death that her family received an admission notice from the prison, stating that Ding was sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Wuhua district of Kunming city on July 10, 2020. This is not the first time that Ding was subjected to persecution. On May 11, 2011, Ding and over ten Falun Gong practitioners were abducted by the local domestic security division during a raid under the direct instructions of Zhou Yongkang, then-chief of Chinas Political and Legal Affairs Commission, according to Minghui.org. That agency once held broad powers, overseeing all facets of Chinas security apparatus, including jails, prisons, courts, and police. While Zhou was security czar, he directed the agency and local 610 offices to suppress Falun Gong believers. The 610 Office is an extralegal agency created in 1999 with the sole purpose of persecuting Falun Gong. It has absolute power at each level of administration in the CCP and its influence trumps that of other political and judicial organizations. Soon after the abduction, Ding was sentenced to three years at the Yunnan Second Womens Prison. She was subjected to forced labor and torture until her release in mid-April 2014. Solitary confinement and brainwashing sessions are common torture methods used against Falun Gong adherents incarcerated at the Yunnan womens prison, according to a report published by Minghui.org on Jan. 30. The report said prison authorities would have the guards and other inmates take part in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners by offering financial incentives and reduced sentences. As of Feb. 11, 4,363 Falun Gong practitioners are confirmed to have died as a result of the persecution, according to the latest statistics on Minghui.org. Human rights experts say the true number is likely much higher due to the difficulty of passing sensitive information out of China. A total of 921 lawmakers from 35 countries and regions worldwide issued a joint statement on International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 last year to condemn the Chinese regimes decades-long persecution of Falun Gong. Also on the same day, the United States sanctioned a Chinese official for his role in human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners, making him the first-ever persecutor of Falun Gong to be punished. A Dallas police officer has died after he was hit by a suspected drunk driver while responding to the scene of a car accident early Saturday. The cop, who was not identified, had been blocking traffic in the northbound lanes of the North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill Lane around 1.25am, DPD said. He was standing outside his squad car with his emergency lights on when he was struck by a man driving in a Kia Forte at a 'high rate of speed'. A Dallas officer died at Baylor Hospital after being hit by a suspected drunk driver early Saturday, police said The officer was standing outside his squad car (pictured) while blocking traffic on the North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill Lane following an earlier accident The officer was rushed to Baylor Hospital in downtown where he later died of his injuries. Police said the suspect, described as a '32-year-old black male', was found to be intoxicated at the scene. He was taken into custody with charges pending. Footage showed the officer's police vehicle was totaled in the collision, with extensive damage to the rear and driver's side of the car. The cop was struck by a suspect drunk driver who was behind the wheel of a black Kia Forte The Kia Forte was also destroyed in the crash, however, neither the suspect nor his female passenger were injured DPD Chief Eddie Garcia confirmed the officer's passing in a statement The Kia Forte was also destroyed in the crash, however, neither the suspect nor his female passenger were injured. The woman is now being interviewed by police in their investigation, police said. DPD Chief Eddie Garcia confirmed the officer's passing in a statement. 'It is with a heavy heart that I announce that this morning at approximately 0125 a [Dallas Police] officer, working an accident scene, was struck and killed by a DWI driver. Our department is once again mourning, but we are heartened by the strength of his family. Godspeed my brother,' Garcia tweeted. The fatal incident marks the first police officer death in the city since November, when Sergeant Bronc Justin McCoy died of COVID-19, ABC 13 reported. New Delhi: A day after Mayawati resigned from Rajya Sabha for allegedly not being allowed to speak on Dalit issues in the upper house, a video surfaced up on the social media where a 14-year-old Dalit boy can be seen being stripped, abused and beaten up by a group of boys. The incident occurred at Pilkhana village near Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. The victim along with his parents have accused that around eight boys tied his hand to a stick and and stripped him at a forested area near his house. The minor narrating his ordeal said, I repeatedly requested them to let me go but they repeatedly thrashed me. They also attempted to rape me and prior letting me free they urinated on me. Also Read: Lalu backs Mayawati, says behaviour of BJP ministers proves 'they are anti-Dalits' The victim added, Throughout the incident they abused me and kept calling me a dalit. One of the boys was recording the incident in his mobile phone. Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pandey told the media that all the accused in the incident have been arrested. Also Read| Madhya Pradesh: Upper caste people pours kerosene in Dalits' well for violating 'rules' They knew each other. One amongst them came up with idea to shoot the incident. They have been booked. One of the arrested is adult while others are minor, said the SSP. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Pairing wine with chocolate is like trying to fix your best friend up on Valentines Day: its challenging to get right, and when it fails, everyone is miffed. Yet we keep trying. A problem with many red wine-dark chocolate combinations is their tannins, like matchmaking, can unite to create bitterness. Substituting a dessert wine can push things too far in the cloyingly sweet direction. When a friend told me about a promising chocolate wine made in Astoria, I decided to check it out. I questioned that decision when I discovered the wine is made by fermenting whey, a watery byproduct of the cheese-making process. My trepidation was unwarranted. The chocolate experience I had at Shallon Winery was worthy of Roald Dahl. Thanks to the giant dirigible painted on its side, it is easy to spot the Shallon Winery in downtown Astoria. The winery is located in the historic Wicks-Osburn building, which shares its 1925 birth year with Paul van der Veldt, Shallons owner. The 95-year old Van der Veldt is a one-man show who thrives on interacting with his customers. He has been behind his tasting room bar every day since the winery opened on July 27, 1980. Van der Veldt is approaching 15,000 consecutive days of pouring wines and leading tours. Not even Carmello Anthony has this kind of endurance. Van der Veldts first commercial release was a wild blackberry wine. He made his first chocolate wine in 1991. To be precise, it is four different chocolates suspended in an orange wine made by fermenting whey. The uniqueness of his wines is what attracted Van der Veldt in the first place. Ive never wanted to make what everyone else is making, like pinot noir, Van der Veldt said. Whey first caught Van der Veldts attention in the 1970s, when Oregon State University researchers were looking for a way to turn it into fruit-flavored wines. The only reason they werent successful is they didnt treat the whey properly, Van der Veldt said. While he is cagey about how he corrected their mistakes, Van der Veldt clearly found the right whey. Part of Van der Veldts success is mastering the suspension of chocolate in the orange whey wine without the use of emulsifiers and what he calls artificial junk. Getting the proper suspension, a natural flavor and a smooth mouthfeel is Van der Veldts trade secret. His chocolate wine contains only natural ingredients and registers a modest 11% alcohol by volume. One quick sniff from my glass was all it took to transport me back to a Terrys Chocolate Orange, the English treat that shows up in our household at Christmas time. In addition to the orange and chocolate, I picked up scents of anise and wet cedar. Flavor-wise, this dark chocolate and blood orange duo are joined by vanilla biscotti. Each rich, creamy sip is like biting into a Pepperidge Farm Milano Orange-Chocolate cookie. When fresh strawberries return, I will dip them in this elixir. Even if this particular wine doesnt sound like your cup of cocoa, I still recommend visiting the winery. First, theres the equipment. Juxtaposed against the antiquity of a wine press purchased from an Italian-American family in Portland is a thoroughly modern, $40,000 centrifuge. To the left of the centrifuge is a trio of fiberglass/epoxy tanks that used to be part of Seasides water main system. Van der Veldt jury-rigged the salvaged pipes to hold his wines. I had to blast off the external concrete coverings first, Van der Veldt said. Surrounding the eclectic mix of winemaking equipment is a decor reflecting Van der Veldts passions for local history, art and music. The dirigible reappears as though seen through painted windows on an interior wall. It marks the day in 1932 when a 7-year old Van der Veldt watched the U.S.S. Akron float above the Columbia River on its visit to Astoria. A large harp sits against the opposite wall to remind Van der Veldt that taking lessons remains on his bucket list. During the tour, Van der Veldt regaled me with stories of the Lewis & Clark expedition, Fort Astoria, the medicinal properties of the winerys namesake Gaultheria shallon berry, Buddhism and more. Van der Veldt, with his dry wit and dignified charm, is an Oregon treasure. Go pay him a visit. Shallon Winery Chocolate Orange Wine, 375 ml. bottle: $34. The winemaker would like everyone to know that it is about the same price per net ounce as your better chocolate truffles. 1-5 p.m., daily, 1598 Duane Street, Astoria, shallon.com or 503-325-5978. -- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine. New revelations from a call between Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy allegedly indicated that the former president was unwilling to call off the MAGA mob during the January U.S. Capitol riot. Sources claimed Trump tried to calm rioters during the Capitol breach One unnamed GOP lawmaker said, "He is not a blameless observer, he was rooting for them." Republican members of Congress, who were CNN insiders, claimed that the call's contents indicated that Trump had no interest in calling off the deadly riot. Multiple Republicans felt the call's details were essential to the hearings as senators planned to decide Trump's fate since they claimed it painted a troubling illustration of Trump's lack of action during the attack. At least one of the people who talked to CNN took detailed notes of McCarthy's call being recounted. According to CBS SF BayArea, Trump's lawyers argued that he attempted to calm the rioters with a series of tweets, while the Capitol riot occurred at the impeachment trial Friday. He also criticized the then-Vice President Mike Pence and waited hours to warn rioters to directly leave the Capitol. Still, his lawyers cherry-picked his tweets, focusing on his appeal for followers to "remain peaceful" without mentioning that he also mocked Pence. Will Democrats call McCarthy as a witness in Trump's impeachment trial? It's unknown to what point the House Democratic impeachment administrators were aware of this new information or whether the team considered calling McCarthy a witness. In the ongoing impeachment trial, the administrators have kept the possibility of calling witnesses, but that option remains impossible as the trial winds down, as per CBS. Since attacking the process as a 'witch hunt' and calling Democratic managers who argued it hypocritical, Trump's impeachment lawyers ended their defense of the former president Friday after fewer than three hours. Three separate Trump lawyers spoke Friday, following elected Democrats who, in their remarks, used the word 'war' and arguing that Trump had a constitutional basis for his pre-riot address in which supporters were ordered to go to the Capitol to take on 'poor' Republicans. Wrapping up his points, Atty. Bruce Castor gave back about 13 hours allotted to the Democratic majority, concluding with a partisan blast, Daily Mail reported. Castor said the majority party promised to deliver and unify more coronavirus relief. "But instead, they did this." "We will not take most of our time today, us of the defense, in the hopes that you will take back these hours and use them to get delivery of COVID relief to the American people," he added. Trump's team of impeachment lawyers summoned their client's angry speaking style as they started his defense Friday against what they called a 'sham impeachment' they dubbed a 'witch hunt.' With no public proof that the trial moved enough Republican senators to prosecute Trump, counsel Michael van der Veen came out swinging with legal claims that seemed to channel his client's previous Twitter indignation. They branded the impeachment as a 'horrific violence' and boosting Trump targets such as the Russia investigation and Antifa. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. MY YEAR ABROAD, by Chang-rae Lee. (Riverhead, $28.) Part study of suburbia, part globe-trotting adventure, Lees latest novel follows a young man from a transformative trip in Asia to a low-key life in a New Jersey town. Reflective, precise writing and a steady churn of pleasures and perils make for a winning combination. Lees real subject here is a global economy made from desires and appetites that dont transcend race and national borders as much as they exploit them, Alexander Chee writes in his review, appetites that can be fulfilled because of, and not in spite of, stunning inequities. EXTRATERRESTRIAL: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, by Avi Loeb. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27.) You may not buy Loebs argument that the cigar-shaped object that streaked through our solar system in 2017 was alien technology. But his search for intelligent life, couched in a moving account of his path to the top of Harvards astronomy department, is fascinating and persuasive. It is fair to say that Loeb, who was raised with a philosophical bent on a farm in Israel, the son of refugees from the Holocaust and war-torn Europe, is one of the more imaginative and articulate scientists around, Dennis Overbye writes in his review. Modern academic science, he complains, has overvalued topics such as multiple dimensions and multiple universes, for which there is no evidence, and undervalued the search for life out there. THE RATLINE: The Exalted Life and Mysterious Death of a Nazi Fugitive, by Philippe Sands. (Knopf, $30.) Using a trove of archival and personal documents, Sands tells the gripping story of a Nazi mass murderer responsible for the deaths of thousands who managed to elude his pursuers until his death in Rome in 1949. The Ratline is a Nazi love story, but a fascinating and important one, told in vivid detail, Rachel Donadio writes in her review. Its a reminder that Europe to this day is populated by survivors and perpetrators of World War II a place of tangled family histories and selective denial, but also intermittent lucidity. LET THE LORD SORT THEM: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty, by Maurice Chammah. (Crown. $28.) The number of inmates on death row has been declining for years, and Chammahs thoroughly reported, essential history, which includes interviews with inmates, wardens, activists, prosecutors and politicians, delivers a surprising account of how and why the death penalty is dying. As it tells that focused tale, it becomes almost unwittingly a case study that speaks more broadly to our current moment, about building monumental change brick by brick, Anand Giridharadas writes in his review. In a season of American life when so many want to get big things done and few seem to get anywhere, this story of the slow slaying of the death penalty one that flies against many of my own intuitions serves as a vaccine against the virus of fatalism. SANCTUARY: A Memoir, by Emily Rapp Black. (Random House, $27.) In her third memoir, Emily Rapp Black writes of tentatively, painfully regaining her footing after losing her son to Tay-Sachs disease. With brutal honesty, she ushers readers into the mourners sanctuary, where life and death, love and loss, rage and happiness, pleasure and pain can tolerably intermingle. She relearns how to live in a world that keeps on turning, Judith Warner writes in her review. She transitions jerkily, messily from the torturous present tense of watching a child slowly die to living in a future of possibility. Blacks power as a writer means she can take us with her to places that normally our minds would refuse to go. Italians' hopes in Mario Draghi could hardly be higher. But the former European Central Bank chief, who was sworn in as the country's new prime minister on Saturday, will have a tough time fulfilling them. His main tasks will be the efficient management of over 200 billion euros ($241 billion) Italy expects from a European Union fund to help the bloc's recovery, and ensuring smooth progress of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Draghi has several advantages. He comes to power with one of the largest majorities of any government in Italy's post-war history, huge international prestige and an approval rating of 71%, according to a survey published this week. But his broad parliamentary backing may also be a problem. He will have to manage an unwieldy coalition made up of parties from left to right, including traditionally bitter foes such as the 5-Star Movement and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, the right-wing League and centre-left Democratic Party. Giovanni Orsina, head of the LUISS university school of government in Rome, said Draghi's popularity and credibility will assure him of an easy ride at the beginning. "The party system is difficult to manage, but Draghi, with his prestige, can make it hard for them to thwart him," he said. Party horse-trading over cabinet posts is normally a central part of forming an Italian government, yet Draghi unveiled his ministerial team on Friday without any apparent negotiations or opposition from the coalition parties. His picks will not have pleased everyone, however, and it may be only a matter of time before resentment and dissatisfaction surface. Recovery plan Draghi's first job will redrafting Italy's Recovery Plan, which must be handed to the European Commission by April to tap funds desperately needed to revive the recession-hit economy. The Commission will disburse the money in instalments dependent on the government reaching milestones and meeting benchmarks. The previous government of Giuseppe Conte was brought down partly by squabbles over how to manage the plan and which projects to include, so Draghi will want to swiftly stamp his authority on a revised version. Italy has a dismal track record of using EU funds and making productive investments in its economy, with projects often bogged down by red tape or hit by corruption probes. "We need to accelerate the procedures. It's unthinkable to achieve what we have to with the slowness of our bureaucracy," Enrico Giovannini, Draghi's new infrastructure and transport minister told Reuters shortly before his appointment. It will not be easy for the prime minister to overcome these deep-rooted problems, but his past performance at the Italian Treasury, the Bank of Italy and the ECB shows he can act decisively and effectively. As Treasury chief he earned the moniker "Super Mario" for his whirlwind activity in spearheading privatisations and his role in Italy's preparations for monetary union. After a stint at Goldman Sachs in London he then reorganised the Bank of Italy, cutting its number of branches, before earning international acclaim at the ECB where he is credited with saving the euro through the bank's asset-buying programme. "Draghi has shown he can be a great innovator and effectively lead complex organisations like the Bank of Italy and the Eurosystem of central banks," said Angelo Baglioni, economics professor at Milan's Cattolica University. Creative destruction Aside from the Recovery Plan, analysts are looking for clues to how Draghi will go about broader reforms of Italy's chronically sluggish economy. Some indications may be found in a December report by a G30 working group he co-chaired which urged an end to state aid for firms whose fate has been sealed by COVID-19, suggesting there could be painful medicine in store. The report calls for "a certain amount of 'creative destruction' as some firms shrink or close and new ones open, and as some workers need to move between companies and sectors". Reviving the economy will be closely linked to vaccinations and how the pandemic develops. "Lockdowns can't last forever and vaccines are the only way to reduce health expenditure, because sick people cost money," said Fabrizio Pregliasco, a prominent Italian virologist. On this front, Draghi inherits a situation which is broadly positive, with infection rates currently stable and pressure on hospitals relatively manageable. After initial problems due to supply shortages, Italy's vaccination campaign is also going smoothly, with almost 80% of doses so far received having been administered to patients. Nonetheless, Draghi has no room for complacency and may face problems managing the frequent clashes between central government and the powerful governors of Italy's 20 regions who have a major say over health policy. Economist Tito Boeri, a former chief of the state pension system, urged Draghi to claw back control over healthcare. "Vaccinations require an unprecedented effort ... it takes commitment and an organizational structure that needs to be largely centralized," Boeri said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. China's ByteDance Ltd. has started exploring a sale of the Indian operations of TikTok to rival unicorn Glance, news agency Bloomberg reported. Japans SoftBank Group Corp initiated the discussions, said people familiar with the matter, according to Bloomberg. This move came after the Indian authorities indicated last month that the ban on TikTok app was permanent. The central government banned thousand of Chinese applications including TikTok last year, threat to national security and sovereignty. The ban was imposed under section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The restirction on Chinese applications came amid continuing tensions on the border between India and China. In January, Bytedance announced to shut its India business and cut over 2,000 employees over the uncertainty in making a comeback. TikTok, before it was banned in India its biggest market, had hit over 200 million users Roposo, Glances short video sharing platform, has witnessed a massive growth after TikTok ban. The 20-month-old has gained prominence in the short video market and has 30 million monthly active users. Bengaluru-headquartered app in December said it had raised $145 million by Google Inc. and billionaire Peter Thiels Mithril Capital. Started by Harvard Business School alum Naveen Tewari, Glance Digital Experience is a mobile content platform. He is the founder of InMobi, Indias first unicorn. SoftBank is a backer of Glances parent InMobi Pte as well as TikToks Chinese parent, ByteDance. The deal will need a final seal of approval from Indian government. Chinas new rules around export of technology make the negotiations even more intricate, and any sale of TikTok could need approval from Chinese authorities, Bloomberg reported. According to the report, the Indian government will insist that user data and technology of TikTok stay within its borders if the talks progress. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Yena escaped to South Korea in 2011. Here is an excerpt of her remarks from an interview (in English and Korean) with her identifying details changed, and posted with her permission exclusively at ED. By Yena When I was in North Korea, I never went to school. When I tell people that, they think I mean that I rarely went to school, or that perhaps I dropped out of school. It takes some time for them to understand that I mean: I never went to school in North Korea, not even once. My family was struggling to eat and survive. My aunt is the one who raised me, but my mother later rescued me from North Korea. I was so happy to have arrived here, but my introduction was so scary when I was interviewed by the National Intelligence Service. The female inspector was nice, her voice was gentle, but she was strict and watching me closely. She asked me so many questions, I could see that she was an expert about North Korea, she knew more about it than I did. Her job was to check that I wasn't a spy. I had a chance to talk with my mother on the phone, we hadn't seen each other in 10 years. She told me to tell the truth about everything, not to be scared; but I couldn't help it. I told the truth about everything, although the atmosphere was tense. I know that some North Korean refugees don't like Hanawon (the adjustment center for North Korean refugees), but I enjoyed my time there. For the first time, I could study. I could read Korean but I had not learned how to write when I was in North Korea. The Hanawon instructors were so strict, they pushed us to learn about South Korea so we could be prepared for life here. I really appreciate that time, I learned how to write Korean, learned some basic English and mathematics for the first time. After I was released from Hanawon, I was able to attend a real school for the first time in my life. I studied and got a GED, my mom was my helper during the process. I felt so good, for the first time I could study. However, I quickly felt that life here would be difficult. I applied for a university but I had to give up immediately. English was part of the application process, I was not prepared. I had never studied English when I was in North Korea. I kept seeing words that I could not understand. "Mart." What is mart? I had no idea. South Koreans would laugh at me when they realized that I didn't understand basic things. One day in an English class, I wanted to go to the bathroom, I called the female teacher "sir." Of course, other students laughed. Then I got it wrong again in a different class, I called a male teacher "Mrs." I didn't feel bad about it, I knew that I was a newcomer to both English and this country. My accent was also a problem. But I was okay with that, there was nothing to hide. I wasn't ashamed of it. I was okay being ignorant about things, but there is one thing I still have not overcome. I have bad teeth. Some South Koreans call me " ." In North Korea, there was nothing strange about my teeth, but here, South Koreans laugh about them. I love taking photos, but I learned how to smile without ever opening my mouth. Sometimes I don't want to talk to people because I know some South Koreans may ridicule my teeth. I hope to get over the complex so I can smile one day without being embarrassed. Sometimes it is a struggle here, there are so many things I don't know, so many things I need to learn. There are many things that I want to do here. Getting an office job is like a dream. It might seem like a simple thing for most people, but that kind of thing could make me feel normal here. I have now learned some conversational English, but I still lack enough vocabulary to hold deeper conversations. Another dream I had was to become a translator. When I was in North Korea, I heard one of my neighbors sing the ABCs. For some reason, at that moment I thought about a career as a translator, even though I couldn't speak English. When I was getting the GED, I was bored with most of the classes, but I was fascinated with English. I knew almost nothing, but I enjoyed speaking what I had learned. When I had a chance to travel abroad, I struggled so much because I could barely understand anyone and they couldn't understand me either. I was working part-time and taking an ESL class. I would just follow what the others did. I stopped studying for 5 years, I was trying to have a normal life here, working, and struggling with some personal things. I realized without education that I couldn't get a good job. Education is really important. I wanted to restart my experience here, then I got lucky when one of my friends told me about a place where I could study English for free. That place made me feel the warmth of a world at a time that I really needed it. The volunteer teachers gave their time to make sure I learned and the organization's co-founders treated me like family, not like a client or customer. The experience taught me how precious and special each of us is. I felt the warmth of the whole world. The whole world had seemed so scary and difficult to live, from struggling to survive in North Korea to struggling to adjust here, but then everything seemed so beautiful. Recently my life mentor at FSI gave me a challenge he arranged for me to make phone calls to some of the organization's supporters. He made the supporters promise 1) to only use English with me 2) to make it a professional call, not chatting, as part of my training 3) to try to teach me at least one thing about English before we ended the call. I struggled so much talking in English with two Americans and one lady from France. When I finished, my life mentor was in a meeting, so I wrote him a message: "WOW! I did it!" I am sure I made so many mistakes, but the supporters were so patient. I have more confidence that I can do it next time and that I can continue to learn. The important thing I am learning is to try, even if I am not sure, and to learn from the experiences. I didn't go to school in North Korea, every day was a struggle for survival and to eat. Now in South Korea, I am not struggling for basic survival, but it has felt difficult at times. I now feel that I have people around me who are with me so I can enjoy a good life here. The world now seems so beautiful to me, one day I hope I can show a big smile without anyone calling me a vampire. The article was assisted with and edited by Casey Lartigue Jr., the editor of "Voices from the North." Yena is a part-time assistant at Freedom Speakers International during her winter and summer breaks and a first-year student at a university in Seoul. New Delhi: The Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Saturday took actor-activist Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh to Red Fort to recreate the scene of events that unfolded at the historic monument on Republic Day during the farmer's tractor parade, a police officer said. Sidhu, according to police, was a "prominent player" behind the January 26 violence and vandalism at the Red Fort. He was arrested from Karnal bypass in Haryana on Monday night by a team of Delhi Police's Special Cell. Deep SidhuOn Tuesday, Sidhu was sent to seven-day police custody by a city court here A senior police officer said Sidhu and another accused arrested in the case Iqbal Singh were taken to the Red Fort by a crime branch team to recreate the scene of events that unfolded on Republic Day at the monument. The team probing the case will inspect the spot to ascertain and corroborate the route taken by them, their activities at the Red Fort and how things unfolded at the monument on Republic Day when the violence broke out, the officer added. Iqbal Singh, who was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, was nabbed from Hoshiarpur in Punjab on Tuesday night by the northern range of Delhi Police's Special Cell. Iqbal Singh The Delhi police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information that can lead to the arrest of actor Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh who hoisted flags at the Red Fort or were involved in the act. A cash reward of Rs 50,000 each was also announced for Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jajbir Singh and Iqbal Singh for allegedly instigating protesters. Of them, Sidhu, Iqbal Singh and Sukhdev Singh have been arrested. Police said raids are being conducted to nab the other accused. When Senate Democrats stepped onto the floor on Saturday morning, they had no idea the House impeachment managers were about to drop a political grenade in their laps. But after a brief schism that threatened to throw Donald Trump's trial into chaos, House and Senate Democrats quickly agreed to put the pin back in. House Democratic managers and the former president's lawyers ducked the issue of witnesses nearly as soon as it was raised, and Senate Democrats approved the turnaround. Instead of a weeks-long drama over trial witnesses that risked upending the Senate schedule, a widely known statement from one House Republican was entered into the record. Trumps team declined to dispute it. And amazingly, both sides decided to move on. The Senate later voted 57-43 to acquit Trump, with seven Republicans joining all Democrats in favor of conviction. But that speedy resolution came after several hours of utter uncertainty. While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and his members had prepared for the possibility of voting on witnesses, they got no warning that the lead House prosecutor was about to force a vote that could have prolonged the trial for days or weeks. The impeachment managers spent Friday night and Saturday morning wrestling with the question themselves and made the final decision at the last minute, according to Democratic sources. The managers debated until 3 a.m. Saturday on how to proceed, according to two Democrats familiar with the negotiations. Schumer communicated to them that his 50-member caucus would support whatever decision they landed on. Then Senate Democrats held a 9 a.m. Saturday conference call where members still indicated they were in the dark about House Democratic managers plans. The managers didnt make the final call to force a Senate vote until minutes before the Senate gaveled in at 10 a.m., Democrats said. The managers started informing senators they wanted witnesses at 9:55 a.m. Story continues We dont coordinate with the managers, said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), adding that Democratic senators "have social conversations" with their House counterparts but "dont talk strategy. So we did not know that they were going to request witnesses or not. And thats how it should have been. Summing up the position Democratic senators decided on, Cardin said: If the managers believe it would help their presentation, we should let them have witnesses. As Senate Democrats huddled on their call, their party's impeachment managers initiated outreach to at least some of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, according to multiple sources. The exact nature of those conversations remains unclear -- but what happened next shocked everyone. The Senate quickly moved to a bipartisan 55-45 vote to consider possible witnesses. Schumer had long deferred to the managers: If they wanted to call witnesses, he said Democrats would support it. Still, the vote on witnesses personally surprised the Senate majority leader, Democrats said. But after they voted to move forward, House managers had no real plan for what to do next, according to a Democrat familiar with the negotiations: Senate Democrats gave them the votes, but the managers didnt know what their next step was. Multiple sources close to the impeachment managers disputed that claim, saying instead it was significant pressure from Senate Democrats that resulted in their decision to change course. The House managers wanted to bring Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) in to testify, only relenting after receiving pushback from multiple Senate Democrats, they said. The night before, Herrera Beutler issued a statement recounting a story she's told over the last month detailing a heated call between House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Trump during the middle of the violent insurrection. During the Senate break after the witness vote Saturday, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) twice came into the managers room off the Senate floor, according to multiple Democratic sources. Coons pressed House Democrats to relent, saying their quest for witnesses would cost them Republican votes to convict and maybe even some Democrats. "The jury is ready to vote," Coons told the managers, according to a senior House Democratic aide. "People want to get home for Valentines Day." Coons later returned a second time to urge the managers to take a deal with Trump's lawyers to enter what House Democrats viewed as damning evidence from Herrera Beutler into the record. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) also approached a House manager in the hallway to urge them against calling witnesses, according to sources close to the managers. A person close to Coons said that he spoke to the parliamentarian and GOP senators and conveyed to the managers that considering would lead to days if not weeks of debate and that Republicans were ready to vote. Coons said that GOP Leader Mitch McConnell's plans to acquit demonstrated that there was a ceiling to how many Republicans would go along. A Coons spokesperson said that the senator "was simply conveying to the House managers that several of his Republican colleagues told him there were no more votes on their side and their members were ready to fly home. It is unfortunate that apparently no amount of additional evidence was going to convince 10 more of his Republican colleagues of Donald Trumps guilt." Managers tried to reach Herrera Beutler both Friday night and Saturday morning to gauge her interest in testifying, a person familiar with the negotiations said. But before there was even a chance to respond, the impeachment managers had already backed down, accepting the deal with Trump's lawyers to enter her statement into the record and move on. The Senate ultimately devised a fast solution to help the chamber avoid trekking down a long path of depositions that could drag the trial into March. Instead of calling witnesses, the statement from Herrera Beutler was entered into the record. And the trial headed toward a close. Now that Trumps team has conceded to bringing this uncontradicted statement into the trial record, it can be considered by senators along with the already overwhelming evidence about President Trumps conduct on January 6, without the need for subpoena, deposition and other testimony, said an aide for the House impeachment managers. For a week or more, most in the party have suggested that senators' experience as witnesses of the Jan. 6 insurrection could be enough to convict Trump of inciting it. And Democrats warned that an untidy foray into uncharted territory could be a far bigger risk than not hearing from witnesses at all. In my mind we have two goals: to maximize the number of Republican votes and to maximize the understanding of the American public" of Trump's role in the riot, said one Senate Democrat who was torn on the move. This will not change Republican votes and only make it more confusing. The organizing resolution that set parameters for the trial did not rule out witnesses, because Schumer and other Democrats did not want to preclude the House managers from making their own strategic decisions during the trial. And several developments this week, including Herrera Beutlers statement, piqued managers interest in witnesses. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) confirmed that he had told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated around the same time Trump tweeted an attack on Pence. The decision not to bring in witnesses brought a swift end to the trial, with Trump acquitted Saturday on a 57-43 vote, allowing Democrats to move forward on their broader legislative agenda. That includes passage of a coronavirus relief package, the first legislative item on President Joe Biden's to-do list. Had Democrats chosen to go the other way, the trial could have been put on ice for two weeks, Cardin said. There's just a lot to be done, said Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). He added that Democrats want to ensure "everyone's heard, that we get all their information and evidence," but also want to "do it efficiently." Melanie Zanona contributed to this report. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 [February 12, 2021] Tyto Athene Awarded a $37 Million Contract to Support the Navy Consolidated Area Telephone Systems, San Diego, California Tyto Athene, LLC was recently awarded a contract valued at $37.6M over a five and half year period to support the Navy Consolidated Area Telephone Systems (CATS) in San Diego, California. The CATS contract covers the Operational and Maintenance support for 24 Naval Bases in the San Diego Area including Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) and Naval Bases at Seal Beach, Ventura County, Lemoore and Monterey. NCTS has a deep history of critical Navy communication including the 1940 transmission of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Today NCTS provides tactical and non-tactical telecommunications afloat and ashore to over 80,000 customers and is known as a cutting edge leader in the San Diego Metropolitan Region and a worldwide in Naval Communications. The NCTS regionalized Base Communication Office (BCO) contracted Tyto Athene, an Avaya (News - Alert) Diamond certified full-service systems integrator, to continue to support and maintain the entire CATS network including voice, data, and networking technology. The contract includes: Support for over 120,000 users, circits and trunks Avaya Switching network comprised of Avaya G3R, CM2, CM4 and CM6 voice switches OSP support of underground and aerial copper and fiber optic cables Maintenance, Programming and deployment of Ciena Transport, Tellabs GPON, Actelis (News - Alert) Networks, Positron, Adtran and other various telecom equipment About Tyto Athene, LLC: Tyto Athene, LLC is a full service systems integrator focused on helping clients accelerate their ability to make decisions by providing secure access to enterprise information throughout their operating environment. We use a wide range of technologies, innovative thinking, and proven processes to deliver successful outcomes for its clients worldwide, including a historically proven track record of success within the Federal marketplace providing turn-key voice, data, networking and UC systems. Tyto Athene is also the inventor and provider of the ACUITY Micro Data Center product line. To learn more about Tyto Athene please visit www.gotyto.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005545/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] To cannabis watchers, 2020 was the pivot year in the long and inevitable march toward federal legalization of adult-use cannabis in the United States. Thirty-eight states currently allow medical marijuana, and 15 of these have made it legal for adults over 21 to consume cannabis freely. Most telling, in 2020 the people of South Dakota were the first to skip over medical marijuana and go directly to legalized recreational use by adults. We have reached the tipping point. Since 2018, California has seen its cannabis industry grow to $4 billion annually, but only a tiny fraction is consumed as medical marijuana. Instead, adults primarily use cannabis to get high, which is a euphemism for relaxing, unwinding, and expanding your mind. Im a lifelong entrepreneur with five years in the cannabis business after getting an MBA at MIT and owning the 14th largest daily newspaper company in the United States. Recently, with three Wharton Business School professors, I founded Rootz Research, a cannabis-focused consumer analytics company that compiles a proprietary data set from California dispensaries. We believe its time to let the data speak, so we can get past the stigma associated with cannabis and overcome generations of scaremongering. For starters, our data shows that Americans love to consume cannabis, and only 5% of sales come from products used for medical purposes. In addition, marijuana users favor an instant buzz, so 80% of cannabis sales are inhaled products to smoke or vaporize, including pre-rolls, vapes, smokable extracts, and loose flower. Most of the remaining 20% is consumed orally and affects people slowly like alcohol. This includes the small but fast-growing THC-infused drinks market where major brewers like Constellation and Molson are investing heavily in R&D. Demographic data paints a picture of the cannabis consumer. In California, males spend 71% of cannabis dollars, and nearly half of all spending is done by men under 39 years of age (43.7%). Women and older men prefer the metered dosing and the discretion of eating cannabis-infused candies. Smokable extracts, the cannabis version of alcohol shots, are likewise the domain of young males. The data suggests that consumers use cannabis for the same reasons they use other sin products. Lets face it: Many Americans enjoy using an array of social lubrication elixirs to satisfy our insatiable quest to feel good and be entertained. And we despise being told what to do with our own bodies and minds. So, its long past time for our government state and federal and especially the courts to stop treating cannabis any differently than alcohol or nicotine. Lets remember the self-deprecating admonition of Abraham Lincoln that human beings who have no vices have damned few virtues. So regulate marijuana, for sure, but legalize it now. Unfortunately, while the American people get it, too many politicians still do not. In 2020, 60% of Arizona voters chose to legalize adult-use cannabis, but Debbie Lesko, a Republican congresswoman from a district in the western Phoenix suburbs, still supports federal prohibition. Her views were solidified, she said, by speaking to teens in addiction recovery programs. Every one of them said they started by using marijuana, she said. I am not saying that every person that smokes marijuana is going to be addicted to harder drugs, but I am concerned that we have so much costs associated with addiction in our country. Prior to the election, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem appeared in an advertisement urging a "no" vote against cannabis legalization. "The fact is, I've never met someone who got smarter for smoking pot," she said in the ad. Not to be outdone, the states junior senator, Mike Rounds, added his voice to the cannabis debate. I think this is really bad public policy, Rounds said. I never say I will never do anything, but most certainly I am not going to be a proponent of any type of actions along that line. Imagine a stigma so strong that a states top elected officials simply defy the will of their voters. Thats the cannabis conundrum. As Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has observed of Republican leaders, I always jokingly say they were all in the theater watching [Reefer Madness]. And theyre still sort of this belief that marijuana is going to destroy the world somehow. Most American adults want the freedom to use cannabis legally. With New York and other states poised to legalize adult recreational use in the months ahead, we should implore our elected officials to resume protecting our inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It has been a tough year for Britain's banks, which have had to deal with the economic woes caused by the pandemic. Not only have they been funnelling money out of the door at record speed under the Government's emergency loan schemes, they have also had to set aside huge provisions in preparation for loans expected to turn sour as firms and households struggle to claw their way back from lockdowns. But despite the uncertain picture ahead, Barclays' share price has been making steady progress since October. Profits last year were aided by its investment bank the division which activist investor Edward Bramson had been pushing Barclays to get rid of. It was boosted by volatility in the market caused by the pandemic, as investors rushed to take advantage of wild swings in the prices of certain assets. As Barclays reveals its full-year results on Thursday, shareholders will be keen to see whether this performance has held up. They will also be keeping a close eye on the bank's bad debts and provisions set aside for future expected losses, as well as predictions for the year ahead. And any mention of a new dividend policy, following the Bank of England's ban on payouts last year which has mostly lifted, will be very welcome. Susannah Streeter, at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Prospects for shareholder returns will be in the spotlight in these results. However, management may take a more cautious approach given the headwinds still buffeting the business.' WASHINGTON (AP) Most every senator has pledged to listen to the evidence in Donald Trumps historic second impeachment trial, but most minds were likely made up before the trial began. Democrats would need a minimum of 17 Republicans to vote with them to convict Trump of incitement of insurrection, and that appears unlikely. Still, Democrats say they are holding out hope they will win over enough Republicans to convict the former president for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, in which five people died. If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to ban him from running for office again. A final vote is likely on Saturday. A look at the Republicans whom Democrats are eyeing as they make final arguments in the case: THE FREQUENT TRUMP CRITICS Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine have been clear that they believe Trump incited the riot. While none of them is a lock to vote for conviction, they have joined with Democrats twice to vote against GOP efforts to dismiss the trial. Collins said after the siege that Trump does bear responsibility for working up the crowd and inciting this mob. Murkowski called on Trump to resign after the attack on the Capitol, telling a local paper three days later that I want him out. He has caused enough damage. Romney tweeted on Jan. 6: What happened at the U.S. Capitol today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States. During the trial, the Democrats showed video of Romney narrowly escaping the mob, redirected by a Capitol Police officer as he unknowingly ran toward the violent crowd. Sasse said that Trump had lied to Americans and the consequences are now found in five dead Americans and a Capitol building thats in shambles. In a recent video, he said Republican politics shouldnt be about the weird worship of one dude. Murkowski, Collins and Sasse voted to acquit Trump during his first impeachment trial, in which Democrats charged that he had abused his power by urging the president of Ukraine to investigate then-White House candidate Joe Biden. Romney was the sole GOP guilty vote, leaving the Democrats far short of conviction. HEADED OUT Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who is retiring in 2022, has also voted twice with Democrats to move forward with the trial. Like Murkowski, he called for Trumps resignation after the riots, saying that would be the best way to get this person in the rearview mirror for us. Toomey had also aggressively pushed back on Trumps false assertions that he had won Pennsylvania and other states in the election. Three other GOP senators have said they will not run again in two years, potentially freeing them up to vote against Trump and anger base voters in the party. They are Rob Portman of Ohio, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Richard Shelby of Alabama. All three voted to dismiss the trial, but Portman says he still has an open mind about conviction. Burr said Thursday that he would not comment on the trial at all. Shelby said this past week that the impeachment managers had a strong point that Trump could have acted sooner to stop the violence, but maintained that the trial is unconstitutional because Trump is now out of office. CASSIDY AS WILD CARD Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who won reelection by a large margin in 2020, voted two weeks ago for a GOP effort to dismiss the trial. But he switched his vote this past week, saying Trumps lawyers had done a terrible job making the case that the trial was unconstitutional. Cassidy, who has been taking extensive notes throughout the trial, said Friday that the managers had raised some intriguing questions during their two days of arguments. He said that he hoped Trumps lawyers would answer them thoroughly and that he is trying to approach it objectively. During the trials question and answer session on Friday afternoon, Cassidy asked Trumps lawyers about a conversation the then-president had with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., on Jan. 6 just after Vice President Mike Pence had been evacuated from the Senate. Tuberville says he told Trump that Pence had been whisked away, making clear that Trump likely knew of the danger at that point. Lawyer Michael van der Veen dismissed Tubervilles account as hearsay, an answer that Cassidy later said was not sufficient. Van der Veen also said Trump was at no point informed of any danger to Pence. THUNE TAKES HEAT FROM TRUMP South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican leader, dismissed Trumps attempts to challenge the certification of Bidens presidential election victory. Thune predicted the effort would go down like a shot dog in the Senate. That comment drew a furious response from Trump, who urged South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run against Thune in a GOP primary, an idea she immediately rejected. Still, Thune has voted twice to dismiss the case. He said Friday that he was keeping an open mind and indicated he could be open to a censure resolution if Trump is acquitted. I know a couple of my colleagues whove seen a couple of resolutions, at least, that I think could attract some support, Thune said. EYES ON McCONNELL Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has twice voted to dismiss the trial, indicating he will ultimately vote to acquit. But he has also said that Trump provoked the mob, which was fed lies. Soon after the attack, McConnell privately told associates he was done with Trump and said publicly he was undecided on impeachment. He has told Republicans the decision on Trumps guilt is a vote of conscience. His neutral stand is in sharp contrast to his management of the first trial, when he largely protected Trump and pushed back against Democrats pleas to call witnesses. --- By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... The death penalty in the United States is on the verge of being snuffed out. The Commonwealth of Virginia, which has executed more convicts than any other state in U.S. history, is now poised to abolish capital punishment. This is a big deal as Virginia would become the first southern state to eliminate the death penalty. Many see this legislative action as the beginning of the end to executions in this country. When Virginias governor signs the pending anti-execution bill, the number of states officially outlawing capital punishment will rise to 23, plus the District of Columbia. Additionally, governors in several other death-penalty states have issued moratorium orders halting executions. The trend seems clear. New Mexico abolished the death penalty in 2009. The usual pros and cons of capital punishment played out during the Virginia debate. The government should not be in the business of killing human beings, Democratic Delegate Marcus Simon said. Its immoral, inhumane. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Colleagues voting with Simon cited the often-mentioned possibility of executing an innocent person, the high cost of years-long death penalty cases and the disproportionate application of this ultimate penalty along racial lines. In Virginia, nearly half of those executed have been Black even though Blacks account for just about 20% of the population. Virginia Republicans opposed to the move argued that to overturn the death penalty is to disrespect victims, their survivors and law enforcement. They also warned that some convicted murderers could be eligible for parole and released on an unsuspecting public. Despite the apparent swing in the execution pendulum many states, the federal government and the U.S. military still have death penalty laws on the books. But the fact is, judges handing out new death sentences and executions have become exceedingly rare. Last year only 18 convicts were sentenced to death, most of them in Florida and California. As for state executions, there were seven in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. In July 2020, President Trump reinstated the federal death penalty and by the end of the year 10 federal convicts had been put to death. A total of 17 executions in a country of more than 330 million hardly seems overwhelming, but to some citizens it is 17 too many. It should be noted that everyone who has been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 was found guilty of taking part in a crime that cost lives. By the way, the U.S. military hasnt carried out an execution since 1961 when it hanged an Army private found guilty of raping and attempting to murder an 11-year-old girl. The United States is the only Western country that still considers capital punishment acceptable. We rank sixth in the number of government-sponsored executions behind China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Are we like them? Should we still be carrying out executions? Some will mention the biblical reference to an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Not to get all Bible-y here but the good book also preaches rejecting revenge and the reverence for human life. Yes, there are some crimes so heinous the only logical response seems to be to rid the earth of the perpetrator. But whats a worse punishment death or being kept alive in a cage, stripped of all rights and freedoms and knowing the cage is where you will stay until you die? Most important to remember is the fallibility of our justice system. Its a fact that wrongful convictions have happened. The Innocence Project says since 1989 it has painstakingly proven that 375 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 21 who served time on death row. Surely there are more innocents. Earl Washington of Culpeper County, Virginia was one of those 21 inmates. In 1984, the 22-year-old Black man was found guilty of the rape and murder of a young mother and sentenced to death. After a long fight to prove his innocence Washington, who at one point had been 9 days away from execution, was granted a gubernatorial absolute pardon on the strength of DNA evidence. He was freed in 2001 and ultimately received a settlement of nearly $2 million for his wrongful incarceration. Those against revocation of the death penalty would be wise to keep Washingtons case in mind. www.DianeDimond.com; email to Diane@DianeDimond.com. The White House on Friday denied that U.S. President Joe Biden was intentionally snubbing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by failing to include him so far in an early round of phone calls to foreign leaders since taking office on Jan. 20. The lack of direct contact between the Democratic president and the long-serving right-wing premier has fueled speculation in Israel and among Middle East experts that the new administration may be signaling its displeasure over the close ties Netanyahu forged with Bidens predecessor, former President Donald Trump. He is looking forward to speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters at a daily briefing when asked when Biden would call. I can assure you that will be soon, but I don't have a specific time or deadline." Asked if the delay in a Biden courtesy call was meant to disrespect the Israeli leader. Psaki said: "It is not an intentional dis. Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone the president has known for some time. Biden, she said, was looking forward to having the conversation. Israel is one of Washingtons closest allies. Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, both spoke to Netanyahu within days of taking office. Biden has already made calls to a number of foreign leaders, including those from China, Mexico, Britain, India, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Netanyahu has himself downplayed the notion that he was being slighted. While Netanyahu was almost in lock-step with Trump over Middle East policy, he could be in for frostier relations with Biden. Biden has long been regarded in Israel as a friend in Washington but he and Netanyahu have sometimes not seen eye-to-eye. Netanyahu will be challenged if Biden restores U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from, improves Washingtons tattered relations with the Palestinians as he has promised, and opposes Israeli settlement building on of occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood. Netanyahu used his bond with Trump in recent elections to tout his ability to keep the United States aligned with his policies. But with Israels fourth election in two years scheduled for March 23, he may not have that political luxury anymore. The White House on Friday denied that U.S. President Joe Biden was intentionally snubbing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by failing to include him so far in an early round of phone calls to foreign leaders since taking office on Jan. 20. The lack of direct contact between the Democratic president and the long-serving right-wing premier has fueled speculation in Israel and among Middle East experts that the new administration may be signaling its displeasure over the close ties Netanyahu forged with Bidens predecessor, former President Donald Trump. He is looking forward to speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters at a daily briefing when asked when Biden would call. I can assure you that will be soon, but I don't have a specific time or deadline." Asked if the delay in a Biden courtesy call was meant to disrespect the Israeli leader. Psaki said: "It is not an intentional dis. Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone the president has known for some time. Biden, she said, was looking forward to having the conversation. Israel is one of Washingtons closest allies. Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, both spoke to Netanyahu within days of taking office. Biden has already made calls to a number of foreign leaders, including those from China, Mexico, Britain, India, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Netanyahu has himself downplayed the notion that he was being slighted. While Netanyahu was almost in lock-step with Trump over Middle East policy, he could be in for frostier relations with Biden. Biden has long been regarded in Israel as a friend in Washington but he and Netanyahu have sometimes not seen eye-to-eye. Netanyahu will be challenged if Biden restores U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from, improves Washingtons tattered relations with the Palestinians as he has promised, and opposes Israeli settlement building on of occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood. Netanyahu used his bond with Trump in recent elections to tout his ability to keep the United States aligned with his policies. But with Israels fourth election in two years scheduled for March 23, he may not have that political luxury anymore. Short link: The Latest on former President Donald Trump s second Senate impeachment trial (all times local): 8:45 a.m. A little over a month ago, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was voting to affirm Joe Biden's election as the 46th president. On Saturday, the Senate is set to meet in a rare weekend session for closing arguments in Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. And the evenly-divided Senate is poised to vote on whether the former president will be held accountable for inciting the Jan. 6 siege. It seems unlikely that the 100-member Senate will be able to mount the two-thirds vote needed to convict Trump. Acquittal could heavily influence not only Trumps political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Trump is the only president to be twice impeached and the first to face trial after leaving office. House prosecutors have argued that Trumps rallying cry to go to the Capitol and fight like hell for his presidency just as Congress was convening Jan. 6 to certify Joe Bidens election victory was part of an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims that unleashed the mob. Trumps lawyers say Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. ___ HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: Senators are submitting written questions to the prosecution and the defense in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. The defense wrapped up their case in about three hours earlier Friday. Read more: Close watch on tight-lipped GOP leader McConnells stand Which GOP senators are seen as possible votes against Trump? Rep. Herrera Beutler urges patriots to talk about Trump call ___ HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON: 7:30 a.m. Seldom has Mitch McConnell signaled so little about such a consequential vote. Many expect the Senates top Republican to back acquitting former President Donald Trump of a charge of inciting rioters who assaulted the Capitol last month. But no one is really sure how McConnell will vote. The Washington political universe and the world beyond will hold their collective breath when the Senate impeachment trial roll call reaches McConnells name. The suspense over how hell vote underscores how much is at stake for McConnell and his party though it seems extremely unlikely that 17 GOP senators will join all 50 Democrats to convict Trump. McConnell is the chambers most influential Republican and the longest-serving GOP leader ever, and a vote to acquit would leave the party locked in its struggle to define itself in the post-Trump presidency. A guilty vote could do more to roil GOP waters by signaling an attempt to yank the party away from a figure still revered by most of its voters. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Periods of rain. Low around 45F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low around 45F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. New Delhi, Feb 13 : With the bypolls in five municipal wards in Delhi nearing, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sharpened its attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, running the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). At a time when all three civic agencies -- North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North DMC), East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), are debating their annual budgets and new proposals, the AAP has been opposing many of their proposals. The BJP-ruled three civic agencies in the capital have proposed to increase the development funds of Municipal Councillors from 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore or above. The AAP's MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak at a press conference on Saturday said, "BJP ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi for last 15 years and made them financially corrupt. Two out of three civic bodies of Delhi are in such a state that they can not pay monthly wages of employees. After Delhi Government released Rs 1,095 crore to provide salaries and other dues of employees and sanitation staff, BJP-ruled MCDs have proposed to increase Councillors funds from Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore and above." The SDMC in it's house meeting on Friday passed a proposal to increase Municipal Councillors' development funds for the next financial year. Narender Chawala, Leader of House (SDMC), speaking to IANS said, "We have passed this proposal under the provision of MCD. Civic authorities have power to increase Councillors' development fund up to Rs 2 crore. Also, if we have planned for spending then we have also proposed new sources of revenue." An Garda Siochana have issued a warning ahead of St Valentine's Day to warn members of the public to be aware of 'romance fraud'. With Valentines Day fast approaching this Sunday, gardai are warning that romance scams are on the rise. This particular fraud is enabled via online dating sites or other social media by fraudsters who will provide the victims with well-prepared stories designed to deceive. The victims develop online relationships with the fraudsters, who use fake identities, photographs and life stories. Inevitably, the fraudster will ask their victim for money. The fraudster will continue to ask for money until the victim has no more money to give or realise they are being conned. This crime often leaves vulnerable people with a feeling of hurt and mistrust in addition to their financial loss. The warning signs include: The fraudster asking the victim to communicate by instant messaging, text or phone calls rather than messaging through the dating website The fraudster will start asking for money for various reasons, starting with low amounts: - to pay for travel to meet the victim - to pay moving expenses (ship furniture and pay customs) - to pay medical expenses for a sick child or relative - to invest in a guaranteed business opportunity - to pay a tax bill or other spurious reason No meetings in person take place. The fraudster will present reasons for not meeting, or may arrange to meet and then cancel The fraudster will avoid personal questions, but will ask plenty They will ask for money to be transferred to bank accounts abroad or via money transfer agencies to locations outside of Ireland Phone calls from Irish numbers or lodgements to Irish bank accounts should not be considered as evidence that the person is genuine. Gardai have issued the following advice to the public: STOP AND THINK! ASK YOURSELF, IS THIS PERSON REAL? - If you are asked for money by a person with whom you are in an on-line relationship NEVER share personal or banking details with unknown persons online. NEVER receive money from, or send money to persons unknown. THINK twice before using a webcam (intimate images can be used for blackmail). TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS if it sounds like it is too good to be true, it is probably not true. IF IN DOUBT, talk to a family member or a friend. If you have been the victim of this type of crime, please report it in confidence to your local Garda station. Three-quarters of parents have argued over the broadband as they battle to work from home while ensuring their children attend online classes. According to a report by UK full-fibre infrastructure provider and ISP Truespeed, 67% of parents say they need fast broadband connectivity because they work from home, but only 36% have a highly reliable home broadband connection. And 46% experience broadband problems at least once a week. The survey of 2,000 parents, which was conducted by OnePoll, reveals that 24% have experienced video calls that shudder, freeze or even drop out entirely, while 16% have even struggled to get their broadband to co-operate when sending an email. Meanwhile, a fifth of parents said they had faced arguments after asking their children to stop using the broadband to free up enough bandwidth for them to attend a work video call, and four in 10 families said they had more rows about internet use than about what to watch on TV. And with the typical household juggling nine connected devices at once, clogging up the broadband was found to be the top gripe (23%). Others have rowed because someone tried to download a big file, making the internet slow for everyone else (13%). Evan Wienburg, CEO of Truespeed, said: Struggling with sub-standard broadband is a big challenge for parents up and down the country juggling working from home with their kids online schooling. Everyone wants a piece of the broadband action so its hardly surprising that unreliable connectivity and bandwidth issues are causing family rows. Our survey underlines the urgent need for WFH parents to be able to choose an ultra-fast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband service that can handle whatever their family throws at it. Truespeed says it is focused on connecting communities in cities, towns and rural areas in the South West that have been overlooked by national broadband providers. Earlier this month it started rolling out its fibre broadband network in Bath and neighbouring areas in the South West including the towns of Keynsham, Saltford and South Widcombe. As well as concentrating on rural communities across the South West, Truespeed also offers primary schools and community hubs passed by its network free ultrafast broadband for life. To date, over 100 schools and community hubs have signed up. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has signed a memo ordering commanding officers and supervisors to hold a one-day "stand-down" to discuss extremism within the armed forces in the next 60 days, the Department of Defense announced Friday. Why it matters: After multiple current service members and veterans were arrested for their actions during the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege, the Pentagon has increased efforts to combat white supremacy and other forms of extremism in its ranks, according to the New York Times. What they're saying: "This stand-down is just the first initiative of what I believe must be a concerted effort to better educate ourselves and our people about the scope of this problem and to develop sustainable ways to eliminate the corrosive effects that extremist ideology and conduct have on the workforce," Austin, the first Black man to lead the Pentagon, said in the memo. "We will not tolerate actions that go against the fundamental principles of the oath we share, including actions associated with extremist or dissident ideologies. Service members, DoD civilian employees, and all those who support our mission, deserve an environment free of discrimination, hate, and harassment." "We owe it to the oath we each took and the trust the American people have in our institution." Between the lines: It is unclear whether the stand down announcement was largely meant to be a symbolic move, or if the Pentagon is planning concrete steps to deal with extremism within the armed forces. Actor-activist Deep Sidhu, who was arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with the violence at the Red Fort on Republic Day, was on Saturday taken to the iconic monument as part of the investigation in the case. Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh were taken to the monument by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch to recreate the scene of events that unfolded there on January 26 during the farmers' tractor parade, a police officer said. PTI Charge on Sidhu Sidhu, according to the police, was a "prominent player" behind the January 26 violence and vandalism at the Red Fort. He was arrested from Karnal bypass in Haryana on Monday night by a team of Delhi Police's Special Cell and sent to seven-day police custody a day later. A senior police officer said Sidhu and Iqbal Singh were taken to the Red Fort by a crime branch team when a section of the farmers' tractor parade strayed from agreed paths and clashed with cops. AP Investigation The team probing the case will inspect the spot to ascertain and corroborate the route taken by them, their activities at the Red Fort and how things unfolded at the monument on Republic Day when the violence broke out, the officer told news agency PTI. TOI Iqbal Singh, who had a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, was caught from Hoshiarpur in Punjab on Tuesday night by the northern range of Delhi Police's Special Cell. The Delhi police had announced a cash reward of 1 lakh for information that can lead to the arrest of actor Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh who raised flags at the Red Fort or were involved in the act. Cash rewards A cash reward of Rs 50,000 each was also announced for Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jajbir Singh and Iqbal Singh for allegedly instigating demonstrators, triggering the violence that apparently left one protester dead and many policemen injured. Protesting farmers, however, claimed that the protester had died after a bullet pierced through his head and he lost balance of the tractor he was driving at the moment. ghazipur-border-farmer Of them, Sidhu, Iqbal Singh and Sukhdev Singh have been arrested. The police said raids are being conducted to nab the other accused. A controversial figure in the farmer protests, Deep Sidhu has been accused by farmer groups of attempting to derail their movement and leading a "conspiracy" against them. (Natural News) With his handling of his DWI arrest, Bruce Springsteen is acting like a typical politician involved in a scandal instead of the truth-seeking everyman of American rock and roll that he sells himself as to the public. The story of the Boss bust is playing out in media leaks by sources close to Springsteen rather then Springsteen himself setting the record straight. After several sympathetic leaks from sources close to the Springsteen, the police probable cause statement has been released to the media and reportedly states the 71-year-old Springsteen claimed to have had two shots of tequila within twenty minutes, had glassy eyes, was visibly swaying back and forth, smelt strongly of alcohol, failed several parts of a sobriety test and refused a preliminary breath test. Reports on the probable cause statement do not report any BAC level for Springsteen. (Article by Kristinn Taylor republished from TheGatewayPundit.com) Jeep promotional photo by Rob DeMartin. Springsteen was arrested by U.S. Park Police on November 14, 2020 for DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area after he was seen drinking a shot of tequila while on his motorcycle at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The arrest was kept secret by Springsteen and his manager Jon Landau. The Park Police says citations of the kind issued to Springsteen are not posted as public records, so police beat reporters would not have seen them on the police blotter. However, while knowing he faced federal charges for drinking and driving, Springsteen and Landau worked out agreements for Springsteen to perform at the Inaugural ceremony for Joe Biden at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on January 20 and then to film a two minute ad for Jeep that aired during the Super Bowl on February 7. Jeep, which paid Springsteen an undisclosed sum, pulled the ad from YouTube and its other social media accounts after news of Springsteens DWI arrest broke Wednesday. TMZ was first to report the news of Springsteens arrest. The Bosss hometown paper the Asbury Park Press reported a leak Wednesday night from Springsteens camp claiming that he blew a .02, well below New Jerseys legal presumption of intoxication of .08. New Jersey rock icon Bruce Springsteens blood-alcohol content was 0.02 just a quarter of New Jerseys legal limit when he was arrested on Sandy Hook in November and charged with driving while intoxicated, a source familiar with the case told the Asbury Park Press. The legal threshold indicating intoxication for driving purposes in New Jersey is .08, which calls into question why Springsteen was even charged with driving while intoxicated, the source said. The New York Post reported early Thursday morning, again from the Springsteen camp, that Bruce was busted after he took one shot of tequila with fans at the park. Bruce Springsteen was allegedly busted in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, when he pulled over to take pictures with fans and then took a shot of tequila offered by one of them in full view of the cops, a music industry insider said. The Born to Run icon, 71, had been riding his motorcycle on the peninsula on Nov. 14 when he was spotted by fans who asked him to pull over and take some pictures, according to a source close to Springsteen. Bruce stopped, took the pictures, then a fan offered him a shot of liquor, which he took, while sitting on his bike, which was stationary, the source said. CNN on Thursday reported a Springsteen insider downplaying his arrest: Following news of Bruce Springsteens November arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence, a source close to the musician is sharing more information about the incident. When this is all resolved, I think, people are gonna have some serious doubts about the seriousness of this, especially when the actual details of this are revealed, including the blood alcohol level, the source told CNN. Now comes the release of the probable cause police report to outlets including Vulture (excerpt): While on foot patrol, I observed a male (Bruce F. Springsteen) consume a shot of Patron tequila and then get on his motorcycle and start the engine. I contacted Springsteen and informed him alcohol is prohibited at Sandy Hook. The Patron bottle that the shot was poured out of was completely empty (750 ml), the November 14 statement of probable cause stated. The officer claimed they asked Springsteen if he was leaving. He confirmed that he was going to drive out of the park. Springsteen claimed that he had two shots of tequila in the last 20 minutes, the document stated. Springsteen smelt strongly of alcohol coming off his person and had glassy eyes. The officer claims they had Springsteen perform standardized field sobriety tests and observed four out of six clues on the [horizontal gaze] test. The cop alleged that Springsteen was visibly swaying back and forth while I observed his eyes. The officer further claimed that they observed five of eight clues on the walk and turn test. Springsteen took 45 total steps during the walk and turn instead of the instructed 18, the doc stated. Springsteen refused to provide a sample on the preliminary breath test. And Fox News (excerpt): Springsteen refused to take a preliminary breath test (PBT), despite signs of intoxication namely after testing his gaze and walk and turn tests, a park ranger named R. L. Hayes alleges in the document. Additionally, the ranger claimed to have observed the musician consume a shot of Patron tequila before getting on his motorcycle to start the engine. Hayes claims he informed Springsteen, a New Jersey native, that drinking on the park premises is prohibited. The Patron bottle that the shot was poured out of was completely empty (750ml), the ranger also writes. I asked Springsteen if he was leaving and he confirmed that he was going to drive out of the park. Hayes claimed Springsteen reeked of alcohol. [He] smelt strongly of alcohol coming off his person and had glassy eyes, the report states. The ranger also said he observed four out of six clues on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. The musician was visibly swaying back and forth while I observed his eyes, Hayes said. I observed five out of eight clues on the walk and turn test. Springsteen took 45 total steps during the walk and turn instead of the instructed 19. [He] refused to provide a sample on the preliminary breath test. Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local): 4:05 p.m. Former President Donald Trump is welcoming his second impeachment acquittal and says his movement has only just begun. Trump in a lengthy statement is thanking his attorneys and his defenders in the House and Senate, who he said stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country. He is slamming the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. And he is telling his supporters that, Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun and that he will have more to share with them in the months ahead. While Trump was acquitted by the Senate, seven Republicans voted to convict him, making it the most bipartisan vote in the history of presidential impeachments. ___ 3:58 The Senate has acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, bringing his trial to a close and giving the former president a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. Trump is the first president to be impeached twice, and he is also now twice acquitted as the majority of Republicans defended his actions. The Senate voted 57-43 that Trump is not guilty of incitement. Two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, was needed for conviction. House Democrats argued that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then calling on his supporters to fight like hell just before they laid siege to the Capitol. Democrats argued that Trump had obvious intent as he egged on supporters they said were primed for violence. Trumps lawyers argued that the trial was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump and that it was unconstitutional because he had left office. They said the rioters acted on their own accord, despite Trumps words. And they argued that Trump was protected by freedom of speech and to convict him for something he said would set a dangerous precedent. The House impeached Trump before he left office for incitement of insurrection after the violent mob broke into the Capitol, destroyed property and hunted for lawmakers as they counted the presidential electoral votes. Five people died. If Trump had been convicted, the Senate would have taken a second vote on whether to ban him from running for office again. Only two other presidents, Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868, have been impeached. Both were also acquitted. - 3:55 Seven Republicans have voted to convict former President Donald Trump at his Senate impeachment trial. Though the chamber voted to acquit him Saturday, it was easily the largest number of lawmakers to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty at impeachment proceedings. Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. Romneys guilty vote at Trumps initial impeachment trial last February had made him the first senator to ever vote to convict a president of the same party. ___ HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON: 3:50 p.m. Enough senators have cast not guilty votes to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The vote will give the former president an historic second acquittal in an impeachment trial. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. The Democrats argued in the short trial that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. Five people died when they then laid siege to the Capitol. Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that he was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump. ___ 3:40 p.m. The White House was not involved in the discussion on Capitol Hill about calling witnesses for former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. Thats according to a senior administration official not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and speaking on condition of anonymity. The official says White House officials were watching the drama over witnesses play out in the Senate, but were not involved in brokering the agreement that ultimately allowed the trial to proceed to closing arguments and a vote Saturday. President Joe Biden spent the weekend with family at Camp David, the traditional presidential retreat in Maryland, and had plans to meet with his national security advisers on Saturday. ___ 3:15 p.m. A lawyer for Donald Trump says everyone acknowledges the horror of the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last month but that the former president wasnt responsible for it. Michael van der Veen gave his closing arguments on the Senate floor on Saturday in the impeachment trial of Trump. He says there is no evidence that Trump incited an armed insurrection to overthrow the U.S. government and to think that Trump would have wanted that is absurd. He says the event on Jan. 6 was supposed to be peaceful but that a small group hijacked it for their own purposes. He also repeated the arguments from Friday that other politicians have engaged in incendiary rhetoric, though impeachment managers noted that none of those speeches precipitated an attack on the U.S. government. ___ 3:10 p.m. As a vote in Donald Trumps impeachment trial nears a close, lead Democratic impeachment manager Jamie Raskin told the Senate that this is almost certainly how you will be remembered by history. Raskin said that none of us can escape the demands of history and destiny right now as the House managers argue that Trump incited the violent Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the Senate decides whether to convict him. He said the trial is not about Trump, but about who we are. Trumps lawyers, and many Senate Republicans, have argued that the trial is unconstitutional. They also say Trump did not intentionally incite the riot when he told a mob of his supporters to fight like hell to overturn his election defeat and march to the Capitol as Congress was counting the electoral votes. The House managers laid out video evidence of the violent assault, in which five people died. Raskin said they proved that Trump betrayed his country and betrayed his oath of office. ___ 3 p.m. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has told senators in an email obtained by The Associated Press that his decision to vote to acquit former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial was a close call. McConnell says he believes presidents can be prosecuted for criminal misconduct after they leave office. He says that eases the otherwise troubling argument House prosecutors have made that not convicting Trump would create a January exception for trying impeached presidents whove already left office. McConnell says he thinks impeachment is chiefly to remove an official and we therefore lack jurisdiction. ___ 1 p.m. Senators have resumed Donald Trumps impeachment trial without calling witnesses after agreeing to accept new information from a Republican congresswoman about his actions on the day of the deadly Capitol siege. After a delay of several hours, the trial is back on track with closing arguments and Saturdays session heading toward a vote on the verdict. Under the deal, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutlers statement on a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol was entered into the trial record as evidence. No further witnesses were called. Senators brought the proceedings to a standstill when a majority voted Saturday morning to consider potential witnesses. The information from Herrera Beutler sparked fresh interest on Trumps actions that day. ___ 12:45 p.m. Senate leaders are working on an agreement that could end a standoff over calling witnesses in Donald Trumps impeachment trial and allow it to proceed with closing arguments and a vote on whether he incited the deadly Capitol siege. Under the agreement being discussed, the information that a Republican congresswoman has made public about Trumps actions on the day of the riot would be entered into the record of the trial in exchange for Democrats dropping plans to deposition testimony from the congresswoman, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington No witnesses would be called to testify. That would allow the trial to resume Saturday with closing arguments and a vote on the verdict. A Democrat granted anonymity to discuss the private talks confirmed the pending agreement. The Senate came to a standstill shortly after convening for the rare Saturday session when a majority voted to consider calling witnesses. Herrera Beutlers account of Trumps call with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters were breaking into the Capitol on Jan. 6 sparked fresh interest in Trumps actions that day. Lisa Mascaro. ___ 12:30 p.m. Republican senators are warning that any vote to allow witnesses at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump will significantly prolong the case, and that they have their own lists of people they would want to hear from. Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters that if there are witnesses called by Democrats, the process wont be one-sided and the former president will be able to have his own witnesses, too. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was among five Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to consider witnesses, said that although hed like to see the case go to trial, hell insist on multiple witnesses if Democrats get to have theirs. He says he would want to hear from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. A Trump adviser was seen holding a sheet of paper showing that Trumps lawyers are prepared to call more than 300 witnesses. The vote Saturday to consider witnesses upended the trial, which had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump. ___ 11:15 a.m. Former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial came to an abrupt standstill after a majority of senators voted to consider calling witnesses about the deadly storming of the Capitol. Even senators seemed confused by the sudden turn of events Saturday. The quick trial had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump. Under Senate rules for the trial, it appears debate and votes on potential witnesses could be allowed, potentially delaying the final vote. House prosecutors want to hear from a Republican congresswoman who has said she was aware of a conversation Trump had with the House GOP leader as rioters were ransacking the Capitol over the election results. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler of Washington has widely discussed her reported conversation with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who had called on Trump to stop the attack by his supporters. Five Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting 55-45 on a motion to consider witnesses and testimony. Trumps defense attorneys blasted the late action. Attorney Michael van der Veen said its time to close this case out. Senators are in a brief recess as leaders confer on next steps. ___ 10:50 a.m. The proceedings in former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial have come to an abrupt halt, with senators seemingly confused about the next steps. Senators were huddling on the floor of the chamber as leaders spoke to the clerks at the dais. Impeachment trials are rare, especially for a president, and the rules are negotiated for each one at the outset. For Trumps trial, the agreement said if senators agree to hear witnesses, votes to hear additional testimony would be allowed. Its unclear if there will be support in the evenly split Senate for calling witnesses. ___ 10:35 a.m. Senators have voted to consider witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Closing arguments were expected Saturday with no witnesses called. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Raskin said it was necessary to determine Trumps role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot. There were 55 senators who voted to debate the motion to subpoena, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who changed his vote in the middle of the count. Trumps attorney Michael van der Veen balked at the request, saying hed then call 100 witnesses and said it was not necessary. ___ 10:30 a.m. Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen is telling senators that if Democrats wish to call a witness, he will ask for at least 100 witnesses and will insist they give depositions in person in his office in Philadelphia. His animated statement was met with laughter from the chamber, which visibly angered van der Veen. Theres nothing laughable here, he said. The trial is being held in person, but lawmakers are wearing masks and the coronavirus pandemic has halted most normal activity, including close contact in offices for depositions. In many civil and criminal cases, such work is handled via conference call. Closing arguments are expected Saturday in the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland has asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. ___ 10:20 a.m. House impeachment prosecutors say they will be preparing a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information in Donald Trumps trial over the deadly attack at the Capitol. Lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Saturday he would seek to hear from the Republican congresswoman, who has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Its unclear if she or any other witnesses will be called. Raskin said he would pursue a virtual interview with the Washington lawmaker. Senators are meeting in a rare Saturday session in what is expected to be the final day in Trumps historic trial. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local): 4:10 p.m. The Senates top Democrat says Jan. 6 will live as a day of infamy in American history and that the vote to acquit Donald Trump will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States Senate. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, took to the Senate floor on Saturday to decry the Senates acquittal of the former president on a charge that he incited the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He applauded the seven Republicans who joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Trump. He called the day of the riot the final, terrible legacy of Trump and said the stain of his actions will never be washed away. ___ 1:08 PT The Senate has acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial. That trial exposed the fragility of Americas democratic traditions and left a divided nation to come to terms with the violence sparked by his defeated presidency. The vote was 57-43, short of the two-thirds needed for conviction. Seven Republicans broke for their party to find Trump guilty. --- 12:57 PT Seven Republicans vote to convict Trump at Senate trial, most impeachment defections ever from a president's party. --- 3:50 p.m. Enough senators have cast not guilty votes to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The vote will give the former president an historic second acquittal in an impeachment trial. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. The Democrats argued in the short trial that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. Five people died when they then laid siege to the Capitol. Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that he was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump. ___ 3:40 p.m. The White House was not involved in the discussion on Capitol Hill about calling witnesses for former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. That's according to a senior administration official not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and speaking on condition of anonymity. The official says White House officials were watching the drama over witnesses play out in the Senate, but were not involved in brokering the agreement that ultimately allowed the trial to proceed to closing arguments and a vote Saturday. President Joe Biden spent the weekend with family at Camp David, the traditional presidential retreat in Maryland, and had plans to meet with his national security advisers on Saturday. ___ HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: The Senate met in a rare weekend session to wrap up Donald Trumps second impeachment trial. An unexpected morning vote in favor of hearing witnesses threw the trial into confusion, but both sides ultimately reached a deal that allowed the trial to proceed with no witness testimony. The trial ended with closing arguments, followed by a vote on whether the former president incited the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol. --- 12:04 PT The Senate is moving toward a final vote after reaching a deal to skip witness testimony in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. The agreement averts a prolonged trial and sets up closing arguments from both sides. Thrown into confusion, the senators had voted earlier in the day to adjourn while they tried to work out an agreement. The rare Saturday session was to be for closing arguments in Trump's trial over whether he is guilty of inciting the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Acquittal appears likely, underscored by news that Republican leader Mitch McConnell plans to vote that way. --- 11:15 a.m. Former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial came to an abrupt standstill after a majority of senators voted to consider calling witnesses about the deadly storming of the Capitol. Even senators seemed confused by the sudden turn of events Saturday. The quick trial had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump. Under Senate rules for the trial, it appears debate and votes on potential witnesses could be allowed, potentially delaying the final vote. House prosecutors want to hear from a Republican congresswoman who has said she was aware of a conversation Trump had with the House GOP leader as rioters were ransacking the Capitol over the election results. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler of Washington has widely discussed her reported conversation with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who had called on Trump to stop the attack by his supporters. Five Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting 55-45 on a motion to consider witnesses and testimony. Trumps defense attorneys blasted the late action. Attorney Michael van der Veen said its time to close this case out. Senators are in a brief recess as leaders confer on next steps. ___ HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON: 10:50 a.m. The proceedings in former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial have come to an abrupt halt, with senators seemingly confused about the next steps. Senators were huddling on the floor of the chamber as leaders spoke to the clerks at the dais. Impeachment trials are rare, especially for a president, and the rules are negotiated for each one at the outset. For Trumps trial, the agreement said if senators agree to hear witnesses, votes to hear additional testimony would be allowed. Its unclear if there will be support in the evenly split Senate for calling witnesses. ___ 10:35 a.m. Senators have voted to consider witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Closing arguments were expected Saturday with no witnesses called. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Raskin said it was necessary to determine Trumps role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot. There were 55 senators who voted to debate the motion to subpoena, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who changed his vote in the middle of the count. Trumps attorney Michael van der Veen balked at the request, saying hed then call 100 witnesses and said it was not necessary. ___ 10:30 a.m. Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen is telling senators that if Democrats wish to call a witness, he will ask for at least 100 witnesses and will insist they give depositions in person in his office in Philadelphia. His animated statement was met with laughter from the chamber, which visibly angered van der Veen. Theres nothing laughable here, he said. The trial is being held in person, but lawmakers are wearing masks and the coronavirus pandemic has halted most normal activity, including close contact in offices for depositions. In many civil and criminal cases, such work is handled via conference call. Closing arguments are expected Saturday in the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland has asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information. She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. ___ 10:20 a.m. House impeachment prosecutors say they will be preparing a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information in Donald Trumps trial over the deadly attack at the Capitol. Lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Saturday he would seek to hear from the Republican congresswoman, who has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results. Its unclear if she or any other witnesses will be called. Raskin said he would pursue a virtual interview with the Washington lawmaker. Senators are meeting in a rare Saturday session in what is expected to be the final day in Trumps historic trial. ___ 10:05 a.m. The Senate is gaveling open as the court of impeachment is expecting to wrap up Donald Trumps trial over the Capitol siege. Senators were speeding toward an expected vote in the rare Saturday session on whether to convict or acquit the former president on the charge of incitement of insurrection in the Jan. 6 attack. Some senators want to consider witnesses, but its unclear if any will be called to testify, or if there would be enough support in a vote to do so. The weeklong impeachment trial is the first of a former president. ___ 9:45 a.m. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will vote to acquit Donald Trump in the former president's impeachment trial. Thats according to a source granted anonymity to discuss the leaders thinking. McConnells decision was made public Saturday ahead of what is expected to be a final day in the trial. Trump, the only president to have been impeached twice, is charged with inciting an insurrection in the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. The Republican leader's views carry sway among GOP senators and are likely to influence others weighing their votes. While most Democrats are expected to convict the former president, acquittal is likely in the evenly divided Senate. Senators are meeting for a rare Saturday session as the weeklong trial wraps up. __ Alan Fram ___ 9:45 a.m. The closing phase of Donald Trumps impeachment trial is putting new scrutiny on what actions the former president took when his supporters overwhelmed police and stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. It comes as Democrats consider whether to force a debate on calling witnesses for the trial, which would require a majority vote of the Senate. Democrats argue Trump incited the riot and then refused to stop it, putting Vice President Mike Pence in danger. Pence was in the Capitol presiding over the certification of President Joe Bidens election victory and was rushed to safety as the Capitol was invaded. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, who was one of 10 Republicans to vote for Trumps impeachment in the House, said in a statement late Friday Trump rebuffed a plea from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters on Jan. 6. She said McCarthy had relayed the conversation to her. Another Republican, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, said he told Trump during a call on Jan. 6 that Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. Several Republicans who are seen as wavering on whether to convict Trump pressed Trumps lawyers during questioning to account for Trumps actions on Jan. 6. One of Trumps lawyers, Michael van der Veen, responded to those questions by saying that at no point was the president informed of any danger to Pence. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said the Senate should suspend the trial to question McCarthy and Tuberville under oath, and to seek records from the Secret Service. What did Trump know, and when did he know it? Whitehouse tweeted. The trial resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. EST. ___ 8:45 a.m. A little over a month ago, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was voting to affirm Joe Bidens election as the 46th president. On Saturday, the Senate is set to meet in a rare weekend session for closing arguments in Donald Trumps second impeachment trial. And the evenly-divided Senate is poised to vote on whether the former president will be held accountable for inciting the Jan. 6 siege. It seems unlikely that the 100-member Senate will be able to mount the two-thirds vote needed to convict Trump. Acquittal could heavily influence not only Trumps political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Trump is the only president to be twice impeached and the first to face trial after leaving office. House prosecutors have argued that Trumps rallying cry to go to the Capitol and fight like hell for his presidency just as Congress was convening Jan. 6 to certify Joe Bidens election victory was part of an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims that unleashed the mob. Trumps lawyers say Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. ___ 7:30 a.m. Seldom has Mitch McConnell signaled so little about such a consequential vote. Many expect the Senates top Republican to back acquitting former President Donald Trump of a charge of inciting rioters who assaulted the Capitol last month. But no one is really sure how McConnell will vote. The Washington political universe and the world beyond will hold their collective breath when the Senate impeachment trial roll call reaches McConnells name. The suspense over how hell vote underscores how much is at stake for McConnell and his party, though it seems extremely unlikely that 17 GOP senators will join all 50 Democrats to convict Trump. McConnell is the chambers most influential Republican and the longest-serving GOP leader ever, and a vote to acquit would leave the party locked in its struggle to define itself in the post-Trump presidency. A guilty vote could do more to roil GOP waters by signaling an attempt to yank the party away from a figure still revered by most of its voters. (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2021) The Biden administration intends to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center by the end of President Joe Biden's term in office, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing on Friday. "That certainly is our goal and intention," Psaki said when asked whether Biden will close the Guantanamo Bay detention center by the end of his term in office. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Zelensky to pay official visit to UAE on Feb 14-15 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena will make an official visit to the United Arab Emirates on February 14-15. "The head of state will hold talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Vice President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of the UAE Muhammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum," the press service of the head of state said. During the meetings, a wide range of issues of bilateral political, trade, economic, investment and humanitarian cooperation will be discussed. As a result of the negotiations, it is planned to sign a number of bilateral documents. Olena Zelenska, in frames of development of the "cultural diplomacy" direction, will meet with Minister of Culture and Youth of the UAE Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, representatives of the Dubai Opera Directorate. WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate on Saturday voted to acquit former President Donald Trump, ending a historic impeachment trial after just five days by clearing the former president of charges that he incited the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Still, seven Republicans joined all Democrats as the majority of the Senate voted to convict Trump, making it the most bipartisan conviction vote ever. But the 57-43 vote fell short of the 67 votes needed to convict. U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas joined the majority of Republicans in voting to acquit Trump. The House brought only one charge before the Senate: incitement. Donald Trump used heated language, but he did not urge anyone to commit acts of violence, Cruz said in a statement. The legal standard for incitement is very high and it is clear by the results of this vote that the House Managers failed to present a coherent standard for incitement. Cornyn said he was concerned about establishing a dangerous, and sure to be used in the future, precedent of impeaching a former President after he or she has left office. This practice would, I fear, make impeachments a routine part of our political competition as a tool of the majority party to exact political revenge over the minority party, Cornyn said in a statement. MORE FROM THE TRIAL: Texas Rep. Castro plays key role in Trump impeachment trial House Democrats had argued that the former president spent months feeding his supporters a big lie that the election was rigged against him and priming them to fight to stop the steal. Donald Trump summoned the mob, he assembled the mob and he lit the flame, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio said. Trumps attorneys, meanwhile, argued was protected by the First Amendment and was the target of Constitutional cancel culture. The vote followed a brief bit of chaos Saturday as senators fought over whether or not to call witnesses. House managers sought to do so after U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., issued a statement late Friday saying House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about a call with Trump during the insurrection in which McCarthy urged Trump to call his supporters off and the president responded, Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are. In the end no witnesses were called, however, as a deal was reached to enter the statement into evidence and move on after hours of negotiations between Senate leaders, House managers and Trumps defense team. While the acquittal vote marked an end that was crystal clear to everyone from the start, as Cruz put it on Thursday, the trial was nonetheless historic: The first time a president has been tried after leaving office, the first time the Senate tried a president for the second time, as Trump was the first to be impeached twice and the shortest impeachment trial in history at just five days. Trumps first trial, previously the shortest, lasted 20 days. The trial was also unlike any other, with its participants acting as prosecutors, defendants, judges, jurors and witnesses often at once. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, for instance, presided as judge, even as the Democrat also held a vote as a juror. Conversations Trump reportedly had with Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama on the day of the insurrection were key pieces of evidence used by House managers and were disputed at times by Lee. Among the clearest illustrations of the strange roles senators were playing was Cruz, who had a vote as a juror in the trial yet spent at least the second half of it advising the defense team. The former Texas solicitor general talked openly about guiding the defense. Cruz said on his podcast which he launched to defend Trump during the former presidents first impeachment trial that he told Trumps lawyers they should focus especially on the Houses definition of incitement and argue it would also make guilty countless other political figures, including a whole bunch of Democrats who have used fiery rhetoric in campaigns. Cruz said he urged the team to walk through comments by Democrats including Sen. Bernie Sanders, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and Vice President Kamala Harris. What I encouraged the Trump lawyers to do is say, all right, take their standard and apply it to the conduct of Democrats, Cruz said. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox On Friday, Trumps lawyers did just that, playing a lengthy montage of Democrats, including many Cruz suggested, in speeches and interviews talking about fighting. And they hammered the point again in closing arguments Saturday. We showed you those videos not because we think you should be forcibly removed from office for saying those things, but because we know you should not be forcibly removed from office for saying those things, Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said. But recognize the hypocrisy. And while Cruz was not on trial, many have blamed him for stoking the tensions that Trump was impeached for pushing over the edge as he objected to counting votes from Arizona. Like other senators, Cruz came up in evidence presented by the House, including footage published by the New Yorker in which insurrectionists rifled through Cruzs papers on the Senate floor. Hes with us, one said. Cruz would want us to do this, so I think were good, said another. Saturdays vote put a cap on a saga that overshadowed the first weeks of Bidens presidency and clears the way for the Senate to resume confirming his cabinet and negotiating over another COVID relief package. The decision to wrap up without witnesses on Saturday was a sign the partys leaders were ready to move on from the trial, which served as much as a public case against Trump as an effort to win over votes to convict him. Republicans including Cruz had threatened to call for dozens of witnesses and make the trial last all of February, all of March, all of April, stalling President Joe Bidens legislative agenda. Its unclear whether the trial will do any permanent damage to Trumps political future, including a potential future run for president, for which the Senate acquittal leaves the door open. Trump remained popular among Texas Republicans before the trial, at least, with 83 percent of them believing his unfounded claims that the election was rigged against him, according to a recent poll by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun, Trump said in a statement Saturday. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted to acquit the former president, however, suggested Trump could still face criminal prosecution. McConnell torch Trump in a speech on the Senate floor, pinning on him an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories, orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to either overturn the voters decision or else torch our institutions on the way out. Trump, McConnell said, didnt get away with anything yet. Cornyn, a former judge, also said he believed legal prosecution is "the Constitutional method of accountability," as the Constitution "makes legal offenses committed while in office subject to investigation and prosecution, as warranted, after a President is no longer in office." House managers, however, argued throughout the trial that more was at stake than Trumps future. By acquitting the former president, the Senate was setting a dangerous precedent, they argued in their closing arguments. There are moments that transcend party politics and that require us to put country above our party, because the consequences of not doing so are just too great, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., said. This is one of those moments. ben.wermund@chron.com 404 Tata Motors Limited announced that Mr Marc Llistosella has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the company effective 1st July 2021. Mr N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Motors Limited said: I am delighted to welcome Marc to Tata Motors. Marc is an experienced automotive business leader with deep knowledge and expertise in Commercial Vehicles over his illustrious career and has extensive operational experience in India. Marc will bring this experience to take the Tata Motors Indian business to even greater heights. Mr Llistosella was most recently the President and CEO of Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks in Asia. He was earlier the MD and CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd. Commenting on his appointment Mr Llistosella said, I am delighted to become a part of the unique Tata family. Having been bonded to India for so many years, a new exciting chapter is now opened. We would jointly awaken the potential of Tata Motors. Mr Guenter Butschek has informed his desire to relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons. He has kindly accepted the request of the Board of Tata Motors to continue as the MD & CEO till 30th June 2021. Mr Chandrasekaran added: I would like to thank Guenter for leading Tata Motors successfully over the last 5 years. More than Rs 1500 crore received in donations for Ram Mandir's construction: Trust India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Surat, Feb 13: Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra has said that it has received more than Rs 1,500 crore so far by the public across the country for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The trust also announced that the ongoing donation drive, which began on January 15, will conclude on February 27. Speaking to media, Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri said, "For the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the whole nation is donating funds. We aim to reach 4 lakh villages and 11 crore families across the country during our donation drive." Defence Ministry tears into Rahul Gandhis claims that India ceded territory to China "We are conducting the donation drive from January 15 and it will continue till Feb 27. I am here in Surat as part of the drive. People are contributing to the trust. After 492 years, people have got such an opportunity again to do something for the Dharma," he added. "Till now, Rs 1,511 has been deposited in the account of Trust for the construction of Ram Mandir," he confirmed. Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, which was constituted to look after the construction and management of the Ram Temple, started the donation drive for temple's construction across the country on January 15. Grabbed a blanket and ran: Omar Abdullah tweets after North India records strong earthquake Back on November 9, 2019, a five-judge of the Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi ruled in favour of Ram Lalla and said that the entire disputed land spread over 2.7 acres will be handed over to a trust formed by the government, which will monitor the construction of a Ram Temple at the site. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News In February 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, to oversee the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Later on August 5, 2020, PM Modi performed the bhoomi pujan for the construction of Ram Temple. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 9:41 [IST] The Unity Group of Chattanooga is issuing this synopsis in order to inform the community on what is one of the most pivotal aspects of our electoral and voting processes, Redistricting. According to the Tennessee Comptroller, Redistricting refers to the delineation of boundaries for political units, such as state legislative and county commission districts. It is paramount that ... (click for more) I happen to know a big bunch of you are going to sleep in tomorrow, this because of Memorial Day when we celebrate our noble soldiers and Armed Forces women who gave up their tomorrows so that we might live a life each of the fallen dared for us. Tomorrow is not Veterans Day (Nov.11 this year) when we heartily salute those who have valiantly served our country, whereas Memorial ... (click for more) .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal A bill that would allow private citizens to file civil suits alleging violations of state environmental rules is headed for a committee vote this weekend and has garnered opposition from the business community. House Bill 50, sponsored by Rep. Georgene Louis, D-Albuquerque, amends the Oil and Gas Act and other state environmental laws to enable private citizens to file civil lawsuits against businesses and other entities that may be violating the terms of their permits. The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the measure Saturday afternoon. Ben Shelton, political and policy director for Conservation Voters New Mexico, said the bill would give people who have been harmed by environmental malpractice the ability to take direct legal action. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ In New Mexico, its really easy to see human impacts of pollution, Shelton said. So having something that allows people some legal recourse to address environmental harms in their community under all these state statutes would be a big leap forward. However, Rob Black, president and CEO of the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce, said the measure would create an uncertain regulatory environment, which could deter companies from investing in the state. New Mexico is already not seen as a great place to do business, Black said. The bill would provide legal standing for individuals who have been harmed, economically or otherwise, by entities that are subject to or regulated by the Oil and Gas Act and four other environmental laws. For example, Shelton said companies that dump more than their permitted levels of pollutants could be subject to a civil suit under the measure. That would give New Mexicans the ability to stop bad actors without relying on state agencies, he said. Black said hes concerned the bill creates an environment where companies, which are already regulated by state environmental laws, face a slew of lawsuits that stymie development. He said New Mexico routinely ranks toward the bottom of lists ranking state business climates, and said these lists help inform where businesses look to locate and expand operations. Having a law that leaves developers subject to civil suits will discourage companies from moving to and growing in New Mexico, making it harder to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. This legislative session should be all about, how do we come out of COVID and position ourselves to grow our economy and diversify, Black said. And this bill is the exact opposite of that. Black added that the bill could negatively impact alternative energy development, including wind turbine manufacturing and transmission lines for renewable energy. Its going to be collateral damage to every industry, he said. Shelton disagreed, noting that plaintiffs have to show that theyve been harmed by the violations. Winning a suit could result in a temporary or permanent injunction, along with reasonable costs for attorney fees, rather than substantial monetary penalties, Shelton said. Theres no getting rich off of this, Shelton said. India is set to begin administration of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today to the people who had received the first shot of Covaxin or Covishield vaccines 28 days (4 weeks) ago when the nationwide vaccination campaign had begun on 16 January. The authorities will be sending automated SMS messages and using phone calls to make sure eligible recipients turn up. Read more PTI Here is a list of news that is making the headlines, from across the world: Rape Accused Gets Bail Citing Name Tattooed On Victim's Arm bccl/file In a rather unusual order, the Delhi High Court has granted bail to a man accused of rape, stating that his name was tattooed on the complainant's forearm. The rape victim had claimed that the accused forcibly tattooed his name on her arm, the court, however, said it is not an easy job to make a tattoo. Read more India Is Gifting 2,000 Metric Tonnes Of Rice To War-Ravaged Syria newindianexpress Ten years ago, in 2011, around this time of the year, the country of Syria slipped into a chaotic civil war, which is still ongoing. In the decade since the common people of Syria suffered as President Bashar al-Assad, and his allies continue to fight against rebels for control.As a result of the unending war, millions of Syrian have become refugees and are trying to reach Europe, while many more displaced internally and are living on handouts by charities. Read more Lufthansa Reportedly Terminates 103 India-Based Attendants Reuters Over the past one year, there is not a single sector that has not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But, aviation, hospitality, and tourism are among the worst hit as people stopped travelling. As the situation eased and the world got used to living with the virus, there have been some improvements, but the aviation industry doesn't forecast a return to pre-COVID levels before 2023. Read more Huge Lake Formed From Avalanche Has Uttarakhand's Raini Village Worried BCCL Even as the Raini village in Uttrakhand's Joshimath is yet to come to terms with the disaster that unfolded in front of them last week, the residents have a new concern - a lake that was formed from the avalanche. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has reached the spot in Chamoli, informed Uttrakhand Police Headquarters. Read more John Storey / Special to the Chronicle Public health officials in Los Angeles County have recorded a 35% rise in cases over the last two weeks of an inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 in children. On Jan. 30, officials had recorded 66 children in Los Angeles County had multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C. But on Friday, county health officials reported that case count has surged to 90 children with MIS-C. One child has died, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials said. An attempt by the Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi to reconcile both factions of O... An attempt by the Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi to reconcile both factions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has ended in a stalemate. It was gathered that the meeting, which held at Imo State Government Lodge also had in attendance Gov. Hope Uzodinma of the State. A source hinted that the Chidi Ibeh-led Ohanaeze was invited by the governors with the hope of prevailing on them to back down for the Amb. George Obiozor-led Ohanaeze. The source, however, said Ibeh and his team refused to step down, insisting that they remained the authentic Ohanaeze national executive members. Also at the meeting were Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Obiozor, Chief Gari Igariwey, among others. Why is #ArrestYuvikaChoudhary trending on twitter? 'Arrest Randeep Hooda' trends on twitter after his 'sexist and casteist' joke video on Mayawati goes viral Mississippi Masala to be released by Mira Nair to mark 30th anniversary India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Feb 13: Celebrated filmmaker Mira Nair has said that she will be releasing a remastered version of her acclaimed 1991 movie "Mississippi Masala" to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary. The romantic-drama film, written by Sooni Taraporevala, marked the filmmaker's foray in Hollywood. Set in the rural Mississippi (a southern US state), the film explores the interracial romance between an African-American man and Indian-American woman. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta claims of harassment by unknown caller The movie featured Hollywood star Denzel Washington opposite Sarita Choudhary. Responding to a user on Twitter, about the relevance of her films, Nair revealed she is on a mission to "resurrect" her movies. She said "Mississippi Masala" is the first one as the year 2021 will mark its 30th anniversary. "I'm on a mission. Resurrecting my films. 'Mississippi Masala' re-mastered & re-releasing on its 30th anniversary in 2021! We mattered long before movements woke up the masses," the 63-year-old director wrote. Also featuring Sharmila Tagore, Roshan Seth and Mohan Agashe, "Mississippi Masala" was released in France on September 18 in 1991 before making its debut in the UK and the US next year on January 17 and February 5, respectively. It was well received by critics and earned a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992 and won an award at the Venice Film Festival. Besides this film, the stage musical adaptation of Nair's 2001 movie "Monsoon Wedding" will premiere in India in November, 2021. Nair, whose directorial credits also include movies such as "Salaam Bombay", "The Namesake" and "Queen of Katwe", most recently worked on the series adaptation of Vikram Seth's novel "A Suitable Boy". BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News The show premiered on BBC One in the UK in July 2020, before hitting streamer Netflix in October. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 11:43 [IST] Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 05:01:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close "Precisely when the political and economic relations are troubled, that's the time when culture plays a crucial role in promoting understanding and promoting peace," Bard College's president said. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cultural and music exchanges always play an "essential role" in promoting mutual understanding between the United States and China, a renowned American educator has said. "The answer is very, very simple. China is the most important nation and the civilization ... This is essential work if these two great civilizations are going to work together in harmony despite differences and rivalries," Leon Botstein, president of Bard College, a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences, told Xinhua in an interview via Zoom. Bard College President Leon Botstein delivers a speech at the second annual conference of the U.S.-China Music Institute, at Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, the United States, March 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Zou Guangping) Botstein, also an established conductor and music historian, was talking about the programs of the Bard College Conservatory of Music (BCOM) and its US-China Music Institute (USCMI) in partnership with the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing. "We are both members of civilizations that have to live together and understand one another and develop empathy. And precisely when the political and economic relations are troubled, that's the time when culture plays a crucial role in promoting understanding and promoting peace," Botstein said. In the fall of 2019, BCOM started to offer an undergraduate performance degree program in selected Chinese instruments including erhu (urheen), guzheng and pipa. Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man gives a workshop on improvisational techniques to Bard students at the second annual conference of the U.S.-China Music Institute, at Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, the United States, March 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Zou Guangping) Studio instruction in these traditional Chinese instruments is provided by world-renowned CCOM master musicians, using state-of-the-art video conferencing facility as well as in-person lessons both on the Bard campus and in Beijing. "The most important thing we have to do with the Chinese students who are here, and to encourage future generations of Chinese students who'll come to the United States, is to assure them that they are welcome, that we wish to share and respecting and honor their traditions, their cultural traditions, such as a celebration of the new year," said Botstein, referring to the Spring Festival which falls on Feb. 12 this year. The president appreciated very much the job done by world famous conductor and composer Tan Dun, now dean of BCOM and Jindong Cai, director of USCMI, which was founded in 2017 and promotes the study, performance, and appreciation of music from contemporary China, and supports musical exchanges between the United States and China. "Tan Dun has done a lot of work in the mixing of Western and Chinese traditions. And Jindong Cai is a pioneer on bringing Chinese music to Western and American musicians and audiences," said Botstein. "And we need to reciprocate. So why shouldn't American musicians learn about Chinese instruments, Chinese aesthetics of music, and its role in culture. So it can go both ways," he said. The Sound of Spring concert is held in New York, the United States, Jan. 26, 2020. The U.S.-China Music Institute presented its first annual Chinese New Year Concert featuring Bard College's The Orchestra Now, performing a lively collection of Chinese symphonic works in New York. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) The USCMI's second annual concert of symphonic music to celebrate the Lunar New Year will be livestreamed from the Fisher Center at Bard College at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. The beginning of the concert will feature Tan Dun's Internet "Eroica" symphony to honor the many heroes worldwide who are working to combat the pandemic. The program, also features performances from special guests including the CCOM Chinese Chamber Orchestra, shares a sampling of traditional and contemporary Chinese symphonic, chamber, solo, and theatrical music, showcasing different regional folk traditions, as well as blending Chinese and Western instruments and musical forms. The musical selections are expected to send a message of hope, gratitude, renewal, and a new beginning, in the spirit of the Chinese New Year tradition. At a time when people havent been inside Disneyland in almost a year, and many others are choosing not to travel to Walt Disney World as the pandemic continues, theres a new way for people to connect with the parks that's never been available before. Its all just one download away. When someone told me that the official Disney Parks TikTok was worth checking out, I was skeptical. More than that, I dismissed it out of hand. With my status as an elder millennial and my already excessive screen time, I avoid new social media at all costs. I had Snapchat on my phone for about 24 hours before an exasperated intern at my old job, trying and failing to explain the point to me yet again, said yeah, you probably shouldnt use this. But then one day, there it was, a video of something I had been dreaming of for years: the secret suite inside Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World. I watched that TikTok probably 20 times in a row. Unlike the infinite scrolling of Instagram (a platform thats years older but has only slightly more users than TikTok at this point), TikTok's videos are on an infinite loop. As soon as the narrator says, And when its time to check out, were not going to give you the boot, but well give you a glass slipper, the video loops back to the beginning, showing the pumpkin carriage inlaid mosaic on the floor of the hallway as you enter the room. Each time I watched, I searched the edges of the frame for something different, like the twinkling night sky painted over the oversized soaking tub near the throne room in the bathroom. Access like this to the suite, originally built as Disney family lodging and opened to outsiders in 2007, hasnt been available before this. The suite is unrentable there are rumors Disney has turned down upwards of $40,000 for just one night in the room and is very rarely accessible to the public save for a handful of invitation-only tours. All it took was that one video, which instantly went so viral that it got a feature in Travel + Leisure, for me to see that the Disney Parks TikTok is doing something different from the normal Disney content on other platforms, which typically feels polished with corporate approval. That TikTok video clips off the end of the last word as it loops back around, and the narrator is very clearly a regular person and not someone who has spent years in elocution classes. But thats also why it works. Vulture has called TikTok the best medium for our absurdist present, making the argument that usage of the app has exploded over the past year because the content is necessarily raw and unpolished, made mostly by regular people who are stuck at home. What other medium truly nailed the essence of 2020s mania? Zoe Haylock writes. No sanitized, COVID-bubble production set could capture the vibrating anxiety, unrelenting boredom, and contagious creativity that quarantine bred the way that the platform does. The Disney Parks channel launched this past September, and has that same energy and creativity of regular users. Just after launching, a user commented send someone to check on the ducks at Disneyland, and the response was a video of those ducks living their best lives in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and splashing around in the lake in the middle of Disney California Adventure. What followed shortly after was a clip showing the horses of Disneyland doing costume changes at the Circle D Ranch. (They havent reported on Disneylands cats, but we know theyre fine, too.) Since then, the channel has shown videos of how the legendary beignets at Ralph Brennans Jazz Kitchen are made, and given a tour of Walt Disneys apartment over the fire station in Disneyland, where a lamp is always on in his memory (which yes, has been on while the park has been closed.) Something as simple as a video recorded in October of someones Mickey Croc-clad feet walking up to the castle in Disneyland something no one else can do right now has been viewed over 275,000 times. The one channel serves all of Disneys parks, so there are also videos of newborn animals at Disneys Animal Kingdom, like this week-old baby giraffe, and a preview of the forthcoming Remys Ratatouille Adventure ride in Epcot. Tom Nebbia/Corbis via Getty Images But theres an evolution happening here thats interesting to watch, and it goes beyond showing off whatever the seasonal churro is on Buena Vista Street. (Its fluffernutter right now, and you really should try it.) There is an audience on TikTok that is vastly larger than American home television viewership. According to TechCrunch, 6 million American households canceled paid TV in 2020, bringing the number of subscribers to just over 31 million. There are over 800 million users on this platform. So while I wasnt expecting to see Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowskis Were going to Disney World! video, a 2021 iteration of what used to be the most iconic of all the iconic Super Bowl commercials, it made sense that its on TikTok. A lot of viewers who added plays to its over 300,000 views, like me, wouldn't see it any other way. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the statehood would be given to Jammu and Kashmir at an "appropriate" time. While replying to the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill of 2021 in Lok Sabha, Shah said, "Many MPs said that bringing the bill means that the union territory would not get statehood. I am piloting the Bill, I brought it. I have clarified the intentions." "Nowhere is it written that Jammu and Kashmir would not get the statehood. Where are you drawing the conclusion from? I have said in this House and I say it again that this Bill has got nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Statehood would be given to the UT at an appropriate time," he added. Earlier on Monday, Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterated the Congress party's demand to restore statehood status to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the Union Government abrogated Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Shah also slammed the Opposition and asked for an account of what they did in the past 70 years. "I have no objection, I will give an account for everything. But those who were given the opportunity to govern for generations should look within if they are even fit to demand an account," the minister said. "We were asked what did we do about promises made during abrogation of Article 370. It has been 17 months since the abrogation and you are demanding an account for it. Did you bring the account of what you did for 70 years? Had you worked properly, you need not have asked us," he added. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021was introduced by the Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy in Rajya Sabha on February 4 to replace Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The new bill is aimed to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers with that of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory (AGMUT). The bike we have here was born long after production of the WLA ended, and it was not meant for the Army. Yet, customization work performed on it in general, and particularly the hue sprayed all over the body parts, remind us of the glory days of the serving Harley-Davidsons.What youre looking at is a Road King customized by German custom shop Thunderbike. Not many modifications were made, compared to what these guys usually do to the bikes they get their hands on, but they are effective nonetheless, at least as far as delivering the big and imposing like a locomotive driving through a train station at midnight message across.The saddle-bagged, upgraded Milwaukee motorcycle comes with several new parts on it compared to its stock form, including minor things like the handlebar and footpegs, but also some mechanical upgrades, like a tuning kit (the specifics of what it contains are not available) for the Screamin' Eagle engine fitted inside the frame, and a new exhaust to allow it to breath easier.We are not given the details on how the addition of these new pieces of hardware change the performance levels of the motorcycle.As for the cost of the build, Thunderbike is usually not in the habit of revealing that. We estimate the modifications on this custom build, not including the base bike itself, paint job, and the man-hours that went into making it, to be worth somewhere in the 3,000 euros range ($3,600). TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, Suzanne Crouch came to the Wabash Valley on Friday. Her first stop was the city of Brazil where she applauded the city for its positive efforts in benefiting the community. That comes after the city was awarded $75,000 in grant money. This money was presented to the city by Crouch and The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) in line with the CARES Act. With this grant money, the City partnered with the Clay County Food Pantry to provide local families with meals. Together, this allowed this local community to serve over one thousand families with food insecurity. To me, this demonstrates the heart and the soul of the people who live here, Crouch said. They are about taking care of each other. That is not only uplifting but it is also inspiring. Going forward, Crouch and OCRA will continue to help local communities with food insecurity, but she has another important message for local residents. In her next four years in office, she plans to focus on Mental Health awareness. In Terre Haute, she spoke with the community on this new goal. She emphasized that one in five Hoosiers is suffering from mental health challenges. Indiana is not alone and this a trend we are seeing nationwide. Those Hoosiers who are struggling we need to lift up, Crouch said. And if we are truly, truly committed to a legacy of excellence we need to move all Hoosiers to the next level, including those who struggle with mental illness." Crouch and other government officials hope this new stronger emphasis on prioritizing mental health awareness will help many local residents in need. One father shared his story with the community on how he lost his son, Cade, to suicide just three short months ago. This can happen in a small town, this can happen to a normal family," Frye said. Mike Frye is not the only one who lost someone important from suicide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that suicidal ideation was very elevated in this pandemic. The numbers are nearly doubled from 2018. Especially with the consequences of the pandemic, Crouch believes now more than ever there should be an emphasis on helping those struggling with mental health problems. We cant just talk about this problem, we have to do something about this problem, Crouch said. Going forward, Crouch hopes to help small rural communities in Indiana get the resources they need to support new mental health initiatives. Regional Failed bomb attack at media house in Mnp Correspondent IMPHAL, Feb 13 | Publish Date: 2/13/2021 12:18:52 PM IST In what comes as the latest threat to media houses in the restive state of Manipur, a chand grenade lobbed at the office of a local newspaper in Imphal on Saturday failed to detonate. A woman on a Activa brand scooter with no registration number lobbed the Chinese hand grenade at the office of the Poknapham daily which also housed its English edition The Peoples Chronicle around 6.30 pm on Saturday. On being informed, a team of police who rushed to the media house located at Keishampat to retrieve the bomb, in the heart of Imphal city. Eyewitness accounts said that the woman wearing a helmet and mask on her face lobbed the hand grenade. She hurriedly left the spot on a scooter with no number plate. The hand grenade fell at the main entrance corridor of the media house. Police as well as the media house were yet to know the motive behind the failed bomb attack. However, following the latest bomb threat, All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) have convened an emergency meeting at Manipur Press Club. The meeting was in progress till the time of filing the report. In Manipur, media houses have been frequently targeted by armed groups particularly for not entertaining their press handouts. Former New York Times editor Jill Abramson has blasted journalists for feeding into the turmoil at the newspaper after veteran reporter Donald McNeil Jr. was ousted earlier this month over complaints he had said the N-word in 2019. Abramson, who was fired in 2014 after becoming the Times' first female executive editor three years earlier, weighed in on the controversy roiling her former employer in an op-ed published in the New York Post. The 66-year-old revealed she has received numerous calls from reporters seeking her response to McNeil's decision to resign over the issue after 45 years at the paper. 'Because I'm a journalist, I always try to respond truthfully and on-the-record, which I have done,' she wrote. 'But some of the reporters who call me are mainly looking for little "scooplets" to feed controversy, to stoke conflict, to keep the story going for another news cycle.' McNeil earlier this month announced he was stepping down saying he could not defend the context in which he used the 'ugly word' when he said the racial slur during a company sponsored school trip to Peru two years ago. Former executive editor of the New York Times Jill Abramson has blasted journalists for feeding into the controversy regarding veteran reporter Donald McNeil Jr's resignation after saying the N-word in 2019 The Daily Beast reported earlier this month that multiple students and parents had lodged complaints against McNeil Jr. back in 2019 after he allegedly used the N-word, said white privilege does not exist and made disparaging comments about black people during a company-sponsored school trip to Peru The decision came after a group of 150 staffers sent a letter to the executive leadership two weeks ago stating they were 'deeply disturbed' by the paper's handling of the incident and demanding a full investigation into 'newly surfaced complaints' against McNeil. His departure sparked infighting at the paper, with McNeil's supporters claiming management had been 'bullied by a vocal minority' and that he should have been given the 'benefit of the doubt'. In her column, Abramson said it is 'painful beyond words' for McNeil's career at the Times to be cut short especially when the decision 'is made by its leaders under duress and under intense public scrutiny.' 'It's easy to feel like the whole world is watching when, in truth, only journalists glued to Twitter are watching,' she wrote. She also sympathized with Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger and her successor, Dean Baquet, who she said have been 'under intense duress', and that the 'constant harping and carping of media reporters has only made the environment more poisonous.' 'Like any journalist who has worked there, I enjoy hearing gossip and about internal dramas. But lately, they have threatened to endanger the very institution I have revered since I was in grade school,' Abramson wrote. She also lamented how the drama at the paper has prevented people from acknowledging the actual consequences of McNeil's resignation, which is that readers are now being denied 'vital reporting on COVID-19'. 'No one has really stopped and asked the only question that really matters in the current flap and all the others. Have readers been adversely affected by what's happened inside the NYT or by Mr. McNeil's behavior?' Abramson sympathized with Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger (right) and her successor, Dean Baquet (left) who she said have been 'under intense duress', and the 'constant harping and carping of media reporters has only made the environment more poisonous' 'Given what I know, and there is still information I don't know, I think not. 'Because of Mr. McNeil's resignation, readers are being denied his vital reporting on COVID-19 at a very inopportune moment. 'Were they impacted by whatever he said to a group of kids on a trip in 2019? I think not. Did Mr. McNeil's utterance of a racial slur word with no intent to harm anyone hurt readers? Again, I think the answer is no, although as someone who teaches college students I would never say this word myself,' she added. Whether McNeil had a lapse in judgment on the trip has nothing to do with his duty as a professional journalist, Abramson argued. 'As someone who knows Mr. McNeil, I can say with authority that he has always performed this first duty of a journalist with distinction,' she said, adding that the same was true of James Bennet, who resigned following a controversial op-ed from Senator Tom Cotton. The Times had allowed McNeil Jr. to keep his job after complaints regarding the racist slur surfaced - but he was forced out after 150 Times employees out of a global staff of 4,500 signed a letter slamming the decision. Since then, writers and staff have been engaged in a battle in a private Facebook group and on Twitter with McNeil's supporters saying management were 'bullied by a vocal minority' and he should have been given the 'benefit of the doubt'. Former Times labor correspondent Steven Greenhouse hit out at those 'far more willing to sympathize with these privileged 15- and 16-year-olds than with a long time colleague' while others said his career shouldn't have ended over 'one word'. Abramson also defended former NYT editor James Bennet, who resigned following a controversial op-ed from Senator Tom Cotton Times crossword columnist Deb Amlen hit back at Greenhouse in the Facebook group, writing: 'Why is it that the focus in discussions like this almost always [is] on ruining the perpetrator's life, and not those who were harmed by [his actions].' 1619 reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, the journalist who The Daily Beast reported threatened to start her own investigation into McNeil Jr., posted a Free Beacon reporter's email and cell phone number on Twitter when she was asked about her use of the N-word in previous tweets. The private Facebook group is made up of current and former Times employees and its content was first reported by The Free Beacon . DailyMail.com has contacted The New York Times for comment. Greenhouse added: 'What ever happened to the notion of worker solidarity to giving a fellow worker the benefit of the doubt? 'And why didn't the NewsGuild do far more to defend and protect the job of a long-time Times employee, one who at times did tireless, heroic work on behalf of the Guild to help improve pay and conditions for all NYT employees?' The row between NYT staffers spilled onto Twitter after reporter Michael Powell tweeted a statement from free speech group PEN which read: 'For reporter Donald McNeil Jr. to end his long career as a result of a single word, risks sending a chilling message. That the paper apparently altered its course ... as a result of public pressure is a further worrying signal.' Race reporter John Eligon replied: 'The paper didn't alter course cuz of 'public pressure.' Legit concerns were raised by Black employees who worked alongside Don. It's disheartening that a colleague I've worked with & respected would tweet this & speaks to how isolating it is to be Black at a mainstream news org. 'You often wonder what your white colleagues who are lovely to your face are actually thinking or saying about you or people like you behind your back.' In a letter to staff Friday, Donald McNeil Jr. announced he was standing down from the paper after 45 years saying he 'originally thought the context in which I used this ugly word could be defended' but now realized 'it cannot.' Top bosses had previously said he should be 'given another chance' saying McNeil Jr. hadn't used the word with 'malicious or hateful intent' during the Times-sponsored school trip. The paper also changed tact Friday telling staff 'we do not tolerate racist language regardless of intent.' A Devon village has become the first in the UK to ban polystyrene body boards after residents petitioned to have them scrapped in order to protect marine wildlife. Westward Ho! near Bideford in Devon has self-imposed the polystyrene board ban on every independent retailer in the coastal village in a bid to protect the environment. Single-use polystyrene boards can harm marine wildlife which often confuse plastic particles for food. Single-use polystyrene boards can harm marine wildlife which often confuse plastic particles for food (file image) An online referendum last November resulted a landslide vote that saw over 97 per cent of 1,600 local residents calling for a board ban, according to The Telegraph. Businesses in the village that have stopped selling the boards include the Post Office, Westbourne Souveniers and Ho! Village Stores among others. The decision comes after a joint 18-month campaign involving Plastic Free Torridge, Keep Britain Tidys Ocean Recovery Project and Plastic Free North Devon. Andrew Cross of Plastic Free Torridge hailed the efforts of shops which have put the 'planet before profit' in order to protect wildlife from the damage caused by the boards. Westward Ho! (pictured) near Bideford in Devon has self-imposed the polystyrene board ban on every independent retailer in the coastal village in a bid to protect the environment Mr Cross told the publication: 'We can't change many things in the environment, but this is something we can change. 'This is something we can control, and this is the spirit of this self imposed ban.' When they boards break, polystyrene beads are scattered on to the sand, posing a big risk to wildlife. The majority of the boards that cause the problem are brightly coloured and decorated with cartoon characters to appeal to youngsters. Keep Britain Tidy, a UK-based independent environmental charity, found that 16,000 polystyrene body boards are left on UK beaches every year. Last October, a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge agreed to vacate the 31-year-old conviction of Antonio Martinez, who lawyers said was subjected to prosecutorial misconduct and a stunning violation of his constitutional rights, resulting in his wrongful conviction for a 1985 double homicide. That meant Martinez, 73, was free. But it also short-circuited a parallel process underway in federal court, where U.S. District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg had scheduled a hearing for November to question the trial prosecutor about the misconduct claims. On Thursday, Goldberg, of Pennsylvanias Eastern District, issued a memorandum decrying the maneuver by the Philadelphia District Attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit and ordering it to start submitting status reports in similar cases. Goldberg said that the DAs Office has a duty of candor to the court and that its discretion cannot be used as a mechanism to forum shop for the quickest result without full disclosure to the federal court. The CIU, more active under DA Larry Krasner than during any prior administration, has handled 18 exonerations, at times encountering pushback from the judiciary. Goldberg has been at odds with Krasners office before, most notably in denying the DAs request to vacate the death penalty for Robert Wharton in the 1984 murder of an East Mount Airy couple, Ferne and Bradley Hart. Goldberg asked the Attorney Generals Office to weigh in, and that office is expected to step in during an evidentiary hearing set for next week. In the Martinez matter, the DAs Office argued in court filings that the end-around was not by design. Martinezs case had been languishing for months in state court without any sign of progress, according to the lawyers, when the October court date was assigned with just a few weeks notice. READ MORE: Philly man, exonerated at 73, faced stunning violation of constitutional rights, lawyers say Goldberg appeared to stop short of saying the CIUs actions were improper but said it took a route that was clearly discouraged and strongly disfavored. While I will not impose sanctions, an admonishment of the District Attorney, as set forth in this opinion, is appropriate, he wrote. He said he would require the Philadelphia DA to submit status reports on future cases, adding, I typically do not impose requirements of this nature on counsel, but such oversight of the District Attorney is now unfortunately warranted. Krasner, in a statement Friday, defended the CIUs work and noted that the judge had, in the end, not made a finding that its actions lacked candor. In my opinion, it is no surprise that when you do the work of undoing institutional wrongs, there is resistance from people who want to make excuses for those wrongs, he said. On behalf of all Philadelphians, the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office will not be cowed or deterred from our duty to seek justice in the future. A group of 33 prominent lawyers and legal scholars submitted a brief to the court arguing that Krasners office, as well as Martinezs lawyer, had acted within its duty. Especially with the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to see why the court would feel aggrieved, they wrote. But, they argued, in rectifying a 31-year-old injustice, the lawyers involved were actually exemplifying the height of professional responsibility and repairing a miscarriage of justice. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. British human rights lawyer Karim Khan was elected Friday as the new prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a politically daunting position whose incumbent was slapped with U.S. sanctions. Khan, 50, previously led a special UN probe into crimes by the Islamic State extremist group in which he pressed for a trial on the lines of Nuremberg for Nazi war criminals. More controversially, he also represented late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafis son Seif al-Islam. Khan will be only the third prosecutor of the ICC, taking over in June from Gambian-born Fatou Bensouda, who has outraged Washington through her investigations into the Afghanistan war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ICC nations failed to reach a consensus choice, triggering a vote in New York among four candidates in which Khan won on the second ballot with 72 votes. In the first round, he did not win a majority but narrowly edged out Irelands Fergal Gaynor, who has represented victims before the ICC in the Afghan war investigation and in a case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The United Nations has 193 member states but only 123 are in the ICC, with the United States, Israel, China and Russia notably absent. Khan will take on a bulging file of difficult cases at a tribunal whose legitimacy is constantly under attack. There are many places where the ICC could take action, one UN envoy said Friday on condition of anonymity, adding he hoped the voting would not stretch over several days. We dont need less ICC but more ICC, he said. Hard early choices The new prosecutors first tasks will include deciding the next steps on the probe into war crimes in Afghanistan and the hugely contentious investigation into the 2014 Israel-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. The administration of then US President Donald Trump hit Bensouda and another senior ICC official last year with sanctions including a travel ban and asset freeze after she launched the probe that includes alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. Israel and the United States have also strongly opposed the probe into alleged war crimes by both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. ICC judges, however, ruled last week that the court had jurisdiction over the situation in the Palestinian territories, paving the way for a full investigation after a five-year preliminary probe opened by Bensouda. The new U.S. administration of President Joe Biden has signalled a less confrontational line but has not said whether it will drop sanctions against Bensouda, who has attacked the unacceptable measures. Other candidates for the job included Spanish judge Carlos Castresana, who previously headed a UN panel combating crime and corruption in Guatemala but resigned in 2010 alleging systemic attacks by power-hungry officials, and Francesco Lo Voi, an Italian prosecutor of the Mafia. Mixed record Bensouda has had a mixed record in her tenure since 2012 even as she expanded some analysts say overextended the courts reach. Under her leadership, former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo was cleared of crimes against humanity, while former DR Congo vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba was acquitted on appeal. ADVERTISEMENT Kenyas Kenyatta also saw charges of crimes against humanity over electoral bloodshed dropped by Bensouda. But Bensouda has recently secured high-profile convictions against Ugandan child soldier-turned-Lords Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen and Congolese warlord Bosco Terminator Ntaganda. She has also been credited with improving the prosecutors office compared with her predecessor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, whose leadership was described as autocratic in a probe ordered by the ICC into the Kenyatta case. The ICC is the worlds only permanent war crimes court, after years when the only route to justice for atrocities in countries like Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia was separate tribunals. Hamstrung from the start by the refusal of the United States, Russia and China to join, the court has since faced criticism for having mainly taken on cases from poorer African nations. (AFP) France 24 is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish. COVID-19 Vaccine to Be Tested on Children as Young as 6, University Says Children as young as 6 years old will be part of a new COVID-19 vaccine trial in the UK, Oxford University announced on Feb 13. Building on previous trials of the vaccine, which have shown that it is safe, produces strong immune system responses and has high efficacy in all adults, this trial will assess if children and young adults aged 617 years make a good immune response with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, the university said in a statement. ChAdOx1 was developed by the university and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in a bid to prevent transmission of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. The new trial is being funded in part by the UKs National Institute for Health Research. The phase two trial will be single-blind and randomized; it will enroll 300 volunteers, of which up to 240 will get the vaccine. The others will be injected with a control meningitis vaccine. Studies show that most youths suffer little when they get COVID-19. Few deaths from the disease have been recorded among youth worldwide. Almost 2.4 million people worldwide have died with COVID-19 as of Feb. 14, according to a tracker run by Johns Hopkins University. Riders on a subway train wear protective masks due to COVID-19 concerns in New York on Aug. 17, 2020. (John Minchillo/AP Photo) While most children are relatively unaffected by coronavirus and are unlikely to become unwell with the infection, it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people as some children may benefit from vaccination. These new trials will extend our understanding of control of SARS-CoV-2 to younger age groups, Andrew Pollard, professor of pediatric infection and immunity and chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a statement. Rinn Song, a pediatrician and clinician-scientist at the Oxford Vaccine Group, added, The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound negative impact on the education, social development, and emotional well-being of children and adolescents, beyond illness and rare severe disease presentations. It is therefore important to collect data on the safety and the immune response to our coronavirus vaccine in these age groups, so that they could potentially benefit from inclusion in vaccination programs in the near future. Prospective participants were told that theyll be reimbursed 10 pounds (about $14) for each study visit. They were told they and their children would be helping researchers gain valuable knowledge about the vaccine, which has shown to have 6090 [percent] efficacy against infection in adults, a vaccine trial page states. Side effects seen during previous clinical trials include chills, fever, and enlarged lymph nodes. The AstraZenecaOxford vaccine was approved for use by the European Medicines Agency in January. The World Health Organization said it could grant emergency authorization for the shot by mid-February. AstraZeneca said it has already begun shipping millions of doses to European sites, and plans to deliver 17 million total over the next several weeks. San Francisco Firehouses Celebrate Christmas 1948 - 1950 Robert and Marilyn Katzman have graciously shared some images and a short history from when San Francisco's firehouses went all out to decorate for the Christmas holidays. If you'd like to own these and many more images in a great slideshow with a seasonal soundtrack, take a look at the ordering information at the bottom of this page. 1948 was the San Francisco Fire Department's first annual Christmas decoration contest, a tradition that was to last only three short years. Each firehouse was limited to a total expenditure of $50.00 and the grand prize winner received $1,000 and a gold loving cup known as the Civil Service Star Trophy to be displayed at the firehouse throughout the year. The judging committee reported to Fire Chief Edward P. Walsh that he should be very proud of his boys, their spirit was refreshing and the competition keen. "The firemen begged, borrowed, carpentered and sculptured to create what the casual passerby could scarcely believe was a firehouse," wrote the San Francisco Chronicle. In the first year the money for the awards was contributed by members of the Fire Commission---Max Sobel, Chairman, Robert Schaefer, Walter Leonetti---and a number of San Franciscans who became interested in the project because of its colorful addiion to the city's Christmas spirit. In 1949 the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the decorations were even better than the first year, although only $25.00 in expense money was allowed and the grand prize dropped to $ 500.00. San Francisco Mayor Elmer Robinson proudly stated that San Francisco was the only city to decorate its firehouses each Christmas on a community basis and he wanted every child in San Francisco to see the firehouses. Many of the decorations were animated and often reflected the architectural pattern of the firehouse's particular neighborhood. 1950 found "the boys" becoming experts at making a firehouse at Christmas season look like anything but a firehouse. Battalion Chief Joseph A. Smith worked out a 54-mile route that went past all the firehouses, beginning and ending at Civic Center. Free Municipal Railway bus rides were provided for children over three nights, with candy breaks set up at firehouse rest stops. The Chronicle reported, "The world was full of news of war and price curbs and mobilization - but for grinning, jostling, kids in the green and white Muni buses, it was a world of Christmas magic." On November 20, 1951 San Francisco's firemen voted to end their three-year tradition of decorating the city firehouses for Christmas. The firemen gave lack of money as their reason. Many made up the balance of the yearly decorating costs out of their own pockets, and were not in the mood for such contributions when in that month's election a ballot initiative to increase firefighter pay had been defeated. Forty-five years later, we took the one-of-a-kind slide collection of the late Alfred Stettler, an avid fire buff employed by the Department of Fire Prevention, and transferred it to video to relive this nationally-recognized three-year competition. You are certain to enjoy the original musical arrangements (from music box to calypso) and will be touched by the special carol singing by San Francisco's Singing Fireman Jim Bogue. We wish you Peace on Earth. This video in DVD format can be ordered for $20, tax, shipping and handling included, from The Old Firehouse. Email Robert and Marilyn at engineco33@aol.com. Read more about Christmas Firehouses on our Community Message Board. Christmas Firehouse Images Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places. Health Ministry to conduct study on presence of antibodies to COVID-19 in Ukrainians - Liashko The Ministry of Health is preparing to conduct a sero-epidemiological study of the presence of antibodies to COVID-19 in Ukrainians, Chief Sanitary Doctor, Deputy Minister of Health Viktor Liashko said. "There will be no mass testing for COVID-19, but we are talking about a sero-epiemiological study that will study blood for the presence of immunoglobulin G and see how many cases of COVID-19 our system does not catch," he told reporters on Saturday. Liashko said that the study will test about 10,000 people throughout Ukraine, from whom, in accordance with a representative sample, blood will be taken. The study was designed by the National Security and Defense Council with the involvement of sociologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The research will be carried out through the Public Health Center. "On Tuesday, we start: we collect all health departments, present the design and agree on dates. The sample will take into account, in particular, gender, age, place of residence, occupation," the Deputy Minister said. Mr Trump was acquitted in his second impeachment trial (AP) The US senate has acquitted former president Donald Trump of inciting the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. The vote gave Mr Trump a historic second acquittal in an impeachment trial. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Mr Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two thirds of the senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. The vote was 57-43, short of the two-thirds needed for conviction. Seven Republicans broke party ranks to find Mr Trump guilty. Expand Close The final vote total was 57-43, short of the two thirds required to secure conviction (Senate Television/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The final vote total was 57-43, short of the two thirds required to secure conviction (Senate Television/AP) Mr Trump later welcomed his acquittal, saying that his Make America Great Again movement has only just begun. In a lengthy statement, the former president thanked his lawyers and defenders in US congress, who he said stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country. Mr Trump slammed his trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country. Expand Close Mitch McConnell said Mr Trump was practically and morally responsible for the January 6 riot (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mitch McConnell said Mr Trump was practically and morally responsible for the January 6 riot (AP) And he told his supporters that our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun, and that he will have more to share with them in the months ahead. Despite voting to acquit, Republican senate minority leader Mitch McConnell condemned Mr Trump, calling him practically and morally responsible for the riot. Mr McConnell said he could not vote to convict Mr Trump because he is constitutionally not eligible for conviction, because he is no longer president. He added that a conviction would have created a dangerous precedent that would give the senate power to convict private political rivals and bar them from holding future office. Mr McConnell added that impeachment is a narrow tool for a narrow purpose. Though Mr Trump was acquitted, it was easily the largest number of senators to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty of an impeachment charge. Voting to find the former president guilty were Republican senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. The senates top Democrat said January 6 will live as a day of infamy in American history and that the vote to acquit will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States senate. Expand Close Senate majority Leader Chuck Schumer said January 6 would live on as a day of infamy (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Senate majority Leader Chuck Schumer said January 6 would live on as a day of infamy (AP) Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, took to the senate floor to decry the acquittal. He applauded the seven Republicans who joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Mr Trump. Mr Schumer called the day of the riot the final, terrible legacy of Mr Trump, and said the stain of his actions will never be washed away. The Democrats had argued in the short trial that Mr Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the November 2020 election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat by Joe Biden. Five people died after a mob laid siege to the Capitol. Mr Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that the former president was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Mr Trump. Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 3:37 pm Im writing to refute the recent comments Lewis County officials made regarding the proposed Transalta land acquisition by WDFW. They claim Lewis County has plenty of open, public land in the east, but thats over an hours drive from Chehalis and Centralia. A large wildlife area with significant outdoor recreation opportunities located immediately next to the cities would be of great benefit to western Lewis County as well as Thurston and Cowlitz counties. Furthermore, the suggestion that the land in question be kept available for industrial development is naive in its assumption that there is or would ever be any interest in such development. The wildlife area, on the other hand, would offer an immediate boost to the outdoor recreation economy in the area that would increase with time. The outdoor recreation economy is booming right now, and Southwest Washington is well positioned to capitalize on it. To do so, we need large, easily accessible public lands near our cities and rural communities. Acquiring the TransAlta land and building a hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trail network there would go a long ways towards growing and diversifying our economy. Andy Zahn Toutle UCP of Western Massachusetts recently opened its new Community Tech Support Center, offering technology set up, training and ongoing technical support. If you or a loved one receives state Vocational Rehabilitation services and need technical support, call Elano Dallmeyer at the Community Tech Support Center at 413-442-1562, ext. 113, or toll free at 844-393-9333. For information on Employment Services, visit mass.gov/vocational-rehabilitation. For Family Support Services, call Jennifer Summers at 413-664-9345, ext. 228. Visit our website, ucpwma.org, for more. (Newser) The Senate on Saturday reached a deal that will allow it to skip the calling of witnesses in Donald Trumps second impeachment trialthis after an earlier "stunning development" in which lead Democratic impeachment manager Jamie Raskin asked that Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler be questioned. Herrera Beutler, a Republican who voted in the House to impeach Trump, was reportedly briefed on a Jan. 6 call between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. During the call, McCarthy pleaded with Trump to issue a message to the rioters to back off. Trumps alleged response: "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are." story continues below The Saturday vote to call witnesses passed 55-45, with five Republicans joining Democrats, per CNN. Trump attorney Michael van der Veen had countered that he would need to call more than 100 witnesses. "If you vote for witnesses, do not handcuff me," he said. What the Senate ultimately chose to do instead was enter a Friday statement from Herrera Beutler about the phone call into the trial record, reports the Hill. House Democrats subsequently began wrapping up their case, reports the AP, with closing arguments up next. (Read more Trump impeachment stories.) This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. Senate Acquits Trump in Impeachment Trial By The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate has acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, bringing his trial to a close and giving the former president a historic second victory in the court of impeachment.Trump is the first president to be impeached twice, and he is also now twice acquitted. The Senate voted 57-43 that Trump is not guilty of incitement. Two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, was needed for conviction.Seven Republican Senators voted to convict Trump: Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania.Though the chamber voted to acquit him Saturday, it was easily the largest number of lawmakers to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty at impeachment proceedings.House Democrats argued that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then calling on his supporters to fight like hell just before they laid siege to the Capitol. Democrats argued that Trump had obvious intent as he egged on supporters they said were primed for violence.Trumps lawyers argued that the trial was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump and that it was unconstitutional because he had left office. They said the rioters acted on their own accord, despite Trumps words. And they argued that Trump was protected by freedom of speech and to convict him for something he said would set a dangerous precedent.The House impeached Trump before he left office for incitement of insurrection after the violent mob broke into the Capitol, destroyed property and hunted for lawmakers as they counted the presidential electoral votes. Five deaths have been linked to the incidentIf Trump had been convicted, the Senate would have taken a second vote on whether to ban him from running for office again. Only two other presidents, Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868, have been impeached. Both were also acquitted.Previous Story:The Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump was thrown into confusion Saturday as lawmakers voted to consider hearing witnesses, a step that could significantly extend the proceedings and delay a vote on whether the former president incited the deadly Capitol insurrection.The last-minute fight over witnesses followed Friday night revelations from a Republican House lawmaker about a heated phone call on the day of the riot between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that Democrats say establishes Trumps indifference to the violence.The proceedings came to an abrupt halt less than an hour after getting underway, with senators taken aback by the unexpected development huddling on the floor of the chamber while leaders spoke to clerks at the dais. Both Democrats and Republicans braced for the possibility of a drawn-out dispute over which, and how many, witnesses might suddenly factor into a trial that just hours earlier was heading to a swift vote and likely acquittal.After roughly an hour of private discussions, the Senate was adjourned until afternoon.Impeachment trials are rare, especially for a president, and the rules are negotiated for each one at the outset. For Trumps trial, the agreement said if senators agreed to hear witnesses, votes to hear additional testimony would be allowed.A prolonged trial could upend President Joe Bidens legislative agenda in Congress. Biden has barely commented on the trial, coming in the first days of his new administration, and whether his predecessor should be convicted or acquitted. He was spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.Any delay in the verdict could grind his big COVID-19 rescue package and other priorities to a halt.Meanwhile, Republican leader Mitch McConnell made clear that he will vote to acquit Trump, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Closely watched, the GOP leaders view could influence others in his party.While most Democrats are expected to vote to convict the former president, acquittal already appeared likely in the chamber that is split 50-50 with Republicans. A two-thirds majority is required for conviction.At issue at first on Saturday was whether to subpoena Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, one of 10 Republicans to vote for Trumps impeachment in the House. She said in a statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from McCarthy to call off the rioters. Democrats consider it key corroborating evidence that confirms the presidents willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief.Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said that witnesses were necessary to determine Trump's role in inciting the riot. There were 55 senators who voted for his motion to consider witnesses, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah. Once they did, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina changed his vote to join them on the 55-45 vote.Trump lawyers opposed calling witnesses, with attorney Michael van der Veen saying it would open the door to him calling as many as 100. He said the depositions could be done in his law office in Philadelphia, prompting laughter from senators.If you vote for witnesses, Van der Veen said, crossing his arms and then then raising them in the air for emphasis, do not handcuff me by limiting the number of witnesses that I can have.The outcome of the raw and emotional proceedings is expected to reflect a country divided over the former president and the future of his brand of politics. The verdict could influence not only Trumps political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors.Whats important about this trial is that its really aimed to some extent at Donald Trump, but its more aimed at some president we dont even know 20 years from now, said Sen. Angus King, the independent from Maine.The nearly weeklong trial has delivered a grim and graphic narrative of the riot and its consequences in ways that senators, most of whom fled for their own safety that day, acknowledge they are still coming to grips with.House prosecutors have argued that Trump's rallying cry to go to the Capitol and fight like hell for his presidency just as Congress was convening Jan. 6 to certify Bidens election victory was part of an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims that unleashed the mob. Five deaths have been linked to the incident, including a rioter who was shot and a police officer who was struck in the head with a fire extinguisher.Trump's lawyers countered in a short three hours Friday that Trump's words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. He was once one of the biggest names in local television, but now Omosh is out of work, and money. Real name Joseph Kinuthia Kamau, the actor has been away from our TV screens since the days of Tahidi High, where he was one of the pioneer cast members. The long-running show on Citizen TV gave him national recognition and a constant pay cheque. While some cast members like OJ, Abel Mutua and Philip Karanja have gone on to do other creative projects, Omosh has hit a rough patch. A very rough one. The actor appeared on a YouTube interview explaining his predicament to Kenyans, pleading for any help. He says he has not had a job in a long time, and has a whole year in rent arrears. He is facing eviction over Sh150,000 in arrears. I live in Kayole near the DOs office. My rent is KSh 8,000 per month, he said. He added that his professional contacts like the actors he worked with have been unreachable and unhelpful. The actor broke into tears as he narrated his situation. He spoke of how on certain days he will dress up, take a walk to nowhere and just cry to his God. Life has been so difficult. I cannot provide meals for my family. My children are even wondering what has become of me. Everything came to a standstill. Our show was cancelled. My side hustles were closed, I just found myself home. I get home and look at my kids wondering what they will eat. I have no idea. Ive lost 10 Kgs in 1 year. he said. He is now surviving on the goodwill of friends and neighbors. The actor is willing to accept any job, including casual ones. I just want a job, even if I will be getting Ksh200 a day Im a good driver, I can serve in your hotel.. You can reach him on: 0727 05 41 41 Watch the full interview. Marketer Pamela Yip, 28, (right) and optometrist Jenny Le, 26, (left) started the Bubble Tea Club in April 2020 A pair of best friends who were stood down from their jobs during the coronavirus crisis have launched a booming business selling DIY bubble tea kits. Marketer Pamela Yip, 28, and optometrist Jenny Le, 26, started the Bubble Tea Club in April 2020, sourcing all their ingredients from Taiwan where the iconic milky tea drinks with tapioca balls, known as boba, originated from. The idea to sell their own bubble tea kits sprung to mind after the Melbourne friends struggled to make their own drinks at home because they couldn't find their favourite toppings anywhere. And so their humble brand was born in the midst of a global pandemic after their obsession with the drink led them to finding a niche in the market. Fast forward, the business has since become 'Australia's top rated' bubble tea brand with more than 550 boba flavour combinations - and a legion of fans - including MasterChef Australia stars like Jess Liemantara, Sarah Tiong and Derek Lau. Their humble brand was born in the midst of a global pandemic after their obsession with the drink led them to finding a niche in the market (picture of lifestyle influencer Connie) Customers can pick and choose the flavours and toppings they want in their kit, with prices starting from as little as $1.75 per serve, and have the box delivered straight to their door step The brand all started when their jobs were impacted by covid. And with their city in lockdown, they wanted to make their own bubble tea at home. 'We didn't want to carelessly spend money on bubble tea but the craving was there,' Pamela told Daily Mail Australia. 'We thought we'd try making it at home ourselves but found it hard to get all the ingredients we needed. We also couldn't find some of our favourite flavours like taro and rainbow jelly.' And so they decided to source all the ingredients from Taiwan after Pamela had the 'best authentic bubble tea experience' during her trip there at the end of 2019. And it wasn't long before they realised there was a gap in the market for DIY bubble tea delivery kits. 'We developed our own recipes and assemble the kits for people to easily make at home. We made it affordable too but there's no compromise on flavour. We source from Taiwan as that's where I had the best bubble teas ever,' Pamela said. Fast forward, the business has since become 'Australia's top rated' bubble tea brand with more than 550 boba flavour combinations The two best friends from Melbourne saw a gap in the market for DIY bubble tea delivery kits As their business took off, the friends went from working in their living rooms of their homes to running the brand in their very own warehouse As their business took off, the friends went from working in their living rooms of their homes to running the brand in their very own warehouse. 'Majority of the time we were working separately in our own homes because of the restrictions. I handled all marketing and was actually taking photos and videos of our products from my living room while Jenny managed the operations,' Pamela said. 'Jenny and I have started spending less time on our "day jobs" and focused a lot more on our business. We're hoping all of Australia will know of Bubble Tea Club in 2021 and we're going internationally into America and UK this year.' With an increasing number of Australians working from home, the pair quickly experienced a huge sales increase. 'I think the pandemic encouraged people to give homemade bubble tea a go. Since they didn't have a different alternative during lockdowns, we became their solution,' Pamela said. 'We were affordable, easy to make and taste just as good as the stores - which meant the word of mouth was incredible.' Like any business, Pamela said working through the pandemic had a 'big impact' on the supply chain - including sourcing packaging in Australia, sourcing ingredients from Taiwan and delays with deliveries. 'It has been a rollercoaster. It has gone so quickly with a lot of ups and downs. We've just held on tight and kept moving forward,' she said. The brand has also worked with MasterChef Australia stars such as Jess Liemantara (pictured above) to develop innovative bubble tea recipes for customers Those who purchased the box have shared glowing reviews online, with many saying they enjoy the convenience of making the drinks whenever they want The brand has also worked with MasterChef Australia contestants to develop innovative bubble tea recipes such as lemon myrtle, orange and peach cardamom gin, yuzu green tea and more. For those looking to start a business, Pamela said: 'The advice is to validate your idea by chatting with friends, posting in Facebook groups and checking if people are interested in what you have to offer. 'If you notice there's traction, that's a great indication that you have a market and it's worth investing money and time into the next step.' The brand now has nearly 20,000 Instagram followers, with more than 1,200 five-star reviews online about the bubble tea kits. Customers can pick and choose the flavours and toppings they want in their kit, with prices starting from as little as $1.75 per serve, and have the box delivered straight to their door step. One shopper said the DIY box allowed her to create her favourite drinks because she was unable to leave her home due to coronavirus isolation. 'These are great things to get while in isolation. We haven't been able to go out to buy bubble tea and was happy to make these at home,' she said. 'It's like authentic bubble tea, only difference is making it at home.' A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. By William Schwartz | Published on 2021/02/12 My first response to "Loop Dreams" was a sort of mild bewilderment. A documentary about yo-yo trick artists? Really? I've seen plenty of self-indulgent documentaries by young people overestimating how interesting their lives are. But then I've also seen plenty of good documentaries by young people who correctly estimate how interesting weirdly specific aspects of their lives are, and the only way to know which is which is to watch them. Well, I'm happy to report that "Loop Dreams" comfortably falls into the latter category. A big part of it is just the movie's absurd scope. We start out with footage from the mid-aughts of various regional yo-yo trick competitions among high schoolers and yes, such things do exist. And it's hard not to get swept up in the sheer determination of these schlubby looking teenagers, all of whom are completely focused on crazy-looking yo-yo tricks that can and do attract a crowd. Naturally this prompts similarly crazy thoughts. What if we do the yo-yo tricks in public, hoping to entertain people enough that they give us money? While a big point is made about the various South Korean yo-yo champions going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this trip actually ends up feeling more like a starting point than a beginning. It's a proof of concept. Yes, it is possible to get money by being really good at yo-yo tricks. But can you make a living doing that? The short answer is no. The long answer is, we won't know until we try. Director Ko Du-hyun does not attempt an overly romantic presentation. At every reasonable point of discussion, the various yo-yo artists depicted admit that there is only so much that can be accomplished with yo-yo tricks. They know that passion doesn't necessarily translate into a long-term future. But they weigh the opportunity costs of continuing the hobby seriously, and make decisions accordingly. "Loop Dreams" spans nearly fifteen years and we can see the world change around these artists. They grow into adults. The footage taken of them slowly improves in quality. I was struck how nobody at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was taking videos of the tricks with their cameras- because cell phone cameras weren't a thing yet. They do tricks for the crowd solely for fleeting applause and the smiles of children. Some of the yo-yo artists branch out into balloon animals for the same reason. Is this a practical way to live your life? No, but that's the whole point. You should live for passion. You should do what you want to do, what makes you and the people around you happy. If you have to work hard for it, that just proves it's worth the effort. By the end, as we see a new generation of yo-yo artists take shape, it's telling how they, much like their forebears, are convinced they're not really that good, despite demonstrating obvious, impressive talent right there on-screen. It's kind of sad, really, to think about how they'll probably never know how cool they really are. Review by William Schwartz ___________ "Loop Dreams" is directed by Ko Du-hyun. Release date in Korea: 2021/01/14. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Department of Fisheries under Govt. of Tamil Nadu has called for applications in a prescribed format from eligible and interested candidates for filling Six Hundred-Eight (608) vacancies to the post of Sagar Mitras in the Department of Fisheries through direct selection to be posted across all coastal fishing villages of Tamil Nadu, India on a fulltime basis. The offline application process towards same started on February 10, 2021, and closes on February 19, 2021. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Sagar Mitras in the Department of Fisheries Organisation Department of Fisheries Educational Qualification Bachelors Degree in Fisheries Science/Marine Biology/Zoology Experience Freshers can apply Job Responsibilities null Skills Required null Job Location Across all coastal fishing villages of Tamil Nadu Salary Scale Rs. 15,000 per month Industry Govt. of Tamil Nadu Application Start Date February 10, 2021 Application End Date February 19, 2021 Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021: Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for Tamil Nadu Sagar Mitra Jobs 2021 through Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021 must not be more than 35 years of age, with relaxation (upper age limit) for reserved categories as specified in the TN Fisheries Department Notification 2021. For details regarding application fee for Tamil Nadu Sagar Mitra Jobs 2021 under Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021, refer to the TN Fisheries Department Notification 2021. Also Read: CISF Recruitment 2021 For 2000 Constable/GD, SI/Exe Posts, Apply Before March 15 Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021: Education And Eligibility Desirous candidates applying for Tamil Nadu Sagar Mitra Jobs 2021 through Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021 must possess a Bachelor's Degree in Fisheries Science/Marine Biology/Zoology from a recognised University/Institution, with essential knowledge of Information Technology (IT) as detailed in the TN Fisheries Department Notification 2021. Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021: Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates for Tamil Nadu Sagar Mitra Jobs 2021 through Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021 will be done as per TN Fisheries Department Notification 2021 norms. Candidates selected for Tamil Nadu Sagar Mitra Jobs 2021 through Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021 will be paid an emolument Rs. 15,000 per month Also Read: AICTE Recruitment 2021 For Assistant Director And Deputy Director Posts, Apply Online Before March 3 Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021: How To Apply Candidates applying for Tamil Nadu Sagar Mitra Jobs 2021 through Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021 must fill the application form in a prescribed format attached with the TN Fisheries Department Notification 2021 and send the same to the concerned Assistant Director of Fisheries of the respective coastal districts on or before February 19, 2021. Download Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department Recruitment 2021 Notification PDF for Sagar Mitras posts Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday blamed the artificial price mechanism created by Oil-producing nations for the exponential rise in retail prices of petrol and diesel. "I am sorry to say oil-rich countries are not looking into the interest of consuming countries. They created an artificial price mechanism. This is pinching the consuming countries," Pradhan told reporters. Facing severe criticism from opposition parties on the issue, the minister said there was a total collapse in demand for petroleum across the world due to the Covid-19 lockdown and petroleum producers had to reduce production. "Now the economy has revived and India has returned almost to the pre-Covid position. However, the oil producers have not increased production," Pradhan said. He noted that India meets 80% of its fuel requirement from oil-producing nations and said that "we are facing challenges on the price" as the crude oil price was again on a rising trend. Pradhan also cited the government's increased spending in welfare and developmental programmes to justify the increase in petroleum products. "Some components of the petroleum price are coming from the tax regime. We are passing through an unusual phase due to the Covid pandemic. The spending of the Union and state governments have gone up. There is a 34% increase in capital expenditure in the budget. But we have to carry forward our economy and we need resources," he said. Pradhan also justified the decision to implement a 6,000 crore project at BPCL Kochi refinery ahead of disinvestment, saying the project will facilitate the production of niche petrochemicals which are predominantly being imported in the country. He said this will create new industries and new job opportunities in Kerala. Pradhan statement came a day after the Congress said it was planning a nationwide protest against increasing fuel prices. The opposition party has attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre over the soaring prices of diesel and petrol and alleged that it was not willing to lower the excise duty on diesel and petrol to ease the burden on the people. With inputs from agencies. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. New Delhi: Can you believe that a couple who disappeared in the from their farm in the Alps during World War II 75 years ago has been discoverd. The mystery of what really happened to the couple has been finally solved. According to the police, the body of the couple was found preserved in a receding glacier. The Swiss media reported that this mystery has solved ending decades of uncertainty for their seven children. The bodies were found lying near each other in the Diablerets massif in southern Switzerland, along with backpacks, a bottle, a book and a watch, according to Le Matin daily. "It was a man and a woman wearing clothes from the last (world) war", Tschannen was quoted as saying. "The ice preserved them perfectly and their belongings were intact". The couple's youngest daughter, 79-year-old Marceline Udry-Dumoulin, told Swiss paper Le Matin their children had never stopped looking for them. "We spent our whole lives looking for them, without stopping. We thought that we could give them the funeral they deserved one day," she said. Marcelin Dumoulin, a 40-year-old shoemaker at the time, and his wife Francine, a schoolteacher aged 37, had left their village of Chandolin to graze their cattle in the mountains. In 1942, a Swiss shoemaker and his wife set out across a glacier to milk their cows, which were grazing in a neighboring area. The couple, the parents of seven young children, were never seen again. "We spent our whole lives searching for them, without stopping. We never thought we'd be able to give them the funeral they deserved," Marceline Dumoulin, who was four when her parents went missing, told Le Matin. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The foreign ministers of Egypt, Greece, and Egypt stressed in their meeting in Athens on Friday that cooperation between the three countries is meant to push peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. "We, the foreign ministers of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, agreed, through prior consultations and continued coordination, to forge ahead with political and economic cooperation and discussion of regional challenges." "We send a clear message that our region has the capacities to become an oasis for peace, stability and prosperity," read the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers after they had met on the sidelines of the Philia Forum in the Greek capital. Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus signed a tripartite political and economic cooperation mechanism agreement in Nicosia in October 2020. The three countries chose the Cypriot capital to serve as the headquarters of the secretariat of the tripartite mechanism effort starting the spring of 2021. The foreign ministers welcomed in their statement the entry into force of the charter of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) on 1 March 2021. The charter establishes the EMGF as a regional organisation, based in Cairo, and "open to all countries that share the same values, objectives, and willingness to cooperate for the security of the region and the welfare of its peoples." Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus also welcomed the formation of a new interim government in Libya. They called on the new government to consider "void" the 2019 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on maritime boundaries in the East Mediterranean, signed by the head of the former Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, Fayez Al-Sarraj, and Turkey. Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus have vociferously opposed the MoUs, charging they were a violation of international maritime accords. The statement welcomed the new Libyan unified interim executive authority whose members were chosen by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Geneva, describing it as an important state to ensure that fair and comprehensive elections be held on 24 December 2021. The three countries stressed the importance of "effective implementation" of the ceasefire in Libya, respect of the UN arms embargo, and a full withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries. Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus also reaffirmed their respect of the sovereignty of states on their maritime zones in the East Mediterranean in accordance with international laws, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, with the condemnation of any activities that violate the law. The statement asserted the three countries' support of the efforts of the UN secretary-general to resume talks between Cyprus and North Cyprus under his auspices to reach a complete settlement based on a federation made of two regions in accordance with international laws and resolutions as well as Europeans values and principles. On the peace process in the Middle East, the foreign ministers said the two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was an indispensable demand" to achieve peace. They stressed the need to preserve the nature and form of the Palestinian territories based on the 1967 borders, calling for the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state based on the 4 June 1967 borders, which would live in peace "side by side with Israel." The foreign ministers also renewed their call to implement the UN Security Councils resolutions that stipulate the need for complete and immediate halt of Israeli settlement activities, including those in East Jerusalem. The three countries expressed their commitment to the independence, sovereignty and unity of Syria and their full support of a permanent political solution to the Syrian crisis in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus stressed the necessity to force all foreign forces and mercenaries out of Syria, the statement added. The ministers also discussed the recent economic challenges, agreeing that despite Covid-19 being an unprecedented challenge that imposes limitations to efforts, exchanged joint talks should be bolstered to achieve common interests in the fields of energy, innovation, digital economy, civil protection, and communication between nations. Short link: Dozens of people face prosecutionion under Ireland's Covid-19 laws after gardai broke up a house party in a midlands town this weekend where at least 70 revellers were in attendance. The incident, which occurred at a residence in the Palace Crescent area of Longford, took place at around 9:30pm. A garda spokesperson said officers arrived at the property after receiving 'countless' telephone calls from concerned local residents. The Longford Leader reports that Upon arrival, officers found several cars, jeeps and other vehicles parked along the footpath. When gardai approached the front door it's understood they were initially refused every on more than one occasion. After a number of minutes, gardai entered the residence where they found at least 70 people in attendance. It's also believed a bar, pool table and dart board had been set up in the house. "This was a pure blatant disregard of Covid-19," said a garda source. "There was not mask in sight, no social distancing, nothing." A man in his mid 30s was arrested with gardai insisting that all individuals present "will be dealt with" under the State's Covid-19 legislation. MIT professor Gang Chen was at his home in Cambridge on a Thursday morning when he was met by the police, there to arrest the engineer over claims that for years he had hid illicit ties to the Peoples Republic of China. Only a few hours later, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling took to television alongside the FBI to outline his offices allegations against Chen: that the scientist exploited the United States by using millions in federal grant money to benefit Chinas government, that he accepted millions more in foreign funding, primarily from groups connected to the PRC, and that he concealed Chinese bank accounts worth around $25,000 from the Internal Revenue Service. To put this threat into perspective, we have now reached the point where the FBI is opening a new China-related counterintelligence case about every 10 hours, FBI Boston Special Agent-in-Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta said on TV. And of the 5,000 active counterintelligence cases the FBI has, nearly half of them are related to China. In Bonavolontas words: The Chinese Communist Government doesnt play by the same rules of academic integrity and freedom that we do. In the end, Chen, who serves as the director of a MIT nano engineering laboratory, was charged on Jan. 14 with wire fraud for misleading the Department of Energy on a grant application, failing to file a report of a foreign bank account and making a false statement on his 2018 tax returns. Standing next to Bonavolonta at the televised pressed conference in the hours after Chen was taken into custody, Lelling accused the MIT professor of remaining loyal to China, his birth country, all while living in the U.S. for decades. No, it is not illegal to collaborate with foreign researchers. Its illegal to lie about it, Lelling said at the press conference. The allegations in the complaint imply that this was not just about greed, but about loyalty to China. The charges lodged against Chen, part of the Department of Justices China Initiative to crack down on security threats posed by the nation, werent met by silence, though. Instead: dubiousness among the MIT community and a back-and-forth between Chens lawyers and assistant U.S. attorneys over the validity of Lellings central assertion the professor was disloyal to the American government. Since Chens arrest, more than 200 of his colleagues have penned an open letter to MIT President L. Rafael Reif to question Lellings 24-page complaint against the professor, saying it vilifies what would be considered normal academic and research activities, including promoting MITs global mission. The faculty members also describe Chen as a truly beloved teacher, scholar, scientist, mentor, colleague and world-leading academic as well as a loyal and devoted member of the MIT community. His work has contributed significantly to American scientific welfare and economic growth, as well as to MITs worldwide scientific standing, they wrote. All his global work has been furthering MITs mission to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century. " On top of prosecutors allegations that Chen abused federal grant money and failed to disclose contracts, appointments and awards from groups associated with the PCR, authorities also claimed he recommended several students to participate in various Chinese talent programs while serving as both an overseas advisor and the chair of MITs Department of Mechanical Engineering. He recommended several more students to receive the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Students Abroad while working as an advisor to the China Scholarship Council, according to court records. Chens coworkers argued its standard practice, though, to write recommendations for students so they can receive fellowships or other prestigious career-advancing opportunities. Prosecutors are portraying the professors actions as some sort of collusion with outside forces in an effort to help them steal American technology, when thats not the case, his colleagues wrote Authorities criminal complaint, the colleagues argue, represents a deep misunderstanding of how research is conducted or funded at a place like MIT, noting the document was filled with allegations and innuendo based on what are actually routine elements of academics professional lives. We recognize and respect that the United States government has an interest in keeping any country from stealing intellectual property. Many of the signatories to this letter are inventors of record on hundreds of patents. We recognize the importance of protecting the rights that patents confer, the scientists colleagues wrote. We strongly support efforts to oppose any such activities conducted by any foreign country. But we are baffled by many elements of the official complaint and the associated public statements against Professor Chen. The dozens of faculty members are not the only ones baffled by the criminal complaint filed against Chen and the public comments made by Lelling, who announced this week he tendered his resignation to Democratic President Joe Biden. The professor himself is pushing back hard against the criminal allegations. Last week, Chens attorneys went so far as to file a motion in federal court in Boston seeking sanctions against Lelling, claiming the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney, in the waining hours of the Republican presidents administration, opted to pursue ill-advised and unsubstantiated charges against the MIT scientist. In doing so, the prosecutor attempted to make this case appear to be something it is not, the professors lawyers argue. The complaint itself and Lellings statements at a press conference that same day, as well as his offices accompanying press release, are wildly misleading to both the general public and to future jurors, Chens attorneys summed up in their motion. The attorney go on to claim Lellings complaint against Chen in no way alleges he betrayed the U.S. Instead, the document only accuse him of making errors on federal forms, according to the lawyers. Lellings speculation about whether Professor Chen is loyal to the United States - where he has spent his entire adult life - is grossly insulting and certainly speaks to Professor Chens character and reputation in violation of the local rules, the defendants attorneys wrote. The FBI said its investigation found Chen worked with the Chinese government in various capacities dating back to 2012, all at the expense of the United States. The mans research at MIT has been funded by nearly $19 million in grants from a slew of U.S. agencies. The funds, authorities alleged, were used to enhance Chinas research in nanotechnology. The bureau also claimed Chen accepted roughly $29 million in foreign funding, mainly from entities tied to the Chinese government, and received at least $355,000 for his services and expertise, money he never disclosed to MIT or the federal government, according to Lellings office. According to court records, Chen is accused of entering into at least four contracts with various entities within or closely affiliated with the PRC, allowing him to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct payments and millions of dollars in funding for his research from the Chinese government in exchange for performing various tasks. Court records lay out one of Chens contracts where he allegedly served as a review expert for the National Natural Science Foundation of China since as early as November 2015. Federal authorities believe the NNSFC is a Chinese governmental agency that operates like the National Science Foundation in the U.S. in that it seeks to advance technological innovation by funding scientific research and other projects for the PRC. Based on my review of documents obtained during this investigation, I believe that Chen played a critical role as a NNSFC review expert and participated in project reviews, reviewed research results, and provided his assessment to NNSFC, the federal agent assigned to Chens case wrote in the complaint. Furthermore, according to emails that I have reviewed, NNSFC requested Chens bank account information at various times between November 2015 and January 2020. I believe, therefore, that Chen was compensated for his work for NNSFC. Authorities noted in their complaint the $29 million in foreign funding Chen accepted included $19 million from the PRCs Southern University of Science and Technology, a public research school funded by the Chinese government. The funds, Chens backers argue, may be less illicit than they seem, though. Our understanding is that Professor Chen did not receive $29 million. MIT was the recipient of this money, which benefited the institute, the research programs of many of its faculty and its students, Chens colleagues wrote in their letter. Singling him and his research group out as the sole recipient is simply wrong. The partnership with SUSTech was approved and overseen by MIT at the highest levels. In the motion filed by Chens lawyers seeking to sanction Lelling, they also bring up points brought up by MITs president, that the institutes agreement with SUSTech provides $25 million to be paid to the Cambridge school over five years. Of that sum, $19 million is for collaborative research and educational activities, while $6 million is designated as a gift to support MIT building renovation projects and an endowed graduate fellowship, according to Reif. In other words, these funds are about advancing the work of a group of colleagues, and the research and educational mission of MIT, wrote Reif, noting the school community has been deeply concerned for Gang and his family. Chens attorneys argue Lellings statement and allegations are wildly inaccurate, because, as mentioned by the president of MIT, millions of dollars in foreign funding went to MIT, not Chen. They further allege the U.S. attorney appears to have violated Massachusetts state law regarding truthfulness in statements to others. This week, assistant U.S. attorneys pushed back against the lawyers motion for sanctions against Lelling, saying the prosecutors statements after Chens arrest were truthful and accurate, not false or misleading, as his defense stated. The U.S. attorneys also argue the motion is little more than an attempt to publicly comment on evidence in the case, criticize the prosecution and score points in the court of public opinion. As a motion for sanctions, it fails and should be denied summarily, the prosecutors wrote Thursday in their 10-page opposition to the motion for sanctions. The prosecutors go on to say the allegations in the criminal complaint set out extensive evidence of Chens motive to commit the crimes with an apparent desire to assist the PRC in matters of science and technology. They also argue neither Lellings press conference nor press release violated state rules. Rather, both accurately characterized, or quoted verbatim, the allegations against the defendant in the complaint, the attorneys said. Related Content: An Indian-origin employee at the UN has announced her candidacy to be its next Secretary-General, the first person to throw her hat in the ring against incumbent Antonio Guterres, who is seeking a second five-year term beginning January 2022 as chief of the world organisation. Arora Akanksha, 34, working as an audit coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said she will run for the post of the worlds top diplomat and launched her campaign #AroraForSG this month. People in my position arent supposed to stand up to the ones in charge. We are supposed to wait our turn, hop on the hamster wheel, go to work, keep our heads down and accept that the world is the way it is," Akanksha said in a two and half minute campaign video posted online. The video shows Akanksha walking inside the sprawling UN headquarters, as her voiceover says that people who have come before her have failed to hold the UN accountable. For 75 years, the UN has not fulfilled its promise to the world - refugees havent been protected, humanitarian aid has been minimal, and technology and innovation has been on the back-burner. We deserve a UN that leads progress," she said. That is why I am running for the Secretary-General of the United Nations. I refuse to be a by-stander. I will not accept this is the best the UN can do," she said in the video. Last month Guterres, 71 had confirmed that he will seek a second five-year term as chief of the world organisation. Guterress first term ends on December 31 this year and the term of the next Secretary-General will begin on January 1, 2022. Guterres assumed office on January 1, 2017 after a reformed selection process that included a public informal dialogue session in the General Assembly. Guterres is the 9th Secretary-General of the United Nations and no woman has held the position of the worlds top diplomat in the 75-year history of the United Nations. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council, making the Secretary-General's selection subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Council. Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, responding to a question at the daily briefing on the UNDP staffer announcing her candidacy for Secretary-General, said "Antonio Guterres is a candidate for the selection process. It's not for him to comment on other people who may want to come forward. "This is a process run by Member States. So, I'm not aware of any issues or problems with that.I speak for the incumbent candidate, but we have no comment on anyone else who may wish to put their hat in the proverbial ring," Dujarric said. The spokesperson for UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir, Brenden Varma was asked at the press briefing whether Akanksha had written to the President on her candidacy. Varma said the Presidents office had not received any formal communications on this matter. Varma had earlier said that so far the General Assembly President had not received any notifications of candidacies for the position of Secretary-General from Member States. He added that candidates have traditionally been presented by Member States. In the video, Akanksha adds that it is time that the UN stop serving politicians and start serving people. It is time for a new UN - a UN that is a guardian for refugees, takes humanitarian crises through to completion and gets technology and education in the hands of all." She said these ideas are not impossible and dont need another 75 years to accomplish. It takes someone being bold, being a first - first to speak up, first to take action, first to make a difference and now first to challenge the UN. Im no longer waiting for the torch to be passed down, Im taking it because I am part of the generation of change where we dont just talk about change, we cause change," she said. According to her profile on her website UNOW.org, Akanksha graduated from York University, Toronto with a Bachelor of Administrative Studies. She received her Master in Public Administration from Columbia University. Her profile states that she was recruited at the UN to help with the financial reforms of the organisation" and her work included updating financial regulations and rules of the UN and managing the internal and external audits at UNDP. A report in news site PassBlue said India-born Akanksha has an Overseas Citizenship of India and a Canadian passport. She hasnt asked either country for an official endorsement. She is nevertheless hopeful that her candidacy could shake up the selection process," the PassBlue report said. PTI YAS NSA Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Denton, TX (76205) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 75F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. MUSKEGON, MI - Move over Donut Stop Believin. Its time to get RAD. Muskegon-based Pigeon Hill Brewing Company has teamed up again with popular gas station chain, Wesco Inc., to create a second doughnut beer, just in time for Paczki Day. Its RAD Raspberry Paczki - a light raspberry Paczki ale. And it is available in stores statewide now. The release follows the success of last falls Donut Stop Believin, a cream Long John-inspired doughnut beer that was an instant success, said Bryan Link, Wescos marketing director. RELATED: Doughnut beer? Michigan brewery, gas station chain creates Donut Stop Believing The Donut Stop Believing beer was a limited run beer, with enough for the Muskegon market, said Link, adding that Wesco customers were a little disappointed when the initial supply sold out. Pigeon Hill had to do a second run of Donut Stop Believin to meet demand. For the RAD Raspberry Paczki ale, Pigeon Hill made a double batch so all of Wescos 54 convenience store locations could have enough to celebrate Paczki Day and Fat Tuesday ( Feb. 16). Wesco has locations in Lenawee, Berrien, Jackson, Kent, Ottawa, Newaygo, Oceana, Benzie, Mason, Manistee, Ionia, Missaukee, Wexford, Lake, Oceana, Osceola, Montcalm, and Muskegon counties. See a list of stores at gowesco.com/locations. If you dont see it on display at your local store, be sure to ask a clerk or even call ahead of your visit. Michael Brower, co-founder and director of sales and marketing at Pigeon Hill Brewing Company, said brewers were excited to follow up Donut Stop Believin with a Paczki beer. He loved how it turned out. We really made our name with cookie beers, said Brower, referring to their top-selling Oatmeal Creme Pie Brown Ale and Salted Caramel Porter. These projects give us a chance to apply our style -- hitting all of the flavors while still ensuring the end product is a good drinkable beer -- to our favorite guilty pleasures -- donuts and similar pastries. When trying out determine what doughnut beer to brew next, he said they wanted to translate the underlying doughiness of Donut Stop Believin to something that fit with fruit. That brought us to a seasonal favorite - Paczki! Brower said. The brewers also considered what it would take to make a perfect pairing, he said. We went with a lighter-bodied ale and kept the flavors light and balanced, so that they would not overwhelm you or the Paczki, Brower said. In our minds, Paczki are fairly heavy to start with, so having an easy drinker allows for balance between the food and the liquid. And, as always, we like to make beers you can drink more than one! Tasting Notes: The beer starts with a really jammy raspberry aroma that gives way to light raspberry notes in the mouth along with hints of doughiness and a light sweetness. Although some have reported that the raspberry flavors continue to increase as the beer warms up slightly, I havent had a can last long enough to test that theory, Brower said. The beer is available in six-pack cans and retails for $10.99. The beer comes in at 5 percent ABV. Pigeon Hill Brewing Company in Muskegon has teamed up with Michigan-based Wesco Inc. to release Donut Stop Believing, an ale inspired by the gas station chain's popular chocolate covered, vanilla cream-filled Long Johns. The beer will be released in distribution only in the Muskegon area only, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020.Wesco Inc. Donut Stop Believing Pigeon Hills Michael Brower said Donut Stop Believin will be coming back with a new label in the coming weeks and distributed statewide. Wesco, Inc. Wesco is a family-owned and operated convenience store chain, with more than 1,200 employees established in 1952 in Muskegon, Michigan. The company operates 54 convenience locations throughout West and Mid Michigan. Wesco convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. More info at gowesco.com. Pigeon Hill Brewing Company Opening in 2014, Pigeon Hill was founded by Michael Brower, Joel Kamp and Chad Doane and is located in downtown Muskegon. Because of its growth and popularity, it expanded its brewing operation in 2019 with a $2.5 million expansion. Their beer is distributed throughout the state. More info at pigeonhillbrew.com. River Saint Joe Brewery in Buchanan, Michigan grows all of its own organic hops for a variety beers. It is on our search for Michigan's Best Outdoor Dining.John Gonzalez More Michigan Beer Stories River Saint Joe Brewery teams up with award-winning Journeyman Distillery for first bottled releases Fresh watermelon, lots of bubbles combine in this new spritz from New Holland Northern Michigan resort turns winter hike into Craft Brew Cruise Bells releases Cold Hearted just in time for Valentines Day This new Michigan Brewery App puts all your favorites in one place Amys Top 10 Michigan beers of 2020 Gonzos Top 10 Michigan beers of 2020 Want to pass along a Michigan beer story idea or tip? Feel free to email us: John Gonzalez: gonzo@mlive.com Amy Sherman: asherma2@mlive.com John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman announce to Larry Bell on Facebook Live that Two Hearted Ale by Bell's Brewery is Michigan's Best 'Beer of the Year' at Bell's Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019.Joel Bissell | MLive.com Follow our Michigans Best adventures on social media: @mlivemibest on Twitter @mlivemibest on Instagram Facebook at MLiveMIBest. Join in by using the hashtags #mibest and #mibeer. In addition: John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo. Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail. While delivering his keynote address, Shaurya Doval said, "For about 1,000 years India was robbed off its wealth by the invaders and then the colonial regime of Britishers, but it just took 70 years for India to bounce back from reins to become the 2nd largest economy of the world. Today India's GDP is bigger than UK's GDP; the country which ruled us for 200 years." Shaurya Doval further added, "With the exponential growth of our economy, India has increased its influence all over the world and has emerged as global powerhouse. The global importance of India can be ascertained from the fact that in the year 2007 India became a member of G20 nations (World's Progressive and Richest) and within 14 years, G7 Nations are now inviting India to join them of their annual meeting at England this year for which Prime Minister Boris Johnson (U.K.) is visiting India to invite our Prime Minister Narendra Modi." While highlighting the facts which will contribute in making India a $5 trillion economy, Shaurya Doval said, "Today world's population is 7 billion and it will reach 10 billion by 2050 and with 1.56 billion people India will become the biggest human resource power in the world. In the coming years, more than 70 percent of our population will move from villages to cities and India is currently adding 1.2 million every month to its labor workforce which will contribute in total addition of 188 million over the next 10." As the people from rural India will migrate to urban cities, the three metros Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata would soon become the largest cities of the world, he added. Prime Minister Modi is undertaking reforms both at micro and macro level says Doval While mentioning about the sectors that will push Indian Economy in coming years, young entrepreneur, and think-tank of the country, Doval said, "Telecom, Consumer Goods, Finance, Health care, Utilities, Material will be the growth engines and the five states that will mainly contribute to making India's dream of a $5 trillion economy a reality will be Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu." He further added that, "Union Government lead by a visionary Prime Minister is undertaking the process of reforms both at the top and bottom level of the society so that the social and economic barriers can be lifted and that the benefit of Nation's growth could reach even to the poorest section of the society." Shaurya Doval highlighted the six landmark reforms undertaken by the current government which has taken India to a new horizon included having trust in the potential of Indian Youth and unblocking the resources for them. "Indian Government has shunned the policy of being conservative and has recognized the potential of Youth of the country who can make it a self-reliant nation," he added. On FDI flow to India vis-a-vis China While replying to the question of a student on generation of new opportunities for youth, Shaurya Doval said, "Government of India is investing heavily in developing the infrastructure which includes power projects, airports, roads so that global companies can invest in India and the steps has started showing good results. Beating China, India has become the largest recipient of FDI in the world and even during the Covid-19 pandemic India received more foreign direct investment than China." On India producing World's Cheapest Vaccination for COVID-19 There was a time when India was dependent upon other countries for receiving medical equipment's and medicines but today tables have turned. During the current pandemic situation India became one of the six countries of the world which were the first ones to develop COVID-19 vaccine and now other countries are sending requests for doses of vaccination which our companies are offering at less than $3 (cheapest in the world in comparison to UK vaccine which is available at $20). On Tax Reforms and Corruption in India Sharing the tax reforms of the current Indian Government, Shaurya Doval added that, "Modi's government is leveraging technology in simplifying the taxation system so that honest taxpayers are rewarded, and more tax compliance can be assured." Addressing the young entrepreneurs of Chandigarh University, Shaurya Doval said, "Job creators or entrepreneurs are the patriotic citizens of any country as they are doing national duty by generating new jobs." By opening-up banking loans for young entrepreneurs, Modi government has felicitated the youth and India has the potential to set-up entrepreneurship ecosystem which can lead to offset China's progress as the next global power. "Corruption for many years was accepted as a norm in India but the current Union Government has ensured to provide a transparent governance model by using technology and reaching-out direct to the citizens," Shaurya Doval added. On Women Reservation Shaurya Doval advocated that the demand for 30 percent reservation for women in jobs should be met as the current demography shows that 50 percent of India's population comprises of women who do not have enough representation in the nation's total workforce. He further added that, "Prime Minister has re-iterated the need to increase women's presence in India's Workforce as it will not only make them economical independent but will strengthen Indian Economy." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1438075/Pride_of_India_Award_2021.jpg Media Contact : Prabhdeep Singh Chandigarh University [email protected] +91 8360473392 Related Links https://www.cuchd.in SOURCE Chandigarh University Hans Pennink When considering health policy changes, we must strive to preserve and improve healthcare quality and access. We must also consider the very real challenges we face. New Yorks hospitals and not-for-profit nursing homes already face difficulties filling all existing caregiver openings. Absent a much larger workforce, rigid, statewide, government-mandated nurse staffing ratios threaten to reduce access to care for the most vulnerable in our communities. The Times Union Editorial Board in Why so many deaths? Feb. 2, was right to mention throwing bodies at the problem isnt enough, either; staff need to be well-trained, too. Not all nurses share the same expertise and experiences, and healthcare teams involve several medical professionals. Having worked as a nurse for many years, I know firsthand the importance of having the right multidisciplinary team around me to meet the individualized needs of our patients. Latest From CDC: Schools Can Reopen By The Associated Press WASHINGTON DC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its long-awaited road map for getting students back to classrooms. Officials said there is strong evidence now that schools can reopen, especially at lower grade levels.But agency officials were careful to say they are not calling for a mandate that all U.S. schools be reopened.The new guidance includes many of the same measures previously backed by the CDC, but it suggests them more forcefully. It also provides more detailed suggestions about what type of schooling should be offered given different levels of virus transmission, with differing advice for elementary, middle and high schools.Recommended measures include hand washing, disinfection of school facilities, diagnostic testing and contact tracing to find new infections and separate infected people from others in a school. Its also more emphatic than past guidance on the need to wear masks in school.We know that most clusters in the school setting have occurred when there are breaches in mask wearing, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDCs director.Vaccinating teachers can provide an additional layer of protection, she said.The guidance was issued as President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to deliver on his promise to get the majority of schools back to in-person teaching by the end of his first 100 days in office.Weve used stronger languages than prior guidance. And I can assure you that this is free from political meddling, Walensky said.Theres wide agreement that learning in the classroom is more effective and that students can face isolation and learning setbacks at home. But teachers unions in some areas say schools have failed to make buildings safe enough to return.House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said its further evidence that schools are equipped to reopen now.Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, applauded the guidance but said schools are failing to meet it. Most still have outdated ventilation systems, she said, and few have the type of virus testing programs suggested by the CDC.CDC officials emphasized that in-person learning has not been identified as a substantial driver of coronavirus spread in U.S. communities, and that transmission among students is now considered relatively rare.The CDC also stressed that the safest way to open schools is by making sure there is as little disease in a community as possible.That said, high community transmission does not necessarily mean schools cannot be open especially those at the elementary level. If school mitigation measures are strictly followed, the risk of spread in the schools should still be low.The document suggests that when things get risky, elementary schools can go hybrid, providing in-person instruction at least on some days, but that middle and high schools might go virtual.On the Net: Suing for defamation Real vs. imagined threats Cause for optimism After years of preparation against election fraud and tampering, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) in November called the 2020 election the most secure in American history. The U.S. Department of Justice found no evidence of widespread fraud that could have changed the outcome. Nationwide election officials election security experts and computer scientists, some of whom had expressed concerns about vulnerabilities before, came to the same conclusion. The consensus was clear.Still, in the weeks and months following the election, former President Donald Trump and several high-profile figures who supported him repeated specific claims. Trumps attorney Rudy Giuliani, Trumps former attorney Sidney Powell, and several TV programs on Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network (OANN) echoed Trumps allegations that the election had been stolen. Specifically, they blamed a multi-state conspiracy involving Democrats, Republicans and rigged voting machines from two companies, Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic. Within weeks, half of Republican voters said they believed the election had been stolen, and some of them on social media called for Dominion and Smartmatic employees to be jailed or sent them death threats . Now those companies are suing for a collective $5.3 billion in damages, and some election security advocates dont blame them.To date, Dominion has filed two lawsuits in federal court in Washington, D.C., each seeking $1.3 billion one on Jan. 8 against Sidney Powell , her company and her website; the other on Jan. 25 against Rudy Giuliani . Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit in New York state on Feb. 4 against seven defendants: Fox Corporation, Fox News Network, three of their hosts (Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro), and Giuliani and Powell.Smartmatic, which says its only customer for the 2020 U.S. election was Los Angeles County, was founded in Florida in 2000 and has done much of its business internationally, selling voting technology to 25 countries. The company demanded retractions in December from some of the defendants later named in its lawsuit, along with Newsmax and OANN for making similar claims.Dominion, one of the largest domestic providers of election tech along with ES&S, has threatened others besides Giuliani and Powell with litigation. The right-wing website American Thinker responded with a retraction and apology, admitting to publishing false statements and abandoning nine journalistic principles. Shows on Fox News, Fox Business and Newsmax aired corrections explaining that they had broadcast claims without evidence, and OANN deleted stories from its website mentioning Dominion. Dominion told Forbes that more lawsuits are likely to follow.Giuliani responded on WABC Radio by calling Dominions lawsuit an act of intimidation to suppress his right to free speech and to defend his client, former President Donald Trump.Hundreds of pages in the lawsuits rebut specific claims made by various defendants, but many of the same claims appear over and over: that Smartmatic owns Dominion, that Smartmatic was founded in Venezuela and funded by corrupt dictators, that Dominion uses Smartmatic software, that the software sent votes to foreign countries for manipulation, and that the software was used in 2020 to steal the election by fixing and rigging the vote.When these claims have come before judges in several states, dozens of times, theyve either been thrown out for lack of evidence or standing, or rejected on the merits. In many cases, the claims misstated what was provably true, such as who owns the companies, or whether their software flipped votes in a particular state. Every recount demanded by people alleging fraud has reconfirmed the original election result. In Georgia, votes were counted and then recounted twice by hand.Its impossible to know exactly what these claims have cost Dominion and Smartmatic in business, but the lawsuits project hundreds of millions in lost revenue for each company over the next five years. The lawsuits also cite examples of widespread vitriol on social media and death threats to employees. And earlier this month, the Republican Party in Georgia asked the state to ditch Dominion voting machines, after spending $107 million in 2019 to buy them for every precinct. With or without evidence, people have taken these conspiracy theories seriously.Susannah Goodman, a policy analyst at the nonprofit Common Cause who has advocated for election security measures in the past, said they shouldnt. Goodman was one of the people warning about election security for the past several years, and she granted that there have been valid concerns about touchscreen ballot-marking devices and election equipment that connects to the Internet. But those concerns were the result of computer scientists testing the devices, understanding and demonstrating what they saw, she said. Their explanations encompassed facts about the technology and didnt hinge on denying provable truths about who owns it, where it came from or what it does.Some of the lawsuits against Giuliani and Powell mention that experts and officials explained to them in detail what was wrong, but they simply didnt listen and kept repeating the claims anyway.The point is, you can have a rational discussion about what is working and what needs fixing, but you have to respect facts. You cant make stuff up and have a rational discussion, Goodman said. [Conspiracy theorists] were not trying to shed light on legitimate places in election infrastructure where there needed to be more resilience built into the system. Thats what the cybersecurity experts do.Lately, Goodman said, election security faces an even bigger problem: physical danger posed by mobs, animated by conspiracy theories, to volunteers and buildings.This is the first time so many election officials got death threats. We have death threats, she said. People are thinking, Do I want to serve my community by being an election director? No, I have children, I dont want to die. Thats a bigger problem.Goodman said she felt so much better heading into the 2020 election than 2016 because of the robust preparations that occurred in between. The Department of Homeland Security designated election infrastructure as critical infrastructure, CISA was regularly talking to states and sending warnings about attacks, many states had new audit practices in place and people across the political spectrum were taking election security seriously. And for the first time in 16 years, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission this week adopted new guidelines for voting machines, pushing states toward paper ballots and mandating that election equipment vendors submit to cybersecurity testing.Goodman described a sea change between 2016 and today, as election security became national security, and cybersecurity took over as a subject of focus among groups such as the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors.So many briefings, so many discussions were around, How do you make your systems resilient? What does that look like? What help can you get from the federal government? What money can you get from the federal government? All these conversations were happening, and it was a relief to see, because they needed to happen, she said. Nobody will tell you that its perfect. But is it way better than it was, and can you trust it? I say yes.Lawrence Norden, director of the election reform program at New York Universitys Brennan Center, reiterated that one of the most important steps over the last few years has been having a paper record of every vote, as was the case for 44 states in 2020, including every battleground state.It would be a big problem if we discovered that there was a successful attack against our systems, but at least we have the evidence now that we could prove or disprove that that happened, he said. We have heard over the years, and will continue to hear, about vulnerabilities that exist in our systems. That doesnt mean there has been a successful attack against them, and we need to look at the evidence to determine whether or not thats true.Norden said state and local officials have also done a good job of creating redundancies, not only to catch voting machine errors but for voter registration systems, electronic poll books, election-night reporting, election websites and other parts of the process. He said they still have work to do on shoring up those redundancies, and six states still have to implement paper ballots.In the coming years, Norden said he hopes that states avail themselves of CISA as a resource to identify vulnerabilities, and that they continue creating backups for each part of their election systems.One of the biggest concerns I had going into 2020 was that, whether by attack or by technical failure, we might see electronic poll books go down, which are tablets used to check people in, he said. When theyre not working, it can mean that people just arent allowed to vote. They cant check people in to verify their identity so having paper ballots available for people to fill out by hand, if the machines cant be activated, or having a backup poll book, those kinds of redundancies are essential. 11th round of India-China military commander level talks likely to be held on Friday India stood up Chinas disruptive use of technology and my way or no way attitude: CDS 10th India-China commander level talks, 48. Hours after disengagement at Pangong Lake India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: The Indian government has reiterated that the military commander level talks between India and China will take place 48 hours after complete disengagement at the Pangong Tso area. The Ministry of External Affairs said that both countries have agreed to convene the10th round senior commander level talks after the disengagement at Pangong Tso is complete. The next level of talks would focus on the remaining issues. Meanwhile, sources tell OneIndia that the next round of talks would focus extensively on the disengagement at the Depsang Plains. The issues at the friction points will be taken up one by one and talks would continue until the complete disengagement takes place, the source also said. Standing our ground: How Indias national security planners ensured disengagement at LAC Chinese and Indian militaries continued to pull back armoured elements and thinning down of troops in areas around Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh as part of an agreement reached between the two sides on the disengagement process, military sources said on Friday. While armoured elements like battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers are being withdrawn from friction points in the south bank of Pangong Tso, troops are being pulled back from the north bank areas, they said. The sources said withdrawal of armoured elements from the south bank of Pangong Tso is almost complete and temporary structures erected by both sides will be demolished in the next few days. "The disengagement process will take time as both sides are together carrying out verification of the withdrawal of troops and military hardware," said a source. The disengagement of troops and armoured elements is limited to the friction points where the two sides were on an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, sources said. After a nine-month standoff, the two militaries reached the agreement on disengagement in the north and south banks of Pangong lake that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner. On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a detailed statement in Parliament on the disengagement pact. According to the agreement, China has to pull back its troops to east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank while the Indian personnel will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region. Similar action will take place on the south bank of the lake as well, Singh said in Parliament. Last year, the Chinese military built several bunkers and other structures in the areas between Finger 4 and 8 and had blocked all Indian patrols beyond Finger 4, triggering strong reaction from the Indian Army. The disengagement plan in Eastern Ladakh explained BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News In the nine rounds of military talks, India was specifically insisting on withdrawal of Chinese troops from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the North bank of Pangong Lake. The mountain spurs in the area are referred to as Fingers. The sources said following completion of the disengagement process, the two sides will hold talks on the de-escalation process. They said field commanders of both the armies have been holding talks on a daily basis in the last few days to coordinate the disengagement process. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 8:46 [IST] Los Angeles, Feb 13 : Actress Allison Janney enjoyed working with Mila Kunis, Regina Hall and Awkwafina in the film Breaking News In Yuba County, and has heaps of praise to shower on each of them. "The script really grabbed me from the start," said Janney, adding: "I thought it was incredibly exciting, dark, funny, and violent -- just a great mix." She is all praise for her co-stars. "Mila (Kunis) brings to Nancy this unbelievable passion for what she wants, and who'll stop at nothing to get it. And Regina (Hall) is a force to be reckoned with! In some scenes, she just stared at me, and it felt like she's looking right through me, which is great because her character is the one who really sees what Sue is. And Awkwafina is marvellously threatening, scary, sexy, odd, and very powerful. It's such a great group of actors," she said. The film tells the story of a town in the US, where controversy and chaos erupts when housewife Sue Button (Janney) discovers her husband has disappeared. This leads to accusations being hurled at Sue, making her a local celebrity. A blend of satire, comedy and suspense, the Tate Taylor directorial contains a witty portrayal of the news media and the vicious addiction to fame. The film also stars Wanda Sykes, Ellen Barkin and Juliette Lewis, and is slated to release on February 19. It is brought to India by PVR Pictures. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Peter Ben Emerek of the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaims it "extremely unlikely" that the coronavirus-causing COVID-19 leaked from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). According to the WHO, the issue warrants no further study. But evidence is emerging that the Wuhan lab deliberately engineered the virus. The story begins in Canada. This month, Canada removed Dr. Xiangguo Qiu, a virologist from Tianjin, China, and her husband, Keding Cheng, from the nation's Public Health Agency because, as Karen Pauls of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported on February 6, the pair had previously been removed from Canada's National Microbiology Lab (NML) over a possible "policy breach." According to the CBC report, in 201718, Qiu made at least five trips to China, including one to train scientists at the WIV, "which does research with the most deadly pathogens." In her June 14, 2020, report, Pauls listed the viruses Qiu exported from the Canadian lab to China: Ebola Makona (three different varieties), Mayinga, Kikwit, Ivory Coast, Bundibugyo, Sudan Boniface, Sudan Gulu, MA-Ebov, GP-Ebov, GP-Sudan, Hendra, Nipah Malaysia, and Nipah Bangladesh. The case caught the attention of Canada's National Post, which headlined an August 2, 2019 report "Canadian lab immersed in RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] probe sent Ebola and another deadly virus to China." As author Tom Blackwell noted, of the viruses Qiu sent to the WIV, Nipah attracted the most attention. Nipah, Blackwell wrote, was transmitted from animals to people and was "also able to jump between humans it can cause acute breathing problems and encephalitis, potentially fatal brain inflammation." In cases in Bangladesh and India, death rates ranged between 50 and 100 percent. Blackwell cited a 2018 NML paper stating that Nipah's "threat to cause a widespread outbreak and its potential for weaponization has increased." The removal of Qiu and Cheng had nothing to do with COVID-19, the NML contended, and there was no danger to the public. That prompted a statement from Amir Attaran, a law professor and epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa. "We have a researcher who was removed by the RCMP from the highest security laboratory that Canada has for reasons that government is unwilling to disclose," Attaran told Karen Pauls. "The intelligence remains secret. But what we know is that before she [Qiu] was removed, she sent one of the deadliest viruses on Earth, and multiple varieties of it to maximize the genetic diversity and maximize what experimenters in China could do with it, to a laboratory in China that does dangerous gain of function experiments. And that has links to the Chinese military." The export of dangerous viruses to the Wuhan lab without any scientific justification, Attaran told the CBC, is "a deeply suspicious transaction that deserves powerful, but not politicized, parliamentary scrutiny[.]" Such powerful scrutiny is unlikely in Canada or the United States, however, since both are highly compliant with the WHO, which in turn is highly compliant with China. The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The WIV conducts dangerous "gain of function" research that involves manipulating viruses in the lab to explore their potential for infecting humans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Anthony Fauci earned a medical degree in 1966, but his bio shows no advanced degrees in molecular biology. The WHO's Emerek is a food safety and nutrition specialist and not a virologist. Contrary to Emerik, and based on evidence from Canada, it is extremely likely that the Wuhan Institute of Virology engineered the virus that causes COVID-19. Lloyd Billingsley is a policy fellow at the Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif. Image: WHO. Six Syrian brown bears, some which were reportedly rescued from people's homes were taken to their new home in the Gara mountains in northern Iraq. A large crowd filled with locals, security people and camerapersons surrounded the steel cages which brought the bears. But soon after the cages were opened to let the animals out, the bears charged towards the crowd. (Credit: REUTERS/Ari Jalal) Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders asked farmers who are getting police notices not to appear before the force directly and instead approach the legal cell constituted by the unions for any assistance New Delhi: Protesting farmer unions on Saturday demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the violence during the tractor rally in Delhi on 26 January and the alleged "false" cases slapped on the peasants. Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border, Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders asked farmers who are getting police notices not to appear before the force directly and instead approach the legal cell constituted by the unions for any assistance. Kuldeep Singh, a member of SKM's legal cell, said that a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court should probe the incidents to unravel the "conspiracy" behind the 26 January violence and the alleged "false cases" against the farmers. According to SKM leaders, 16 farmers who had participated in the tractor parade are still untraceable. In the Republic Day violence, over 500 police personnel had been injured, while a protester had died. On 26 January, thousands of protesting farmers who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border clashed with the police. Driving tractors, many of them reached the Red Fort and entered the monument, where a religious flag was hoisted. At the press conference, another leader Ravinder Singh said that 122 farmers had so far been arrested by Delhi Police in connection with 14 of the 44 FIRs, adding that SKM will provide legal and financial aid to all the arrested farmers. The Morcha leaders claimed that "false" cases were being slapped on farmers charging them with serious offences like dacoity and attempt to murder to "harass" them. "Ten farmers have been granted bail so far and five bail applications have been filed. Priority is being given to those farmers who are not booked under Section 307 of the IPC or other serious offences," the SKM said in a statement later. Ravinder Singh said that the Morcha will provide Rs 2,000 to every arrested farmer for spending in the prison canteen. A legal team of SKM had on Friday visited the Tihar jail where 112 farmers were currently lodged, he said. The union leaders have requested Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman and senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha to ensure that farmers are kept in one jail. In the statement, the SKM demanded that its legal panel be allowed to meet the arrested farmers without any restrictions and its monetary help be disbursed to them. "The SKM legal panel has strongly condemned the Delhi government and the police for issuing notice under section 160 CrPC to the farmers in order to rope them in false cases," it stated. Under this section, an investigating officer, by order in writing, can direct any person to present before him or her if it appears that the person is acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for nearly 80 days, demanding a repeal of the three agri laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP). Meanwhile, the Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Saturday took actor-activist Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh to Red Fort to recreate the scene of events that unfolded at the historic monument on the Republic Day during the farmer's tractor parade, a police officer said. Sidhu, according to the police, was a "prominent player" in the violence and vandalism at the Red Fort. ROME, FEB 13 - Premier Mario Draghi and his new cabinet were sworn in before President Sergio Mattarella on Saturday, meaning the new government is now fully operational. The executive led by the former president of the European Central Bank is a sort of government of national unity assembled to prevent the country having to hold early elections in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic following the collapse of ex-premier Giuseppe Conte's administration. It is supported by all the parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group. This means no one party will be able to bring down Draghi's government on its own. Eight of the 23 ministers in the new government are non-political experts. The rest of the cabinet is made up of figures from the wide range of parties across the political spectrum that are supporting the government. Four are from the 5-Star Movement (M5S), while the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) and Matteo Salvini's League have three each. Ex-premier Matteo Renzi's centrist Italia Viva (IV), which brought down Conte's government down by withdrawing its support, and the left-wing LeU group have one each. Although the non-politicians outnumber the technocrats, the experts hold many of the most important posts. These include Economy Minister Daniele Franco, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese and Justice Minister Marta Cartabia, who was the first woman president of Italy's Constitutional Court. Eight ministers are women and 15 are men. The new government will face confidence votes in the Senate and the Lower House on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. (ANSA). A month-old lockdown in Malaysia is paying off as new coronavirus infections have declined slowly in the past 12 days, some medical associations told BenarNews, adding that a national emergency since mid-January has had little effect in containing the virus. The lockdown alone would have helped bring cases down but a state of emergency declared by the king helped by ensuring there were no political upheavals, said Ahmad Shukri, president of the Malaysian Muslim Doctors Association. In fact, the number of COVID-19 infections nearly doubled during the first month of the emergency, but more testing and contact tracing during the lockdown called the Movement Control Order, or MCO propelled the rise in cases, he said. We have seen the reduction over the last few days. The high number of cases [earlier] was because of massive screenings at places such as factories, Shukri told BenarNews. Shukri said the lockdown alone was responsible for the latest decline. He also voiced the hope that the government extend the MCO, which is set to end Feb. 18, for another two weeks. MCO is enough, there was no need for an emergency, Shukri said. But on the plus side, it brought political stability to the country, allowing space for the government to take necessary actions to fight the pandemic. When asked if an emergency was necessary to bring down COVID-19 cases, Dr. Megat Mohammad Amirul Amzar, of Medical Mythbusters Malaysia (M3), told BenarNews, not really. He, too, however said that political instability at this time would have imperiled efforts to stem the pandemic. New coronavirus infections between Jan. 12 the date the emergency was imposed and Feb. 12 rose to 116,765, from 58,699 cases recorded in the previous 30 days, according to an analysis of government data. Since Jan. 31 when new cases reached a daily record of 5,728 new infections have generally declined every day since, according to statistics compiled by disease experts at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Public-private cooperation in health care On Friday, Malaysia reported 3,318 new infections, to bring the nationwide total to 258,306 cases since the pandemic began here early last year. On Jan. 11, the government announced a two-week lockdown which it later extended to mid-February a day before King Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah imposed a national emergency. The lockdown was instituted to stem the rising number of coronavirus cases at the time, health officials noted, and the king had said the emergency was needed for the same reason because, as the National Palace put it, the viral outbreak had then reached a very critical level. Critics and some opposition leaders had said that an emergency was not required and a lockdown would have been sufficient. They also said that Muhyiddin Yassin, the prime minister of Malaysias unelected government, had lost majority support in Parliament and had advised the king to declare an emergency so he could stay in power and avoid a general election. Under the emergency authorized through Aug. 1, parliament and state assemblies have been suspended and the prospect of snap polls has been pushed back. Dzulkefly Ahmad, who was minister of health in the government that preceded Muhyiddins, said the emergency was a political ploy and that the PMs COVID-19 strategy had failed. While the MCO was ostensibly ineffectively executed, without the other public health measures suggested in place, the emergency ordinance was doubtless a political tool, aimed at immobilizing not only politicians but more importantly rendering parliamentary democracy dysfunctional, Dzulkefly said. Instead of a lockdown, Dzulkefly said Malaysia needed a Congestion Control Order at places of work, along with partial movement restrictions. This, he said, would reduce infections at the workplace. During the current lockdown, businesses in five essential economic sectors are allowed to stay open, although at reduced capacity. But workplace clusters are proving to be the places where most new coronavirus infection are being reported, according to the daily statistics provided by Malaysias health chief, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah. For instance, on Friday, 14 new coronavirus clusters were detected, with 13 of them linked to workplaces, the state-run Bernama news agency reported. For the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, the emergency regulations have helped smooth cooperation, particularly between medical practitioners in the private and public sectors. The emergency ordinance is helping us to override all the rules that we had before. We are able to share resources with the government hospitals, and doctors from both sides can assist each other without the red tape, Kuljit Singh, president of the association, told BenarNews. Same goes to if I need to borrow something from the government, be it medication or equipment. It is seamless, with one phone call, it will arrive, he explained. However, the Malaysian Medical Association had said in a statement days after the emergency went into effect that the private health-care sector had been offering its services from the start of the pandemic. Infectivity rate down Meanwhile Malaysias health chief said on Friday via social media that the infectivity rate in the country known as R0 and pronounced R-Naught had declined to 0.88 from 1.16 on Jan. 31. R0 is a mathematical term that epidemiologists use to calculate how contagious a disease is. The term represents the number of people a person with the virus can infect. In our calculation, based on four weeks of MCO followed by CMCO [partial lockdown], we hope to see a lower rate of infectivity at 0.6 percent. This means in a weeks time, we hope to see 2,000 cases [daily], then 1,000 cases, and then 500 cases and so on, Noor Hisham Abdullah told reporters on Tuesday. If we keep lowering the infectivity rate, it is possible for us to flatten the curve, perhaps by March or April and we hope to hit two digits by mid-May or the end of May. While the gradual decline in cases and a lower R0 seem to indicate the pandemic is easing, some naysayers believe that those numbers dont tell the whole story. Health authorities performed fewer coronavirus tests since early February, wrote CodeBlue, a Malaysian healthcare publication, citing Ministry of Health data. For instance, on Feb. 3, more than 67,000 people were tested, while on Feb. 9 only a little more than 49,000 people were tested for the virus, CodeBlue reported. This is akin to burying ones head in the sand, said Dr. Nusa Mohd Nordin, a noted physician who has criticized the governments pandemic policy. Nordin referred to then-U.S. President Donald Trumps assertion last July that fewer tests meant fewer new coronavirus infections. Malaysia conducted 14 tests per every new case which is lower than Thailands 25, South Koreas 121, Taiwans 548, Singapores 1,068, and New Zealands 1,680, Nordin said. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy by the health ministry via Trumps COVID-19 science less tests equals fewer cases. Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Geneva [Switzerland], February 13 (ANI): The World Health Organization's (WHO) team probing coronavirus origins, which is on a visit to China's Wuhan, the first Covid-19 hotspot, will publish a preliminary report next week, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday. The WHO chief said the Wuhan visit has been an important scientific exercise, adding that they are open to all hypotheses and require further analysis and studies. Addressing a press briefing, Tedros told reporters, "Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded. Having spoken with some members of the team, I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies." "This has been a very important scientific exercise in very difficult circumstances. The expert team is working on a summary report which we hope will be published next week, and the full final report will be published in the coming weeks," he added. Moreover, the WHO chief stated the expert team would not find all the answers, but the mission achieved a better understanding of the early days of the pandemic. "We have also said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the virus. The mission achieved a better understanding of the early days of the pandemic and identified areas for further analysis and research," he said. Following a 12-day visit to China to probe the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, a WHO team, earlier this week, dismissed the theory of a 'lab leak' of the virus. According to Washington Post, Peter Ben Embarek, the Danish WHO food safety expert leading the international team, had said his group will not recommend further investigation into the theory that the virus accidentally leaked from labs conducting coronavirus research. Meanwhile, the US has expressed a desire to scrutinize data used by the WHO team, which concluded that the virus causing COVID-19 did not originate in a laboratory in Wuhan. According to Johns Hopkins University, 108,172,346 COVID-19 cases have been recorded globally and 2,382,336 deaths. The United States continues to the worst affected country by the pandemic with over 27,489,619 cases. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Advertisement A Covid-19 jab centre has been pictured lying empty with 'vaccinators sitting idle' as a volunteer slams the NHS system that only allows over-70s to book jabs meaning just one patient is being seen every half an hour. Sahar Hashemi, co-founder of the coffee chain Coffee Republic and brand Skinny Candy, shared a picture of a vaccination centre that she is a volunteer at standing empty with just stewards on Friday. Ms Hashemi, from London, who is a steward volunteer as part of NHS Volunteers Responders, revealed that the centre she was helping at had only 'one patient booked every half an hour' with 'vaccinators sitting idle'. Captioning the pictures of the empty vaccination centre understood to be in the capital, she tweeted: 'A whole vaccine centre sitting idle. We used to be packed and now we have only 1 patient booked every half hour. The NHS booking system needs to open up asap to under 70s. 'The pharmacy vaccination where where i volunteer was empty today. Vaccinators sitting idle. What a waste! They rely on the NHS central booking system which only allows 70+ to book. Please change NHS booking system to allow next priority groups to book.' Sahar Hashemi, co-founder of the coffee chain Coffee Republic and confectionery brand Skinny Candy, shared a picture of a vaccination centre that she is a volunteer at standing empty with just stewards on Friday Ms Hashemi, from London, who is a steward volunteer as part of NHS Volunteers Responders, revealed that the centre she is helping at has only 'one patient booked every half an hour' with 'vaccinators sitting idle' In response, she added: 'Yes it does very much depend on the area and type of centre. My understanding is that pharmacy and retailer vaccine centres are very under-booked while GP led centres very packed.' The UK has now given out 15,091,696 jabs, as of February 12, and 14,556,827 of those were first doses - a rise of 544,603 on the previous day. Some 534,869 were second doses, an increase of 4,775 on figures released the previous day. The seven-day rolling average of first doses given in the UK is now 441,660. Based on the latest figures, an average of 221,587 first doses of vaccine would be needed each day to meet the Government's target of 15 million first doses by February 15. It comes after Wales will begin inviting over-50s for Covid vaccines next week, it was revealed yesterday even though the NHS in England has only just started letting over-65s get jabbed. Mark Drakeford, the nation's first minister, claimed local health teams have now offered first doses to everyone in the first four priority groups the over-70s, NHS workers, care home residents and staff, and seriously ill adults. Captioning the pictures of the empty vaccination centre, she tweeted: 'A whole vaccine centre sitting idle. We used to be packed and now we have only 1 patient booked every half hour. The NHS booking system needs to open up asap to under 70s' He hailed the 'truly phenomenal effort' but admitted not everyone will have had their appointment yet and that some will have refused the jab. Mr Drakeford also insisted it was not a race between nations but 'between the injection and the infection'. England has yet to make the same move as Wales, despite facing calls to pick up the pace. NHS England today confirmed all over-65s can now be vaccinated in areas winning the race. Despite the official announcement, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Hampshire, Coventry and other parts of the country had already started jabbing the over-65s. No10 has previously said it would not 'stand in the way' of regions that wanted to start vaccinating over-65s before mid-February in cases where they had already reached all those in the top groups. It comes as official figures revealed today that Britain has dished out more than 14million Covid vaccines since the roll-out began. Department of Health figures show 508,736 shots were administered yesterday, including 503,116 first doses and 5,647 top-ups. It was the third highest number of jabs given out in 24 hours so far. It also takes No10 within touching distance of its target of getting a first does to 15million Brits in the top priority groups over-70s, NHS workers, care home residents and staff and severely ill adults by Monday. Whitehall sources suggest the Government is very close to achieving its jabbing target. But ministers accept they will never be able to achieve 100 per cent uptake. It comes amid reports that thousands of appointments are going spare across the country. Francis Crick Institute boss Sir Paul Nurse claimed 90 per cent of appointments at their clinic had not been filled for two weeks. And a hub in Somerset has had to cut its opening times and temporarily tell staff to stand down because of a lack of demand. Northern Ireland has been inviting those aged 65 to 69 to book a vaccination at seven regional centres since the end of January. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she expects all over-65s there to have got their first dose by the end of February. Britain yesterday dished out 508,736 Covid doses, the third highest number in 24 hours since the mass inoculation scheme began. It was only higher on January 30 when 609,010 jabs were administered and February 6 when 550,468 were dished out NHS England has yesterday said it will expand its vaccines rollout to the over-65s, as it comes within touching distance of inoculating all those in the top four priority groups by next Monday. The move is, however, behind Wales where First Minister Mark Drakeford (pictured) says some over-50s are already being offered jabs Mark Drakeford told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that over-50s would start to receive invitations for vaccine appointments from Monday. He said: 'Because we will have completed the first four groups by this weekend, then, as from Monday, people in the next five groups - that's people aged over 50 - will already be booked in for their appointments next week. 'So I know people in those groups will have already been contacted this week by practices, by mass vaccination centres, and those people will be getting their vaccine from Monday onwards.' It is not clear why Wales has been able to reach all over-70s before England but Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies labelled the achievement 'a true British and Welsh success story'. It comes amid reports teachers, police officers and other key workers could start receiving their jabs by April, with them expected to be first in line once the over-50s have been jabbed. Britain is on course to cover all priority groups by mid-February, with the rollout then being expanded to 65 to 69-year-olds, before working down the age groups until all over-50s have received a first dose. No10 hopes to have dished out jabs to all 32million in the top nine groups by April. And key workers could then be next in line, according to Whitehall sources which told The Telegraph the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations - which designed the UK's priority list - is expected to make the recommendation in the week starting February 22, when Boris Johnson unveils his lockdown exit strategy. Revealing that teachers and other key workers were going to be next in line behind over-50s, a source told the paper there was a 'clear focus' on giving early priority to key workers, which also includes bus drivers and deliverymen. 'The JCVI will need to see the latest data on transmission before they make their recommendations,' they said. Sir Paul Nurse, the head of the Francis Crick Institute in London, has said their vaccination centre has had 90 per cent of its appointments going unused for two weeks. It comes amid mounting concern of a mass slowdown in the drive 'But we have been clear that there are two things: Firstly, protecting those most at risk of hospitalisation overall, largely as a result of age, which is what the first cohort covers; and then looking at those whose roles increase their risk. 'The transmission data will inform the exact recommendations but it is clear that teachers and police will be given early priority.' Police officers have already been given the green light to get Covid jabs if there are leftover stocks, providing they are in plain clothes and not in official vehicles so as not to draw attention to themselves. In an internal memo, staff are advised that they cannot be seen to receive preferential treatment that would contradict the Government's decision not to prioritise police. STUNNING 90% OF APPOINTMENTS GOING SPARE AT LONDON COVID JABS HUB, SAYS TOP SCIENTIST More than 90 per cent of coronavirus vaccine appointments at a centre in London are not being filled, a top scientist has revealed. Sir Paul Nurse, the head of the Francis Crick Institute where a jabs centre is based, said they had the capacity to give 1,000 doses a day, but in the last two weeks have given less than 100 every 24 hours. He added that on one day they barely managed to fill 30 appointments, despite more than 500 volunteers being available. Their centre is now having to close at weekends due to the few bookings. Sir Nurse called on ministers to sort out the problem yesterday to get the national rollout moving, saying ministers must use every second they have available. 'The NHS vaccination program has gone very well but there does seem to be a problem showing itself in empty slots appearing in the national booking system,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'We did raise it with the Minister for Vaccination, I contacted him two weeks ago. 'He spoke to me graciously earlier this week, so they are aware of the problem, and he said he expects or hopes that this problem will go away in the next few days. 'And we really do need it to go away in the next few days because any delay in the vaccination program in the long-run costs lives and livelihoods.' He added it was unclear why the issue was occurring, but it may be linked to a shortage of doses, to avoid criticism by not vaccinating all those in higher categories, or down to a postcode lottery in distribution. 'But there is something amiss. We need to find out what it is and then correct it and find out what's going wrong, and fix it.' A vaccination centre in Telford has also reported few of its available appointments are being filled. And the hub at Taunton Racecourse in Somerset has cut its opening times by five hours and told some staff they are temporarily not needed amid the slowdown. Advertisement It also emerged that some officers have sidestepped even this discreet arrangement by booking jabs through services meant for NHS staff. Scotland Yard said last month that five Met officers had died with Covid in little more than a fortnight. A custody sergeant, three constables and a traffic police community officer died between January 11 and January 26. Met Police bosses circulated the jabs memo after officers shared a link on WhatsApp that allowed them to ignore the agreed protocols and book in for vaccinations at Hillingdon Hospital in west London, via a link originally intended for health workers. Officers were urged not to use the link but if they had already booked an appointment then they should 'still attend but in plainclothes or a plainclothes jacket and not in marked vehicles'. There are 15million people in the top four priority groups, who are all set to have their first dose by mid-February, and 17million between 69 and 50 years old. Providing 345,000 jabs are administered daily from February 15, all those over 50 should be covered by April 7, according to a MailOnline analysis. But ministers are already giving out 434,301 jabs a day on average, the latest figures show, suggesting they could cover all those over-50 even earlier. The rollout could also be slowed by the need to start administering second doses once the 12-week gap is up, which will reduce the capacity to give out first doses. Experts have already raised fears that the operation is not going fast enough, and cautioned ministers are so focussed on getting jabs to the top four priority groups that the rollout is being slowed in areas where this target has been reached. Sir Paul warned yesterday that although they had 500 volunteers and could vaccinate 1,000 patients a day, they had been seeing fewer than 100 for the past fortnight and sometimes only 30 in a day. 'The NHS vaccination program has gone very well but there does seem to be a problem showing itself in empty slots appearing in the national booking system,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'Weve also had to close the centre at weekends.' 'I know theres similar problems elsewhere. The BBC reported a similar problem in Telford, for example. So why are only five to 10 per cent of the booking slots being filled? Thats the concern to us.' The 72-year-old spoke to Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi two weeks ago about the problem, who said he hopes it will go away in a few days. He said vaccination centres across the country are suffering the same problem and urged the UK to speed up its vaccine roll-out. Ministers have blamed 'lumpy' supplies of vaccines for fluctuations in vaccination speed in recent weeks. Both AstraZeneca and Pfizer are currently reorganising their factories, meaning the NHS cannot get hold of a consistent supply of the UKs two approved vaccines to give out to vaccination centres across the country. But Sir Paul said his institute has enough of the vaccine to dish out 10 to 20 times what it currently is. He added he didn't know the reasons for the low number of appointments being filled, but urged ministers to 'correct' the issue. The NHS England statistics, which go up to February 7, show Somerset had given at least one dose to 93.4 per cent of all of its over-70s. Derbyshire was second, with 92.5 per cent of people above that age having received their first shot of either Pfizer's of Oxford University's vaccine The Covid vaccination centre at Taunton Racecourse in Somerset, pictured, has also cut its opening times by five hours. It could give out 900 shots a day Teachers and police could start receiving their coronavirus vaccines in April, after everyone over 50 has got their first dose. Police officers have been told they can get vaccinated at health centres with spare capacity but must wear plain clothes and not their uniforms so as not to draw attention to themselves Could Britain's vaccine roll-out go even FASTER? Ministers say NHS is going as quick as 'lumpy' supply allows... but experts claim it could go twice as fast if pace was kept up seven days a week and priority list was less 'rigid Britain could dish out its Covid vaccines faster to bring cases down and ease lockdown rules sooner if it overcame speed bumps in the rollout, experts say at the country hurtles towards it 15million people target for Monday. The UK has vaccinated an average of 431,000 people per day over the past seven days, reaching a staggering three million individuals, but has failed to return to its one-day record of 598,000, which was hit on January 30. Experts are anxious for the NHS to keep up the pace and continue accelerating once past its original target, with only a matter of weeks before the demand for second doses begins to soar. Around 2.2million people had had their first jab by January 10 and the Government promised them a second no later than three months afterwards, meaning they will all need a top-up before April 10 so supplies will start to be eaten up in March and soon need to hit the same pace that first doses are achieving now. Ministers have repeatedly blamed 'lumpy supply' and the need to wait for manufacturers for holding back the UK's rollout, with both jab suppliers - Pfizer and AstraZeneca - having to reorganise their factories in January. But there are issues with the rollout which is also holding the NHS back from hitting its maximum pace - it has already proven it can do almost 600,000 per day but only gets close to the number on Saturdays. Some GP surgeries are not offering vaccines on Sundays, potentially because they lack a proper incentive on top of spending all week working as normal, critics say, and other centres have been forced to shorten their opening hours because of a lack of demand for appointments. This low demand may be a result of the Government being too 'rigid' about its priority list, said the Francis Crick Institute's Sir Paul Nurse. Vaccines have for the last month only been offered openly to people over 70, NHS staff, care workers and people who are shielding, but a shrinking pool of them may be leaving valuable slots unfilled. The NHS yesterday opened up the programme to everyone over the age of 65 - the fifth priority group - as it prepares to continue the rollout beyond next Monday's target of completing the top four groups. And a postcode lottery, in which vaccine supplies are being diverted to areas with slower uptake to help them catch up, may be leading to a slowdown in areas that steamed ahead at the start of the rollout, reducing the overall pace. The Adam Smith Institute think-tank said it was concerned the rollout had 'hit a wall' and that the UK has the power to double the speed of its vaccination to six million people per week if it fires on all cylinders. The institute's James Lawson told MailOnline: 'We cannot be complacent and need a full war effort to keep boosting supply and distribution, ideally reaching 6million doses per week.' 'This is possible through further involvement of the armed forces, wider use of pharmacies, mobile vaccinations centres to reach remote communities, and much more, including better engagement with minority groups who are currently under-vaccinated, addressing their concerns. 'We should also be looking at bringing new supplies to the UK as soon as possible, such as the recently approved Moderna vaccine. The faster we do this, the faster we can end this miserable crisis, protecting the vulnerable and supporting the UK to ease restrictions.' Here, MailOnline takes a look at the factors holding the vaccine rollout back from its full potential: SUPPLY: Only two vaccines available, both with manufacturing limits Ministers have repeatedly said the supply of vaccines is the 'rate-limiting factor' of Britain's mission to vaccination all of its adult population as fast as possible. Although they have refused to say how many vaccine doses are being delivered, Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi - with the backing of chief medical officer Chris Whitty - have said the NHS is giving out the jabs as fast as it is getting them. The Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech jabs are the only ones available in the UK at the moment, and both faced manufacturing hiccups in January. Pfizer had to reconfigure machines at its factory in Belgium, to cope with the huge demands of manufacturing, and AstraZeneca had to wait for its naturally grown vaccines to mature. Nadhim Zahawi pressed recently on how long it would take to complete vaccination of the 31million people in the nine priority groups, said: 'I don't want to commit to a date without going through it with a very fine toothcomb with the whole team, because our limiting factor is the supply of vaccines ultimately. 'With any manufacturing process, especially one that is new, there are challenges around that, as we've seen in Europe and as we saw in the early days in the UK as well.' AstraZeneca, which manufactures in the UK, became embroiled in a bitter row with the EU over cutting back the continent's supplies although both the company and the UK Government insisted this hasn't hit British stockpiles. The company is now believed to be providing 2million doses per week to Britain. Matt Hancock described the UK's 'lumpy supply' when asked about a dip in vaccination numbers on Sundays. A third vaccine is expected to become available from next month - the jab made by US company Moderna, which is almost identical to Pfizer's. Britain has ordered 17million doses of Moderna's. Pfizer had to reconfigure machines at its factory in Belgium, to cope with the huge demands of manufacturing, which led to a disruption in the UK's supply at the end of January and early February (pictured, its facility in Puurs, Belgium) SUNDAYS: Only some doctors are offering appointments on Sundays A clear pattern has emerged in the weekly distribution of vaccinations, which shows a huge spike in jabs given on Saturdays followed by a slump on Sundays. Last week there were 550,000 people immunised on Saturday, February 7, followed by just 279,000 on Sunday. The week before, the Saturday high was a record 598,389, and the Sunday low 319,000. The fall was even more pronounced the week before that, on January 24, when half as many jabs were done compared to the Saturday. Several GPs, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline that a large number of practices shut on Sundays and do not offer appointments, despite No10 insisting the immunisation drive is a 24/7 operation. Scotland's national clinical director said at the start of this month that the closure of surgeries on Sundays was hampering the vaccine rollout north of the border. The Royal College of GPs said said family doctors were 'doing everything they can' to get the vaccine to those who need it most, with 'some' but not all practices providing services seven days a week. Economists from the Institute for Economic Affairs told MailOnline that there is 'no incentive' for family doctors, who've been juggling the vaccine rollout and battling Covid on the frontlines of the second wave, to work seven days a week. It suggested GPs be offered commission on every jab done on a weekend. The Royal College of GPs said said family doctors were 'doing everything they can' to get the vaccine to those who need it most, with 'some' but not all practices providing services seven days a week (Pictured: A woman receives a vaccine at a health centre in Falmouth, Cornwall) APPOINTMENTS GOING SPARE AT LONDON COVID JABS HUB, SAYS TOP SCIENTIST More than 90 per cent of coronavirus vaccine appointments at a centre in London are not being filled, a top scientist has revealed. Sir Paul Nurse, the head of the Francis Crick Institute where a jabs centre is based, said they had the capacity to give 1,000 doses a day, but in the last two weeks have given less than 100 every 24 hours. He added that on one day they barely managed to fill 30 appointments, despite more than 500 volunteers being available. Their centre is now having to close at weekends due to the few bookings. Sir Paul called on ministers to sort out the problem yesterday to get the national rollout moving, saying ministers must use every second they have available. 'The NHS vaccination program has gone very well but there does seem to be a problem showing itself in empty slots appearing in the national booking system,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said: 'Any delay in the vaccination program in the long-run costs lives and livelihoods.' Sir Paul added it was unclear why the issue was occurring, but it may be linked to a shortage of doses, to avoid criticism by not vaccinating all those in higher categories, or down to a postcode lottery in distribution.' A vaccination centre in Telford has also reported few of its available appointments are being filled. And the hub at Taunton Racecourse in Somerset has cut its opening times by five hours and told some staff they are temporarily not needed amid the slowdown. Advertisement THE LIST: NHS sticking 'too rigidly' to rapidly shrinking pool of people on priority list The target for the NHS to hit on Monday, February 15, is to vaccinate 15million people in the four highest priority groups for vaccination, who are most at risk of dying of Covid-19. These four groups include everyone over the age of 70 or in a care home, frontline NHS staff, care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable, who have been shielding. Reaching these people and protecting them, officials say, will prevent the vast majority of all Covid deaths in the UK once their immunity kicks in around two to three weeks later. But, with 13.5million people vaccinated up to yesterday, the pool of people eligible and available to come forward for a jab is getting smaller and smaller, meaning more appointments go unfilled. Officials do not expect to get 100 per cent uptake of the jab, so waiting for everyone in the top groups to get the vaccine could be wasting valuable time that could be used vaccinating others. Sir Paul Nurse, a Nobel Prize winning scientist who runs the Francis Crick Institute laboratories in London, said yesterday that the programme was now being 'too rigid' about who it was vaccinating. Crick scientists have joined NHS colleagues in an effort vaccinate up to 1,000 people a day but are at most injecting 300 patients daily, Sir Paul said. He wrote in a column in The Times: 'Is the adherence to moving through the priority groups so rigid that it is now slowing progress?... 'Speed is essential. Vaccinating faster will slow the spread of infection and reduce the risk of variants arising because larger numbers of people will be vaccinated more rapidly. 'Increasing flexibility, developing agility, empowering the local, will get more patients through the door and get the virus more quickly under control. 'Science has provided us with the tools to move forward. There is no time to be lost we must vaccinate even faster.' POSTCODE LOTTERY: Areas that started well saw supplies throttled Another element of the rollout that may slow it down is the differences in speed across the country. Areas that made very fast progress at the beginning of the vaccination programme, reaching their over-80s and care home residents, for example, saw their vaccine supplies reduced so they could be redirected to areas lagging behind to help them to catch up. In January officials warned that the supply of coronavirus vaccines to the North West of England would be cut by a third so doses could be diverted to parts of the country further behind in their rollout to the over-80s. NHS England figures revealed the North West had vaccinated the second highest proportion of over-80s, reaching two thirds of the group who are among those most at risk if they catch the virus. Only the North East was ahead of it and supplies are expected to be limited there, too. And NHS sources said the region - which includes Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria - would see supplies cut in the first week of February, according to the Health Service Journal. Updated data yesterday showed the postcode lottery is continuing, with parts of England have already dished out Covid vaccines to nearly 95 per cent of their over-70s. The NHS England statistics, which go up to February 7, show Somerset had given at least one dose to 93.4 per cent of all of its over-70s. Derbyshire was second, with 92.5 per cent. The figures, which split England up into 40 areas where local NHS divisions operate, found another five areas had given the injection to more than nine in 10 of over-70s. They are: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Lancashire and South Cumbria; Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire; Coventry and Warwickshire; and Herefordshire and Worcestershire. But the figures suggest the roll-out has been somewhat of a postcode lottery, with just 76.3 per cent of the age bracket in east London being given their first dose, for example. In the North of the capital, uptake was not much higher at 78.2 per cent and in North West London it was similarly low, at 78.4 per cent. There have been reports of GP surgeries in London having to close early because not enough people have been turning up to get their injection. Health chiefs fear vaccine hesitancy among black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) groups is behind the poorer uptake in London's culturally diverse boroughs. Biden package concerns A research team including Harvard's Raj Chetty, best known for groundbreaking research on the slowing ability of the poor to move into the U.S. middle class, has suggested lowering the income cutoff for $1,400 "stimulus" checks from $75,000 might make sense because those making more than that won't spend the money fast enough to help the economy now. Jason Furman, who chaired Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, has recommended the additional $400 in weekly unemployment insurance proposed by Biden be scaled back over time so people will be motivated to find jobs as the rollout of vaccines makes it safer to work. "There is a risk of people taking too long to get into jobs, being too optimistic and ending up being long-term unemployed. This risk was trivial relative to the need to support people in 2020, by this fall it will be more real," he wrote. In his Friday debate with Summers, Krugman acknowledged stimulus checks had a weaker economic justification than other aid, such as unemployment insurance, but said: "They are also the most popular. That's part of making policy." It's not clear if the debate will influence the outcome of a bill that may move intact through a Congress controlled by Democrats. "It is going to pass with Kamala Harris vote," Krugman said. "And then we will find out" in coming months who was right. It's a scene that leaves many in awe. Ice shards, glittering a hue of blue, rip from the frozen water at Michigan's Straits of Mackinac. This natural phenomenon attracts locals, tourists and photographers, who hope to capture the perfect moment when the sun hits the frozen water just right, allowing the bright blue ice to shine vividly. Steve Baker, 69, a retired veterinarian from Indian River, Michigan, said he was coming back from photographing snowy owls with his friend when they decided to stop by the Straits of Mackinac. "Our attention was drawn to the slabs of ice along the shore and we soon were exploring the Mackinaw City shoreline," Baker said. Baker said when he was taking the photos, the wind chill was below zero, so they had to retreat back to the car a few times to thaw out their fingers and camera batteries. Baker said the ice was about 10 to 15 feet tall and the scene was spectacular. "Conditions were just right and many of the ice slabs glowed a brilliant blue with the bridge in the background," he said. "I have seen blue ice many times over the years with March of 2018 being the most spectacular, and this current blue ice is rather small in comparison, but still spectacular to view." Staci Goodale, 45, an ice cream parlor owner from Kingsley, a village in northwestern Michigan, took her 18-year-old daughter, Mikayla Tyson, to see the blue ice as she has always wanted to see it in person. "Even from the shore, you could see the blue, and once you were out there it was even better," Goodale said. Many people made seeing the blue ice into an activity or date. Julie Suggitt, a business owner and designer, said she and her boyfriend went to the blue ice patch to see the spectacle themselves. While walking on the lake, she said the water was clear, and you can see to the bottom. This natural spectacle happens when the lake is clear with no bubbles, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Field Scientist George Leshkevich told the Free Press in 2018. When short wavelength light penetrates into the clear, frozen lake, light scatters in the water below and reflects back through the ice. Story continues The scene is spectacular in photographs and mesmerizing in person. But Baker urges those who are willing to trek to see the blue ice to be careful. "It's a little bit risky, so that's why they kind of discourage people from walking out there," he said. "It's a relatively small area, but when the sun hits that just right, it's a brilliant blue." Contributing: Omar Abdel-Baqui This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Glittering blue ice draws many to Michigan's Straits of Mackinac Two men were injured during a Friday evening shooting in the Allison Hill section of Harrisburg, police said. The shooting happened around 7:45 p.m. at South 22nd and Berryhill streets, police said. Police said the men took themselves to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Harrisburg police are continuing to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information should call the police at 717-558-6900, or submit a tip through CrimeWatch. READ MORE: Death of man struck by tractor-trailers on I-83 ruled a suicide: coroner Gov. Wolf proposes paying anyone wrongly convicted $50K for every year spent in prison STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Attention, ladies young and old of Staten Island and beyond: Do not use Gorilla Glue in lieu of hairspray, no matter how much you want to freeze your hairstyle indefinitely. Tessica Brown, 40, of Louisiana learned the hard way, and went viral after she made the regrettable mistake about a month ago. When Brown ran out of her Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray, she reached for the Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive instead the iconic glue that is meant for fabric, paper, wood, plastic metal, and other non-scalp surfaces a move she would soon regret, as she took to social media for help. The post quickly garnered more than 4 million views on Instagram and more than 24 million views on TikTok. As the internet world tuned into her unfortunate follicle saga, comments poured in, offering sympathies to Browns frightening predicament and imaginative suggestions, including using WD-40 lubricant to remove the industrial-strength glue. Others offered prayers, as Brown posted another video of applying Pantene shampoo in an attempt to remove the Gorilla Glue adhesive from her locks. It didnt work. Other social media commenters put their money where their mouth is, donating money to Browns GoFundMe Page, racking up more than $20K to date. And Gorilla Glue? They got wind of Browns predicament and offered their good wishes on Twitter, saying, We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair. We are glad to see in her recent video that Miss Brown has received medical treatment from her local medical facility and wish her the best. We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair. We are glad to see in her recent video that Miss Brown has received medical treatment from her local medical facility and wish her the best. pic.twitter.com/SoCvwxdrGc Gorilla Glue (@GorillaGlue) February 8, 2021 GORILLA GLUE FINALLY REMOVED As the story went viral, Dr. Michael Obeng, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, contacted Brown and successfully removed the Gorilla Glue from her head, pro bono, because he felt bad for Brown. The surgical procedure usually costs more that $12K. TMZ reported the surgery took four hours and involved Obengs special solvent of medical-grade adhesive remover, aloe vera, olive oil, and acetone. A video was posted of the procedure, as well as Brown receiving VIP treatment while in Beverly Hills. GORILLA GLUE GIRL GOT HER HAIR BACK YASSSSS pic.twitter.com/FvS6zOmzx1 T (@richonnesokoye) February 11, 2021 Needless to say, Brown is grateful the ordeal is behind her and will not soon make the mistake again, armed with a new-found appreciation of running her fingers through her hair, not having a stiff helmet for a hairdo, and no permanent damage to her scalp. She posted her gratitude on social media. New Delhi: NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind won the Presidential poll on Thursday and he would become 14th President of India on July 25. He got 7,02,644 votes while UPA's candidate Meira Kumar secured 3,67, 314votes, Returning Officer Anoop Mishra said. Kovind got 66% of votes while Meira Kumar got 34 % votes. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated Kovind on his magnificent victory. A formal announcement was made by the Returning officer Anoop Mishra. Here are the highlights from the counting of votes: #8:52 PM Sonia Gandhi congratulates Ram N Kovind, reiterated Cong's commitment to work for upholding values intrinsic to Constitution #8:31 PM Union Minister Nitin Gadkari congratulates Ram Nath Kovind on his victory in Presidential election, in Delhi. #8:15 PM Congratulations Ram Nath Kovind ji. Wishing you a great term as President of India, tweets Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi #8:10 PM I extend to you (Ram Nath Kovind) my heartiest congratulations on your election as 14th President of Republic of India: President Mukherjee # 6:52 PM Feeling very happy. He is very simple and a quite person. He cares for everyone: Daughter-in-law of President-Elect Ram Nath Kovind # 6:49 PM I hope the tenure of Mr. Kovind would prove to be inspiring, encouraging and egalitarian: Mehbooba Mufti, J&K CM # 6: 47 PM His victory marks an important milestone in political history of India.It reflects empowerment of weaker sections of society: Mehbooba Mufti # 6:46 PM All over India people are celebrating. We all are very happy.It is a proud moment for us: Swati, Daughter of President Elect Ram Nath Kovind #6:41 PM When Kovind Ji takes over as President, crores of oppressed&poor Indians will see their representative on highest constitutional post: Amit Shah #6:31 PM Congratulate the 14th President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Congratulations to Meira Kumar for the courage she has shown: Lalu Prasad Yadav #5:46 PM PM Modi meets President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, congratulates him for becoming 14th President of India #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and Union Min Ananth Kumar felicitate President Elect #RamNathKovind in Delhi pic.twitter.com/YonlhKPtuW ANI (@ANI_news) July 20, 2017 # 5:22 PM Ram Nath Kovind gets certificate of Presidential poll victory # 5:17 PM Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar congratulates Ram Nath Kovind over phone for Presidential Poll victory #5:03 PM Want to make it very clear that today on 20th July 2017 my battle for ideology doesn't end, it will continue: Meira Kumar #5:01 PM My fight for secularism, the oppressed & the marginalised continues.I thank all my well wishers for their support & good wishes: Meira Kumar #4:58 PM My best wishes with Sh. Kovindji as it has fallen upon him to uphold Constitution in letter and spirit in these challenging times: Meira Kumar #4:56 PM I will represent the poor in Rashtrapati bhavan: Ram Nath Kovind #4:56 PM My win shows greatness of democracy: Kovind #4:55 PM I congratulate Shri Ram Nath Kovindji for becoming the President of India: Meira Kumar #4:55 PM Never aspired to be President, my win is a message to those discharging their duties with integrity: Ram Nath Kovind #4:54 PM I thank all who supported me from across country, I feel very emotional, I'll represent all struggling to make a living: Ram Nath Kovind #4:54 PM This is an emotional moment for me today: President Elect Ram Nath Kovind # 4:44 PM Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji for emphatic victory in the 2017 Presidential elections. His victory is truly historic: Amit Shah #4:35 PM Ram Nath Kovind secured 2930 votes with value of 7,02,044; Meira Kumar got 1,844 votes with the value of 3,67,314; 77 invalid: Anoop Mishra #4:24 PM Official announcement made: NDA's RamNathKovind wins Presidential elections, defeating opposition candidate Meira Kumar # 4:19 Ram Nath Kovind becomes 14th President of India #4: 18 PM NDA's Ram Nath Kovind all set to become the next President of India, official announcement awaited. # 4:16 PM Ram Nath Kovind gets 66% votes while Meira Kumar gets 34% votes # 3:07 PM Ram Nath Kovind got 1389/479585 votes and Meira Kumar 576/204594, 37 invalid after counting for Parliament & 11 states: Anoop Mishra, Returning officer # 3:04 PM Ram Nath Kovind : Total votes polled: 522. Total value-3,69,576 Meira Kumar Total votes : 225, Total value of the votes polled : 1,58,300 Total votes polled: 5,43,734 Invalid votes : 21 Break up of votes as per states Arunachal Pradesh: Ram Nath Kovind - Votes: 56, Value: 548 Meira kumar - Votes: 3, Value:24 Assam: Ram Nath Kovind - Votes: 91, Value: 10,556 Meira Kumar - Votes: 35, Value :4060 Bihar: Ram Nath Kovind - Vote : 130, Value: 22,490 Meira Kumar - Votes: 109, Value: 18,857 Chattisgarh: Ram Nath Kovind- Votes: 52, Value:6,708 Meira Kumar: Votes: 35, Value: 4,505 Jharkhand: Ram Nath Kovind - Votes:51, Value: 8976 Meira Kumar - Votes: 26, Value:4576 Invalid: 4 votes Goa Ram Nath Kovind - Votes: 25, Value: 500 Meira Kumar - Votes: 11, Value: 220 Invalid 2 Gujarat Ram Nath Kovind - Votes: 132, Value:9404 Meira Kumar - Votes: 49, Value: 7,203 Haryana Ram Nath Kovind - Votes 73, Value: 8,176 Meira Kumar - Votes 16, Value: 1,792 Himachal Pradesh Ram Nath Kovind- Votes 30, Value: 1,530 Meira Kumar - Votes 37, Value: 1,887 J and K Ram Nath Kovind - Votes 56, Value: 4032 Meira Kumar: Votes 30, Value: 2160 # 2:50 PM Presidential Poll 2017: Ram Nath Kovind leading with 1389/479585, Meira Kumar 576/204594, 37 invalid after counting for Parliament & 12 states # 2:44 PM Parliament: Total votes polled in favor of Ram Nath Kovind is 522 in value of 3,69,576; 225 for Meira Kumar in value of 1,59,300; invalid 21 # 2:25 PM I am not upset, why should I be upset? I am a fighter, I fought for the belief and faith of majority of my countrymen and women: Meira Kumar # 1:34 PM Meira Kumar gets 22,941 votes in first round of counting # 1:33 PM Ram Nath Kovind gets 60,683 votes in first round of counting # 1:32 PM Ram Nath Kovind ahead in first round of counting of votes # 12:54 PM Counting of votes underway in Parliament # 11:22 AM Great belief in ideology I fought for,also believe in inner voice of conscience lets see how much it prevails: Meira Kumar # 11:08 AM Visuals of counting of votes # 11:00 AM Counting of votes for Presidential post begins An Election Commission official, who has witnessed previous two presidential polls, said usually results are declared around 5 PM. Close to 99 per cent voting was recorded for electing Indias next president. Thirty two polling stations, including the one in Parliament House, were set up in various states. A total of 4,896 voters -- 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs were eligible to cast their ballot. MLCs of states with legislative council are not part of the electoral college. While the value of an MLAs vote depends on the population of his or her state, the value of an MPs vote remains the same at 708. The numbers are stacked in favour of the ruling coalitions nominee Kovind, a former Bihar governor, over the oppositions candidate and former Lok Sabha Speaker Kumar. Process to elect the President of the Republic of India: The process is a little tricky but we have tried to simplify the maths behind the election of Indias top constitutional post. The first thing you should know is the President is not elected by the People. Instead, it is elected by an electoral college which includes members of the Parliament and State Assemblies. However, the nominated members are not allowed to vote. Total 4,120 members of the state legislative assemblies and 776 members of parliament elect the President of India. Let me tell you it doesnt mean there will be only 4896 votes (MLAs+MPs). There is a certain value of each MLA and MP's vote. The value of an MLAs vote differs across states but it remains the same for an MPs vote. The Value of an MLAs vote depends on the population of each state. The total population of the state (1971 census) is divided by 1,000 and number of MLAs in the state assembly. By this calculation, the value of an MLAs vote in UP is different from Delhi and Sikkim. In UP, the value of an MLAs vote is 208 while in Delhi it is 58. In Sikkim, it is only 7. The total value of all MLA votes is 5,49,495. On the other hand, the value of an MPs vote is same and it is 708. The total value of MLA votes is divided by the total no. of MPs (only elected). A candidate needs more than 50 per cent votes to win the election. Know all who supported Ram Nath Kovind apart from NDA allies: # AIADMK Tamil Nadu CM Edapaddi Palanisami has announced support for Kovind # O. Panneerselvam, rebel leader too put his weight behind the NDA candidate # Biju Janata Dal chief and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik # Bihar CM Nitish Kumar whos also the chief of Janata Dal (United) # K. Chandrashekhar Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samithi # Independent MLA from Kunda, Uttar Pradesh Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka Raja Bhaiya too offered his support to Kovind. He also said that he voted for Kovind as he had a great relationship with him. # 6 TMC MLAs from Tripura too had offered their support to the NDA nominee # Congress had claimed that the Presidential election represented a clash of ideas and conflict of disparate values. Know all who supported Meira Kumar apart from UPA allies # Trinamool Congress - West Bengal CM and chief Mamata Banerjee has announced support for Meira Kumar # AAP Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal too has offered support to the UPA candidate Ram Nath Kovind The NDA's presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind had assured all MPs and MLAs that he would act in an "impartial manner" and upkeep the dignity of the office of the President. He has said the President's post is above party politics as it is the highest constitutional post of the country. Kovind had said that once he became the Governor of Bihar, he did not remain a member of any political party and had performed all his duties as governor as per the Constitution. Meira Kumar Meira Kumar, the opposition's presidential candidate, had said that although she respected her rival NDA contestant Ram Nath Kovind; the Presidential election was a battle of two ideologies. She has also said that it was a sad situation that the Presidential poll was being dubbed as a 'Dalit vs Dalit' contest. Kumar had lamented that since the battle this time was between her and former Bihar governor Kovind, both of whom were Dalits, nothing else was being discussed apart from their caste. With PTI inputs The name of the next occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhawan would be known by 5.00 pm. The voting took place on Monday. First, the ballot box of Parliament House would be opened, and then, the ballot boxes received from states would be counted on alphabetical basis. The votes would be counted on four separate tables and there would be eight rounds of counting. An Election Commission official, who has witnessed previous two presidential polls, said usually results are declared around 5 PM. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out at fellow GOP Representative Jamie Herrera Beutler on Saturday for turning on the Republican Party, calling her 'the gift that keeps on giving to the Democrats.' Taylor Greene is specifically referencing Herrera revealing details this week of a January 6 phone conversation between House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and former president Doanld Trump. 'First voting to impeach innocent President Trump, then yapping to the press and throwing @GOPLeader under the bus, and now a tool as a witness for the Democrats running the circus trial,' Taylor Greene tweeted on Saturday. 'The Trump loyal 75 million are watching.' Only 10 Republican congressmen and women voted to impeach Trump last month exactly one week after the Capitol attack. Taylor Greene, who famously was booted from her committee assignments earlier this month for pushing QAnon conspiracies, said the impeachment is a 'sham.' 'Another sham impeachment trial WITHOUT evidence is happening in the Senate,' Taylor Greene lamented on Twitter Saturday. She instead, called for the impeachment of President Joe Biden. 'We should have a real impeachment in the House,' Taylor Greene said. 'Joe Biden is compromised by our enemies. Our national security is at stake.' Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out at fellow GOP Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler for first voting to impeach Donald Trump last month, and now revealing details of a call between the former president and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on January 6 'The gift that keeps on giving to Democrats': Greene says Herrera Beutler is acting as a 'tool' for Democrats in the impeachment against Trump Herrera Beutler (pictured) told the press about McCarthy telling Trump about hearing gunshots outside the House chamber during a call between the two in the day of the Capitol storming McCarthy reportedly briefed a number of GOP lawmakers on the call after the fact Lead House impeachment manager Jamie Raskin piggy-backed off of a bombshell CNN report Friday which reveals details Herrera Beutler said she knew about a phone call between McCarthy and Trump on the day of the Capitol insurrection. Raskin used that new information to make a surprise argument for calling witnesses as the fifth impeachment trial day kicked off Saturday morning. The move to call witnesses was approved in a vote, along with support from five Republican, but Democrats quickly dropped the initiative after the GOP threatened to call more than 300 witnesses. McCarthy told then-President Trump during a phone call in the midst of the Capitol storming on January 6 that he heard gunfire outside the House chamber. ABC News' Jonathan Karl reported Saturday that McCarthy had made a specific reference to shots being fired as he encouraged Trump to call off the MAGA mob. In particular, the impeachment prosecution team wanted to hear more from Herrera Beutler, who went public with what she knew about the call between McCarthy and Trump according to a briefing the GOP leader gave to lawmakers after the fact. 'For that reason and because this is the proper time to do so under the resolution the Senate adopted to set the rules for the trial we would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera regarding her communications with the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and to subpoena her contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection,' Raskin told the Senate audience. Jamie Raskin made the surprise announcement Saturday morning that the House Democratic impeachment managers wished to call witnesses, mainly Herrera Beutler The House impeachment managers shared some of the CNN story sharing details of the call from Herrera's perspective 'We will be prepared to proceed by Zoom deposition of an hour or less just as soon as Congresswoman Herrera Beutler is available and to then proceed to the next phase of the trial, including the introduction of that testimony shortly thereafter,' he added. The new twist to Trump's impeachment trial, which was expected to conclude Saturday, came after CNN reported Friday night new details about the call. CNN said that Trump and McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. McCarthy, who was described by CNN as 'furious,' yelled at Trump that the rioters were breaking his windows. 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' the top House Republican yelled at the president of the United States. CNN's sources were Republican members of Congress, who believed that the contents of the call prove that Trump had no interest in calling off the deadly riot. 'He is not a blameless observer, he was rooting for them,' one GOP unnamed lawmaker said. 'On January 13, Kevin McCarthy said on the floor of the House that the President bears responsibility and he does.' 'This proves that the president knew very early on - what the mob was doing, and he knew members were at risk and he refused to act ... it's a violation of his oath of office to fail to come to this defense of Congress and the constitutional process immediately,' another GOP member familiar with the call told CNN. Herrera Beutler, a Washington state Republican who voted in favor of Trump's impeachment, mentioned Trump's comments to McCarthy during a town hall this week. She later confirmed the exchange to CNN. 'You have to look at what he did during the insurrection to confirm where his mind was at,' Herrera Beutler said. 'That line right there demonstrates to me that either he didn't care, which is impeachable, because you cannot allow an attack on your soil, or he wanted it to happen and was OK with it, which makes me so angry.' 'We should never stand for that, for any reason, under any party flag,' the lawmaker continued. 'I'm trying really hard not to say the F-word.' And she again stood by her account in a Twitter statement on Friday evening. She wrote: When McCarthy finally reached the President on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol. McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'well I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here now would be the time.' Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio Republican who voted to impeach Trump, told CNN that he believes the exchange 'speaks to the former President's mindset.' 'He was not sorry to see his unyieldingly loyal vice president or the Congress under attack by the mob he inspired. In fact, it seems he was happy about it or at the least enjoyed the scenes that were horrifying to most Americans across the country,' Gonzalez said. During Friday's impeachment trial, Trump's lawyers tried to deny the president even knew that individuals like Vice President Mike Pence were in peril. 'The answer is no. At no point was the president informed the vice president was in any danger,' Trump's attorney Bruce Castor said, despite Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama saying that on a call he had with Trump during the insurrection he mentioned that Pence was being whisked away to a secure location. After Friday's proceedings, Tuberville told reporters he stood by his account. Tuberville's testimony or his phone records could also be requested by the Democratic impeachment managers. The authorities are now gearing up for the roll-out of the second shot of coronavirus vaccination on Saturday for the beneficiaries who were given jabs at the beginning of the nationwide inoculation drive on 16 January. After a sluggish start, since the exercise was kicked off, the vaccination drive had picked up pace in the last several days. AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria and NITI Aayog's VK Paul, who were among the first ones to take the Covid-19 vaccine, are expected to receive the second dose, which needs to be taken 28 days after the first one. Everything you need to know about 2nd Covid vaccine dose: 1) According to the doctors, the second round of Covid-19 vaccine booster dose is to be given to a beneficiary after a gap of 28 days. 2) However, experts have clarified that the second shot can be taken anytime between four to six weeks from the first dose. 3) The second Covid-19 vaccine dose, which is called the booster shot, further boosts the immune system of your body. Hence, the administration of both is essential. 4) Experts have said that the first vaccine shot is designed to train your body to recognise the killer virus and ramp up the immune system, which is the body's defence system against the infection. 5) A senior doctor at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital told news agency PTI, "We are all heard up for the second dose delivery tomorrow." Another senior doctor at the Centre for Chest and Respiratory Illness, BLK Super Speciality Hospital received his second vaccine shot today. 6) The two vaccines approved here Oxford University and AstraZeneca's Covishield, made by local partner the Serum Institute of India, and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin need to be kept refrigerated at all times. 7) Coronavirus vaccine Covishield is being administered at the majority of the centres while Bharat Biotech-made Covaxin doses given at the remaining facilities. 8) More than 77 lakh healthcare and frontline workers have received the first jab of the Covid vaccine till Friday, the Central government said, adding that 97% people of the beneficiaries are "satisfied". The country has set a target of vaccinating 30 crore people against the deadly virus by July 2021. 9) The country just took 26 days to inoculate over 70 lakh people, while it took 27 days for America and 48 days for Britain to reach the same figures, the Health Ministry had stated. 10) The 10 states with the highest number of vaccinations on Friday are: Uttar Pradesh (68,135), Maharashtra (24,946), Madhya Pradesh (21897), Jammu and Kashmir (17,900), West Bengal (17,609), Gujarat (16,069), Karnataka (13,741), Chhattisgarh (11,988), Jharkhand (10,488) and Odisha (7,279). Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Mr Godfred Dame, the Minister-designate for Justice and Attorney General, has said the former Attorney General, Ms Gloria Akuffo, did not oppose the Agyapa Royalties deal. He said records available indicated that Ms Akuffo was never opposed to the transaction and it was clear in all the documents. I stand in all respect with what Madam Gloria Akuffo did in respect of the Agyapa Royalties transaction. I am indicating for the records that the former Attorney General was never opposed to the transaction and that is clear in all the documents available to me, he said. Mr Dame, former Deputy Attorney General, said this when he appeared before Parliaments Appointment Committee for vetting on his nomination as the substantive Minister for Justice and Attorney General. The Government, through the Minerals Income Investment Fund, had set up the Agyapa Royalties Limited to securitize Ghanas gold royalties. The company had planned to raise between 500 to 750 million dollars for the Government on the Ghana and London Stock exchanges to invest in developmental projects. Parliament, on August 14, 2020, approved the Agyapa Mineral Royalty Limited agreement with the Government of Ghana. However, Ms Gloria Akuffo, who headed the Attorney Generals Office, had described the deal, in an opinion, as burdensome and not in the interest of Ghana. The Attorney Generals office had explained that the benefits Ghana was expected to derive from the agreement were limited, given the strict obligations and sanctions attached to the deal. Mr Dame, in a spirited defence, insisted that Ms Akuffo was not opposed to the transaction and that all advice from the Attorney Generals Office had been incorporated into the deal. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Valentine's Day is often considered a day to celebrate love and romance only but only a few people truly know the meaning behind it. In an interview with CBN News, Father Dwight Longnecker, a Catholic priest, author, and speaker, explained the real meaning behind this holiday, which most people think is all about romance. "'If you asked the person in the street, 'What does Valentine's Day mean to you?' all it means is heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and a nice dinner with your beloved and sending cards and so forth,"' explains Fr. Longenecker in a video. '"And if they did know about a Saint Valentine, they probably wouldn't realize that he was a priest in the late 3rd century in Rome who was actually martyred for the faith. Very often legends will develop from real facts. There's that little phrase in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings where he says, 'History became a legend, and legend became myth.'" The legend of Saint Valentine is a story that is rooted in actual events. There are, in fact, numerous stories surrounding what actually happened to Valentine and all of these stories agree on a number of issues, Dr. Corne Bekker, dean of the School of Divinity at Regent University, told CBN. "It seemed that he was born in 226 in a tiny little city called Terni in Umbria in Italy and that he was either a priest or a bishop. Valentine lived during the reign of the Emperor Claudius II, he's sometimes referred to as Claudius Gothicus. Now, this emperor did not reign for very long, maybe a year and a half," Dr. Bekker said. Rome was a "cesspool of immoral behaviors including pedophilia and sexual promiscuity" at the time, said Dr. Bekker. The early church, during that period, "stood up for the value of a godly marriage where sexuality was channeled into its God-given boundaries and to become a witness of what enduring love could look like." The Roman Emperor Claudius issued an official order to make marriage illegal, Bekker said. Marriage was made illegal due to the fact that Goths invaded Rome at the time, and men were needed to go to war. Being married meant having the freedom to refuse to go to the war. "Valentine would not only convert the people, but secretly marry them so that they could indeed stay at home," Dr. Bekker said. Valentine eventually got arrested, but while he was in jail, he presented the gospel to his jailer, a judge named Asterius, Dr. Bekker said. Asterius then challenged Valentine to prove the gospel he was preaching was true. "Well, if this indeed is true, I want you to prove it," Asterius allegedly told Valentine, Dr. Bekker said. So the judge brought in one of his adopted daughters, who happened to be blind according to one of the legends. Valentine laid his hands upon the girl and healed her "immediately." Dr. Bekker mentioned other legends, one of which said Valentine left a note for the girl before he was beheaded for converting people to Christ. The note was allegedly signed "Your Valentine." This eventually led to the practice of sending "valentines." "All the legends seem to agree that Valentine was martyred on the fourteenth of February in 269," Dr. Bekker added. Fr. Longnecker also agreed, saying "Therefore, that was the day associated with him when the church would celebrate him and thank God for his life." "We do need to recognize that this day, the fourteenth of February, was already connected with Valentine from the fourth century, already from that time onward," says Dr. Bekker, explaining that Valentine's day did not originally start out as a romantic holiday. "Right from the beginning, this celebration had more to do than just a celebration of romantic love. The church's commitment to Valentine to honor this example of Christian marriage and sacrifice and martyrdom and the healing of other people and the spread of the gospel was, from the beginning, a commitment to what Christian marriage could be like in our world and the message that it brings to a broken world." Christians consider marriage as more than just the union of love between a man and a woman. For Christians, Dr. Bekker declared, "marriage is a holy parable of the love of Christ towards his church. It's a visible sermon about what holiness and purity could look like in our lives." "We should celebrate what true sacrificial love looks like in a broken world and ultimately it should be a day that we celebrate the commitment of Christ who gave his life for his church," he added. "It should be a day of evangelism. It should be a day where we celebrate the power of true love to change our world. It is a Christian holiday." The Mayor and Police Chief of a small Iowa town have been arrested alongside two other city officials after an investigation into financial impropriety allegedly revealed that they were embroiled in criminal conduct. Armstrong Mayor Greg Buum, Armstrong Police Chief Craig Merrill, City Clerk Tracie Lang and former City Clerk Connie Thackery were taken into custody on Thursday. The group are collectively facing 21 charges, according to KTIV. Residents of Armstrong - a small community of around 1,000 people located in the north of the state - have been left shocked by the arrests, the local news network reports. A statement released by Emmett County Sheriff's Office alleges that wrongdoing committed by the defendants includes the 'misappropriation of city funds, the presentation of fraudulent public records, deploying a taser against a civilian in exchange for cash, and falsification of ledgers to conceal embezzlement'. Armstrong Mayor Greg Buum is one of four city officials charged following an investigation into alleged financial impropriety City Clerk Tracie Lang (left) and former City Clerk Connie Thackery (right) have also been charged Back in 2016, Iowa state auditors examined the city of Armstrong's finances for the previous fiscal year and uncovered a number of discrepancies. Newsweek reports that the investigation 'showed $100,650.10 of undeposited utility collections and improper and unsupported disbursements'. The Emmet County Sheriff's Office and Iowa's Division of Criminal Investigation subsequently began looking into the issue, whereby they allegedly uncovered offenses committed by each of the officials. The top count leveled against Buum, Merrill, and Thackery are charges of ongoing criminal conduct. Meanwhile, the top count leveled against Lang is fraudulent practice in the first degree. According to the Sheriff's Office, there are 'additional counts against some of the defendants for theft, felonious misconduct in office, non-felonious misconduct in office, tampering with records, assault with a dangerous weapon, and falsifying public documents'. The Emmet County Attorney will not prosecute the case due to a conflict of interest. The legal proceedings are now being handled by the Iowa Attorney General's Office. The Delhi government will launch a month-long campaign from Monday for registration of construction workers with Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to enable them to avail benefits of its schemes. The Welfare Board will organise special camps in nine districts to register the workers from February 15 to March 15, officials said. Currently around 52,000 construction workers including masons, electricians and painters are registered with the Board. Also, there are nearly 66,000 workers who have been registered but are yet to be verified, said an official of the Labour department. Labour inspectors have been deputed in each of the nine districts to boost registrations, he said. A registration drive was launched in August last year but its outcome was not satisfactory due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fifteen people in South Africa are facing fraud charges relating to the funeral of the former president, Nelson Mandela, in 2013. They include prominent members of the ruling African National Congress in the Eastern Cape province. They have not commented on the allegations. Prosecutors accuse them of corruption and money-laundering amounting to nearly $700,000 (500,000). Mandela was the country's first black leader after apartheid ended in 1994. The allegations first emerged in 2014, months after Mandela's funeral in Qunu, Eastern Cape, in December 2013, which was attended by heads of state from around the world. Those facing charges include the health minister of Eastern Cape province, Sindiswa Gomba, a number of business figures, and other lawmakers from the governing ANC. Among them are regional chair Pumlani Mkolo, former Buffalo City metro mayor Zukiswa Ncitha and council speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele. Prosecutors allege they made fraudulent claims for the transportation of mourners and venues used in the city of East London for memorial services. They were granted bail and are expected to appear on 5 March. "This matter is coming back to the roll after it was withdrawn in 2019 in order for the investigation to tighten up the loose ends and add more charges," Sipho Ngwema, the national spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, was quoted as saying by news site EWN. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Against the Grain LET'S MEAT Nothing Else I'm Single Campaign 2021 Valentines "We celebrate the 'Let's MEAT' and 'I'm Single' pet food campaign this Valentine's Day and every day to help pet-parents provide the best nutrition for their pets through the transparency of the ONLY single-ingredient dog food - Against the Grain Nothing Else," states co-founder Chelsea Sher. It is estimated that one in four pet-parents will treat their pet to a Valentines Day gift in 2021, which is a historical high. 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When an Indian Navy aircraft landed in the archipelago nation of Seychelles last month, the countrys foreign minister and other senior officials lined up on the tarmac to welcome its precious cargo: 50,000 doses of Indian-made AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. Two weeks earlier, the Indian Ocean island nationtotal population, 98,000received a separate shipment of 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine manufactured in China, which is seeking to make strategic inroads in a region long seen by India as part of its sphere of influence. Covid-19 vaccines are becoming an important form of diplomatic currency around the world, as nations jockey for soft-power gains. China and Russia are touting their own vaccines, as are Western drug companies. Now India, a pharmaceutical giant that manufactured some 60% of global vaccines before the pandemic, is joining the fray, seeking to strengthen ties and expand its influence in its neighborhood and beyond. Beijing has for years sought to derail Indian efforts to establish a military outpost in Seychelles that would allow New Delhi to keep tabs on Chinese naval and civilian vessels in the area. India has worked to blunt Chinese intrusions and helped build a network of coastal radar stations. The end result of the dueling vaccine diplomacy here has been an unusual abundance of doses: the Seychelles now ranks third in the world in terms of the proportion of its population that has been inoculated, behind Israel and the United Arab Emirates. This achievement could enable the island nation to reopen its tourism industry, the mainstay of the economy, as soon as next month, Foreign Minister Sylvestre Radegonde said. Its a tremendous benefit," he said. We appreciate that in our hour of need India, like China, is always present." The Pune-based Serum Institute of India is manufacturing millions of doses a day of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC and the University of Oxford, and has committed to produce this year as much as a billion doses of another vaccine developed by Maryland-based Novavax Inc. once it receives regulatory approval. Two other Indian companies, Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila, are conducting trials of their own homegrown vaccine candidates. Since starting vaccine exports last month, India has shipped 23 million doses, with 6.5 million of them donated by the government to regional neighbors like the Seychelles, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Cambodiaas well as to remote recipients such as Dominica and Barbados in the Caribbean.u View Full Image Doses supplied by India Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccines are slated to make up the bulk of the World Health Organization-led Covax global vaccine program, with 240 million doses expected to be shipped in the first half of the yearincluding 17 million earmarked for Indias rival Pakistan. Many countries, when they think vaccines, they think India," said Ashok Malik, policy adviser to Indias ministry of external affairs. Every week, Mr. Malik said, a special interministerial committee meets in New Delhi to discuss what amount of vaccines Indias own vaccination campaign can process, and authorizes the remainder to be exported. This was a commitment we made early on: we would be cognizant of our responsibility, we would not resort to vaccine nationalism," he said. People appreciate that we are not hoarding the vaccines at home. Whatever is available is being shipped out as soon as possible." So far, with the vaccination infrastructure still being set up, India has exported more than three times the amount of doses that it has supplied to its own citizens. Chinese vaccine makers, meanwhile, have been delaying shipments abroad as new outbreaks of the virus keep erupting at home. One of the challenges for China is how to balance the domestic vaccination needs and international demands," said Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. That will in a way give India an opportunity to compete more effectively with China." On a recent evening, Serum Institute of India workers wearing blue protective equipment rolled out one of the latest deliveries: four pallets containing more than one million doses bound for South Africa. Big insulated boxes lined with ice packs were loaded onto a truck, which drove to an airport 100 miles away. The South African government purchased the vaccines. Amid a global vaccine shortage, the company keeps getting orders from places where it hadnt planned to export because rival suppliers have been running into production problems, said Serum Institute Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla. The Chinesewho are actually excellent in everything they dotheyve not been able to manufacture it the way that we have," he said. Only a tiny amount of vaccines made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE and by Moderna Inc., mainstays of the inoculation campaign in the U.S. and Europe, have been made available to the developing world, in part because of their high cost and the need to keep them cold. Unlike Serum Institute, which is teaming up with Western companies, Chinaand Russiaare offering their own independently developed vaccines, and are publicly casting doubt on the efficacy and safety of Western-made products like Pfizer. For both, the ultimate aim is to bolster their geopolitical clout at the expense of the U.S. and allies. To what extent Indias vaccine diplomacy works remains to be seen. In the Seychelles, the government that came to power in elections last year had campaigned against plans by its predecessor to lease parts of the remote Assumption Island to the Indian military. The vaccine donation didnt sway it to accept Indian troops. Relations are excellent between our two countries. We have joint concerns about the safety and the security of the Indian Ocean, which is a shared ocean," said Mr. Radegonde, the foreign minister. But weve been over this military-base issue, and it is behind us and is something that is no longer on the table." The U.A.E., whose crown prince owns a residence in the Seychelles and frequently stays there, paid for the Chinese vaccine shipment. Sri Lanka, too, has been caught in the rivalry between Asias two giants, with its 2017 agreement to lease the Hambantota port to China for 99 years viewed by New Delhi as a threat to Indias national security. Sri Lankas current government received 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India so far, and has yet to authorize the use of Chinese vaccines. We will be dependent on India for the vaccine, so to that extent the government of Sri Lanka as well as the recipients will be happy and grateful to India for providing the vaccine on time," said Bernard Goonetilleke, chairman of the Pathfinder Foundation think tank in Colombo and a former Sri Lankan ambassador to Beijing and Washington. But this is only one element of the relationship, and there are many elements. Whether it will help improve our bilateral relations, its difficult to say." Indian political scientist C. Raja Mohan, director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, said Indias new vaccine diplomacywhile limitedis a valuable tool in New Delhis efforts to secure its neighborhood and prevent Chinese domination of the region. This doesnt immediately translate into direct geopolitical gains," Mr. Mohan said. But it adds to the good side of the ledger for India: that India is there, and that it has capabilities." This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High near 80F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 76F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Big Oil has become used to a ravenous China. But Chinese energy companies are starting to look ahead to an overall peak in oil demand around mid-decade. Sinopec, Chinas largest refiner, estimated in December that the nations demand for oil products will peak in 2025. While that might yet prove ambitious, a confluence of events over the past year suggests that the peak in China could still arrive before too long. China in September committed to a carbon-neutral economy by 2060. The race for electric-vehicle supremacy is now on in earnest, with everyone from General Motors to Apple Inc. circling the market and President Bidens election adding to investors appetite. At the same time, U.S.-China relations remain extremely tense, meaning Beijings discomfort with its dependence on large-scale oil imports and a vulnerability to disruption in a geopolitical crisis, is rapidly rising. China is far and away the worlds largest importer of crude oil, bringing in more than 10 million barrels a day in 2020. Nonetheless, there are some significant roadblocks to achieving a peak in the next five years. Chinas oil consumption rose 5% in 2019 before Covid-19 hit, according to data from BPslightly faster than the average of the previous five years. Chinese electric-vehicle penetration is rising quickly but still relatively low at around 5% of new cars sold, and even current official targets only call for 20% market penetration by 2025. That means that to hit peak oil demand by 2025, China needs to significantly boost the efficiency of traditional transportation options. A peak oil scenario for mid-decade published in December by the Chinese research institute Catarc and the U.S.s Natural Resources Defense Council finds that over the next five years the bulk of potential oil savings in the transportation sector will come from better mileage per gallon and a more efficient road transportation structure, rather than electric vehicles. Higher automotive fuel efficiency is the single most important source of potential savings, accounting for about 35% of the total. One significant headwind is Chinese consumers rising preference for bigger, heavier vehiclesa trend that has been reinforced by rising incomes and cheap oil over the past half-decade. Forty-four percent of light-duty-vehicle sales in China were sport-utility vehicles in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency, up from 14% in 2010. Meanwhile, a more efficient transportation structure presents its own challenges. In theory, China has lots of room to cut oil consumption by shifting more shipments from road to rail, investing in better urban public transportation and improving city planning. Only around one-fifth of freight transportation in China was by rail in 2017, according to the NRDC, compared with about 50% by road. In the U.S. and Russia, rail accounted for 33% and 43% respectively. But as monetary and fiscal policy becomes more cautious as the economy recovers, overall investment in the transportation sector might slow. Rail investment in China for all of 2020 was down 2.2%, compared with a 4.5% year-over-year rise in the first three quarters. While Chinas peak oil year might not be 2025, it may not be much further out than that, especially since electric-vehicle penetration does seem likely to gain momentum later in the decade. Investors in fossil-fuel companies should take that into account now. Write to Nathaniel Taplin at nathaniel.taplin@wsj.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Impeachment Regarding Senate agrees to hear case against Trump, (A1, Feb. 10): I would urge the Republican senators to watch any of several Western movies with the same theme. It involves a corrupt land baron who shoots the sheriff in the back. He goes on trial, but the outcome is predetermined as his handpicked minions in the jury will absolve him of blame. The honest townspeople watch in horror as they, all, know he is guilty. In the second act, though, the townspeople rise up, overthrow him and run his lackeys out of town. Good, honest government triumphs in the end. The evidence for conviction of Donald Trump is overwhelming. Its not too late for the Republican senators to do the right thing. We can be rid of this evil man before he causes more damage. Orlando N. Campos, Houston Regarding Senate agrees to hear case against Trump, (A1, Feb. 10): The impeachment trial in the Senate is very compelling. I am hoping Sen. John Cornyn will vote to convict the former president and disqualify him from further office, and I appealed to him to do so to support truth and our remarkable democracy. If he does so, he will be instrumental in reshaping the Republican party after Donald Trump. Though I cannot hope that Sen. Ted Cruz would ever vote to convict, I sent the following message to Sen. Cruz. Dear Sen. Cruz, Please use your authority as senator to convict the former president, and to bar him from further federal office. And then resign from the Senate in shame for your part in promoting the insurrection. Sincerely, Sylvia Szucs, Very Concerned Constituent. The former president needs to be held accountable for all his actions which culminated in the insurrection, a very grave assault on the Constitution and a strong betrayal of his oath of office. We need to convict and disqualify. Sylvia Szucs, Houston True patriotism Regarding Texans, we must speak up now for our voting rights, (A15, Feb. 10): The need for term limits for our representatives and senators has become necessary. Reelection, political power and party before national interests is very evident behavior from our career politicians. What is needed are citizens who will be willing to show their patriotism by serving their country, not as a career, but as a sacrifice, taking time from their lives to do their duty and then letting others take their place. How can this be accomplished? Fred Rummell, Houston Lawyers for former President Trump put forward a narrow defense of his actions on Jan. 6, ignoring the broader context that formed the majority of the case against him. Much of the three hours Trumps lawyers spent before the Senate on Friday was taken up with lengthy and repetitive videos set to cartoonish music which simply showed Democratic politicians saying the word fight over and over. It was a heavy-handed way of arguing that when Trump used the word fight numerous times on Jan. 6, it did not mean anything malicious or nefarious. Michael van der Veen, lawyer for former President Donald Trump. (via Reuters) Perhaps more significant, it was also an attempt to ignore the way that Trump lied to his supporters for months about a stolen election and summoned them to Washington at the same time that Congress was scheduled to certify the results of the election. After the Trump team finished, senators asked questions of the two sides for four hours. The trial is expected to conclude on Saturday after up to four hours of closing arguments evenly divided between the two sides. The House Democratic managers spent much of their time over two days of arguments illustrating the ways in which Trump fomented and encouraged violence at different times during his presidency rather than tamping it down; how he deceived his supporters that the election had been stolen from them; how he would have known that his supporters had already engaged in violence in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6; how he had been warned by Republicans in Georgia that his rhetoric was going to cause further violence and death; and how he continued to incite his supporters against Mike Pence even after the vice president had been evacuated from the Senate chamber after rioters had invaded the Capitol. And they showed how the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol repeatedly said they were doing so because Trump had told them to. Yet Trumps lawyers insisted he had done nothing wrong. No thinking person could seriously believe that the presidents Jan. 6 speech on the Ellipse was in any way an incitement to violence or to insurrection, said Michael van der Veen, a Philadelphia attorney who had not spoken at any point in the trial until Friday. Story continues But this revisionist history has been dismissed by some of those who worked most closely with and for Trump during his presidency. [W]hat happened on Capitol Hill ... was a direct result of [Trump] poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the fraud, said John Kelly, Trumps former White House chief of staff. He did incite this mob with the clear intention of having them disrupt the Electoral College certification and delay it to give him more time. I dont think theres any question about it, said John Bolton, Trumps former national security advisor. There are many reasons for this assault on the Capitol, but foremost among them was the presidents exhortations, was the presidents sustained disinformation, said H.R. McMaster, a retired lieutenant general who served as another one of Trumps national security advisers. Senior Republican senators have also pointed the finger directly at Trump. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people, and they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government, which they did not like, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "The president bears responsibility for todays events by promoting the unfounded conspiracy theories that have led to this point, said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., on Jan. 6. The call to march down to the Capitol it was inciting, said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. It was pouring fuel on a spark. ... So, no, he does bear some responsibility. We witnessed today the damage that can result when men in power and responsibility refuse to acknowledge the truth, Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., said on Jan. 6. We saw bloodshed because a demagogue chose to spread falsehoods and sow distrust of his own fellow Americans. And there were 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last month. Among them was Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who said that the president of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack. None of this would have happened without the president. The president could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution, Cheney said. Despite all this, Trumps lawyers claimed that the impeachment was being driven only by Democrats, and purely out of irrational animus. We would like to discuss the hatred, the vitriol, the political opportunism that has brought us here today, said Trump lawyer David Schoen. The Trump lawyers largely ignored the actual merits of the case, choosing instead to play and replay videos of Democrats saying fight. Maxine Waters. (via Reuters) After one of these videos, van der Veen pointed to the Democrats in the chamber and at the House managers. Every single one of you, and every one of you, he said, apparently indicating that his team had shown each Democrat saying the word fight at some point. Please stop the hypocrisy. Van der Veen also accused Democrats of condoning violence during nationwide protests in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And even though Democratic then-candidate Joe Bidenrepeatedly condemned the riots and looting that occurred in cities last year, van der Veen also accused Democrats of stoking violence. Many Democrat politicians endorsed and encouraged the riots that destroyed vast swaths of American cities last summer, van der Veen said. And he claimed Trump had told his supporters were not going to do what they did all summer long. Van der Veen made his presence felt in the Senate chamber, attacking Democrats in hostile terms and tones. He mocked one of Raskin's arguments as less than what I would expect from a first-year law student. He and the other Trump lawyers also played video clips of Democrats in the House objecting to the certification of the 2016 election results, including Raskin. Raskin sought to explain why he did this, although it was one of the more substantial criticisms of the Democrats by Trumps attorneys. But it was muddled by the many inaccurate statements that Trumps attorneys made, along with their inclusion of provably false conspiracy theories. At one point, van der Veen alleged that the people who assaulted the Capitol were actually extremists of various different stripes and political persuasions rather than uniformly in support of Trump. He offered no evidence for this claim, or for his insistence that there were members of Antifa present. This has become one of the conspiracy theories popular among Trump supporters to shift blame for the insurrection away from the former president. As the day went on, Trumps lawyers avoided legal questions and leaned more heavily on bizarre accusations about what Schoen alleged were manipulated evidence and selectively edited video. The only evidence they provided was two tweets. In one, they made a confusing claim about the time stamp on a tweet, and then admitted that the mistake was not even presented to the Senate during the trial, but was corrected by House managers. In another, they accused House managers of essentially Photoshopping a blue check mark denoting Twitter verification next to the name of a person whose tweet they displayed. David Schoen, defense attorney for Donald Trump. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images) By the end of the day, this was being referred to as a scandal by Trumps attorneys. They got caught doctoring the evidence and this case should be over, van der Veen said. They also accused Democrats of misinterpreting Trumps words, and used that allegation to springboard into a discussion of the medias treatment of Trumps comments about the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville in 2017, in which he said there were very fine people on both sides. Trump and his supporters have long complained that his comments condemning white supremacists and neo-Nazis at that time are rarely mentioned, and when Schoen blasted the media for this, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., nodded his head vigorously. The Charlottesville example is instructive to the way that Trump has tried to retrofit reality in the days after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Trumps own allies castigated him for his both sides comments back in 2017. Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, said Trump had compromised his moral authority with his comments. All of this came down on Trump because he repeatedly tried to defend people who, based on first-hand evidence and reporting, were clearly in Charlottesville to promote racism and extremism. Trumps own allies were offended and angered by this, and did not put much stock in the fact that Trump had said a few words condemning white supremacists. At trial, Trumps lawyers pointed to Trumps single use of the word peaceful in his Jan. 6 speech as evidence that he was not inciting violence. The House managers, meanwhile, provided the context that led so many Republicans to condemn Trump and find him directly responsible. At one point, van der Veen said, we agree with the House managers, context does matter. But then he played a video again one already shown of Democrats saying the word fight. ____ Read more from Yahoo News: Chandigarh, Feb 13 : Afraid of losing the vote bank owing to the much delay in resolving the issue of those farmers protesting against the Centre's three agricultural laws, the BJP-led coalition partner JJP's leader Ajay Chautala on Saturday said that withdrawing the Haryana government's support "will not serve any purpose". His reaction came after he was asked whether Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and other Ministers from the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) will resign from the BJP government as the pressure was mounting on withdrawing the support of the farm laws. "Dushyant's resignation is lying in my pocket and I can give it immediately if it serves any purpose," he told the media. "The Centre has made these legislations. Either the government should resolve this issue or all the 10 Lok Sabha MPs from Haryana or all the 5 Rajya Sabha members resign who have endorsed these laws," he said. Without mincing words, the senior Chautala, who is on parole from Tihar Jail the teachers' recruitment case, clarified, "I had said this earlier too that I would not take a minute." Responding to the resignation of Indian National Lok Dal's lone legislator and his elder brother Abhay Singh Chautala's resignation from the state assembly in protest against the farm laws, Ajay Chautala said, "No purpose is served with his resignation." "I have been saying from the day one that the problem can be resolved only by talks. Farmers had started with certain issues and clarifications have been given by the Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Prime Minister Narendra Modia has said that the government is ready to resolve the issue. If people are still not satisfied, then what can be done. They should go and hold discussions with the government. There can be solutions only when both sides bend a little." The JJP has been facing criticism within the party for not walking out of the alliance on the farmers' issue and 'clinging to the power'. In an alliance, the JJP extended support to the BJP, which had won 40 seats, six short of the majority mark. The JJP -- a defector of the state's once prominent regional outfit Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), is primarily a rural Jat-centric party with the farmers as its core vote bank. The Jat, a dominant farming community, comprises 28 per cent of the state's population. The current strength of the 90-member Assembly is 88 members with the resignation of INLD's Abhay Chautala and disqualification of Congress' Pradeep Chaudhary after he was sentenced to three-year imprisonment. Advertisement Tucker Carlson has slammed the 'vicious' Lincoln Project as urgent questions were raised about the fate of more than $60million dollars' worth of money raised by the scandal-hit group - as it emerged executives spent $38,000 on a private jet firm, while Steve Schmidt bought a $1.4m mansion. Schmidt resigned from the anti-Trump super PAC on Friday amid a sexual harassment scandal surrounding his fellow co-founder John Weaver, who is accused of trying to solicit sex from young men and interns by offering them professional advancement. At least one of the alleged victims was 14. Opening his Fox News show, Carlson blasted the group as 'probably the most sleazy and vicious organisation American politics has ever seen' as reports exposed the huge gulf between what executives took from Never Trumper fundraisers and what they actually spent on political campaigns. Of the $90m Lincoln Project has raised, only around a third ($27m) went on campaign advertisements during the 2020 campaign, reports the Associated Press. That leaves tens of millions of dollars that went toward expenses like production costs, overheads - and exorbitant consulting fees collected by members of the group. During his time at the group, Schmidt, 50, purchased a $1.4m 'Mountain Modern' custom home in Kamas, Utah, with five bedrooms, seven baths and a 'stunning' view of the Uinta Mountains, according to property records and real estate listings. He is currently trying to resell the home for $2.9m. Another $38,000 of the Lincoln Project's money went to a private jet company, according to news reports, while more than $50m of the $90m amassed since the group's launch in November 2019 went to companies controlled by its leaders. Questions are being asked about where much of the $90million raised by the anti-Trump Lincoln Project ended up being spent. During his time at the group, co-founder Steve Schmidt, 50, purchased a $1.4m 'Mountain Modern' custom home in Kamas, Utah (pictured) Schmidt (left) resigned from the super PAC on Friday amid a sexual harassment scandal surrounding his fellow co-founder John Weaver (right) Brendan Fischer, an attorney with the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center in Washington, said the unusual nature of the Lincoln Project's spending raised worrying questions. 'Generally speaking, you'd expect to see a major super PAC spend a majority or more of their money on advertisements and that's not what happened here,' he said. 'It raises questions about where the rest of the money ultimately went.' The vast majority of the $63m spent on advertising was split among consulting firms controlled by its founders, including about $27m paid to a small company controlled by Reed Galen and another $21m paid to a boutique run by former Lincoln Project member Ron Steslow, campaign finance disclosures show. But in many cases it's difficult to tell how much members of the group were paid. That's because the Lincoln Project adopted a strategy, much like the Trump campaign they criticized, to mask how much money they earned. While several firms did collect payments, Weaver and Wilson are not listed in publicly available records. They were likely paid as subcontractors to those firms, an arrangement that avoids disclosure. Schmidt collected a $1.5m payment in December but quickly returned it. 'We fully comply with the law,' Schmidt said. 'The Lincoln Project will be delighted to open its books for audit immediately after the Trump campaign and all affiliated super PACs do so, explaining the cash flow of the nearly $700m that flowed through their organizations controlled by Brad Parscale and Jared Kushner.' Carlson, in commentary Friday night, sarcastically said, 'We hope these guys saved the money, because it's hard to imagine we'll be hearing much more from The Lincoln Project. 'Keep in mind, just a week ago, The Lincoln Project was powerful and feared. Now, it's done. It's over. It's not coming back,' Carlson said. The Lincoln Project parted with one co-founder, Jennifer Horn, last week, claiming in an unusual public statement that she was seeking a $250,000 signing bonus and a $40,000-a-month consulting contract. Horn said that she left following revelations of Weaver's 'grotesque' behavior and divergent views with existing leadership about how to move forward. Public records reveal that the unexpected success of the Lincoln Project has extended a lifeline to some founders who have spent much of the past decade under financial distress. Over the past decade, Weaver has repeatedly failed to pay taxes, defaulted on loans and faced lawsuits from creditors seeking to collect. In October, he paid off $313,000 in back taxes owed to the IRS dating back to 2011, records show. A separate case in Texas is still pending over $340,000 back rent his family owes after shuttering a children's boutique they operated, records show. Views: The 'mountain modern' is a five-bedroom home built in 2014. Schmidt has it on sale for double what he bought it for Spacious: The house has five bedrooms, seven baths and a 'stunning' view of the Uinta Mountains, according to property records and real estate listings Roomrated: Steve Schmidt has consistently scored 10 out of 10 for his kitchen shots on the cult Roomrater twitter feed Opening his Fox News show, Carlson blasted the group as 'probably the most sleazy and vicious organization American politics has ever seen' Schmidt announced his resignation on Friday in a lengthy post on Twitter in which he shared a personal account of sexual abuse from a Boy Scout medic, a long fight with depression and an apology for posting the private messages of a former Lincoln Project official a day earlier. 'My father wouldn't spit on them if they were on fire': Meghan McCain tears into 'despised' Lincoln Project co-founders Weaver and Schmidt Meghan McCain ripped into Weaver and Schmidt, claiming her father - the late Senator John McCain - hated them and would 'not have spit on them even if they were on fire'. Weaver and Schmidt became acquainted in 2006 while working on Senator McCain's campaign. Meghan tweeted on Friday evening: 'I've been very hesitant to comment but since my deceased father keeps getting invoked I will say this: John Weaver and Steve Schmidt were so despised by my Dad he made it a point to ban them from his funeral. Since 2008, no McCain would have spit on them if they were on fire. 'My heart goes out to the victims of John Weaver, it's abhorrent and evil - everyone who knew that this was going on deserves to be held accountable. I hope that anyone who covered up for this never works in politics ever again.' Meghan McCain has responded after news reports mentioned Schmidt and Weaver were connected to her late father, John McCain McCain added that her father was 'betrayed' by Weaver and Schmidt. 'What disgusts me so much is that anyone who would engage in such awful and potentially illegal behavior would use their media associations with my father to gain opportunities. My dad was betrayed by you, hated you for it, and we all know it,' she said. Schmidt, Senator McCain's senior campaign strategist during his 2008 presidential run, pushed him to select Sarah Palin as his running mate, a choice which both of them later regretted, The New York Times reported. He also worked on campaigns for President George W. Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Weaver worked on McCain's presidential campaigns of 2000 and 2008, and was the the chief strategist for Republican John Kasich during his 2016 presidential campaign run. Schmidt and Weaver co-founded the anti-Trump super PAC with six other Republican politicians and political strategists, including George Conway - the husband of Kellyanne Conway, senior advisor to President Donald Trump. Advertisement Just hours later, he was interviewed by Real Time' host Bill Maher, who was criticized for avoiding asking him about the Weaver scandal. Schmidt was not confronted about whether he was aware of Weaver's alleged predatory behavior, despite reports the Lincoln Project was told of at least 10 specific allegations against him in writing and in subsequent phone calls as early as June 2020, two of which came from Lincoln Project employees. The email and phone calls raise questions about the Lincoln Project's statement last month that it was 'shocked' when accusations surfaced publicly this year. Introducing Schmidt to the audience, Maher did not use his Lincoln Project title, although he did allude to the scandal during a panel discussion in which he spoke about him having 'a rough week'. It came as Meghan McCain ripped into Weaver and Schmidt, claiming her father - the late Senator John McCain - hated them and would 'not have spit on them even if they were on fire'. Weaver and Schmidt became acquainted in 2006 while working on Senator McCain's campaign. Meghan tweeted on Friday evening: 'I've been very hesitant to comment but since my deceased father keeps getting invoked I will say this: John Weaver and Steve Schmidt were so despised by my Dad he made it a point to ban them from his funeral. 'Since 2008, no McCain would have spit on them if they were on fire. 'My heart goes out to the victims of John Weaver, it's abhorrent and evil - everyone who knew that this was going on deserves to be held accountable. I hope that anyone who covered up for this never works in politics ever again.' McCain added that her father was 'betrayed' by Weaver and Schmidt. 'What disgusts me so much is that anyone who would engage in such awful and potentially illegal behavior would use their media associations with my father to gain opportunities. 'My dad was betrayed by you, hated you for it, and we all know it,' she said. Weaver - who has been married to his wife since 2007 - admitted last month that he was gay and apologized to the men he made 'uncomfortable' with his messages. 'The truth is that I'm gay and that I have a wife and two kids who I love. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place,' he said in an interview with Axios. 'To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry. 'They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you.' On Friday, Schmidt started his resignation letter by recounting his own sexual assault while he was a 13-year-old boy at the Rock Hill Boy Scout Camp. 'The older scouts called him 'Gay Ray,' and taunted and teased us about our inevitable encounter with him when the itch of the mosquito bites became too much to bear. It happened almost precisely like the older kids said it would,' Schmidt wrote. 'Covered in bites, I went to the Medical Cabin. He told me to take my clothes off. I complied. He looked at my body and examined the bites, just like they said he would.' Schmidt recalled the scout medic applying the ointment to his mosquito bites, feeling 'paralyzed.' 'I remember being paralyzed as his hands moved up my body and brushed over my penis. I remember all of this with perfect clarity up to the moment I was touched. The next part is fuzzier. I just know that I left,' Schmidt said. He recalled feeling 'lost and strange' and eventually sought counsel from Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, who would later be revealed to have allegedly raped a number of boys and men. 'Learning that the man I trusted to share my soul and the deepest memories of my violation was amongst the most prolific of the Catholic Church's sex criminals permanently shattered my faith and left me estranged from God,' he wrote. Flipping: Steve Schmidt bought his home in Kamas, UT, for $1.4m and it is now on the market for $2.9m. This is one of its seven bathrooms The 'Mountain Modern' custom home in Kamas, Utah, includes this cozy-open plan kitchen and living room Weaver is alleged to have targeted a 14-year-old boy and two members of the Lincoln Project's own staff - with its leaders warned in June 2020 but dong nothing then saying they were 'shocked' when revelations emerged publicly in January Weaver has been accused of using his influence to sexually harass young men and solicit them for sex. Pictured is the Lincoln Project's website Schmidt went on to say that he first met Weaver in 2006 but did not have a professional relationship with him until December 2019. 'I have said on the record that I learned about John Weaver's misconduct this past January,' Schmidt said, refuting claims from former employees that leadership knew of the sexual harassment as early as last summer. Schmidt added that he has felt 'incandescently angry' since the allegations against Weaver were revealed. 'John Weaver has put me back into that faraway cabin with Ray, my Boy Scout leader. I am incandescently angry about it,' Schmidt said in his letter. 'I am angry because I know the damage that he caused to me, and I know the journey that lies ahead for every young man that trusted, feared and was abused by John Weaver.' What they said in January: The Lincoln Project's statement is now in questions over revelations members of its leadership were warned about Weaver Weaver left Project Lincoln left last month after it was publicly alleged he offered young men professional support in exchange for sex. The recent letter from six former staffers demands that the Lincoln Project release them from non-disclosure agreements they signed so they can publicly talk about the claims against him, according to The New York Times. The Lincoln Project announced plans late on Thursday to launch an external investigation to probe claims they knew about sexual misconduct allegations against Weaver before he left the group. The organization had said that anyone bound by a nondisclosure should contact the Lincoln Project 'for a release'. The six staffers, however, said in an open letter they weren't comfortable doing so. 'Expecting victims and those close to victims to contact and engage the people and organization accused of protecting the very predator at issue is absurd, unreasonable and insensitive,' they said. By Friday, several others had also resigned from the super PAC. Lincoln Project spokesperson Kurt Bardella told Axios that he had resigned his position. Nayyera Haq, who joined the group this week as a video series host, also resigned. Columnist Tom Nichols said he was 'stepping down as an unpaid advisor' on Friday, according to the outlet. Weaver, who has served as a longtime Republican strategist, has been accusing of sending unwanted sexually explicit messages online to at least 21 men, telling them that he could help their careers. Messages was reportedly sent to a 14-year-old boy, asking him questions about his body and then more direct ones after he turned 18, The New York Times reported. Earlier on Friday, it was revealed that the FBI is investigating the allegations against the 61-year-old Weaver. Federal agents have now reached out to at least two people to ask if Weaver sexually harassed them when they were underage, reporter Yashar Ali revealed on Friday. Those two people said the FBI asked them if Weaver had ever touched them when they were minors, or if he had asked or sent them sexually explicit content. Who's who of Republican names: The Associated Press revealed that $27m was paid to a small firm controlled by Galen and another $21m paid to a firm run by Ron Steslow Former Republican Sen. John McCain, left, speaks to senior campaign adviser Steve Schmidt, right, in 2008 Megan McCain, the daughter of late Senator McCain, ripped into Lincoln Project co-founders John Weaver and Steven Schmidt The organization released a statement on Thursday night announcing that its board has decided to retain 'a best-in-class outside professional' to review Weaver's tenure 'to establish both accountability and best practices going forward for The Lincoln Project' It is not yet clear if Weaver is the target of a federal investigation or how wide the scope of the probe is. Schmidt has insisted that he and the rest of the group's leadership were not aware of any internal allegations of wrongdoing involving Weaver. 'No Lincoln Project employee, intern, or contractors ever made an allegation of inappropriate communication about John Weaver that would have triggered an investigation by HR or by an outside employment counsel,' Schmidt said in a Wednesday interview. 'In other words, no human being ever made an allegation about any inappropriate sexualized communications about John Weaver ever.' New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Congress on Saturday slammed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her remarks on former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, describing him as a "doomsday man" for India by constantly insulting constitutional functionaries and creating fake narratives on various issues. The party said that she is an angry Minister who has ruined the economy. Speaking to the media at Vijay Chowk here, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha said, "She is not Finance Minister but is an angry minister. She is dangerous for the Indian economy. She along with Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has ruined the economy of the country and their only motto is 'Hum do, hamare do'. Lashing out at the Finance Minister, Chowdhury said that the allegations made by the Congress are not baseless. He said as per the report of Oxfam, we want to ask the Finance Minister "How does she explain that the lockdown made India's billionaires 35 per cent richer, while 84 per cent of households income suffered a loss and 1.7 lakh people lost their jobs every hour in April, 2020 alone." Firing salvos at Sitharaman, he said, "How does she explain that income increase for India's top 100 billionaires since March 2020, which was enough to give each of the 13.8 crore poorest people a cheque of over Rs 94,000 each? Finance Minister's misplaced priorities include tax concession for corporates in financial year 2019-20 that amounted to over Rs 1.4 lakh crores. Instead of creating jobs, they used money for trimming up their balance sheets." The Congress leader staed that in 2018-19 banks wrote off about Rs 2.38 lakh crore in non-performing assets, which are mostly loans defaulted by corporates, but the Finance Minister will scorn at every given opportunity if the issue of waiving off the loans of farmers arises. Chowdhury said how does she explain reducing the outlay for agriculture from Rs 1.54 lakh crores in the previous budget to Rs 1.48 lakh crores in this budget, a cut of 6 per cent? "It has been reduced from 5.1 per cent to 4.3 per cent of overall budget. What could be the possible explanation for slashing the MGNREGA fund in her budget? The allocation to MGNREGA has been cut from Rs 1.66 lakh crores this year to Rs 96,773 crores in 2021, a cut of around 42 per cent. Petroleum subsidy, each and everybody in our country has been suffering financially because of the unprecedented hike in petroleum products prices. The petroleum subsidy, which goes to the subsidies for LPG and Kerosene, drastically cut by 68 per cent, to Rs. 4,091 crores, from Rs. 12,995 crores." He said that everyone is aware how the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG have gone up in the last few years. He said, "They are getting rattled when these pertinent issues are being raised by our party men, our party leaders. Instead of delivering the appropriate answer to our queries, questions etc, the government in general and today, the Finance Minister in particular, has been hurling derogatory remarks at our party leader Rahul Gandhiji. So, this is the government which does not honour the leaders and workers of the opposition party. By riding roughshod over the opposition questions, they (the Government) have been trampling each and every demand of our party and the common people in general across the nation." He added that it was the reason why the Congress thought it fit to at least draw attention that the economy of our country has been in a sorry stage, unemployment sector has registered a dismal scenario over all, across the country we are witnessing an unprecedented downturn in each and every sector. On a question about the comment made by Nirmala Sitharaman on Rahul Gandhi's slogan, 'Hum Do, Humare Do', Chowdhury said, "Immediately we stood up there and objected to the comments of Sitharaman and even exhorted her that being the Finance Minister of India, she should not indulge in such kind of unparliamentary activities inside the house. So, immediately we took serious exception to the comments made by Finance Minister." If you accidentally started a fire that quickly began to engulf the homes of your friends and neighbors nearby, would you call 911 and try to stop it? Or would you stand by callously, even gleefully, and watch it burn? That was a central question in the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Most decent Americans, of course, would get help. The fact that the president did not, that he took no action to stop the violent Jan. 6 insurrection on our nations capital and may have even welcomed it as a gesture of loyalty is the strongest indication of his culpability. The riot was no accident. It was no unforeseeable event sparked by a single, impromptu speech. It was a long-kindled consequence of Trumps endless lies about election fraud that fed a powerful myth that our democracy was under attack and an election was being stolen. In truth, it was Trump who was trying to steal a fair election and, in the process, committed one of the worst offenses of any president in American history: inciting a violent insurrection that endangered members of Congress, the vice president, hundreds of Capitol police officers and the democratic process itself. On Sunday, the majority of the members of the U.S. Senate 57, including seven Republicans agreed with that statement. Trump was acquitted because conviction required two-thirds of the chamber to agree. But even some who voted to acquit, including Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, had to acknowledge that Trumps crescendo of lies and his selfish scheme to overturn a fair election were to blame in the angry mobs attack. They had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth, because he was angry he lost an election, McConnell told the Senate in a speech one part courage and two parts cowardice. He should have made the remarks sooner. Instead, he waited until after the vote and hinged his decision to acquit on a technicality in ambiguous language regarding whether the Constitution even allowed a former president to stand trial for impeachment. Plenty of experts, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, believe it does. To his credit, though, McConnell dismissed Trumps claim that he meant no harm, and Trump lawyers claim that he was just exercising his First Amendment rights when he urged supporters to march to the Capitol and keep fighting to avenge his supposedly stolen victory. He knew what he was doing, before the riot and after the violence began. We know he was watching the same live television as the rest of us, McConnell said. A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him. It was obvious that only President Trump could end it. Yet, he refused. Instead, he rebuffed pleas to call off the mob or to order the deployment of National Guard troops. He and his minions were still heavily engaged in manipulative bureaucratic efforts to stop the counting of electoral votes even as Congress members were in mortal danger. The Washington Post and others have reported that he didnt even bother to call and check on his vice president until days after the riot. McConnell noted that Trump can still face criminal charges as a private citizen: He didnt get away with anything yet. While that may ease McConnells conscience, it doesnt satisfy any patriotic American who watched this impeachment trial and held out hope that Trump would be held accountable by the men and women we have elected to represent us in Washington. We applaud those who did the right thing even at great political risk. Those who didnt will go down on the wrong side of history, forever tethered to the shameful legacy of the worst president in American history. Still, the U.S. Senate isnt the only judge of Trumps crimes. Every American who watched in horror as our Capitol was desecrated, as police were bloodied and beaten, as Congress members cowered in gas masks afraid for their lives, is a witness to this tragedy. We are all jurors. We must make our verdict known wherever we can in letters and calls to Congress members, on our social media pages, and most importantly, in elections. We must never forget the events of Jan. 6, or the decision of Feb. 13 that failed to signal clearly to future generations of Americans: this cannot stand and must never be allowed to happen again. Those who paid close attention to Democrats carefully built case against Trump knew he had no real defense as evidenced by his teams reliance on what about finger-pointing in its arguments, or its desperate references to Antifa and even Madonna in trying to slough off blame and normalize the presidents dangerous acts of sedition. Trumps anemic defense took up all of three hours of the allotted 16 cynically relying on a preordained partisan verdict than any real effort to find the truth. Unsurprisingly, it worked. Pushing the First Amendment defense to extreme, Trumps lawyers had asked what would happen to America if political talk even inflammatory, ugly, combative speech were suddenly to become a crime? If that were the law, where then are the impeachment police who ought to be hounding former California Congresswoman Maxine Waters? Did she not urge supporters to feel free to jeer Trump officials if they saw them in a restaurant? Have not other Democrats urged fired-up voters to fight for their rights? The difference in the eyes of the Constitution is none of those examples appear to have led to widespread violence or were made with the intention of provoking lawless action and mayhem. Whats more, Waters wasnt president. Neither is Madonna. Trumps only inkling of a valid argument was that none of us could go inside his head and know whether he intended to incite violence. After all, they claimed, he did use the word peacefully at one point in the infamous pre-riot speech. But even that argument crumbled to dust Saturday as more evidence emerged, from a Republican congresswoman, no less, indicating that Trump had no intention of calling off his mob and may have reveled in their actions. In a courageous stand, Washington U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler came forward Friday about a phone call relayed to her by top House Republican Kevin McCarthy, a Trump loyalist. In her statement, which was entered into the record in a deal with Trumps lawyers, the Washington state congresswoman said McCarthy told her he had asked Trump to publicly and forcefully call off the riot. At first, Trump tried to claim the rioters were Antifa, not his supporters, but McCarthy told him that wasnt true. Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are, Trump responded, according to Herrera Beutlers recounting. There should be no doubt that President Trump put his own quest for power above the safety of every life at the Capitol that day. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, told Senators that as the violence became clearer, Trump left an outnumbered and overwhelmed Capitol Police force to fend for itself. Our commander in chief, whose job it was to protect them, was just watching, doing nothing for hours, refusing to send help, Castro said. On Jan. 6, President Trump left everyone in this Capitol for dead. The evidence was clear and began to collect months before, when Trump began telling his supporters he could only lose if Democrats cheated. When Joe Biden scored more than six million more votes, he switched his message to increasingly unhinged fabrications designed to exploit the doubts he had sewed and then sent teams of lawyers across the country to file baseless claims to give those lies the color of legal process. When that didnt work, he leaned on Republican officials in unprecedentedly overt efforts to get them to help him steal a victory. Finally out of options, he made one last try: He addressed a crowd of thousands of outraged supporters, gathered near the White House at his invitation, and told them to march on the Capitol to stop the certification of Bidens victory. If you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, Trump said. The real time event we watched unfold was harrowing enough, but the security video presented at trial showed how close several lawmakers came to disaster, mere feet from the encroaching mob. If as soon as this had started, President Trump had simply gone on to TV, just logged on to Twitter and said, Stop the attack, if he had done so with even half as much force as he said, Stop the steal, how many lives would we have saved? U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., asked on the Senate floor. We will never know. But we know this: Donald Trump abdicated his responsibility. He put himself over the country he swore to protect. By failing to convict, Republican senators have not only provided opportunity for him to do so again, but they have confirmed that there is no low that his party wont sink to follow him. A recent poll found that 83 percent of Texas Republicans believe there was widespread election fraud. Another poll found that 40 percent of Republicans think political violence is justifiable and could be necessary. That is Trumps legacy. A harbinger of further chaos that the Senate has now cemented. Before the trial, McConnell repeatedly signaled that senators should vote their conscience. Seven Republican senators followed theirs: Sens. Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey. Forty three seemed to have left theirs at home, including McConnell and Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Senators who voted to acquit Trump abdicated their own responsibility. Just as history wont forget the president who lit a torch against his own government and happily watched it burn, Americans wont soon forget the senators who nodded in tacit approval. This editorial was updated Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. after the Senate voted to acquit former President Donald Trump. Jaipur, Feb 13 : On Saturday, the second day of his trip here, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi drove a tractor to Rupangarh as hundreds of farmers joined him in a tractor rally. Gandhi was seen addressing farmers from a stage designed in the shape of a tractor trolley. Wearing a Rajasthani safa (turban), Gandhi reached the rally venue driving a tractor, with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, sitting on the tractor with him. Addressing the rally here, Gandhi said the implementation of the three farm laws will leave farmers as well as street vendors, small traders and other workers reeling under economic losses. "Modi ji says that he wants to talk to the farmers. But what does he want to talk about? He should withdraw the laws first and all farmers of the country will talk to him. You are robbing farmers' homes and are trying to snatch their rights and the right is then being given to 'Hum Do Hamare Do'," he further said. AICC general secretary Ajay Maken and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot were also present at the rally. Later, he went to Makrana in Ajmer and in his 19-minute speech, discussed the three farm laws and its alleged effect on farmers. Gandhi said that during the times of the Covid-19 pandemic, people asked for a rail and bus ticket from Modi. "However, Modi didn't give even one rupee. But at the same time, he waived his industrialist friends' debt of Rs 1,50,000 crore. Now, Narendra Modi has brought in new laws because he wants to snatch the agri-business from 40 per cent of the population and give it in the hands of two-three industrialists. The Modi government wants to end mandi, which is more like a meeting point of farmers and wants to make it farmers Vs industrialists," he alleged. Earlier, on Saturday, Gandhi offered prayers at the Tejaji temple situated in Kishangarh and thereafter went to Rupangarh and addressed a tractor rally. His tour concluded after addressing the rally in Makrana from where he reached Kishangarh airport and reached Delhi. Feb.13.2021 A young recruit who evaded a Christmas Eve police raid in Kathmandu tells how online gambling boiler rooms target single Chinese women The Houston area gets several hard freezes a year, and as a major winter storm approaches, you dont want to be caught off-guard by biting wind chill. But its not as simple as dressing in more layers you need to prepare for the impact of cold weather on your home. Even though Houston is unlikely to end up as cold as our friends in New England, it doesnt take much to wreak havoc on Southeast Texas. Texans should gear up for the winter weather, said Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas. You dont want to be caught off-guard and dont want to be out of town when a freak cold snap comes through. What is this? I'm Gwendolyn Wu, and I'm writing "Houston How To," a series on how to navigate the city and its complexities. Humans have an innate drive to improve themselves, and we're always striving to live better, smarter and more efficiently by throwing countless dollars and hours at our problems. The Houston Chronicle wants to simplify that for you. As a reporter, I usually ask the questions, but I can't be the only one wondering how something works. What are things you need to know how to do, Houston? You can find me on Twitter at @gwendolynawu or by email at gwendolyn.wu@chron.com. See More Collapse While northern transplants might snort at the idea of folks freaking out when temperatures hover around 32 degrees, Houstonians arent accustomed to regular bouts of temperatures in the low 30s, a forecast were facing this week. Get ready for the worst of the winter season by protecting your home and loved ones from cold weather. Protect your pipes Water turns to ice when temperatures dip below 32 degrees for a lengthy period of time, typically 24 hours although it can happen faster if it gets much colder. Expanding liquid puts a lot of pressure on pipes, according to the American Red Cross. But you might not see the damage until the ice starts thawing and the cracks become apparent. Experts recommend insulating outdoor pipes and those that are exposed in any part to the elements, such as those in unheated attics. FREEZING TEMPERATURES: Cold front could plunge Houston area into wintry weather A do-it-yourself approach is fine. You can wrap pipes in newspaper, foam or rags and secure them with strong tape or rope. If it gets really cold and you expect to be out of town for a longer period of time, consider cutting off the water and draining the pipes. Insured losses and home damages from burst pipes usually run in the tens of millions of dollars annually in Texas, Hanna said. But when theres a long period between cold snaps, people get complacent and may not think to take precautions, putting aging pipes at risk. Its been decades since weve had a really bad, long spell of freezing weather so it could reach $100 million, Hanna said. Make sure your home is warm You might want to run your heater before the first cold nights come. Accumulated dust will burn off and with a smoky smell, which experts say is concerning only if it lingers or keeps returning when you turn your heater on later. Thats a sign that you need to call in technicians to inspect your heater if you dont already do an annual check. If your house has a chimney, make sure that the shaft isnt blocked and clean out the chimney annually. You dont want to be caught off-guard by smoke and fumes filling your home. If your home is equipped for heat but you cant afford the payments, consult Texas Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program. The program aids low-income households with making energy-efficient home repairs and utility payments. To qualify, households must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, with priority given to elderly, persons with disabilities and families with young children, or individuals with high energy cost burdens, said Kristina Tirloni, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. From November 2018 to February 2019, 3,223 households in Harris County used CEAP to pay utility bills or prevent utility cutoff, according to the housing agency. Another 165 households used the program, administered by Baker Ripley, to weatherize their home insulating, repairing and/or replacing fixtures in the building to make it more energy efficient in 2018, Tirloni said. Insulation is particularly important for keeping energy costs down. Make sure your attic insulation is effective. And think about whats below it as well. Many area homes are built on pier and beam foundations, allowing cold air to invade the crawlspace under a house, resulting in cold floors. Researchers at Louisiana State University found that properly sealed, rigid foam insulation installed underneath the floor joists or closed cell spray foam will keep your pier-and-beam home insulated without promoting the growth of mold and fungi. (Both are DIY-able.) Check in on people, pets and plants Cold weather significantly impacts death rates in Texas, according to research from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. In metropolitan areas along the Gulf Coast, including the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land region, the risk of mortality increased significantly when temperatures dropped. Annually, an estimated 1,105 deaths can be attributed to excessive cold in the area, researchers found. If you know you have a neighbor going on vacation soon and a cold front is looming, ask if they want someone to come in and drip water from some of the faucets in their home to prevent still water from icing over, Hanna said. And if you have friends or family who are physically impaired and/or unable to prepare their homes, check in on them as well. PREPARE YOUR PLANTS: Here's what you need to do to minimize damage in the garden Pets and plants need protection from freezing temperatures. For foliage, if the cold spell isnt expected to last long, you can drape a drop cloth or plastic sheets over stakes and over the plant to protect ice crystals from forming, researchers said. You can also bring potted plants in during frosty weather. While some animals are hardy, you should make sure they have warm, insulated places to sleep especially young animals that havent developed their winter coats. A 2007 law passed in the Texas Legislature makes it illegal to tether dogs outside in extreme weather conditions, including if the actual or effective temperature outside is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Owners must provide adequate shelter protecting the dog from frigid weather conditions. (Advocates said no one has been prosecuted under the law, although warnings can be issued.) gwendolyn.wu@chron.com An ice jam on the Buckland River has sent water over the village of the Buckland in Northwest Alaska. Buckland, a village of about 400 residents, is 75 air miles southeast of Kotzebue. Photo courtesy of Charles Esmailka Teresa Gutierrez is still trying to piece together what happened moments before her son was found dead along with his friend on an East Side street. At 2:28 a.m. on Jan. 21, an officer spotted Ruben Rudy Soto, 20, face-down on the opposite side of the road from Matthew Lopez, 28, according to a San Antonio police report. The officer was on a scheduled patrol of the 300 block of Fredonia Street. At least one resident had told police that drug deals were being conducted there and possessions were being stolen from back yards, the report states. When the officer first drove up to the two men, he said he thought they were passed out or injured. But after honking several times, neither budged. The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office said the two had died of multiple gunshot wounds. Their deaths were both ruled as homicides. On ExpressNews.com: They believed him. So they fought. Texas Rep. Castro plays key role in Trump impeachment trial Exactly how Soto and Lopez might have ended up on the street is not listed in a police report released Wednesday. Police have yet to identify any suspects. We really dont know why he was over there, Gutierrez said of her son. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Gutierrez, who only speaks Spanish, broke into tears as she recalled the moment one of her two daughters told her that Sotos body was found. His family called him Cachito, which means little piece in English. The nickname fit because he was very short as a boy, but literally outgrew the nickname when he hit a growth spurt at the age of 16. Gutierrez said Soto was a hard worker who went for jobs that paid the most. He also was family-oriented, dropping everything if his family needed him. He was a good person, and he was always attached to me, his mother said. Whenever he was experiencing turbulence in his life, he would immediately check in with his mother. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox Last year, he ran into trouble after family members said he let his anger get the best of him during a fight with his girlfriend. On March 2, Sotos girlfriend was attempting to walk away from an argument that became physical. He then ran after her and allegedly pointed a gun at her and threatened to unload a clip, according to an affidavit. Soto was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was later ordered to undergo treatment at a mental health facility, his mother said. He had been staying with a relative while waiting for his upcoming court date. Piecing together what little she does know, Gutierrez said she does not think the girlfriend or the incident has anything to do with Sotos death. She also did not believe that her son was involved in any gang activity, though detectives did question her about the fact that both Soto and Lopez were found wearing red shoes. The last time Soto and his mother spoke was about 10 hours before his death. Gutierrez had been locked out of her apartment, so he went to her home and dropped off a key. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News She said she had scolded Soto for not reporting to work that day. He told her he did not go in because it was raining. During their brief visit, she saw Lopez and one other person in a car. Before he left her, Soto offered to take his sisters phone to a repair shop, family members said. On ExpressNews.com: NWS: San Antonio escaping worst cold for now but record-breaking system on its way Gutierrez and his family said they knew little of Lopez, having met him on three separate occasions. They first met him on Christmas Day, when one of Gutierrezs daughters introduced him as her boyfriend. After his body was found, Gutierrez said that Sotos car, a 2013 beige Chevrolet Malibu, was missing. Soto bought the car four days before he died, his family said. SAPD confirmed that they found a burned vehicle belonging to one of the victims on Hoefgen Avenue, more than a mile away from where Soto and Lopez were discovered. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Gutierrez said she asked police to see what became of her sons vehicle, but that they could not show her or answer questions about the case because their investigation is ongoing. Despite a frustration with a lack of answers, she and other relatives said they are hopeful that witnesses who know anything, even small details, will reach out to the police. The origin of Stonehenge, the 5,000 year old prehistoric monument located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, U.K., has puzzled archaeologists for centuries. Now, 5,000 years after it was built, according to a CNN report, archaeologists have solved the mystery surrounding the bluestones that form part of the monument - where they came from, as well as how they were unearthed. CNN reported that in 2019, researchers revealed that the 43 huge bluestones had been moved to their present location, from their place of origin - an ancient quarry on the north side of the Preseli Hills in western Wales - a staggering distance of 150 miles. Now, archaeologists think that prior to their arrival at their current location, some of the bluestones had formed another stone circle close to the same area as the quarries, were dismantled, and then rebuilt as part of Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain, the report said. CNN cites new research published in the journal Antiquity, which states that the identical 110-meter diameters of the stone circle, known as Waun Mawn, and the enclosing ditch of Stonehenge, suggest that at least part of the circle was brought from its location in Wales to Salisbury Plain. And theres more evidence. The paper added that both stone circles are aligned on the midsummer solstice sunrise, and one of the bluestones at Stonehenge has an unusual cross-section that matches one of the holes left at Waun Mawn, adding that chippings in that hole are of the same rock type as the Stonehenge stone. Stonehenge comprises two types of stone: larger sarsen stones and smaller bluestone monoliths, though many of the 43 bluestones remain buried beneath the grass, CNN said. The bluestone were thought to be the first erected at Stonehenge 5,000 years ago, CNN said, centuries before the larger sarsen stones were brought over just 15 miles from the monument. CNN noted that The Stones of Stonehenge research project is led by Mike Parker Pearson, a professor at University College London. CNN cited a news statement, which said that discovering the dismantled stone circle at Waun Mawn happened through trial and error. The study said that only four stones were visible at the Waun Mawn site, and in 2010 it was thought they were part of a stone circle, but since initial geophysical studies were inconclusive, the team decided to focus their energies elsewhere. Two empty stone holes were found during a trial excavation at the site in 2017, but since ground radar surveys were still unsuccessful, the team was left with no choice but to do it the old-fashioned way and dig, CNN cited. The study said that excavations in 2018 revealed empty stone holes, confirming that the four remaining stones were part of a former circle, CNN cited. It was found that the Waun Mawn stone circle was erected around 3400 BC, based on dating of charcoal and sediments in the holes, the study said. The paper also suggested that the stones may have been moved as people migrated from that part of Wales, with the first people to be buried at Stonehenge thought likely to have once lived in this region. CNN cited Parker Pearson, who said in a news statement: My guess is that Waun Mawn was not the only stone circle that contributed to Stonehenge. He added, Maybe there are more in Preseli waiting to be found. Who knows? Someone will be lucky enough to find them. READ MORE: Chandigarh: Commenting on the statement made by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Parliament on the number of farmers who lost their lives during the farmers agitation, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the Union government was proving to be irresponsible, inhuman and arrogant towards its people. In a statement issued from the party headquarters, senior leader of the AAP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, said that the centre governments failure to provide details of the deaths of its own farmers proved that Prime Minister Narendra Modi government was an irresponsible government. Harpal Singh Cheema He said that it was inhuman and arrogant for Union Minister Narendra Tomar to say in the Parliament that there were no statistics on the number of farmers martyred during the agitation. Cheema said that the farmers had been claiming the centres new farm laws as death warrants for a long time but the government, justifying the death warrants of the farmers, had spent Rs 7.95 crore on its advertisements. He said that it was an insult to the martyred farmers that the Modi government had spent crores of rupees of the exchequer to promote pro-corporate laws. So far about 228 farmers have been martyred but it was highly reprehensible that the government had no plans for their families, he added. Cheema said that the farmers were working day and night to produce food for the country and the sons of the farmers were protecting the country at the borders and getting martyred; but rejecting the same farmer by the Modi government, could not be more dishonour. Narendra Singh TomarHe said that instead of listening to the farmers of the country, the Union government had been saying that the farmers should believe in the government, that these laws were in their favour, but how can the people of the country trust the government, who had been deceiving them by making false promises. He said that the fact that the centre government did not have the number of martyred farmers proved that the Modi government was dishonest. Cheema said that the Union government had become so enslaved by a few corporate houses that without them, it could not see any other citizen of the country. He said that till now the proverb of playing the flute of Nero had been used, but now the people of India were seeing the Nero of the modern age. Cheema said that the annadatas of our country were being martyred while fighting for their survival, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi was talking nonsense. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results Drug giant AstraZeneca (in collaboration with Oxford) has said that the vaccine jab to cope with the Kent and South Africa coronavirus variants will be developed by autumn as it revealed its annual profits have more than doubled. AstraZeneca, who is offering the coronavirus vaccines at non-profitable grounds, hits sales of 27 billion US dollars a rise of 10% and the company reported pre-tax profits of 3.92 billion US dollars for 2020. AstraZeneca vaccine against new Covid-19 strain AstraZeneca will start the vaccination program before winter for its new jab as it is aiming to start its official clinical trials. Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot stated that AstraZeneca's existing vaccine has shown satisfactory results against the new rapidly contagious COVID-19 variant but will need to be adapted to prevent milder symptoms. World Health Organisation (WHO) may soon recommend the use of the Oxford-Astrazeneca jab in all adults. Today were announcing results from 2020 a year in which we saw double digit growth as we continued to advance our pipeline and deliver for patients. https://t.co/zPsixPYPzz $AZN pic.twitter.com/31BNkq9AGC AstraZeneca (@AstraZeneca) February 11, 2021 Pascal added, "One hundred million doses in February means 100 million vaccinations, which means hundreds of thousands of severe infections avoided and it also means thousands of deaths that are avoided. Were going to save thousands of lives and thats why we come to work every day as individuals. Also Read: US Secured 200 Million More Doses Of Moderna And Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccines: Biden Also Read: India's Health Ministry Exposes Impersonator Site Selling Covid Vaccine; Javadekar Reacts New Covid-19 jab ready by autumn Earlier, Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher for the Oxford team, told media that the drug giant has a new version prepared to use in the autumn. It looks very likely that we can have a new version ready to use in the autumn," she asserted. Oxford University made its official statement over the new vaccine against South Africa Variant after that reports suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine has a mild impact on the disease caused by this new contagious virus strain. Oxford University in a statement informed, Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalization or death could not be assessed in this study as the target population was at such low risk. Concerning to some extent that we're seeing that it's not effective against mild or moderate disease" [Sic.] Also Read: Dacoit Museum In MP's Bhind To Showcase Tales Of Chambal Bandits & Policemen Also Read: 25-yr Old Rinku Sharma Killed In Delhi; Police Says Business Argument; VHP Says Otherwise Across the U.S., companies are celebrating Black History Month. It's an important time for workplaces to recognize African Americans' role throughout history and promote diversity within their organizations. However, during this time, many companies try to show their their commitment to diversity with performative efforts, like cultural celebrations and historical highlight reels, instead of addressing the root systemic causes of inequity. As co-founder and CEO of Kanarys (a Black, female co-owned, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) platform), I've seen that these events don't do much to promote organizational change. They ignore the intergenerational pain that is still deeply felt in Black and Brown communities, and treat the exclusion of Black individuals from financial security as something from the past. They gloss over the continued stigmatization and discrimination Black communities face today. In truth, performative efforts can actually further alienate and disenfranchise your team. Before founding Kanarys, I worked as a lawyer at law firms that celebrated Black history and spoke of inclusion, but that did not prevent partners, colleagues, and clients from questioning if I got into Harvard based on my merit or my race. Celebrating the historical "wins'' of the Black community did little to change the perception of me as a Black female lawyer. Last year we saw Black Lives Matter take center stage to inspire conversations about the treatment of Black bodies globally. Companies knew they had to reprioritize and rethink their approach to DEI, with many unsure of what to do or where to even begin. However, many companies are aware that they can no longer use Black History Month as a quick way to check the box on their DEI efforts. Instead, companies need a full X-ray and a prescription written for them that helps diagnose the DEI maladies inside their workplace. Leaders need to look at their policies, procedures, benefits, and pay scales to ensure they support every employee equitably, including promotional opportunities. There is a lot of talk around celebrating and promoting Black professionals but the truth is, only three Black women have ever been CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Only three. Now, more than ever, companies must identify and implement both short-term and long-term solutions, rather than just celebrate the concept of diversity during the month of February. 2021 is about moving beyond our old systems and taking meaningful action. This Black History Month, celebrate by making DEI a part of your everyday strategy. When companies take proactive and meaningful action, they improve company culture and empower employees of all racial backgrounds to embrace DEI practices throughout their lives. Some simple ways to begin at the corporate and individual level are: 1. Support Black-owned businesses and increase your supplier diversity Do an audit of your supplier diversity spending to ensure that a significant portion of your suppliers are owned and led by underrepresented businesses. The financial impact of Covid-19 disproportionately hit Black businesses, and according to a study by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, the pandemic resulted in the closure of 41% of Black businesses, approximately 440,000 businesses. In response, many large corporations vowed to support Black-owned companies, from Netflix to Pepsi, which promised $400 million over five years. This purposeful shift challenged companies to consider the bias that exists in the procurement process and in how they choose partners. I would challenge companies to take this a step further and move beyond the small contracts typically awarded and develop a robust supplier diversity program that integrates Black-owned businesses at all levels. Related: 6 Ways You Can Support Black Businesses Long-Term 2. Invest in the Black community A great way to support the Black community is to invest in it. This could be as simple as switching your banking assets over to a Black-owned bank so that you can leverage your assets to close systemic disparities in lending. Black Out Coalition offers a list of Black-owned banks by state. Additionally, investing in overlooked Black entrepreneurs is an effective way to uplift Black founders as well as recognizing the Black community's talents. 3. Create personal equity and inclusion statements Have your employees define their equity and inclusion goals for the year and encourage them to commit to advancing them. In this, I challenge CEOs to take the lead and be vulnerable and authentic with their employees and partners about their own experiences of not belonging and being othered. When leaders lead from a place of openness, they encourage their team to share experiences of exclusion, even those within the company, without fear. 4. Support company employee resource groups (ERGs) ERGs play a crucial role in supporting underrepresented employees in the workplace and in helping to elevate talent within the workplace. A simple way to support underrepresented and Black employees is to help ensure ERGs have a significant budget and influence within your organization. Most importantly, employees who take on extra work to support ERGs should be compensated, and this work should not be viewed as volunteer work. Companies like Twitter are starting to pay resource group leaders and allocate more resources to these groups, and others should follow their lead as this is valuable work and should be treated as such. Related: 3 Ways to Support Minority-Owned Businesses 5. Engage DEI consultants and industry experts DEI experts can identify hidden or systemic barriers that prevent an inclusive and equitable environment by conducting workplace equity audits and helping companies really take the time to diagnose these issues before jumping straight to training. When armed with data, companies can begin tackling the issues and work towards building long-term sustainable and measurable goals. Once specific issues have been identified, the DEI expert can help the organization implement a comprehensive long-term strategy and deliver tailored workshops and training to effectively foster DEI in the workplace. 6. Encourage employees to expand their understanding of racism One important way to understand systemic racism, White privilege, and the long legacies of slavery and White supremacy in American history is reading and watching educational documentaries. Education and personal reflection are keys to identifying your own biases and stereotypes. Offer your employees gift cards to purchase books related to race and racism, such as: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison The Source of Self-Regard by Toni Morrison The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Racism: A Short History by George M. Fredrickson Representation and inclusion matter, and the best thing you can do to celebrate Black History Month is to make your Black employees feel seen, heard, and validated. Commit to impactful and long-term DEI efforts to truly understand your inclusion efforts and make sure everyone is supported and accepted for who they are. DEI is not something to be celebrated for one month. It's active and conscious work that must be engaged in year round in order to foster a safe and engaging workplace for all employees. Related: Minority-Owned Small Businesses Aren't Getting Stimulus Loans ... Related: How Can You Truly Make a Difference for Black History Month? Why Are Venture Capitalists Still Funding Mostly White, Male Entrepreneurs? Here's the No. 1 Question White Leaders Ask Me About Black History Month Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Dr Denis McCauley said there were various reasons for the ban. Photo: Colin O'Riordan GPs have been banned from using community halls or hotels as vaccination centres for the over-70s, it was confirmed yesterday. It has prompted concerns that lack of space in some surgeries will make it more difficult to have social distancing and lead to a slowdown in the pace of vaccinations as well as lack of parking for the elderly in winter weather. It comes as the roll out of vaccines to people aged 85 years and older looks set to begin on Tuesday to around 100 practices where patients will be invited to get the first dose in their doctors surgery. However, Dublin GP Dr Aidan Hampson of Whitethorn Rise, Artane in Dublin said he has now written to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to reconsider the ban on local community halls saying they far outweigh small inadequate surgery premises. Read More He pointed out without an suitable waiting area one very rainy day or snow fall and essential vaccinations for that day would be cancelled. In his letter to Mr Donnelly he said he had secured the community insured hall in the Beaumont area adjoining the local church and his practice. It has a large car park and ample space for four vaccinators with socially distanced space for 20 people who must stay behind for observation. Dr Hampsons practice manager Laura OBrien who came up with the idea of the local hall said yesterday: It is a great building with one entrance and two exits. People volunteered their services including as car park attendants and it has male and female toilets. Dr Hampson said he has 1,200 patients over 70, 160 of whom are over 85. The greatest problem will arise when they are giving first and second doses. I am a simple GP who is in the coalface and I see the problems that are arising in the weeks to come. It should be tackled now. He is among several GPs who had arranged for their vaccinations to take place in facilities like hotels or community centres to allow for the extra space. Under the current plan the vaccines can be given in the patients GP surgery, in another surgery premises or in a designated centre such as the Helix in Dublin. Another GP Dr Stephen Murphy from Cabinteely in Dublin called for greater clarity on what to do if there are surplus doses of the vaccine. The instruction is that it doses must be strictly for those aged 85 and over. Dr Murphy said said doctors have a ticking clock of six hours in which to use vials of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and if one of their list of patients cannot attend they could be left two or three doses. I would be the first to criticise someone who vaccinated a person outside the age group. I am not advocating for that. But we need to act in a reasonable and pragmatic fashion. I have been vaccinating for 40 years and I dont need another directive from the HSE to do it. He said if a doctor has run out of 85 and older people to vaccinate on a day they should be free to offer it to an 84 year old. If you try to make it black and white you will end up with a complete mess, he added. Other doctors said it has not been properly communicated that some 85 and older people will wait three weeks for their first dose. In response, Dr Denis McCauley of the Irish Medical Organisation said the reason there is a ban on local halls is due to various reasons including indemnity. It does not work practically because of the various issues we have, he said. Dr McCauley added the delivery of vaccines would also have to be made directly to the community centre or hotel, and this could create security problems if they were at the centre or hotel overnight. Asked about moving to people who are 84 years old if there are not enough 85 or over patients on a day he said this is possible, but the key is to maintain the ethical principle. Rollout It is possible as long as it does not displace an 85 year old or older, he added. GPs will have a list of reserve people who can be contacted and are on call to make themselves available for the vaccine, he added. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said yesterday that given that we are rolling out the vaccines, it does make sense that we knuckle down. "As the vaccines are rolled out mortality will go down, severe illness will go down and as we vaccinate the more vulnerable and the more senior of our citizens, we will be in a good space in a relatively short space of time. Speaking in Cork the Taosieach said that the Government has put a lot of resources into vaccination...you can see it here in terms of the physical side of it, in terms of the various contracts we have signed with GPs and the vaccinators Resources are not an issue. India and the US have agreed to remain in contact as well as exchange assessments of the situation in following the military coup, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing that developments in were discussed during the telephonic conversations between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. He said India believes that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld in "We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. As immediate neighbours with close cultural and people-to-people ties as well as relations strengthened by exchanges in trade, economy, security and defence," Srivastava said. "We are closely monitoring developments in that country. We will remain engaged with all concerned on this issue," he added. Last week, Myanmar's military grabbed power in the coup against the civilian government and imposed a state of emergency after detaining Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her League for Democracy (NLD). The country witnessed massive protests in the last few days against the February 1 coup. Srivastava also said that India has received a letter from Myanmar's military citing reasons for its action in the country. The Myanmarese military sent similar letters to several other countries. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced a series of sanctions on the military leaders of Myanmar for overthrowing the NLD government in the coup. "Recent developments in Myanmar were discussed during the telephone conversations between President Biden and Prime Minister Modi on February 8 and the External Affairs Minister and his US counterpart Secretary Blinken on February 9," Srivastava said. "India and the US have agreed to remain in contact and exchange assessments on the situation," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hospitalizations from the coronavirus continue to fall, but some intensive care units in Connecticut are still well above 90 percent capacity. The state announced Friday yet another decrease in COVID-related hospitalizations, down 57 to 674, the lowest its been since early November. But a state report on hospital capacity shows some facilities have little room left. According to Vincent Petrini, a spokesman for Yale-New Haven Hospital, the lack of capacity is in part due to the pandemic, and partly because of expected seasonal shifts. Simply put, this is usually the busiest time of year for hospitalizations, Petrini said. Earlier in the pandemic, patients were attempting to avoid a trip to the hospital. In December, when the state was in the throes of a second COVID wave, Dr. Thomas Balcezak, chief clinical officer for Yale-New Haven Health, said patients were starting to come to the hospital for other medical issues. People werent coming in with gall bladder attacks or signs of stroke, Balcezak said then. Now they are. That delayed care, as Petrini called it Saturday, is putting pressure on hospitals. Adding to the capacity challenges is the continued return of delayed care from earlier in the pandemic, Petrini said. When you add the several hundred COVID inpatient cases across our health system into the mix, even when the numbers of those cases are declining, it leads to full hospital beds. Norwalk Hospital, for example, is at 95.5 percent capacity over a seven-day average, though its intensive care unit is only 58.9 percent full on average. Yale New Haven Hospital is at an average of 91.7 percent capacity over the last seven days, and its ICU is at an average of 88.3 percent capacity over the same time period. The ICU at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford is at 94.3 percent capacity on average, more than any other ICU in the state. Statewide, hospitals are at an average of 80.2 percent capacity, with ICUs 61 percent full on average over the last seven days. Federal Health and Human Services data maintained by the University of Minnesota, COVID-19 patients in Connecticut comprise an average of 15.7 percent of total hospital capacity across the state. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help Detailed ventilation assessments were not completed at most of Victorias quarantine hotels when the state reopened its borders to coronavirus via returned travellers in December. Advice supplied by the government reveals engineers examined fresh air exchange rates in rooms at the hot hotels which deal with people infected with the virus but did not look at cold hotels used to house returned travellers who have not tested positive. The Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport has been closed for a terminal clean. Credit:Jason South The information was provided to The Age in December last year, as it examined growing concerns that poor ventilation was contributing to coronavirus spread and posed a particular danger in hotels. We always thought that the cold hotels would be properly audited, as well as the hot ones, said the Australian Medical Associations Victorian president Julian Rait. The phone call to Shanahans pharmacy came through about two weeks ago. One of the regulars, a local man, wanted to speak to Jack, the owner. He wasnt very well, the conversation revealed. It was nothing to do with Covid-19. He was basically ringing to say goodbye, says Jack, during an interview with the Irish Independent this week. He said he got really bad news and he didnt have long to go. He was right he lasted only about a week after that. He was ringing to say thanks for all the service over the years. So that goes on too in the midst of all the Covid. Read More Since the start of the pandemic last March, community pharmacies like Shanahans in Castleisland, Co Kerry, have remained open to the locals they serve. As lockdown orders and fear spread across the country, patient visits to GPs decreased dramatically. Many people sought the counsel of their neighbourhood pharmacists, who took on a vital advisory role to support medication adherence, chronic disease management and, more generally, wellness. Shanahans, part of the Haven group of independent pharmacies, is one of four pharmacies in Castleisland. In March 2020, as rumours of a nationwide lockdown began to swirl, locals descended on the pharmacy. There was complete panic, says Jack, a pharmacist with more than 30 years experience. I suppose people were worried that they wouldnt be able to get prescriptions. You had people stocking up for a lockdown of unknown duration and unknown intensity and they didnt know whether the pharmacies would be closed. There was a week or so where pharmacies were faced with the equivalent of half a Christmas Eve every day. The panic, when it subsided, saw community pharmacies quickly adapt to a new way of working. PPE, a scarce and most sought commodity, became an essential piece of workwear. Perspex screens were erected at counters, creating an unfamiliar barrier between staff and patients, and shop doors carried signs regulating the limited numbers allowed inside. As locals locked themselves away, new ways of getting vital medicines to the sick quickly came in to play. We hadnt delivered medicines up until Covid, says Jack. Suddenly it became very much part of what we do. We would close the shop at six and head out, spending an hour or two doing deliveries. We had cocooners and people who were high risk and lived in very isolated areas. I saw parts of the Kerry hinterland that I had never seen before. Its Tuesday in the rural village of Duleek, Co Meath, and pharmacist Kathy Maher, one half of the husband-and-wife team who run the Haven pharmacy, has three deliveries to make tonight. Like many of her colleagues, she has become a delivery driver during the pandemic, ferrying vital medicines to customers in the community. Its a case of dropping packages on the doorstep, ringing the doorbell and having a brief conversation before heading off, she says, but more often than not she senses the need for her to linger. You would just get the sense that some people are really desperate for a chat, she says. Some of our patients would be older and maybe that bit more isolated so yours might be the only face they see all week. In situations like that you do hang on at the doorstep and engage a bit longer. This is a small community so we would know these people and there is a connection there. Some of them would be having a hard time being so cut off. I had one gentleman a few weeks ago who is receiving end of life care. He wasnt able to answer the door so I let myself in. Every situation is different. As well as dispensing what would be termed regular prescriptions for heart problems, diabetes and other long-term ailments, Kathy has been dispensing an increasing number of anti-depressants. Anecdotally, we noticed that when we exited the first lockdown there was a lot of anxiety around that time, she says. When people were locked into their homes they felt safe because this was all new and strange. But then as we began to ease into the level twos or threes, people were a little bit anxious about exiting. There were also financial worries and other issues going on. It was connected to isolation, to stress, to maybe being at home for prolonged periods of time, to lack of social contact. We have had people who have been prescribed an anti-depressant for the first time and they maybe hadnt had a face-to-face consultation until they saw us. We are noticing an awful lot of them and its all the age groups or genders. Mental health is something that I think is going to be an issue in the long term after Covid. In Raphoe, Co Donegal, a county that has been a Covid-19 hotspot for most of the year, the third wave has hit locals hard. When cases exploded at Christmas the pandemic became personal, says Margaret ODoherty, owner of the only pharmacy in the small village. So many people in this area have had family or friends who have had Covid, she says. Some have had to be hospitalised, so everybody knows somebody now, and its really brought it home. Attitudes have changed very, very quickly. You dont think its ever going to affect you, but when a member of your own family or one of your friends is admitted to hospital suddenly you feel much more vulnerable, and that scared a lot of people. For Margaret, like other local pharmacists, there is a daily battle to convince people with Covid-19 symptoms to follow the public health advice. We would have a lot of people coming in saying, Oh I have a cough, she says. We would say, Well did you get it checked out? And they will say, Oh, I know its not Covid, I get this every year. We have to remind them that this isnt a normal year. We would have people coming in who inadvertently dont realise they are suspect Covid. There would be a lot of coaxing to get them to contact their GP. Margaret says throughout the year a lot of elderly customers have been too frightened to leave the house. Her husband, Christy, has stepped in to deliver their medicines. They would be afraid to come into town and be mixing with people, she says. Especially when the case numbers were very high. Before, they would have made a day of it maybe, picking up their prescription, going to the butcher and the supermarket. Thats all gone. While Covid dominates the mindset and lives of many, Margaret worries that people have lost sight of others in the community dealing with non-Covid illness. Palliative care patients still need their morphine, she says. The biggest concern we would have would be for other patients, for example patients who are getting cancer treatment, she says. There is a day unit in Letterkenny, and people are in the community and receiving treatment there. Then you have palliative care patients, people who are end of life, people with chronic illness, children with heart complaints all those people are still out there and theyre incredibly vulnerable. You are trying to maintain the service to them and I feel that, to an extent, they have got lost in the whole debate. Everyone is concerned about Covid and thats a huge concern, but everything else has to keep functioning. File photo of Chen Xu, China's Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva. /Xinhua China on Friday called on the international community to help different sides in Myanmar carry out dialogue and reconciliation following the recent military takeover in the Southeast Asian country. Chen Xu, China's Permanent Representative to the UN's Geneva Office, made the remarks at a special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling the situation in Myanmar its internal affair. "What is important now is that the international community, on the premise of respecting Myanmar's sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and national unity, should help relevant parties in Myanmar carry out dialogue and reconciliation in line with the will and interests of people in Myanmar and support the mediation efforts of the ASEAN and the special envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar as well as her office," Chen said. Myanmar's military detained the country's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint and declared a state of emergency on February 1, alleging massive voting fraud in the general elections in November. Chen stressed that any action taken by the UN Human Rights Council should be conducive to maintaining political and social stability in Myanmar, warning against any move that could "exacerbate tension and further complicate the situation." "As a friendly neighbor, China hopes that all parties in Myanmar will put the will and interests of the people of Myanmar first, properly handle differences through dialogue under the constitutional and legal framework and maintain political and social stability," said the diplomat. "China is in communication and contacts with relevant parties in Myanmar to facilitate de-escalation of tension and bring the situation back to normal," he added. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. (CNN) White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that one of her deputies, TJ Ducklo, had been suspended for one week without pay after a Vanity Fair story revealed Ducklo had threatened a reporter who was working on a story about his romantic relationship with another reporter. "This in our view was an important step to send the message that we don't find this acceptable," Psaki told reporters at the White House press briefing. Psaki said her deputy, TJ Ducklo, had apologized to the reporter, Politico's Tara Palmeri, over the incident. She added that when he returns from suspension he will no longer work with any reporters at Politico. Palmeri reported on Tuesday that Ducklo had been in a romantic relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond. Axios told Politico that McCammond "disclosed her relationship" with Ducklo in November and was "taken off the Biden beat." But Palmeri pointed out that McCammond's beat includes covering Vice President Kamala Harris and that she had commented glowingly on Biden after he was inaugurated. A Vanity Fair story published Friday said that Ducklo had threatened Palmeri over her piece, vowing he would "destroy her" if she published it. Ducklo, according to the Vanity Fair story, also made misogynistic comments to Palmeri. The magazine reported Ducklo referenced Palmeri's own personal life, accusing her at one point of being "jealous" about his relationship with McCammond. A person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN the details of the conversation Ducklo had with Palmeri. Ducklo did not respond to a request for comment Friday and Palmeri declined to comment. Psaki said that in addition to his initial apology, Ducklo had expressed "profound regret" in a note to Palmeri after the incident, which Psaki described only as a "heated conversation about his personal life." The note from Ducklo, which was obtained by CNN, said, "Last night on the phone with you I lost my temper in a way that was unprofessional, and I apologize for that. I should have done a better job at keeping my emotions in check during our conversation. It won't happen again." When asked at the press briefing how Ducklo could continue to work with female reporters, given the misogynistic nature of some of his comments, Psaki agreed they were "completely unacceptable" and said that she has had "conversations with him about that." Psaki said that the White House apologized to Politico and vowed that "this will never happen again." It was not clear why Ducklo had only been suspended on Friday when the Vanity Fair story published, given that Psaki and the White House had been aware of Ducklo's conduct in the weeks before. Psaki, who was also asked about that at the press briefing, said that the White House had conversations with Politico editors immediately after the incident. "That was how we engaged, in a private manner," Psaki said. "And that was what we felt was appropriate at the time." The one-week suspension also appeared to fall well short of President Joe Biden's promise to fire employees on the spot if they were found to disrespect others. Psaki said she had not discussed the matter with Biden, but had consulted with the White House chief of staff. She said the suspension was in their view "an important step to send the message that we don't find it acceptable." Politico reporters were outraged at Psaki's response to the situation, two staffers at the outlet told CNN. "It feels like she is punishing us more than him," one of the staffers said, noting that her solution is for Politico reporters to lose access to one of the highest ranking officials in the White House communications department. In a statement, Politico Editor-In-Chief Matt Kaminski and Editor Carrie Budoff Brown acknowledged raising concerns with the White House about Ducklo's behavior. "No journalist at Politico or any other publication or network should ever be subjected to such unfounded personal attacks while doing their job," they said. "Politico reporters and editors are committed to forging a professional and transparent relationship with public office holders and their staff and expect the same in return." This story was first published on CNN.com "White House suspends deputy press secretary for one week for threatening reporter over story about him" Please note The Sun Chronicle is providing this story and all of our local coronavirus coverage for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the pandemic. Please visit our dedicated coronavirus coverage page for more stories. If you'd like to support our mission, please subscribe. ALTON Psalm Theatrics will present a virtual musical showcase online at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, streamed from Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton. The performance is a sneak peak of Psalm Theatrics Bible based musicals that will be hitting the stage in the area in the latter part of 2021. Featuring a multi-ethnic and multi-talented cast from the Metro East and St. Louis area, the program includes excerpts from the new musicals The Runaway: Story of Jonah, Beautiful Star: Esther, Samson of Judges, Out of Darknes and Change To Passage. The shows are all composed, written and directed by Illinois native Paul Herbert Pitts who recently was the theater and music teacher in the Alton School District. He now teaches in the Ladue/Clayton School District. Tickets for the streamed performance are $12 and may be purchased in advance at www.jacobyartscenter.org/tickets. Jacoby Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission it is to nurture and promote the practice and appreciation of the arts through education, exhibits, cultural programs and community outreach initiatives. The center is open Wednesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.jacobyartscenter.org or call 618-462-5222. Tayshia Adams and fiance Zac Clark took their love to new heights as they enjoyed a tour of the Empire State Building in New York City on Friday. The couple, who became engaged after meeting on The Bachelorette this summer, looked blissful as they took in the stunning views of the Big Apple. In addition to snapping selfies with the unobstructed skyline behind them, the reality stars shared a kiss ahead of their first Valentine's Day together. Lovebirds: Tayshia Adams and fiance Zac Clark took their love to new heights as they enjoyed a tour of the Empire State Building in New York City on Thursday Looking every inch the future doting husband, Clark couldn't keep his hands off Adams as he placed one hand on her upper-thigh during their smooch. While posing for a few postcard-worthy snaps, Adams wore a camel coat, a black beanie, and a pair of knee-high leather boots. She styled her hair in loose waves and showed off her goofy side next to the hunky addiction specialist, 37, who wore all black for their fun outing. Empire State of Mind: The couple, who became engaged after meeting on The Bachelorette this summer, looked blissful as they took in the stunning views of the Big Apple Sweet moments: In addition to snapping selfies with the unobstructed skyline behind them, the reality stars shared a kiss ahead of their first Valentine's Day together In a silly moment, the duo jumped up on a telescope and looked out in the distance with sweet smiles across their faces. The California native recently moved into Clark's New York apartment, where the two are planning on cohabiting for the foreseeable future. In a December interview with People, Clark said his fiancee was planning on flying out to the East Coast to spend the holidays together. Silly: She styled her hair in loose waves and showed off her goofy side next to the hunky addiction specialist, 36, who wore all black for their fun outing Fun-filled afternoon: The pair enjoyed one of the most romantic buildings in the world on Thursday Clark gushed: 'We're going to get comfortable. And I'm going to date the heck out of her!' Adams did note that she was planning on staying close to her West Coast roots, saying that: 'I'll still have my place in California so we'll be bicoastal, but that's the plan! The beauty previously revealed she knew Clark was 'the one' when he met her family during filming of the ABC dating contest. Happily ever after: The California native recently Clark's New York apartment, where the two are planning on cohabiting for the foreseeable future She told The Hollywood Reporter: 'There were multiple moments where I saw myself envisioning a life with him. I guess it really solidified when my family was involved, just because I'm really close with my family. You don't just marry an individual, you also marry their family.' Adams explained: 'It was really important for me to see him with my brothers and see how he interacted with my parents. My dad is kind of protective over me, if you haven't noticed! 'So, to get his approval is everything,' she continued. KALAMAZOO, MI The family of a 29-year-old man who died by suicide in the Kalamazoo County Jail on Dec. 17 continues to search for answers. Chase David Dalton Lovell, of Galesburg, was taken into custody on Dec. 15 after allegedly starting a fire in his room at Ascension Borgess Hospital earlier that day. Lovell was arraigned in Kalamazoo County District Court on Dec. 16 on a charge of first-degree arson. His bond was set at $100,000 cash or surety. Related: Man charged with arson in Kalamazoo hospital fire found dead in county jail An investigation by the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office found that Lovell killed himself in his jail cell, Sheriff Richard Fuller confirmed in a Friday, Feb. 12, statement. Phone calls between Lovell and his parents, received in response to an MLive Freedom of Information Act request, recorded some of the inmates final conversations with family before his death. The sheriffs office also released a redacted copy of Lovells jail file in response to the FOIA. Lovells final call from the jail, made at 10:46 a.m. on Dec. 17, was to his mother Shannon Welihan, who had driven her son to the hospital days earlier to receive mental health treatment. You were in there to get help, so I dont understand why youre not getting help, Welihan tells her son during the call, referencing his brief stay at the hospital. Lovell told his mother he was hearing voices, and that they were bad, and Welihan assures her son, whether he is at the hospital or the jail, he is in a safe place. According to jail documents, when Lovell was admitted to the jail on Dec. 15, he was escorted to the medical wing in shackles and wearing a suicide gown. He was placed in a medical padded cell, but after a Dec. 16 mental health screening Lovell was moved to a cell in a different medical unit. Lovell was asked by personnel from Community Mental Health if at any time since arriving at the jail he had suicidal thoughts, or if he was currently having them. Lovell said he had not, the report said. Deputy Don Boven interviewed Lovell the following morning, on Dec. 17, and wrote in his report that Lovell appeared to be in a clear state of mind and he did not feel there was any fear of self-harm. Still, later that day, Boven reported the decision was made to keep Lovell in the medical unit under supervision due to quarantine procedures and the inmates current state of mind. An internal investigation into Lovells death was conducted by the sheriffs office. According to the redacted investigative documents, received in response to MLives FOIA request, there was no wrongdoing by any jail staff or sheriffs deputies documented. Fuller has not responded to calls from MLive requesting this information. The released documents state there were multiple situations that occurred in the two hours leading up to Lovells death which caused officers to be distracted or pulled them from their normal day to day operations in the medical wing and pods. Three specific instances involving other inmates were listed. Video of Lovells cell that day was reviewed by Sgt. Antonio Munoz, according to jail documents. Munoz reported Lovell went of screen at 5:09 p.m., more than an hour before he was found dead by Deputy Rebecca Dow, having hanged himself with a bed sheet in his cell. At 4:53 p.m., Lovell can be seen on security footage walking to the bathroom partition and appears to be tying a sheet around it. He then returns to bed, Munoz reports. At 5 p.m. he gets up from bed, looks at the camera and begins to cover the partition with a suicide blanket. He then returns to bed and can be seen for the next few minutes moving around under the covers. At 5:03 p.m. he gets up again and appears to be trying to again secure a sheet to the partition. At 5:08 p.m. he appears to have a sheet around his neck, removes the sheet, walks to the cell door to look out and see if any deputies are around, Munoz reports. One minute later he disappears behind the partition and covers it with a blanket. Later in the hour, Down and Boven performed safety and security rounds at 5:50 p.m. in the unit, according to Deputy Thomas Jelsomenos report. At 6:10 p.m. while assisting the inmate in the cell next to Lovells, Dow asked the inmate how he was doing. The inmate, Jelsomeno said, Fine now that the guy in the cell next to him stopped hitting the wall. At 6:26 p.m., Dow began again making safety and security rounds in the pod. Upon coming to Lovells cell, she said something does not seem right and entered his cell, Jelsomeno said. Fuller, who had not previously responded to requests from MLive to be interviewed on the matter, released a statement on Friday, Feb. 12, stating that the sheriffs office extends its deepest condolences to (Lovells) family and friends. In the statement, the sheriff confirmed a deputy making regular rounds discovered Lovell unresponsive in the medical/mental health wing of the jail. He said the deputy immediately called for help and initiated life-saving measures. Deputies and medical staff continued those efforts until paramedics arrived, Fuller said in the statement. After all attempts to resuscitate the individual were exhausted, the doctor in charge pronounced the individual deceased. After a thorough investigation, Fuller said, it was determined Lovell died by suicide. Hearing voices Lovells mother, Shannon Welihan, told MLive previously she had driven her son who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was believed to have schizoaffective disorder to the Kalamazoo hospital on Dec. 11 because he had been hearing voices and told her he wanted to kill himself. On Dec. 15, the fire Lovell was accused of setting took place in the hospitals behavioral unit at around 10:45 a.m. Ascension Borgess spokesperson Christopher Hunt told MLive that day the fire was small and extinguished quickly. Lovells records from Integrated Services of Kalamazoo show he had a history of suicide attempts and psychiatric hospitalizations, according to a report completed by mental health staff conducting the Dec. 16 screening. The report also said Lovell said he was hearing a lot of voices and appeared anxious and nervous. Welihan told MLive in December that her son had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals four times in 2020. During the first recorded call from Lovell, placed at 8:28 p.m. Dec. 16, he tells his mother hes in jail because they think I set the facility on fire. Theres a fire and they blamed me because it started in my room and now Im being charged with arson, and I can get a life sentence for it, he says. I dont know what happened. I woke up and there was smoke in there and then I got out and they think I started it on purpose. Throughout the calls with his mother and his father, David Lovell, Chase Lovell states that he was, and still is, hearing voices and that they were real bad on Dec. 15, the day he was alleged to have started the fire in his room at Ascension Borgess Hospital. Youre safe Chase Lovell references multiple times his $100K cash or surety bail and that he could be spending life in prison. To post the cash or surety bond would require someone to pay $10K to get him out of jail. On a call Dec. 17, placed at 10:32 a.m., eight hours before Lovell was found dead, his father tells him, I just dont know where we are going to be able to come up with $10,000 Chase, to be honest. Chase Lovell responds, Alright, so there is no way Im getting out of here? Not at the moment, David Lovell responds. But we just found this out yesterday, we are still trying to figure this out. His final call with family was placed later that morning, at 10:46 a.m., to his mother. I just want you to be safe and know that we love you and that I want you to get the help that you need, Welihan said. And I dont know what happened, you dont need to tell me. Im just waiting for the report. Im really concerned about you and I want you to get better. The voices are just bad, her son said. There are a lot of things that have happened to you in the past year and you are a safe environment, and even though it sucks Chase, whether you are in a hospital or there, no matter what, youre safe, and we love you and we want you to get better. That would be the last time Welihan would speak to Chase. Searching for answers Welihan said she was extremely concerned about her sons mental health and called the sheriffs office after she hung up with her son. She left a voicemail, but said nobody called her back. Her son committed suicide in the jail at 6:33 p.m. that evening, his file states. At 9 p.m., Thursday night, three people from the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office showed up at Welihans Galesburg home and broke the news to her. The familys attorney, Jon Marko, of Marko Law in Detroit, said they are still waiting for the reports to understand what happened. We just want answers for the family, Marko said. The death of this young man should never have happened. He was mentally ill and under the supervision and care of the jail and he was entirely dependent on them for his safety. This was certainly a failure on their part. Marko said he could not say whether the family intended to file a civil suit against the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs office or Ascension Borgess Hospital, where the fire started. We cant even think about that right now until we complete a full investigation, he said. It certainly doesnt pass the smell test, though. Lovell was the second inmate to die by suicide in the Kalamazoo County Jail in the latter part of 2020. On Oct. 18, at around 1 p.m., Samuel Leroy Chrispens, of Portage, hanged himself in his maximum security cell one day prior to a scheduled sentencing on a methamphetamine-related charge in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court. Gryphon Place in Kalamazoo offers a 24-hour hotline for those in crisis: 269-381-4357. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides information on warning signs and risk factors here. Also on MLive: Son of missing Portage couple now considered person of interest in pairs suspicious disappearance Kalamazoo County makes progress on vaccinations, dosing thousands of patients in a week Will the pandemic be the final nail in the coffin for Michigans malls? After tire falls off car in Southwest Michigan, driver struck and killed trying to retrieve it Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit It's now just a distant, and at times very vague memory, but 'The Harriers' in Tullamore was 'the spot' for a number of generations to head to on a Saturday night. And it wasn't just people from Tullamore who descended on the venue. Buses came from all across Offaly and further afield emptying their loads of excited teenagers in the car park. With little else to be doing at the minute, take a trip down memory lane and see how many of these 15 things you remember! 1 Waiting nervously in the queue to more than likely be asked for ID you most certainly didn't have. No such thing as Age Cards back in the day which made life much easier for intrepid 15, 16 and 17-year-olds. This was followed by the sense of sheer relief or bitter disappointment when you did or didn't get past the lads at the front desk. It was all down to confidence and, for the lads, that little scruffy bit of facial hair..... And then you could get your membership card that declared it was okay for you to come again. 2 Finding someone in the long, long line for the cloakroom who would hang up your denim jacket or alternatively, finding a dark corner up the back to dump it for the night as standing in the queue was wasting valuable drinking time. 3 Getting in early on a busy night to avoid the long queue when the buses arrived from all points in the midlands. You were also trying to get a booth near the bar or up the back in the cool seats in 'The Restaurant'. 4 Being a hero at the bar and ordering double vodkas or double Famous Grouse knowing full well it was all going to end badly before you got out the door that night. 5 If you were a lad, prowling the floor when you knew the slow set was about to start in the hopes of getting the shift. 6 If you were a girl, watching out for the lads prowling the floor when the slow set was about to start and doing your level best to dodge them. 7 The sound of numerous teens puking in the toilets while you waited patiently outside the door 8 What live music was really like and how many great Irish bands were touring the country during the late 80s and early 90s with The Stunning, The 4 of Us and An Emotional Fish being among the regular visitors. 9 The pain in your neck the next day after head banging to Thunderstruck, Whole Lotta Rosie, Black Betty and various other metal tunes. 10 The helpful hand picking you off the floor in the mosh pit after you unwisely chose to bounce off someone twice your size and half as drunk when Smells Like Teen Spirit was blasted out. 11 The drunk lad who seemed to knock a drink out of everyone's hand no matter how much you tried to dodge him while coming up the steps from the dance floor 12 Gyrating your body in some weird and wonderful way and trying to convince other people that you were actually dancing. 13 Trying to jump the queue to get your coat from the cloakroom (if you bothered putting it there in the first place) as the girl you were snogging earlier in the night had already left with her friends and you were desperate to catch up with her before she got on her bus to God knows where. You obviously failed to convince her to 'go outside' with you earlier on 14 Staggering home afterwards with a curry chips because someone told you that hid the smell of alcohol on your breath. Turns out it didn't and you spent a lot of time trying to convince your irate parents you really only had one pint despite the puke stains all down your clothes. 15 Not having to worry about your every move and indiscretion being posted all across social media the next day. Back then we had to rely on vague flashbacks and the day after postmortem with friends to piece together what we did. Can you imagine if those photographs of you from your days in The Harriers were circulating on Instagram today????? You would never be able to lecture your kids about doing the right thing ever again!!!!! The second dose of Covid-19 Vaccine will be given today to those who got vaccinated on January 16, the first day of nationwide vaccination drive. Among those who got vaccinated in the first phase were Dr Randeep Guleria (director of AIIMS) and VV Paul (a member of NITI Aayog). Both of them are also expected to be given the second dose of vaccine today. A second dose of covid vaccine is required to be taken 28 days after the first one. Covid-19 booster dose According to the government, a total of 77 lakh health workers and frontline workers have been given the first dose of the vaccine till Friday. 97% of these people are satisfied with the vaccination. The government has set a target of Covid-19 vaccination to 30 crore people by July 19, 2021. According to the Health Ministry, 7 lakh people have been vaccinated in India in just 26 days, whereas it has taken 27 days for America and 48 days for Britain to vaccinate the same number of people. Also Read: Angela Merkel Responds To Vaccine Roll-out Critics; Assures Full House At Centres By April Also Read: France Recommends 'one-shot Vaccine'' For People Who Recovered From COVID-19 With more than 8 lakh beneficiaries, Uttar Pradesh has inoculated the highest number of vaccines, according to government data. It is followed by Maharashtra (6,33,519) and Gujarat (6,61,508). The government states, "More than 65 percent of registered health workers (HCW) have been vaccinated in 13 states and union territories. In Bihar, more than 79 percent of registered healthcare workers have been vaccinated." 17 states and UTs have not reported any deaths in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry added. Biggest vaccination drive India launched its Covid-19 vaccination program on January 16 (2021) to restrain the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country. Earlier, the Health Ministry informed that around 2,00,000 people were vaccinated on Day 1 of the drive. As per the data shared by the Union Health Ministry, the coronavirus cases in India observe a continuous downtrend as there are near 12,143 fresh cases and near 103 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. According to the Union Health Ministry, the novel coronavirus has affected near 10.9 million people in India and claimed near 155k lives so far. Out of the total number of cases, 10.6 million have recovered from the deadly infection. Also Read: Over 14,800 People Get COVID Vaccine Shots On Fri In Delhi; 2nd Dose From Sat Also Read: India Records 12,143 New COVID Cases, Recoveries Cross 1.06 Crore People receive doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine during country's mass vaccination for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Belgrade, Serbia, Feb. 12. Reuters The road to Duleek national schools. Its hoped another road will lead to a secondary school. Meath County Council has agreed to 'promote and investigate provision of a secondary school for Duleek' following a debate as part of the new county development plan on Saturday. Cllr Stephen McKee raised the issue of a much needed school to facilitate the hundreds of students who leave the area each day for schools all over the region. His bid received overwhelming support from fellow councillors. He said there was land available in the centre of Duleek for it, but Meath CC said they had spoken wth the Dept of Education and LMETB and were told it wasn't needed. 'A secondary school would help the town business wise as well,' Cllr McKee stated. Cllr Paddy Meade said a local school would also take the pressure off the schools in Drogheda. Cllr Geraldine Keogan said Sen Sharon Keogan had an agreement with the bishop to buy land for the school in the village. The situation with schools was nothing short of a 'crisis,' Cllr Elaine McGinty felt. 'Now we have a school in Co Meath going to a site in Co Louth.' Cllr Sharon Tolan said a strategic site for education should be secured and not down to a developer to allocate land. 'No developer should hold children to ransom,' she stated. 'Children should not be commuters.' Cllr Wayne Harding backed the Duleek proposal and said that councillors were on the ground and know where the deficits are. Other councillors fully backed the suggestion and sometimes felt that the department had their own ideas about school planning and that differed from the reality. It was felt by some that Duleek should have been the chosen location for a new school in East Meath and 'the department got things wrong.' Canada's Immigration Minister explains to CIC News: "Extending invitations to apply for permanent residency to over 27,000 economic immigrants is the largest single draw ever in the history of our Express Entry system." Express Entry: Canada invites 27,332 immigration candidates in historic Saturday draw Canada's Immigration Minister explains to CIC News: "Extending invitations to apply for permanent residency to over 27,000 economic immigrants is the largest single draw ever in the history of our Express Entry system." Express Entry: Canada invites 27,332 immigration candidates in historic Saturday draw Canada's Immigration Minister explains to CIC News: "Extending invitations to apply for permanent residency to over 27,000 economic immigrants is the largest single draw ever in the history of our Express Entry system." Canada invited 27,332 candidates to apply for permanent residence in its latest Express Entry draw you read that right. Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) on February 13. This unprecedented Express Entry invitation round only required candidates to have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 75 the lowest CRS requirement ever. Canadas Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino explained to CIC News that Extending invitations to apply for permanent residency to over 27,000 economic immigrants is the largest single draw ever in the history of our Express Entry system. These aspiring Canadians are already established here, possess valuable skills and are giving back to their communities. They are hard at work in some of the most essential parts of our economy and are ready to build their future in Canada. Todays draw was almost six times larger than the previous Express Entry record of 5,000 ITAs, said Attorney David Cohen, Senior Partner of Campbell Cohen. This goes to show Canada is committed to achieving its goal of welcoming over 400,000 immigrants this year. A total of 5,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued in each of the four Express Entry draws that took place between November 18 and December 23 last year. Prior to today, the lowest CRS cut-off requirement ever was 199 points in the May 16, 2017 draw which only invited Federal Skilled Trades Program candidates. Express Entry was launched in January 2015. On Wednesday, Canada also held an Express Entry draw inviting 654 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to apply for permanent residence, that makes a total of 27,986 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued this week. Did you receive an ITA? Get Help Submitting your PR Application. IRCC implemented the tie-break rule, meaning candidates who had the minimum score of 75 were only included if they submitted their Express Entry profile before September 12, 2020 at 15:31 UTC. Get a Free Express Entry Assessment Todays draw goes to show IRCCs commitment to achieving its target of 401,000 new immigrants in 2021. Of those, IRCC is aiming to welcome 108,500 newcomers through Express Entry-managed programs, according to its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan. Next year that target increases to 110,500, and then to 113,750 in 2023. Canada has given Federal High Skilled programs which are managed by the Express Entry system the largest share of new immigrant allocations for the next three years. This means the Express Entry system will continue to be Canadas main source of new immigrants for the foreseeable future. Canadas immigration minister, Marco Mendicino, recently said that IRCC will make efforts to achieve the ambitious immigration targets by transitioning more temporary residents to permanent residents during the pandemic. The unprecedented draw today seems to indicate that IRCC is aiming to issue as many invitations as it can at the beginning of this year so that it can complete the permanent residence landings of successful Express Entry candidates later in 2021. This would provide IRCC with a greater opportunity to achieve its immigration levels target amid ongoing coronavirus disruptions across the world. At the same time IRCC and Mendicino continue to stress that they will also look to global talent including those currently outside of Canada to support the countrys post-pandemic recovery. What is Canadas Express Entry system? Express Entry is not an immigration program itself, but an application management system for the three programs under the Federal High Skilled category: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. In order to get into the Express Entry pool of candidates, skilled workers need to make sure they are eligible for one of these programs. If so, they will get a CRS score, which is based on their age, education, work experience, language proficiency in English or French, as well as other factors. Candidates who get a provincial nomination through a PNP, for example, get an additional 600 CRS points, which effectively guarantees that they will receive an ITA in an Express Entry draw. IRCC holds these draws about every two weeks, inviting Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Canada has not yet held an all-program draw in 2021, which includes candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Instead, CEC and PNP candidates have been invited in separate program-specific draws. Canada is prioritizing these candidates during the coronavirus pandemic because they are, generally, more likely to already be in the country. PNP candidates have been selected by their respective provinces or territories to meet the demands of their local labour markets, and CEC candidates are oftentimes already established in Canada. IRCC explained in a separate press release today that about 90 per cent of CEC candidates currently live in Canada. IRCC held these program-specific Express Entry draws for about three months after Canada first went into lockdown in March 2020. By September the department was back to holding all-program draws held every two weeks until the end of the year. It is very likely that IRCC will once again hold all-program draws in 2021 during the pandemic, as they have done before. It noted todays press release that IRCC will continue to accept and process Express Entry applications and looks forward to welcoming skilled workers from abroad when travel resumes. Did you receive an ITA? Get Help Submitting your PR Application. Who is invited? Here is a hypothetical scenario of someone who may have been invited in todays draw: Ruth is 30 years old, married and completed her bachelors degree in Canada in May, 2019. Since completing her bachelors degree, she has been working as a restaurant manager in Canada. Before coming to Canada, she worked as a restaurant manager overseas. Her wife, Pinky, is 33 years old and has been working as an accountant in Canada for one year. She got her bachelors degree before coming to Canada. They each wrote the IELTS and scored a 6 in all categories. They entered the pool with Ruth as the principal applicant. Their CRS score of 437 would have been high enough to obtain an ITA during the February 13 Express Entry draw. Get a Free Express Entry Assessment CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Any indication that the outbreak started earlier than December 2019 would leave China open to more criticism; Chinese officials have been widely criticized for initially trying to cover up the outbreak, and acting too late to stop it from spilling over into the rest of the world. This was never going to be an easy trip. The W.H.O. mission was embroiled in politics even before it began. For months, some officials in China and the United States accused each other, without evidence, of unleashing the virus on the world. China pushed back against pressure from Western countries to allow an independent inquiry into the source of the virus. After months of negotiations, Beijing relented after the W.H.O., which is beholden to member countries like China, agreed to cede control over key parts of the inquiry to Chinese scientists. And the logistics of the trip made already fraught relations even more tense. The W.H.O. team was forced into quarantine for the first two weeks, so meetings were conducted on Zoom. And even when the members emerged, rules to thwart outbreaks in China meant that the team could not gather with their counterparts for meals and informal talks. It has been difficult to get an understanding of how the Chinese side viewed relations; several of the Chinese scientists assisting in the mission did not respond to requests for comment. The W.H.O. team, which is expected to release a full report about its findings in coming weeks, is still pressing Chinese officials to conduct exhaustive checks of blood samples for signs that the virus might have been circulating earlier. The experts are also asking China to more deeply investigate the wildlife trade in Wuhan and the surrounding area for clues about how the virus might have jumped from animals to humans. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here This was the first episode that started without an Emily flashback. I didnt mind getting straight into the action. Without them, the episode had a different feel. Honestly, I didnt mind it. It was just surprising. I know Im in the minority about the flashbacks, most of you love them. I love seeing Emily and Walker interact, but I dont think we need flashbacks every episode. Here we go. Were driving past an oil field with Walker and Micki. Walker is still trying to get to know her, and she is still keeping him at arms length. Im sure this is somehow related to her wanting to be an awesome Ranger. I get it, but I also think trusting your partner is a necessity in all relationships. A call comes through on the radio. Bob Harlan, oil field boss, is dead, and a Hispanic male was seen fleeing the scene. Walker and Micki spot the subject and give. The suspectss truck is weaving all over the road, so they might already be injured. This is more action than Im used to from Walker. Every week this show has been reinventing itself, which is the surest sign that it doesnt know what it wants to be, making it hard on the audience. Were all here waiting for its final form. Also, every episode of Walker strengthens my love of trucks. I wanted one before the show started, but now I really want one. Turns out Enzo Carillo, the driver of the truck, is a member of the Olvidado gang. With Enzo apprehended and hospitalized there is a press conference,while standing awkwardly on the podium, Micki notices someone staring from the crowd. Its Enzos daughter, Delia, and she has words for Micki. Delia tells her to look into Enzos past because he would never go back to the Olvidado gang. She also accuses Micki of turning on her people. That had some bite to it. What did you think? Which storyline is your favorite? We all know Monty Shaw is guilty, right? We also meet someone named Stan. His job is processing Ranger applications. Why are we meeting this man? Is he important to the episode, or is Walker building its recurring character list? About a minute later, we meet Winston. He was Mickis partner in the Austin PD. From him, we learn her nickname is Muskrat, and she loves bourbon. I also love bourbon. You now know me as well as Walker knows Micki.Its time to give some attention to the Walker family. Family time has been the shows strength, but the case this week is holding its own. The Walkers are officially moving into the stable house, and everyone seems happy. It wont last. Stella mentions her community service. Its at the stables where the Rangers keep their horses. Walker is a little worried because shell be there with prisoners, but Stella reassures him.Remember Isabel and her parents? Well, Liam is helping them with their possible deportation, but it doesnt look good since I.C.E. has them on their radar. Stella overhears the conversation, and you can see the worry on her face.In another part of the house, Augie is opening an old box. Walker seems a little upset by Augies discovery. Just as Walker enters the room, Augie manages to hide a cell phone and an old disposable camera. According to Walker, its just a box of junk from an old case. Sure it is, Walker.Stan from the bar is standing in the Walkers kitchen with Bonham. Abbys making jalapeno jam and saying mean things to Bonham. I hate passive-aggressive behavior. Are we suspicious of Abby and Stan? Well, Im tired of Abby. My feelings arent helped when later, Walker finds a pile of letters addressed to Abby from Gary. Who is this person? Team Bonham.Micki is an artist; I studied art. First the bourbon, now the art, we are almost the same person. What does it mean that it took me a while to (luke)warm up to her? Trey walks into her little home art studio to announce that he has a job interview. They are focusing a lot on Mickis artistic prowess, which means its going to help unlock the case.Micki is digging deep into Enzo Carillos past. Apparently, Captain James doesnt want her digging. This happens off-screen, and James remains suspicious. Before Micki can talk to Enzo, he passes away.Stella arrives at community service, which is run by Vern. I feel like Vern is the type of man who doesnt play. We also meet Trevor with the pretty eyes. Surprising no one, he catches Stellas attention.We leave one daughter for another. Delia is telling Micki and Walker how wrong they are about Enzo. Filled in teardrop tattoos means he got out of the gang, and there is nothing that would ever make him return to that life. The plot thickens when we learn that Mr. Harlan is a friend of the family. Hes so close to Enzo and Delia that he attended her quinceanera.Leaving Delia, they talk to the remaining Harlan family. Mrs. Harlan didnt like being around Enzo because he stared at her children. The daughter backs up her story and flirts with Waker. Bernard, the son, dismissively calls Walker Ranger Rick, which I googled before declaring, I remember you! I hate this whole family. Another plot twist, Harlan left everything to Enzo. Slayer rules would prevent Delia from collecting if Enzo is found guilty of Harlans murder. Raise your hand if you thought of Buffy when you heard slayer rules?We arrive at Joes Photo Hut where Ruby, Augies crush, works. She developed the film from the old disposable camera. Its a picture of Walker with a woman on his lap. A woman that is not Emily. Augie grabs the still wet picture, which hurt me a little, and raced out of the room. Augie doesnt seem the type to boldly confront his father, so hell probably strategically place the picture.Mickis drawing breaks the case. In drawing both Harlan and Enzo, she cant help but notice the family resemblance. Enzo was Harlans son. She takes the information to Walker while hes busy talking to Liam about the mysterious Gary. We learn that Gary happened during Abby and Bonhams rough patch, right before Emily died. So what is this current patch? Im already exhausted by their marital problems. Lets wrap this up next week one way or anotherreconciliation, divorce, death, whateverjust make it go away.Apparently, being the boy with just so wavy hair and pretty eyes has its perks. Who knew. During Stella and Trevors romantic ride to bring back the runaway horse, she asks for his advice on making things up to Isabel and her parents. Ah, the first blush of a CW romance.The woman on Walkers lap is named Twyla. Augie decides to use the purloined phone to text her. This is going to be disastrous. Although, maybe we should be asking why Walker still has a burner phone from an undercover operation. Isnt that the sort of thing you turn in with the case file?So many affairs this episode. Mrs. Harlan was having an affair with Monty Shaw. When Micki questions him in his truck it doesnt go well. No worries though, Walker is following behind. How do you in one breath say you arent a dirty cop and in the next pull a gun on a U.S. Marshall.Stella offers a mea culpa to Isabel with moonshine? The jalapeno jam? As Stella is leaving, Trevor comes in with the perfectly timed Instagram follow. Back at the ranch, Walker tries to talk to his mom about his suspicions, but she deflects by saying Bonham sleeps in the bunkhouse because of his snoring. Im not an Abby fan. You dont get to have an affair and an attitude problem.Augie leaves the picture on the table where Walker cant miss it when he walks through the door, he wants to know about Twyla. Walker tells him that she was part of his undercover crew, but Augies still worried about how happy Walker looks in the photo compared to how he looks now. Walker does his best to reassure Augie. In the end, they take a sweet picture together. No discussion of the hiding of the camera? No talk about violating privacy? Augies getting a pass?Liam meets with another new character, Ada. She delivers Emilys case files to Liam. Hes also surprised to discover that Captain James is still looking into the files even though he told Walker to back off the case. Hi, Liam, you also told Walker to let the case go.Walker checks on a sleeping Augie just as Twyla texts back. Shes in town and wants to see Duke Culpepper. None of you are going to fight me about Duke Culpepper being a ridiculous undercover name, are you? As predicted, Augie has screwed up. Now, this Twyla woman thinks Duke is out of jail. Walker looks a bit panicked.So it turns out the murder of Emily is still on the table, along with the Duke Culpepper undercover operation, the Abby and Bonham situation, the Isabels parents and I.C.E. situation, the Liam and Bret moving to New York situation, the burgeoning Stella and Trevor situation, and all of the suspicious people in Walkers life. Its going to be a busy season. Im ready. The Tibetan New Year falls on the same day as the Spring Festival this year. As a long, bitter winter starts petering down, colorful spring sneaks in. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005297/en/ Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, the 11th Panchen Lama, on Friday expressed best wishes to all Tibetans at home and abroad for both the Spring Festival and the Tibetan Year of the Iron Ox through China Media Group (CMG) and China Tibet Online. Looking back at the past year, he expressed his affirmation that China has overcome difficulties in the face of the pandemic. "The whole country united together, and all people worked with one heart, achieving outstanding results in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, which draws much worldwide attention," he said. "From the pandemic, we have further understood how precious life is. As I see it, health, peace and happiness are the most precious fortune in human life. From the pandemic, we have also further understood that all human beings are in a community with a shared future." He also expressed his understanding of the importance of a community with a shared future for mankind. Erdini Qoigyijabu spoke of the historic alleviation of poverty in Tibet and of people in the region living and working in peace and contentment, and expressed his sincere gratitude to the country. "I feel very gratified to see the new Tibet today," he said. "A glorious time and a happy homeland is not a gift from nature. We should remain grateful for our country, and for the thousands upon thousands of people willing to sacrifice for us. Finally, he offered New Year blessings to the people of the whole country. "Let us jointly wish and pray the world be peaceful, the country be prosperous, the people live in peace, the weather be favorable, and all living things live joyfully! I wish everyone and every family be happy, safe and sound in the New Year and reap a new harvest," he concluded. The Tibetan New Year, known as Losar, is the most important festival on the Tibetan calendar. Celebrating Losar, Tibetan New Year, on the plateau Losar is roughly the same as the Spring Festival of the Han ethnic group. The Tibetan New Year is calculated based on the Tibetan calendar. It starts on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar and ends on the 15th day. It falls on February 12 this year. Originally a harvest celebration, the festival gradually shifted to the beginning of a new year, after Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) married Songtsen Gampo, the then Tibetan King, and brought to the southwestern Chinese region the culture of the Han people. For the Tibetans and those who have been exploring the Tibetan New Year on the plateau, Tashi delek, and Happy New Year! A developing Tibet Transportation has long been a bottleneck inhibiting Tibet's development, as the region is situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with complex geographical conditions for road construction and limited technology and funds. Since late 2012, China has been bolstering its infrastructure investment in Tibet. So far, roads have connected 95 percent of the township-level administrations and 75 percent of the incorporated villages in the region. The road network in Tibet now stretches over 117,000 kilometers, up by 50 percent from the end of 2015. As for air transportation, Tibet has launched a total of 130 air routes, with 61 cities connected by flights; 5.18 million passenger trips were registered in 2020. The development of Tibet is well-founded with data. With the strong support of the central government and the active assistance from the local people, the economy of Tibet has been developing steadily. In 2018, Tibet registered a GDP growth rate of 10 percent, the highest in China. According to the released work reports from the local governments in February 2021, Tibet led the 2020 growth rate among the country's 31 provincial-level regions, at 7.8 percent, followed by southwestern provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, at 4.5 and 4 percent, respectively. In 2021, Tibet's GDP growth target stands at over 9 percent, while the pace is set around 8 percent for Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. Original article: here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005297/en/ United Kingdom's media watchdog has slapped a fine of GBP 50,000 (approx Rs 50.2 lakhs) on Khalsa Television Ltd (KTV) for inciting British Sikhs to commit violence. KTV had aired a music video and a discussion programme which gave out an indirect call to Sikhs living in the UK to commit violence. The material also contained a terror reference, as per news agency PTI. The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the UK's media watchdog, issued the order on Friday following its findings dating back to February and November 2019. "We have today fined KTV GBP 50,000 for airing content which had the potential to incite violence and cause harm. KTV also must not repeat the content concerned, and air a summary of our decision," Ofcom said in a tweet. Ofcom has levied two financial penalties on KTV for failing to comply with the watchdog's broadcasting rules. A GBP 20,000 has been imposed for the music video and GBP 30,000 for the discussion programme, according to the Ofcom order. Ofcom's order to KTV also includes direction for the channel to air a statement regarding the media watchdog's findings in a form which will be determined by the regulatory body itself. KTV has also been ordered to not repeat telecast the music video and discussion programme in question. On July 4, 7, and 9 in 2018, KTV had aired the music video for a song called 'Bagga and Shera'. After the investigation, Ofcom has concluded that the music video gave an indirect call to action for Sikhs in the UK to commit violence. According to Ofcom, the music video appeared to be seeking to influence people by communicating a message to the viewers without them being aware or fully aware. This was in violation of the watchdog's rules. The discussion programme was broadcasted on March 30, 2019, with the title 'Pantak Masle'. Ofcom discovered that the programme gave a platform to individuals to express their views which amounted to indirect calls to action and were likely to incite crimes. Ofcom also found that the programme included a reference to Babbar Khalsa, a proscribed terrorist organisation. Ofcom concluded that this could be taken as an attempt at legitimising the terrorist organisation and normalising its aims and actions in the eyes of viewers, it notes. KTV is a television channel which broadcasts content for the Sikh community in the United Kingdom under a licence held by Khalsa Television Limited. Also Read: Donald Trump's defence argue impeachment based on hatred not facts After months of intense lobbying and shifting candidate lists, the member states of the International Criminal Court on Friday chose Karim Khan, a British lawyer, as the tribunals next chief prosecutor, a role that will shape the courts image and effectiveness for years to come. Mr. Khan, a veteran of the international legal scene who has worked on both the prosecution and defense sides, received 72 votes in a secret ballot after the 123 countries had failed to reach consensus on any of four shortlist contenders. Elected to a nine-year term, he will succeed Fatou Bensouda of Gambia, whose appointment expires at the end of June. The chief prosecutor holds the most important post at the court, which has been operating since 2002 in The Hague. The top body in international criminal justice, it has 18 judges to carry out its mandate of trying crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of genocide and aggression. But the prosecutor drives the institution by selecting the cases to pursue, effectively determining what events and which people are targeted by the court. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... SANTA FE A proposal calling for New Mexico to halt the issuance of new fracking permits over the next four years began moving through the Senate on Saturday. But the legislation, Senate Bill 149, still faces a long path to final approval. It passed the Senate Conservation Committee on a 5-4 vote Saturday but must clear at least two more committees before reaching the full Senate for consideration, no easy task as the 60-day legislative session approaches its midpoint. The bill would also have to make it through the House before reaching the governors desk. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ One supporter of the legislation Democratic Sen. Liz Stefanics of Cerrillos, who cast the deciding vote expressed mixed feelings about the proposal. She broached the idea of amending the bill in a future committee to require a study of fracking impacts rather than a halt to new permits, given the potential damage to state revenue. The pause on new permits would cost New Mexico about $1.7 billion to $3.8 billion a year in revenue through 2025, according to an analysis by the Legislatures chief economist. The estimates included impacts to both state and local governments. Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, an Albuquerque Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, disputed the financial analysis and urged her colleagues to support the four-year halt to new permits. New Mexico should be open for business, not open for exploitation, Sedillo Lopez said. Unfortunately, with this industry, weve been exploited. The bill, she said, already calls for reporting requirements that would direct state agencies to evaluate the health and environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas extraction. The pause on permits, Sedillo Lopez said, is necessary to add urgency to the effort. The measure drew divided public testimony during a 90-minute hearing Saturday. Supporters described it as a key step toward addressing climate change and improving public health, especially in communities where wells are located. Opposition centered on the financial impact to the state and how legislators would come up with the revenue to operate public schools and offer other state services during a moratorium. They estimated it would cost the state 25% to 33% of its annual revenue. I dont know if you understand totally how much New Mexico depends on fracking and the oil and gas industry, Sen. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, said during the debate. They do so much for our communities, our schools and our children. Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, joined the committees three Republicans in voting against the bill. It would be irresponsible, he said, to ignore the financial analysis without a plan to keep the budget balanced. Cervantes said he supports some goals of the legislation such as diversifying state revenue sources but that it would be unfair to make another Senate committee do the dirty work of confronting the financial consequences. We all share those goals, he said, but ultimately, were the adults in the room. Opposition by Cervantes could be key, as he is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the next stop for the bill. If approved there, it would move to the Senate Finance Committee. New Mexico is one of the top oil-producing states in the country. Asylum seekers forced to remain in Mexico while their cases are being resolved in the United States will begin to be admitted into the US as of next week, President Joe Biden's administration announced Friday. Biden instructed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this month to take action to end the controversial "Remain in Mexico" program put in place by his predecessor Donald Trump. It saw tens of thousands of non-Mexican asylum seekers -- mostly from Central America -- sent back over the border pending the outcome of their asylum applications, creating a humanitarian crisis in the area, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. "Beginning on February 19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin phase one of a program to restore safe and orderly processing at the southwest border," the agency announced in a statement. It said there are approximately 25,000 active cases still. Candidates will be tested first for the coronavirus, a senior DHS official who asked not to be identified told reporters. At least 70,000 people were returned to Mexico under the agreement from January 2019, when the program began to be implemented, through December 2020, according to the NGO American Immigration Council. US authorities emphasized that they are working closely with the Mexican government and with international organizations and NGOs at the border. DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas, who is the first Latino and the first immigrant to head the department, stressed that Washington is committed to "rebuilding a safe, orderly and humane immigration system." "This latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nation's values," Mayorkas said in a statement. The program was part of Trump's hardline plan to fight illegal immigration, one of the hallmarks of his administration and which included efforts to build a border wall and the policy which separated children from thousands of migrant families. After Biden took office on January 20, his administration announced that it would reverse the most controversial measures and created a task force to reunite families that remain separated, a policy his administration has termed a "national shame." On the day Biden was inaugurated, the DHS announced the suspension of new registrations in the "Remain in Mexico" program and asked all those enrolled to stay where they are while waiting to be informed about their cases. Washington said Friday that those waiting "should not approach the border until instructed to do so." In Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, at his press briefing, welcomed Biden's move. Lopez Obrador said he hoped to discuss with Biden a work visa program for Mexicans and Central Americans. "Their presence as workers in the United States" is vital to the US economy, Lopez Obrador said. DALLAS, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NYSE:NHF) ("NHF") today announced the extension of the offering period for its previously announced offer to purchase any and all Shares of Beneficial Interest (the "Shares") of United Development Funding IV ("UDFI" or the "Company") at a price of $1.10 per Share upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase and in the related Assignment Form for the offer (which together constitute the "Offer" and the "Tender Offer Documents"). The Offer is now scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, Eastern Standard Time, at the end of the day on March 15, 2021, unless the Offer is extended or earlier terminated. The Tender Offer Documents are available at www.UDFITenderOffer.com, or from the information agent for the Offer, as discussed below. As previously announced on December 14, 2020, the Offer is conditioned upon, among other things, the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions: (i) there shall not have been threatened, instituted, or pending any action or proceeding before any court or any governmental or administrative agency (a) challenging the acquisition of shares pursuant to the Offer or otherwise relating in any manner to the Offer, or (b) in the sole judgment of NHF, otherwise materially adversely affecting the Company; (ii) NHF shall have received all required governmental approvals, if any, for the Offer; (iii) NHF shall have had the opportunity to conduct sufficient due diligence to determine whether the offered price per share is reasonable given the current financial condition and results of operations of UDFI; (iv) the Board of Trustees of UDFI shall have waived in writing the ownership limitations set forth in Article VII of the Declaration of Trust of UDFI as such limitations would otherwise apply to the Offer; and (v) NHF shall have received satisfactory evidence that UDFI has continued to qualify as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") under federal tax laws and thereby to avoid any entity-level federal income or excise tax. On January 8, 2021, UDFI announced that it had reduced the percentage of outstanding Shares that a shareholder may own from 9.8% to 5.0%. The Company took such action in an effort to frustrate the Offer. It also announced it amended the Company's bylaws to require that certain legal actions could be brought on behalf of or against UDFI only in certain courts in Maryland. NHF and its advisors are reviewing these actions and their legality under applicable law. Shareholders should read the Offer to Purchase and the related materials carefully because they contain important information. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the Offer to Purchase and the Assignment Form from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent for the Offer (the "Information Agent"), by calling toll-free at (800) 331-7543. THE OFFER WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AT THE END OF THE DAY ON MARCH 15, 2021, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED OR EARLIER TERMINATED. About the NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NHF) The NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NYSE:NHF) is a closed-end fund managed by NexPoint Advisors, L.P. that is in the process of converting to a diversified REIT. NHF is currently in the process of realigning its portfolio so that it is no longer an "investment company" under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). NHF continues to expect to be able to transition its investment portfolio sufficiently to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes by the first quarter of 2021 and to apply to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for an order under the 1940 Act declaring that NHF has ceased to be an investment company (the "Deregistration Order") in the first quarter of 2021. For more information visit www.nexpointgroup.com/nexpoint-strategic-opportunities-fund/. About NexPoint Advisors, L.P. NexPoint Advisors, L.P. (the "Investment Adviser") is an SEC-registered adviser on the NexPoint alternative investment platform. It serves as the adviser to a suite of funds and investment vehicles, including a closed-end fund, interval fund, business development company, and various real estate vehicles. For more information visit www.nexpointgroup.com. Risks and Disclosures This document is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any common stock of UDFI or any other securities. The offer to purchase common stock of UDFI will only be made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Assignment Form and related documents. THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, THE ASSIGNMENT FORM AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. STOCKHOLDERS OF UDFI ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT SUCH STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR SHARES. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of these statements (when available) by directing such requests to the Information Agent, by calling toll-free at (800) 331-7543. Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund Related Links http://www.nexpointgroup.com/nexpoint-strategic-opportunities-fund/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not troubled that U.S. President Joe Biden has not phoned him yet, Israel's ambassador to Washington said on Saturday, seeking to play down the lack of direct contact so far. There has been speculation that the Democratic president could be signalling displeasure over the close ties Netanyahu forged with former President Donald Trump, who called Netanyahu two days after his inauguration in 2017. "The prime minister is not worried about the timing of the conversation," Ambassador Gilad Erdan told N12's Meet The Press. He said Biden had urgent matters to contend with, such as the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. On Friday, the White House denied that Biden was intentionally snubbing Netanyahu by failing to include him so far in phone calls to foreign leaders since taking office on Jan. 20, saying the two leaders would speak soon. Biden has already called numerous foreign leaders, including those from China, Mexico, Britain, India, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Russia. David Makovsky, a former U.S. Middle East negotiator at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said on Twitter that once Biden starts phoning Middle East leaders, Netanyahu would likely be first among them. While the right-wing Netanyahu was in lock-step with Trump over Middle East policy, he could be in for frostier relations with Biden, although Biden has long been regarded in Israel as a friend in Washington. Netanyahu may find the alliance tested if Washington restores U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from and opposes Israeli settlement building on occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood. Short link: Home > 2021 > Navalny Vs. Putin Russia In Turmoil | R G Gidadhubli by R.G.Gidadhubli * Alexei Navalny has hit the media headlines both in Russia and abroad in January 2021. Hence several questions arise. Why Navalny has gained so much immense popularity both domestically in Russia and globally? At the same time why despite getting immense popularity, he has been facing repeated punishment of imprisonment by the Russian government? An effort has been made to enquire and seek answers to these questions. Navalny Contentions 44-year-old law graduate from Moscow, Alexei Navalnys rise as a force in Russian politics began in 2008 when he started an anti-corruption campaign and formed Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) to promote and carry out his objective and activities. After, over a decade of having started this organisation, he has emerged as a political activist in Russia gaining huge popularity in the country despite not being a member of any political party but possibly getting direct and indirect support. He alleged malpractices and corruption at some of Russias big state-controlled corporations. It needs to be mentioned that he has been very critical of the Russian government and the Russian president Mr Vladimir Putin. This is evident from the fact that during 2011 parliamentary election, even though he did not fight as a candidate, Navalny urged his blog readers to vote for any party except the United Russia party of Putin, which he dubbed as the "party of crooks and thieves". Perhaps making such a direct critical statement on the ruling party was partly unjustified and for which he has been possibly given severe response by the government. Secondly, Navalny has directly accused and targeted Putin in his anti-corruption campaign. For instance, he has also specifically mentioned Putins Palace on the Black Sea coast of Russia costing 100 billion Rubles ($1.35 billion). It is contended by Russias political opposition that this property has become a brazen symbol of rampant state corruption running straight to the top. According to Mr Navalnys blog, rich businessmen of Russia have built this luxurious palace for President Putin, which was viewed by more than 55 million people and became a huge talking point on Russian social media. But the Kremlin has dismissed the video as a "pseudo-investigation". Thirdly, Navalny has millions of Russian followers on his social media blog - many in their early 20s and 30s on his campaign against corruption, which has emerged as a major issue in Russia. It needs to be stated that due to widespread and high level of corruption, the Russian economy has suffered badly affecting a large section of the population causing money laundering, increasing unemployment and leading to wide income disparities. More than 35 - 40 pc of the population have to survive on below-average income. In contrast at the same time corruption has enabled the emergence of a class of millionaires during the last over two decades many of whom have parked their ill-gotten wealth abroad. This is because there is a nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen who have a common interest in this widespread corruption and making ill-gotten money at the cost of a large section of the population. In fact from a classless society during the Soviet era, a New Class of Oil Barons comprising of multi-millionaires has emerged with the support of politicians and bureaucrats in Russia while the large section of Working Class of the country has been badly hit due to the poor state of the economy. Fourthly, it was reported that in July 2020 Navalny collapsed on a flight in Siberia and was rushed to a hospital in Omsk where he was in coma and there was speculation that his life was in danger. With the approval of Russian government, a German-based charity airlifted him to Berlin for treatment. On 2nd September 2020 the German government revealed that tests carried out by the military found a chemical nerve agent of Novichok group. Mention may be made of the fact that Novichok was the chemical weapon which nearly killed former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, in March 2018. As per media reports a local woman died later from contact with Novichok. As per reports Navalny has accused the Russian Government for his poisoning and has alleged involvement of Putin claiming that he has evidence to that effect. However, the Kremlin authorities have consistently denied any role in Navalnys poisoning. Not only that Navalny was allowed to go to Germany for treatment where he stayed for about 6 months. Fourthly, on 17th January 2021, Navalny was arrested at a Moscow airport when he returned from Germany after recovering from poisoning and has been remanded in custody for 30 days and has been placed in a cell in Moscows notorious Matrosskaya Tishina detention center. Reacting to this Navalny called on Russians to "take to the streets" to protest against his detention. Hence his team called for a nationwide protest on 23rd Jan. and again on 31st Jan. 2021 which was illegal as per Russian law. Fifth, Navalny has succeeded in getting support from a large section of Russians against his imprisonment. As reported in Russia and by the global media, there were protests in more than 100 cities in Russia apart from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk against Navalnys arrest and 4000 people who were chanting slogans for the release of Navalny from jail and Putin Resign were arrested during the last two weeks. Moreover, many media reporters including ladies were arrested and hurt for disregarding a law passed by the Russian government in 2018. Sixth, mention needs to be made of the fact that Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer and ally of Navalny and Vladlen Los, a lawyer with Navalnys Anit-Corruption Fund, Anastasia Panchenko, the coordinator of Navalnys headquarters in the southern Krasnodar region were detained in the last week of January and not allowed to meet him. Moreover, the flats of Navalnys wife Yulia and Navalnys brother were raided on 30th January 2021. In response as expected Sobol has described the Russian authorities behavior as "absolute lawlessness." Seventh, to promote his main political objective against corruption, Navalny has urged the Western countries to do justice for Russia to be critical and support him and his activists for cracking down on "dirty money" system that has emerged in the country. At any rate this has suited the interest of the West to criticize Russia and particularly Putin. Navalnys detention has sparked global outrage and a chorus of international calls pressuring Putin for the Kremlin critics immediate release. Russias Perspective The Russian government has totally denied allegations made by Navalny and in fact has accused him of repeatedly violating law. As opined by some analysts from Russias judicial perspective, Navalny has been jailed several times for his anti-national political activities. For instance, he was briefly jailed in July 2013 on embezzlement charges in the city of Kirov and was given five-year suspended sentence, which Navalny alleged was political. Navalny was convicted a second time in a retrial in 2017 and was handed over 5 year suspended sentence. In all he was in jail for 228 days till the latest imprisonment. In 2018 Russia passed a law that prohibits calling on anyone under the age of 18 to attend unauthorized street protests. Russia claims that Navalny has been persistently violating this law involving young generation to participate in his nationwide protests during the last couple of years. Navalny said it was designed to impede his own activities. Secondly, despite being sentenced the Russian government did not bar Navalny from contesting in an election. In fact, he was allowed out of prison to campaign for the Moscow mayoral elections in 2018, in which he was runner-up. He secured about 27 pc votes behind Putins ally Sergei Sobyanin. Thirdly, on the issue of poisoning, the Kremlin has consistently denied any role in Navalnys poisoning. Not only that Navalny was given parole so that he could go to Germany for treatment. Moreover, Russia claims that it suspended sentence from a previous criminal case to enable him to leave the country for treatment. Fourthly, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has shrugged off criticism by the West contending that Navalnys case is a "domestic issue" and that Russia has "no intention of listening to any statements. Western Response The West has been highly supportive of Navalny and critical of the treatment meted out to him by the Russian government. Thus Navalny has succeeded in getting support for his cause from the West by media analysts, human rights groups and policy makers. Firstly, this is evident from the fact that the Newly Elected President of the USA Mr. Joe Biden during his first mutual talk with Vladimir Putin has urged him to release Nalvalny from prison. In fact Jake Sullivan, who has become President Joe Bidens national security adviser has frankly stated "Mr. Navalny should be immediately released, and the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable". In fact the former U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo also frequently bashed Moscow on its human rights record, arms-control violations, and other issues. Secondly, there is geopolitics with regard to Navalnys case which suits the interest of the West. This is evident from the fact that the Western countries are highly critical of ill-treatment of Navaly by the Russian government. Hence the European Union countries might bloc asset freezes and travel bans on Russian individuals and entities held responsible for the poisoning as also those involved in the decision to arrest Navalny. Those targeted by sanctions might also include "Russian oligarchs," President Vladimir Putins "inner circle," and "media propagandists, according to the resolution. The EU also calls on the bloc to "devise a new strategy to punish Russia. The West is aware of the fact Matrosskaya Tishina (Sailors Silence) is the jail where in the past several of Putins outspoken critics have been sent, including former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his associate Platon Lebedev. Moreover, in one of the most infamous cases, prominent whistle-blower, lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, died from an untreated illness while in the jail after accusing Russian officials of tax fraud totalling $230 million. Hence the West enacted Magnitsky Act to punish those involved in this case. Thirdly, on 21st Jan 2021 the EU lawmakers passed a resolution calling on the bloc to "immediately" stop completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which takes Russian natural gas to Germany in response to Navalnys arrest. It needs to be mentioned that Nord 2 Pipeline is a major project supplying Russian oil and natural gas to Germany and other West European countries and about 90 pc of the work has been completed during the last about a decade. If Nord Stream 2 is blocked then Russia will be losing an opportunity to earn much-needed petrodollars to sustain its economy. However, mention may be made of the fact that despite the growing criticism, being the major beneficiary, the German Economy Ministry stated on 20th January that its plans for the project were "unchanged much to the benefit of Russia as well. Fourthly, mention may be made of the fact that the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, which was one of the Republics in the former Soviet Union, Mr. Gabrielius Landsbergis has condemned Russias mock trial of Navalny Fifth, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has been critical of Russia and has urged the Russian authorities to curb their "unlawful" campaign against jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, whose associates are being pressured and rounded up in nationwide protests on 23rd and 31st January 2021 as demonstrations were held in more than 100 cities in Russia against the detention of Navalny. In fact Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW has contended "In the past year, Russian authorities have effectively banned all peaceful protest by the political opposition and prosecuted anyone who has refused to comply". HRW has been candid in stating against "extreme" police brutality and "mass" arbitrary detentions during the recent protests. HRW alleging lack of Freedom and Liberty in Russia has contended that this is further evidence of how low human rights standards have plummeted in Russia. In lieu of conclusion, it may be mentioned that Navalny has emerged as the leader fighting against corruption in Russia, despite being repeatedly punished and jailed for this cause in the country. Navalny has become a Symbol of Change and Democracy for millions of people in Russia who are supporting him in his Anti-Corruption campaign and participating in the protests all over the country. Having been a vocal critic of the president of Russia Mr Vladimir Putin, Navalny has succeeded in his objective of reducing Putins popularity rate in the country. Thus Russia is in Turmoil as the fight between Navalny and Putin persists. (Author: Dr R G Gidadhubli is Professor and Former Director, Center For Central Eurasian Studies, University of Mumbai, Mumbai) 1st Feb 2021 587 Shares Share The recent controversy and backlash surrounding Kamala Harriss Vogue cover shows that it is still fashionable to diminish powerful women. It also is the latest example of the sad fact that no matter how far we have come, women are still held to a different standardby both men and women. As a female vascular surgeon, I have spent my career pushing back on ideas about what a woman should be, how she should look, and what she should accomplish. Yet these stereotypes continue to crop up, suggesting that women should live up to a different set of expectations than mena poisoned idea that propels discrimination and holds women back from attaining promotions or positions of leadership. Yes, society is making progress when it comes to gender equity. Just think of what our grandmothersnot to mention our grandfatherswould have thought of a black female vice president, the extraordinary life and legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, or the #MeToo movement. Even medical schools are finally enrolling more female than male students; in 2019, the AAMC reported 50 percent of students were women and 49 percent were men. But delve just a bit deeper, and it is clear that toxic gender disparity still exists. Last year the Journal of Vascular Surgery reported persistent gender disparities in academic vascular surgeons, with proportionally fewer women in vascular surgery leadership positions than their male peers. This is the same publication that not a year earlier had published a paper on unprofessionalism among young vascular surgeons based on a study where a panel of male researchers evaluated doctors social media accounts and determined their professionalism based off various criteria, including photos. Women in bikini pictures were labeled as unprofessional. The public backlash was so fierce that not only was the paper retracted, but the journal later hired two additional female editors. We easily and almost reflexively blame men for womens stereotypes, disadvantages, and misrepresentation, but as the Vogue incident shows, women are capable of applying a double standard to each other. I experienced this paradox firsthand when I was in my surgical training. I was leading a code and called out loudly to check if anesthesia had arrived yet. As anyone who has watched Greys Anatomy knows, a code is not calm nor quiet. There are at least eight people crowded into a patients room, chest compressions are being performed, the monitor is beeping, and people are calling out medications and time. I asked, Where is anesthesia? in a loud, authoritative voice. The next day, I was informed that a young female nurse anesthetist heard me yelling in a rude unprofessional manner and reported me to my program director. A couple weeks later, that same nurse anesthetist was involved in another code, this time with one of my male co-residents, who was yelling and barking orders even louder and more abruptly than me. She made no complaints about his performance. When my program director, a male surgeon, sat me down to discuss the incident, I was told that while it may not be fair, I should be mindful of my tone and how I come across in the future. I wondered why a fellow female in medicine had targeted me, and why women continue to propagate the gender stereotype in medicine, chipping away at any progress we make. I cant count the number of female patients who have referred to me as a nurse, or female nurses who prioritized my male coresidents orders over mine, or female surgical staff who created an atmosphere of underhanded hostility in the OR reminiscent of the movie Mean Girls. I also wondered whether the discussion would have been different had my program director been a female surgeon, if paradoxically the scarcity of women in my fieldwomen make up only six percent of all members of the Society of Vascular Surgerycreates the conditions for double standards. The AMA reports that women in medicine bring a different perspective to mentorship, patient care, and overall health outcomes. And a study of female leaders in urology supported calls for a gender-diverse workplace, reporting better decision-making and innovation, higher economic productivity, and improved patient outcomes when more women were included in the health care team. Vogue defended their choice of cover saying that Harris was portrayed as much less formal very, very accessible, and approachable. This perfectly summarizes the struggle women experience in the real world every day. A successful female politician should not have to diminish her success to be viewed as approachable. A female surgeon should not have to soften her voice so she doesnt come across as arrogant instead of confident and strong. And women should be the last, not the first, to enforce these outdated gender norms. There is no easy fix to this broken idea of our modern-day woman, but we can start with this: Women will never win this battle against the gender stereotype if we are also fighting ourselves. Yes, we need more women in positions of leadership and power. Yes, that will help inspire and motivate our female youth to strive to achieve dreams of success. But, first we as women need to become unified around a confident and bold new vision of what a woman can be, one that we create for ourselves. Michele Richard is a vascular surgeon. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Although China had been mediating talks between the Myanmar government and Rohingya refugees, the sanctions will now allow China to gain trade with Myanmar as no other nation will do so. Though China has called for a peaceful reconciliation, there has been, unsurprisingly, no mention of reinstating democracy in Myanmar, as China itself lacks one. Experts suggest that China is suspected of having supported the coup in Myanmar as the military leadership would not have taken such a risk without some guarantees. Moreover, after having been sanctioned by the Western nations, Myanmar must now look to China for sustenance. Meanwhile, China has not made any comments regarding the events in Myanmar. Though China has called for a peaceful reconciliation, there has been, unsurprisingly, no mention of reinstating democracy in Myanmar, as China itself lacks one. China considers Myanmar a land bridge to the Indian Ocean and intends to take over the countrys majority share in infrastructure. Most of the goods imported by China come through the Strait of Malacca which can be easily blockaded by India or any other nation with the means and the will. Additionally, China is addressing the coup as a major cabinet reshuffle. Although China had been mediating talks between the Myanmar government and Rohingya refugees, the sanctions will now allow China to gain trade with Myanmar as no other nation will do so. Also read: Atmanirbhar Bharat: ISRO and MapmyIndia partner to bring India made alternative to Google Maps Also read: India-China disengagement in Eastern Ladakh: After Pangong Tso, focus to shift on Depsang Aside from goods, China will be able to sell its own vaccines in Myanmar, whilst redoubling efforts of the Belt and Road initiative in Myanmar. This will result in China building vast amounts of infrastructure on Myanmar soil with loans and forcing Myanmar under its own wing, clutched by the money lent to it. China will also be able to obtain a huge share in all the infrastructure projects. India needs to take into consideration the sanctions imposed by the world on Myanmar as previously when the US imposed sanctions, Myanmar ended up being in Chinas arms. This time, the situation seems even more serious as China has not even called out Myanmars generals and has called the coup as reshuffle. Also read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday reiterated vehemently that his government is determined to give full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at appropriate time. Asserting that "it will happen", the Minister also requested the political parties and its leaders to understand the situation of the erstwhile state which was bifurcated into two Union Territories-- J&k with a legislative and Ladakh without one. "Jammu and Kashmir will be given statehood at an appropriate time...Please understand the situation of the Union Territory and avoid to give any speech that misguides the people of J&K," Amit Shah said while speaking in the Lok Sabha. Delivering a speech to support the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to replace an ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre of civil services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, the Minister clarified that the Bill has nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. "We will give statehood. I have already said that it is a temporary system." On the opposition's question about what happened in 17 months in J&K after withdrawal of Article 370, the Minister questioned "what about your 70 years rule, if your are asking about our work?." "They should first think about themselves before asking me this question." Giving account of the Central government's work in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said it had established Panchayati Raj in the Union Territory with 51.7 per cent voting without firing any single bullet. He later listed steps taken so far for the welfare of people in Jammu and Kashmir. The Minister further said: "Jammu and Kashmir is in our hearts." On a question about the Supreme Court's opinion on holding a hearing on repeal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019 after which the region was bifurcated into two UTs, Shah said: "We are ready with our logic behind our step... but where is the Congress?" "It doesn't mean that we will not do anything for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir untill the Supreme Court starts its hearing on the matter. What kind of argument is it?" About the restriction on 2G and 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said, "This is not the time of the UPA, this is the Modi government. The restriction on 2G and 4G was to avoid spread of rumours." Earlier, introducing the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy said the government was working to take Jammu and Kashmir on the path to development. He said around 170 central laws are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to the erstwhile state. Raising objections on the bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked, "What was the need to bring an ordinance for this? Regularly promulgating ordinances is not good for a parliamentary democracy as an ordinance should be preceded by an emergency situation or any urgency." "Our point of contention is loud and clear," Chowdhury said, adding after abrogating Article 370, the government showed a "dream" to the people that they would turn Jammu and Kashmir into heaven and create jobs there. "Introduction of this bill reflects that the government took the step of abrogating Article 370 without any preparation," Chowdhury alleged. The Congress leader said Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state and the cadre should be local and officers having ground knowledge should be appointed there. He alleged that militancy is still prevalent in the union territory and people are living in an atmosphere of fear. The government had tried to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a large prison, Chowdhury said, adding they blocked telecommunication services and failed to normalise the situation there. "There is unemployment, restriction, lost avenues and total confusion," Chowdhury added. He further said the government had promised to bring back Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir Valley but has failed to ensure their return. "Please think for Jammu and Kashmir with new ideas and do not take ad-hoc measures," he said, adding the government should make Jammu and Kashmir a state and create a cadre to appoint officers there. Speaking against the bill, J&KNC leader Hasnain Masoodi said this bill is akin to an assault on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "You are continuously increasing confusion...What is the objective of this bill? You are taking Jammu and Kashmir towards uncertainty through this bill," he said, adding appointed officers should have connect with the ground realities. He added that the government should restore the position of Jammu and Kashmir to that prior to August 5, 2019. 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We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. ASHFORD Multiple buildings were left in ruins Friday evening after a massive fire at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp off Ashford Center Road. State police responded around 5:17 p.m. after a structure fire was reported at the camp, according to to the camp for a reported Connecticut State Police spokesman Trooper Josue Dorelus. The camp, which draws its name from the real life gang depicted in the iconic 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, was founded by actor and Connecticut resident Paul Newman in 1988. The organization serves children with severe illnesses. No injuries were reported, state police and a spokesman for the organization said, but the fire destroyed several buildings in the camp. We are saddened to share that there was a fire at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp this evening. We are extremely grateful that it appears nobody was injured, but can confirm that our Arts & Crafts, Woodshop, Cooking Zone and Camp Store buildings were all destroyed, said Ryan Thompson, a spokesman for the organization. Photos and video posted to social media showed several buildings completely engulfed in flames or collapsed. A massive column of smoke could be seen rising into the air. Thompson thanked the quick response of local fire departments and state police. Although the cause of the fire is unknown at this time, what is known is that The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a community devoted to hope and healing. We will get through this in the way that we always have and always will as a family, Thompson said. Dorelus said the agencys Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit has been called in to assist local fire marshals in the investigation of the blaze. Detectives of FEIU will be working to determine the cause and origin of the fire, he said. In January 2020, a nonprofit with a mission to develop and equitably distribute vaccines invested $900,000 in a promising but untested bit of technology: Moderna's coronavirus vaccine. Announcing the grant, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) touted an alignment of values, namely a shared commitment to global public health. Documents suggest U.S.-based Moderna agreed to uphold the group's "equitable access principles" - the idea that vaccines should be distributed according to need and at affordable prices. But more than year later, with the pandemic still raging, Moderna's successful vaccine is anything but accessible. The company has sold most of the early doses to rich countries. Poorer countries have been almost entirely shut out. Moderna "seems to have refused to allocate or sell any of their supply beyond the wealthiest countries, the most profitable markets," said Suerie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Center at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. Asked about the $900,000 grant, equitable access provisions and calls to make the Moderna vaccine widely available, company spokeswoman Colleen Hussey referred The Washington Post to a more than three-month-old news release about third quarter financial results, which noted that discussions with Covax - an initiative to equitably distribute vaccines around the world - were "ongoing." Moderna is certainly not the only coronavirus vaccine maker to enter into deals with rich countries. Just 16 percent of the world's population has snapped up 60 percent of doses, according to an estimate from researchers at Duke University. But Moderna's record stands out because none of its doses are yet earmarked for what the World Bank classifies as low-income nations. Most of its competitors - Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson - have already made commitments to Covax, an effort co-led by its early backer, CEPI, as well as the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. CEPI said it is still in talks with Moderna about supplying Covax but did not provide details on where things stand. The WHO, which co-leads Covax and advocates for vaccine access, referred The Post to Gavi, which referred The Post to CEPI. Moderna, meanwhile, is selling the vast majority of its early doses to high-income buyers, including the United States, the European Union and Canada, where immunization campaigns are already underway. It is also working with the Philippines, a lower-middle-income country, and with upper-middle-income countries such as Colombia and potentially Mexico, according to tracking by researchers at Duke University and Airfinity, a research firm. But because those countries are further back in line, it may take time for their doses to arrive. Advocates for global health are frustrated by the disparities. "It is being rolled out in rich countries even though an institution committed to equitable access funded it - it's outrageous, it's tragic," said Zain Rizvi, an expert on access to medicine at Public Citizen, a watchdog group. Part of the issue is supply. Wealthy countries could afford to take risks and cut early deals on unproven technology. Only some of their vaccine bets have paid off. But as a result, they have secured a disproportionate share of projected 2021 supply - leaving the rest of the world to wait. Then there is the problem of price. Along with Pfizer-BioNTech's offering, Moderna's vaccine is among the most expensive of the multiple vaccines purchased by the United States and by the E.U. But Pfizer, which has a similar vaccine on offer, agreed last month to supply Covax with up to 40 million doses at a "not-for-profit" rate. Moderna - whose surging stock price has generated wealth for executives and investors - has yet to announce a similar plan, despite the role CEPI played in its development. CEPI's investment in Moderna came at a critical moment. The deal was announced Jan. 23, 2020, less than two weeks after Chinese researchers first posted the novel coronavirus's genetic sequence to an online database and a week before the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern. Announcing the deal, Moderna's chief executive, Stephane Bancel, thanked both CEPI and the National Institutes of Health, which played an important role in the vaccine's development. "Advances in global public health require the collective effort of public-private partnerships," he said, according to a news release. "No organization can act alone." Rachel Grant, a spokeswoman for CEPI, which is headquartered in Oslo, said the foundation's "early stage catalytic funding of Moderna was critical to get the project off the ground." But CEPI and Moderna did not reach an agreement for second-stage funding. The relationship did not go further, Grant said, because the company's funding needs were met elsewhere - by what would become the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed. Moderna got multiple infusions from the U.S. government. By December, it had received $4.1 billion for vaccine development, clinical trials and manufacturing, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. On Thursday, President Biden announced he would be exercising an option to buy 100 million more doses of the Moderna vaccine. Unlike China and Russia, which have tried to use potential vaccines to bolster their soft power abroad, the Trump White House was singularly focused on domestic supply. President Donald Trump opted out of Covax, citing his feud with the WHO. The Biden administration has tried to patch things up with the Geneva-based organization, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has talked about helping "make sure that others around the world who want [a vaccine] have access to it." Still, the United States remains focused on vaccinating Americans and has not announced any plans to share, whether bilaterally or through Covax. Public health experts have tried to sound the alarm. Scientists warn that leaving low-income countries waiting for adequate vaccine supply will prolong the pandemic. Economists caution that "vaccine nationalism" could cost the world more than a $1 trillion dollars a year in GDP. A coalition called the People's Vaccine Campaign of South Africa recently called on the U.S. government to push Moderna, specifically, to make its coronavirus vaccine more accessible outside the United States. "The US government helped research and pay for the development of the NIH-Moderna vaccine, yet, as things stand, the company Moderna has unilaterally decided that very few nations will benefit from it," they said in a release. "We therefore implore you - enforce your rights in this instance and ensure that Moderna and other companies supported by the US government abide by its obligations. Your actions will undoubtedly help to save millions of lives in our country and elsewhere in the global South." Even while public health organizations call for an end to vaccine nationalism, some seem wary of pushing the companies controlling vaccine supply. Advocates wonder why those tasked with promoting global public health have not called more forcefully for drug companies to disclose the terms of their vaccine contracts, for instance, or urged vaccine makers to transfer know-how to parts of the world in desperate need of vaccine. In a recent report on Covax, Public Citizen's Rizvi urged CEPI to press Moderna on equitable access. CEPI should publish its contracts with the drugmaker and publicly push for more equitable distribution, the report argued. Asked whether CEPI would do so, Grant said CEPI's board has full access to its agreements but that they contain "detailed confidential and financial information, which is proprietary" and therefore the organization does not have the right to publish them in full. She said some of their agreements are with publicly traded companies who must file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but noted that contracts are often "redacted to protect technical and business confidential information." Covax "remains in active discussions with Moderna regarding the procurement of the vaccine for global allocation," Grant said, "And we hope that they will commit to support our mission to ensure global equitable access to covid-19 vaccines along with the other manufacturers in the Covax portfolio." Update: passage ranking launched yesterday afternoon Pacific Time for queries in the US in English. It will come for more countries in English in the near future, then to other countries and languages after that. We'll update this thread as those further launches happen. Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 11, 2021 Alphabet unit, Google is the number one in search engine services where billions of users search on this platform to find the answers to their questions. Google is trying its best through different ways to bring the top results which are sometimes buried deep in a web page which is difficult to find out. Google always tries to evaluate whether the answer is relevant to your question which is the most important thing. Recently, Google is focusing on a passage ranking to help people find the buried answers to their questions which can bring more users to the platform.Google has assessed all the content through passage ranking in which millions of buried answers were found by Google, alongside the launch of Hum to search. The company understands the value of the content because sometimes a single sentence that is hidden inside the deep web page can bring the answer of thousands of questions a hundred topics. But previously, those near circumstances could reduce the chance of page looking in the search result, which is hidden in the web page even though that had a strong answer to your questions. Google is trying to make its search result better to relate the answers with your question by addressing this issue with an innovation in ranking that will allow the search to classify and understand each individual passage.An example of a query has been given to show people how the search worked before the passage ranking and after its launch how Google has given the immediate answer to your question rather than providing you more general results. Before the passage ranking, Google was able to show different links and not always the exact answer of your question, but after its launch, it is able to provide you an exact and accurate answer to your question.After the passage ranking, search result has an additional factor of ranking which can save your time doing a long search and then find the answer of your queries. The company does not sell additional products except offering a great form of content to the public.According to SearchLiaison, Passage ranking in Google search is recently released in the US for only English language queries, however, more languages will follow soon. If it is globally launched, it can make the search engine more accurate. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Midwives ordered to replace words 'mother,' 'breastfeeding' with 'trans-friendly' terms Policy advises replacing 'father' with 'second biological parent' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Transgender language is being instituted at two U.K. hospitals in the NHS healthcare system that now require midwives to cease using the words "breastfeeding," breastmilk and "father," and change how they refer to mothers all under the banner of inclusion. The word "mother" is being replaced with the term "mother or birthing parent." As part of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust's inclusive language policy to be more "trans-friendly," midwives are being told they must stop using gendered terms that denote the sex of the body and instead used "gender-inclusive" language, according to the UK Times. Henceforth, under the new policy, the "maternity services department" will be known as "perinatal services." Instead of using the word "breastmilk," the phrases "human milk," "breast/chestmilk" or "milk from the feeding mother or parent." Additional adjustments in the hospital language policy include using woman or person in place of "woman." Depending on the circumstances, the word "father" is to be replaced with parent, co-parent or second biological parent," The Telegraph reports. The document further instructs staff that they are not to cease using the word woman entirely but to use the word "people" more often. The document released this week states: "Gender identity can be a source of oppression and health inequality. We are consciously using the words women and people together to make it clear that we are committed to working on addressing health inequalities for all those who use our services. As midwives and birth workers, we focus on improving access and health outcomes for marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Women are frequently disadvantaged in healthcare, as are trans and non-binary people By continuing to use the term woman we commit to working on addressing health inequalities for all who use our services." In a statement released on Twitter Monday, the Sussex maternity department said: We want everybody who uses our services to see themselves reflected in the language that we use. This means not only pregnant women, but also pregnant trans, non-binary and agender people. Our chosen approach to inclusive language is additive rather than neutral. According to The Telegraph, "Brighton and Hove NHS Trust has long championed itself as a 'leader for LGBT inclusion' after receiving a number of accolades from the controversial charity Stonewall." The phenomenon of this kind of language has been appearing in elite environments in recent months. In a social media post promoting a panel discussion in December 2020, Harvard Medical School referred to women as birthing people to include individuals who identify as nonbinary or transgender. Harvard Medical Schools Postgraduate and Continuing Education tweet proclaimed that Globally, ethnic minority pregnant and birthing people suffer worse outcomes and experiences during and after pregnancy and childbirth as it promoted a panel about Maternal Justice." The tweet drew ire from many Twitter users who complained that it was misogynistic and dehumanizing. National Review writer Madeleine Kearns noted that some feminists have long regarded this kind of language as Orwellian, noting that it ultimately yields the "erasure" of women. "Words merely reflect or distort facts. A woman is still a woman if you call her something else, be it a 'non-binary person' or a 'trans man.' And a mother is still a mother if you call her a 'chestfeeder' or a 'birthing parent,'" she wrote. "The hijacking of language is the same sinister strategy on which every totalitarian ideology is reliant. Nonsense terms such as 'misgendering,' 'cis-privilege,' 'cisgender,' 'dead naming,' etc., have only been around for ten years or so, and only in the mainstream for much less time, and yet have already been used with staggering effectiveness to confuse, intimidate, and deter people (including conservatives) from using biologically precise terminology in contexts where doing so matters greatly (e.g. in court or Congress). "It is of course shameful that deceitful language should be deployed by the political class, or so unthinkingly by those who know better. But it is beyond disturbing that it should make its way into publicly funded medicine," Kearns concluded. In what is being falsely promoted as a step in the right direction for students struggling with remote and hybrid learning, Boston has opened all 125 of its public school buildings, bringing back nearly 5,000 high-needs students in the first week of February. This is to be followed March 1 with the return of KGrade 3 students, Grades 48 on March 15, and Grades 912 by March 29. Boston Latin Academy front entrance (Wikimedia Commons) These criminal reopenings have been prepared for monthspushed by Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Boston Public Schools (BPS)and carried out through sellout deals orchestrated by the Boston Teachers Union (BTU). The BTUs drive to force teachers back into unsafe schools comes in the context of growing resistance across the US and globally by educators to governments efforts to reopen schools and nonessential businesses, placing the lives of teachers, students and the community in danger as the pandemic rages and new variants of the virus spread. Teachers in Chicago returned to schools Thursday after a contract was rammed through by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) against large opposition by CTU members. In Boston, the BTU signed a January 10 Side Letter Concerning Reopening Schools and Returning Students to Schools When the COVID Positive Rate is 5% or Above. The letter was signed by union President Jessica Tang, Mayor Marty Walsh and BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. Its aim is to force teachers back into unsafe schools to teach all grade levels, regardless of the COVID positivity rate in Boston, which currently stands at 5.8 percent. The previously agreed-upon rate was 4 percent, which was then raised without explanation to 5 percent with the agreement of the BTU, the City of Boston and the BPS superintendent. The side letter now states that if the positivity rate for COVID-19 is above 10% [!] for two weeks BTU may request impact bargain [sic] regarding any impacts from the COVID-19 positivity rate on BTUs members terms and conditions of employment. ... In other words, teachers must stay in schools while the BTU leaders may, if they choose, return to the bargaining table to raise demands for a return to remote teaching. According to a BTU member bulletin February 2, teachers have no right to opt to remain working remotely only. Members who are directed in despite their preference or necessity may choose to take a leave, according to all applicable policiesin other words, by using their sick days or taking unpaid leave. The BTU has signed deal after rotten deal in an effort to force teachers back into school buildings. A memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed in September allowed for the possibility of achieving fresh air classrooms by opening windows in school buildings at the start of winter. The MoA called for the transition to remote learning if the positivity rate went above 4 percent, but added the following loophole: When the Boston Public Health Commission or other City or State authority determines that the district can reopen, BTU bargaining unit members will be expected to return to BPS Buildings. In other words, the school district has been granted the power to reopen schools, regardless of the dangers to teachers and students. In October, when positivity rates reached 4.1 percent in Boston, teachers called for the closing of schools until the rate dropped in accordance with what they thought was agreed upon in the MoA. The conflict was quickly brought to the courts, with BPS claiming, based on the MoA, that schools could stay open regardless of the positivity rate. The percentage was then raised to 5 percent and preparations began by the city, state, BPS and BTU to move forward with the reopenings. By November 15, BTU President Tang was calling for the safe reopening of in-person teaching for high-needs students and claimed that unions have supported in-person learning all along. Thanks to BTU educators, she said, and the City of Boston, we have an opportunity now to work together with the Boston Public Schools and Superintendent [Brenda] Cassellius [who a month earlier was threatening teachers if they refused to teach in-person] to create a model of safer, high quality in-person learning for high-needs students that other districts may do well to follow as our nation grapples with the impact of COVID-19 on our school communities. An agreement materialized that day in a Memorandum of agreement between Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union, returning high-needs students to four schools. The MoA was aimed at convincing teachers, parents and students that they had won demands to make in-person learning safe. The BTUs position is that schools are safe, that teachers dont decide when schools open and that if teachers are directed to go into school buildings, they must report and risk their potential death and infection and that of loved ones or take a leave of absence. This position is not unique to the BTU, but is common to unions around the country that are deeply embedded in the Democratic Party, the party of Wall Street and the financial oligarchy that has prioritized their profits in the pandemic leading to the deaths of more than 460,000 people. Teachers unions across the country are on board with Joe Bidens pledge to reopen most schools within the first 100 days of his presidency, against the will of teachers and concerned parents. According to an account by the New York Times, Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7-million-member American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has spent countless hours speaking with local union leaders, mayors, the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to push for the reopening of the three-quarters of US school systems that remain fully or partially closed. In the days leading up to the sellout contract forcing Chicago teachers back to schoolrooms, Weingarten was on the phone with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the school chief executive and local union leaders trying to push through a rotten deal. Similar were the calls made by the AFT head to Boston Mayor Walsh and BTU President Tang with same objectivesuppressing strike action and forcing teachers back to in-person learning. These union and government leaders are fearful above all of the growing movement of educators in the US and internationally who are being galvanized in opposition to the ruling elites homicidal herd immunity to reopen schools and nonessential businesses. According to a teacher who attended the most recent BTU membership meeting, when a teacher asked whether a strike could be called if they were forced to return to schools, Tangs response could be summed up as follows: Well there arent many schools where teachers arent using flexible schedules agreed upon by school staff and principals and all schools have had the vents put in all classroomsas well as PPE. On the same day, teachers were sent a message from the district saying that all staff who have students coming into their building must report to work. Tangs tactics are similar to those used by Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey, who at a rushed all-membership meeting Sunday recited a laundry list of reasons not to strike, including Its a pandemic. Its cold. This wont be an easy strike. This would be a strike in which the board would be calling people to work remotely. So, we need you to know people could cross a picket line by going home and logging on to their computer. Educators rank-and-file safety committees are being built in school districts across the country to fight for the lives and safety of teachers, students, families and the community at large, in opposition to the corrupt, pro-capitalist unions. Teachers in Boston and across New England should form their own rank-and-file committees, based on a socialist program to meet social needs, not private profit accumulationoutside of the control of the corporatist unionsto link with educators across the country and internationally to fight for the policies of life to end the pandemic, not death for the continuation of gains in the stock market. To join a committee in your area, or for help forming one, contact the World Socialist Web Site at wsws.org/edsafety wsws.org/edsafety. When recently asked to pick a place he'd love to revisit, Sir David Attenborough replied: "A coral reef, with its sheer magnitude of different, wonderful, beautiful things." Reefs weave through oceans across our globe, but there is no system more famous than Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a natural phenomenon so vast and dramatic, it can be seen from space. A collection of 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for more than 1,400 miles along the east coast of Queensland, it's a spectacle of colourful critters, mighty marine mammals and curious deep-sea organisms. Of course, the opportunities for snorkelling and scuba are outstanding, but, as Attenborough points out, "You don't need to be a great underwater swimmer to see the miracle of a flourishing coral reef." There are alternative options for underwater sleeps, walk-though observatories and aerial tours for a bird's-eye view. Spend time planning a perfect trip by diving in to some of these suggestions. How can I see the reef without getting wet? From glass-bottomed boats to underwater galleries and even bedrooms, there are many ways to marvel at marine life without getting even slightly soaked. Located on the Great Barrier Reef, close to the Whitsundays, the Reefsuites pontoon features two submerged rooms with floor to ceiling windows, providing views of tropical fish, turtles and manta rays. All-inclusive stays cost from 415 per person per night. There's also an option to sleep out under the stars on deck, in several comfortable pods. Nearby, the split-level Heart Island pontoon provides an opportunity for guests to explore the Instagram-favourite Heart Reef lagoon. The two-and-a-half-hour-trip is available to guests staying on Hamilton Island. From 615 per person. Visit hamiltonisland.com.au. Further south, off the coast of Bundaberg, the new Lady Musgrave Experience pontoon (opening in the next few months) will also feature underwater accommodation for up to 24 people, and an underwater observatory. Visit ladymusgraveexperience.com.au. Which are the best islands for a remote, rustic experience? Imagine days spent swinging on hammocks, listening to surf rhythmically lap sandy shores. Desert island paradise is summed up perfectly on Pumpkin Island, a low-key 6.1-hectare patch of land set along the Capricorn Coast in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Reserve, just off the coast of Yeppoon. Stay overnight (or longer) in five cottages and two beach bungalows, where electricity is provided by wind and solar power, and rainwater is filtered for drinking. Gather enough friends and family together and it's possible to rent the whole place for a reasonable rate; split between 34 people, a seven-night stay works out at 46 per night. Visit pumpkinisland.com.au. There are nine luxury Reef Safari Tents hidden in an ancient Pisonia forest, with meals served in a central dining area. Along with following nature trails or exploring on a SUP, activities include a chance to see turtles nesting and hatching. The island closes every year from February to April, to allow the resident bird population the peace and quiet they need to nest. A two-night all-inclusive stay costs 1,224 (two sharing). Visit wilsonisland.com. What about a high-end option? Describing her family's elite hideaway, hotelier Anna Turner refers to Haggerstone Island as the "best place to shake the world out of people". A two-hour flight north from Cairns, and a 40-minute flight from the nearest town, it features five high-end beachfront huts, inspired by a mixture of African and Papua New Guinean themes. To hire the island exclusively costs 3,857 a night (minimum four nights) for 12 guests. Visit haggerstoneisland.com.au. Equally intimate but a little more affordable, Elysian Retreat in the Whitsundays is the first fully solar powered resort on the Reef, with 10 bungalows dotted along the beach. Meals are prepared with a focus on health and nutrition, while wellbeing treats come in the form of daily yoga classes and massage treatments. All-inclusive stays from 355 per night. Visit elysianretreat.com.au. Where can I get a glimpse of research work in action? Long-regarded as one of Australia's most idyllic tropical island retreats, Lizard Island is also home to an acclaimed research station, attracting coral reef researchers from around the globe. Approximately 100 different projects are now conducted annually, generating more than 1,200 scientific publications since 1973. Guests staying in the island's 40 beach-house suites can visit the Research Station on a guided tour, to find out about the work being done. Visit lizardisland.com.au. For a more hands-on experience, Daydream Island Resort in the Whitsundays has a man-made Living Reef, ideal for families to learn about what happens beneath the waves. A coral lagoon wrapping 200m around the resort, it hosts more than 100 species of local marine life. Resident marine biologists lead a range of activities, including tours of an underwater observatory and an interactive touch pool. A collection of new raceways, tanks with an inlet and outlet enabling a simulation of tides, are also used for coral propagation. Visit daydreamisland.com MOSCOW While waiting out the coronavirus lockdown in his two-bedroom apartment last spring, the Russian opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny seemed uncharacteristically idle, with his most potent weapon against the Kremlin street protests off the table. And yet, Mr. Navalny felt that President Vladimir V. Putins grip on power might be slipping. Operating from his living room, rather than the slick Moscow studio he had used before, he cranked out videos haranguing Mr. Putin for failing to manage the coronavirus crisis and leaving Russians struggling as the economy suffered. Confirming his hunch that the pandemic could become a political catalyst, the audience for Mr. Navalnys YouTube videos tripled, to 10 million viewers per month. Putin cant handle all this madness, and you can see that he is totally out of his depth, Mr. Navalny said in an interview by Zoom in May. We are continuing to hit them where it hurts. Methodical and uncompromising, Mr. Navalny, 44, has spent almost half his life trying to unseat Mr. Putin. Often deemed rude, brusque and power hungry, even by other Kremlin critics, he persisted while other opposition activists retreated, emigrated, switched sides, went to prison or were killed. It increasingly became a deeply personal fight, with the stakes for Mr. Navalny and his family, as well as for Mr. Putin and all of Russia rising year by year. New Delhi: Pitiching for promoting clean fuel in India, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said there is a potential for setting up at least 5,000 bio CNG manufacturing units in India. Launching Indias first-ever diesel tractor, converted to CNG and registered in his name, Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister Nitin Gadkari also said that not only it will change the rural economy but result in huge employment creation. "The government is trying to set up multiple bio CNG manufacturing units in India. The petroleum ministry is making plans to buy bio-CNG. "There is huge employment opportunity in this area and it can bolster our economic development. The technology is proven. There is a potential of 5,000 bio CNG manufacturing units in India," the minister said. He also said that instead of burning stubble, farmers in India can earn 1,500 crore per annum by selling these. Their income can multiply manifold if they utilise the stubble in CNG-making, he said while addressing the launch event of India's first CNG tractor converted from diesel. The minister also said a farmer could save on an average 1.5- 2 lakh on fuel costs by using CNG tractor. "As high as 35 million tonne of stubble is burnt by the farmers in India from October to January every year. If this 35 MT stubble is purchased, farmers will get 2,000 per tonne income. Instead of burning stubbles, farmers of India can earn 1,500 crore from that," Gadkari said. He added that the benefits will multiply if used in CNG making. Farmers will get benefits as their per-day cost for diesel tractor comes to 1,800, while CNG cost comes to barely 940. "On an average, a farmer can save 1.5- 2 lakh on CNG year," he said. The conversion has been carried out jointly by Rawmatt Techno Solutions & Tomasetto Achille India. The minister said wide use of tractors by farmers will help them increase their incomes by lowering costs and help in creating job opportunities in rural India. Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Parshottam Rupala, and V K Singh will also be present at the launch. The minister said that apart from being a clean fuel, CNG is economical also as it has zero lead and is non-corrosive, non-dilutive and non-contaminating. It also helps in increasing the life of the engine, and requires less regular maintenance. It is cheaper also as CNG prices are far more consistent than fluctuating petrol prices. Also, the average mileage of CNG vehicles is better than that of diesel/petrol driven vehicles, the minister said. He said it is safer as CNG tanks come with a tight seal, which reduces the possibility of explosion while refuelling or in the event of a spill. "It is the future as at present, around 12 million vehicles are already powered by natural gas throughout the world and more companies and municipalities are joining the CNG movement every day," he said. Explaining specific benefits of converting tractors to CNG to farmers, he said test reports indicate that the retrofitted tractor produces more power/equal in comparison to diesel-run engine. "Overall, emissions are reduced by 70 per cent as compared to diesel. It will help farmers save up to 50 per cent on the fuel cost as the current diesel prices are Rs.77.43 per litre, whereas CNG is only 42 per kg," he said. The minsiter said the government is considering to convert diesel buses into CNG buses and will encourage retrofitting of CNG kits. He also said the ethanol economy, which is of 20,000 crore, will be taken to 2 lakh crore. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the country is likely to see huge investments for setting up about 5,000 compressed bio-gas (CBG) units across the country. Farmer can make huge income by converting CBG into ethanol, he said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. A section of Marrickville will be named Little Greece to mark its Greek heritage despite significant gentrification making the inner-city suburb less ethnically diverse than 20 years ago. The Inner West Council last week voted to approve a Greek precinct along part of Marrickville Road, between Livingstone and Victoria roads, and will stage a community event on Greek Independence Day on March 25. Olives for sale at the Lamia Super Deli in Marrickville. Credit:Brook Mitchell Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne said the Little Greece precinct was a gesture of respect to all the Greek migrants who have helped to build Marrickville into one of the most interesting suburbs on earth. The council will also consult with the Vietnamese community about creating a precinct in nearby Illawarra Road. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will on Saturday, February 13, reply to discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha. The lower house of the parliament will go into recess on Saturday evening and reconvene on March 8. Ahead of FM Sitharaman's reply, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has instructed all its MPs (Member of Parliament) to be present in the house. The finance minister, while replying to the discussion on Budget 2021 in Rajya Sabha on Friday, February 12, slammed the opposition accusing it of weaving a false narrative that the Centre only worked for cronies. She added that several of the government's schemes were for the poor. Follow all the live updates on FM Sitharaman's Parliament debate today on BusinessToday.In: - 11.24 am: Parliament live updates: Centre will allocate more funds for MGNREGA if needed, says FM Sitharaman The finance minister said that the government will allocate more funds for the rural job scheme 'MGNREGA' for 2021-22 if needed, against a budget estimate of Rs 73,000 crore. 11.20 am: Our cronies are common people of this country: FM Sitharaman Slamming the opposition, the finance minister said, "Where are the cronies? They're hiding probably in the shadow of that party which has been rejected by the people. The shadows who were invited to even develop a port. They invited, no open tenders, no global tenders. Who are our cronies? Our cronies are the common 'janta' of this country." 11.16 am: Parliament live updates: FM Sitharaman on Rahul Gandhi's 'Hum 2 Hamare 2' remark Replying to budget discussion in Lok Sabha, the finance minister said, "'Hum 2 hamare 2' is that - we're 2 people taking care of party & there are 2 other people who I've to take care, daughter and damad will take care of that. We don't do that. Rs 10,000 is given to 50 lakh street traders as working capital for 1 year. They aren't anyone's cronies." 11.14 am: Budget session 2021: FM Sitharaman attacks Congress, Robert Vadra Tearing into the Congress party, Robert Vadra, the finance minister said, "PM SVANidhi Yojana, for those who are constantly accusing us of dealing with cronies - SVANidhi doesn't go to cronies. Damads get land in states which are governed by some parties - Rajasthan, Haryana once upon a time." 11.09 am: FM Sitharaman tears into Rahul Gandhi Attacking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the finance minister slammed him for using budget speech for farm issues. She added that Congress' 2019 manifesto backed farm laws. 11.02 am: Parliament budget session 2021: PM Modi working for poor, backward, Dalits, says FM Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech, said that the prime minister is working for backward, Dalits, and poor people. She added that the people of India have faith in PM Modi. 10.57 am: Centre taking holistic approach to health, says FM Sitharaman Talking about health and well-being of people, the finance minister said, "In the Budget speech, I very clearly said, we're taking a holistic approach to health. It's addressing preventive health, it is addressing curative health, it is also addressing well-being. Otherwise, you are not going to get holistic health-related governance." 10.53 am: Parliament budget session: FM defends defence allocation "There is mention about Defence getting no mention in speech, why hiding details about Defence?...Rs 1,16,931 crore Defence expenditure in 2013-14, this being so huge, unless we pair it down into 3 compartments, you aren't going to get a true picture-Revenue, Capital, Pension," says FM Sitharaman. There is mention about Defence getting no mention in speech, why hiding details about Defence?...Rs 1,16,931 cr Defence expenditure in 2013-14, this being so huge, unless we pair it down into 3 compartments, you aren't going to get a true picture-Revenue, Capital, Pension: FM pic.twitter.com/P7EiNXSVsX a ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2021 10.49 am: FM Sitharaman hits out a Mamata Banerjee Fund for 69 lakh West Bengal farmers blocked, says the finance minister. 10.45 am: FM lists out schemes for farmers 9 crore farmers benefited from KISAN scheme: FM Sitharaman. Attacking Congress for weaving a false narrative around the farmers' protest, the finance minister said, "don't shed crocodile tears for farmers." 10.43 am: Govt stands for free market approach, back wealth creators and entrepreneurs, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 10.39 am: FM Sitharaman attacks Congress for MNREGA mishandling Slamming Congress for mishandling MNREGA, FM Sitharaman said the party used the scheme for its cronies and asked it to take credit for the mismanagement. 10.34 am: Budget session 2021: Reforms will pave way for making India top economy in the world, says FM Sitharaman. 10.29 am: Parliament budget session 2021 FM Sitharaman said the budget draws from the experience of PM Modi when he was Gujarat CM. She added that his tenure as the state's chief minister saw several revivals happening at that time. "This Budget draws from the experience of the PM when he was CM - on the ground in Gujarat, seen so many revivals happening at a time when the license quota raj was going away post-1991 & then based on that experience, commitment to reform was blended into this Budget," the finance minister added. 10.24 am: Budget 2021 set pace for India to become Atmanirbhar, says FM Sitharaman. 10.19 am: FM Sitharaman defends budget, govt reforms Defending Budget 2021, the finance minister said the government didn't deter from announcing reforms, stimulus measures despite a challenging situation like the COVID-19 pandemic. She added that these reforms are necessary for sustaining long-term economic growth. 10.10 am: COVID-19 pandemic didn't deter govt, says FM Sitharaman Budget session 2021: The coronavirus pandemic didn't deter the Centre in taking decisions concerning reforms to boost the economy, said FM Nirmala Sitharaman while replying to the discussion on Union Budget 2021 in Lok Sabha. 10.04 am: Parliament live updates Lok Sabha Proceedings begin with a few MPs chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans. 9.50 am: FM Sitharaman reply to budget discussion at 10 am The finance minister will reply to the general discussion on the Union Budget when the Lok Sabha convenes at 10 am on Saturday, instead of the usual 4 pm. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. SAGINAW, MI - A Saginaw nurse has been at the frontlines helping COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic, but now shes the one thats in need of help. Bridget Klingenberg served as a COVID floor ICU nurse with Covenant HealthCare during the pandemic and but she was recently hospitalized after she became sick with the virus herself. Klingenberg is not just fighting for her own life, however - she is pregnant with her baby girl Addie. Because Bridget is pregnant, they have to keep her blood oxygen levels at 95 (a super high level for a covid patient), said a statement on a GoFundMe page by Rachael Moss, Klingenbergs sister. She is currently on high flow oxygen but if her levels dont stay high enough, she will be intubated for the next month until Addie is 30 weeks along and can be safely delivered early. This will mean months of rehabilitation for Bridget and weeks in the NICU for Addie. The GoFundMe page created was created by Moss on behalf of Eric Klingenberg to help the family with medical bills and the impact of lost income over the next weeks or month. Bridget is currently the sole income provider of her household while her husband, Eric, finishes the last stages of his occupational therapy masters degree, said the GoFundMe page. Covenant HealthCare issued a statement about Bridget Klingenbergs dedication as a nurse at Covenant and the situation she is facing. Our hearts and prayers are with Bridget and her family. So many of the Covenant family have faced the terrible threat COVID-19 has put into our world both at work and in their home lives. We are so proud of the work our heroes have performed to help and heal our community, and we continuously do all we can to keep them safe. There is much love and prayers going out from us, Bridgets colleagues, that she overcomes this crisis and regains the strength to rejoin us and her family healthy and strong, said the statement. As of Friday, Feb. 12, over $20,000 has been raised for the Klingenberg family on GoFundMe out of a $50,000 goal. Click here to access the GoFundMe page named Help Bridget & Addie Beat Covid. More from MLive Saginaw County vaccinates nearly 1,000 adults for COVID-19 at first mass vaccination clinic Friday, Feb. 12, coronavirus data by Michigan county: Average positivity rate down to 3.8% Second dose of COVID-19 vaccine can produce more side effects than first shot, doctors say For those now fully immunized against COVID-19, the rules havent changed - yet Despite the heavy presence of police officers at Lekki Tollgate on Saturday, some protesters have continued to express displeasure over the reopening of Lekki Tollgate. It was a struggle for the scores of police officers drafted to the toll gate as they struggled to arrest protesters who show up in twos and threes on different occasions. The officers, however, could not prevent some of the protesters, who had been locked in a Black Maria, from airing their resentments. At least 28 people, including those who claimed to be passersby were arrested at Lekki tollgate as at the time this report was filed. The Protest An order to reopen the Lekki toll gate by the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry last Saturday spurred the #occupyLekkitollgate movement, with the youth rising to resist the reopening. The youth argued that the reopening of the tollgate is premature as the investigation into the Lekki shooting incident of October 20, 2020, has not been concluded. The Lekki toll plaza, which has not been operational since the commencement of #EndSARS protest, was completely shut down on night of October 20, 2020, following the shooting of unarmed protesters by officers of the Nigerian army. In response to #occupyLekkitollgate, some other youth vowed to #DefendLagos, in opposition of the planned protest. This gave birth to a protest and counter-protest scheduled to hold at Lekki toll gate at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Several pleas and warnings have been issued by the police, state government, the LCC and other parties, calling on youth not to go ahead with the protest and counter-protest. Lekki tollgate, which is operated by the Lekki Concession Company, has since Friday been under the protection of police officers, who were drafted there to foil the protests. Attempted protests and arrests Scores of police officers had been at the Lekki tollgate since Friday, to forestall any protest. When PREMIUM TIMES reporter arrived at Lekki tollgate around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, the officers were holding morning briefings at different spots ahead of the protest. No movement of protesters was observed at the tollgate until 7:47 a.m. when some police officers began rushing into their vehicles and heading towards Lekki Phase 1. Shortly after, few protesters approached the toll gate on foot, with police officers behind them, dragging them into the Black Maria belonging to the LCC. About 13 protesters were arrested and driven to an unknown location in the first set of arrests. A vehicle conveying a speaker, sound system, generator and some protest material was also impounded. After the first wave of arrests, other protesters strolled to the Lekki tollgate in twos and threes, with some insisting on exercising their right to protest. ADVERTISEMENT The police officers and security personnel of the LCC also went to nearby streets to arrest people seen, questioning their presence around the tollgate. Several arrests were made by the police, comprising people who showed up for the protest and those who claim they were merely passing by. Peaceful protest a right On Saturday, a group, the Youth Rights Campaign, called for the release of all protesters that were arrested at the tollgate. In a statement, the group demanded the immediate and unconditional release of one of its members, Moshood Oshufunrewa, and other activists arrested at the tollgate. We affirm that peaceful protest is a right which cannot be undermined or abridged under any pretext. The actions of the Police today presents an escalation of the developing civilian capitalist dictatorship which the APC regime is slowly but surely morphing into, the group said. As at the time of this report, more police officers, led by Yinka Egbeyemi, the RRS commander, have arrived at the Lekki tollgate. Rahul Gandhi should apologise for calling PM Modi coward: BJP India pti-Deepika S Jaipur, Feb 13: Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia on Saturday asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to apologise for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a coward. ''Rahul Gandhi should apologise for the comments made on Friday against the prime minister of the country and calling him a coward on the issue of China,'' Poonia told reporters at a press conference here. Poonia said what Rahul Gandhi said during a meeting on Friday on the issue was objectionable. This comment about the prime minister of the world's largest democracy cannot be justified, the BJP leader said. Gandhi on Friday had called PM Modi a coward "who cannot stand up to the Chinese". Gandhi had said the PM has not fulfilled the responsibility of protecting India's territory and has instead ceded territory to China. Poonia said perhaps Rahul does not remember the history of his great grandfather. They forget how China occupied Indian land by misleading people by a slogan ''Hindi-Chini, Bhai-Bhai'', Poonia said referring to the 1962 War between both nations when Rahul Gandhi's great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was the PM of the country. PM Modi wants to 'hand over' entire agriculture business to his 'two friends', alleges Rahul The Indian Army fought with high morale but the will power of the government was weak when his great grandfather was the prime minister, the state BJP chief said. Poonia said Rahul Gandhi promised debt waiver to farmers but he did not say anything on this during his visit to the state, leaving people disappointed. The question is, which compound and tread pattern are best for winter driving? Tommy Mica decided to find out by testing all-season, all-weather, and snow tires on a brand-new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid at 10,000 feet above sea level in Colorado, and obviously, the results couldnt be more different.Michelin Primacy A/S tires come standard on the compact crossover, and theyre pretty good on paper. Bear in mind, however, that all-season rubber is compromised in every season by design. Accelerating from a standstill up a steep hill covered in snow, the RAV4 Hybrid exhibits a lot of wheel spin off the line, lots of traction control intervention, and a little sliding. The stopping distance from 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour) isnt great either.Next up, Bridgestone Ecopia are low-resistance tires designed for all-season driving. Theyre better than the Michelins under acceleration, and surprisingly enough, they stop better than the Primacy A/S. Tommy then switches to Firestone WeatherGrip all-weather tires with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol branded on the sidewall. Theyre the least expensive option at $112.99 per corner for the RAV4 Hybrid, and the softer compound should make them better in the snow compared to the Michelins and Bridgestones.Big transformation is how Tommy describes these babies over the all-seasons tested earlier, and they wont disappoint you under braking either. Be that as it may, its obvious that nothing comes close to a proper winter tire such as the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 that costs $138.99 per corner.Because of the super-soft compound and more aggressive tread pattern, these bad boys arent as economical and dont last as long as all-season or all-weather options. On an ending note, it's imporant to highlight that there are two things you should always consider when buying a new set of tires.First of all, never cut corners with unknown brands. Secondly, it would be in your best interest to match the tires with your states weather conditions. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Gina Jo Previto is not about to spread a conspiracy theory involving the carved up Royal Street in front of her downtown business and the lack of Mardi Gras parades. But shes wondered why the downtown Mobile road project in front of the nightclub she manages has lasted well into Mardi Gras season. The road is part of the regular parade route during Carnival, and any road construction would have disrupted the annual two-plus-weeks of revelry. Im not conspiracy theorist, but in my mind, its strategically right here at Mardi Gras Park and also at Broad Street where the parades turn, said Previto, manager of the family-owned Veets Bar. Its really just odd that they have these two main route streets (under construction). The city is aware that the look of massive downtown road construction occurring in February or early March is a rarity. Typically, road construction is paused during Carnival as the orange barrels are replaced with barricades that line the downtown streets to keep revelers from entering the parade routes. But after the coronavirus pandemic upended the parades this year, the construction has rolled on. The massive amount of work is anchored by a $19.6 million Phase 1 and 2 reconstruction of Broad Street that is commonly called the Hank Aaron Loop. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the citys project teams routinely work with contractors to plan construction activities around the Mardi Gras season, so we can limit their impact on the festivities and protect the public. There were initially plans in place to work around Mardi Gras activities this year, said Stimpson. We do no stop projects completely because of Mardi Gras, but sometimes the work that can be performed responsibly is limited. Jennifer Greene, director of programs and project management with the city of Mobile, said that if parades and other traditional Mardi Gras events were occurring, it would have impacted some of the Broad Street work, but it would not have paused it entirely. She added, Accommodating for events is always part of our plans for construction projects. Some of the construction activity will pause during Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday. The city is closing city streets in downtown Mobile to allow visitors to stay socially distanced during their Fat Tuesday celebration. Next to the construction activity at Royal and Government streets is Mardi Gras Park, where the city will have several parade floats parked and on display throughout the day. Related content: Do the right thing: Alabamas top health officer concerned about Mobile Mardi Gras risk Greene said that some of the Broad Street work was under construction during last years Mardi Gras, and that a variety of techniques were used to allow for float and parade traffic. She said fencing was set up to protect visitors from the construction site. We didnt pause construction for three weeks, but it was somewhat limited to accommodate Mardi Gras last year, she said. The projects that are currently underway include: Broad Street Road construction along Broad Street in downtown Mobile during February 2021. Broad is typically part of the Mardi Gras parade routes during the Carnival season. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Paving is beginning at both eh Springhill intersection and the roundabout at Canal and Broad street. Estimated completion for both intersection is approximately two-to-three weeks, baring weather delays. The St. Francis Street intersection at Broad will be closed early next week. That project is supposed to be underway soon, but has been delayed because of weather. The current work that is ongoing along Broad is financed primarily through a $14 million TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant the city got in July 2016. The rest of the project is financed by the city, state and the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS). Another section of Broad Streets reconstruction is headed the design phase. That portion includes a stretch to Three Mile Creek on Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. According to the city, the MLK Drive portion of the project is an importance piece because it will eventually connect Broad Street to the Three Mile Creek Greenway trail and will be the location of the trailhead at its most eastern point. We are making a coordinated effort to ensure the Three Mile Creek project connects seamlessly to MLK for pedestrians and cyclists, said Greene. The Alabama Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin re-surfacing from Beauregard to Water streets in the next two months. The city has set up a website providing updates on the project at https://www.cityofmobile.org/reconnectingmobile/home/. The latest traffic advisory, released on Friday, alerts drivers to the Broad Street closures at Canal Street and at Springhill Avenue and St. Louis Street. Royal Street Nick Amberger, the citys engineer, said there were plans to allow for Mardi Gras parades to roll along Royal Street before it became clear there wouldnt be parades this year. The road has been torn up for some time as part of a $1 million project overseen by MAWSS. The work is currently ongoing at Royal and Government street, adjacent to Mardi Gras Park and in front of where the Admiral Raphael Semmes monument once stood. Monica Allen, spokeswoman with MAWSS, said the project is scheduled to be completed by mid-March. It involves replacing water lines on Royal Street between Conti Street and at Government. Allen said the contractor is cleaning the intersection and installing barricades allowing for pedestrian traffic to cross Government Street on Fat Tuesday. Royal Street vehicular traffic will not be able to cross Government Street. Finance minister on Saturday clarified that the Union Budget proposal of collecting Rs 30,000 crore through Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess will go to states so that mandi infrastructure can be improved. Amid ongoing protests by farmers and the Opposition to repeal controversial farm laws, Sitharaman said that not even one Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has been shut in any state, and instead the Budget makes provision to strengthen such market places for farmers. She was replying to a general debate on the Budget for 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha. Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Sitharaman said that the United Progressive Alliance government can take credit for MGNREGA, but at the same time should own up to mismanagement in the rural employment scheme. The moment schemes are given birth, they are misused to favour cronies, she said. Hum do humaare do comes here, she added. Gandhi had taken a dig at the BJP government earlier for promoting "crony capitalism", calling the government "hum do humaare do". She said the Congress government made huge budget allocations for the scheme, but not utilised the allocated amount. Either they dont care for it or they give their cronies and actually forget the workers, she said. Rs 1.11 trillion has been the increased allocation for MGNREGA for the ongoing financial year, but until April it may be utlised only to the extent of Rs 90,000 crore, she said. However, the allocation and utilisation has been the highest ever, she added. Sitharaman said the governments cronies are the common people of the country, and those for whom schemes were announced for making toilets, houses, providing electricity, among others. The PM-SVANidhi scheme is aimed at supporting street vendors, and the benefit of extending capital loans of Rs 10,000 has been extended to street vendors. They are not anybodys cronies, leave alone our cronies, they are not even your cronies, she said. The relief measures announced by the government to tide over the pandemic were tailor made and may be completely different, but has served India better than what the government was advised-to copy different countries, Sitharaman said. To help small businesses, the insolvency provisions were suspended so that they were not declared insolvent and dragged to courts, she said. The government also extended working capital to them without any security which were later extended to anyone having a bank account, she said. According to data shared by the government, both public and private banks have sanctioned loans worth Rs 2.39 trillion under Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme as on January 25. Through a subordinate debt scheme, companies were given assistance to borrow and put it as his equity to revive their companies, she said. When these schemes were extended, they were not mindlessly produced, but a lot of thinking went into it, Sitharaman said. Every scheme was tailor made for a situation such as the pandemic. The government considered all advice, but designed the measures that our own industries suggested , she said. "The approach the government has taken may be completely different, but has served India better than what we were advised to copy different countries," Sitharaman said. Nonprofit Management Center celebrated excellence in Permian Basin nonprofit organizations with the 2020 Beacon Awards presentation in January. The Beacon Awards honors excellence in Permian Basin nonprofit organizations by recognizing volunteers and staff of the local nonprofit sector. In addition to the award, the nominating organization will receive a $1,000 unrestricted grant. Awards were given for: excellence in governing board leadership, excellence in organizational leadership, program excellence, excellence in collaboration and outstanding Generations graduate. The Judge Pat Baskin Family and W.D. Noel Volunteer of the Year Awards were also given out. These awards are intended to increase awareness of the importance of volunteering in our community. The Judge Pat Baskin Family Volunteer of the Year Award is designed to acknowledge volunteers who are residents of Midland County, and the W.D. Noel Volunteer of the Year Award acknowledges Ector County residents. Both awards recognize an adult and youth volunteer in each community. 2020 Excellence in Governing Board Leadership Award Stephanie Sivalls Latimer Excellence in Organizational Leadership Beacon Award David Day, executive director of Teen Challenge 2020 Beacon Award Excellence in Organizational Leadership David Chancellor, executive director of Boys & Girls Club of the Permian Basin Judge Pat Baskin Family Adult Volunteer of the Year Tommie Hale, Jr. 2020 Program Excellence Beacon Award Opportunity Tribe, Fun Academy 2020 Excellence in Collaboration Award Centers Solutions, Centers for Children and The Recording Library of West Texas 2020 Outstanding Generations Graduate Rebecca Bell 2020 W.D. Noel Adult Volunteer of the Year Sherry Tuttle, nominated by the Pilot Club of Odessa Natalie Gayosso 2020 WD Noel Youth Volunteer of the Year Teacher Maria Campos of E.K. Downing Elementary School Natalie Gayosso 2020 W.D. Noel Youth Volunteer of the Year Debbie Lieb, ECISD Community Engagement specialist-Volunteers. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. LIMA, Peru, Feb. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A., a publicly held corporation (sociedad anonima abierta) organized under the laws of the Republic of Peru with its principal executive office at Av. Manuel Olguin 373, Santiago de Surco, Lima, Republic of Peru ("Volcan"), hereby announces an increase of the Maximum Tender Amount (as defined below) from U.S.$120,000,000 to U.S.$125,000,000 and the early tender results of its offer to purchase for cash up to U.S.$125,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the "Maximum Tender Amount") of its outstanding 5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 (CUSIP: 92863UAA4 and P98047AA4, and ISIN: US92863UAA43 and USP98047AA42) (the "Notes"), upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase dated February 1, 2021 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"). Capitalized terms used in this announcement, but not defined herein, shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Offer to Purchase. Volcan hereby announces that, as of February 12, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. New York City time (which was the Early Tender Date), it has received valid tenders from the registered holders of the Notes (individually, a "Holder" and collectively, the "Holders") of U.S.$353,901,000 in principal amount of the Notes, representing 66.12% of the principal amount outstanding. Since the principal amount tendered exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount, Volcan will accept the Notes tendered based on a proration factor of approximately 35.48%. Withdrawal rights for the Tender Offer have expired. In accordance with the Offer to Purchase, Holders of Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will receive the Tender Offer Consideration plus the Early Tender Premium. In addition, such Holders of Notes will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on those Notes from the last interest payment date with respect to those Notes to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date. As the aggregate principal amount of Notes tendered for purchase prior to the Early Tender Date exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount, no Notes tendered for purchase after the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase. Notes not accepted for purchase will be returned promptly. As described in the Offer to Purchase, Volcan currently expects that the Early Settlement Date will be February 17, 2021. VOLCAN HAS NOT FILED THE OFFER TO PURCHASE WITH, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED BY, ANY FEDERAL OR STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY COUNTRY. NO AUTHORITY HAS PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND IT IS UNLAWFUL AND MAY BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY. THE TENDER OFFER HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED, AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED, WITH THE PERUVIAN SECURITIES MARKET SUPERINTENDENCE (SUPERINTENDENCIA DEL MERCADO DE VALORES - SMV) OR THE LIMA STOCK EXCHANGE (BOLSA DE VALORES DE LIMA). THE TENDER OFFER MAY NOT BE MADE IN PERU, EXCEPT IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DO NOT CONSTITUTE A PUBLIC OFFERING OR UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION UNDER PERUVIAN LAWS AND REGULATIONS. PERUVIAN SECURITIES LAWS AND REGULATIONS ON PUBLIC OFFERINGS WILL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE TENDER OFFER, THE DISCLOSURE OBLIGATIONS SET FORTH THEREIN WILL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO VOLCAN BEFORE OR AFTER THE TENDER OFFER. THE TENDER OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE IN PERU PURSUANT TO A PUBLIC OFFERING AND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER, AS WELL AS INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN, MAY NOT BE SUPPLIED TO THE PUBLIC IN PERU, NOR BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY OFFER TO THE PUBLIC IN PERU. NONE OF VOLCAN, ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE DEALER MANAGERS (AS DEFINED BELOW), THE TENDER AND INFORMATION AGENT OR THE TRUSTEE (AS DEFINED IN THE OFFER TO PURCHASE) OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES IS MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER HOLDERS SHOULD TENDER ANY NOTES IN RESPONSE TO THE TENDER OFFER. The Offer to Purchase and related documents do not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell notes in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Tender Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Tender Offer will be deemed to be made on behalf of Volcan by the Dealer Managers or one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. Volcan is not aware of any jurisdiction where the making of the Tender Offer is not in compliance with the laws of such jurisdiction. If Volcan becomes aware of any jurisdiction in which the making of the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with such laws, Volcan will make a good faith effort to comply with any such laws or may seek to have such laws declared inapplicable to the Tender Offer. If, after such good faith effort, Volcan cannot comply with any such applicable laws, the Tender Offer will not be made to the Holders of Notes residing in each such jurisdiction. Neither the delivery of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any related documents nor any purchase of Notes by Volcan will, under any circumstances, create any implication that the information contained in this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or in any related document is current as of any time subsequent to the date hereof or thereof. The Offer to Purchase does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities (other than the Notes). Any offering of securities will only be made by an offering document and any such offering may not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainty and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan" and similar expressions are generally intend to identify forward-looking statements. Volcan is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about these and other factors is set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as the tender agent and as the information agent (the "Tender and Information Agent") for the Tender Offer. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. Cayman Branch, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Santander Investment Securities Inc. are acting as Dealer Managers (the "Dealer Managers") for the Tender Offer. The Tender and Information Agent for the Tender Offer is: Global Bondholder Services Corporation By Regular, Registered or Certified Mail; By Facsimile Transmission Hand or Overnight Delivery: (For Eligible Institutions Only): 65 Broadway, Suite 404 +1 (212) 430-3775 New York, NY 10006 Confirmation: +1 (212) 430-3774 Attention: Corporate Actions Attention: Corporate Actions Banks and Brokers: +1 (212) 430-3774 Toll free: +1 (866) 470-3700 International call: +1 (212) 430-3774 Email: [email protected] Any questions or requests for assistance or for additional copies of the Offer to Purchase may be directed to the Tender and Information Agent at one of its telephone numbers above. A Holder (or a beneficial owner that is not a Holder) may also contact any of the Dealer Managers at their telephone numbers set forth below or its broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offer to Purchase. The Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer are: Banco BTG Pactual S.A. Cayman Branch Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Santander Investment Securities Inc. Debt Capital Markets 601 Lexington Avenue, 57th floor, New York, New York 10022 United States Collect: +1 (212) 293-4600 Email: [email protected] Liability Management Group 388 Greenwich Street, 7th Floor New York, New York 10013 United States US Toll Free: + 1 (800) 558-3745 Collect: +1 (212) 723-6106 Liability Management Team 45 East 53rd Street, 5th Floor New York, New York 10022 United States U.S. Toll-Free: +1 (855) 404-3636 Collect: +1 (212) 940-1442 SOURCE: Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A. SOURCE Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A. The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday issued an order that will ease the current restrictions on in-person proceedings starting in March. This is the ninth order the Court has issued related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Courts December 22, 2020, and January 15, 2021 orders, issued during the height of the surge in COVID-19 cases across the state, suspended most in-person hearings, with exceptions, until March 31, 2021. Because of the recent and continuing decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state, the Supreme Court is lifting restrictions on non-jury in-person proceedings earlier than expected. Specifically, the Order: (1) Lifts the suspension of in-person court proceedings in termination of parental rights cases on Monday, March 1, 2021; (2) Lifts the suspension of all other non-jury in-person court proceedings in all state and local courts in Tennessee, including but not limited to municipal, juvenile, general sessions, trial, and appellate courts on Monday, March 15, 2021; and (3) Preserves the suspension of all jury trials through the close of business on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, subject only to exceptions that may be granted by the Chief Justice on a case-by-case basis. If courts elect to hold in-person hearings, they must continue to follow their judicial reopening plans approved in 2020 and available here: https://www.tncourts.gov/node/ 6042449 . In addition, face coverings continue to be required, and attorneys, litigants, and others should familiarize themselves with the Orders quarantine requirements in cases of exposure or a positive test. Even with the easing of restrictions, the Court still encourages courts to hold virtual proceedings whenever practical. Since March 2020, Tennessee Courts have held over 11,000 virtual meetings and proceedings. Additionally, Supreme Court Orders, which are not affected by todays Order, have suspended any Tennessee state or local rule, criminal or civil, that impedes and judges or courts ability to utilize available technologies. Today's Order is available on the TNCourts.gov coronavirus webpage - https://www.tncourts.gov/ Coronavirus Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Ukraine expects to receive $2.2 billion in three equal tranches from the IMF in 2021 The International Monetary Fund says Ukraine must show more progress on reform to secure a new tranche under a $5 billion Stand-By Arrangement with the international lender, the Fund's representative says. "Discussions will continue," representative Goesta Ljungman said in a statement February 13, after the fund's mission held talks with Ukraine officials, RFE/RL reports. The talks, which Ljungman said were productive, focused on strengthening governance of the National Bank, improvements to the legislative and regulatory framework for bank supervision and resolution, policies to reduce the medium-term fiscal deficit, legislation restoring and strengthening the anti-corruption framework and the judiciary, as well as on energy policy. Ukraine expects to receive $2.2 billion in three equal tranches from the IMF in 2021, National Bank Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko told Reuters. The IMF in June approved the $5 billion loan program and disbursed the first tranche of $2.1 billion to help the pandemic-hit economy. Read alsoUkraine's international reserves stand at US$28.8 bln in January NBUHowever, further loans have been held up over the slow pace of reforms. The IMF also voiced concern over the government's move last month to regulate household gas prices. Background On June 9, 2020, the IMF's Executive Board adopted an 18-month Stand-By Arrangement for Ukraine with funding equivalent to SDR 3.6 billion (about US$5 billion) aimed at helping Ukraine overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 12, Ukraine received the first tranche of the IMF loan under the SBA worth US$2.1 billion. In late November, the Finance Ministry reported on the successful completion of talks with the IMF on benchmarks of the draft budget for 2021, which was one of the major prerequisites for starting the SBA review. Reporting by UNIAN Woman Faces Charges After Mayfield Accident By West Kentucky Star Staff MAYFIELD - A Hickman County woman was arrested on multiple charges after a traffic accident on Friday.Mayfield Police say they began a hit-and-run investigation 26-year-old Shelbianne Ballantine of Clinton told police that a vehicle she was driving was struck by a red Honda, but the other driver left the scene.Police say they learned that there were two other people in the vehicle that was struck, Ballentine wasn't driving, and may not have been in the vehicle at all. Police say the other two people approached the red Honda in a threatening manner, and its driver left in fear of their own safety.The other two people in the vehicle have been identified but have not yet been found.Ballentine was arrested for falsely reporting an incident, and was also charged with possession of a controlled substance after police say she had methamphetamine.Ballentine was taken to Graves County Jail. Life is full of uncertainties at the moment. With each new day comes further confusion, new concerns, more questions about the future and what it holds in store. But eventually this too will pass, we will get vaccinated, we will emerge from our homes and we will resume something approaching normal life. What will normal life be though? Will there be enough jobs, enough money, enough to go round? We know the pandemic has wreaked havoc on our economy, that it has decimated the hospitality industry, and forced the Government to subsidise hundreds of thousands of workers. What we don't know is how all that money is going to be paid back, how businesses will rebuild after almost a year in cold storage, and whether those in receipt of the PUP will have jobs to go back to. We spoke to industry experts for their views on both the local and national economy and what the immediate future holds. Ed Murphy, Senior Economic Advisor at Invest Wexford 'There is no question we're in a recession. The definition of a recession is negative growth over consecutive quarters, and we have seen less growth on a quarterly basis and on a yearly basis. So by both metrics we are in a recession, and a significant one,' says Ed Murphy of Invest Wexford. However, unlike previous recessions, Ed says this one comes with something of a caveat. 'The reason we're not feeling it in the same way we did say, ten years ago, is because both people and companies have been given a soft landing by the Government in terms of supports. 'Imagine if the Government hadn't provided so many supports, it would be like the financial crash of 2008, there'd be blood on the streets. We are in a recession right now, but we're being comforted by the Government, the banks, the landlords, so you don't see the ill-effects of it yet.' The use of the word 'yet' suggests there is pain on the horizon, that at some point someone, somewhere, is going to have pay back all that money. But Ed believes that needn't be the case, that we can return to a position of relative strength quite quickly - but only if we are allowed to do so. 'The Government's current spending is unsustainable in the long-term, no government in the world could continue to keep doing this,' Ed states. 'However, it's important that, when this is all over, the Government don't try and immediately sort out their finances. The first thing we need to do is get everything going again, trying to get everything paid back immediately would be wrong. 'Get back to normal first then, when the economy is flying again, start taxing to recoup the losses; don't try and get it paid back too quickly, it will kill businesses.' What of those businesses? The ones which have been deemed non-essential and have been closed for much of the past year: how should they approach the reopening of the economy? 'It's important that when we come out of it that we wake up full of energy and creativity, ready to take on a changed world,' Ed says. 'I'm telling businesses "you may have been in business for 20 years but you've effectively been put to sleep and, when you wake up it will be very changed world, it won't be the same as it was".' Estimating that 30 per cent of all business has moved online during the pandemic, Ed believes that only by moving with the times and adapting to this radical shift can retailers hope to survive. And he says it's inevitable there will be casualties. 'During the last recession a thousand businesses across the country went bust in the first couple of years. There will be casualties this time too. 'Technological advances has moved our economy forward ten years in the space of one year. Because of this I think even more businesses will go bust in the next couple of years. If you don't change, companies will naturally go into liquidation, and the pandemic has accelerated that process.' When asked whether Covid-19 will lead to another period of mass emigration among young people in Ireland, Ed is more sanguine. 'We all know the pandemic has affected most countries equally,' he says. 'But people who lost their jobs in Ireland have had better supports than those in other countries. 'There will be jobs there when we reopen. The kind of people who went to the US, to Australia, those were our are best people, and there will be work for those kind of progressive people when things open up again.' Ultimately, Ed believes Wexford is particularly well-placed to emerge from the pandemic, but says it is up to the people of the county to support the local economy once restrictions ease. 'From an individual standpoint it's hugely important that we start spending in our local economy. We all need to contribute. Let's all work together to get it back in action. 'Businesses need to spend on marketing and developing new channels, and run their business with the same energy and drive, they owe it to themselves and their staff. 'Overall it's up to all of us to ignite the huge potential in Wexford, to make sure everyone sees us an attractive and enjoyable place to live, that includes the infrastructure, roads, broadband, places to work, the parks, walkways, greenways, people. 'We can and we will come out of this in a good place. But if we do nothing, if we sit around and wait for the Government, the IDA, to help us, we'll be in trouble.' John Casey, Lecturer in Accounting at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) While John Casey agrees with Ed's assertion that we are currently in the midst of a recession, he notes that it is not nearly as bad as was feared at the beginning of the pandemic. 'Originally when this happened back in March and April of last year, the ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) were predicting a decline in Gross Domestic Produce (GDP) of up to 10 per cent. The numbers were scary,' he says. 'However, the most recent prediction for 2020 says we're at 1.8 per cent for the country. It didn't turn out to be anywhere near as bad as we thought it could be. 'So really, the debate isn't whether we're in a recession but how quickly can we come back from it.' Speaking from his home office where he lectures his students remotely, John says we only need cast our eyes back to the summer to see how quickly the economy can return to life. 'The one thing that gives you hope that we can come back reasonably quickly is the experience we had last summer,' he says. 'You can point to the PUP (Pandemic Unemployment Payment) numbers; at the start of the pandemic the PUP numbers skyrocketed, we had about 53,000 in the South East at the peak, but that contracted down to 14,000 during the summer. 'And bear in mind that the wet pubs are still closed, there's no nightclubs, theatres, there's still large swathes of the economy shut down. 'So there's reasonable cause for optimism. This looks a lot different to the financial crisis at 2008 and it's helped by the fact all of Europe is suffering in the same way, we're not the architects of our own downfall this time.' However, as someone who works with people preparing themselves to join the workforce, John is acutely aware of the precarity of the job market, particularly for those who are currently on the PUP. 'There's a couple of risks; what happens when people come off the PUP?' he asks. 'Are they going to transition into work or unemployment? We know from the first time around a lot of them transitioned into work, there's a risk that won't happen for everybody, unemployment might rise. 'It's those people who have just completed secondary or third level and are going out into the world of work, they're the group that will probably find it the toughest. 'It might take them a bit of time to catch up, unless there are government policies in place to help them along the way.' Yet John is confident our young workers won't flock overseas, that there will be sufficient opportunities in place to ensure we avoid another period of mass emigration. 'Where will they go? I don't see Ireland being in a manifestly worse position than any other countries. I don't see there being mass emigration of young people,' he says. 'Obviously you will still have people who go because they relish the experience, but I don't see it (mass emigration) being the case, unless unemployment becomes a real issue.' Alan Quirke, Director at Ireland South East Development Office 'A concern we would have is that regions tend to be the worst hit in recessions and then be the slowest to recover. We need to do everything we can to ensure that this is not the case this time around,' says Alan Quirke, Director at Ireland South East Development Office (IESDO). And Alan believes that, in order to ensure the South East doesn't suffer, we need to get people back into jobs as soon as the economy reopens. 'It remains to be seen whether the economy has just been put asleep and can then be awoken again when all the restrictions are removed,' he says. 'This is a possibility, we know that household debt is low, and savings are high, but there has also been many people made newly unemployed by the crisis and it will be critical to get them back to work as quickly as possible.' Acknowledging that local tourism has been the worst affected industry across the region, Alan says there is room for optimism, reasons to be hopeful as we cautiously look to the future. 'The majority of sectors have been able to keep going despite the restrictions,' he notes. 'Businesses in the online space, such as Scurri, based in Wexford, have grown during the pandemic. 'The financial services companies such as BNY Mellon and Zurich have even hired during this time. The engineering companies in the region are working together in a similar fashion and many of those are based in Wexford.' One of the quirks of the pandemic has been the number of people relocating to Wexford to work remotely; office workers who had previously lived and rented in Dublin have bought properties in the county and begun planning their futures here. Alan believes this is a positive for the region and will benefit Wexford in the long run. 'The move to remote working presents an opportunity for Wexford and the South East. If companies decide they can permanently forego the expensive office block in Dublin and allow employees to work remotely then the towns in Wexford and across the South East suddenly become really attractive places to live and to remote work from,' he says. 'The quality of life on offer here is unsurpassed in the country. We know from estate agents that interest from people moving here from Dublin is greater than it's ever been so that is starting to happen already.' Looking further ahead, Alan says the much-awaited Technological University of the South East (TUSE) will ultimately put the region on a par with anywhere in the country. However, he says only by uniting with our neighbouring counties will the new university be a success. 'We don't need to be as concerned about our county jerseys as we once were, something that comes into the region will benefit everyone in the region,' he says. 'The development of the TUSE fits into this category, we really shouldn't be overly concerned with where the headquarters is going to be, we need to get it established and ensure that it is properly funded. 'It will then benefit every young person in the region and raise the profile of the South East not just through its education provision but with its research and innovation capacity.' Like his colleagues, Alan paints a positive picture for Wexford in the post-Covid era and believes that rather than see a period of emigration the opposite is more likely. 'The level of collaboration between companies and across the counties of the region has never been higher so we are in a good position to capitalise on the opportunities as they present themselves,' he says. 'You would hope that rather than facing a period of emigration that we will be seeking talented people to come and work in the businesses that we have here.' The decision to demonetize the big denomination notes has shown the mirror to our society and the sooner we accept the fact that the hideous face staring ominously at us is US, the better would it be. The mirror does not lie, so we cannot seek comfort in denial which has been the standard mode of coping with uncomfortable truths. At heart we are a deeply, incorrigibly corrupt society made doubly worse by our ingrained hypocrisy. The predisposition to be corrupt is fixed like an attribute fixed in our genes. This masked trait unfolds given a favourable environment. People are ignorant and indifferent, people are resistant to mobilization and sustained activism and even though carpetbaggers like Kejriwal have cheated them, they have shown a great appetite for radical measures to curb corruption and black money. So an attack on black money was on the national agenda. In fact, the tardiness of this government on this score so far was a favourite taunt of those in the opposition, till the government went ahead and did something and got itself nicely in tangles. Now it is idle to talk about the mismanagement; it is written all over. The government does not have at its command the kind of pool of talent required to execute a radical programme like this. (War mongers please take note!). But let us examine our own role in the developing crisis which, make no mistake, will leave no one untouched. Are we part of the solution or are we aggravating the problem created by many logistical infirmities? Political parties have become so myopic that they are blind to anything beyond their selfish interest. Unashamedly all of them will, given the opportunity, make the national cause subserve their own partisan interests. They are fishing in the troubled waters with great delight and anticipation. In another variation of the Chinese who burned down his house to roast a pig, they will pay any price to see Modi impaled. Corruption has been a trapping of power throughout the ages. The rich and powerful generally live in a state of sin. The king and his courtiers have different rules of morality. It is the poor and the middle class to whom traditionally the role of remaining honest has been assigned. The current crisis is that a large body of people has lost its purity. It is as if we have been hit by a moral blight. A corrosive cynicism has eroded not only our self belief, but our faith in the entire array of institutions. Consider the evidence: we hear that around one lakh crores of rupees have found their way to the Jan Dhan accounts. At the rate of Rs 2-2.5 lakh per account, between four and five million of our poorest people have lent their names, either out of sheer altruism or for some commission, to hoarders to dissipate and disguise ownership of black money. Overnight a programme that was intended to unearth hoarders of black money has created 5 million amateur money launderers. The professional class, doctors, civil servants, salaried class in general petty bureaucrats whoever had illegal cash hoardings utilised every avenue to parcel and park their funds. Whatever remained was taken care of by professional money changers and C As etc. So along with the poor there goes the solid old middle class. The government, thrown on the back foot, by its own unpreparedness was forced to make concessions. It adopted a slew of emergency measures to help those most in need. Every one of these arrangements was criminally misused by large numbers of people which again may run in millions. People clogged the ATMs and banks trying to drive the maximum advantage by cheating the system and cheating each other. How many ATMS are there in the country? Most of them have been used to cheat the system. Many bankers have used IDs procured in wholesale to launder money. They are also said to have kept aside huge sums of money for their clients thereby affecting equitable distribution of scarcity. Railway officials, post office employees, utility companies, pharmacists in (their lakhs), hospitals, nursing homes, petrol pumps, airline booking counters, dealers in fertilizers and seeds, and above all the real estate sector, wherever concessions were made to facilitate those in urgent need of service have been blatantly misused. The petty traders, blue collar workers, and others contributed their might which just about accounts for the society as a whole. Every measure that was meant to be amelioratory, has been cynically exploited and given the venality at a societal level nothing will work. No wonder, as one estimate suggests, the government may receive about 13 lakh crore of rupees out of an estimated 15 lakh corers. The nation that had mobilized against black money quickly changed sides, without notice, and mobilized faster in favour of white washing black money; for a price, of course! At the end of the day, we have everyone from the top most industrialists to those living below the poverty line partaking of the same black money broth. Each gets according to his digestive capacity. The drive to unearth black money has ended up painting all of us black and washed the tainted money white. Could George Louis Borges or Italo Calvino have improved upon this plot? India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. On Friday, China gave a positive, almost rosy assessment of a call between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden this week. The new American leader works to decide how aggressive an approach to take with his country's major rival. China assessed a call between Xi and Biden The call was timed well as it happened on a Thursday, the eve of the Lunar New Year, promoted by Chinese state media as one of the most extensive holiday seasons in many Asian countries, including China. According to an English-language Global Times editorial, the two-hour phone call was interpreted as Biden showing respect for President Xi Jinping and China. "It seems that he's using such sympathy to balance the tough messages the new US administration sent in recent days and different views on those messages," added the news outlet, which is run by the Chinese Communist Party but not considered a mouthpiece for it. Biden himself has previously emphasized the importance of their meetings, particularly for a leader like Xi, whose personal character remains internationally unknown as his hold on the power mechanisms at home continues to grow, as per the USA News. Their call on Thursday lasted for two hours, unusual for a meeting of representatives of the most vital forces in the world. American readouts of the call said Biden confronted Xi on his latest military and human rights policies. The President later warned that if the U.S. would not do enough to keep up, Beijing will 'eat our lunch' on infrastructure investment. However, the Biden administration has also established a more mutually beneficial tone than the previous one. Particularly after President Donald Trump's increasing negativity against China over the past year, blaming Beijing for the U.S. coronavirus fallout. Many of Trump's top advisors, including then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have made China a centerpiece of their leadership and have perpetuated a trade war, the consequences of which remain in place. Biden has tended to take a hard line toward Beijing, as the Global Times noted on Friday while stressing that the U.S. will support competitiveness rather than combativeness. Biden said he had a 'good conversation' with Xi Jinping President Joe Biden said they had a "good conversation" in his first phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, reported The Epoch Times. The two sides' official remarks about the call, which took place on February 10, revealed the Presidents' contrasting positions. Biden raised "fundamental concerns" about Beijing's "unfair and coercive" economic policies, tightening the hold on Hong Kong, rights abuses in Xinjiang, and assertive behavior in the Asian region, particularly against Taiwan, the White House readout said. Meanwhile, according to a readout from the regime's foreign ministry, Xi told the United States to "act responsibly" on issues that the Chinese government calls its "internal affairs," such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Xinjiang. Biden informed a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators at an Oval Office meeting on February 11 to address the need to improve the U.S. infrastructure. He also said that the United States would do more to deal with the challenge raised by China. China will 'eat our lunch' on infrastructure spending, Biden warns According to the BBC, Biden met with a group of senators on Thursday about infrastructure improvements in the U.S. The day after his first phone call to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden's warning came. Xi took a firm stance on human rights on the call, saying the confrontation would be a disaster for all nations. After speaking with members of the Climate and Public Works commission, Biden made the remarks. The President said to the senators, "If we don't move, they (China) will eat our lunch." @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Marni Little, the comedy writer ex-wife of Home and Away star Dan Ewing, announced in December she was battling breast cancer at the age of 37. The diagnosis came just five months after she'd suffered a miscarriage, and the brave mother of two underwent a double mastectomy two days before Christmas. In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, Marni revealed she was 'thankful' for the highs and lows she experienced in 2020 - and said she felt 'incredibly lucky' to have her husband, David Robertshaw, and her children, Archie, six, and Charlie, one, by her side. Health battle: Marni Little, the ex-wife of Home and Away star Dan Ewing, says she's 'thankful' for her miscarriage last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer five months later and undergoing a double mastectomy. Pictured in hospital on the Gold Coast in December 'It was a beautiful year - there's so much to be thankful for,' Marni said. 'It's easy to say, "Why do these things happen?", but if I hadn't suffered the miscarriage, I would have been seven months pregnant when I got my [cancer] diagnosis,' she added. 'That would have been another entire conversation that we would have had to have, and we don't know how that would have looked.' While she said the pregnancy loss was an 'incredibly sad time' for her and David, she never forgot how blessed she was to have two healthy sons. 'It's terrible to lose a baby, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But we have two beautiful boys, and I feel incredibly lucky. We caught this very early,' she said. Marni, who writes the uplifting and hilarious blog More Than a Little, is trying to maintain a positive attitude when it comes to her diagnosis. Doctors at Gold Coast's Robina Hospital told her in December that while her cancer cells had been removed thanks to the double mastectomy, she would have to undergo radiation and chemotherapy for the best possible chance of survival. Ordeal: The cancer diagnosis came just five months after she'd suffered a miscarriage, and the brave mother of two underwent a double mastectomy two days before Christmas 'So incredibly lucky': In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, Marni revealed she was 'thankful' for the highs and lows she experienced in 2020 - and said she felt 'incredibly lucky' to have her husband, David Robertshaw, and her children, Archie, six, and Charlie, one, by her side Marni had initially found a lump underneath her breast, and got herself checked by a doctor just days later. She now wants to urge everyone - even younger women like herself - to regularly check their breasts, regardless of whether cancer runs in their family. Marni also revealed how she explained her diagnosis to her eldest son, Archie, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Dan Ewing. New chapter: Marni only welcomed her second child, son Charlie, in May 2019 with her husband, David Robertshaw (left). She also shares a six-year-old son, Archie, with ex Dan 'We had a chat where I explained that I'd be going to hospital, and that they would be taking my breasts away,' she said. 'I said we don't need them anymore, they've served their purpose for my two babies. 'He's quite black and white. It was cause and effect for him - this is the thing that happens, and then you'll be better. The operation itself he handled quite well. 'I think it's important to be as honest as possible, without giving too much information to the young brain.' Tying the knot: She married David in October 2018 at an intimate ceremony in Strath Creek, Victoria (pictured on their wedding day) She added that her family had been incredibly supportive since the diagnosis, and that her Christian faith had also been a 'huge comfort'. 'There's so much to be thankful for: that's the thing that we come back to the most,' she said. Marni, who hopes to raise awareness of the disease, recently shared a photo to Instagram of herself being fitted for wigs before starting chemotherapy treatment. Staying positive: Marni, who hopes to raise awareness of the disease, recently shared this photo to Instagram of herself being fitted for wigs before starting chemotherapy treatment She wrote: 'Trust me to cut a dope hairstyle two weeks before it literally falls out of my head! 'Thank you @leighmmason you beautiful fairy unicorn for intro-ing me to the world of straight-haired wigs and wig adjacent products!' Marni married Dan, who plays Heath Braxton in Home and Away, in 2012 and they welcomed a son, Archie Grason, in 2014. They split in 2016. She wed David in October 2018 at an intimate ceremony in Strath Creek, Victoria. Their son, Charlie, was born in May 2019. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Humanitarian Aid Agency, GOAL, is appealing to Kilkenny primary school teachers to virtually inspire students to become active global citizens through its Changemakers Programme. GOAL launched the innovative programme - aimed at primary school students - last year. But with lockdown it has adapted so teachers can connect with their pupils virtually to inspire them on action they can take to create a more sustainable and fairer world. The GOAL Changemakers Programme invites pupils to learn about the 17 UN Global Goals agreed by world leaders to end poverty, fight inequality, stop climate change and protect our oceans, flora and fauna by 2030. The adapted zoom workshops, facilitated by GOAL staff, use drama activities and audio-visual materials to create a fun and engaging experience. They will continue until schools return. The workshops are 45 minutes long, but can be longer or shorter depending on the class. GOAL Staff are facilitating the workshops through drama and interactive audio-visual materials to inspire young Changemakers all around the country. The lessons are fun, curriculum-linked and designed to get young people thinking about how we can all play our part in making the world a more fair, sustainable and safer place for all. All classes that participate in the programme will receive a beautiful Philips educational world map co-produced with Folens publishers for display in their classroom to recognise Changemakers, and to encourage classes to continue learning about the world around them. 3rd class teacher Paula Frances Galvin, at Our Lady Queen Of The Apostles, Clondalkin, who participated in last years programme, said: The GOAL Changemakers Programme is a great way to engage classes in a real-life project which can encompass many curricular areas, as well as being based on values of human rights, global justice, sustainability and equality. GOAL Global Citizenship Manager, Nina Sachau, said there is huge interest so far from teachers around Ireland, including Kilkenny, on delivering Changemakers virtually. She said: With the world facing one of the biggest global crisis of our times, taking action to build a more fair and sustainable future has never been more important. This programme will give Kilkenny students the information and motivation they need to become changemakers She added: People around the world are currently living through the COVID-19 pandemic which is adding to the challenges of climate change, poverty and global injustice. Children can be overwhelmed, and we have to ensure they are resilient and active actors in the shaping of their future. It is heartening that this generation of incredibly conscientious and active young people and educators are taking so many actions to bring about a fair and sustainable world. All support materials for teachers are available on the GOAL website. So even if teachers are not doing live classes with their students, there are a number of videos and ready-made lesson plans available on our website to be used right away: Changemakers Resources - GOAL Global For more information on the Changemakers Programme visit www.goalglobal.org/ changemakers/. United States' Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is building a submarine that will never run out of power. According to a recent report in Forbes, the defence agency has given contracts to a company named Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and Martin Defense Group to build a demonstration version of the new unmanned underwater vehicle, named Manta Ray. In order to achieve the indefinite power supply, DARPA has awarded a contract to Metron for the submarine's energy-harvesting system to power it indefinitely, allowing it to carry out missions lasting months or years without having to return to base or refuel. According to the Manta Ray website, the project will demonstrate key technologies to enable a class of "long duration, long range, payload-capable robot submarines, capable of persistent operations in forward environments." Reports suggest that the Manta Ray could be able to carry anything from a small towed sonar array for submarine detection, to acoustic sensors for placing on the seabed, to electronic warfare equipment. This is the second round of funding for Manta Ray after contracts were awarded last year, suggesting that the program is on schedule. DARPA says that Manta Ray will have AI capabilities to identify and respond to other vessels and submarines, along with other new sensors. The biggest challenge for DARPA, however, will be the power. Manta Ray is said to provide for greater endurance as compared to other robot submarines as Manta Ray aims to harvest energy from the sea to recharge itself - one of the reasons for the unusual shape of the submarine. It needs minimum drag to make the best possible use of limited power reserves. The unusual shape will also make the submarine stealthy. A report in Forbes said that energy harvesting concept has already been proven for the a US Navy unmanned vessels like the Wave Glider boats. These vessels use a combination of solar power and wave energy for propulsion and to power their electronics. However, powering underwater vehicles can be more challenging, as underwater vehicles do not have access to solar or wave energy. Nevertheless, there are methods like Thermal Engine, thermoelectric modules, and the likes. RELATED NEWS Nikhil Chinapa's Video of Shark Riding on Giant Oceanic Manta Ray Leaves Twitter in Awe Previous images of the Manta Ray suggest another power source for the submarine. An image shows the submarine anchored to the sea bed with a wire, while a smaller vehicle glides above it. This was the "Underseas Kite" developed at North Carolina State University, according to the Forbes report. Just like power generation kites are developed as an alternative to wind turbines, the device uses the different flow of water at different altitudes to generate power. Two Masks Better Than One? CDC Revises Guidance For COVID Face Coverings Residents in the Southland and across the country have been urged for nearly a year to wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID- 19, but federal health authorities today said people should consider wearing two. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study that again backed the effectiveness of wearing a face covering to block respiratory droplets that can spread the coronavirus, but stressed it must be tightly fitted to the face. Based on the study, the CDC revised its mask guidance, saying that masks should be secure to the face without gaps that allow droplets to escape, and adding that wearing a cloth mask over a disposable surgical-type mask is vastly more effective in preventing the spread of the virus. The study found that wearing a standard disposal mask blocked 42% of particles from a simulated cough, while a cloth mask blocked 44%. ADVERTISEMENT The combination of the cloth mask covering the medical procedure mask blocked 92.5% of the cough particles, according to the study. A similar improvement was noted by using a single disposable surgical type mask with the ear loops tightly knotted on each side to eliminate gaps on the face. The CDCs website was updated Wednesday, urging people to wear tight- fitting masks. It suggests choosing a mask that has a nose wire that the wearer can custom fit around the bridge of the nose to ensure a tighter fit. It also suggests wearing a mask filter or brace over the mask to prevent air from leaking around the edges of the mask. Wearers should ensure a tight fit by cupping their hands on the outside edges of the mask to check for gaps. If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath, according to the CDC. But the CDC guidance also suggests adding layers of material using a cloth mask with multiple layers of fabric or wearing one disposable mask underneath a cloth mask. The second mask should push the edges of the inner mask against your face. The guidance warns against wearing two disposable masks, because they are not designed to fit tightly, and also says high-quality N-95 masks should not be combined with other masks. ADVERTISEMENT The bottom line is this masks work and they work best when they have a good fit and are worn correctly, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing. By Nate Raymond and David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday gave the green light for the extradition to Japan of an American father and son accused of helping former Nissan Motor Co Ltd Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee that country while awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. In a brief order, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer denied an emergency request by lawyers for U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, to put on hold a lower court order that cleared the way for them to be extradited. The Taylors' lawyers in a late Thursday filing reiterated arguments that their clients could not be prosecuted in Japan for helping someone "bail jump" and that, if extradited, they faced the prospect of relentless interrogations and torture. Lawyers for the Taylors did not immediately comment on Saturday. The Japanese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment. A federal appeals court in Boston had declined on Thursday to issue an order preventing the Taylors' extradition while they appealed lower-court rulings. The U.S. State Department approved their extradition in October. "The very least the U.S. courts owe the petitioners is a full chance to litigate these issues, including exercising their appellate rights, before they are consigned to the fate that awaits them at the hands of the Japanese government," defense lawyers wrote. The Taylors were arrested in May at Japan's request after being charged with helping Ghosn flee Japan on Dec. 29, 2019, hidden in a box and on a private jet before reaching his childhood home, Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn was awaiting trial on charges that he had engaged in financial wrongdoing, including by understating his compensation in Nissan's financial statements. Ghosn denies wrongdoing. Story continues Prosecutors said the elder Taylor, a 60-year-old private security specialist, and Peter Taylor, 27, received $1.3 million for their services. The Taylors, who have been held without bail since their arrests, waged a monthslong campaign to press their case against extradition in the courts, media, State Department and White House with the aid of a collection of high-powered lawyers and lobbyists. Their defense team included two lawyers with ties to former President Donald Trump: Abbe Lowell, who has represented Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Ty Cobb, a former Trump White House lawyer. Ghosn has said he has been helping everyone who helped him. And in a court filing, he sought to support the Taylors arguments against extradition, saying he himself had faced prolonged detention, mental torture and intimidation in Japan and that the Taylors would face "similar or worse." (Reporting by Andrew Chung, Nate Raymond and David Shepardson; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Jonathan Oatis) Fingals coastal delights attracts many tourists in ordinary times but while Covid restrictions continue, support is being made available to the industry. Photo: Kevin McFeely A new nationwide 55 million investment by Failte Ireland will provide a welcome boost for tourism businesses in Fingal, a Fine Gael TD has said. Deputy Alan Farrell said the funding for the Tourism Business Continuity Scheme was secured in Budget 2021 and Failte Ireland is responsible for developing and administering the scheme. Deputy Farrell said: 'The scheme will support those tourism businesses that were not eligible for the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) payment or previous Failte Ireland continuity grant schemes. 'I am confident this will have a positive impact on the industry in Fingal and will be key to helping it survive and thrive in the year ahead. 'The first phase of the Scheme opens for applications on the 11th February 2021 to businesses including outdoor activity providers, visitor attractions not eligible for CRSS, caravan and camping providers registered with Failte Ireland and Cruise Hire companies who meet the eligibility criteria. 'The Government will continue to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and ensure that appropriate supports are in place. We are now developing tourism for survival through the pandemic and recovery in the medium and long term.' The minimum grant is 3,750 and the maximum grant is 200k. Full details and eligibly criteria will be available on www.failteireland.ie from February 11 2021. Phase 2 of the scheme will be launched in March 2021. The National Tourism Development Authority also announced its heavyweight domestic marketing plans, investment commitments in outdoor dining and urban animation and its strategic priorities for the year ahead. The event entitled 'Survive to Thrive', provided industry with details of Failte Ireland's plans that will help support resilience and survival in the short term and the recovery of the sector in the long-term. Deputy Farrell said: 'Amongst its key projects for 2021, Failte Ireland has also committed to the enhancement of urban areas through the 31 Destination Town projects across the country and two new funding schemes. 'The Outdoor Dining Grant Scheme will improve the quality of outdoor dining spaces and offer reassurance around safety and comfort, and the Urban Animation Grant Scheme will animate our cities and towns with innovative lighting and art installations. 'Failte Ireland has also committed to preparing for the return of tourism by working with industry to build improved websites and online booking capability through a new digital transformation programme and continuing to keep Ireland front of mind for overseas buyers through a range of virtual sales events, including Meitheal, one of Ireland's largest travel trade shows.' Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Where do you find the best, crisply deep-fried fish -- either in a sandwich or as an entree -- in Central Pennsylvania? Check out these restaurants, diners and cafes. Fish fries are time-honored traditions in many communities, especially during the Lenten season as various Christian denominations abstain from eating meat. Whether or not youre following the custom, here are a few delectable deep-fried fish meals that will get you hooked. Black N Bleu 6108 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, 717-458-8105 This Carlisle Pike favorite eatery offers a comforting American menu with items ranging from their signature, cheesy, garlicky French bread ($7) to blackened chicken Alfredo ($13/$18) and prime rib au jus ($26). The name here actually implies Come as you are, be it black tie or blue collar. And indeed, diners show up for curbside pick up or indoor dining in whatever they are comfortable zooming in. Pesto mayonnaise adds herbaceous richness swiped across Texas toast for the grilled salmon B.L.T. ($12) Lightly dusted and golden fried fresh haddock, tomato, lettuce and creamy citrus laced sauce beneath sturdy bun make a delicious tasting sandwich. Be sure and order a side of shoestring style, crisply deep fried onion rings. The Quentin Tavern (PennLive.com/file) Quentin Tavern 81 Main St, Quentin, 717-272-4700 This centurys old historic, redbrick manor is a well-established neighborhood haunt. For now the menu has stayed the same since the restaurant changed hands in August 2020, but expect a tidy new interior as construction finishes up later this year. Purchased by the Funck brothers Matt and Alan (they own the Funck restaurants and the Rising Sun Kitchen & Bar in Campbelltown, too), the place is bound to be hopping once the restaurant mandates move to 100% capacity. Open for 50 percent indoor business and offering takeout, the teetering sandwiches are particularly sought after. Citrus-butter baked and delicately dusted with seasonings, haddock comes stuffed into a sub roll (Dock of the Bay $15.99)along with crab meat, chopped lettuce and red onion. Grilled Faroe Island salmon wrap ($16.99) and double fisted Yuengling battered haddock sandwich ($15.99) are also great choices. Nyree's Restaurant "A Taste of Comfort" serves Catfish, Cabbage and Black Eyed Peas in Camp Hill, Pa. With food provided via eat-in, takeout or delivery. Jan. 21, 2021. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com Nyrees Restaurant 1104 Carlisle Road, Lower Allen Township, 717-412-7302 This unique, soul food eatery is found at the former Cru Pizza & Deli, at the shoppes at Cedar Cliff. Were getting a lot of support from black, white and Asian communities. Its like a rainbow here. While were above water, we are still treading, said owner Joe Hobbs. Nothing comes out of a box here. Everything is made in-house, from collards and mac n cheese to the sweet potato pies, banana pudding cakes and peach cobbler. Joes brother, Tony Hobbs, makes all of the pastries for the shop, including the lemon or strawberry bundt cake slices. BBQ baked turkey wings ($18.50), southern style ox tails ($21.75) and seasoned baked chicken quarters with two sides ($11) star on the menu. For fish fry, choose from catfish ($10.50), flounder ($10.75) and whitting ($11.99). A generous portion of seasoned, boneless catfish is delicately battered and deep-fried. Try the fish with a side of hand fresh, hand chopped and steamed collard greens and a scoop of peppered and cheesy, homey Mac n cheese. Dodge City restaurant on Paxtang St. in Harrisburg, Pa. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com/file Dodge City Steakhouse 1037 Paxton St., Harrisburg, (717) 236-2719 Established in 1980 by Doug and Debbie Krick, their son, chef Dougie, has taken over in the kitchen. Featured on the Food Network series Restaurant Impossible, the place got a second chance to woo back the waning public. The revamped and cowboy-cool main dining room and streamlined menu rekindled customers love of this family owned, steak-focused menu. Famed baked French Onion soup au gratin ($6) and grilled tenderloin tips with mushrooms ($14) are the go-to house favorites. The restaurant also has one of the best-tasting fish sandwiches in the area. Hoppy and subtle sweet beer flavor permeates golden batter fried cod nestled in a toasted brioche bun ($9) and served with pickle-studded, homemade tartar sauce and seasoned fries. Primanti Bros. Restaurant & Bar 2151 S. Queen St, York, 717-900-1996 I recently spent quite a lot of time in the ladies restroom at Primanti Bros. The walls showcase framed photos of all of the hottest guys in Hollywood with and without their shirts on. But dont let me get sidetracked. I was here for their awesome, totally huge sandwiches. Big abounds here. You have to have a mouth that opens wide to take any kind of bite out of these teetering sandwiches. One slice of soft, chewy Italian bread is three times as puffy as a regular white bread. The colossal fish and cheese ($9.79) takes two hands to firmly wrap around to eat. Pollack is the super meaty white fish that is enveloped by a crunchy, deep-fried flaky crust. Tomato slices, French fries and vinegar-splashed coleslaw pile on top of the lengthy fish sticking out at either end between fat Italian slices. The Breakfast Club Diner 1104 Carlisle Road, Camp Hill, 717-307-9075 or 717-307-9070 This recently opened, discreet diner stashed at the Cedar Cliff Mall is located at the former Cliffs Tavern & The Underground Live (and before that Gulliftys). The extensive menu has no shortage of breakfast items: assorted omelettes and scrambles ($9.99-$10.99), big egg biscuit and gravy ($9.99) thick grain avocado toast ($9.99) and brioche French toast ($10.99) and Belgian waffles ($10.99). Gourmet sandwiches are served with fresh cut fries, homemade, fresh coleslaw and a pickle. The Big Bob fish sandwich ($10.99) has a Yuengling beer-battered, generous portion of haddock and lettuce, tomato and homemade tartar sauce beneath toasted brioche bun. Cafe Fresco on North Second Street in Harrisburg. Dan Gleiter, PennLive.com/fileTHE PATRIOT-NEWS Cafe Fresco 215 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg, 717-236-2599 At the heart of center city Harrisburg, Cafe Fresco beats to two different tempos when not in a pandemic. Fast paced, seat yourself early morning and lunch setting slips into slow, cool groove ambiance as lights dim and waiters emerge for dinner and late night bar crowd. The American menu has sandwiches and pizza choices but also Asian-accented appetizers and salads, Chinese tweaked entrees, noodle and rice dishes. For lunch, deep-fried golden haddock slips under a toasted brioche bun ($10) and this fish sandwich is served with fries. Dockside Willies in Wormleysburg, Pa. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com, file Dockside Willies 449 S. Front St. Wormleysburg 717-730-4443. Rebuilt after the July 2018 fire, the impressive interior has lodge-like wood-enhanced ambiance and outdoorsy theme. The enormous rectangular walk-around bar counter with seating for two dozen sits vacant right now due to the pandemic but diners sit in booths safely distanced throughout the restaurant. Customers are reeled in by the views of the Susquehanna and bountiful, generous-portioned American menu. The Yuengling beer-breaded and battered deep fried fish sandwich ($10.95) is as big and juicy as everything else made here. Even the onion rings ($8.95) are oversized, sliced thickly, then hand-breaded and deep fried. The New Orleans-style remoulade sauce goes well with both. More: Eating more seafood these days? Youre not alone as sales spike during pandemic 13:03 | Lima, Feb. 12. This was affirmed on Friday by Cayetano Heredia Hospital's infectious disease specialist Leslie Soto , noting that the double mask combination prevents for example an infected but asymptomatic person from transmitting the virus to nearby people either at the office, market or while in the public transportation system, especially if there is not a proper ventilation. "The function of the double mask is precisely to cover the nose and mouth properly so that there is no leakage of fluids to the outside, and even better if it is well pressed to the face to prevent any leakage (...)," he told Andina news agency The physician explained that the particles suspended into the air when a person sneezes in a closed and unventilated space can enter through the nose, mouth, and even through the eyes of another person who is not well protected. "If I sneeze at this moment, and we are in a closed space, the large particles fall to the ground, but the tiny ones remain floating for a while longer," he indicated. Therefore, Soto insisted on the need to use a double mask combination and also a face shield when each citizen goes to markets or travel on public transportation means. Thanks to this type of protection, passengers reduce the risk of catching the particles expelled by those who use masks and face shields at the same time, but wear the face masks under their nose, wrongly believing that the face shield is enough. At-risk group The physician recommended using a double face mask, even at home where people who make up the risk group reside, thus meaning senior, hypertensive, or diabetic citizens, who suffer from cardiovascular or kidney problems. "If there is a (family) group in which there are people from the risk group, the use of a double face mask combination is recommended, and even more so if one of its members does the shopping for the household," he said. Signs encouraging social distancing and the wearing of face coverings are affixed to a door of Stearns Elementary School in Pittsfield in the fall. All Pittsfield Public Schools students, except those enrolled in the virtual academy, should be back to classrooms on a part-time basis by Feb. 26. Chief Superintendent of Sligo/Leitirim, AIdan Glacken, centre, with local gardai who took part in the Jerusalema dance challenge. Mullaghmore was one of 3 locations in Sligo/Leitrim which was included in An Garda Siochanas Jersusalema challenge video, which has been viewed over 6 million times. Pictured are local gardai who took part. Sligo/Leitrim gardai including Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken and Sligo Superintendent Mandy Gaynor taking part in the Jerusalema challenge in Mullaghmore with Classiebawn Castle in the background. Sligo/Leitrim gardai were certainly on the beat recently as they took part in the Jerusalema dance challenge which has been viewed millions of times online. An Garda Siochana were nominated to take on the viral hit by their Swiss counterparts and they passed with flying colours with officers from around the country, and indeed their equine friends, all moving in rhythm to the world-famous dance routine. Gardai and their Emergency Services colleagues also recreated the dance in style for the opening of the RTE Late Late Show on Friday night. Sligo and Leitrim features prominently in the video, which was released last week, with scenic locations of Mullaghmore, Rosses Point and Parke's Castle all making the cut. Gardai of all ranks from the Sligo/Leitrim Division feature in the video, which has been widely lauded for adding some much-needed cheer during the Covid-19 pandemic. The video, released last Tuesday, was widely shared and praised and the Swiss Police themselves also responded, with the Federal Police releasing a video in which they congratulated gardai for 'absolutely nailing' the challenge. The video also showed them transporting a briefcase, carrying the Irish tricolour, which they then flew from a window in their Federal Police building as they said 'we are all Irish in Switzerland today'. Superintendent Mandy Gaynor of Sligo Garda Station was in charge of organising the local gardai to step up to the challenge and she told The Sligo Champion she was absolutely thrilled with how it all went. "It has been overwhelming, the reaction really, and I actually feel a bit emotional. It's been brilliant and I can't believe it's been viewed over 6 million times, which is incredible." Superintendent Gaynor said that it was something light-hearted and definitely needed during Covid and that was certainly achieved. "To be part of it, I'm so proud, it's emotional and amazing to see the reaction from people all over the world. "The response from the Swiss Police too on Thursday, that was spine chilling, I suppose in a way we were not only cheering on our communities here in Ireland, but also international communities." Inspector Gaynor said that 9 gardai in total from Sligo/Leitrim were involved and she was full of praise for the efforts put in by all. "There were Gardai of all ranks from the Sligo/Leitrim Division, nine in total." She said that none had any dancing backgrounds as such that would have put them at a distinct advantage. "There was no dancing background really. All ranks from Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken down were involved here in Sligo/Leitrim. "There was no real dancing background, apart from the bit of Irish dancing as kids like everyone else." Superintendent Gaynor said she put the feelers out to the crew who were told they had a tight time to get the challenge completed. "We had to get the momentum quickly going, as we had to practise, rehearse, video and get it uploaded in a short period of time. "I told them they had to have no inhibitions, be up for the craic and be ready. "The crew got so enthusiastic and got into it. "We picked a tutorial on Google and learned the dance from it. "There are so many online tutorials and I told them to keep practising. "When you break it down, you make it simple and then add them together. "There are 5 different moves that you repeat over and over, all you need is a bit of beat and a bit of rhythm. "They were all practising at home at night time. "Rory O'Brien, a local videographer guy here, he's been working with us all voluntarily during Covid to get our messages out on social media about staying safe. "How it came about was Rory offered his services in a voluntary capacity and he did the video on the day which was then sent to the Garda Press Office where it was edited and produced. "In fairness to Rory, he's a really good community person. "The Garda Press Office then did the complete edit of the video and it looks great, Sligo looks absolutely fabulous. "The scenery is unbelievable. We picked a day that suited everyone, the Thursday beforehand and there was a quick turnaround before its release on Tuesday," she added. CDC Director: Schools Can Open Before Teachers Get COVID Vaccines Despite the insistence of Los Angeles Unifieds superintendent and the teachers union that all educators and staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 before schools reopen, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today vaccinations should not be a prerequisite for returning students to campus. I also want to be clear that there is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated in order to reopen safely, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. So while we are implementing the criteria of the advisory committee and of the state and local guidances to get vaccination across these eligible communities, I would also say that safe reopening of schools is not that vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools. The issue of vaccinating teachers and staff has been considered a lynchpin for the reopening of LAUSD campuses. Superintendent Austin Beutner has said schools should not reopen until teachers and staff receive the vaccine, while the United Teachers Los Angeles union has called for vaccines and extensive other safety measures to ensure the safety of educators. In a recent message to the school community, Beutner said vaccines are the last piece to help reopen classrooms. This will not only protect the health and safety of staff but will provide enormous benefit to children and their families with a faster reopening of schools and of the economy more broadly by enabling the working families we serve to go back to work, Beutner said. ADVERTISEMENT The pace of vaccine administration in the county, however, has dragged slowly due to limited supplies, so teachers have not yet become eligible for the shots unless they are aged 65 or older. Gov. Gavin Newsom has advanced a statewide school-reopening plan contingent on more than $6 billion in funding to provide protective equipment, COVID testing and other safety protocols at campuses. The states guidelines call for campuses to reopen for youngest students when local infection rates drop to a seven-day average of 25 new cases per 100,000 residents. Los Angeles Countys current state-adjusted new case rate is 38.7 per 100,000. Newsom said Wednesday he agrees with the CDC that schools can reopen before teachers and staff are fully vaccinated, as long as adequate safety measures are in place. We can safely open schools as we process a prioritization to our teachers of vaccinations and still keep our teachers, our para-professionals which means bus drivers, our cafeteria workers, janitors that are essential workers to keep our schools safe and keep our kids safe at the same time. Newsom said many schools are already open on a limited basis across the state, with only 87 reported COVID cases in schools last month, despite a statewide surge in cases. Im confident we can get to where we need to go, and thats safely reopening our schools for in-person instruction starting with the younger grades and those with special needs, Newsom said. I say this not academically or intellectually, but as someone with four young kids. The ADVERTISEMENT younger kids are not getting the benefits of distance learning that the older kids are. And Im very concerned about the equity lens in terms of this conversation, because so many private schools are open. I believe we can safely reopen public schools to in-person instruction with the appropriate level of safety and support and accountability in terms of enforcing the rules of the road. UTLA officials have adamantly opposed reopening schools while the county remains in the most restrictive purple tier of the states economic reopening matrix. Emerging from the purple tier would require the countys seven-day average new case rate to drop to 7 per 100,000 residents. Union President Cecily Myart-Cruz blasted Newsom and state officials last week for allowing more businesses to reopen despite elevated case numbers and the emergence of new, more-infectious variants of the coronavirus. Educators want to be back in the classroom but as the pandemic continues to ravage our communities, we are the untenable position of fighting to save lives because our elected officials have failed to do so, Myart-Cruz said. The states inability to stay the course on necessary, life-saving choices once again disregards our communities and people of color who have been risking their lives and dying at disproportionate rates in L.A. County and across the state. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. New Delhi, Feb 13 : A Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has convicted two Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) racketeers to five year imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 34,000 . An NIA spokesperson here said that on Friday, a Special court in Kolkata pronounced judgement in Baishnabnagar FICN case and convicted two racketeers -- Rinku Sk and Rahaman Sk, both residents of Madras district in West Bengal under sevwral sectional of IPC and UA (P) Act. The official said that Rinku Sk and Rahaman Sk have been sentenced to five years of imprisonment and Rs 34,000 fine each. The official said that during the investigation, it was revealed that both the accused along with their associates had hatched a criminal conspiracy for procuring and circulating fake notes in India. Investigation also revealed that FICN was procured from Bangladesh and circulated via Indo-Bangladesh International border in different parts of India, the official said. The case relates to an FIR registered hy West Bengal Police on May 7, 2015A following the seizure of High Quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) of face value Rs 64.65 lakh from the possession of Barkat Ali. NIA re-registered the case on Jine 12, 2015 and filed charge sheets against 10 accused persons. Eight accused persons already stand convicted in the case. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a telephone conversation with the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, the Russian diplomatic service informs. The minister welcomed the desire of the new US administration to return to the Paris climate agreement and assured Kerry that Moscow is ready for an honest and mutually respectful dialogue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a universal climate regime. New Delhi, Feb 13 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and apprised him of the ongoing farmers' agitation. Besides, Khattar also discussed various topics with the Minister, said an official statement. Later, the Chief Minister while responding to a question regarding damage caused by the rioters to government property, said the state government was already considering to bring a strict law to recover losses caused by these agitators from their properties'. Prince Ned Nwoko has alleged that some people are plotting to assassinate him. The former member of the House of Representatives raised the alarm at a press briefing he organised alongside his wife Regina Daniels on Thursday, Feb 11, in Abuja. He said that the plot is connected to a piece of land in his community in Delta state in which he was setting up a university. He added that a tussle about who becomes the next king of his community is also another factor. He explained that the issue of who becomes the next king had been settled by the elders and that the allocation of the land to him followed due process. The politician said that the assassination plot was exposed on social media by an inmate in Kuje Prison, Abuja, who overheard two fellow prisoners discussing the plot. He said the matter had been reported to the Nigerian Police Force. Nwoko claimed that the inmate, who was later released from the prison, received series of threat messages and died mysteriously after three weeks and an autopsy was being carried out. He said the inmate was able to get the information on social media and the attention of his wife, Regina was drawn to it. "I then reported the matter to the police and Department of State Security (DSS) and they went and interviewed the inmates involved. The inmates mentioned the name of one businessman who deals in the oil and gas sector as the master minder." Speaking further, he said the family of the late inmate would have been at this conference but due to fear for their lives, they refused to come. He said though security around him and his family had been tightened, the press conference was necessary to let the world know of the threat. Source: LIB Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its latest iteration of guidelines on reopening schools in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines are thoroughly unscientific and politically motivated to justify opening schools and keeping them open no matter what. These are the first such guidelines issued under the Biden administration, which has continuously stated that reopening the majority of K-8 schools across the US is its central domestic policy. Facing widespread opposition from teachers who know schools are not safe, the entire political establishment has united in its demands that schools reopen. Students enter P.S. 134 Henrietta Szold Elementary School in New York. Photo taken in December 2020 [Credit: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File] The guidelines are designed to facilitate this policy regardless of the level of community spread in a given school district, stating, At any level of community transmission, all schools have options to provide in-person instruction (either full or hybrid), through strict adherence to mitigation strategies (emphasis added). In other words, even if citywide test positivity rates reached 80, 90 or 100 percent, schools can stay open for in-person learning. While the present CDC leadership and the Biden administration claim to adhere to scientific principles and appear more polished than Trump and his cronies, their basic framework represents a continuation of the homicidal herd immunity policies pursued by Trump. The guidelines were released days before the nation surpasses the grim milestone of 500,000 deaths, aptly described as a result of policies of social murder and a deepening of decades-long trends. The underlying motives of the Biden administration are the same as those of Trump. They seek to resume fully in-person learning in all school districts that currently provide remote instruction. This is aimed at pressuring the maximum number of parents to return to dangerous workplaces to produce corporate profits. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki declared, The president will not rest until all schools are open five days a week. Last month, Bidens top economic advisor Brian Deese bluntly stated, We need to get the schools open so that parents, and particularly women can get back to work. Millions of teachers voted for Biden believing that he would represent a more humane alternative to Trump, who would understand their plight, given that his wife is an English professor. The brutal reality that the Democratic Party is equally beholden to Wall Street is becoming clearer each day. The Biden administration is now pushing school reopenings at a time when the number of daily new cases far exceeds that which existed when Trump first pressed to reopen schools last July, and the Democrats hypocritically denounced him. On Friday, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten described the CDCs new guidelines as informed and rigorous. Seeking to quell teachers growing skepticism and hostility towards the CDC and the Biden administration, she added with a straight face, I can assure you that this is free from political meddling. The executive summary begins by stating categorically, It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open. They outline five key mitigation strategies which they claim provide the safe delivery of in-person instruction and help to mitigate COVID-19 transmission in schools These include the following: Universal and correct use of masks; physical distancing; handwashing and respiratory etiquette; cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities; and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the health department. None of the above conditions are realistic or have been met by any of the thousands of school districts that have reopened since last July. As a result of school reopenings, there have been over 643,000 COVID-19 infections of students and staff in K-12 schools across the US, according to the COVID Monitor website curated by whistleblower Rebekah Jones. In an effort to tamp down teachers expectations that they might get vaccinated before being sent back to unsafe schools, the guidelines explicitly state, Access to vaccination should not be considered a condition for reopening schools for in-person instruction. Alongside COVID-19 testing programs, this is simply an additional layer that districts should try to prioritize after meeting the above five key mitigation strategies. The word ventilation appears twice in the 33-page document, with the CDC merely suggesting that school districts Improve ventilation to the extent possible such as by opening windows and doors to increase circulation of outdoor air to increase the delivery of clean air and dilute potential contaminants. Scientists have long understood that SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne virus that readily travels in confined spaces, yet there is no suggestion that funding be provided to improve heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. A US Government Accountability Office report from last June noted that 54 percent of public school districts need to update or replace multiple building systems or features in their schools. Roughly 36,000 schools nationwide need HVAC updates. The guidelines advocate contact tracing, isolating and quarantining, but fail to note that the resources for these programs are virtually non-existent. After noting that multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants are circulating globally which seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, the guidelines simply state that adherence to mitigation strategies is essential to control the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. If things get out of control, mitigation strategies and school guidance may need to be updated to account for new evidence on risk of transmission and effectiveness of mitigation. All key aspects of the CDC guidelines are antithetical to the latest science on SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, which proves unequivocally that closing schools is an essential component of any broader strategy to contain the pandemic. The timing of the guidelines release is highly significant. The CDC waited until the day after Chicago Public Schools (CPS) began reopening, following an intense struggle by rank-and-file educators to oppose this reckless policy. In their struggle, Chicago educators were vilified by Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the entire corporate media, and behind the scenes the Biden administration and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten were directly involved in the negotiations process. Bidens new CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky also intervened last week, stating, Vaccinations of teachers is not a prerequisite for safely reopening schools. Given its marching orders, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) rapidly struck a deal with CPS which the union rammed through as quickly as possible. Jesse Sharkeyformer leader of the now-defunct International Socialist Organization (ISO) and CTU President since 2014played the critical role of using the threat of a strike against teachers, saying that this would lead to legal repercussions and teachers should accept school reopenings. The precedent set in Chicagothe third largest school district in the UScombined with the pseudo-scientific CDC guidelines, will be used as a battering ram to reopen schools across the US and globally. The next major targets for reopening include Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Nashville and other Democrat-led cities, as well as high school students in New York City, Chicago and any other districts that so far only have plans in place for K-8 students. In each of these cities, the unions have collaborated with local Democrats to reopen schools or will do so in the coming days. The same policies are being pursued globally. Bourgeois politicians are collaborating with the unions to press for schools to reopen in Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, Canada, France, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, India, Myanmar, Cameroon and other countries. In each of these countries and more, educators are entering into struggles to oppose these policies. Educators in every country must build rank-and-file committees independent of the unions and the bourgeois parties, and fight to link up with their most powerful allies in the working class. There must be an intransigent struggle to close all schools and non-essential workplaces, expropriate the pandemic profiteers, and use their wealth to fully fund remote learning and all other resources workers and students need. Only once the pandemic is contained and the population vaccinated can society begin to reopen schools and nonessential workplaces, which must all be retrofitted with state-of-the-art technology. Pedestrians walk past a BBC logo at Broadcasting House in London, Jan. 29, 2020. Reuters China barred Britain's BBC World News from its television networks Friday and Hong Kong's public broadcaster said it would stop relaying BBC World Service radio, a week after Britain revoked Chinese state television's broadcast license. China's National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News' reports on China had "seriously violated" a requirement to be "truthful and fair," harmed China's interests and undermined national unity. Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the publicly funded broadcaster in the former British territory, said it was suspending the relay of BBC radio news programming. The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) said it appeared that China was trying to force foreign media to follow the Chinese government line, while China's embassy in London accused the BBC of "relentless fabrication". RTHK's Radio 4 (R4) station had carried BBC World Service radio for eight hours each night and the R1 station had carried a one-hour BBC program once a week. The private Hong Kong platforms Cable TV and Now TV were still carrying BBC World News as of Friday. Before the ban, BBC World News had not been included in most TV packages in mainland China, but had been available in some hotels and homes. Two Reuters journalists in Beijing found that the channel had disappeared. The BBC, which is a public corporation, said it was "the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favor." British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab called the ban "an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom," adding: "China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe, and this latest step will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world." The Chinese Embassy in London responded with a stinging statement, attributed to an unnamed spokesperson: Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Victoria Virus Case Friend of Hotel Quarantine Worker MELBOURNE, Australia Victoria has recorded one new local case of COVID-19, while Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says there is no plan, yet, to extend the five-day lockdown. The latest COVID-19 case in Victoria is a friend of a hotel quarantine worker, as contact tracers race to ring-fence an outbreak of the infectious UK strain. There are now 14 cases linked to the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport as the entire state undergoes a five-day circuit-breaker lockdown. The single additional positive case recorded on Saturday is a man in his 30s in Point Cook in Melbournes west, who is a friend of a Holiday Inn worker. That mans primary close contacts38 of themare also isolating and are being tested. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews addresses the media during a press conference in Melbourne, Australia on Feb. 13, 2021. (Luis Ascui/Getty Images) Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday there were 996 known primary close contacts associated with the known Holiday Inn cases but the number was expected to grow. Test results of all these people would start to come through on Sunday and Monday, hence the need for a five days of lockdown, he said. Of 12 co-workers of an infected worker who did a shift at Brunettis cafe at Melbourne airport on Tuesday between 4.45 a.m. and 1.15 p.m., 11 have returned negative test results. One remaining test result is yet to come through. More than 2,000 passengers who went through Melbourne airport on Tuesday have been asked to isolate and get tested. They are being asked about their movements to ascertain any exposure risk. High view of a quiet Tullamarine freeway in Melbourne, Australia on Feb. 13, 2021. (Luis Ascui/Getty Images) Andrews defended the need for a third lockdown, saying he knew a lot of people would be hurting but that it was the right thing to do. Victorians know what has to be done, weve done it before. I know its not easy, he said. Ive got advice to do it. Ive done it. Its based on science. He said there would be announcements in coming days about financial support for businesses and others. The outbreak can be traced back to a family of three who quarantined at the Holiday Inn and are believed to have been infected overseas. One family member, who is in intensive care, used a medical device called a nebuliser in their room despite them banned outside of medi-hotels. Andrews brushed off reporters questions about the nebuliser on Saturday, deferring to COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria commissioner Emma Cassar who is expected to speak to media later. It followed Andrews comments on Friday that it was clear nebulisers were not allowed, contradicting the mans own account given to The Age that quarantine staff had let him use it. Five international flights that were in transit when the Victorian government announced a pause on all passenger arrivals will arrive in Melbourne on Saturday. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton addressed concerns about why the five-day lockdown could legally go until Feb. 26. Nothing should be read into it as having any intention to extend beyond a day beyond when we think they need to be in place. For now, thats five days, he said. Until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Victorians are only able to leave home to shop for food and essential items, provide or receive care, exercise and to work or study if they cant from home. Similar to stage-four restrictions imposed last year, theres a five-kilometre travel limit, compulsory face mask usage and no visitors. The premier has said he is confident the lockdown similar to what was imposed in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth after cases escaped quarantine will work. The latest exposure sites listed on the Victorian department of health website include Alberton Cafe, Albert Park, The Coffeeologist cafe, Point Cook, Coates Hire Werribee, Caltex Woolworths in Hoppers Crossing as well as the Craigieburn train line, the 513 Eltham to Glenroy bus route and the 901 Frankston to Melbourne Airport bus route. Andrews has asked his experts to do a risk assessment of hotel quarantine in light of the infectious UK virus strain to contribute to a national discussion about the ongoing nature of hotel quarantine. By Andi Yu Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, after meeting Home Minister Amit Shah on February 13, said the state will bring in a law to claim recovery of damages to public property from protesters, reported ANI. We discussed the farmers' protest among other issues. We will be bringing a law for recovery of damages to public property from protesters: Haryana CM ML Khattar on his meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah today pic.twitter.com/6sdpxSMvn8 ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2021 The announcement comes in the backdrop of the farmers' protest against the recently passed farm laws. The Haryana CM had earlier said some people were agitating just for the "sake of protest" against the Centre's farm laws, which reflected their "vested political intent". But he added that the Centre will be ready for any amendments in the laws if it was required. Commenting on the agitation against the farm laws, Khattar said the Centre is clearly of the view that the three laws are for the benefit of farmers and will give a boost to the agricultural sector. Farmers especially from Haryana and neighboring Punjab have dug in along the Delhi border for over two months, demanding the government to withdraw the three laws that they say threaten minimum price guarantee and would open the door to corporate control of the farm sector. The protest has seen intermittent clash with the police, damaging public and private property in its wake. A tractor rally by farmers on January 26 had also turned violent in Delhi. Representational image Air travellers to Canada will quarantine in a hotel starting on February 22 as they await the result of a coronavirus test, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said. Trudeau previously announced stricter restrictions would be imposed on nonessential air travellers in response to new, likely more contagious variants. Government officials confirmed that with limited exceptions nonessential air travelers will be required to reserve a three-night stay in a government-authorised hotel at their own expense before they depart for Canada. Those who cross the US border by land won''t have to isolate at a hotel, but will have to show a negative test taken within three days before arrival and be tested on arrival as well as toward the end of a 14-day quarantine at home or elsewhere. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said less than 5 per cent of those who cross the land border are nonessential, one reason why the hotel stay is not required for those who enter by land. The measures especially affect Canadian snowbirds who winter abroad and return home in the spring. Health Minister Patty Hajdu said vaccinated Canadians will not be exempt because research is still not clear on whether those vaccinated can still transmit the virus to others. Some Canadian snowbirds are getting vaccinated in Florida and Arizona. Trudeau said it could take up to three days for test results to be available and he previously said the cost of a hotel stay for air travellers could be USD 2,000 Canadian (US$1,576.). The steep cost for the hotel stay includes the cost for security, food and measures hotels will have to take to keep their workers safe. Travelers would then isolate at home or elsewhere if the test is negative. Canada already requires those entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days and bans nonessential travel to the country. The Canadian Snowbird Association has said cost of the hotel stay poses financial hardship for many and travellers who test negative should be able to quarantine in their homes. Some snowbirds are flying back before a hotel stay is mandatory. Dr. Morley Rubinoff, 71, said he left his condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, about six weeks early this year to avoid what he called hotel hell. The semiretired dental specialist said he arrived in Mexico on December 31 and had planned to stay until mid-March before returning to Toronto. Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said Friday there have been more than 429 cases of a worrying variant first identified in the UK, and 28 cases of the variant first identified in South Africa reported across eight provinces. So far, there has only been one report of the variant first found in Brazil . While Canada has contracted for far more vaccines than it needs to cover its population, they have been slow to arrive, frustrating many who see a faster rollout in the neighbouring US. Canadian officials have said Trudeau spoke with US President Joe Biden about the possibility of getting getting Pfizer vaccines from a plant in nearby Michigan, whose first 100 million doses are already contracted for by the US government. I think the president has been clear publicly and certainly privately when the conversation comes up that his focus now is on ensuring that the American people are vaccinated, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about Canada on Friday. Canada, which does not have domestic production, has been contracting for vaccines from Europe and elsewhere. Trudeau said he spoke to the chief executive Pfizer and said he confirmed Canada will get 4 million doses from that company before the end of March, as well as 10.8 million doses in April, May and June more than previously announced. Trudeau also said Canada is buying another 4 million Moderna vaccines and is looking at the possibility of getting vaccines from India. Pennsylvania confronts overwhelming challenges: a structural deficit, an educational system in free fall, mass business closures and widespread unemployment, and barriers to health care. No doubt, Pennsylvanians expect Harrisburg to deliver education lifelines to families, regulatory and tax relief for businessowners, and improved access to care for patients. In response, this past week Governor Tom Wolf released his proposed 2021 budget, pledging to make your lives better. Wolfs proposals, though, couldnt be more detrimental to Pennsylvanians coping with the COVID-19 crisis. As the states Independent Fiscal Office recently projected, it will take six years for employment to recover from the COVID-19 crisis and Wolfs lockdowns. And yet, Wolf offers policy prescriptions that would only worsen our economic plight. The governor hasnt made any effort to control overspending throughout the recession. In fact, this year marks the fourth time that his administration dramatically overspent the approved budget, which was only approved in November. As a lame duck governor, Wolfs latest call for tax hikes wont go anywhere. But lawmakers have an opportunity to pursue an agenda that sensibly helps Pennsylvanias communities and families. The centerpiece of Wolfs budget proposal is a 46% state income tax increase, hitting middle-class families and small businesses. Wolf should be remembered as the governor who proposed the largest tax hike in Pennsylvanias history during an unprecedented public-health crisis. Even when factoring tax forgiveness, Wolfs proposal is still a net $2.96 billion tax increase or $232 per resident. For perspective, a family of four earning the statewide median income would see a $1,500 tax increase. Wolfs proposal would also hammer small businesses restaurants, bars, salons, small gyms, among others that pay personal income taxes. This past year, these same businesses have endured financial devastation caused by Wolfs abrupt and archaic lockdowns. Unlike their corporate competitors, small businessowners cant deduct their losses in future years. Wolfs tax hike, in other words, would hardly make businessowners lives better. Now more than ever, small businesses need relief in the form of policies that spur hiring, offer tax relief and ensure protection from frivolous lawsuits. Wolfs tax hike, unimaginable by any periods standards, would fund public school districts. Its a plan, largely, to fund empty buildings. As it stands, roughly 40% of districts remain physically closed, in many cases against parents wishes. Worse, Wolfs plan would fund districts while stifling charter schools and scholarship programs. Its a plan that fails a generation of children facing the devastating consequences of continued closures. Wolfs plan also overlooks the existing financial advantage of school districts, which already received more than $3 billion in emergency federal funding, maintained all state funding, and has sat on $4.6 billion in fund reserves. The spending increase occurred while enrollment declined by 50,000 students this year, as parents sought alternative educational options during the pandemic. Wolfs proposal would undermine education equity by exacerbating COVID-era learning loss and harming the most vulnerable. As school districts disrupt students lives, private and charter schools are providing learning opportunities that families prefer. More than 40,000 students are denied tax credit scholarships; thousands more remain on waiting lists for seats in charter schools. Parents deserve more educational options. Lawmakers should respond to Wolfs proposal by getting students back on track. This should include creating Education Opportunity Accounts, expanding Pennsylvanias popular tax credit scholarship programs, and implementing a fair charter school authorization process to provide an excellent education for all. From small businesses to education, the General Assembly should enact policies that challenge Wolfs harmful ideas. His policy agenda would leave a legacy of more government spending, higher unemployment, and greater economic woes. Pennsylvania cant afford this outcome. After all, we continue to lose residents fleeing to other states for better economic opportunities. Lawmakers should embrace policies that help businesses rehire workers, jump-start our economy, and support families. This would include reopening businesses and restaurants; providing tax, regulatory, and liability relief for local small business; and privatizing the government-run liquor system. It would also require protecting Pennsylvanians from tax hikes, such as those proposed in Wolfs budget. The best way to accomplish this goal is passage of the Taxpayer Protection Act, limiting the growth of state spending to match taxpayers ability to pay. In short, its time for the General Assembly to enact its own agendaone that launches a race to rebuild and cares for Pennsylvanias kids and communities. NATHAN BENEFIELD is Vice President and COO of the Commonwealth Foundation (CommonwealthFoundation.org), Pennsylvanias free market think tank. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Pictured L-R, Aldi Swords Store Charity Champion Taib Selmovic presents a 500 donation to Hong Maguire and Shay Carroll of St. Vincent de Paul Swords as part of Aldis Community Grants programme A total of 24 Dublin-based charities, including a number in Fingal, have become the latest beneficiaries of Aldi's Community Grants programme, with each charity receiving a 500 grant from the Aldi store teams in County Dublin. Grants of 500 were presented to local charities like Saint Vincent de Paul Swords and Snowflakes Autism Support in Swords, among others. Aldi's Community Grants programme helps fund local charities and organisations that contribute vital work and services in their local communities. Each local charity supported is chosen by Aldi employees, enabling them to help the local good causes they are passionate about. The programme has contributed to 750 local projects to date, donating over 375,000 since 2016. Commenting, John Curtin, Group Buying Director, Aldi Ireland said: 'We are very proud to have been able to contribute to supporting local charities across the country through the Aldi Community Grants programme and we're pleased to see the impact of our donation in the local communities for County Dublin. 'The Community Grants programme is one example of how Aldi is committed to investing and partnering with local communities and charities across Ireland and we look forward to continuing this engagement into 2021.' Aldi is deeply involved in the local community. To date throughout Ireland, Aldi has donated a total of 2.6m worth of meals to FoodCloud and over 20,000 in vouchers to Barnardos for vulnerable families. Canada deported 12,222 refugees in 2020the highest number of deportations since at least 2015, even though deportations were suspended for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure was contained in a Reuters news agency report dated January 22. Protest against the reactionary Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement (Photo credit: David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights) On March 17, 2020, among the limited preventive measures taken at the beginning of the pandemic, Justin Trudeaus federal Liberal government suspended the deportation of migrants who were in Canada without status under Canadian immigration law. The lifting of this suspension was announced on November 30, 2020, by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), a police organization under the Department of Public Safety, whose responsibilities include deportations. The resumption of deportations was not due to an improvement in the pandemic situation in Canada. On the contrary, on the day of the announcement, Canada had 7,681 new cases of COVID-19, which was the highest tally since the beginning of the pandemic. The government justified the resumption of deportations in the midst of the pandemic by citing the return of airline operations, the emergence of vaccination options and public health policies that have contributed to a high degree of safety for those being deported by air. These explanations are nothing but bogus pretexts, without any foundation in the reality of the pandemic. They contradict the position of the government itself, which has closed its border with the United States for nonessential travel and has just reached an agreement with the airlines to discontinue flights to some holiday destinations. As for vaccination options, none had been approved as of November 30, and to this day the Canadian vaccination campaign is characterized by improvisation, lack of resources and a shortage of doses. Public health experts continue to warn that travel of any kind poses an increased and undesirable risk of transmission, made all the more serious by the emergence of new highly transmissible and likely more lethal variants of the virus. Under these circumstances, deportations pose a deadly risk to the deportee and a risk of contagion to the country to which they are returned. As explained by the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL) in a letter strongly criticizing the November 30 decision, before their being deported, a person must make a multitude of trips in the community, including several trips to CBSA premises, to the bank to close accounts, to the doctor and to the pharmacy to get the treatment and medication they will need during the trip, etc. Each of the activities necessitated by deportation represents a risk of catching and transmitting the coronavirus in Canada before departure or, subsequently, in his or her country of origin. CARL lawyers noted that deportations by the United States have caused outbreaks of COVID-19 in several countries, including India, Haiti, Guatemala and El Salvador. In addition, many of the deported refugees have been sent to countries where the coronavirus is raging, posing an increased risk for the deportee of contracting the deadly disease. Canada has imposed a moratorium on deportations to countries where the political system is said to be unstable, such as Syria or Iraq, but makes no exception for countries particularly hard hit by the pandemic. For example, migrants have been deported from Canada to Mexico, a country that is facing a real health catastrophe due to the homicidal policies of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and is now the third most bereaved country in the world with more than 171,000 deaths officially attributed to COVID-19. Deportations also pose a significant risk of outbreaks in Canada as CBSA agents escort migrants on these air trips, which often involve transfers in several different airports and having to spend hours in a confined space with scores, even hundreds, of people. The reality is that the Canadian government has unnecessarily deported thousands of people, ignoring the health crisis and the most basic public health measures, thus increasing the risk of new outbreaks of the deadly virus in Canada and around the world. This development is part of the right-wing turn of the entire Canadian political establishment, including increased promotion of hostility to refugees and immigrants. In the same week that the CBSA declared the resumption of deportations, the Trudeau government announced that there would be no expansion of the regularization program for guardian angelsthose refugees and asylum-seekers who have answered the call of provincial governments, particularly the Quebec government, to take over for exhausted and overburdened health care workers. During the spring and summer, as the pandemic raged unchecked, refugee rights groups drew attention to the courageous role of these migrants. After an initial period of reluctance, the ruling class seized upon this issue to save face and camouflage the disastrous consequences of its own deadly back-to-work and back-to-school policies. In August, following a popular campaign to have their immigration status regularized, Ottawa and Quebec City reached a deal on the issue. Announced with great fanfare as a humanitarian gesture under the slogan guardian angels will not be deported, the deal is in fact little more than window dressing. The program is limited, with numerous conditions, and only applies to asylum seekers who have directly provided care to patients, such as orderlies, nurses and nursing aides. This leaves out those who have done equally important work in hospitals and health centers, as janitors, cooks or security guards. In total, just 1,000 migrants throughout Canadaa dozen times less than the number deported in 2020are covered by the program and will be granted residency status. In the face of strong popular criticism of the limited nature of the Guardian Angel program, Ottawa and Quebec have pretended to continue discussions to expand its scope. This political theater lasted until late November when the Trudeau government announced that the program would not be expanded and that it would come into effect in early December, at the same time as the resumption of deportations. The media reported that it was the Quebec government that categorically refused to include additional workers in the program. The Coalition avenir Quebec (CAQ, Coalition for the Future of Quebec) government led by Francois Legault, a multimillionaire and former CEO, was elected in 2018 on the basis of a chauvinist agenda combining Quebec nationalism with virulent attacks on immigrants, who were targeted as a threat to Quebec values. Since then, Legault has made anti-immigrant agitation a priority, including passing legislation to reduce the annual number of new immigrants to Quebec. While Trudeau and the federal Liberal government posture as progressive and pro-refugee, his government collaborated closely with the Trump administration in its anti-immigrant witch hunt; and more generally the Canadian state and ruing class rely on their USMCA (revised NAFTA) partners to keep migrants fleeing repression and poverty from reaching Canada. Last March, in violation of international law, the Trudeau government seized on the pandemic to close the legal loophole in the reactionary Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement that allowed those who crossed into Canada irregularly to make a claim for refugee status. Nationalism and xenophobia are being promoted by the ruling elites around the world to make immigrants and refugees scapegoats for their reactionary policies and divide the working class. In Canada, under a humanitarian-democratic mask, the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau is pursuing a militaristic policy that includes a 70 percent increase in the budget for the military, participating in the US imperialist wars in the Middle East and elsewhere, and integrating Canada ever more fully into Washingtons military-strategic offensives against China and Russia. Workers must reject the nationalist poison of the ruling elite and defend refugees and migrant workersincluding the right of workers of all origins to work, live, and have access to health care and social services in the country of their choice, without fear of persecution or deportation. This will be realized only as part of a broader working class mobilization, based on an international socialist perspective, against social inequality, the repressive policies of the capitalist state and imperialist war. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia urged the residents of Yerevan to return to their homes as the danger of new tremors after the earthquake in the republic on Saturday is extremely low. According to the data analysis, the possibility of a strong earthquake is minimal. "Residents can return to their apartments. There may be shocks that will be felt, but you should not succumb to panic," the department informed. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. A person with COVID-19 who was in North Shore Hospital has died, the Ministry of Health says. This comes as news of two new COVID-19 cases are reported in New Zealand. Both cases were found in managed isolation. The person who has died was transferred from a Managed Isolation Facility into hospital-level care for the treatment of a serious non-COVID-19 related condition on February 5. This person subsequently returned a positive result for COVID-19 following their admission. This positive result has been reported previously. The patient spoke with family daily, either by zoom or phone. On behalf of New Zealanders, I want to recognise this familys loss, says Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. This is a time for us all to offer our deep sympathy, while also respecting the familys privacy. The Ministry of Health advises that the death has not been included in the official COVID related NZ deaths at this stage. We will provide further information on Monday, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. New cases of COVID-19 There are two new cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation today. There are no new cases in the community. Both of the two new cases arrived on February 9 from India via United Arab Emirates. One tested positive on arrival and the other tested positive on day one of routine testing. Both are in management isolation in Auckland. One previously reported case has now recovered. The total number of active cases in New Zealand is now 45. The total number of confirmed NZ cases is 1,972. The total number of tests processed by laboratories to date is 1,583,469. On Friday NZ laboratories processed 4,683 tests. The seven-day rolling average up to yesterday is 3,886 tests processed. Historical cases Since January 1, there have been 28 historical cases, out of a total of 162 cases. These historical cases have all been previously reported. NZ COVID Tracer NZ COVID Tracer now has 2,566,009 registered users. Poster scans have reached 177,905,723. Almost 544,000 poster scans have been recorded since midday yesterday. Users have created 7,247,069 manual diary entries. Macroom has a new Sinn Fein cumann and, if its choice of name is anything to go by, they plan to stir things up on the local political scene. The Sean Riobard O Suilleabhain Cumann is named after a 19th century agitator for land reform who was convicted (falsely, it is claimed) of murder and jailed for 20 years. After he emerged from prison, he took up where he left off and, by one historian's account, took part in the War of Independence. Interestingly Sean Riobard O Suilleabhain, according to the book by his great grand-son, Barry Keane, was mostly active in Millstreet and Kilcorney direction, where he hailed from and where he was buried. The choice of O Suilleabhain as a name for the cumann may be a signal of the new organisation's wider aims. There was much gnashing of teeth in Sinn Fein's Parnell Square headquarters this time last year when the party on a crest of a tidal wave of support neglected to run a candidate in Cork North West. A candidate, Martha Lyons, had been nominated to run in the constituency but had decided up to a year earlier that the time "wasn't right for her" and she opted to continue her legal studies in UCC. A recent report by Irish Independent journalist Fionnan Sheahan suggested that the party would be running up to 25 or 30 extra candidates in the next national poll. Expand Close The cumann is named after Sean Riobaird O Suilleabhain, a 19th century land agitator / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The cumann is named after Sean Riobaird O Suilleabhain, a 19th century land agitator "Prominent candidates like former MEP Lynn Boylan will be put in for easily winnable seats," he said in his report. While a seat in Cork North West, which has been carved up for generations it seems between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, could never be described as 'easily winnable', the prospect of being a candidate for the main opposition party of Sinn Fein against the Government parties, could be enough to entice another former MEP and Sinn Fein member, Liadh Ni Riada, into the fray in the future. While Ms Ni Riada is working a Language Planning Officer in nearby Gaeltacht Mhuscrai and is not in a front-line political role, she was recently nominated by Sinn Fein as a representative of the party on the board of the cross -border language body, Foras na Gaeilge, a position that comes with a yearly fee. Macroom's Sinn Fein chairman Vivion O Madagain, has been fairly prominent on the Macroom Sinn Fein Facebook page where he recently posted about his efforts to get remedial action to 100m stretch of potholes, sometimes described as the N22, near Coolcower. While work is underway there at present other local elected representatives will be keen to dispute the claims by the unelected (as yet) Sinn Fein man that it was his intercession that paved the road. Success has many parents while failure is an orphan is doubly true in politics as it is in life. It doesn't look like there will be an election, be it local or national, anytime soon so there may be much more and sustained agitation to be done to bring about the shifting of the political landscape in Cork NW. Facing China's actions, the United States increased military operations in the East Sea and adjusted its policy towards endorsing the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)'s ruling in 2016. The US Department of Defense has increased the frequency of free navigation operations (FONOP) in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea). As of December 25th 2020, the US Navy had conducted 9 FONOPs in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, compared with eight in 2019 and six in 2018. The US Navy also conducted coordination operations of two aircraft carriers for the first time since 2014, while promoting air patrol and submarine deployment. Sanctions In April and May 2020, US Navy warships moved close to Chinese survey ships in Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The US Air Force also increased the operation of B52, B1-B and B2 strategic bombers in the East Sea. The Trump administration accused China of using the pandemic to promote its sovereignty claims and in April urged Beijing to stop provocative activities and bullying practices. More significantly, the US has taken a clearer stance on the legal basis of China's sovereignty claims. On June 1, 2020, the US submitted a diplomatic note to the United Nations opposing China's claim to sovereignty in the East Sea because it was inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS). The US Department of Defense has increased the frequency of free navigation operations (FONOP) in the East Sea On July 13, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an important statement supporting the PCAs 2016 ruling. Specifically, the US rejected China's illegal "9-dash line", its sovereignty claim over the offshore resources in the EEZ of Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia as well as the Vanh Khan, Co May and James. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: The world will not allow Beijing to treat the East Sea as its maritime empire. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources. In a speech at a consulting organization in Washington D.C. a day after Pompeo's statement, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell described Chinese conglomerates operating in the East Sea as tools of economic coercion and international abuse. According to David Stilwell, during negotiations of the Codes of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), China sought to limit the ability of Southeast Asian countries to conduct military exercises with foreign countries, using intimidation tactics to prevent Southeast Asian countries from making sovereignty statement of cooperation in energy exploitation with non-Chinese companies. Stilwell also mentioned the possibility that the US would impose sanctions against individuals and businesses participating in implementing Chinese policies in the East Sea. On August 26, 2020, the US Department of State imposed sanctions on some Chinese citizens responsible for or involved in the large-scale construction, renovation or militarization of disputed outposts in the East Sea. The US Department of Commerce named 24 Chinese state-owned companies involved in the construction of seven artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago on its blacklist. The note of the US Mission to the United Nations against China's claims. Photo: USUN Reaction of Southeast Asia Southeast Asian claimants in the East Sea expressed concern over China's aggressive behavior in this water and expressed a tougher stance. The responses of the Southeast Asian countries were mainly in legal aspects. Since December 2019, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines have sent notes to the UN opposing Chinas "9-dash line" "historic rights" claims in the East Sea. More importantly, by opposing the claim of China, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines clearly mentioned the PCAs ruling 2016, thereby restoring the validity of this ruling. Brunei for the first time issued a declaration on the East Sea on July 20, 2020, which emphasized that the negotiations to resolve disputes should comply with the UNCLOS. ASEAN also emphasized more on the UNCLOS, considering this the foundation for determining sovereignty, jurisdiction and legitimate interests related to the seas. The Philippines adjusted its stance in the direction of being more rigid. In May, its navy opened a new stop on the island of Pagasa and announced plans to develop infrastructure there. On the fourth anniversary of the PCAs ruling, Philippine Foreign Minister Teddy Locsin said the ruling was "non-negotiable". After Pompeo's statement, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana called on China to comply with the ruling. In August, Mr. Locsin announced that if the Philippines were attacked in the East Sea, he would trigger the 1951 military alliance with the US, while Minister Lorenzana argued that the "9-dash line" of Beijing is only imaginary. Maintaining a long-standing policy, Indonesia reaffirmed its opposition to the "9-dash line" as well as China's proposal to negotiate overlapping claims near the Natuna Islands. In July 2020, the Indonesian army conducted large-scale naval and air exercises near Natuna. The Malaysian delegation to the United Nations sent notes denying China's East Sea claims Meanwhile, the Malaysian Navy and Coast Guard patrolled near the West Capella exploration vessel and tracked the presence of the Chinese survey vessels in its EEZ in April-May. The Malaysian Government reaffirmed that it would protect the rights and interests of the country in the East Sea. On August 13, Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein made a speech emphasizing perseverance and consistently using diplomatic methods. Malaysia was successful in making Chinese ships to leave the areas where its Petronas Corporation operates. Fierce competition between the US and China The relationship between China and the United States since the Covid-19 pandemic has entered a period of increasingly fierce competition in the race between a superpower and the one wishing to take the throne. With the bipartisan consensus in the US on China issue, the new US administration will not be able to implement a more peaceable policy in the East Sea. However, the actual implementation may differ. In 2021, the US will continue to increase the frequency of exercises with allies and partners, presence and patrol campaigns to ensure freedom of navigation (FONOP) in the East Sea. The possibility of a clash between the US and Chinese military forces in this area remains unpredictable. Most likely, Washington will continue to impose additional sanctions against companies and individuals in China that the US believes commits violations in the East Sea. The East Sea will be one of the most important places for the US to curb China's rise. Southeast Asian countries will become the focus of the growing Sino-American competition. Road to complete COC still tough China will continue to push territorial claims to divert attention away from economic troubles. It is likely that in 2021, China will continue to put pressure on the exploration and exploitation of natural resources of the East Sea countries, and at the same time promote joint exploitation cooperation in Chinese style, through manipulating and dividing ASEAN countries. In 2020, due to complicated epidemic developments, officials of the 10 ASEAN member countries and China could not meet to continue negotiations on the COC. The sensitive nature of these negotiations does not allow it to be conducted via online form. Beijing seems to want to resume negotiations. However, the stances of the parties are still very far apart. Moreover, as China ignores international law, and wants to monopolize the East Sea, maintaining the COC negotiation process is actually just a measure of buying time to implement its intentions in this sea. Therefore, even when the discussions resume, the goal of completing the COC in 2021 that China unilaterally declared will be difficult to achieve. Viet Hoang China increases activities to monopolize East Sea Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, tensions in the East Sea have increased. By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2021/02/12 An Jung-geun, sometimes spelled Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean-independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist. On 26 October 1909, he assassinated Prince Ito Hirobumi, a four-time Prime Minister of Japan, former Resident-General of Korea, and then President of the Privy Council of Japan, following the signing of the Eulsa Treaty, with Korea on the verge of annexation by Japan. He was imprisoned and later executed by Japanese authorities on 26 March 1910. An was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1962 by the South Korean government, the most prestigious civil decoration in the Republic of Korea, for his efforts for Korean independence. His story has been adapted to cinema a number of times, both in North (An Jung-geun Shoots Ito Hirobumi) and South Korea (Thomas An Jung-geun) but this particularly movie is probably the most impressive. The film is split in four parts. In the first one, at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, Ito Hirobumi and a number of pro-Japanese members of the government pressure King Gojong to step down from the throne. The king is infuriated but also under extreme pressure, since the Japanese Occupational Forces will not take no for an answer, while the punishment in case he declines to comply with what they ask becomes more and more intense. At the same time, under the continuous occupation, the Korean people are starting to get increasingly fed up with being "subjects" although the film also makes a point of highlighting that what is happening to them is also their fault. An Chang-ho, a man giving speeches against the Japanese, mentions that while the Japanese built trains and ships the Koreans slept, and while they were learning how to use machine guns the Koreans were getting drunk, highlighting the aforementioned point in the most pointy fashion, while asking intensely from his listeners to save themselves and not wait for an external power to do so. Meanwhile, An Jung-geun, who is cultivating men of ability at Samheung school, is deeply impressed by the speech, and heads for Siberia to volunteer the army fighting for independence of the country. The second part, which begins after showing the atrocities the Japanese committed, from burning books to crucifying dissidents, takes place in Siberia, and is the most impressive in the movie, since both the scenes of training and of actual warfare are epic in their implementation. Lee Yong-min's cinematography finds its apogee in these sequences, with the panoramic scenes being rather imposing and the use of sound highlighting the job done in the production values. The third part functions more as a noir/political thriller, as An Jung-geun and his comrades try to organize the resistance while avoiding the pro-Japanese police and the Occupation army. This part is rather agonizing and showcases both Jeon Chang-keun's direction and Lee Jong-gi's editing, whose combination results in a rather intriguing part, particularly during the assassination attempt. The fourth part turns into a court drama, as we watch An Jung-geun challenging the court and protesting that he cannot be tried as a criminal since Ito Hirobumi and the Japanese Occupation Forces are the true criminals, to the growing annoyance of the judges. This part is where Jeon Chang-keun's excellent performance as An Jung-geun finds its apogee, just like the first part did the same for Kim Seung-ho-I's as King Gojong. The "last supper" which concludes the segment, gives a sense of calm melodrama, that works quite nicely in bringing down the tension that was building up to that point. The epic element of the film permeates the narrative, with the big budget being rather evident in all the production values, including the different sets, the costumes, and the impressive art direction by Park Seok-in. The result of such an intriguing story and such high level production is imposing and quite entertaining, although the narrative could do without the many and rather excessive scenes of both jingoism and melodrama, that become somewhat tiring after a point. Overall, however, these faults are lost in the overall artistry, in one of the best productions of the decade Review by Panos Kotzathanasis ___________ "King Gojong and Martyr An Jung-Geun" is directed by Jeon Chang-keun, and features Kim Seung-ho-I, Jeon Chang-keun, Choi Nam-hyun, Song Eok, Lee Hyang, Seo Wol-yeong. Release date in Korea: 1959/04/10. WASHINGTON - Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that spared him the first-ever conviction of a current or former U.S. president but exposed the fragility of Americas democratic traditions and left a divided nation to come to terms with the violence sparked by his defeated presidency. In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., answers a question from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) WASHINGTON - Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that spared him the first-ever conviction of a current or former U.S. president but exposed the fragility of Americas democratic traditions and left a divided nation to come to terms with the violence sparked by his defeated presidency. Barely a month since the deadly Jan. 6 riot that stunned the world, the Senate convened for a rare weekend session to deliver its verdict, voting while armed National Guard troops continued to stand their posts outside the iconic building. The quick trial, the nations first of a former president, showed in raw and emotional detail how perilously close the invaders had come to destroying the nation's deep tradition of a peaceful transfer of presidential power after Trump had refused to concede the election. Rallying outside the White House, he unleashed a mob of supporters to fight like hell for him at the Capitol just as Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Bidens victory. As hundreds stormed the building, some in tactical gear engaging in bloody combat with police, lawmakers fled for their lives. Five people died. The verdict, on a vote of 57-43, is all but certain to influence not only the former president's political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Seven Republicans joined all Democrats to convict, but it was far from the two-third threshold required. The outcome after the uprising leaves unresolved the nations wrenching divisions over Trump's brand of politics that led to the most violent domestic attack on one of America's three branches of government. Bruce Castor, lawyer for former President Donald Trump, leaves after the fourth day of the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill on Friday, Feb 12, 2021, in Washington. (Jabin Botsford//The Washington Post via AP, Pool) Senators, we are in a dialogue with history, a conversation with our past, with a hope for our future, said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa.., one of the House prosecutors in closing arguments. What we do here, what is being asked of each of us here, in this moment, will be remembered." Trump, unrepentant, welcomed his second impeachment acquittal and said his movement has only just begun. He slammed the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. Bruce Castor, lawyer for former President Donald Trump, heads to the Senate Chamber at the start of the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 at the Capitol in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP) Though he was acquitted of the sole charge of incitement of insurrection, it was easily the largest number of senators to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty of an impeachment count of high crimes and misdemeanours. Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. Even after voting to acquit, the Republican leader Mitch McConnell condemned the former president as practically and morally responsible for the insurrection. McConnell contended Trump could not be convicted because he was gone from the White House. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, on the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP) In a statement issued several hours after the verdict, Biden highlighted the bipartisan nature of the vote to convict as well as McConnell's strong criticism of Trump. In keeping with his stated desire to see the country overcome its divisions, Biden said everyone, especially the nation's leaders, have a duty to defend the truth and to defeat the lies. That is how we end this uncivil war and heal the very soul of our nation. That is the task ahead. And its a task we must undertake together, said Biden, who had hardly weighed in on the proceedings during the week. The trial had been momentarily thrown into confusion when senators Saturday suddenly wanted to consider potential witnesses, particularly concerning Trump's actions as the mob rioted. Prolonged proceedings could have been especially damaging for Biden's new presidency, significantly delaying his emerging legislative agenda. Coming amid the searing COVID-19 crisis, the Biden White House is trying to rush pandemic relief through Congress. Jason Miller, Senior Adviser to the Trump 2020 re-election campaign, holds a list on the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 at the Capitol in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP) The nearly weeklong trial has delivered a grim and graphic narrative of the riot and its consequences in ways that senators, most of whom fled for their own safety that day, acknowledge they are still coming to grips with. House prosecutors have argued that Trumps was the "inciter in chief" stoking a months-long campaign with an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims they called the big lie that unleashed the mob. Five people died, including a rioter who was shot and a police officer. Trumps lawyers countered that Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. Five Republicans joined Democrats Saturday to vote in favor of considering witnesses at former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. (AP Graphic) The senators, announcing their votes from their desks in the very chamber the mob had ransacked, were not only jurors but also witnesses. Only by watching the graphic videos rioters calling out menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice-President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the January certification tally did senators say they began to understand just how perilously close the country came to chaos. Many senators kept their votes closely held until the final moments on Saturday, particularly the Republicans representing states where the former president remains popular. Most of them ultimately voted to acquit, doubting whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Just look at what Republicans have been forced to defend, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Look at what Republicans have chosen to forgive. In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks during closing arguments in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) The second-ranking Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, acknowledged, Its an uncomfortable vote," adding, "I dont think there was a good outcome there for anybody." In closing arguments, lead defender Michael van der Veen emphasized an argument that Republican senators also embraced: that it was all a phony impeachment show trial. Mr. Trump is innocent of the charges against him, said van der Veen. The act of incitement never happened. In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., speaks during closing arguments in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) The House impeached Trump on the sole charge of incitement of insurrection one week after the riot, but the Senate was not in full session and McConnell refused requests from Democrats to convene quickly for the trial. Within a week Biden was inaugurated, Trump was gone and Pelosi sent the article of impeachment to the Senate days later, launching the proceedings. The turmoil on Saturday came as senators wanted to hear evidence about Trump's actions during the riot, after prosecutors said he did nothing to stop it. Fresh stories overnight had focused on Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, who said in a statement that Trump had rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, returns to the chamber as the Senate voted to consider hearing from witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Several Republican senators voted to consider witnesses. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina changed his vote to join them on that 55-45 vote. But with the Senate facing a prolonged trial and the defence poised to call many more witnesses, the situation was resolved when Herrera Beutlers statement about the call was read aloud into the record for senators to consider as evidence. As part of the deal, Democrats dropped their planned deposition of the congresswoman and Republicans abandoned their threat to call their own witnesses. They also agreed to include GOP Sen. Mike Lee's time stamp of a call from Trump around the time Pence was evacuated, minutes after Trump sent a tweet critical of his vice-president. Impeachment trials are rare, senators meeting as the court of impeachment over a president only four times in the nation's history, for Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and now twice for Trump, the only one to be twice impeached. There have been no convictions. Unlike last years impeachment trial of Trump in the Ukraine affair, a complicated charge of corruption and obstruction over his attempts to have the foreign ally dig up dirt on then-campaign rival Biden, this one brought an emotional punch displayed in graphic videos of the siege that laid bare the unexpected vulnerability of the democratic system. At the same time, this year's trial carried similar warnings from the prosecutors that Trump must be held accountable because he has shown repeatedly he has no bounds. Left unchecked, he will further test the norms of civic behaviour, even now that he is out of office still commanding loyal supporters, they said. A group of Satanists erect a huge billboard in Texas saying that abortion "saves lives." With a 40-foot tall billboard that says "Abortion Saves Lives" in Texas, the Satanic Temple group is proud to share that they have two more similar billboards erected in Miami and Houston, Life Site News reported. With Joe Biden as the new president of America and Kamala Harris his second-in-command, abortion is once again front and center in politics. For Biden, it's the promise of rescinding the Mexico City Policy and allowing women the freedom of choice to use any form of birth control they see fit - even abortion. For pro-life groups, fighting for laws that protect the sanctity of life is their top priority. In the midst of it all, it seems that the devil is doing its work and working its way in every state within the nation. Now, the Satanic Temple proudly erected a huge billboard that says that the abominable act of abortion actually saves life and the Satanist group is more than proud of their accomplishment so far. For many years now, the Satanic Temple has pushed for pro-abortion laws and even said that killing a baby is a "religious ritual" that is protected by laws. Last August, the Satanist group launched a campaign saying that "Satanist Abortions Are Protected By Religious Liberty Laws." The group claimed that under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, abortions are "exempt from unnecessary regulations" since the murder of innocent babies are but "religious" practice. It is simply mind-boggling for such a group to think that a law that should protect religious liberty can also be the same law that should allow the killing of innocent babies. According to the campaign, the state must end its restrictions on legalizing abortion and that it must be allowed because the act is part of a religious ritual. Before the campaign happened, the Satanic Temple detailed their attempt to use the nation's laws on religious liberty to their advantage. Since then, the Satanist group has not stopped to perform maximum offense to Christians and pro-lifers all across the nation. This time, they commissioned a huge billboard that tells of a lie and they even misinform commuters that killing babies is allowed under religious liberty laws by saying, "Our religious abortion ritual avert many strict restrictions." Ironically, there is no mention of abortion in the Bible being a "religious" act approved by God. The Bible does not condone the act of a child sacrifice, which pagans do. In their blind defense of feticide, the Satanist group even gave the assurance that their "religious abortion rituals" does not glorify abortion but rather affirm the person, who will most likely be a woman. Lucien Greaves of the Satanic Temple explained, "What they're doing is not a violation of their deeply held beliefs, it's something affirmative for them." Greaves went on to explain that they are not into child sacrifice. "We're not doing anything of the type that would equal something even close to infant sacrifice. We're putting the safety and welfare of the pregnant person first." This is despite the billboards' blatant admission that abortion is a "ritual" for them, and their website's confession that abortion is a satanic religious practice. Desperate for publicity even if it's the bad kind, Greaves welcomes the opposition that he's getting from Christians. Having three billboards is not enough for them - they want to build more and they consider the anger and offense of the people over their iniquity a good sign for their efforts. As G.K. Chesterton famously noted, "When a man stops believing in God, he doesn't then believe in nothing, he believes anything." Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) had already approved three other Corornavirus vaccines for use in Pakistan, China's Sinopharm, Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine and Russia's Sputnik-V. Recently, China has given approval to the CanSinoBio coronavirus vaccine, making it the second Chinese vaccine to receive approval by the CCP. The Pakistani Health Minister Faisal Sultan reported yesterday i.e. February 12 reported that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has also given its approval for the vaccine. The Chinese developed Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine, having been tested for effectiveness and safety, had also been approved by Pakistan in January for emergency use. Pakistan just recently begun its vaccination programme on February 3, having received vaccines free of cost from China. Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) had already approved three other Corornavirus vaccines for use in Pakistan, Chinas Sinopharm, Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine and Russias Sputnik-V. Also read: Atmanirbhar Bharat: ISRO and MapmyIndia partner to bring India made alternative to Google Maps Also read: China tightens grip on Myanmar, might debt trap as it sees Myanmar as a land bridge to Indian Ocean However, so far, Chinese vaccines have not shown high protection rates when compared to vaccines developed by some other countries. China has also not provided any detailed study results yet. Also read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 20:14:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- This Spring Festival, millions of Chinese chose not to go back to their hometowns for family gatherings, opting instead to stay where they were for the most important holiday of the year. -- As a part of the preventative measures against COVID-19, China has encouraged people to stay locally for the Chinese New Year, inducing new changes to how people celebrate the holiday, such as the increasing use of online services and local tours. By Xinhua writers Liu Fangzhou, Wu Yanxia and Zhao Xu. BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- When firecrackers were set off to celebrate the Spring Festival, millions of Chinese chose not to go back to their hometowns for family gatherings, opting instead to stay where they were for the most important holiday of the year. As a part of the preventative measures against COVID-19, China has encouraged people to stay locally for the Chinese New Year, inducing new changes to how people celebrate the holiday, such as the increasing use of online services and local tours. STAY-LOCAL DRIVE Su Jianxiong, a postgraduate in Central South University of Forestry and Technology, central China's Hunan Province, spent his first Chinese New Year away from home. On New Year's Eve, traditionally one of the most important occasions of family reunion, Su was invited to dinner hosted by the university. He also received a gift package including masks, disinfectants, nuts and chocolates from the school. Gift packages for students who stay put during the Spring Festival are seen at the Central South University of Forestry and Technolgy in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Feb. 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Yao Yu) Su, who hails from Zhejiang Province, about 1,000 km away, chose to stay at the school to avoid potential risks of infection during the trip and spend more time preparing for his thesis. "The care and hospitality shown by the university gave me a homely feeling," Su said. Another large group responding to the stay-put call is migrant workers. A survey led by the China Association for Labor Studies showed, among over 57,000 respondents in about 480 enterprises, 75.38 percent of migrant workers chose to stay at their current enterprises or cities for the Spring Festival this year. Li Baojun, a worker in Daxing district in southern Beijing, which recently witnessed a resurgence of sporadic COVID-19 cases, decided to stay put instead of going back to his hometown in east China's Anhui Province. Migrant workers who choose to stay put during the Spring Festival gather to celebrate the festival at a construction site in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Cao Li) The Daxing district government has offered shopping coupons, phone data packages and free online reading services to migrant workers like Li. "Everything is smooth here, and my wife understands my decision of not returning home this year as it is for the sake of safety," Li said. MOVING ONLINE Ye Sifan, who works in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, decided not to return to her hometown in north China's Hebei Province. Instead, she celebrated the festival with two other colleagues by booking a table for New Year's Eve dinner through a food delivery platform. "I got a seven-course meal for 398 yuan (about 61.65 U.S. dollars), which is a decent New Year's Eve dinner," Ye said. Traditionally, the dinner is homemade or enjoyed together with families at restaurants. This year, however, a new trend with the surging popularity of semi-finished products and online offerings has been seen. Staff members from the federation of trade unions of Jiulongpo District of Chongqing distribute Spring Festival gift packs to employees who choose to stay put during the Spring Festival holiday at a company in Chongqing, southwest China, Jan. 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Chan) According to statistics from China's major online food delivery platform Ele.me in early February, the number of brands and stores offering New Year's Eve dinner sets surged by 164 percent and 260 percent, respectively, compared with the same period last year. The number of New Year's Eve dinner sets that were offered surged nearly three times compared with the figure last year. More people have also opted to shop online for the Spring Festival. China's Ministry of Commerce launched a campaign in late January to promote online shopping by offering online vouchers for the Spring Festival. In Hunan Province, online sales have exceeded 9.8 billion yuan since the launch of the campaign, up 14.7 percent year on year, according to the provincial department of commerce. TRAVELING LOCAL Ye Lusha, a Beijing resident, canceled her travel plan to the tropical city of Sanya in south China's Hainan Province this year. Yet family trips are not completely off the table. Ye's new plan is to take her parents to the Great Wall and enjoy a hot spring bath afterward. "My parents are really anticipating the trip although it's local. Against the backdrop of the epidemic, we have come to appreciate the simple things around us more than ever," Ye said. Many Chinese travel agencies have rolled out services focusing on "local trips" to meet the travel demands such as Ye's. Dai Yu, a marketing director of online travel agency Trip.com Group, said the company provides private tours that cater to those who want to travel locally in a family unit. "Through private tour using an independent vehicle as well as family dinner service on New Year's Eve, cross-infection can be avoided while ensuring quality time for the family," Dai said. When it comes to short trips, an increased preference for suburban resort hotels has been seen among customers, with most rooms in popular scenic spots booked up. A number of hotels in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, have promoted "hotel vacations" for local residents. Some also organized reading events and exhibitions in the hotel for families to enjoy together. Migrant worker Gu Benguo makes a video call with his wife at a construction site in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 7, 2021. Gu chose to stay in Beijing during the Spring Festival instead of going back to his hometown in east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) Due to the limitation on the flow of people, Beijing held online temple fairs to showcase traditional crafts and cooking skills. Starting Feb. 8, tourists can also book free tours to Beijing's parks. Tickets to the Summer Palace, a famous tourist site, have been fully booked up for the first five days of the Chinese New Year. (Xinhua correspondents Qiang Lijing, Luo Xin, Zhang Manzi and Ni Yuanjin also contributed to the story; video editor: Yang Zhixiang and Zheng Xin; video reporter: Yao Yu, Zhang Caixia, Yang Jing, Zhang Jian and Lei Jing.) Romania has the most brown bears in the European Union. But just how many bears it has depends on whom you ask, whether environmentalists, the government -- or the companies that make millions from trophy hunting. In 2016, Romania banned the trophy hunting of large carnivores, such as bears and wolves. But under successive governments, exceptions have been granted for the sake of controlling the population. Under these guidelines, almost 1,400 bears have been killed by hunters to date, who are said to be willing to pay $15,000 for a trophy. The official number of brown bears in Romania is over 6,000. But the government is not actually sure of the number, and environmental groups argue that it might be as low as 2,000. Hunting associations say the number could be as high as 10,000. "Population estimates in Romania are based on traces -- that I found traces here and that means there are so many bears. Such a thing is not right," says Cristina Lapis, who manages the Libearty Bear Sanctuary, near Zarnesti in Brasov County. "The bear, as shown by serious studies, is an animal that is very active. Now you see him here; in a few hours, he's a few kilometers away. In order to know the number of bears really seriously, we should microchip them." "Since the ban on trophy hunting, there was a push by hunters and game managers to report as many [claims] as possible," bear expert Csaba Domokos of the nature conservation NGO Milvus Group told the BBC. "There is almost no kind of management in place by authorities. We really have no idea how many bears there are." Groups that support hunting argue that bears have attacked humans and often enter inhabited areas looking for food. There are dozens of attacks every year, and two people were killed and 50 injured in 2020, according to Romania's Environment Ministry. This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing - Click to reveal Hunters can pay as much as $15,000 to track and kill a Romanian bear. "The bear population has grown a lot. It may not be good to support the hunting of these animals, but a bear is not a dog, to escape with a bite," says one man who organizes hunting parties in Prahova County. "If a bear attacks you, you will definitely be physically affected all your life." Farmers, who also complain of losing livestock to bears, are often victims, as well as hunters, fishermen, and hikers. Last month, skiers on a lift recorded video of another skier being chased down a slope by a bear. The appointment as environment minister in December of Barna Tanczos -- who referred to Romania as the "zoo of Europe" when he was a senator in 2015 and said 4,000 bears should be culled -- has raised fears among those opposed to bear hunting that it will only increase. Tanczos did not respond to queries from RFE/RL's Romanian Service regarding his current opinions about bear hunting. Agent Green, an environmental NGO, said after Tanczos' appointment: "The Environment Ministry has ended up in the hands of a hunter who dislikes bears." Tanczos's statements "show not only that he has no idea about the critical importance of this species for the ecosystem, but he makes himself part of the problem," Gabriel Paun of Agent Green told Euronews. "Romania is not a zoo. Romania is the one country in Europe that has for ages been the best place for bears." Hunting 'Not The Answer' Environmentalists point out that one reason more bears are entering inhabited areas is that illegal logging in Romania is reducing and fragmenting their habitat. Forests still cover almost one-third of the country. But Romanian authorities "manage forests, including by authorizing logging, without evaluating beforehand the impacts on protected habitats" as required under EU rules, the European Commission warned recently. Hunting is the worst solution to stop bears from endangering people, says Lapis of the Libearty Bear Sanctuary. A north shore psychiatrist and former heroin addict who blamed positive drug tests on poppyseeds he ate at restaurants has had his registration to practise medicine restored. Dr Jonathan Smithson, who had been working as a relief registrar at Royal North Shore Hospital, was suspended by the Medical Council of NSW last year after several positive drug tests. Psychiatrist Jonathan Smithson has had his ability to practise restored. The psychiatrist had a troubled history of drug use, including 17 years of opioid addiction (mostly to heroin) until 2013, and short periods of alcohol abuse and cocaine use. His drug use, as well as long-term depression and use of anti-depressants, started after his pregnant wife died by suicide in 1995. Dr Smithson was struck off the medical register in 2000 after earlier surrendering his licence. After getting clean in 2013, he applied for reinstatement and found work at RNSH in 2017. WASHINGTON - Donald Trump's lawyers delivered a relatively brief defense of the former president's conduct in his second impeachment trial Friday, accusing House Democrats of staging a politically motivated proceeding in a rebuttal that echoed Trump's misleading claims about the 2020 presidential election. The centerpiece of the Trump attorneys' case was a video that edited together one Democratic official after another using the word "fight." While meant to argue that Democrats, too, used potentially violent rhetoric, many of the comments were taken out of context, and none led to incidents of violence. Trump's lawyers used just two and a half of the 16 hours allotted to them for their defense, their brevity underscoring that at least 34 GOP senators are expected to vote to acquit the ex-president and allow him to escape the prospect of being barred from public office. Yet their presentation was rife with the sort of falsehoods that marked Trump's campaign and his unsuccessful effort to overturn the election results. Lawyers spread Trump's contention that President Joe Biden did not actually win the state of Georgia, implied that antifa and other leftists were involved in planning of the attack of the Capitol and accused Democratic House managers of withholding key evidence. As those arguments unfolded, Trump's lawyers declined to be specific on questions about Trump's own behavior while rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to block the final certification of Biden's victory over Trump, such as precisely when he found out about the violence, what he knew about Vice President Mike Pence's safety and whether he took any action to limit the insurrection. "This unprecedented effort is not about Democrats opposing political violence. It is about Democrats trying to disqualify their political opposition," said Michael van der Veen, one of Trump's defense attorneys. "It is constitutional cancel culture." Van der Veen said the House impeachment managers laid out a case that was "completely divorced from the facts." Attorney David Schoen argued that the fatal insurrection ran contrary to Trump's law-and-order message and accused Democrats of "hatred," "vitriol" and "political opportunism." And Bruce Castor Jr., the third lawyer on Trump's legal team, tried to distinguish between the physical attack on the Capitol and the former president's words to his supporters that day by noting that many aspects of the siege were preplanned. Left out of Castor's remarks was Trump's long drumbeat of accusations that the election had been rigged and that the theft needed to be reversed, including his Dec. 19 tweet encouraging his backers to come to Washington on Jan. 6 and adding: "Be there, will be wild!" "You can't incite what was already going to happen," van der Veen later added. At the same time, the defense team also raised questions about the accuracy of some parts of the House managers' arguments on Wednesday and Thursday - particularly with a video that showed Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., one of the managers, taking a Trump quote out of context during the impeachment trial. "We have reason to believe the House managers manipulated evidence and selectively edited footage," Schoen said, even as the Trump team itself displayed edited video. "If they did and this were a court of law, they would face sanctions from the judge." House officials denied that any such errors had been made. In the defense team's arguments could be heard echoes of the strategy from Trump's first impeachment trial last year, as his lawyers decried a "sham impeachment" that was a "witch hunt" against the 45th president who had antagonized Democrats from his first day in office. They ran video of multiple Democrats calling for Trump's impeachment beginning in the early days of his presidency, and lambasted the Democratic managers for failing to fully investigate the Capitol violence - while at the same time castigating them for trying to impeach a former president. But Trump's lawyers struggled to answer questions posed by senators after their argument concluded. At one point, a Trump lawyer asserted that the former president was not told that Pence's safety was at risk - contradicting public comments from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who has said he alerted Trump that day that the vice president had just been swept out of the threatened Senate chamber. The question centered on a tweet Trump sent at 2:24 p.m. that criticized Pence for declining to buckle to his pressure and refuse to certify the election. In earlier Democratic testimony, rioters were shown reading aloud the Trump tweet and screaming "Hang Mike Pence" as they assaulted the Capitol. A spokesman for Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, whose phone Trump mistakenly called thinking it was Tuberville's, said the call arrived at 2:26 p.m., just before they were evacuated. That was 13 minutes after live television coverage showed Pence being spirited from the Senate floor because rioters had made it into the building. Trump was watching news coverage of the session, according to a person familiar with the events of the day. "At no point was the president informed the vice president was in any danger," van der Veen said. "Because the House rushed through this impeachment in seven days with no evidence, there is nothing at all in the record on this point." Trump's lawyers also could not answer Friday when exactly he first learned of the Capitol breach or what specific actions he initially took to bring an end to the rioting - in response to questions from key Republican senators. "The House managers have given us absolutely" no information about that, Castor said in response to a question from Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, about Trump. He did not explain whether he had sought the information from his client. About half a dozen or so Senate Republicans are being closely watched as potential votes on conviction, including Collins and Murkowski of Alaska, as well as Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who all voted earlier this week that trying a president who is no longer in office was constitutionally sound. On Friday, Cassidy - who has been the most visibly wavering Republican senator - was spotted by a Washington Post photographer holding typed notes that appeared to be a statement explaining an acquittal vote. The senator's spokesman, Ty Bofferding, said Cassidy is "still weighing both sets of arguments and is reviewing memos from both points of view as part of his thought process before coming to a conclusion." But most GOP senators have been ardent defenders of Trump's lack of culpability even as they criticize the former president's general tone and behavior. A handful of Senate Republicans, including Ted Cruz of Texas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah, have regularly met with Trump's legal team during the trial, strategizing and advising them of Senate procedure. Key Republican senators are expected to tell vacillating GOP colleagues that they can still vote to acquit because of their lingering concerns about the unconstitutionality of the Senate trial, according to a person familiar with the plans of leading Senate Republicans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect private conversations. They are prepared to make the case that it does not matter that the Senate voted that the trial is constitutional, this person said. This is not a criminal or civil trial, they will argue - meaning that a Republican senator can take the constitutional off-ramp when voting on whether to convict. Senate Republicans who plan to acquit Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection have indicated they are likely to lean on their view that the Senate does not have the power to try a former president or that there was no explicit link between Trump's rhetoric and the riots at the Capitol. It's unclear how much the senators will embrace the other central tenet of the Trump team's argument: that Democrats had voiced similarly violent words, a message they pushed Friday with the lengthy series of selective clips of Democratic lawmakers using combative language. Among those featured in the many video splices was Biden's new secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough. In his confirmation hearing, McDonough is shown saying that "I'm a fighter, and I'm relentless" - remarks that in context were clear he meant he would fight on behalf of veterans. Trump's attorneys also showed numerous clips of Democratic senators talking about fighting, but omitting that they would battle for health-care coverage for millions of Americans or to combat climate change. "Show me any time that the result was our supporters pulled someone out of the crowd, beat the living crap out of them and then we said, 'That's great, good for you, you're a patriot,' " said Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., reacting to the footage. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., added: "I think all the repetitive video stuff is not all that effective." Even as they brushed off most of the Republican accusations that the proceedings were politically motivated, House managers promptly refuted one assertion from Trump's team: that the Democrats had withheld new evidence from the former president's defense lawyers or selectively edited tweets and videos shown during the trial. Van der Veen suggested earlier Friday that the gripping new video footage from surveillance cameras inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 had been deliberately withheld from the public and Trump's team ahead of the Senate trial. But a senior aide to the House Democratic managers said Friday that Trump's team was given the full trial record, including all video and audio, before the start of the trial, and a Trump lawyer later acknowledged receiving information days earlier. The senators' question-and-answer period, which began and concluded Friday, served essentially as a rebuttal period for House managers to respond to the Trump team's accusations. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead impeachment manager, reacted in disbelief to assertions from Trump's lawyers that the president's remarks at the Jan. 6 rally were "totally appropriate" and said the Senate must act to ensure a violent insurrection at the Capitol never recurs. "Come on, get real. We know that this is what happened," Raskin said, as he reminded senators of the series of events and rallies held by the president in the lead-up to Jan. 6. "Violence all over the rallies. The president cheering it on, delighting in it, reveling in it, exulting in it. Come on! How gullible do you think we are?" Raskin said, his voice rising. "We saw this happen. We just spent 11 or 12 hours looking at all of that." Though his aides have tried to all but ignore the historic impeachment trial of his immediate predecessor, Biden said earlier Friday that he is eager to see whether Republican senators spurn Trump on the final vote, which is now expected Saturday. "I'm just anxious to see what my Republican friends do, if they stand up," Biden told reporters on the grounds of the White House. Asked if he plans to call them, Biden said no. Later, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was saying the Senate should "take their responsibility seriously in how they view and pay attention to the trial this week" and said the president was watching "bits" of the proceedings. She declined to elaborate much further. "As the president has said, that day was an assault on our democracy," Psaki said. "And it was a reminder of why it can never happen again." - - - The Washington Post's Tom Hamburger, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner, Colby Itkowitz, Karoun Demirjian and Jabin Botsford contributed to this report. Some civil society groups have said the arrest and dehumanisation of some protesters by the police at the Lekki Tollgate during #OccupyLekkiTollGate is unacceptable. PREMIUM TIMES reported how some youth were arrested while protesting against the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to reopen the tollgate where soldiers opened fire on unarmed #EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020. Pictures and videos trending on social media show how the protesters were harassed and dehumanised. The police have since charge them to court for breaching public peace and COVID-19 protocol, amongst other allegations even as some activists alleged that the detained protesters have been denied access to lawyers. The Nigerian constitution permits peaceful protests. Simmering anger The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in a statement by its Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the video footage showing some of the arrested protesters crammed in a Black Maria and being derided by the police in scenes is reminiscent of the military era when Nigerians right to converge and free speech was trampled underfoot. We saw video footage of the shameful display of bestiality by the police. It is disheartening to know that we have descended this low as a country and a people to stifle peaceful protests. Through their repressive tactics the police have not only violated the rights of these citizens to protest but also exposed them to the coronavirus by clamping them into the poorly ventilated Black Maria. This is totally unacceptable and unimaginable. Mr Oluwafemi said: the Lekki tollgate remains a crime scene and should remain shut. This is the demand of the protesters and it is within their rights to demand this without molestation We are using this medium to demand the unequivocal release of the protesters, a probe of the response of the police to this incident and full apology by the Lagos State Government for permitting this anomaly on its soil, the group said. Another group, the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), condemned the arrest of the protesters saying that peaceful protest is a right, not a privilege. This right cannot be suppressed under the false pretext and specious argument of preventing the destruction of public and private properties. We note that this false hysteria over alleged threat to burn Lagos or cause destruction has become the default response of a supposedly democratic government and its hirelings each time citizens decide to exercise their freedom of speech and assembly, part of the statement signed by Adaramoye Michael, the National Coordinator of the group, read. This in our opinion is a sign that the Buhari APC government has morphed into a special type of dictatorship a civilian capitalist dictatorship which uses the power of the state and its private allies to suppress, dis-inform, sow tension and fear in order to keep the oppressed masses in a state of inertia and thereby unable to act to fight for their interests. We know for a fact that the thugs and hoodlums who attacked EndSARS protesters last year and destroyed public and private properties did not act on their own. Rather they were sponsored and deployed by the state in order to put a break on the EndSARS protest and force protesters to abandon the streets which they had occupied for days. So in the final analysis, it was the Lagos state government and its hirelings that burned Lago, not peaceful EndSARS protesters. Moreso, even if there were legitimate concerns about violence, this is not enough to suspend the right to protest. Arresting peaceful demonstrators has nothing at all to do with preventing violence and destruction. Notwithstanding these dictatorial antics, we shall not relent in organising and mobilising, or supporting legitimate actions, against the anti-poor policies of the Buhari capitalist government and all the equally anti-poor state governments across the country. We hereby reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of protesters. In the same vein, the former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, Austin Tam-George, in a statement personally signed by him, said the arrest of peaceful protesters is wrong, illegal and dangerous for the future of the country. Citizens must be free to assemble and peacefully protest against any public policy or government actions with which they disagree. To deny citizens this important right to protest is to reduce them to slaves. ADVERTISEMENT We cannot build a nation by locking up and clamping down on those citizens who have a different point of view. I call upon the Inspector-General of Police to direct the immediate and unconditional release of peaceful protesters in unlawful police custody. ADVERTISEMENT The Police in Osun has warned against unlawful gathering or blocking of free-flow of traffic in the state. In a statement by the police spokesperson in the state, Yemisi Opalola, the police said it had information that some unscrupulous elements were planning to start an #EndSARS solidarity protest in the state. The intelligence availed the command revealed that some unscrupulous elements are planning to embark on unlawful gathering, in solidarity with #EndSARS protesters elsewhere. The commissioner of police has advised that this unlawful plan should be jettisoned. He has warned that the command will not condone any act that will jeopardise the peace and tranquillity presently enjoyed in the state. Note also that gathering of any sort now is unlawful and a violation of COVID-19 laws. Parents and guardians should warn their children or wards to desist from any act that is capable of causing a breach of peace in the state. Be warned also that, the command will not tolerate deliberate blocking of roads to impede free-flow of human and vehicular movements, molestation of innocent members of the public and destruction of any kind. This will be resisted decisively, the police said. (NAN) HAMDAYET, Sudan The refugees were hungry and exhausted, their shoes dusty and worn from trudging for four days through the bush and forest of northwestern Ethiopia, hiding from soldiers, as they escaped the conflict in the countrys Tigray region. Finally, they made it safely to the small Sudanese border town of Hamdayet. But they had nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat. So they sat in a sandy alley close to the center of town, asking passers-by for food and water. Thats where Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, who works in a local restaurant, found them. He led them to his familys compound near the alley, and invited them to stay in an empty mud hut on the property. He told them they could stay for as long as they wanted. They are like our brothers, said Mr. Ibrahim, 64, of the group of four women and one man members of two families who were neighbors in Ethiopia. We have not given them a time limit and we cannot do that because these are people coming to us for refuge. Advertisement The Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial Saturday as the vast majority of Republicans held together against a charge that he incited the Capitol riot of January 6. After a roll call vote of the Senate, 57 senators voted to convict, with 43 senators voting to acquit. It wasn't enough to meet the two-thirds threshold set out in the Constitution. A total of seven Republicans voted to convict; two of them have announced they are retiring at the end of their terms. The group included Sen. Richard Burr, who is retiring and who previously chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee during the Russia probe, and who voted 'guilty.' It also included Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who had appeared to waver and who voted earlier that the proceeding was constitutional. Also voting 'guilty' were Republicans Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey, who is retiring. It was a bipartisan vote, but well short of the 67 votes that would have been needed to convict, a bar that many pro-impeachment lawmakers believed was out of reach even before the proceedings began. Majority Leader Sen. Charles Schumer called it the most bipartisan impeachment in American history. Each senator stood and announced their vote from their desks, in a gesture meant to show the solemnity of the occasion. Members of the MAGA mob had occupied and rifled through many of those desks during the riot, in defiance captured on video now being used against them by federal prosecutors. 'They stormed the Senate floor. They tried to hunt down the speaker of the House,' said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after the chamber had voted. 'They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the vice president. They did this because theyd been fed wild, falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth because he was angry he lost an election. Former President Trumps actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty,' said McConnell although he himself voted to acquit Trump of the charge, citing technical grounds. 'The mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners. Hanging his flags. And screaming their loyalty to him,' said McConnell. McConnell, who declined to call back the Senate into session following the House's January impeachment, also said Trump is not in the clear just yet. 'President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office,' McConnell said. 'As an ordinary citizen unless the statute of limitations has run, still liable for everything he did while he's in office. Didn't get away with anything yet. Yet,' McConnell said. He brought up the criminal justice system and civil litigation. 'Presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.' When House managers spoke after the verdict, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to walk over to the Senate and join them, unloading on McConnell for his decision. 'I dont know whether it was for donors or what but whatever it was it was a very disingenuous speech,' she fumed. She wrote off the possibility of a censure resolution, which wouldn't need to meet the same hurdle, as a 'slap on the wrist.' 'We censure people using stationary for the wrong purpose. We dont censure people for inciting insurrection that kills people in the Capitol,' she said. 'He is hereby acquitted of the charge in said article,' said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont after the votes were cast. It was an outcome that was expected but nevertheless disappointed Democrats, who made Trump both the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to be acquitted twice. Democratic House managers who brought the charge could at least claim that the former president suffered a bipartisan rebuke with a majority voting to convict him on the single charge of 'incitement of insurrection.' Reaching the required two-thirds supermajority established in the Constitution was already a high hurdle in a chamber that had shown consistent deference to Trump while he was in office. It continued after Trump left office, even as managers sought to confront them with the existential threat the riot posed to the Capitol and the democracy as well as their own personal safety. Minutes after the Senate voted, Trump issued a statement attacking Democrats from his office at Mar-a-Lago. 'It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree,' he said. 'I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate,' said Trump. Each of the seven Republicans to vote to convicted provided their own reasons. Murkowski is the only one to face voters in 2022. Cassidy, of Louisiana, was the most succinct: 'Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty,' he said. 'They could have killed us all' 'Things could have been much worse,' Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island said earlier in the trial. 'As one senator said, they could have killed all of us.' But appeals to the senators' own lives weren't sufficient in a chamber that went along with Trump through four tumultuous years, only breaking with him to override a veto of a popular defense bill after he had already lost the November election. New information that unfolded even as the trial went forward also did not move the needle. The presentation featured 11th hour claims about what Trump told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy even as the riot was underway. Trump's lawyers stipulated to the information, and it was allowed into the record. Democrats also played jarring footage of Vice President Mike Pence being rushed out of the room where he was being secured as the mob was taking the building. The noted repeatedly that Trump never called Pence to check on his safety, and noted that Trump sent out a tweet pressuring Pence and saying he lacked 'courage' even after the riot was underway. (Video footage they played repeatedly showed members of the MAGA mob shouting to 'hang' Pence.) For Democrats, it was an improvement over the first impeachment, when a single Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted for an impeachment charge over Trump's effort to pressure the government of Ukraine for dirt on his political opponent, Joe Biden. That trial, held when the Senate was under GOP control, famously called no witnesses about the Ukraine affair, even with former national security advisor John Bolton finally ready to talk. It call in a week-long trial that culminated with an angry attack by President Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen, who called impeachment a 'complete charade from beginning to end.' Channeling Trump, he said the entire spectacle 'was nothing but the pursuit of a longstanding political vendetta against Mr. Trump by the opposition party.' FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S STATEMENT AFTER BEING ACQUITTED BY THE SENATE I want to first thank my team of dedicated lawyers and others for their tireless work upholding justice and defending truth. My deepest thanks as well to all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country. Our cherished Constitutional Republic was founded on the impartial rule of law, the indispensable safeguard for our liberties, our rights and our freedoms. It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree. I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate. This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago. I also want to convey my gratitude to the millions of decent, hardworking, law-abiding, God-and-Country loving citizens who have bravely supported these important principles in these very difficult and challenging times. Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it! We have so much work ahead of us, and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant, and limitless American future. Together there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We remain one People, one family, and one glorious nation under God, and its our responsibility to preserve this magnificent inheritance for our children and for generations of Americans to come. May God bless all of you, and may God forever bless the United States of America. Advertisement Deal to avoid witness testimony But Democrats on Saturday appeared to walk away from an opportunity to extend the trial further. After prevailing on a vote to allow witnesses, they reached a deal with Republicans and Trump's team to allow for a stipulation regarding new evidence about Trump's McCarthy call. They gave up the chance to try to pry away new damaging information on Trump's conduct, in a forum where they weren't likely to prevail anyway, and with the 100-day agenda of President Joe Biden potentially at risk. The quick conclusion to a trial that only began Tuesday came despite last minute drama Saturday that raised the potential it could go in an entirely different direction turning into an extended fact-finding endeavor that could stretch an additional two weeks. Following the jolt of tension, Democrats got the evidence, which provides a window into Trump's conduct while the Capitol riot was underway although it was not expected to change the vote breakdown in a meaningful way or take the trial in a new direction. Drama as Raskin calls for the chance to hear from witnesses House Manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland stunned senators Saturday morning when he spoke on the need for hearing from Herrera Beutler, a Republican from Washington state, on what she says McCarthy told her about the call even as the MAGA mob was rampaging through the Capitol. It was the second major development of the day, after Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell revealed he would vote to acquit the former president, while sharing his procedural reasons. Herrera Beutler says Trump told McCarthy: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Democratic managers could use the statement to argue that Trump inflamed the riot rather than trying to stop it. But Raskin's request threatened to blow up the trial schedule, potentially dragging it out for weeks, especially after Trump's legal team threatened to call more than 300 witnesses. That evidently was an outcome neither side was willing to stomach, for different reasons. After a break, both Trump's lawyer and Raskin agreed to a 'stipulation' of the evidence, which Raskin then read into the trial record. Trump lawyer Bruce Castor said Trump through his lawyers was prepared to stipulate that Rep. Herrera Beutler, were she to testify under oath, it would be consistent with her Feb. 12th statement, which Raskin then read. The agreement then allowed the trial to move on past the witness phase - meaning none will be called. It was a swift conclusion to the matter only hours after House managers moved to call Rep. Herrera Beutler for testimony about her stunning claims about what Trump said his supporters were ransacking the Capitol. With the evidence in the record and in hand and with neither side demanding more witnesses Raskin immediately pounced on the new information, saying Trump took actions that 'further incited the insurgents to be more inflamed and to take even more extreme selective and focused action against Vice President Mike Pence.' Raskin read Trump's quote from Herrera Beutler's notes to McCarthy aloud again. 'Think about that for a second. This uncontradicted statement that has just been stipulated as part of the evidentiary record. The president said, 'Well, I guess these people' - meaning the mobsters, the insurrectionists - 'are more upset about the election than you.' That conduct is obviously part of the constitutional offense that he was impeached for, namely incitement to insurrection, that is continuing incitement to the insurrection,' he said. He said it provided 'further decisive evidence of his intent to incite the insurrection in the first place.' Another manager, Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, repeated the quote in his own arguments afterward. He said Trump 'was essentially saying: You got what you deserve.' 'His sole focus was stealing the election for himself,' said Cicilline. Cicilline said two things during closing remarks that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote "Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,"' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. Van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. Republican senators voting to convict former President Trump of incitement of insurrection Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.) Bill Cassidy (La.) Mitt Romney (Utah) Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) Susan Collins (Maine) Ben Sasse (Neb.) Pat Toomey (Pa.) Advertisement 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, "I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,"' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. 'Mr. President moments ago, House manager Cicilline,' Lee got up and said. Leahy interrupted him and told Lee, 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. When Lee previously objected it was because the Utah senator never divulged the contents of the call. Tuberville has not confirmed news reports that said Trump pressured him on the phone to object to more states Electoral College vote counts. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying Saturdays proceedings. Trump team's defense Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen ended the ex-president's defense at Saturday's Senate impeachment trial with an incendiary laundry list of grievances, even accusing Democrats of inspiring the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6. 'Many of the people who infiltrated the Capitol took pictures of themselves and posted them on social media,' van der Veen pointed out. 'To some, it seems, they thought it was all a game. They apparently believe that violent mobs, destruction of property, rioting, assaulting police and vandalizing historic treasures was somehow now acceptable in the United States.' 'Where might they have gotten that idea?' the Trump lawyer mused. 'I would suggest to you that it was not from Mr. Trump.' While House impeachment managers had spent hours this week trying to pin the blame on Trump, van der Veen ended the trial by arguing it was their party, their allies and the media that was really responsible for the insurrection. 'I submit to you that it was month after month of political leaders and media personalities, bloodthirsty for ratings, glorifying civil unrest and condemning the reasonable law enforcement measures that are required to quell violent mobs,' van der Veen said. Clash over witness bombshell The earlier vote on witnesses before a deal was made prevailed on a procedural vote with five Republicans voting to hear from the Republican lawmakers. Among them were four Republican senators who had voted that the trial itself was constitutional Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump loyalist who changed his vote to back the move. For hours Saturday move threw the trial's schedule into doubt, with some lawmakers having earlier predicted it would wrap up Saturday. For a time, it reframed what had appeared to be the culmination of the impeachment trial, with the schedule and lawmakers plans to go home thrown into chaos and Joe Biden's legislative agenda being caught up in the confusion. Trump advisor Jason Miller soon brandished a list of 301 witnesses 'so far' that the president's team threatened to call, and a list that includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, said on the Senate floor Saturday he wanted to depose Rep. Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) as well as her contemporaneous notes about what she knows. He said there was overwhelming evidence of Trump's 'dereliction of duty.' Rep. Herrera Beutler says McCarthy told her about the contents of her tense phone conversation with Trump on Jan. 6. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland moved to be able to depose Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler after she reiterated comments about what she says House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about his conversation with President Donald Trump Raskin said the deposition could take place on Zoom and would take only an hour. His request drew an immediate explosive response from Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen. 'If they want to have witnesses, I'm going to need at least 100 depositions. Not just one,' he fumed threatening to drag out the trial that senators were forced to view in silence for nearly a week. Then he raised the stakes even further. Rep. Raskin put the witness question to a vote after Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler issued a statement about her conversation with Rep. Kevin McCarthy The move to subpoena witnesses and documents got 5 Republican votes Michael van der Veen, attorney for former President Donald Trump, bristled at the Democratic request for witnesses. 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' he said House impeachment manager Delegate Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., center, walks through the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate on the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 in Washington Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voted for Raskin's witness motion, then got in a clash with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin 'Nancy Pelosi's deposition needs to be taken. Vice President Harris' deposition, absolutely, needs to be taken. None of these depositions should be done by zoom. We didn't' do this hearing by Zoom,' said Van der Veen. 'These depositions should be done in person in my office in Philadelphia. That's where they should be done!' 'That's where they should be done. I need to do the 911-style investigation that Nancy Pelosi called for,' he said. His Philadelphia comment brought audible laughter inside the chamber. 'I don't know why you're laughing,' said van der Veen, whose Philadelphia firm touts numerous awards he has won to victims of automobile accidents. He said that's how depositions are done in civil proceedings. 'I haven't laughed at any of you. And there's nothing laughable here,' he scolded senators. 'Now is the time to end this,' he argued. After a series of angry statements by the Trump lawyer, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, presiding, cautioned senators to refrain from statements 'non-conducive to civil discourse.' READ THE FULL ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT Advertisement 'Do not handcuff me by limiting the numbers of witnesses that I can have. I need to do a thorough investigation that they did not do,' Van der Veen fumed. Raskin responded to information that emerged Friday night about Herrera Beutler's claims. She said it reinforced 'the President's willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander in chief of the United States, his state of mind and his further incitement of the insurrection on January 6.' 'For that reason, and because this is the proper time to do so under the resolution of that the Senate adopted to set the rules for the trial, we would like the opportunity to subpoena Congresswoman Herrera regarding her communications with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. It's is a subpoena for contemporaneous notes that she made regarding what President Trump told Kevin McCarthy in the middle of the insurrection,' he said. He said the deposition would be an hour 'or less' just as soon as the lawmaker is available, and that managers would then proceed to the next phase of the trial, including the introduction of that testimony shortly thereafter. But he raised the possibility of more witnesses for the prosecution. 'Congresswoman Beutler further states that she hopes other witnesses to this part of the story, other patriots as she put it would come forward and if that happens, we would seek the opportunity to take their depositions via zoom also for less than an hour or two subpoena other relevant documents as well,' said Raskin. But not all senators were entirely sure what they were voting about, with Sen. Todd Young of Alaska asking in mid vote what was the substance. After the drama on the floor, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson complained about the sudden turn after being spotted having an angry clash with Sen. Mitt Romney inside the chamber. 'It's not healing it's not, it's not unifying it's just like opening up a wound and just rubbing salt in it and I thought we were going come to a conclusion here today and it was rip the wound back open, let's let's rub more salt in it,' he complained. He also claimed the public hearing he organized as chairman on claims of election irregularities being pushed by President Trump was done to 'defuse' the situation. As senators worked to reassemble a way forward, Graham tweeted that it was better to go to a final vote but 'if the body wants witnesses, I am going to insist we have multiple witnesses.' He said it was best to start with Pelosi to see 'as to whether or not there was credible evidence of pre-planned violence before President Trump spoke?' He said it was 'incredibly relevant' to the incitement charge. Sparks flew several more times throughout closing arguments after both sides agreed to move on without witnesses. Cicilline said two things during his turn that got the attention of Trump's attorney and Sen. Mike Lee, who had previously objected to how the Rhode Island Democrat contextualized the phone call between Trump and Tuberville, which came through on Lee's phone. 'According to the facts revealed last night, the vice president's team does not agree with the president's counsel's assessment either, the report says and I quote "Pence's team does not agree with the Trump lawyer's assessment that Trump was concerned about Pence's safety,"' Cicilline said on the Senate floor. He was citing a tweet from Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey. 'Trump didn't call that day or for five days after that. No one else on Trump's team called when Pence was evacuated to one room and another, the screaming mob nearby,' Cicilline said, again quoting Dawsey. van der Veen jumped up to point out Democrats weren't allowed to include new evidence during closing arguments. 'New evidence is not permitted in closing arguments - references to new evidence will be stricken,' Leahy, who is chairing the proceedings, later said. Cicilline again walked the chamber through the timeline of when Trump might have known Pence was in danger and included the new information that the president's call to Tuberville on Lee's phone came after Trump had tweeted negatively about the vice president. 'Remember, by this phone call the vice president has just been evacuated on live television for his own safety and Donald Trump, after that, tweeted an attack on him, which the insurgents read on a bullhorn,' Cicilline said. 'And a few minutes after Donald Trump's tweet, he didn't reach out to check on the vice president's safety, he called [Tuberville] to ask about delaying the certification.' 'The call got interrupted, Sen. Tuberville has since explained, I quote, "I looked at the phone, it said the White House on it, I said hello, the president said a few words, I said Mr. President they're taking the vice president out, they want me to get off the phone and I've got to go,"' Cicilline said. Lee, again, objected to what Cicilline said, after the impeachment manager had finished his presentation. 'Mr. President moments ago, House manager Cicilline,' Lee got up and said. Leahy told him that 'debate is not in order.' 'Debate is not in order? This is not debate, he said something that's not true,' Lee complained. Lee pulled his objection after the Senate spent several minutes doing a quorum call, further delaying the proceeding. First thing Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republicans that he planned to vote to acquit Trump on charges incitement of insurrection a signal that the House-led effort to convict the former president would fail. 'While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction,' McConnell said in the letter. Although he had denounced Trump's actions in an emotional Senate floor speech immediately after the Jan. 6 MAGA riot in the Capitol, McConnell also did not act to hasten the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office. He voted along with 44 other Republicans that the post-presidency impeachment was unconstitutional a position that did not prevail. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives at the US Capitol for the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump, on February 13, 2021, in Washington, DC. He told colleagues he will vote to acquit Trump The drama unfolded after it was revealed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told colleagues he plans to vote to acquit Trump House Democratic managers brought up numerous Trump administration officials who quit following the riot among them McConnell's wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. McConnell's decision makes it likely that only a handful of Republicans cross over to join Democrats voting to convict. With two-thirds of the Senate required, this raises the likelihood that Trump would be impeached and acquitted twice. There was a last minute wrinkle Friday night, however. CNN reported Friday that Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy engaged in an expletive-laced shouting match during the riot, with the California Republican begging the president to rein in his supporters. 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call by McCarthy. GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted for Trump's impeachment and who spoke on the record about what McCarthy told her, pleaded with 'patriots' to go public with their own accounts. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' she said. 'To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening, or even to the former vice president: if you have something to add here, now would be the time,' Jaime Herrera Beutler said. F-word call: Kevin McCarthy pleaded with Donald Trump to call off his mob on January 6, and when Trump said 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,' responded: 'Who the f**k do you think you're speaking to?' 'When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol,' Herrera Beutler recounted. 'McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.' Other sources told CNN that McCarthy replied to Trump: 'Who the f**k do you think you are talking to?' and that McCarthy had phoned Trump because the MAGA mob were smashing the windows in his office. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called for the suspension of the trial in order to depose GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville and McCarthy about their conversations with the former president during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and one of the 100 jurors in the trial, issued the call in a tweet late on Friday, one day before the trial was expected to conclude in an acquittal. 'Tomorrow just got a lot more interesting,' Whitehouse wrote, referring to reports that McCarthy lambasted Trump in an expletive-laden diatribe telling him to call off his mob of loyalists, and following Tuberville's admission that he told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate. Crazy Rich Asians star Chris Pang achieved international fame when he was cast as Colin Khoo in the 2018 movie adaptation of novel Crazy Rich Asians. The Australian-born actor, who is now based in Los Angeles, said that Asian men are now 'absolutely' being portrayed as hunks in Hollywood, after years of being 'desexualised', in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday. Chris, 36, also recalled how director Jon Chu was 'conscious' of ensuring there were topless scenes in Crazy Rich Asians, in order to help change the stereotype. Changing the stereotype: Crazy Rich Asians star Chris Pang (pictured in the 2018 film) said Asian men are now being portrayed as hunks in Hollywood, after years of being 'emasculated and desexualised', in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday When the Sydney Morning Herald's Benjamin Law noted how Asian men as 'hunks' in Western cinema has become a 'relatively new thing', Chris was quick to agree. 'Absolutely. Asian males have traditionally been emasculated and desexualised in popular culture,' Chris said. Chris also explained how Crazy Rich Asians director Jon Chu made a conscious effort in helping to change the stereotype in the film. 'Jon Chu, the director of Crazy Rich Asians, was very conscious of it. He made sure we had scenes where we were topless,' he said. Comments: When the publication noted how Asian men as 'hunks' in Western cinema has become a 'relatively new thing', Chris, 36, was quick to agree: 'Absolutely. Asian males have traditionally been emasculated and desexualised in popular culture' Topless stars: The Australian-born actor also explained how Crazy Rich Asians director Jon Chu made a conscious effort in helping to change the stereotype in the film: '[Jon] made sure we had scenes where we were topless'. Chris is pictured with co-star Henry Golding (right) 'We held onto a shot of Pierre Png walking out of the shower a fraction longer than we needed to. That film, along with a lot of other projects, started to really change the stereotype,' Chris added. Chris is fast becoming one of Australia's hottest acting exports, with his breakout role in Crazy Rich Asians and an appearance in 2019's Charlie's Angels reboot. In an interview with GQ Australia in December 2019, Chris recalled being starstruck when filming a scene for Charlie's Angels with none other than Sir Patrick Stewart. 'I got to film a scene with Patrick Stewart. Sir Patrick Stewart,' he gushed. 'It was like having an out-of-body experience until he put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye after the director yelled 'cut' and said, 'You nailed it'. Professor X and Captain Picard told me I nailed it,' Chris continued. Programme Management Officer, Geneva, Switzerland Organization: United Nations Environment Programme Country: Switzerland City: Geneva, Switzerland Office: UNEP Geneva Grade: P-3 Closing date: Tuesday, 16 March 2021 Posting Title: PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT OFFICER, P3 Job Code Title: PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT OFFICER Department/Office: United Nations Environment Programme Duty Station: GENEVA Posting Period: 31 January 2021 - 16 March 2021 Job Opening Number: 21-Programme Management-UNEP-148175-R-Geneva (X) United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity Organisational Setting and Reporting The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEPs Ecosystem Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This position is located in Ecosystem Services Economics Unit (ESEU), Biodiversity and Land Branch (BLB), Ecosystem Division, at the Geneva duty station. Under the general supervision of the Biodiversity and Land Branch Coordinator and direct supervision of Chief, Ecosystem Services Economics Unit, the Programme Management Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Responsibilities Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB): Promoting a sustainable agriculture and food sector; monitors and analyzes project development and implementation; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and tracks follow-up actions. Performs consulting assignments, in collaboration with the client (namely Governments and Corporations), by planning facilitating workshops, through other interactive sessions and assisting in developing the action plan the client will use to manage the change. Researches, analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources. Assists in policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or other research activities and studies. Tags advisory services biodiversity data collection economies in transition ecosystem services environmental management environmental policy financial statements gender perspective human rights humanitarian law programme management sustainable agriculture sustainable development young professionals Undertakes survey initiatives; designs data collection tools; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions. Prepares various written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications such as TEEB for Agriculture and Food implementation guidelines Provides substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc. Undertakes outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on the TEEB Approach, and on mainstreaming results of ecosystem service modeling, including via geospatial platforms. Participates in or lead field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries. Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget). Performs other related duties as required. Competencies PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge and understanding of international waters issues and discussions, knowledge and understanding of environmental and resource status of various international waters; practical experience in programme/project management and oversight; good analytical and problem-solving skills, including ability to identify and participate in the resolution of issues/problems; ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given; ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. CLIENT ORIENATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. TEAMWORK: Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relationship in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity, including gender balance. Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Education Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in Economics or a related discipline is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Work Experience A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management, administration or related area is required. Work experience in ecosystem service valuation and biophysical modelling in developing countries is desirable. Experience in the UN system or similar organization is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of Spanish is an asset. NOTE: "Fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of "confident" in two of the four areas. Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment which will be followed by a competency-based interview. Special Notice Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. The United Nations is Secretariat and is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for these positions. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. "Internal Applicants: When completing the form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you." Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/ Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher, temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission; your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link. United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term "sexual exploitation" means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term "sexual abuse" means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrators working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on "Manuals" hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. . Egypts foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said on Friday that Egypt and the US enjoy a four-decade-old strategic relationship, adding that Cairo deals in a pragmatic manner with all US administrations -- despite occasional differences in viewpoints -- based on mutual interests Egypt needs to explore the stances of the new US administration under President Joe Biden on regional issues to be able to assess the degree of Egyptian-American consensus, Shoukry said in a telephone interview with El-Hekaya show on MBC Masr. "The new US administration has not yet revealed its positions in respect of many regional issues and we have to explore them, the Egyptian foreign minister said. When it does, Egypt can then determine to what extent there is a consensus or consistency in the positions of the two countries. Asked whether the foreign ministry had concerns towards the Biden administration, Shoukry stressed there is certainly no room for any concerns and no room for any optimism, since "it all depends on the normal and practical management of bilateral relations." Shoukry affirmed that Egypt currently maintains contact with the US through the formers embassy in Washington, the Department of State and the White House National Security Council. "Over the past four decades, (Egypt-US relations) have been strong, strategic, and have had many fields of cooperation and common gains, Shoukry said. The US is a superpower with both political and economic capabilities that make it important (for Egypt) to deal with it and find out mutual interests, he added. Bilateral relations have persisted regardless of the ruling party in Washington and despite some different viewpoints both countries shared over the past decades, Shoukry said. The relations have continued, whether the administration is republican or democratic. This succession over the past 40 years has made us deal with different administrations that held different viewpoints. We always had in-depth dialogue with them, as well as points of consensus and points of difference. He added that the difference in views eventually found a point of consensus. On many occasions, the Egyptian point of view is correct, and the American point of view is correct, and we assess the matter eventually according to events and results, Shoukry noted. The Egyptian foreign minister discussed various foreign policy issues in his telephone interview, including reconciliation with Qatar, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Libya, the Palestinian cause and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. On Qatar, Shoukry said Cairo and Doha would review, through bilateral committees, the steps they would take to activate the commitments stated in the Al-Ula reconciliation agreement signed in Saudi Arabia. We are in the process of setting a date for these bilateral committees meetings, Shoukry said, adding that there will be a review of all the existing commitments imposed on the two parties, and also an assessment of the extent to which these pledges have been observed." Asked about a semi-aggressive tone by some Qatari media outlets against the Egyptian state, Shoukry said Egypt monitors and documents all what is released by the media outlets in Qatar and that these issues will be included in the review. On the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Shoukry voiced his disapproval of Turkeys condemnation of the Egyptian-Greek-Cypriot cooperation. He reiterated that the three countries have affirmed that their meeting in Athens last week aimed at furthering cooperation and did not negatively target any party. In fact, it is strange to see this type of reaction [from Turkey] unless one concludes Turkish policies are based on a negative attitude, Shoukry said, adding we have not given any weight [to the Turkish reaction] or paid any attention to it. On the Libyan conflict, Shoukry expressed Egypts hope that a new Libyan government will be formed within the agreed upon timeframe and that national elections will be held on 24 December as planned. Shoukry affirmed that the new interim government in Libya has an obligation to honour that date in order for the Libyan people to express their will and elect their representatives. The foreign minister said he also expects full respect of the Egyptian national security through thwarting any threat to the Egyptian western border coming from the Libyan territories. Shoukry stressed Egypts commitment to the efforts to reach a binding legal agreement in the dispute over the filling and operation of the GERD in a way that fairly takes into consideration the interests of the three countries. We have put ourselves in the place of the Ethiopian side; we seek to achieve its interests in terms of generating electricity as long as it takes into account our interests in preserving the water coming to Egypt and Sudan and managing the dam in a safe way that does not result in any harm to the brothers in Sudan, Shoukry stated. Shoukry expressed hope that Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, whose country chairs the African Union (AU) this year, will resume the GERD talks under the auspices of the AU. He added that Egypt looks forward to furthering coordination with the Sudanese side on ways to resolve the GERD dispute, especially in light of the formation of the new Sudanese Cabinet. Rounds of talks among the three concerned countries in the GERD issue have ended in deadlock, with Sudan dismissing the way talks are currently held as unproductive and with Egypt blaming the stalemate on Ethiopias intransigence. Ethiopia frequently affirmed that it would implement the second phase of filling the massive dam under any circumstances, although the parties have not yet reached a binding legal agreement and despite Sudans warning of disastrous implications that may occur without having a deal. During the interview, Shoukry highlighted the stance of the new US administration on the Palestinian cause, which considers the two-state solution the way to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He added that the international community represented in the European Union, the US, China, and Russia all consider the two-state solution the realistic solution to the Palestinian issue. The US and European remarks all endorse the two-state solution, as it is the way that leads to the end of the conflict, achieves the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and establishes its state, Shoukry stated. This comes a few days after Egypt hosted an emergency Arab League meeting with Arab foreign ministers to discuss ways to support the Palestinian cause. It also brokered a reconciliation dialogue among rival Palestinian factions. Short link: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Opponents of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) feel they need to hold her accountable a little over a month since she took office. A group of residents in the district founded NICPAC, short for the Nicole is Complicit Political Action Committee, on Jan. 26, 20 days after supporters of former President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, and Malliotakis voted against the certification of votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania. It was a collective effort by a bipartisan group of residents of (Malliotakis) district, Jon Yedin, one of the organizations founders said. Were just completely disgusted by what took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Yedin, a former staffer for City Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge), repeatedly mentioned the bipartisan nature of NICPAC during a Thursday interview with the Advance/SILive.com, but its unclear how many conservative-leaning residents of the district are actually involved. On the committees website, those wishing to donate need to do so through ActBlue, an organization that provides a tool it describes as a powerful online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, progressive organizations, and nonprofits. NICPAC also lists Nick Popolo as its treasurer on filings with the Federal Election Commission. In the past, Popolo, of Annadalde, has worked as a treasurer on Staten Island Democratic campaigns in the past. On Friday, a self-identified Republican who declined to give her full name called the Advance/SILive.com using a blocked number, and spoke about her participation in the organization. She said she lives near Silver Lake Park, and that she usually votes down-the-line for Republicans despite not typically participating in political organizations. The events of Jan. 6, particularly the violence against police officers, and Malliotakis response were why the caller said she wanted to get involved with NICPAC. I voted for Nicole and I was just really sort of disturbed and concerned that this person who was my law-and-order candidate was ok with all this stuff that went on, she said. During the attack on the Capitol, Malliotakis did speak out against the actions of President Trumps supporters. My staff and I are safe and have been brought to a secure location by the Capitol Police. Everyone who is responsible for this violence and lawlessness must stop. This is absolutely unnacceptable and un-American. Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) January 6, 2021 The organization has already published two YouTube videos criticizing the freshman congresswomans time in office -- she was just sworn in Jan. 3 after defeating former Rep. Max Rose in November -- and Yedin said they hope to raise funds to campaign against Malliotakis. Everythings on the table, he said. We are committed to informing the public about her positions on things and making sure were there to hold her accountable. Yedin suggested that the organization helped influence Mallitoakis vote in favor of removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) from House committee assignments. When asked about Yedins assertion, Malliotakis did not answer a request for comment, but blamed Greenes conspiratorial and offensive comments before taking office for why she cast a vote against her. Malliotakis, who received criticism for her votes against electoral certification and questioning of the results of the November presidential election, hit back at NICPAC on Thursday. She used her response to attack politicians on the other side of the aisle not involved with the organization. Just like the far-left groups sending me hate mail, those who protested outside my s and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her misguided squad, this group is targeting me because I stand with President Trump and am the only conservative voice our city has in Washington, she said. I wont be intimidated, and I wont be silenced. I will continue to fight against socialism and Nancy Pelosis destructive policies, and for the hardworking taxpayers who elected me. Students at DkIT have yet to receive their semester one results due to an industrial dispute at the Institute. DkIt students are 'caught in the middle' of an ongoing dispute between staff and senior management, which could see exam results not being delivered this month, the Argus has learned. The TUI (Teachers Union of Ireland) branch have confirmed that their members are engaged in industrial action as a result of what they see as management's 'failure to honour' a 2019 agreement lodged with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). DkIT management have stated that the welfare of students 'remains the utmost priority' and say every effort is being made to ensure further disruption can be avoided. The current situation for students is that they are now faced with the prospect of their results from last semester's exams, or end of semester assessments, not being delivered as a result of the industrial action. 'It is absolutely shambolic for students,' says Taidgh Kavanagh, SU President. 'Students have already had what is probably the worst year of college life that they possibly could. We have first years who haven't even had a chance to come on campus yet. There are others who have lost family members,and many who have lost jobs and Erasmus opportunities. They really have been impacted by COVID-19. The last thing they need now is more uncertainty.' Expand Close Taidgh Kavanagh, DkIT SU President. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taidgh Kavanagh, DkIT SU President. He said the ongoing dispute between the TUI (Teachers Union of Ireland) members and management at DkIT is now threatening students ability to access their exam results this month. 'It is vital for all students that they get their results, and for final year students this is particularly important. You need your results to know where you stand. For our international students too, who are paying so much for their education here, this is simply not good enough.' 'While we stand in solidarity with our lecturers, represented by the TUI, in their push for DkIT to achieve Technological status, we are alarmed at the uncertainty around the issuing of our exam results.' He added: 'It has to be recognised that students are the most important part of college. But it seems to us that sometimes the people that run and govern this Institute forget why it is here. We, the students are the main stakeholder. We demand that whatever needs to be done to fix this mess is done.' The Students Union President said that they have been told the results debacle is 'an operational matter'. 'We insist and demand that the President does whatever is necessary to resolve this dispute.' Kenneth Sloane, chair of DkIT's TUI branch explained the background to the industrial action. 'DkIT's Executive signed an agreement in November 2019 that was lodged with The Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). It committed the Institute Executive to immediate action on a number of issues including improving the functioning of management bodies and the commencement of talks with other Institutes of Technology with the view to swiftly identifying a preferred partner with whom to pursue Technological University status.' 'To date the DkIT Executive has failed to honour the commitments made in this agreement.' He added: 'While subsequent industrial action has forced some progress on the Technological University issue, senior Management bodies remain dysfunctional due to the DkIT President's refusal to permit Senior Managers to table items for discussion or permit the open discussion and recording of different opinions. Consequently major items of concern to Senior Managers have gone undiscussed and unaddressed and subsequently impacted negatively on DkIT strategic and operational functions.' The chair added: 'TUI has engaged in lengthy negotiations with the DkIT Executive in a process facilitated by the WRC to develop an agreed Terms of Reference that would restore the functioning of management bodies in accordance with good Governance best practice, however in December 2020 the WRC concluded that there was no basis to continue these discussions due to the DkIT Executive's unwillingness to reach a compromise on these basic issues. Therefore. regrettably. the TUI has had to reimpose industrial action due to failure of management to fulfill its commitment made in the November 2019 agreement. The action has not disrupted the delivery of lessons and has been specifically calibrated to have a minimal impact on students day to day learning. The action can also be swiftly reversed should the DkIT Executive agree to return to talks at the WRC. The TUI has communicated to the DkIT Executive and the WRC our willingness to return to and continue talks. We have not to date received a response from DkIT's Executive indicating they are willing to return to negotiations. The current industrial action could be lifted swiftly should the DkIT's Executive agree to return to talks.' In response, Institute management say they 'currently seeking swift and appropriate resolution to industrial action by the Dundalk Branch of the TUI.' In a statement, management said: 'The Institute will continue to endeavour, as it has done since notification of this industrial action was issued, to reach a suitable pathway forward that will recognise the rights and interests of the parties concerned. All staff at DkIT remain committed to ensuring the continuation of teaching and learning and all other associated services at this challenging time. The welfare of students remains the utmost priority and every effort is being made to ensure further disruption can be avoided. It is highly regrettable that there has been a delay in some students receiving their winter examination results as result of this action. We are working with all parties to find prompt resolution and expect students to receive their results shortly and via the normal channels.' Louth TD Ruairi O Murchu has called for all those involved in current situation at DkIT, to 'find a resolution as soon as possible'. He said: 'There have been ongoing problems with college management, lecturers and students, over the Technological University status and the process for attaining it. Presently the TUI are engaged in industrial action. The consequence of it all has manifested in students not receiving results'. The Dundalk deputy says he has been in touch with stakeholders at the college. 'I welcome the response on Friday on behalf of DkIT which stated they hope for a speedy resolution. Students not getting their results, as expected, doesn't help anyone at what is a difficult time for everyone, while I accept that there are ongoing problems behind it. 'I will continue to engage with Minister for Higher Education Simon and stakeholders in trying to find a solution to the TU status situation at DkIT.' Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. RTHK: Draghi sworn in as Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, was sworn in as prime minister on Saturday to lead a unity government that has to steer Italy out of the coronavirus crisis and an economic slump. All but one of Italy's major parties have rallied to his side and his cabinet includes lawmakers from across the political spectrum, as well as technocrats in key posts, including the finance ministry and a new green transition portfolio. Much now rests on Draghi's shoulders. He is tasked with plotting Italy's recovery from the pandemic and must immediately set to work on plans for how to spend more than 200 billion euros ($240 billion) in European Union funding aimed at rebuilding the recession-bound economy. If he prevails, Draghi will likely bolster the entire eurozone, which has long fretted over Italy's perennial problems. Success would also prove to Rome's sceptical northern allies that by offering funds to the poorer south, the entire bloc can be fortified. "Your experience will be an exceptional asset for Italy and Europe as a whole, especially in these difficult times," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter, one of numerous leaders to send their best wishes. Italy is mired in its worst downturn since World War Two, hundreds of people are still dying of COVID-19 each day, the vaccination campaign is going slowly and he only has limited time to sort things out. Italy is due to return to the polls in two years time, but it is far from certain that Draghi will be able to survive that long at the head of a coalition that includes parties with radically opposing views on issues such as immigration, justice, infrastructure development and welfare. Highlighting the political instability, Draghi's government is the 67th to take office since 1946 and the seventh in the last decade alone. Italy's President Sergio Mattarella asked him to take over after the previous coalition collapsed amid party infighting. Draghi has spent the past 10 days drawing up his plans and unveiled on Friday his 23-strong cabinet, which included eight women. The ministers, all wearing face masks, were sworn in one-by-one in a frescoed room in the Quirinal Palace before heading over to government headquarters for their first cabinet meeting. Draghi told them their priority was "to safeguard the country" and urged them to lay aside their rivalries and work as one, ANSA newsagency reported. Eight of the ministries went to technocrats, with the rest split amongst the six main parties that back the government -- four for the 5-Star Movement, the largest group in parliament, three each for the Democratic Party, the League and Forza Italia and one apiece for Italia Viva and LEU. As finance minister, Draghi called on an old colleague, Daniele Franco, the deputy governor of the Bank of Italy, while the sensitive job of justice minister was handed to the former head of the constitutional court, Marta Cartabia. He also looked outside the political sphere for two new roles -- technological innovation, which was entrusted to the former head of telecoms firm Vodafone, Vittorio Colao, and ecological transition, given to physicist Roberto Cingolani. These twin positions play into demands by the EU that a sizeable chunk of its recovery fund should be used to promote the digitalisation of the continent and to shift away from a dependence on fossil fuels. Draghi, a reserved figure who has no profile on social media platforms, will unveil his programme in the upper house of parliament on Wednesday and the lower house on Thursday. Confidence votes will be held in both chambers and with just the far-right Brothers of Italy outside the cabinet, he looks likely to win the biggest majority in Italian history. However, some members of the 5-Star Movement, which was created in 2009 as an anti-system, anti-euro protest group, have said they might vote against Draghi, threatening a party schism. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2021-02-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The 2021 Limerick Literary Festival in honour of Kate OBrien will take place online, it has been announced. The festival, formerly known as The Kate OBrien Weekend, began in 1984 to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Limerick-born Kate OBrien. Following a difficult year the festival returns for 2021 in a digital format to allow book lovers continued access to our programme of events. For 2021 the festival will focus on the Irish Writer at Home and Abroad where some of the best names in Irish literature invite you to join them from their home to yours. The event continues to celebrate the life and works of the author, while attracting prominent participants from all over the world. It is an inspiring mix of both discourse and discussion. The festival officially opens on Friday, February 26 at 9pm with a broadcast of festival committee members Vivienne McKechnie, Eileen OConnor and Marie Hackett discussing the history of the festival, the journey they have been on as a festival for the last 12months, the challenges they have faced as a society and how the programme responds to those challenges. The festival programme continues then over Saturday, February 27 and Sunday February 28. Once again, the Kate OBrien Award will be presented to best novel/short story collection by a debut Irish female writer, with six writers shortlisted for the award in 2021. For more information please visit the website limerickliteraryfestival.com or email ella.daly@gmail.com NEW DELHI: Thanks to his governments COVID-19 diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modis resolve to help the entire mankind fight the deadly coronavirus pandemic has won global recognition. Due to Prime Minister Narendra Modis commitment to send millions of doses of the Indian manufactured Covid-19 vaccines to its neighbouring countries, and to those as far as the Middle East and South America, India has now become a new vaccine superpower. Hailing New Delhis vaccine diplomacy, an editorial in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has said, India has emerged the surprise leader of the global vaccine diplomacy race. It has exported three times more doses than it's given its own citizens and can spare even more without hurting its own rollout. The article penned by Eric Bellman quoted Chris Wood's weekly note to investors in which he had said, With Covid-19 cases in India now 88 per cent off their peak amid growing hopes of herd immunity, India looks right now Asias best post-Covid recovery story. The article highlights how Covid-19 vaccines are increasingly becoming an important form of diplomatic currency around the world during the COVID-19 era. While China and Russia continue to marketing their own cheap anti-COVID vaccines along with the Western drugmakers, India, on the other hand, delivered on its promise of supplying the indigenously developed vaccines to countries in its neighborhood and beyond, the article stated. Recalling the sight of the Indian Navy aircraft landing in the archipelago nation of Seychelles last month and the countrys foreign minister and other top officials lining up on the tarmac to welcome its precious cargo, the WSL article stated that it speaks volume about the success of Indias vaccine diplomacy. It may be noted that India has provided as many as 50,000 doses of Indian-made AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Seychelles last month. Importantly, just two weeks ahead of that, Seychelles received a separate shipment of 50,000 doses of China-manufactured Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine a move by Beijing to make strategic inroads in a region long seen by India as part of its sphere of influence, the WSJ article said. Hailing PM Narendra Modis vision, the article explained how India - a pharmaceutical giant that manufactured some 60% of global vaccines before the pandemic has joined the global efforts in combating the COVID challenge and thus strengthened its ties and expanded its influence in its neighborhood and beyond. This has come as a big setback for China, which has for several decades tried to derail New Delhis efforts to establish a military outpost in Seychelles that would India keep a tight vigil on Chinese naval and civilian vessels in the area. With its global vaccine diplomacy, New Delhi has not only managed to thwart Chinas intrusion in the region but also succeeded in building a network of coastal radar stations. In recent times, India has supplied hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, and paracetamol tablets, as well as diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves, and other medical supplies to a large number of countries during the pandemic. Keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply Covid-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad, the MEA has said. On the domestic front, India has so far managed to vaccinate some 2.8 million people since the nationwide vaccine rollout began on January 16 - one of the fastest in the world. Over the past few weeks, India dispatched over five million vaccine doses to countries including Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Seychelles, and Mauritius. Live TV Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite long odds, Democrats say they are holding out hope that former President Donald Trump will be convicted when the Senate votes on whether he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They would need a minimum of 17 Republicans to vote with them to convict Trump for incitement of insurrection. Among the Republicans whom Democrats are eyeing as the trial wraps up are frequent Trump critics, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine. They're also looking at retiring senators, including Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Perhaps most importantly, they are looking at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Earlier Friday, lawyers for Trump are made his impeachment defense by accusing Democrats of launching a campaign of hatred against the former president and manipulating his words in the lead-up to the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol. Their presentation to senators on Friday included a blizzard of their own selectively edited comments from Trump and Democrats. In hours of arguments, the Trump legal team characterized the impeachment case as a politically motivated witch hunt and sought to reduce the case to Trumps use of a single word, fight, in a speech preceding the Jan. 6 riot. WASHINGTON - Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is preparing to put all first-class mail onto a single delivery track, according to two people briefed on his strategic plan for the U.S. Postal Service, a move that would mean slower and more costly delivery for both consumers and commercial mailers. DeJoy, with the backing of the agencys bipartisan but Trump-appointed governing board, has discussed plans to eliminate a tier of first-class mail letters, bills and other envelope-sized correspondence sent to a local address designated for delivery in two days. Instead, all first-class mail would be lumped into the same three- to five-day window, the current benchmark for nonlocal mail. READ MORE: Democrats called to save the Postal Service, but now theyre in power and struggling to help the failing agency That class of mail is already struggling; only 38% was delivered on-time at the end of 2020, the Postal Service reported in federal court. Customers have reported bills being held up, and holiday cards and packages still in transit. Pharmacies and prescription benefits managers have told patients to request medication refills early to leave additional time for mail delays. The agency has not disclosed on-time scores yet in 2021. The new service standards are part of a strategic plan that DeJoy, a former logistics executive and major Republican donor, is set to roll out in the coming days. While the change is not expected to have a significant impact on local service, the people said, they have commercial mailers, including banks, insurers, retailers and publications, worried they may aggravate existing slowdowns for nonlocal mail. The plan also prevents first-class mail from being shipped by airplane, said the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations, forcing all of it into trucks and a relay of distribution depots. The operational shifts would coincide with a push for significantly higher postage rates - which DeJoy has said was "imminent" - after the agency lost $9.2 billion in 2020 due to steep, pandemic-related declines in mail volume. It also has $188.4 billion in liabilities, the bulk of which is tied to pension and retiree health care obligations. Leaders have long sought to raise new revenue and, in 2021, are expected to pursue the first big postage rate increase in more than a decade, which could add up to a 9% jump compounded annually. "The service standards they have today have never been enforced. Customers are not getting the service they pay for already," said Michael Plunkett, president and chief executive of PostCom, a national postal commerce advocacy group. "Before degrading service even more, I truly hope there's something more valuable and impressive in that plan." READ MORE: https://www.inquirer.com/news/usps-package-delays-2021-republicans-democrats-biden-20210210.html DeJoy in an emailed statement declined to discuss his plan, saying it was not finalized. He said Postal Service leaders had discussed the proposal for eight months and that any new operations would retain six- and sometimes seven-day delivery. The board of governors, he said, backs the proposed policies. "This work is not only needed, it is long overdue," DeJoy said. Congressional Democrats are pushing President Joe Biden to overhaul the Postal Service's leadership by filling the four open seats on the governing board. Such a move would create a majority bloc of Democrats with the votes to unseat DeJoy, if desired. Otherwise, Biden cannot directly intervene in postal operations; mail policy is insulated by law from elected officials to prevent politicians from tinkering with the mail. In a statement Monday, the White House said Biden was focused on filling the board vacancies with nominees who "reflect his commitment to the workers of the U.S. Postal Service - who deliver on the post office's vital universal service obligation." Mail industry experts say the postal economy runs on a system of elasticity, where the Postal Service relies on large injections of first-class mail volume from large clients to support its hulking national infrastructure and keep prices low for residential customers who increasingly have less use for the mail service. The delivery slowdowns coupled with price increases, mailing industry officials say, could threaten that system by driving commercial mailers to cut costs and pull more volume out of the mail stream. In the long run, that could force the Postal Service to increase postage rates on the customers left in the system - including small businesses, seniors and people with disabilities - or to further cut service. The Postal Service spent more than $457 million flying first-class mail in 2020, according to data it filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission, and spent $314 million transporting mail by truck. "If suddenly some of your best customers quit putting things in the mail," said James O'Rourke, a professor of management at University of Notre Dame, "or they decide they can do it faster, better, cheaper another way, then the post office has this huge infrastructure and the demand is not supporting all of it." A former Postal Service executive, who asked not to be identified because the person still works in the mailing industry, said it was unclear how much the agency could recoup by eliminating air transport for first-class mail, because the savings would depend on how much additional volume its trucking operation could handle without additional cost. But even a 50% savings may not be enough in the long term to offset lost revenue from continuing volume declines made worse by the service cuts, the person said. The agency will continue to contract with air traffic vendors to transport packages and priority mail. "The savings they're going to get out of this isn't a lot compared to what they're going to do to customers," the person said, "and that's assuming they implement everything right, which they never do." Mail customers already are struggling with existing delays. Marlene and Aaron Pulhamus, a married couple in their 80s in Salisbury, Md., say they have been assessed $117 in credit card late fees because of mail delays. They've had Christmas packages lost and then found two months later, delays on letters. They also receive prescriptions through the mail, but those have so far arrived on time. "We're seeing nothing but political hanky-panky going on," Aaron Pulhamus said. "For political reasons, they've created a situation where we're caught between a rock and a hard spot, and we just can't deal with it." "We're senior citizens, and senior citizens depend on that contact," Marlene Pulhamus said. "I probably could walk to California if they're going to send it by truck. I mean, that's ridiculous. No mail service? Do they want everyone to use email? They're trying to get rid of people." DeJoy and Ron Bloom, the chairman of the Postal Service Board of Governors, are set to testify Feb. 24, before a House panel on a reform bill and funding request for the agency. Letters sent to witnesses by the House Oversight and Reform Committee asked them to come prepared to discuss "legislative proposals to place the Postal Service on a more sustainable financial footing going forward while preserving the delivery performance standards on which the American people rely." In an earlier hearing on the Postal Service in August, Democrats pressed DeJoy on service cuts, especially with the November election months away and heavier reliance on mailed ballots because of the pandemic. DeJoy had already begun discussing eliminating air transportation for first-class mail before the hearing, according to four people familiar with internal agency discussions, and modifying delivery windows to allow more time for transportation. Democrats in that August hearing assailed DeJoy over the delays. Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts banged his fist on the lectern while growling at the postmaster general, What the heck are you doing? Rep. Katie Porter of California quizzed DeJoy on postage prices; he was largely unable to answer her questions. DStv is in discussions with local Internet service providers (ISPs) about bundling its streaming packages with uncapped fibre products. This is according to MultiChoice chief operating officer Simon Camerer, who told MyBroadband in an interview that talks are ongoing regarding the launch of these bundled products. We have been talking, Camerer said. The first step was to create the streaming product and the second step is discussions with service providers, which are ongoing. Camerer said he could not confirm a timeline for the launch of these bundled offerings at this stage. Bundled DStv and uncapped fibre coming soon This follows after MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela previously told MyBroadband that the company plans to launch DStv subscriptions bundled with uncapped fibre before the end of its financial year in March 2021. The target is this financial year, but of course this year is one of those big years where we have a lot of things we are bringing out at the same stage, and I think we are trying to make sure that we stagger them nicely and that we give people an opportunity to understand these products, Mawela said. Our view is that we will still be able to roll it out within this financial year we dont see any hiccups there. He said that MultiChoice is considering its partnerships with ISPs carefully, noting that they do not want to take something to market they are not satisfied with. It is unclear whether this offering is still on track to launch before the end of MultiChoices financial year, and this will likely depend on the discussions with ISPs. Service and price expectations The bundled offering referred to by Mawela and Camerer will comprise a standalone DStv streaming service that will be bundled with a fibre package at a discounted rate, meaning South Africans will no longer require a satellite connection to watch DStv. Instead, they will use the new DStv Explora Ultra or upcoming Streama set-top box, both of which can deliver the full DStv bouquet over an Internet connection. Local ISPs previously told MyBroadband that they were open to bundling DStv packages with their fibre products. Cool Ideas believes there is strong potential for the adoption of this type of offering, while Cybersmart CTO Laurie Fialkov said the launch of a bundled product would be an excellent solution for its customers. As most of our customers are already using DStv Now, a bundled offering would be great for us, Fialkov said. Depending on DStvs discount to us, we could offer a bundled 500Mbps service between the R999 and R1,299 mark, Fialkov said This price projection is based on a bundled offering on Cybersmarts own Lightspeed fibre network. Now read: DStv price increases announced The double dip recession is off... for now. The GDP figures are in for the final three months of 2020 and the UK economy grew by 1 per cent, according to the ONS, despite widespread expectations that it would shrink again. This means that even if the latest and hopefully last lockdown shrinks the economy in the first quarter of 2021 then we will avoid the dreaded double-dip as you need two consecutive quarters of negative growth (forgive the economics speak) for a recession. Of course, we dont know when this lockdown will end or how heavy an impact it will have on the economy, so what happens in the first half of 2021 is up in the air. But why didnt GDP fall in the final stretch of last year, is there any way we could we claw our way to growth in the first chunk of this year, and how bad was the coronavirus year of 2020 for the UK? The health sector was a a big contributor to growth in the last quarter of 2020 after being involved with running coronavirus testing and tracing schemes across the UK On this weeks podcast, Georgie Frost, George Nixon and Simon Lambert dive into the GDP numbers to take a look at what this all means. Also on the show, are we finally going to see an end to the scam refund lottery from banks for those conned into sending money to fraudsters? George explains what people need to know about that and also the issue of disabled children child trust funds. Plus, why has Tesla bought bitcoin, what does it mean and what on earth is Elon Musk playing at with his crypto tweets at the moment? And finally, should you head for Oxbury Bank the farmer-focussed lender with a new top savings rate? The year 2020 marked a milestone in Vietnams history of foreign relations, when it for the first time undertook two great responsibilities ASEAN Chair and Non-permanent Member of the UN Security Council. The year 2020 marked a milestone in Vietnams history of foreign relations At the plenary session of the UN General Assembly on June 7, 2019 in New York, the US, President of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa announced that Vietnam was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, with 192/193 votes. In the auditorium, representatives of the countries in the General Assembly applauded and congratulated Vietnam for obtaining a record high number of votes, the highest ever in the last over 70 years since the UN establishment. Five months later, for the second time, the applause of thousands of international guests resounded once more in Bangkok when Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha handed over the ASEAN Presidency to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The Thai Prime Minister said that he believes Vietnam will take over the ASEAN Presidency with pride and realize the ASEAN's dream of promoting partnership to maintain peace, freedom, security and prosperity in the region. In 2020, the worlds political, security and socio-economic situation changed quickly and unpredictably. Large countries intensified strategic competition, while tensions and conflicts escalated in many regions. Non-traditional security challenges such as Covid-19, climate change, water security, terrorism and organized crime spread and were harder to control in a "flat world". Vietnam had great advantages thanks to its increasingly high international position and prestige, its foreign policy which aims at independence, self-control and love of peace, and the willingness to "proactively participate and promote the role in multilateral mechanisms, especially ASEAN and UN" as set forth by the 12th Party Congress. In messages conveyed when receiving the twin responsibilities, Party Secretary General and State President Nguyen Phu Trong stressed that in order to fulfill the great responsibilities assigned by the international community, it is necessary to consider this one of the most important political tasks for the Party and the State. The year 2020 marked a milestone in Vietnams history of foreign relations, when it for the first time undertook two great responsibilities ASEAN Chair and Non-permanent Member of the UN Security Council. Phuc also affirmed that Vietnam will do its best to successfully assume the responsibility of a non-permanent member of the Security Council " and that "with unanimous consensus and strong commitment, we will successfully realize our goal for the ASEAN Community and for ASEAN people. Partners for sustainable peace With the spirit as "partners for sustainable peace", Vietnam gives prominence to the observation of the UN Charter and the basic principles of international law. It supports the finding of solutions to regional and international disputes and conflicts through negotiations, taking into account the legitimate interests of stakeholders. It is always ready to share experiences on national reconstruction and development, international and regional integration. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said Vietnam participated in the UN Security Councils activities confidently, proactively and substantially, both affirming its stance and showing objective points of view and a flexible way of handling issues. Vietnam quickly caught up and performed well with the role of coordinating activities, negotiating documents, and representing the Security Council in relations with other countries, the UN Secretariat, international and regional organizations as well as media. With Vietnams initiative, the Security Council had historic activities, including the organization of a meeting on cooperation between UN and ASEAN. The Security Council for the first time had 111 speeches, the highest ever figure so far. This was also the first time the Security Council issued a separate statement on the UN charter. Countries attached importance and listened to Vietnam's opinions on dealing with complicated issues in Asia such as Iran, Hong Kong and Rakhine (Myanmar). International media and scholars made positive comments on Vietnam's contribution to the Security Council. There was a perception that Vietnam was the focus of global attention with its position, prestige and "dual responsibility" in 2020. Vietnam also demonstrated its capability to preside over and manage the work of the agencies belonging to the Security Council, especially the committee for monitoring the implementation of the Security Councils resolution on South Sudan. Great achievements Vietnam handed over the ASEAN Presidency 2021 to Brunei on November 15, 2020. Vietnam implementef its strong leadership role in a challenging geopolitical environment and made the best demonstrations to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ASEAN establishment. Vietnam successfully organized the 36th and 37th ASEAN Summits online and semi-online, and 30 online meetings at ministerial level, and tens of consultancy meetings. Commenting about the results of the initiatives deployed by Vietnam, ASEAN countries believe that the topic put forward by Vietnam is very accurate which has become a brand of ASEAN - cohesive and proactive adaptation. Vietnam's success in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic has an important significance to the ASEAN leading role. The initiatives such as the ASEAN foundation for response to the epidemic, the regional emergency medical supplies reserve and the ASEAN center for responding to public health emergencies were applauded. With great efforts by Vietnam, RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) Agreement was signed in 2020, which was considered the biggest success of the block, helping affirm ASEANs central role in East Asian economic structure. VNN Diplomatic corps, intl organisations updated on Party Congresss outcomes The Party Central Committees Commission for External Relations held a meeting in Hanoi on February 3 to inform diplomatic missions and international organisations in Vietnam about the outcomes of the 13th National Party Congress. A draft cybersecurity law due to be implemented in Myanmar has now raised protests that it will be used to quash dissent rather than protect privacy. The UNHRC has issued a statement urging the countrys military leaders to drop the plan and end internet disruptions that have intensified since February 1. According to the Associated Press, Matthew Bugher, head of the Asia program for the group Article 19, said that the draft law shows the militarys intent to permanently undermine internet freedom in the country. Bugher further condemned the plan along with the Open Net Association and the International Commission of Jurists. The internet service providers and others were given until February 15 to respond to the proposed law. Sam Zarifi, the International Commission of Jurists' secretary-general said that the draft law is telling that controlling cyberspace is one of the top priorities of the Myanmar military, which seized power through an illegitimate coup detat only last week. The military is used to having total power in the country, however, this time they have to face a population that has access to information and can communicate internally and externally, Zarifi said. READ: UN HRC Adopts Resolution Calling For 'immediate' Release Of Myanmar's Civilian Leaders Further, Jeff Paine, managing director of the Asia Internet Coalition, said that the bill would give the military unprecedented power to censor citizens and violate their privacy, contravening democratic norms and fundamental rights guaranteed under International law. He urged coup leaders to consider potentially devastating impacts on the Myanmar economy and people. Norways Telenor also said that it was facing several dilemmas. Access to telecom services is essential for people to exercise their basic right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to gain information. These services are also critical in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and for economic opportunities," the company said in a statement. READ: 'India & US To Be In Contact Over The Ongoing Myanmar Coup', Informs MEA Draft cybersecurity law Following the draft law, a group of 158 members of nongovernmental organisations also has released a statement protesting the draft law. Opponents of the draft law said that it calls for banning online anonymity, removing content the government deems unacceptable and punishing violations with criminal penalties. The law also demands the elimination of online comments considered to be misinformation or disinformation, that might cause hate or disrupt stability, and any comment that might violate any existing law. The law would also require internet service providers to keep usernames, IP addresses and other personal data for up to three years. The data has to be kept in a place designated by the government. According to reports, the internet service providers could face maximum prison sentences of three years and a fine for failing to comply with the law's broad and vague provisions. The proposal smacks of a legislative attempt to extend the powers the military had taken in an unlawful, anti-democratic coup, said Kyung Sin Park, executive director of the Open Net Association. (With inputs from AP) READ: Tensions High As Mass Protests In Myanmar Enter Second Week READ: Myanmar Lawyers Stage Anti-coup Rally In Mandalay Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. THE first batch of Covid-19 vaccines, which arrive in the country early tomorrow morning, will undergo rigorous examination by a team of local multidisciplinary experts over the next 48 hours after arrival to ascertain their authenticity before being deployed to vaccination centres countrywide. The vaccines arrive at 3am tomorrow at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, where a Government delegation led by Vice-President and Health and Child Care Minister Dr Constantino Chiwenga will receive the consignment of 200 000 inoculation doses. An additional 600 000 doses, procured from Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, are due to arrive early next month. The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for the vaccines, after months examining data on different vaccine candidates, including the Sinopharm jab, which had been identified by Ministry of Health. The authorisation allows for the use of medicines that would have undergone Phase I and II clinical trials and have started Phase III studies but are already showing favourable safety, efficacy levels. On arrival, experts will physically inspect the shipment and its accompanying certificates before they are ferried off to storage where further examinations will be conducted. This comes as Government is finalising distribution modalities of the vaccines ahead of commencement of the first phase of the largest immunisation programme in the countrys history. MCAZ projects and public relations manager Mr Shingai Gwatidzo told our Harare Bureau that the medicines regulator had quickly put in place EUA protocols of Covid-19 vaccines in line with international standards. MCAZ and other stakeholders were involved in the planning of vaccine deployment plan for the Covid-19 vaccines by the Ministry of Health and Child Care from the beginning. In view of the global pandemic, MCAZ, like most regulatory authorities, established a system for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) of Covid-19 vaccines. This route allows regulatory agencies to conduct benefit-risk assessment of vaccines that have undergone Phase I and II clinical trials and have started Phase III studies but are already showing favourable safety, efficacy in preventing Covid-19. MCAZ conducted EUA assessment of the vaccines identified by Ministry of Health and these have been deemed to have a favourable benefit-risk balance, said Mr Gwatidzo. He said physical inspection of the shipment would ensure that the right vaccines have been imported. When the product arrives we do not anticipate any further delays emanating from MCAZ regulatory processes since the authority has been issued EUA already. The only remaining step will be to physically verify the imported stock and its accompanying certificates. In addition, MCAZ will be working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care monitoring any adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) to ensure that products maintain a favourable benefit-risk balance as they are used on the Zimbabwe population. He said under normal circumstances, review of a vaccines development dossier takes between 12-16 months. However, in view of the public health emergency, through use of the EUA guidelines, MCAZ aims to assess these vaccines within 48 hours, thereafter the report is submitted to members of the Evaluations and Registration Committee for review and approval. Overall a target timeline of 5 days has been set. The authority prioritised Covid-19 vaccines over any other assessments and it employed the all hands on deck approach whereby a multidisciplinary team of over 10 senior regulatory experts have devoted their time to focus on the urgent need for review of the vaccines needed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care. Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga will tomorrow receive the first batch of Sinopharm vaccines from China, as the country prepares for Covid-19 vaccination programme. Acting Health secretary, Dr Robert Mudyiradima said the Government was finalising the vaccines distribution modalities. The vaccines are arriving on Monday and they will be distributed across the country however, we have some issues we are still finalising such as the date when vaccination will begin. We are still working on that and other issues and we will let the public know when we have finalised everything. On arrival the jabs will be taken to central vaccine stores where they will follow the distribution chain to 10 provincial vaccine stores, 63 district vaccine stores and more than 1 800 service delivery health facilities such as clinic vaccine stores as well as rural health centres. Sunday News As long as Ulster Bank owner NatWest refuses to say whether or not it is planning to shut down the Irish bank, the only sensible action for customers and authorities here is to assume the very worst and act accordingly. Uncertainty has already been allowed to drift unresolved since September while the bank reviews its options in its own time. NatWest is due to publish financial results on Friday and most observers in the markets think it will have to say one way or another at that stage. If it doesnt, regulators will have to force the issue and demand clarity. With 1.1 million customers potentially affected as well as the wider financial sector and economy the stakes are too high to be dictated by the banks timelines. Regardless, at this stage customers would be foolish to hang around. They should think hard about where their long-term banking needs can be met, and if that means moving do it sooner rather than later. The stakes are too high to be dictated by NatWests timelines. Central Bank, Government and business and consumer groups should also now be working on the basis of the credible threat that Ulster Bank is as good as gone. To date, there is no sign a life raft has been prepared for savers, mortgage payers and businesses who could find themselves scrambling to find a new bank within the week. Ulster Banks 2500 staff have been left in an horrific situation. The signs are not good. In June, Ulster Bank CEO Jane Howard wrote in the Irish Independent that her banks search for a new headquarters was on hold while it figured out how much space it would need with more people working from home post-Covid. In hindsight, the reluctance to make a long-term commitment looks ominous. Meanwhile tens of thousands of customers did make long-term commitments: taking out mortgages, placing long-term deposits, signing up to business products and integrating Ulster Bank apps and accounts into their households and businesses. Ulster Bank and NatWest have let it be known that if the decision is to shut Ulster Bank the process will be orderly and controlled. But orderly for who? If NatWest pulls the plug, it will be an orderly process in so far as legal structures and creditors of the institution are concerned. Ulster Bank and its parent NatWest are solvent. Customers money is safe. But, how well can Ulster Banks notoriously creaky IT systems manage a wind-down, especially if customers vote with their cash and look en masse to quickly move money or switch current accounts with all the complexity of associated standing orders, direct debits, credit cards and savings? And where will those customers go? Ulster Bank customers have more than 21bn of cash on deposit and none of the other Irish banks is keen to get any of it. AIB, Bank of Ireland and even the State Savings Scheme are saturated with cash and the banking system will struggle to absorb any more of the savings glut. Ulster Bank also has over 20bn of loans. That includes about one-in-five small businesses here, including many farmers, who have their loans and overdrafts with Ulster Bank. Ulster Bank customers have more than 21bn of cash on deposit and none of the other Irish banks is keen to get any of it. If it goes, those borrowers will have to keep paying back their loans but may need a new banking relationship, perhaps in a hurry, if they need access to credit again or just to manage their accounts. Any sensible business should already have the ball rolling and be moving accounts. Waiting risks being stuck in a queue with other stranded firms, if the pullout happens. Mortgage customers, similarly, will be obliged to maintain their side of the relationship regardless of what the bank does. But if Ulster Bank sells off its loan books to the highest or even the fleetest bidder, customers will have to navigate a new lender one with different priorities than the 230-year-old bank they signed on with. That was the experience of borrowers with Danske, Halifax, Bank of Scotland Ireland and other smaller lenders that left after the last crash. Vulnerable customers in arrears or who have been restructured face the greatest uncertainty, and will need most support. Read More Personal loan and credit card balances tend to run down much more quickly than mortgages and may be easier for the bank to hold until maturity, but customers may again have to go elsewhere en masse for new credit. Twelve years ago there was a real risk the countrys third-biggest bank was not going to survive. Signals of that impending crisis were ignored or downplayed by cabinet ministers, regulators and even the heads of the other banks. Only when customers started pulling billions out of the former Anglo Irish Bank, threatening the stability of the entire banking system, did official Ireland wake up to the reality. When the system did act it was late, in haste, with little scrutiny and big consequences. Ulster Bank is not Anglo. The bank is well able to meet its financial obligations and protect its savings. But the question mark over Ulsters survival is real and the lack of urgency in official Ireland about the potential risks is becoming unnerving. As the Senate trial judging Donald Trump's second impeachment got underway on Tuesday, his lead defense attorney, Bruce Castor, offered an unexpected rationale for setting the impeachment aside. "There is no opportunity where the president of the United States can run rampant in January at the end of his term and just go away scot-free," Castor said. "The Department of Justice does know what to do with such people." After all, if the president had committed crimes, "after he's out of office, you go and arrest him," he said. Reporting suggests that Trump, watching from Mar-a-Lago, wasn't happy with Castor's performance. Given his attorney's embrace of potentially having his client arrested, one can understand why. That's not likely to happen, mind you. While the D.C. attorney general did suggest shortly after the Capitol was overrun by a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6 that Trump himself might be charged with a misdemeanor for inciting the violence, that remains unlikely. But the discussion of Trump's liability to criminal prosecution does serve as a reminder that this is very much still a non-theoretical threat the former president faces. For example, we learned this week that investigators in Georgia were beginning the process of potentially bringing charges against Trump for another facet of his impeachment: his effort to get Georgia's secretary of state to "find" enough votes in the state to give Trump a victory there in the 2020 presidential contest. (Secretary Brad Raffensperger declined to do so.) It's unlikely that this will result in charges, but it's not a casual investigation. Speaking to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Thursday, Fulton County Democratic District Attorney Fani Willis explained that her office's probe extends beyond the recorded call with Raffensperger first obtained by The Washington Post last month. The investigation being led by Willis is also separate from a similar one initiated at the state level. Trump faces similar multitiered investigations in other places as well. Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey. For example, the fundraising and spending of his 2017 inaugural committee is reportedly under investigation from at least three entities. "I'm working with three different prosecutors, and it's taken over my life," former Melania Trump aide Stephanie Wolkoff told "Good Morning America" in August. That includes the Southern District of New York at the federal level and attorneys general in Washington D.C. and New Jersey. In 2019, a donor to the inaugural committee pleaded guilty to having attempted to obstruct the federal probe into the committee's finances. Last month, the D.C. attorney general's office alerted Donald Trump Jr. that it wanted to interview him on the subject. Then there are the investigations into Trump's personal business. In his testimony before Congress in 2019, Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen suggested that the Trump Organization had been engaged in efforts to misstate the value of properties to reduce property tax obligations. That appears to have helped trigger more scrutiny for his former employer. The office of New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James is engaged in a civil probe of the Trump Organization's finances. That effort had a recent court victory, with the state's Supreme Court ordering the Trump Organization to turn over tax documents. In New York City, the Manhattan district attorney is well into a criminal probe with the same focus. In December, the New York Times reported that this investigation had "intensified" following the election, though it "remains unclear whether the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., will ultimately bring charges." One cloud hanging over Trump has cleared, however. Last week, the Associated Press reported that an investigation into campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made before the 2016 election was "dead." Cohen himself had pleaded guilty to violating federal law for his role in facilitating the payments to two women who'd alleged extramarital relationships with the then-candidate. In doing so, he directly implicated Trump - but a probe into the former president will likely not move forward. Trump's exposure to legal risk is broader than these investigations. He is also the target of a defamation lawsuit from journalist E. Jean Carroll. In 2019, Carroll came forward with an allegation that Trump had sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Trump dismissed the allegation, saying that she was lying to sell books and that she was "not my type." Carroll sued in late 2019. While he was president, Trump was shielded from criminal indictment and saw the Justice Department he ran intervene to try to derail the Carroll lawsuit. He no longer has those protections. He's not likely to face any criminal charges related to the events of Jan. 6, which are at the heart of the impeachment trial, but he may come to appreciate the relatively low stakes this trial involves. I rarely look at the New York Times, since it abandoned any pretense of being a real newspaper years ago. Still, I was shocked when I saw the Timess online front page a little while ago. Here is a screen shot of the top of the page: Trumps defense is incendiary? I guess that means his lawyers arent going along with the absurd charge against him. And by reframing Trumps words, I suppose they mean that the lawyers are actually quoting him: I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Is that incitement to riot, or what? The Times notes that Trumps lawyers called the claim that he incited violence at the Capitol a preposterous and monstrous lie, which it is. But look at what comes next: His lawyers claimed, contrary to facts, that Mr. Trump never glorified violence Contrary to facts? The Times makes no pretense of being anything but a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party. and falsely equated his conduct to Democrats use of combative rhetoric. Actually, the lawyers said that the Democrats conduct was worse, and they are right. But falsely? This is supposedly a news story, not an op-ed. I think the Timess over-the-top headline writers are referring to this video, which makes the point well: Trump has consistently stood up for law and order and backed peaceful protest, while the leaders of the Democratic Party have repeatedly condoned and even incited violence: WATCH: President Trump's rhetoric VS the Democrats' rhetoric. pic.twitter.com/H1mvamlgtE Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) February 12, 2021 The Democrats first impeachment of President Trump was dumb and doomed to fail. This second impeachment of Private Citizen Trump is unconstitutional, crazed, and equally doomed. One wonders what depths of hysteria the Times and other Democratic Party outlets will reach when their impeachment effort inevitably fizzles out. (Newser) Many Europeans are desperate for a coronavirus vaccine. But not just any vaccine. As AstraZeneca shots are rolling out to European Union nations this month, joining the Pfizer and Moderna doses already available, some people are balking at being offered a vaccine that they perceivefairly or notas second-best. Poland began vaccinating teachers Friday with the AstraZeneca vaccine, the AP reports, and some had misgivings about being put in line for a vaccine they believe is less effective than the others. A Warsaw educator, who was infected in November and had a slow recovery, said nobody in her school was enthusiastic about getting the AstraZeneca shot. But many signed up, eager for any protection against the virus. "I still fear the illness more than the AstraZeneca vaccine," she said. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot acknowledged the criticism but said regulators had reviewed the data and deemed the vaccine safe and effective. "Is it perfect? No, it's not perfect, but its great," Soriot said Thursday. Were going to save thousands of lives." story continues below While regulators in more than 50 countries and the EU's drug watchdog authorized the widespread use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine, it has attracted the most criticism due to concerns about its human trials. Several European nations recommend the drug only for people under 65, and other countries recommend it for those under 55, because AstraZenecas trials included a relatively small number of older people. The WHO says the vaccine is about 63% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses. That's less than the 95% effectiveness reported by Pfizer and Moderna, but experts caution against comparisons, as the studies were done at different times and under different conditions. But in Poland, Spain and Italy, some unions complained that their members are slated to receive the product, expressing concerns they were being treated as less important than groups getting the Pfizer or Moderna doses. Some Italian doctors are declining the shots, saying they want Pfizer or Moderna shots for public health care workers. A teacher in Poland said, "This is just another example of us being shown our place." (AstraZeneca's vaccine will now be tested on children.) Incomplete data released by the Alabama Department of Public Health shows that only 11% of people who have received COVID-19 vaccinations are Black, even though Blacks make up about 27% of the states population. The numbers are incomplete because about 34% of shot recipients are listed as either of unknown race or not reported. The ADPH posted the demographic data for the first time this week. (click on the demographics tab). (You can see the charts at the end of this story). At a press briefing this morning, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said despite the missing data, the numbers show the state needs to concentrate on increasing the number of Blacks vaccinated. I would say 11% is not where would like to be, although there is a lot of unknown data, Harris said. However, thats more than twice national average. In the United States only about 5% of doses have gone to African Americans. So, we still have a lot of work to do there. And well continue to try to improve that uptake among Black Alabamians. About 455,000 people have received vaccinations in Alabama. About 50,000 of those are Black. Race was not reported for about 132,000 of those vaccinated. Race for about 16,000 was listed as unknown. Harris said one explanation for the incomplete information is that ADPH has not generally kept racial data on vaccinations before. The agency is planning to hire a company for a large scale media campaign aimed at encouraging Blacks to receive vaccinations, Harris said. Ryan Easterling, director of health media and communications for ADPH, said the main goal of the campaign is to inspire Black people, Hispanic people, and Native Americans to trust and receive the vaccine. He said a grant will pay for the campaign run by Bruno Team Event, a Birmingham company. The campaign will include TV, radio, print, outdoor ads, digital ads, direct mail, and social media. Harris said one cause for the low percentage of vaccinations going to Blacks is that they are underrepresented in some of the groups that have become eligible so far. For example, because Blacks have a shorter average lifespan, the population of people over age 75 is disproportionately white. He said the expansion of eligibility into additional groups will help to ease that discrepancy. We know that as we get to people of different ages who are involved in different jobs, people who are educators, people who work in manufacturing, people who work in public transportation or corrections, people who are food and ag workers, thats a lot more representative of the state as a whole, Harris said. And thats a way of making sure we include people of all colors. Harris said ADPHs Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mary McIntyre, is leading an effort to connect with community groups, Black legislators, Black church organizations, and other groups to overcome problems such as hesitancy about taking vaccines. Also, we are making sure we have vaccines available in all locations, Harris said. And I dont have to tell you that we do have a lot of access to care issues in Alabama. Some of our counties dont have many providers or any providers. Many dont have hospitals. Some barely have medical providers at all. All of our county health departments are doing vaccinations even though some of them may be really small counties with really small numbers who arent going to be able to do it quickly. We want to make sure we have it available for everyone. Related: J&J one-dose vaccine could be here this month; Dont pick and choose COVID vaccine, ADPH advises Alabama doesnt have enough vaccine to keep drive-in clinics running Why isnt my Walmart location offering the COVID vaccine? 2% of Alabamas population has received both COVID vaccine doses Minorities need COVID vaccine, Huntsville faith leaders say as they get shots This story was edited at 4:50 p.m. to change the headline from Blacks have received only 11% of COVID-19 vaccinations in Alabama because the percentage is from partial data. English Finnish EVLI BANK PLCS STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE FEBRUARY 12, 2021, AT 10.00 AM (EET/EEST) Evli Bank Plc's Board of Directors has resolved to establish two new share-based incentive plans for selected key personnel of the company. Rewards paid based on the plans will be paid in Evli shares. Under the Restricted Share Plan, the total number of shares to be paid as a reward will not exceed a total of 118,000 B-shares (gross amount before deduction of applicable withholding tax). The share-based incentive plan will be awarded in one installment in February 2021. The prerequisite for reward award and reward payment is that a participant's employment or service is in force. In addition, the Board of Directors may consider the participant's work contribution and the company's financial performance. The installment has a four-year deferral period. Ownership rights to the shares subject to the reward are transferred to the beneficiary only after the end of the deferral period in February 2025. The reward shares will be subject to a one-year transfer restriction. Under the Performance Share Plan, the total number of shares to be paid as a reward will not exceed a total of 120,000 B shares (gross amount before deduction of applicable withholding tax). The reward is awarded in installments during 20212025 when the required performance criteria are met. In addition to meeting the performance criteria, the prerequisite for reward payment is that a participant's employment or service is in force. In addition, the Board of Directors may consider company's financial performance at the time of reward payment. Each installment has a three-year deferral period. Ownership rights to the shares subject to the reward are transferred to the beneficiary only after the end of the deferral period. The shares paid as a reward will be subject to a one-year transfer restriction. The purpose of the share-based incentive plans is to support Evli's strategy and to align the goals of shareholders and selected key personnel to increase Evli's long-term value. In addition, the goal is to increase the commitment of key personnel to the company and provide them with a competitive compensation plan. EVLI BANK PLC Juho Mikola CFO For additional information, please contact: Juho Mikola, CFO, Evli Bank Plc, tel. +358 40 717 8888, juho.mikola@evli.com Evli Bank Plc Evli is a bank specialized in investments that helps institutions, corporations and private persons increase their wealth. The product and service offering includes mutual funds, asset management and capital markets services, alternative investment products, equity research, incentive plan design and administration as well as Corporate Finance services. The company also offers banking services that support clients' investment operations. Evli is the highest ranked and most used institutional asset manager in Finland*. Evli has a total of EUR 14.1 billion in client assets under management (net 12/2020). Evli Group's equity capital totals EUR 95.4 million and its BIS capital adequacy ratio is 15.2 percent (December 31, 2020). The company has around 250 employees. Evli Bank Plc's B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. *KANTAR SIFO Prospera External Asset Management Finland 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and SFR Scandinavian Financial Research Institutional Investment Services, Finland 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. Distribution: Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd, main media, www.evli.com Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Polce officers will carry out spot checks on drivers today to see if they are travelling to see their lovers on Valentines Day, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Motorists coming into London will be stopped, quizzed about their intentions and reminded that only essential journeys are permitted under lockdown rules. A Metropolitan police source said last night: Im going to be spending my Valentines Day ruining peoples Valentines Days and joked that officers could end up asking male drivers: Is that your wife, sir? The force has not routinely conducted regular spot checks on drivers as part of its Covid rule enforcement before now. Motorists coming into London will be stopped, quizzed about their intentions and reminded that only essential journeys are permitted Sir Ian Duncan Smith, the former Conservative party leader, said the operation to focus on West London was heavy-handed adding: If people are just having a quiet Valentines Day, why should we be stopping them? Were not a police state. The police source said it is meant primarily as a deterrent, adding: Most police officers are loath to hand out fines. If people apologise then they will mostly get off with a warning. It is currently against the law for people to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of one household or support bubble. Announcing the lockdown last month, the Prime Minister said: You may only leave home for limited reasons permitted in law, such as to shop for essentials, to work if you absolutely cannot work from home, to exercise, to seek medical assistance such as getting a Covid test, or to escape domestic abuse. Failing to stay at home without a valid reason can result in a 200 fine, which falls to 100 if paid within 14 days. A Home Office source said visibility is important and praised the police for the way it has approached enforcement. The source said the focus is on: Engage, encourage and explain, and enforce as last resort. A Home Office source said visibility is important and praised the police for the way it has approached enforcement The level of enforcement of lockdown rules varies from force to force. Some have refused to hand out many fines, while Derbyshire Police have been accused of being over-zealous in issuing 200 fines to people for visiting beauty spots. And police in Cornwall have stopped drivers who took to the roads last month to watch the sunset. It is understood Ministers are keen on introducing a more consistent strategy across the country, instead of each force interpreting rules in its own way. Last night the Mets press office said it was not aware of the Valentines Day operation. Five years ago, former Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter drew anger and praise when he threatened to release seven indigent men accused of felonies such as murder, robbery and rape. Hunter was responding to the latest budget crisis at the Orleans Public Defenders, who were refusing to represent some clients until they received additional state funding. Prosecutors successfully appealed, and none of the men were released under Hunters order, but the episode drew widespread attention to Louisianas public defender budget crunch. On Wednesday, 2,340 days after his arrest, the last of the Arthur Hunter 7 resolved his case. Accused of murder, Darrian Franklin pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and received a sentence of time served. The end of Franklins case means that prosecutors who aimed for the stands with their charges mostly bunted or struck out. Of the seven men accused of serious crimes, only one was convicted as charged. Pamela Metzger, a law professor at Southern Methodist University who argued in 2016 that the men should be released while they awaited fully-funded lawyers, said the cases show how Louisiana would be better off paying for adequate defenses upfront. State appeals court overturns New Orleans judges order freeing seven defendants because of lack of money for their defense A state appeals court panel has overturned an Orleans Parish judges April ruling that seven inmates being held on violent felony charges shou It is Exhibit A in the case for enhanced public defense funding, as a matter of both public safety and fundamental fairness, she said. The thousands of dollars that were spent just on jail days. Franklin, now 35, was accused in the March 12, 2014, killing of Trenton Gary in Algiers. The father to a teenage son at the time of his death, Gary's family said he was the victim of a botched robbery. Franklin was charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in January 2015. But from there, his case entered a legal no mans land. The Orleans Public Defenders withdrew from his and other cases, citing budget shortfalls. Hunter appointed a private attorney, who also said he didnt have enough money to pay for investigators or overhead. In April 2016, Hunter issued his blockbuster order. Franklin and six other men facing serious felonies in Hunter's courtroom were to go free until the state was willing to pay for their defense. However, Hunter put his ruling on hold while prosecutors appealed. Then-District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office accused Hunter of orchestrating a dramatic response to the public defender shortfalls. Former Mayor Mitch Landrieu called the order a miscarriage of justice." Garys family expressed dismay. None of the men were ever released under Hunters order. The Orleans Public Defenders eventually returned to representing some of them, while court-appointed private lawyers took on the cases of others. Of the seven, three pleaded guilty to lesser charges. None were convicted at trial. Only one pleaded guilty as charged, to aggravated burglary. Benny Walker received a 17-year sentence. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The sole man to try his chances at trial was acquitted of first-degree rape. Meanwhile, the armed robbery and aggravated assault charges against one defendant, Donald Gamble, were dismissed in June 2016. Metzger, who took on Gambles case while trying to convince Hunter to free him, said it took her minutes in a police evidence room to determine that he wasnt the robber captured on video surveillance. Cannizzaro's office should have done a better job of weeding out bad cases like the one against Gamble from the start, Metzger said, especially at a time when the public defenders were short on money. Cannizzaro has defended his high case acceptance rates. He argued they were a product of the New Orleans Police Departments investigative skills and improved relationship with the DA's office. But during his successful campaign last fall to be elected district attorney, defense attorney Jason Williams promised to be pickier. Williams also pushed for increased public defender funding while he was a member of the New Orleans City Council. Unlike the others, Franklins case lingered for years, in part due to turnover on his defense team. One defense lawyer on the case withdrew last year when he was appointed to a temporary judgeship. Majeeda Snead, of Loyola Universitys law clinic, took over Franklin's defense in August 2020. She said that after Williams assumed office, she pitched prosecutors on dismissing the murder charge. There was no evidence that my client was involved in a second-degree murder, she said. Once they looked at it, sent it up the chain of command, they agreed that the actual and appropriate charge was obstruction of justice. New Orleans DA appeals judges order to release seven allegedly violent inmates for lack of funds An Orleans Parish judge erred this month when he ordered the release of seven allegedly violent inmates because of a lack of funds to pay for On Wednesday, Williams office formally dismissed the murder charge. Franklin pleaded guilty to obstruction. Under the terms of a plea agreement with the DA's office, Criminal Court Judge Marcus DeLarge sentenced Franklin to time served. Franklin's time in jail was eventful. He picked up new charges connected to a riot, for which he also pleaded guilty, and received a sentence of time served. In a statement, First Assistant District Attorney Bob White said the office didnt have enough evidence to prosecute the murder charge. The family was advised and they understand the factors that led to the prosecution decision, he said. Garys sister declined comment. MONTREAL - A commissioner who served on the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls implored the federal government for more transparency on its response to the final reports calls for change. Michele Audette, one of the commissioners of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, listens to testimony in Moncton, N.B. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan MONTREAL - A commissioner who served on the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls implored the federal government for more transparency on its response to the final reports calls for change. Michele Audette's remarks came on Saturday during what she and other advocates described as a time when Indigenous women are facing heightened risks of violence in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us where you are at. Give us some information, Audette said at a news conference. Audette said she and her fellow commissioners took in the voices, tears, anger and hopes of families of women and girls over the course of three years, during which the inquiry held hearings across the country. Their final report was delivered to the federal government in June 2019 and included 231 calls for justice. While Audette said working groups have been formed to hash out a national action plan, it feels like its taking forever. My patience is very thin, she said. A statement from the National Action Plan Core Working Group in December said work was underway to develop the strategy, including an accountability framework, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples. The Crown-Indigenous department website also sites a list of actions taken to address violence against Indigenous women and girls. It includes a commitment to end drinking water advisories, funding for Indigenous languages and a counselling phone line for Indigenous people. Audette spoke during an online news conference with Indigenous leaders and activists ahead of the annual vigil for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls on Sunday. The first memorial march took place on Valentines Day in 1992 after Cheryl Ann Joe, a young Coast Salish mother, was murdered in East Vancouver. Jessica Quijano, project coordinator at the Native Womens Shelter of Montreal, said nearly 30 years of grass-roots activism hasn't been enough to instill the political will to make real changes across all levels of government. At the same time, she said, women and girls are still facing significant levels of violence. Its not slowing down, she said. Amanda LaBillois, an Indigenous navigator at Medecins du Monde which helps people access healthcare, says the situation has worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the virus have meant services for Indigenous communities are more difficult to access or have been cut altogether. She said theres been an uptick in violence and a jump in overdoses. Indigenous women and girls who were already at risk have been marginalized further, she said. Its really pushing people to understand with the pandemic going on that there is a major issue that isnt being properly addressed, she said. Several speakers outlined causes of systemic violence against Indigenous women and girls, noting the commission's calls for action include concrete solutions that could make a difference if properly implemented. Each day without significant action on the recommendations means another woman is in danger, said Ghislain Picard, chief for the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador. Nearly two years later today and we still dont have a blueprint of what needs to take place, he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2021. By Kelly Geraldine Malone in Winnipeg Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways has announced the launch of a new service to the Sri Lankan capital, offering direct flights between Kuwait and Colombo twice a week, with connections to destinations served by the airline in the Middle East. Flights to Colombo will be on Jazeeras expanding fleet of new Airbus A320neo aircraft, all equipped with HEPA air filters. Jazeera Airways has also taken every safety and precautionary measure on its aircraft and at Jazeera Terminal T5 in Kuwait to ensure passengers fly safely. Since the start of the pandemic, the airline has been at the forefront of supporting government and global efforts to prevent its spread, said a top official. "Despite the current global situation for the airline industry, we are launching our first new destination for the year to serve a resilient demand for travel, especially to destinations with strong safety and health measures," remarked CEO Rohit Ramachandran. "We are now able to serve the Sri Lankan community in Kuwait as well as tourists to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has also in place strict health and safety measures against the Covid-19 pandemic which travelers should abide by and confirm before traveling," he added. Sri Lanka re-opened to tourism on January 21 after a period of 10 months and is now a perfect holiday destination. As part of its efforts to encourage safe tourism in the country, Sri Lanka is now offering a quarantine free holiday which gives visitors a relative amount of freedom to travel within the country while still observing safety protocols. Announcing the flight schedule, Jazeera said flight J9 551 will operate on Tuesdays and Sundays taking off from Kuwait International Airport at 6.45pm and arriving in Colombo at 2.35am. On return, flight J9 552 will depart on Mondays and Wednesdays from Colombo at 3.35am and land in Kuwait at 7.05am. The frequency of this service will be increased progressively over the course of this year. According to him, since the start of the pandemic, the airline has been at the forefront of supporting government and global efforts to prevent its spread. Jazeera placed its fleet at the disposal of Kuwait and participated in the largest airbridge repatriation programme ever launched by the country. "The airline operated over 60 flights bringing home over 6,800 Kuwaiti citizens from around the world, as well as converted its Park & Fly facility in record time into the first drive-through Covid-19 center in Kuwait for the use by the Ministry of Health. A second drive-through testing facility has also been constructed by the Jazeera Airways team at the Jaber Al-Ahmad national stadium," stated Ramachandran. The airline also continued to serve business without interruption by operating full-cargo flights with a capacity of up to 15 tons per aircraft to ensure businesses continuity. By the end of June, Jazeera Airways announced offering 50,000 free round-trip tickets to frontline heroes fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in Kuwait. The total value of these tickets is estimated at KD5 million, he noted. Jazeera Airways continued to operate under stringent restrictions in many countries, serving demand for travel in underserved cities, as well as launching flights in 2020 to two new destinations: Dhaka, Bangladesh and Trabzon, Turkey, he added.-TradeArabia News Service It's hoped interruptions to the water supply for homes and businesses in Drogheda, South Louth and East Meath will now dry up with the news that Irish Water has completed upgrade to Staleen Water Treatment Plant. The drinking water should also be of the highest standard too, after Irish Water invested a total of 29 million in the Drogheda, South Louth and East Meath Water Supply Schemes to upgrade the Staleen Water Treatment Plant and complete a number of other projects. This means the water supply to over 70,000 householders and business owners in South Louth and East Meath has been taken off the Remedial Action List (RAL) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The RAL identifies drinking water supplies that are 'at risk' of failing to consistently supply safe, clean drinking water. Following upgrade works by Irish Water working in partnership with Louth and Meath County Councils, extensive monitoring of the performance of Staleen Water Treatment Plant, the distribution network and reservoirs, the EPA has removed the supply from the RAL as the water supply is no longer at risk. Works were delivered on behalf of Irish Water by Murphy Process Engineering. 'Irish Water is committed to ensuring that all of our customers have safe, clean drinking water. Our team of operational, drinking water compliance and project delivery experts worked in partnership with Louth and Meath County Councils to address the issues affecting the South Louth and East Meath Water scheme bringing it to a standard where the EPA determined that it could be removed from the RAL,' said Eamon Gallen, General Manager, Irish Water. 'As a single national utility, Irish Water has been able to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of Ireland's drinking water treatment plants and to focus investment where the risk to our customers is highest. Nationally Irish Water has adopted a prioritised programme of works which has invested 2 billion to date and significant improvements are being achieved year on year by this approach right across the country. The upgrade of the Staleen water treatment plant and the extensive works carried out on the network leading to the removal of this scheme from the RAL marks real progress and safeguards the water supply for more than 70,000 people in South Louth and East Meath.' Works started on site in 2018 and included the replacement of an aging water main which was prone to bursts, enhanced treatment facilities, significantly improved controls at the plant and an upgrade of the Roughgrange Pumping Station. The Pumping Station, on the bank of the River Boyne, is amongst Irish Water's top energy users and improvement measures were implemented to significantly improve the energy efficiency and its resilience. Expand Close This picture shows the size and scale of the works involved in constructing a 2km pipeline that transfers water from the River Boyne to the water treatment plant. This new pipeline minimizes the risk of bursts. In 2017 homes and businesses served by the plant were impacted by water outages following two bursts on this pipeline. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp This picture shows the size and scale of the works involved in constructing a 2km pipeline that transfers water from the River Boyne to the water treatment plant. This new pipeline minimizes the risk of bursts. In 2017 homes and businesses served by the plant were impacted by water outages following two bursts on this pipeline. The latest report from the EPA shows that the water supply is no longer at risk from THM formation or turbidity. The addition of chlorine is necessary to adequately disinfect water supplies in order to make the water safe to drink. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water and certain water supplies can be prone to increased levels of turbidity where the water network is old and sediment which has built up over time becomes disrupted due to changes in flow, pressure, or direction. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta on Saturday suspended laws constraining security forces from detaining suspects or searching private property without court approval and ordered the arrest of well-known backers of mass protests against this month's coup. A series of announcements came on the eighth day of country-wide demonstrations against the Feb. 1 takeover and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which halted an unsteady transition to democracy that began in 2011. The announcements bore echoes of the near half-century of military rule before reforms began, when the Southeast Asian country was one of the world's most repressive and isolated states. An order signed by military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing suspended three sections of laws "protecting the privacy and security of the citizens", which had been introduced during the gradual liberalisation. Those sections include the requirement for a court order to detain prisoners beyond 24 hours and constraints on security forces' ability to enter private property to search it or make arrests. The suspensions also free up spying on communications. The statement gave no specific end date. The coup has prompted the biggest street protests in more than a decade and has been denounced by Western countries, with the United States announcing some sanctions on the ruling generals and other countries also considering measures. As anti-coup protests sprang up again in the biggest city Yangon, the capital Naypyitaw and elsewhere on Saturday, the army said arrest warrants had been issued for seven high profile critics of military rule over their comments on social media. People should inform the police if they spot any of those named and will be punished if they shelter them, the army's True News information team said in a statement. It said cases had been filed under a law which provides up to two years jail for comments that could cause alarm or "threaten tranquillity". Story continues On the wanted list is Min Ko Naing, 58, who was imprisoned for most of the time between 1988 and 2012, and who has been prominent in encouraging protests and a civil disobedience movement followed by a swathe of government workers. Reuters was not immediately able to reach him for comment. COUP OPPONENTS Others with warrants against them included "Jimmy" Kyaw Min Yu, also a veteran of the 1988 student uprising, and singer "Lin Lin" Htwe Lin Ko. "I am so proud to have a warrant issued along with Min Ko Naing. Catch me if you can," said Ei Pencilo, to her more than 1.6 million followers on Facebook. Like several others named, she worked with Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide in a November election the army alleged to be tainted with fraud - an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission. Protests in support of Suu Kyi and the election sprang up across Myanmar again on Saturday in spite of a junta call for people to avoid mass gatherings due to the coronavirus epidemic. The junta also appealed to civil servants who have been following the civil disobedience campaign to return to work, with a threat of possible disciplinary action against those who do not. The United Nations human rights office said on Friday more than 350 people have been arrested in Myanmar since the coup. Journalist Shwe Yee Win, who had reported on opposition to the coup in the western town of Pathein, was taken away by police and soldiers on Thursday and has not been heard from since, her TimeAyeyar news website and her mother said. "I am really worried," said Thein Thein, now looking after her daughter's one-year-old child. The government did not respond to requests for comment. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners voiced concern about a wave of overnight arrests. "Family members are left with no knowledge of the charges, location, or condition of their loved ones. These are not isolated incidents, and nighttime raids are targeting dissenting voices," it said in a statement. Suu Kyi, for decades the standard bearer of the fight for democracy in Myanmar, faces charges of illegally importing and using six walkie-talkie radios. NLD press officer Kyi Toe said on Facebook that she was healthy under house arrest in the capital Naypyitaw. The coup and detentions have prompted anger from Western countries and the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Friday calling on Myanmar to release detainees and refrain from using violence against protesters. The United States this week began imposing sanctions on the ruling generals and some businesses linked to them. (Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by William Mallard, Angus MacSwan and Mark Potter) Trump Acquitted in 2nd Impeachment Trial Former President Donald Trump was acquitted of an insurrection incitement charge by the Senate on Saturday. Fifty-seven senators voted to convict Trump. A conviction requires a 67 vote supermajority. All 43 senators who voted to acquit Trump are Republicans. All Democrats voted to convict him. Seven Republicans joined the Democrats. I had concerns with the lack of due process and constitutionality of this trial going in, and I voted twice to say so. But I had a duty as a juror to listen to the arguments of both sides and keep an open mind, which I did, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who voted to acquit, said in a statement shortly after the vote. After hearing the arguments presented, I voted to not convict for a number of reasons, including the fact that I dont think the Senate has the authority to try a private citizen. The House Impeachment Managers launched an unconstitutional show trial to humiliate the former President and his supporters. The Impeachment Managers have accomplished nothing but to extend the pain of the American people. They achieved one thingDonald J. Trumps acquittal, added Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), another acquittal vote. Democrats alleged many Republicans already had their minds set on acquitting Trump even before the trial started. They were clearly in the position that regardless of the evidence right they were going to vote, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told reporters after the vote. In this video image, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) speaks during closing arguments in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 13, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) The House of Representatives impeached Trump on Jan. 13 while he was still in office on a single article of impeachment, incitement of insurrection, alleging he was behind the storming of the U.S. Capitol one week prior. Democrats in the House served as impeachment managers, or de facto prosecutors, trying to convince the Senate to convict Trump on the charge. Senators, what greater offense could one commit then to incite a violent insurrection at our seat of government during the peaceful transfer of power? Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the lead impeachment manager, said during the trial. Trump not only provoked a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol, but then sat back and watched in delight as the building was attacked, he claimed, violating a sacred oath and engaging in a profound dereliction and desertion of duty. Trumps lawyers argued the trial was unconstitutional since the former president is a private citizen now and accused Democrats of showing selectively edited videos that omitted key evidence, such as Trump telling supporters on Jan. 6 to go to the Capitol peacefully and patriotically. Trump was acquitted by the Senate last year on two charges relating to a phone call he shared with Ukraines president. Trump, in a statement after Saturdays vote, said Democrats are given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance. He also said he always has, and will, champion the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate. Medics collect Covid-19 samples for residents in Hai Duong Province. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health. Fifty three people were diagnosed with Covid-19 on Saturday evening, with 49 of them contracting the disease in Vietnam. Of the 49, two were in Ho Chi Minh City, a man and a woman aged 26 and 46 and living in District 12. The man is a baggage handler at the city's Tan Son Nhat International Airport, while the woman was already isolated after being designated an F1 for being in contact with an infected person. The remaining 47 local cases were found in the northern province of Hai Duong, the epicenter of the current outbreak. Of them 43 were in quarantine as F1 and the remaining four live in areas already locked down. Four people were diagnosed with Covid-19 while entering Vietnam - an American expert, a Vietnamese returnee from the U.S. and a Taiwanese and South Korean woman each. They had been sent to quarantine upon landing in HCMC, and are currently being treated at the Cu Chi District field hospital. With the latest additions, the number of cases in the latest outbreak which began on January 28 has risen to 604 in 13 cities and provinces. Hai Duong accounts for 430, followed by Quang Ninh (59), HCMC (36), Hanoi (30), Gia Lai (27), Binh Duong (six), Bac Ninh (five), Dien Bien (three), Hoa Binh, Hung Yen and Bac Giang two each, and Hai Phong and Ha Giang one each. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who heads the coronavirus task force, said on Saturday afternoon that the Covid-19 situation in Vietnam is "basically under control" and good Tet celebrations have been ensured. All the new cases had been found in quarantine or locked-down areas, and so the risk of spread is low, he added. The Ministry of Health said the U.K. variant is responsible for the outbreak in northern Vietnam and a variant from Rwanda caused the outbreak at HCMC's Tan Son Nhat airport. Hanoi Vice Chairman Chu Xuan Dung announced on Saturday that people returning to the capital after Tet have to make health declarations. He said industrial zones need particular attention since a large number of workers would return after the holiday. Dung instructed the Department of Education and Training to decide by next Tuesday whether students could return to school after Tet or take online classes. The national Covid tally stands at 2,195 now with 35 deaths. Donald Trump has been acquitted of inciting the violent attack on the Capitol, concluding a historic trial on Saturday that spared him the first-ever conviction of a US president. The verdict, on a vote of 57-43, including seven Republicans, was 10 short of the 67 required for conviction. All 50 Democrats voted to convict Mr Trump, with the Senate having convened for a rare weekend session. The seven Republican senators were: Richard Burr of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. The quick trial, the first of a former US president, spent just five days debating in the chamber, where rioters on 6 January had ransacked the place. The former president, who in a 13-month span from December 2019 to January 2021 became the first public official to be impeached twice, responded to the outcome on Saturday. Mr Trump is now the second president to gain acquittal with a minority of the votes in his favour. (Andrew Johnson was one vote away from conviction and removal in May 1868). In a video statement, the ex-president took a victory lap by dismissing his second impeachment as another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country. Mr Trump asserted that his movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun and will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant and limitless American future. The president has shown no remorse for his actions on 6 January and in the weeks and months leading up to that day of bloodshed on Capitol Hill, despite widespread condemnation in the GOP even among those who voted not guilty on Saturday. In a floor speech shortly following the Senates vote to acquit Mr Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell conceded the former president was practically and morally responsible for provoking the attack on the Capitol that resulted in the deaths of five people, including US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president, Mr McConnell said. But the minority leaders note to fellow Republicans earlier in the day announcing his decision to acquit Mr Trump shed light on the rationale many in the GOP used when weighing their votes. At the heart of their opposition to the former presidents conviction are constitutional quibbles to which they have adhered steadfastly, despite dozens of constitutional scholars from across the ideological spectrum dismissing them as inane. While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction, Mr McConnell wrote to his colleagues on Saturday. He had been closely guarding his deliberations on the impeachment of Mr Trump for weeks. The constitution makes it perfectly clear that presidential criminal misconduct while in office can be prosecuted after the president has left office, which in my view alleviates the otherwise troubling January exception argument raised by the House, said Mr McConnell. The Senates longest-serving GOP leader however said Mr Trumps actions surrounding the attack on Congress were "a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty". He even noted that although Mr Trump is now out of office, he remains subject to the countrys criminal and civil laws. "He didnt get away with anything yet," said McConnell, who has led the Senate GOP since 2007. Managers appeal to senators sense of history Although the trial was all but guaranteed to culminate in Mr Trumps acquittal before it was even convened, the managers issued final pleas on Saturday for senators to consider both how American history textbooks would view their vote and what acquittal would mean for the future of the presidency but these fell mostly on deaf ears for Republicans. This is almost certainly how you will be remembered by history, Mr Raskin said. That might not be fair. It really might not be fair. But none of us can escape the demands of history and destiny right now. Our reputations and our legacy will be inextricably intertwined with what we do here and with how you exercise your oath to do impartial justice. During their closing argument on Saturday, the managers retraced the evidence they presented over the course of the last week. Mr Trumps speech on 6 January inciting the mob that would later overrun the Capitol was the culmination of a months-long effort by the ex-president to undermine his supporters faith in the 2020 election results and subsequently whip up their fury against Congress certification of that outcome when it had become clear Joe Biden won, the managers argued. Then, as rioters were breaking into the Senate chamber, bashing police officers with their own anti-riot equipment and sending lawmakers fleeing for their lives, Mr Trump failed to uphold order as commander-in-chief by doing nothing for hours to stop the chaos. Instead of issuing a public statement to quell the mob and order them to leave the Capitol, Mr Trump called various lawmakers urging them to wipe out Mr Bidens electoral victory, the managers alleged. The presidents dereliction of duty during the riot was part and parcel of the constitutional offence that he was impeached for, namely incitement to insurrection, Mr Raskin argued on Saturday. Mr Trumps inaction amid the insurrection provides further decisive evidence of his intent to incite the insurrection in the first place, the lead manager said. Impeachment manager Joe Neguse of Colorado exhorted senators on Saturday before their vote that the stakes could not be higher. The cold, hard truth is that what happened on January 6th can happen again. I fear... the violence we saw that terrible day may be just the beginning, he said. Impeachment manager Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania issued a similar warning. Senators, the insurrectionists are still listening, Ms Dean said. A complete charade? Mr Trumps defence counsel countered throughout the week that Mr Trump was merely exercising his First Amendment right to free speech when he told his supporters at the rally on 6 January to fight like hell for their country as they marched to the Capitol to protest Congress certification of Mr Bidens victory. While they condemned the violent insurrection at the Capitol on Saturday after declaring that there was no insurrection at various points earlier in the week they maintained that Mr Trump had nothing to do with it. They also accused the impeachment managers of pursuing their case against Mr Trump solely on the basis of a longstanding hatred of the former president. This impeachment has been a complete charade from beginning to end, Mr Trumps lawyer Michael van der Veen said during his closing remarks. The entire spectacle has been nothing but the unhinged pursuit of a longstanding political vendetta against Mr Trump by the opposition party, he said. Democrats in disgust As senators took to the chamber floor on Saturday after the final vote to acquit Mr Trump, Democrats could hardly hide their disgust to their colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Five years ago, Republican senators lamented what might become of their party if Donald Trump became their presidential nominee and standard-bearer. Just look at what has happened. Look at what Republicans have been forced to defend. Look at what Republicans have chosen to forgive, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. Mr Schumer criticised the 43 Republicans who voted not guilty, a cohort that includes his chief counterpart, Mr McConnell. The former president tried to overturn the results of a legitimate election and provoked an assault on our own government, and well over half the Senate Republican conference decided to condone it, Mr Schumer said. The most despicable act that any president has ever committed, and the majority of Republicans cannot summon the courage, the morality to condemn it. This trial wasn't about choosing country over party, even not that. This was about choosing country over Donald Trump, and 43 Republican members chose Trump. They. Chose. Trump. It should be a weight on their conscience today, and it shall be a weight on their conscience in the future. An unprecedented bipartisan verdict At Mr Trumps first impeachment trial last February, Mr Romney of Utah made history as the first senator in US history to vote to convict a president of his own party. On Saturday, Mr Romney was joined by six other Republicans who voted guilty, making the second impeachment trial against the former president the most bipartisan verdict by far. Ten GOP House members also voted with the entire Democratic majority to impeach Mr Trump, a record number to cross the aisle in that chamber. Our constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty, Mr Cassidy of Louisiana said in a video statement released shortly after the final vote. Mr Sasse of Nebraska said Mr Trump had lied repeatedly to his own supporters in the lame duck period about the 2020 election results, a pillar of the impeachment managers argument that the 6 January insurrection at the Capitol was the result of a groundswell of falsely founded anger stoked by the ex-president in the lame duck session. On election night 2014, I promised Nebraskans Id always vote my conscience even if it was against the partisan stream, Mr Sasse said in a statement on Saturday. In my first speech here in the Senate in November 2015, I promised to speak out when a president even of my own party exceeds his or her powers. I cannot go back on my word, and Congress cannot lower our standards on such a grave matter, simply because it is politically convenient. I must vote to convict. Mr Burr of North Carolina, who is retiring at the end of his term in 2022, had previously voted with the GOP minority to declare the impeachment trial unconstitutional on the grounds that Mr Trump is a former president. In a statement on Saturday he claimed to still believe that to be the case. But, Mr Burr continued, the Senate is an institution based on precedent, and given that the majority in the Senate voted to proceed with this trial, the question of constitutionality is now established precedent. After both sides had presented their evidence and closing arguments, Mr Burr concluded that Mr Trump bears responsibility for the tragic events of 6 January, which, he noted, resulted in the deaths of seven people. The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection against a co-equal branch of government and that the charge rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors. Therefore, I have voted to convict. The Galaxy Buds Live, which were launched in August last year, have a unique design but Samsungs latest earphones are a return to a more standard shape and form. Design Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro in a choice of colours. The Galaxy Buds Pro are stylish but not as unique as the kidney-shaped Galaxy Buds Live. Unlike the latter, the new Pro uses silicone ear tips and come with three different sizes. These are non-standard and have an oval shape that allows the ear tips to clip into speaker nozzle. This works similarly to Apples AirPod Pros. The touch-sensitive outer part of the earbuds has a chrome-like finish while the inside is plastic with a matte finish. Theyre available in a choice of three colours that match the new Galaxy S21 phones; violet, black and silver. Two ambient microphones, a pinhole voice mic, and a slightly larger grille are built into the touch panel and enable the noise cancellation. The charging case matches the colour of the Buds Pro and from the outside, it looks identical to the Buds Live. Comfort and fit Unlike the Buds Live which are a one size fits all style, the Pro has three size options. How well they fit is down to physics. I found the Buds Live fitted my ears well and I had no issues with them. However, the Buds Pro are a slightly better fit and feel a little more secure in my ears. Too often people dont test all the different sizes of ear tips for long enough to ensure they use the best fit for them. A good fit will improve passive noise isolation, ANC and overall comfort. Choosing the correct size for you will also optimise sound performance. Controls features The control scheme is similar to the Buds Live and configurable via the Galaxy Wear app. Currently, theres no support for the Buds Pro on the iOS version of the app but to be honest, Apple users are better off with AirPods Pro, which offer far more features for them. Touch and hold can toggle between ANC and ambient sound controls, volume up (left) down (right), voice command or launch Spotify. Its a pity this cant be changed to launch other streaming services if youre not a Spotify user. You can also control music playback or whatever youre watching as well as answering/rejecting calls. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro beside the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live. Due to the design of the Buds Pro, its easy to trigger unintentional controls while putting them in your ears. This can get annoying, especially if you have to take them in and out a lot during the day. One option which helps to negate this is the Voice Detect feature. When the Buds Pro detect youre talking, it will pause for ten seconds. This works well most of the time for quick interactions. You can turn this off in the app if you dont like it. Once the Buds Pro are in your ears the touch controls work well and its nice to be able to control volume, something you cant do on the AirPods Pro. If you dont like touch then simply turn it off, but then youll have to control everything from your phone. The Galaxy Buds Pro have IPX7 water resistance, which means youll have no problem jogging with them in the rain. Essentially, they can survive in a metre of water for up 30 minutes. Samsung doesnt advise using them in sea or pool water and the charging case is not water-resistant. Battery Life The case has a USB-C port for charging but you can also charge them wirelessly. The Buds Pro last up to five hours with ANC on and eight hours with it off for up to 28 hours total with the charging case. This isnt class-leading, but a quick five minutes of charge will give you an hour of listening time. Samsung exclusive features Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro with Galaxy S21+. Only Galaxy users with One UI3.1 can use the hands-free Bixby voice assistant, Auto-Switching between devices, Gaming mode for reduced latency and 360-degree audio, which is similar to Apple's spatial audio on the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, although I wasnt able to test this feature because it isnt available yet. You can also track down your Galaxy Buds Pro using the SmartThings app and your buds will emit a beep to help with your search or use Bluetooth to find their exact location. It works with Maps providing directions to help you find them and Offline finding, to find the last location they were used, even if theyre no longer connected to your phone. Non-Galaxy phones can use the app to find the Buds via Bluetooth as long as theyre in range. Active Noise Control The Galaxy Wearable app lets you set ANC to High or Low. To see how effective the ANC performance is I ramped up my desktop PCs fans to the max. This is the closest test I can get to simulating the sound of jet engines on a plane journey. With ANC set to high, I could just about hear the low hum of the fans which were just beside me. However, I could clearly hear the higher pitch of the key taps on my keyboard. The ANC isnt as good as the AirPods Pro but theyre a big improvement on the Buds Live. The app allows for four levels of Ambient sound mode. Medium sounds like youre not wearing any buds while Extra high is like youre wearing hearing aids. Sound Quality The Galaxy Buds feature a 6.5mm tweeter with an 11mm woofer that produces thumping bass with clear highs and distinct stereo positioning. The bass doesnt distort or muddy other frequencies even at loud volumes. You can emphasis the bass even more if you use the Bass Boost EQ setting in the app but I found Dynamic best for my broad genre of listening during testing. The Buds Pro are tuned by AKG, which is a good thing for most users but not for those who prefer a flatter sound signature. The Galaxy Buds Pros sound quality is an improvement over the already excellent Buds Live. Verdict The market is flooded with excellent earphones but if youre thinking of getting one of the new S21s then the Galaxy Buds Pro are a no-brainer. Harveynorman.ie 239 No one likes to go through a heartbreak and especially if it is a result of a relationship ending, it becomes a bitter pill to swallow. It is not a good feeling, ask anyone who has gone through it. Most often that not, you hold a grudge against your ex-partner. A woman in China proves exactly that when she decided to express her outrage towards her ex-lover with the help of an unexpected guy - delivery rider. Also read: 'People Think Im Dead': Man Discovers Grave In His Name, Blames His Ex-Wife YouTube According to Oriental Daily, the incident took place in ShangDong, China, where a food delivery rider received a rather bizarre request in an order from a customer. The order was for a cup of milk tea, but, it came with some uncommon remarks. In the remarks section of the order, the customer instructed the food delivery rider to delivery the milk tea to her ex-boyfriend and to splash the drink on his face. No need to be nice to the scumbag, just splash the drink on his face will do, the customer wrote. Also read: Telangana Bride Cancels Wedding In Between Rituals After Spotting Ex-Boyfriend At Venue You wouldn't expect the delivery rider to follow on such request, after all the consequences could end up costing him his job. But it looks like he was so selfless in fulfilling the customer's request that he did what was asked of him. The incident was caught on camera. It just had to. Once the delivery guy splashed the milk tea on the man, he immediately handed him the order receipt to show him the instructions made by his ex-lover. The delivery guy even apologised saying Sorry, I just acted based on the remarks of the customer. He even felt sorry for him and gave him tissues to clean himself up. That is just rubbing it in. Sad! YouTube As reported by Oriental Daily, the food delivery companys spokesperson gave a statement saying that the company will be conducting an investigation on the matter. They also added that the delivery rider could have rejected the order if he thought the remarks given was unreasonable. Nonetheless, that surely is a five-star delivery. Also read: Woman Blackmails Boyfriend's Ex With Morphed Photos, Extorts Rs 1 Crore From Her In the longer term, the Kuomintang is at a crossroads. Looming over the party is the question of how it will navigate the issue of Taiwans sovereignty. Most of the islands 23 million people find the concept of unification with the mainland unappealing, and many are increasingly wary of Beijings intentions. The Kuomintangs loss in last years presidential election was in part because its candidate had pushed to restore closer relations with the mainland. Two months later, after Mr. Chiang was elected to lead the party, he sought to play down the importance of the so-called 1992 Consensus, an unwritten agreement that is the bedrock of ties between the Kuomintang and Beijing. That concept, in the view of the Kuomintang, holds that there is only one China, which includes Taiwan, but that each side may interpret it in its own way. But Mr. Chiangs move quickly exposed a rift in the leadership as Kuomintang elders shot down his proposal, saying it would drastically hurt ties with Beijing. Mr. Chiang now emphasizes that being a citizen of the Republic of China, as Taiwan is formally known, does not mean one may not also identify as being Taiwanese. Around two-thirds of Taiwanese and 83 percent of Taiwanese between the ages of 18 and 29 dont identify as Chinese, according to a Pew Research survey released last year. We cant deny where people are born, Mr. Chiang said. But just because you are naturally Taiwanese doesnt mean you necessarily have to be naturally pro-independence. To sell that message, the Kuomintang will need to win over its biggest skeptics: Taiwans youth. Under Mr. Chiang, the Kuomintang in recent months has initiated a revamp. The party launched an online merchandise store and a new app, and it is ramping up its social media presence. Note: This story has been revised to include updated information about funeral services. R.C. Thor spent his professional life as a psychiatric nurse in the Army, but his passion was the stage. Even after he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease more than a decade ago and could no longer physically manage a full show, he still sang in cabarets at the Woodlawn Theatre any time he felt strong enough. Theater people are the bravest amongst the bravest people in the world, to get up there and put something up in front of people they dont know, Thor said in a 2015 interview with the Express-News. Its tough work sometimes. But its worth it. Thor died Wednesday at the age of 83. He died at home, with husband Gary Ozuna as well his brother and other friends by his side. The Parkinsons had taken a severe toll the past two years, eventually leaving him housebound and unable to stand for very long a difficult fate for a man who once cartwheeled across the stage in a production of Oliver! when he was in his 50s. He made a comment recently about Eartha Kitt, said Ozuna, who was with Thor for 18 years and who married him in 2012. It was a comment that Eartha Kitt made when she was dying. She said that she was going to kick and scream all the way to the end, and he said he was going to do that. And he kind of was until the last couple of days. Thor was born Robert Charles Thorschmidt in 1937 to a musical family in New York. He grew up performing, finding satisfaction and acclaim in attention-getting smaller parts rather than leads. Ive had supporting roles throughout my entire career in the theater, he recalled in an Express-News interview. Starting way back in high school, I was always the father, the grandfather, the older man, but I kind of liked that because it got attention, and so thats what Ive continued with all my life. After he enlisted in the Army, he spent any free time he had seeking out opportunities to perform. The Army brought him to San Antonio in 1964 to work with schizophrenic patients at a VA hospital. He struck up a friendship with fellow nurse Gertrude Baker, a force of nature who shared his love of theater. I got a call one night from her, and she said, Bob, we need you. She went to Incarnate Word College (now the University of the Incarnate Word), where she was a double-major in religious studies and theater, Thor told The Express-News. They were doing the first musical at Incarnate Word, and that was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and they needed men in the chorus. And thats why she called me. It was the first show he did in San Antonio; about 100 more followed. Thor played Fagin in a few productions of Oliver!, but was probably best known for playing Daddy Warbucks, the wealthy industrialist who adopts the title character in Annie. He played the character in the first area staging of the musical in 1984, when Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels produced it. Four more Annie outings followed, including his final show, a staging of Annie Jr. at the Josephine Theatre. People think its the only show I ever did, he said in an interview. When the Woodlawn Theatre produced the musical in 2018, director Christopher Rodriguez invited Thor to come speak to the cast. Daddy Warbucks in San Antonio is and always will be R.C. Thor, said Rodriguez, executive and artistic director of the Woodlawn. Hes iconic in that role, and had done it so many times. He came to a dress rehearsal, so all our kids were gathered around and he talked about his experiences and what the show meant to him. I know a lot of kids, still today, talk about that, and how great it was meeting this well-known performer to give them words of wisdom before they did the show. Encouraging young performers was important to him, Ozuna said. He went to shows at the North East School of the Arts and the young peoples shows at other theaters, and he made it point to chat with those in whom he saw something special. He sometimes brought them sheet music for songs in their range and pointed them to professional performers they might want to emulate. When they would ask how they could repay his kindness, he asked them to do the same thing for young performers when they grew up. The couple established a scholarship fund in Thors name administered by the San Antonio Area Foundation that benefits students at the Woodlawn Academy, the education arm of the theater. Actor Byrd Bonner, who appeared onstage with Thor in a number of shows, including a 1997 Jewish Community Center staging of Rags, spoke to him last weekend. Thor had noted that Parkinsons sometimes ravages sufferers minds, but that was not the case for him: I was amazed at how good his memory was and how quick his wit was, Bonner said. He said that one of Thors defining characteristics was his generosity. He saw as much theater as he possibly could and made it a point to chat with actors afterward, praising their performances. Through his scholarship fund, that generosity will continue to benefit young performers long after his name fades from memory, Ozuna said. They might not know who he is in 20 or 30 years, he said. Its sad. But hes still going to help them. Thor is survived by Ozuna; his brother and sister-in-law Charles R. and Elaine Thorschmidt; nephews Jonathan Thorschmidt and Charles Thorschmidt, Jr. ; and his nephews mother, Maggie Thorschmidt. The funeral, which had been scheduled for Feb. 19, has been rescheduled becauase of this weeks severe weather. It will take place Feb. 26, with visitation from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. followed by a service at Mission Park Funeral Chapel, 3401 Cherry Ridge. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Parkinsons Foundation or to the R.C. Thor Scholarship. Donations to the scholarship can be made at woodlawntheatreacademy.org. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN Lashing out at Home Minister Amit Shah, TMC's Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday, alleged that 'CAA was not going to happen in reality' while addressing a rally in 24 South Paragnas. Countering BJP's claims assuring Matua community of citizenship, Banerjee asked 'How did you become the PM with their votes?'. He also boasted that with Mamata Banerjee at the 'steering wheel', the Trinamool government will be re-elected with over 250 seats. Home Minister Amit Shah proclaims 'No Muslim will lose citizenship due to CAA', slams Oppn Banerjee: 'CAA is not happening' "PM Modi and BJP are misleading our country on CAA. They have said CAA will be implemented after the vaccination drive. CAA passed in 2019 Dec. It has been two years. Now they are saying it will be implemented after vaccination drive, it means it's not happening in reality," he said. He added, "They are promising to give citizenship to the Matuas. If Matuas are not citizens, how did you become the PM with their votes? If they are illegal, you are illegal too. You must resign. HM too must resign." Reacting to TMC veteran Dinesh Trivedi's exit he said, "Let him go to BJP's ICU, if he suffering so much." Commenting on the recent disengagement in LAC, he said, "Why don't you dare to go to Arunachal and wash off Chinese infiltrators from our land? We want strict action against the infiltrators - be it from Pak, China, Nepal, Bangladesh. Chinese are having control over Galwan valley and Prime Minister & Home Minister are saying they will drive away infiltrators from Bengal. Whom are they fooling? PM is spreading fake news and trying to win elections as he had done previously." TMC's Abhishek Banerjee lashes out at Suvendu Adhikari: 'Sold his spine to outsiders' Shah on CAA: 'No Muslim will lose citizenship On Thursday, addressing a 'Poriboton' rally in Bengal's Thakurnagar, Home Minster Amit Shah spoke on CAA assuring that no Muslim will lose citizenship due to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Lashing out at the Opposition for 'misleading people', Shah said that BJP only wished to give citizenship to people who have lived in India for 70 years. Amit Shah flagged off the fourth round of the BJP's 'Poriborton Yatra' from Cooch Behar before holding a rally in Thakurnagar. "Opposition is trying misleading people, they tell people that they will lose their citizenship. As the Home Minister of India, I want to say that no Muslim will lose their citizenship, There is no such provision in the law. We just want to give citizenship to people who are living here for 70 years and still are not citizens of this country," said Shah adding that the rules of CAA are yet to be framed and the law will be acted upon after COVID vaccination is completed. Bengal, which had witnessed violent anti-CAA protests, will go to polls in April-May. BJP balks at Abhishek Banerjee's 'language' at rally: 'Even Ravana's ego was perished' 'Will quit if Centre brings law against dynastic politics': CM Mamata's nephew dares BJP New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested a top terrorist affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) terror outfit, in connection with the killing of three BJP workers and a policeman in south Kashmir last year. The terrorist identified as Zahoor Ahmad Rather alias "Sahil", Khalid was arrested in Samba district of Jammu region. A specific information by Anantnag police led to the arrest of Rather. Rather was a resident of south Kashmir who had reportedly moved to Samba to receive an arms consignment from Pakistan. He was arrested from his rented accommodation in Bari Brahmana area during a joint raid by Anantnag and Samba police, a senior police official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The official said that Rather was involved in the killing of three BJP workers in Kulgam and a policeman at Furra village in south Kashmir district last year. He termed the arrest of the terrorist as a major breakthrough. The security officials said Rather took arms training in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2004 after which he infiltrated into India along with five foreign terrorists. He had surrendered in 2006 but joined TRF last year. However, he surrendered in 2006 but got recycled into militancy last year after joining the TRF. The interrogation of the captured terrorist is underway. Police expect to recover information which could lead to further arrests. Last week police had arrested a self-styled commander of Lashkar-e-Mustafa Hidayatullah Malik alias "Hasnain" from Kunjwani area of Jammu. The arrest of Rather is yet another success for the security forces. Live TV HOTLINE: Officials have said calls to the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center hotline, which increased during the pandemic, are starting to decrease. In this file photo, GBHWC Director Theresa Arriola, left, speaks during a Sept. 6, 2019, event at Adelup. At right is Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero. Post file photo Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 05:04:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chilean President Sebastian Pinera shows his vaccination record after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinovac at a health center in Futrono, a city in the southern region of Los Rios, Chile, Feb. 12, 2021. (Chilean Presidential Palace/Handout via Xinhua) SANTIAGO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chile's President Sebastian Pinera on Friday received the first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac against the novel coronavirus disease, along with those aged 71 and over. While visiting a community healthcare center in the southern region of Los Rios, where the president spends his austral summer vacations, Pinera joined more than 1.5 million Chileans in receiving at least the first dose of the vaccine. The president took the opportunity to send a message of confidence to the public regarding the application of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine, the one most used as part of the national vaccination drive. "I want to tell all my compatriots that this vaccine is safe, it is effective, and we have made an enormous effort to be able to vaccinate all Chileans," Pinera told reporters at a press conference after getting vaccinated. The vaccination campaign, which was launched on Dec. 24, initially for hospital staff and later expanded to the general public, offers the "hope that we are going to recover our lives, we are going to be able to once again embrace our loved ones, we are going to be able to resume our life projects," said Pinera. As of Thursday, 1,550,594 people had received the COVID-19 vaccine in Chile, part of the 5 million inhabitants in high-risk groups that are to be vaccinated in the first quarter of 2021. The nationwide campaign began with the arrival in January of two shipments of vaccines from Sinovac, which will continue to ship doses to Chile over the coming weeks. The government aims to vaccinate about 15 million people in the first six months of the year with about 35 million doses from various pharmaceutical companies. Chile is dealing with a new wave of COVID-19 infections, mainly in the north and south of the country, and reported 764,307 confirmed cases and 19,262 deaths from the disease as of Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health. Enditem The vaccination drive against COVID-19 picked up pace on Saturday as many beneficiaries who had received their first shots on day one of the exercise four weeks ago turned up to get their second dose. The second dose delivery began at LNJP Hospital as well and over 20 persons had received the second shots by noon, a senior official at the facility said. The state-run hospital, currently a partial facility, had played a critical role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi. Under the nationwide mega vaccination drive launched on January 16, a total of 4,319 (53 per cent) health workers against a target of 8,117, were administered the shots at 81 centres across the city on day one. The number of centres where vaccination was carried out on Friday stood at 257, with a turnout of about 57 per cent, as over 14,800 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots in Delhi on the fourth week of the inoculation drive. Authorities said they were all geared up for the delivery of second dose of vaccination for the beneficiaries who were given jabs in the beginning of the exercise. As per doctors, the second dose is to given to a beneficiary after a gap of 28 days. A senior doctor at the Centre for Chest and Respiratory Illness, BLK Super Speciality Hospital received his second COVID vaccine shot on Saturday, a spokesperson of the hospital said. A senior doctor at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital said, "We are all geared up for the second dose delivery." On the second scheduled day after the roll-out of the exercise on January 16, the figures had stood at 3,598 (44 per cent of the target). The sharp fall had come after one severe and 50 minor adverse effect cases were reported on the opening day of the vaccination drive. The count on third schedule day was much higher at 4,936 (48 per cent). After a sluggish start, since the exercise was kicked off January 16, the inoculation drive had picked up pace in the last several days. "On Friday, 14,843 people were administered vaccine, and AEFI (adverse events following immunisation) was reported in seven persons," a senior official of the Delhi Health Department had said. Delhi recorded 141 fresh COVID-19 cases and three deaths on Friday, even as the positivity rate stood at 0.22 per cent, authorities said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) Far-right nationalists gathered in Bulgaria's capital Saturday to honor a late World War II general known for his anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi activities. Braving sub-zero temperatures, hundreds of dark-clad supporters of the Bulgarian National Union group flocked to a central square where they had planned to kick off the annual Lukov March, a torch-lit procession held every February to the former house of Gen. Hristo Lukov. The mayor of Sofia suspended this year's procession, allowing only the laying of flowers at the house. Police split participants into small groups and escorted them. Earlier Saturday, dozens of anti-fascist activists demonstrated against the nationalist event, chanting slogans like No Nazis on our streets. A heavy police presence blocked any clashes between the two sides. Neo-Nazis and like-minded extremists have marched for almost two decades in honor of Lukov, who supported Germany during World War II and was killed by members of a resistance movement on Feb. 13, 1943. The general served as war minister from 1935 to 1938, and led the pro-Nazi Germany Union of Bulgarian Legions from 1932 until 1943. Contemporary nationalists deny that Lukov was an anti-Semitic fascist or that they are promoting neo-fascism. They claim the descendants of the general's killers are afraid of the yearly march. Human rights groups, political parties and foreign embassies have every year heatedly condemned the event. Sofia's mayor previously banned the march, but organizers repeatedly managed to secure a court order overturning the ban. On Saturday, Bulgarian National Union supporters placed a wreath and flowers in front of Lukovs former home and held torch lights in tribute. A set of performers dance under a giant dragon to the beating of drums to the enjoyment of the crowd. The University of Georgia Asian American Student Association hosted its 6th annual Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 17th, 2019 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo/ Kathryn Skeean) New Delhi: Australian Foreign Minister Julia Bishop Tuesday called for a peaceful resolution of the standoff between Chinese and Indian troops at Dokalam in Sikkim sector, an issue which she discussed during her meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior cabinet ministers. My understanding is this it is long-standing dispute ...It was a subject of discussion today. Australias position is that border disputes, territorial disputes should be resolved peacefully between the claimant countries...We dont want to see any escalation of tensions which could lead to a miscalculation or misjudgement, Bishop told a group of reporters. The visiting minister also said, In the case of maritime disputes we said it should be subjected to arbitration under the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), if necessary. Land disputes should be resolved peacefully between the competing claimants and urge the countries to do that. Earlier, during a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Bishop had condemned the Amarnath terror attack and conveyed her countrys resolve to fight all terrorism. The Australian minister also held talks with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley. Bishop talked about cooperation between India and Australia in key areas of trade, energy and defence during the media interaction. Top story of the day: Live | Monsoon session of Parliament, Day 3: Opposition targets govt over farmers' suicide, cow vigilantism First shipment is on its way, she said when asked about the status of supply of uranium to India. She also noted that all the necessary parliamentary clearances to activate the bilateral civil nuclear supply agreement had been accomplished. On India not allowing Australia to join the Malabar naval exercises, Bishop said she had not asked for an explanation from the Indian leadership. Its not upsetting, it is a question of priorities for each country...Australia conducts many exercises that India is not a part of. We said Australia would like to be part of Malabar exercises in the future. We are all working together to maintain relative peace and security and stability in our region, she said. India recently completed the Malabar exercises with the US and Japan. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Californians under 65 who have disabilities or severe underlying health conditions will be eligible for inoculation against the coronavirus starting on March 15, state officials said Friday, responding to outrage over a recent change intended to expedite the states slow rollout of vaccines. California had been delivering vaccines in tiers, prioritizing people with high-risk medical conditions over healthy adults and certain essential workers above others, but changed course in late January after the complexity of its system appeared to be slowing distribution. Under the new system, the many categories were replaced with age-based tiers. But as people with chronic illness and disabilities were displaced in line by people 65 and older, the move sparked widespread anger and confusion. Bay Area activists accused the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom of mistreatment and criticized the governor on Twitter with the hashtag #HighRiskCA. California now joins a handful of states offering eligibility to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities or people with underlying health conditions. The adjustment will extend Covid-19 vaccinations to people over 16 who are debilitated or immunocompromised by cancer or an organ transplant. It will also include those who are pregnant or suffering from chronic pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, sickle cell disease, heart conditions, severe obesity, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease that is Stage 4 or higher, and those whose life or ongoing care is otherwise likely to be threatened by Covid-19. Ghaziabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi referring to farmers as parasites " has deeply hurt the farming community, leaders of unions protesting against the Centres agriculture laws said on Saturday. They also called on the farming community to respond to the diplomatic abuses" with diplomatic punishment" by rejecting the government. The remarks came as farmer leaders Darshan Pal, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Rakesh Tikait of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha held an interaction with the press at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. The farmer leaders also announced that on Sunday torch processions and candle marches will be organised across the country to pay homage to the soldiers who have laid down their lives in line of action and the farmers who have died during the ongoing stir on the Delhi borders since November. The event will be held from 7 pm to 8 pm," the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said in a statement. Farmer leader Darshan Pal said through the "kisan panchayats", they are trying to put pressure on the government so that it accepts their demands and the protest could end. Farmers of the entire country are involved in the movement," he said. Referring to a discussion on the farmers' movement in the British Parliament, Pal said, The government should understand our problem." Balbir Singh Rajewal said the prime minister has given diplomatic gaaliyan" (abuses) to farmers in Parliament. By calling the farmers parasites, he has deeply hurt the entire farming community. The prime minister, through his statement, has given wounds to the farmers of the country that would be remembered for generations," Rajewal said. He added that the government has given diplomatic abuses" to farmers, who should reject it and give a diplomatic punishment". Chaduni claimed that with the new laws, the entire business of farming will go to big corporates and the farmers would be left to fend for themselves. He was also apprehensive that the big corporates would hoard grains in warehouses and control price of crops according to their will. Farmers are not going to leave the borders of Delhi without having their demands met by the government," he added. Tikait said the protesting farmers are guests of Delhi" who will keep coming to the national capital and going back to their homes to look after their farms. We are holding farmers meetings across the country and will keep doing it until the demands are met. We are ready for talks with the government but the channel would remain samethe Singhu border," Tikait said. He also said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will provide a list of questions to farmers who will pose these to their elected representatives. He called on farmers to keep the momentum of the protests going, along with keeping an eye on their farms. The farmer leaders also expressed concern over protesters missing" since the January 26 violence in Delhi and those arrested by police in connection with the probe into the incident. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) The Land Transportation Office is hoping to secure funds to rehabilitate its vehicle inspection centers, a top official said Saturday. During a 'Laging Handa' briefing, LTO Administrator and Transportation Assistant Secretary Ed Galvante said the government did not allot funds for the rehabilitation of motor vehicle inspection centers or MVICs, adding that the agency still wants to pursue the project. "Kahit hanggang ngayon patuloy kaming nanghihingi, in case na magkaroon ng pondo para mai-rehabilitate ang LTO's motor vehicle inspection centers," he said. [Translation: Until now, we're still asking, in case there will be funds, so we can rehabilitate LTO's motor vehicle inspection centers.] Galvante did not mention the location of MVICs. But based on the website of the Department of Transportation, the government used to operate a 12-lane MVIC at the LTO East Avenue office in Quezon City but "fell into disrepair with its testing equipment suffered from a lack of budget for maintenance and calibration, and needed spare parts." The MVIS along East Avenue was rehabilitated in 2007 but the regular maintenance and calibration of testing equipment were not carried out due to lack of funding, the DOTr said. Galvante said while the new motor vehicle inspection system is no longer mandatory following the order of President Rodrigo Duterte, motorists still have to have their vehicles checked at LTO's inspection centers in East Avenue and Pasay City. Under the old system, the roadworthiness test will rely on visual and manual inspection since the equipment are worn out. "Ang inspection sa LTO, patuloy na isasagawa. 'Yan ang daan para makita kung ang sasakyan ay roadworthy," he said. [Translation: We will continue the inspection at LTO. That's the only way to determine if a vehicle is roadworthy.] This comes as the vehicle inspection program faced criticisms after privatization, where motorists had to shell out 600 to 1,800 with additional fees for reinspection. Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers or PMVICs have decided to cut down inspection fees: 600 for light vehicles, motorcycles 500, and jeepneys 300. In a statement on Saturday, Senator Grace Poe, who heads the committee on public services, wants the blue ribbon committee to launch a probe on the DOTR's deals with PMVICs. "Magrerekomenda rin kami na ang Senate blue ribbon committee ay dapat imbestigahan ang mga transaksyon na kaduda-duda dito sa mga Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers...," she was quoted as saying in the statement. [Translation: We would also recommend that the Senate blue ribbon committee should investigate suspicious transactions here at Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers.] The process, she added, was "anomalous" as the DOTr did not conduct any bidding. Vehicle inspection is a task mandated by the DOTr and passing it on to the private sector may have legal infirmities, Poe said. Wexford business Dulann has been announced as a finalist in this year's National Enterprise Awards, an initiative of Local Enterprise Offices (LEO), which will be held virtually on Thursday, February 11. Dulann was selected to represent LEO Wexford at the awards and will compete against 29 other finalists for a prize fund totalling 50,000. Founded by Damian Donlon, the company is a digital transformation business that aims to deliver efficient, compliant and safer workplaces via its cloud-based e-learning and online management systems. Clients have included Danone, Adare Manor, Jones Engineering and Boston Scientific. Wexford has featured strongly in the competition over the years, with Innovate in Gorey taking the overall National Enterprise Awards title in 2012, and Harte Outdoor Lighting winning the South East Regional Award in 2019. Now in their 22nd year, the awards celebrate small businesses and recognise excellence in exporting, sustainability and innovation. There are eight regional awards and an overall National Enterprise Awards winner. Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD said that looking at the list of winners, finalists and participants through the years, it is easy to be inspired by the 'talented' businesses and people who are the 'backbone of outstanding Irish entrepreneurs', many of whom are trading successfully across the globe. 'This year's finalists are no different, with some exceptional companies shortlisted,' he said. Liz Hore, head of Enterprise at LEO Wexford, said it has been a challenging year for small businesses, with the awards a chance to highlight positive stories and businesses that have excelled in the face of unprecedented challenges. 'These businesses have been through a rigorous process of judging, auditing every aspect of their business, and this in itself can be a huge benefit to them as they plan for the future,' she said. Cllr Ger Carthy, chairman of Wexford County Council, wished Dulann the very best of luck in representing Wexford in the National Enterprise Awards. 'Dulann is an excellent example of a business which has adopted innovative technologies to pivot its business in the growing health and safety sector, creating local jobs here in Wexford,' he said. The LEOs are funded by the Government through Enterprise Ireland and are a resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Contact LEO Wexford at 053 9196020 or email info@leo.wexfordcoco.ie. Dehradun, Feb 13 : Rescuers on Saturday were busy widening a hole in a tunnel to find 25 to 35 trapped people in the disaster-hit Tapovan project area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. Top government and police officials said there was no big breakthrough yet in the rescue work which entered the seventh day. "We have made a hole but we can't say it is a big breakthrough unless we find something concrete," said a top police official. But officials claimed the rescue work had been speeded up with the installation of some additional machines like excavators. Presently, the rescuers are working on two strategies - drilling a hole vertically downward and also digging and excavating debris and sludge inside the tunnel. Meanwhile, two more bodies were recovered on Friday taking the death toll to 38. Nearly 200 people went missing after the Sunday morning deluge. "The rescue work inside the tunnel is on in full swing," said Navneet Bhullar, commandant of the SDRF, who is camping at Tapovan site. However, there is still no contact with the trapped people inside. Two days ago, rescue workers had started drilling the tunnel vertically downward. But within hours, the drilling work was intermittently disrupted due technical reasons. Rescuers made another attempt last night and made a small hole vertically downward. Ever since the excavation and digging work began inside the tunnel, the rescuers had been working on multi-pronged strategies in their desperate bid to open the blocked tunnel. After days of digging and excavation work, jawans of the Army, ITBP, NDRF and SDRF, who are engaged in the rescue works, had managed to open a sizable portion of the tunnel. But the presence of heavy silt and sludge inside the tunnel slowed down the excavation and digging work, top government officials said. Rescuers also consulted NTPC officials to understand the complicated design of the tunnel. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Facebook's Oversight Board has taken up a new case related to a user's post that was shared from a Punjabi-language online platform and contained insinuations against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Prime Minister While the post was initially taken down for violating Facebook's community guidelines, the company later restored the content. The Oversight Board is an independent body set up by last year to look into hate speech and other undesirable content on the platform. Previously, the Oversight Board had undertaken five cases, including one from India wherein a user had called for violence against French President Emmanuel Macron over a cartoon of Prophet. In that particular case, the Board has overturned Facebook's decision to remove the content. The latest case involves a post that was shared by a user in November last year. The post included a 17-minute video with captions making negative comments on RSS, BJP and Modi. The post was viewed less than 500 times and taken down after a single report for violating Facebook's Community Standard on Dangerous Individuals and Organisations. After the user submitted an appeal to the Board, identified the removal of this post as an enforcement error and restored the content. The user alleged that the comment repeated the video's substance and reflected its tone. The user questioned why the video still remained on the platform if there was an issue with the content. The user also complained about the giant restricting their ability to post, and suggested that accounts be restricted only when users engage in threatening, criminal or misleading activities. The Oversight Board will now review the matter. The body also invites the public to comment on the cases that have been taken up. has, in the past, faced criticism in many parts of the world over various issues, including its handling of content and data breaches. It set up the independent body for content moderation in a transparent manner. The Board's decisions are binding on Facebook and Instagram (which is owned by Facebook). Each of the cases are assigned to a five-member panel, including at least one member from the region implicated in the content. The Board expects to decide on each case, and for Facebook to have acted on this decision, within 90 days. Once the Board reaches a decision on these cases, Facebook will be required to implement the decisions as well as publicly respond to any additional policy recommendations that it makes. In May last year, the Board announced the names of 20 members, including Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice Chancellor of the National Law School of India University. In the previous case pertaining to India, Facebook had referred a case wherein a user had called for violence against French President Emmanuel Macron over a cartoon of Prophet. The Board overturned the decision by the social network to remove the post. "While the company considered that the post contained a veiled threat, a majority of the Board believed it should be restored...A majority of the Board found that restoring the content would comply with Facebook's Community Standards, its values, and international human rights standards," Oversight Board statement on the website said on Friday. This decision should only be implemented pending user notification and consent, it added. The Board also recommended that Facebook provide users with additional information regarding the scope and enforcement of restrictions on veiled threats. This, it said, would help users understand what content is allowed in this area. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Woodrow Adams Jr. is trying to help his family rebuild after a five-alarm fire in Worcester claimed the lives of his grandmother and uncle and left his father with serious injuries. Adams, an officer at the Worcester courthouse and well known in the community for supporting youth, has launched a GoFundMe page with a goal to raise $100,000 for his family. As a result of the 5 alarm evening blaze on Friday February 12, 2021 we lost my grandmother and uncle. The fire also destroyed my parents, grandparent and family friends belongings, the GoFundMe page reads. Flames broke out Friday night at two three-decker homes at 13 and 11 Jaques Ave. Fire officials said a person escaped the blaze by jumping from the rear porches of 13 Jaques and was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center with serious injuries. Firefighters searched inside while others battled the blaze from outside the buildings amid frigid cold temperatures. When conditions deteriorated, firefighters had to be pulled out, Deputy Chief Martin Dyer said. It took an hour of dousing the building with water before firefighters could reenter 13 Jaques Ave. The two victims were found on the first floor. Adams father is at the hospital with severe burns and a broken pelvis, according to the GoFundMe page. My family means so much to the neighborhood/community and now I ask for your help. Any donation would be greatly appreciated. GOD BLESS, the page reads. One of our beloved court officers Woodrow Adams and his family suffered a horrible tragedy last night in the fire on Jaques Avenue. Not only is Woody a beloved member of the courthouse community, but he gives back so much. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Woodrow and his family pic.twitter.com/bHzkstPPDI Joseph D. Early Jr. (@worcesterda) February 13, 2021 Related Content: Google users are currently complaining about a new bug that tells them to update their apps with security features that don't exist. What does this mean? CNET reported that Apple previously updates its App Store's policies and regulations, which really affected the app industry. The previous change of rules was specifically conducted so that developers of new applications and current apps will disclose their user data tracking activities. However, it was previously rumored that Google is exempted from the Apple App Store update since the tech giant manufacturer still hasn't released a report that would reveal its user data tracking habits. What does Google's new bug show? According to The Verge's latest report, Google hasn't updated any of its iOS apps for the past few weeks. Speculations claim that Google is avoiding potential criticism from what might be revealed from Apple's new mandatory App Store privacy labels. Also Read: 'The Great Suspender is Blocked off Google Chrome Because of Malware Problems-Here Are The Alternatives! However, there is no proof to support the idea that the new bug is intentional. Google users started complaining about the new bug last Feb. 10, explaining that they are receiving a message that prompts them to update their apps with security features that are not yet released or don't completely exist. "You should update this app," reads the message, as stated in CNET's latest report. "The version you're using doesn't include the latest security features to keep you protected. Only continue if you understand the risks," the message added. However, a Google spokeswoman confirmed that it is just a bug and that the company didn't release the message intentionally. What exactly is Apple's new nutrition labels? Apple released its new App Store update last December 2020. The iPhone manufacturer's innovation was specifically released for developers so that they will allow the public to see their user tracking habits. If the developers successfully disclosed their app's tracking records, they will receive Apple's new nutrition labels, which will tell the people about the app's tracking activities. Users will know what data will an app track if they download it. This includes financial information, contacts, and browsing history. However, some of the tech giant companies are not happy about Apple's decision. "Apple may say that they're doing this to help people, but the moves clearly track their competitive interests," said Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg. For more news updates about Google and its upcoming applications, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Google Phases Out User-Tracking Cookies, May Pursue FLoC as Replacement This article is owned by TechTimes. Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. TRUMBULL The life of Nero Hawley reads so much like a movie script it seems hard to believe Hollywood hasnt filmed it. Born into slavery and given away as a wedding gift at age 17, he served with distinction in George Washingtons Continental Army before becoming a prominent businessman and landowner, all while spending two decades emancipating five other members of his family. For a Black man at that time to be in business and own property was a really big deal, said Lois Levine, president emeritus of the Trumbull Historical Society. He owned property all over town, was active in his church. If he had been white, he would have been first selectman. Hawley was born in the Tashua area, then part of Stratford, in 1742 and was one of about 25 slaves in the area. From birth, he was the property of Peter Burr Mallet, according to From Valley Forge to Freedom: A Story of A Black Patriot, a biography of Hawley written by E. Merrill Beach and published in 1975. Beach was the first president of the Trumbull Historical Society and wrote several books about town history in addition to donating the land that would later become Beach Memorial Park. Neros story has so many interlocking parts with modern day Trumbull, said history teacher Meredith Ramsey. It is fascinating that he was continually able to reinvent himself. Ramsey, a Trumbull native and a society board member, teaches history in Wilton. She also has spent the past few years researching Nero Hawleys life and developing a program designed to bring his story to Trumbull school children. The African American voice is sadly lacking in history, she said. Many people played a huge role in this countrys founding, and they just dont get the recognition they deserve. Not much is known about Hawleys early life. In 1758, Mallets daughter Phebe married Daniel Hawley and the couple received Nero as a wedding gift from Mallet, along with a house and barn and 20 acres of land from Daniels parents. The house still stands along what is today Daniels Farm Road, according to Hawley Family geneologist Pam Hawley Marlin. It really opens peoples eyes to learn that there was slavery and a slave trade in Connecticut at that time, Ramsey said. Mallet, one of Tashuas earliest settlers, was known to have owned numerous slaves and traded them during the French and Indian War, according to Beach. Two years after giving Nero to his daughter and son-in-law, Mallet died of smallpox at age 48. In his will, he ordered his slaves, possibly including Neros mother and other family members, sold. During the next 19 years, Nero Hawley worked in Daniels saw mill and clay pit, gaining expertise that he later put to use for his own benefit and his familys. He married Peg, who was a slave of the Rev. James Beebe, in 1761. Though he remained the property of Daniel Hawley, Nero lived on Beebes farm and worked in his mill. He and Peg had four children over the next 16 years. The turning point in Nero Hawleys life came on April 20, 1777, when he made the 25-mile trip to Danbury and enlisted in the 2nd Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army in Daniel Hawleys place. By signing up for the duration of the war, Nero was entitled to a bonus, and he earned a salary of $6.67 per month, about $164 today, according to Beach. During his time in the army, he was present at some of the most important events of the war, Ramsey said. His regiment engaged the British at the Battle of Monmouth, he was with the army during the winter at Valley Forge. His unit was at West Point during Benedict Arnolds betrayal. Interestingly, during the Revolutionary War, Black soldiers served in fully integrated units, according to the U.S. Army. Emancipated in 1782 after his war service, Nero Hawley, then 41 years old, returned to Daniel Hawleys farm as a hired hand but by 1785 had purchased five acres of land including a clay pit along modern day White Plains Road with money he had saved, combined with his army pension. Nero Hawley also purchased a small house, described as a cabin-like structure near Daniel Hawleys house, from Beebe. The clay pit and kiln, used to bake bricks, were located near the current Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Ramsey said. Some of the bricks, uncovered during the construction of the Route 25 connector in 1974, are on display at the historical societys museum. Many still bear scorches from being heated and cured in the kiln. When the workers uncovered them, they brought them to Mr. Beach, and he knew right away based on where they were found, that they had to be from Nero Hawley, Levine said. These were actually loaned to the Smithsonian, which put them on display for a while before returning them. The income generated by the brick-making business, along with several properties around town, allowed Nero to buy Peg and two of his children out of slavery. His two youngest children were probably freed around 1801 by Beebes widow. Beebe himself had died in 1785. A census of Trumbull in 1800 listed four slaves and 31 free Blacks, out of a total population of 1,291, according to Beach. Following the emancipation of his family, records of Hawleys life become more scarce, but he did purchase a wooded plot near current day Hedgehog Lane for use in timbering. He later sold that land to Joseph Plumb, a fellow Revolutionary War veteran. The final land transaction of Nero Hawleys life came in 1807, when he and a small group of other men bought a lot next to Daniel Hawleys property to be used as a burial ground, according to Marlin. The land eventually became Riverside Cemetery, and when Nero Hawley died in 1817, at age 75, he was buried there. Peg Hawley, who died in 1833, is also buried there. Ramsey said it was important to keep the Nero Hawley legacy alive, especially to Trumbull students. He really had an incredible life and he impacted so many aspects of the town, she said. To come from slavery and see how he and his family made a life for themselves right here where they are now. This story needs to be told. We're bringing this movie to the pan India audience with a vision of creating cinema that will entertain the masses, producer Dil Raju says. Telugu film star Ram Charan is collaborating with celebrated filmmaker Shankar for a pan-India movie, the makers announced on Friday. Produced by Dil Raju, known for backing Telugu hits Dil, Arya, Bommarillu, Nenu Local, the yet-untitled film will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Check out the announcement here Excited to be a part of Shankar Sir's cinematic brilliance produced by Raju garu and Shirish garu. Looking forward to #RC15 ! @shankarshanmugh @SVC_official #SVC50 pic.twitter.com/SpjOkqyAD4 Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) February 12, 2021 Raju said he is elated to team up with Charan and Shankar for the project. We are bringing this movie to the pan India audience with a vision of creating cinema that will entertain the masses, the producer said in a statement. Besides this film, Charan, 35, will be seen in director SS Rajamouli's much-anticipated period action movie Rise Roar Revolt (RRR) and in a supporting role in his father Chiranjeevis Telugu action-drama Acharya. Raju has two Hindi remakes scheduled for release Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jersey and cop thriller Hit with Rajkummar Rao. He is also producing Telugu courtroom drama Vakeel Saab, starring Pawan Kalyan, which is a remake of Amitabh Bachchan-Taapsee Pannus Pink. (With inputs from Press Trust of India) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A Montgomery man wanted in the shooting death of a 24-year-old man in the city earlier the week was taken into custody and charged with murder Friday, days after he was involved in a car chase and wreck with authorities in the Florida panhandle, police said. Michael Conway, 29, suspected in the Sunday murder 24-year-old Pervis Martin, Jr., was taken into custody by Montgomery police Friday. Conway fled from a Holmes County, Florida sheriffs deputy pursuing him Monday for allegedly driving a car that had been stolen in Bonifay, the sheriffs office said. Conway avoided a set of spike strips and crossed into Alabama, causing the car to leave the road and overturn. The chase ended near Geneva County Roads 61 and 67, near the Florida border, authorities said. He was taken into custody by Montgomery police on Friday and taken to the Montgomery County Detention Facility, said Montgomery police spokeswoman Sgt. Saba Coleman. Martin suffered a fatal gunshot wound around 10:40 p.m. Sunday. Montgomery police and fire medics responded to the 1200 block of Eastern Boulevard on a call of a person shot. Martin was pronounced dead at the scene. 21 runners killed during mountain race in northwestern province of Gansu; Indian variant of Covid-19 found in Guangzhou; Beijing willing to arrange for vaccines to be sent to Taiwan May 28, 2021 08:15 PM US Senate votes to acquit former President Donald Trump on impeachment charges The US Senate voted Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump on impeachment charges of incitement of insurrection. The charges stem from the January 6 coup attempt in which Trump organized a violent mob to storm the US Capitol with the aim of overturning the 2020 presidential election. While lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin declared that the trial would determine Will we be a democratic nation? the Democrats acted throughout to cripple the prosecution, seeking to shield Trumps Republican co-conspirators and other forces within the state that aided the former president. The Democrats refused to call witnesses despite winning a vote to do so after the release of new evidence that Newsweek called the smoking gun in the trial. On Friday night, Washington Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican, released a statement making clear that Trump actively supported the insurrectionists in a phone conversation with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was Antifa that had breached the Capitol... McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. Thats when, according to McCarthy, the president said: Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are. In the most significant portion of her statement, Herrera Beutler urged other witnesses to come forward, adding, To the patriots who were standing next to the former president as these conversations were happening if you have something to add here, now would be the time. Herrera Beutlers statement followed another from Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican ally of Trump, that he had spoken with Trump as the coup was in progress, informing him that Vice President Mike Pence had been removed from the chamber. I said, Mr. President, they just took the vice president out, Ive got to go. The two statements demolished the lie put forth by Trumps lawyers that he was horrified about the events at the Capitol and was not informed about the imminent danger to Pence. These revelations sparked demands within the Democratic Party to call witnesses in the trial. After calling for a vote to bring witnesses, which succeeded, 55-45, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Democrats had decided not to call witnesses and instead to merely read into the trial record part of Beutlers statement. Within a matter of hours, the trial had concluded. Democratic cowardice leaves Trumps Republican conspirators unscathed The defense team for Donald Trump in his impeachment trial before the Senate rested its case after only two-and-a-half hours Friday afternoon. The Senate proceeded to questions for the two legal sides, which are expected to conclude today. This will be followed by a vote on the charges, which will likely fall well short of the 67 votes required for conviction. Michael van der Veen, lawyer for former President Donald Trump, second from left, bumps fists with someone as they ride on a Senate subway after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Trumps defense doubled down on the arguments it had advanced throughout. His lawyers claimed that Trump was merely exercising his First Amendment right to free speech when he spoke at a rally before the January 6 insurrection. They asserted that in calling on the fascistic mob to fight like hell prior to the storming of the Capitol, his only intention was to encourage a peaceful protest. They said that the fact that the coup attempt was the outcome of extended planning somehow exonerated Trump of responsibility for inciting it. His legal team was brazen in its lies and had outright contempt for the entire proceedings. At one point, a lawyer for Trump claimed that the first rioter arrested on January 6 was a member of Antifa, a lie manufactured out of whole cloth. The Trump team presented an 11-minute video of Democrats and others using the word fight, as if this could be compared to Trumps months-long effort to overturn the results of the election, culminating on January 6. As always, the Republicans take advantage of the Democrats spinelessness, which is driven fundamentally by their political strategy and the class forces for which they speak. The Democrats are a party of Wall Street and the military. Their principal concern, throughout the Trump administration and at every point of the pre-election and post-election crisis, has been to block the growth of opposition in the working class that would threaten the interests of the financial oligarchy. This has dictated the manner in which they have conducted the impeachment. The purpose of the trial should have been to expose what Philip Roth would have called The Plot Against America. Such a trial would have been aimed at revealing the role of not only Trump, but his network of co-conspirators in the Republican Party and the state apparatus. It would have brought to light the political forces and social interests behind the coup plot, and it would have explained the aim of the operation itself: the nullification of the 2020 elections and the establishment of a presidential dictatorship. What was most glaringly absent in the Democrats case was any reference to the conspiracy of which January 6 was the product. Trumps plot was falsely presented as a conspiracy of one, excluding the 147 Republican members of Congressincluding the majority of House Republicanswho joined him in attempting to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The Democrats never sought to explain precisely what Trump was trying to achieve and what would have flowed from it. On Friday, when one senator asked what would have happened if Trump was successful in overturning the results of the election, Representative Joaquin Castro, the Democratic manager who replied, simply ignored the question. The Democrats case was pitched entirely to the Republican senators in the room, that is, the very individuals who promoted the lies used to provide political cover for the January 6 events. Not a single Democrat had the courage to point an accusing finger at the Republican senators, who doodled on notepads and put their feet up as the House managers presented their initial case, and bluntly state: All of you who condoned and legitimized Trumps lies, who supported his claim that the election was stolen, functioned as his political accomplices in the preparation of the coup detat. Far from exposing the Republicans, a significant portion of the trial was devoted to extolling them. Strange New Respect for Mike Pence, the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal remarked on Thursday. Hes a patriot, a man of faith and courage, Democrats now say. The newspaper cited the comments of Joaquin Castro, who called Pence a man who upholds his oath, his faith, his duty, and most of all upholds the Constitution. A moment later Mr. Castro called Mr. Pence a patriot. Other Democrats concur. Vice President Pence had the courage to stand against the president, tell the American public the truth, and uphold our Constitution, said Stacey Plaskett, the delegate for the Virgin Islands. That is patriotism. Rep. Ted Lieu said Mr. Pence stood his ground, like our other brave officials stood their ground. He added: Vice President Pence showed us what it means to be an American, what it means to show courage. The Democrats grotesque praise for the reactionary Pence, who played a central role in supporting Trump up to the moment of January 6, is in line with the entire political strategy of the Biden administration. In the more than five weeks since January 6, Bidens central preoccupation has been to prevent the coup attempt from causing any lasting damage to the Republican Party. It was necessary to have a strong Republican Party, he insisted at a press conference on January 8. His remarks on Inauguration Day were dominated by the call for unity and bipartisanship. On Friday, after the prosecution concluded its case, Biden reiterated his hope that Republican senators will stand up and vote for impeachment. Im just anxious to see whetherwhat my Republican friends do. Whether they stand up, Biden said. Both the Democrats and Republicans have also worked to ensure that the Senate trial will be as short as possible. Senators on both sides seem eager to end the trial quickly, Vox noted on Thursday. Democrats made a decision not to call witnesses to provide testimony under oath, either in the House of Representatives as it was preparing the charges or during the trial in the Senate. No Democrat has sought or even raised the prospect of calling as witnesses leading members of the fascistic groups who helped organize the January 6 events, Republican Party officials who promoted them, or the sections of the military and police apparatus that are in open sympathy with the fascists. What the Democrats have proven in the process is that if the fascists had managed to seize hostages, they would have agreed to negotiate a peaceful solution with their friends and colleagues across the aisle, conducted these talks with their customary spinelessness and made endless concessions, which probably would have resulted in accepting the overturn of their victories in key states and handing the election to Trump. And while all these talks were going on, Trump would be in the White House and, having declared a state of emergency, be ruling by decree. The Senate impeachment will end without any of the political ringleaders in the White House and Congress being held accountable, including Trump himself. And it is highly doubtful that there will be any further hearings organized by the Democrats into the coup. The Democrats have confined the impeachment to their bad Trump theory of American politics because any serious examination of the underlying social and political conditions that have brought the United States to the edge of dictatorship would require an exposure not only of the Republican Party, but of the consequences of unprecedented levels of social inequality, decades of unending war, and the homicidal policy of the ruling class in response to the pandemic, which has left nearly half a million people dead. The main lesson that emerges from the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is what the World Socialist Web Site concluded from the Democrats refusal to oppose the theft of the 2000 election: There exists no significant constituency for democratic rights within the ruling class. This is even truer today than it was two decades ago. The defense of democratic rights and opposition to fascism is inseparable from the development of a movement of the working class against capitalism. As Rosa Luxemburg insisted, there can be no socialism without democracy, and there can be no democracy without socialism. NORTH CHARLESTON A fiber optic installation company is moving its regional office from the Midlands into a regenerating area of the state's third-largest city. An affiliate of Castle Rock, Wash.-based Wolf Line Construction recently bought a vacant 7,029-square-foot building and adjacent empty lots around 1831 Reynolds Ave. for $858,400, according to the commercial real estate firm NAI Charleston. The company now operates in Lexington near Columbia, but plans to relocate its office to the Lowcountry to help grow its workforce after finding a building that suited its needs, said Colin Garner, vice president. Wolf Line plans to spend about $750,000 to renovate the one-story, brick-and-concrete-block building, he said. The structure currently is set up with four separate units, but the firm will reconfigure it into a single space. The company employs about 100 workers nationwide, with about six workers in the Lexington office. Garner will move to Charleston, and he expects the firm to grow and continue to add employees. The business is now working to get plans and permits approved so it can start construction and move in by this summer. Garner said the company chose that location because it fit its needs. "It's the size that we need, it's a nice location and we didn't need to be down on the peninsula," Garner said. "We also believe we will find more talent in the Charleston area because it's growing so much." The company has another regional office in the northern part of Michigan in Boyne City, according to its website. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! $40,000 price hike An oceanfront residential community on Kiawah Island has sold more than 75 percent of the shared inventory in its 21 units, and the price of remaining stock will jump by $40,000 on Feb. 15. The Timbers Kiawah Ocean Club and Residences opened in 2018 after being developed by Timbers Resorts, which is based in Winter Park, Fla. Three of the units are penthouse residences that are sold out. For the remaining 18 three-bedroom units, some inventory remains for one-ninth deeded ownership interest. The price is expected to increase Feb. 15 to $625,000 from $585,000. Owners also must pay an annual assessment for items such as taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and management. Part of the fees will go toward a future reserve fund for the buildings' upkeep. Buyers must stay a minimum of five weeks, but they can stay longer depending on availability. During 2020, sales increased 30 percent over 2019, with 11 transactions in December alone as people continued to seek privacy and safe havens from the coronavirus. Timbers Kiawah is not a timeshare as defined by state law. Ownership is purchased as a fractional deeded real estate interest that can be financed, willed, placed in a trust or owned by a designated legal entity. Rentals aren't permitted. WASHINGTON The Senate on Saturday acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that exposed the fragility of Americas democratic traditions and left a divided nation to come to terms with the violence sparked by his defeated presidency. Barely a month since the deadly Jan. 6 riot that stunned the world, the Senate convened for a rare weekend session to deliver its verdict, voting while armed National Guard troops continued to stand their posts outside the iconic building. The quick trial, the nations first of a former president, showed how perilously close the invaders had come to destroying the nations deep tradition of a peaceful transfer of presidential power after Trump had refused to concede the election. Rallying outside the White House, he unleashed a mob of supporters to fight like hell for him at the Capitol just as Congress was certify Democrat Joe Bidens victory. As hundreds stormed the building, some in tactical gear engaging in bloody combat with police, lawmakers fled for their lives. Five people died. The verdict, on a vote of 57-43, is all but certain to influence not only the former presidents political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Seven Republicans joined all Democrats to convict, but it was far from the two-third threshold required. The outcome after the uprising leaves unresolved the nations wrenching divisions over Trumps brand of politics that led to the most violent domestic attack on one of Americas three branches of government. Senators, we are in a dialogue with history, a conversation with our past, with a hope for our future, said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa.., one of the House prosecutors in closing arguments. What we do here, what is being asked of each of us here in this moment will be remembered. Trump, unrepentant, welcomed the his second impeachment acquittal and said his movement has only just begun. He slammed the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. Though he was acquitted, it was easily the largest number of senators to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty of an impeachment charge. Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. Even after voting to acquit, the Republican leader Mitch McConnell condemned the former president as practically and morally responsible for the insurrection. Trump could not be convicted because he was out of office, McConnell contended. The trial had been momentarily thrown into confusion when senators suddenly wanted to consider potential witnesses, an hours-long standoff Saturday that stalled the momentum toward a vote. Prolonged proceedings would be politically risky, particularly for Bidens new presidency and his emerging legislative agenda. Coming amid the searing COVID-19 crisis, the Biden White House is trying to rush pandemic relief through Congress. Biden has hardly weighed in on the proceedings and was spending the weekend with family at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland. The nearly weeklong trial has delivered a grim and graphic narrative of the riot and its consequences in ways that senators, most of whom fled for their own safety that day, acknowledge they are still coming to grips with. House prosecutors have argued that Trumps was the inciter in chief stoking a months-long campaign, and orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims they called the big lie that unleashed the mob. Five people died, including a rioter who was shot and a police officer. Trumps lawyers countered that Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again. The senators, announcing their votes from their desks, were not only jurors but also witnesses. Only by watching the graphic videos rioters calling out menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the January certification tally did senators say they began to understand just how perilously close the country came to chaos. Many senators kept their votes closely held until the final moments on Saturday, particularly the Republicans representing states where the former president remains popular. Most of them ultimately voted to acquit, doubting whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Just look at what Republicans have been forced to defend, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Look at what Republicans have chosen to forgive. In closing arguments, lead prosecutor Michael van der Veen fell back on the procedural argument that Republican senators have embraced in their own reasoning of the case what he said is a phony impeachment show trial. Mr. Trump is innocent of the charges against him, said Michael van der Veen. The act of incitement never happened. The House impeached trump on the sole charge of incitement of insurrection one week after the riot, the most bipartisan vote of a presidential impeachment. The delay Saturday came as senators wanted to hear evidence about Trumps actions during the riot. Fresh stories overnight focused onRep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, who said in a statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters. Fifty-five senators voted for to consider witnesses, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah. Once they did, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina changed his vote to join them on the 55-45 vote. But facing a prolonged trial with defense poised to call many more witnesses, the situation was resolved when Herrera Beutlers statement on the call was read aloud into the record for senators to consider as evidence. As part of the deal, Democrats dropped their planned deposition and Republicans abandoned their threat to call their own witnesses. Impeachment trials are rare, senators meeting as the court of impeachment over a president only four times in the nations history, for Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and now twice for Trump, the only one to be twice impeached. Unlike last years impeachment trial of Trump in the Ukraine affair, a complicated charge of corruption and obstruction over his attempts to have the foreign ally dig up dirt on then-campaign rival Biden, this one brought an emotional punch displayed in graphic videos of the siege that laid bare the unexpected vulnerability of the democratic system. At the same time, this years trial carried similar warnings from the prosecutors pleading with senators that Trump must be held accountable because he has shown repeatedly he has no bounds. Left unchecked, he will further test the norms of civic behavior, even now that he is out of office still commanding loyal supporters. This trial in the final analysis is not about Donald Trump, said lead prosecutor Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. This trial is about who we are. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Friday it had signed an agreement with Pfizer pharmaceutical company to acquire 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine through 2021 UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th February, 2021) The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Friday it had signed an agreement with Pfizer pharmaceutical company to acquire 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine through 2021. "This supply agreement allows UNICEF to procure doses out of the up to 40 million doses that have been secured under the COVAX Facility's Advance Purchase Agreement (APA) with Pfizer/BioNTech to be available throughout 2021," the statement said. Countries that were allocated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses in the COVAX allocation will start receiving the vaccine as early as the first quarter of 2021, the statement said. It added that UNICEF has been cooperating with partners to ensure that governments have ultra-cold chain storage required to store and distribute coronavirus vaccines. The COVAX facility is a global initiative to provide the world with coronavirus vaccines affordable to all countries. It aims to distribute at least two billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021. NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating MDC Partners, Inc. ("MDCA" or the "Company") (MDCA) relating to its proposed merger with Stagwell Media LP. Under the terms of the agreement, MDCA shareholders are expected to receive 26% of the common equity post-transaction. The investigation focuses on whether MDC Partners, Inc. and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, and 2) whether the proposed transaction undervalues the company. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/mdc-partners-inc. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. About Monteverde & Associates PC We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2019 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases. If you own common stock in MDC Partners, Inc. and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405 New York, NY 10118 United States of America [email protected] Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC Related Links http://www.monteverdelaw.com Flash Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, on Friday kicked off its celebrations of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox, with a variety of virtual events. Citywide celebrations of the Chinese New Year, which have turned online due to COVID-19 pandemic this year, remain basically the same, as people from afar can join in thanks to the virtual format. For years, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Center has hosted a concert celebrating the Lunar New Year to a packed audience. This year, a greeting video and a joint performance by musicians from the China National Traditional Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra are released online on Friday, the Chinese New Year Day. The Art Institute of Chicago, which usually organizes hands-on activities and performances for the Lunar New Year celebration, has introduced a virtual tour of artworks with the theme of "stay strong and bullish in 2021." "Different from the past, we can show artworks from different countries that are not necessarily on display," Tao Wang, curator of Chinese Art of the institute, told Xinhua. "Through blog articles, social media posts, and cellphone wallpaper designs, we are celebrating the diverse history of the ox worldwide," said Wang Yuanzhe working with the art institute. "To foster togetherness in the spirit of Lunar New Year." The Chinese American Association at Greater Chicago (CAAGC) is scheduled to stage an online performance Friday night, when more than 60 local groups and organizations will participate. "We're in the midst of the pandemic. We want this year's event to focus on sending warmth and cheers to everyone," said Jan Zheng, president of the CAAGC. The event will be accessible anywhere in the United States. Zheng said the CAAGC had received video greetings for the Lunar New Year celebration from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and congress representatives. Earlier, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a proclaim marking Feb. 12 a day of celebration for the "Chinese Lunar New Year of the Ox in Chicago" and encouraging "residents of all background and ages to join in celebrating this rich and vibrant tradition." The annual Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown on the south side of Chicago won't take place this year, but the lion dancers will go from business to business on Sunday, Feb. 21, and stage a final performance in Chinatown Square. "The pandemic has affected our way of celebration, but it won't prevent us from celebrating the Chinese New Year," said Zheng. In a first, the University of Oxford has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of its COVID-19 vaccine in children. The study would test the efficacy of the vaccine that it developed along with AstraZeneca Inc., on children between ages six to 17 years. As of now, the Oxford shot has been granted approval in various nations including the UK, Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico and Morocco amongst others. According to Sky News, the Oxford researchers will use 300 volunteers to assess whether the coronavirus vaccine will produce a strong immune response in the children. The trials are set to begin later this month at Oxford University and its partner sites in London, Southampton and Bristol. For the purpose of the study, researchers will give vaccine shots to 240 children with the rest of them being given a control meningitis jab. Professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, Speaking to Sky News, stressed that although there was less chance of young kids getting affected by COVID-19, it was crucial to establish safety and immune response to the vaccine in children as some may benefit from vaccination. Since the initial report, the virus has hammered the United Kingdom with the caseload of infection surging to 4,013,799 and 116,287 fatalities. Read: COVID-19 Jab Against Variant To Be Prepared By Autumn, Profits Doubled: Oxford-AstraZeneca Read:Covid-19: WHO Supports The Use Of Oxford Vaccine 'even Against Variants' WHO support Oxford shots Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended using the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, even for the countries who are battling the new variants of coronavirus. The organisation further said that the vaccine could be used in people aged over 65. Seen as the vaccine of the world, the vaccine is cheap and can be mass produced and stored in a standard fridge. This comes in response to a report that alleged that the AstraZeneca vaccines were less effective against mutant of coronavirus first detected in South Africa. WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) has found out that the vaccine is effective against the South African variant. Read:Oxford/AstraZeneca Jab Shows 'reduced Efficacy Against African Variant Of Coronavirus' Read: Oxford To Run Trial Alternating Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines In UK, The First Of Its Kind Image: AP Teachers will not have to rank Leaving Cert students this year as part of assessing grades the new system being worked on for the 2021 edition, a big union has claimed after talks with the Minister for Education. The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) made that claim in a statement announcing their return to talks on how the Leaving Cert will be held in 2021. ASTI had pulled pull out of negotiations in recent days. The teachers now say they have received commitments including a guarantee on the ranking which was part of the Calculated Grades process last year after talks with Minister Norma Foley. On 11th February, the ASTI says it withdrew from ongoing bilateral discussions regarding a new phase of planning for the State Examinations 2021 to include both Leaving Certificate examinations and also to explore a corresponding non-examination process. It says that at subsequent engagements with the Minister for Education Norma Foley and her officials, the ASTI raised its concerns about doubts that had been put forward regarding the staging of additional component elements of this years Leaving Certificate examinations (coursework, orals, practical exams, etc.) and the consequent relegation of the Leaving Certificate to a secondary position. A union statement issued at noon on Saturday explained why it is going back into talks. "The Minister was unequivocal in her statement of commitment to holding the Leaving Certificate this year. "On that basis, the ASTI believes that doubts regarding the staging of additional component elements of this years Leaving Certificate Examinations have been substantially alleviated. We expect the Minister to ensure that they will take place," it said. The ASTI said it has also raised the issue of what teachers claim is a lack of data available in many schools to base and inform the parallel/corresponding measure which the Minister is seeking to put in place alongside the Leaving Certificate. "The Minister has committed to working with stakeholders to strengthen the position in this regard," said the statement. The union highlighted the specific committment on the ranking which rankled many teachers in 2021. "The ASTI said it has been assured that the requirement for teachers to provide a list of their students in rank order of merit, like they did last year, will not feature in any corresponding/parallel measure that may be implemented this year. Under the ranking system used in Calculated Grades, schools provided each student at each of their subjects and levels an estimated mark and rank order within their class group. The rank order was the students position in their class group relative to the other students in their class at that subject and level as indicated by their school. ASTI says it will engage constructively. "On the basis of the foregoing, the ASTI will now re-enter the bilateral discussions process. We will continue to constructively engage to seek to ensure ways are found to facilitate this years Leaving Certificate students in moving on with their lives," it said. Before the ASTI decision, the Department of Education issued a statement after meeting with the President and General Secretary of the ASTI, Ann Piggott and Kieran Christie. "The Minister reaffirmed her strong belief that the process of confidential engagement with all stakeholders agreed last Friday remains the best forum to advance discussions. She extended an invitation to the ASTI to reengage in this process. "Minister Foley expressed her confidence that the collective wisdom of all stakeholders can ensure that a pathway forward can be found. "Discussions continued with all the other partners today and will continue throughout the weekend. The Minister again reiterated her commitment to providing clarity and certainty to students at the earliest possible time," concluded the statment. Minister Foley also met with the President and General Secretary of the TUI, Martin Marjoram and Michael Gillespie to discuss progress. The CSSPA (Catholic Secondary School Parents' Association) said it was generally supportive of the position taken by the ASTI in withdrawing from discussions on Leaving Cert 2021 pending a guarantee that future talks will focus on the Ministers stated objectives of planning for examinations and scoping out a corresponding measure. "As we have not been consulted by either the Minister or the Department of Education & Skills it is fair to assume from the ASTIs position that the lack of data would make the delivery of a true Calculated Grades process non-viable and certainly most unfair to students. "Whilst some may see this as a negative, it is fair to say that the desire of the ASTI is to help students attain the best outcome of their Leaving Cert Exams," said a statement. As parents we are also calling on the Minister: (1) to publish the departmental evaluation of Leaving Cert 2020 and lesson learned, and (2) to focus a meaningful discussion on Leaving Cert 2021 which will allow students the experience and credible outcome that they so rightly deserve. Amanda Burke can be reached at aburke@berkshireeagle.com , on Twitter @amandaburkec and 413-496-6296. Rome, Feb 13 : Former head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi has formally accepted the role of Italy's next Prime Minister and will be sworn in on Saturday. Draghi has named his cabinet after meeting the Italian president. He has secured the support of almost all the main political parties, following the collapse of the previous administration last month, the BBC reported. It was thrown into chaos amid a row over how to spend EU coronavirus recovery funds. Italy is still grappling with the pandemic and is also facing its worst economic crisis in decades. The country has recorded more than 93,000 deaths, the sixth-highest death toll in the world. After receiving the support of the largest group in parliament, the Five Star Movement, Draghi now has backing across the broad political spectrum. It means he will have a large enough majority to push through his agenda. A senior figure in the Five Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, will stay on as foreign minister in his cabinet. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Giorgetti, a senior figure in the populist far-right League party, will be industry minister. Andrea Orlando, from the centre-left Democratic Party, will be labour minister. The government faces a confidence vote next week -- a formality given its cross-party backing. An economist with experience at the highest levels of the European Union and as governor of the Bank of Italy, Draghi is being seen as a safe pair of hands. "Mario Draghi was the Italian who saved Europe, and I think now he is the European who can save Italy," former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told the BBC's Newshour programme last week. The previous prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, resigned in January after his party lost support for its coalition government over plans for spending EU recovery money. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday came down heavily on the Congress party after it blamed the Centre for not fulfilling the dreams of the Kashmiri pandits post the abrogation of Article 370, asking if the party was even fit for raising that demand after 70 years of their rule. "We were asked what did we do about promises made during abrogation of Article 370. It has been 17 months since the abrogation & you are demanding an account for it. Did you bring the account of what you did for 70 years? Had you worked properly, you need not have asked us," said Amit Shah. "I have no objection, I will give an account for everything. But those who were given the opportunity to govern for generations should look within if they are even fit to demand an account," he added. Amit Shah also clarified claims around the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, refuting allegations that the Bill was to prevent the restoration of statehood in the UT. "Many MPs said that bringing Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 means J&K won't get statehood. I am piloting the Bill, I brought it. I have clarified the intentions. Nowhere it's written that J&K won't get statehood. Where are you drawing conclusion from?" asked the Home Minister. Read: Rajnath Singh To Make Statement On Current Situation In Ladakh In LS Amid Disengagement Read: Adhir Ranjan Questions HM Shah Over J&K; Asks 'when Will You Bring Back Kashmiri Pandits?' Congress raises issue of Kashmiri pandits in LS This comes after Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury questioned the NDA government in the House asking when it would give the 200-300 acre land that it had promised in its manifesto, to the Kashmiri pandits. "Amit Shah ji, you'd said that you'll bring back Brahmins. Did you succeed in bringing back Pandits? You say you'll bring back Gilgit Baltistan. It's a matter for later. But at least bring back those who were internally displaced, those who can't go to Kashmir valley," said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. "You didn't succeed in giving 200-300 acres of land to Pandits. In your election manifesto, you'd promised that you will bring back Pandits. Did you succeed? You should at least say, 'raat gayi to baat gayi, election gaya to vaada gaya'. You should clarify your stand," he added. In the budget session of the Parliament, the Congress has also raised the demand to restore an elected government in the UT, a demand that has been put forward by the J&K NC, PDP, Apni Party, and others. During his speech, retiring Rajya Sabha LOP, Ghulam Nabi Azad had praised the J&K administration for holding the DDC polls, panchayat polls in the Union territory while asking for the restoration of statehood saying, "Now, there is no excuse left to have an elected government in J&K. In a sensitive border state like J&K, local MLAs are necessary. In a state which is affected by Pakistan and China to have local elected representatives is important for security". The Centre has assured that this will be done in due course of time. Read: Rahul Gandhi Uses Family Planning Slogan To Target PM Modi; Misinterprets Farm Laws In LS Read: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Counters Rahul Gandhi's LS Speech, Calls Him 'Doomsday Man Of India' (With Agency Inputs) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Laid-Off Worker Launches Coffee Roasting Company in Orange County TRABUCO CANYON, Calif.At the start of 2020, Azerone Perkins was looking forward to his best year ever. Hed just been given a company car to use, along with a hefty performance-based raise, by a Southern California company that provided cold-brew coffee to tech companies and theme parks. Business was booming, and the future looked bright for the 32-year-old former Vanguard University track star and El Toro High School class president. Then came the pandemic. For a natural cold-brew coffee company that supplied restaurants and offices and theme parks, our business got hit super hard, Perkins told The Epoch Times. I was working six days a week. When the pandemic hit, I was laid off. The respite gave Perkins time to contemplate his future. I was praying to God and trying to figure everything out, and then it dawned on me. I had this impression that I know a lot about coffee from my last job, and thought, Why not start my own coffee business and take it a step further? Perkins joined thousands of fellow Californians who applied for business licenses last year, up 22 percent from 2019, as budding entrepreneurs statewide have taken advantage of the unexpected calamity to revive long-dormant dreams and start enterprises of their own. Azerone Perkins roasts coffee beans for his new business in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Sample cups of roasted coffee beans line a table in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) A Silver Lining After Perkins lost his job, tough times followed. He joined thousands of other Californians seeking unemployment assistance, hoping to keep his pregnant wife and son financially afloat until he could find work. He never did. The small family eventually had to move into his parents home in Trabuco Canyon to avoid paying rent. The move made Perkins realize what he had been missing. It was the first time I had ever spent so much time with my family. Up until that point, I had not ever spent a solid week with my son, he said. I was sacrificing my life at work, and I didnt realize how much it affects my relationship with my wife, and I didnt realize how it was affecting my relationship with my kid while we had another one on the way. Unable to find work and with plenty of time on his hands, Perkins decided to apply the expertise he had acquired at his previous job. He honed in on roasting his own coffee beans, a major part of the preparation process often overlooked by people who enjoy coffee. Perkins began by experimenting patiently with small batches of beans purchased wholesale from distributors. He kept detailed notes, monitoring precise roasting temperatures, times, amounts, and other artisanal details. Eventually, he determined his own optimal roasting conditions, perfecting the preferred taste by cooking beans in smaller batches and recording the heat temperatures that worked best. After months of experimenting and perfecting his craft, Perkins was finally readyand Thundercat Coffee Roasting Company was born at the start of 2021. Azerone Perkins and his family stand in front of the garage where he roasts coffee beans in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Starting From Scratch Launching a new company in the middle of uncertain times takes courage, but Perkins had help: A generous investor helped him assemble a strong team, including a brand designer and financial planner. Perkins remains undaunted. There are a lot of challenges for us ahead, but I have a dynamite team Im a part of, and we shall overcome, he said. People are staying home and afraid to go out, he added, stressing the need for new businesses to adapt their models accordingly. This is a new world. This pandemic has a new regard for how business is done in the world, Perkins said. People and businesses have been strongly impacted, and we have to change and adapt to the culture. The question I ask myself is: How do we cater to what people need during this time? For now, Perkins said he personally delivers all orders in Orange County or San Diego, while shipping all others. Within six months, he hopes to establish enough of an online presence to hire his first employee, obtain business space, and scale up output. In the meantime, hes negotiating exclusive orders with four businesses in Orange County and another in Maryland. During the roasting process, Perkins remains focused and undistracted. The songs of Frank Sinatra fill the air in his parents garage, which doubles as his studio, the sounds mixing with the sweet scent of coffee beans from Ethiopiathe source hes chosen for the current batch. Its origin-specific, you know, he said of his flavors. Were not doing blends, at least not yet. Perkins is currently sampling beans from all over the world; eventually he hopes to partner with a specific coffee farm. As he churns the beans, Perkins uses a temperature gun to maintain the perfect roasting level, confident he will deliver the best-tasting coffee. Im excited for people to taste this fresh delicious coffee that Im roasting and hearing feedback on it because its so freaking great, he said with a cavalier smile. He said he expects people to fall in love with his product, just like he has. A New Wave of Entrepreneurs On Feb. 4, Perkins reached a milestone: his first sale. The 1-pound bag sold for $15, following an email blast letting people know he was open for business. The sale was made to someone who quickly texted back, letting him know they wanted to be his first customer. What started as just a thought became a reality with that first sale, he said. It was a monumental step going from an idea, forming a team, and obtaining investments. Perkins said he hopes to stick with his Southern California roots, so he can bless his community and neighbors with the quality coffee he thinks they deserve. I think if people love handcrafted kinds of beverages and food, Orange County and San Diego is where youre going to find those people who love that style, he said. And were giving you that quality of coffee. As Perkins wrapped up a session of roasting, his wife and children came out to join him. They played in the driveway as he prepared to clean up his work spacesomething that couldnt have happened a year earlier when he worked for his former company. Coffee gets you in a certain mindset to tackle whatevers in front of you, and thats my favorite thing about coffee, Perkins said. I can enjoy a horrible cup of coffee or a great cup of coffee; its the feel of it [that] helps me get into a certain frame of mind. For now, Perkins said he is roasting around 5 pounds of beans per week, but expects that amount to grow as word-of-mouth and social media campaigns take hold. He especially hopes local essential workers discover his online presence soon. My goal is to be able to get this fresh cup of coffee to people who are working, and working in the essential worker world, he said. If they are in Orange County or San Diego, hes likely to bring it to them personally. Thundercat Roasting Coffee Company is now accepting online orders at Thundercatroasting.com, or people can follow its journey on Instagram at @ThunderCatRoasting. Then-President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump step out of Marine One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Jan. 20, 2021. (Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images) Melania Trump Announces Creation of Personal Office First Lady Melania Trump on Feb. 12 announced the creation of a formal personal office. Mrs. Melania Trump is announcing the opening of The Office of Melania Trump. Please follow this account for news and updates, a message from a Twitter account titled Office of Melania Trump states. Trump retweeted the message from her verified Twitter account. The message is the first public statement from the first lady since she briefly addressed a farewell crowd during President Donald Trumps last day in office. She had also issued a lengthier pre-recorded farewell message on Jan. 18 in a video posted on social media. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as First Lady of the United States. I have been inspired by incredible Americans across our country who lift up their communities through their kindness and courage, goodness and grace. The past four years have been unforgettable, the first lady said in the address on Jan. 18. She also praised and thanked members of the military and law enforcement. The Trumps have been out of the public spotlight after Jan. 20 and amid the impeachment trial. People in the familys orbit have said both the president and first lady may begin to have more of a public profile after the trial. During her service, the first lady created and promoted the Be Best campaign focused on the wellbeing of children and efforts against cyberbullying and opioid abuse. President Donald Trump announced the creation of The Office of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 25. The Office will be responsible for managing President Trumps correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism, a statement from the office says. President Trump will always and forever be a champion for the American People. Trump made his first political move after leaving the White House on Jan. 22 when in a phone call he endorsed Kelli Ward, a former Arizona state senator who was later reelected as the Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman. Trump also released a statement late Jan. 25 endorsing his former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her campaign for Arkansas governor. The announcement of the Office of the Former President came shortly before the House of Representatives delivered a single impeachment charge to the Senate late Jan. 25. The incitement of insurrection charge claims that Trump was responsible for inciting an insurrection that resulted in a group breaking into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. European doctors are snubbing the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after a concerted EU campaign casting doubts on its effectiveness. Mild 'side effects' including high temperatures and headaches have been reported by a small percentage of medical staff on the continent, despite there being no evidence of such occurrences in the UK, where the jab has been rolled out even more widely. As Brussels missteps in its vaccine procurement process became clear, and it demanded that AstraZeneca ramp up supplies to Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to 'manage demand' for the vaccine by questioning its effectiveness in the over-65s. 'What I can tell you officially today is that the early results we have are not encouraging for 60 to 65-year-old people concerning AstraZeneca,' he said. And the German regulator also raised questions by failing to approve it for the over-65s. Both statements were based on the relatively small number of over-65s in the original clinical trial of the Oxford vaccine. But their claims have been debunked by the World Health Organisation last week which officially recommended the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for people over the age of 65 and said it should be used 'without an upper age limit'. It came after scientists slammed spurious claims published in German newspapers Handelsblatt and Bild which said government sources had warned the jab only appeared to be eight per cent effective but didn't publish any data to prove it. Oxford University rubbished the report, saying there was 'no basis' for the allegation, and that their data has already been 'released transparently'. AstraZeneca, manufacturing the jab on behalf of Oxford, said it was 'completely incorrect'. And scientists added they had 'no idea' where the figure has come from, adding that it was not proved by research on the vaccine. Despite EU rancour last month, the European Medicines Agency, the Bloc's regulator, then granted approval to the AstraZeneca vaccine for all age groups. Furthermore, Oxford researchers said the jab appears to be between 62 and 90 per cent effective in the adult population in general. Despite the growing evidence, however, scepticism remains in large areas on the continent. Source: Dailymail Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Donald Trump before boarding Marine One at the White House, on May 29, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Facebooks Trump Ban an Example of Uneven Standards, Republicans Tell Oversight Board Republicans in Congress told Facebooks oversight board that the social media companys suspension of former President Donald Trump is an example of uneven deplatforming standards. Top House GOP members, including Reps. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), told the board in a letter that they see violent speech published from all parts of the political spectrum on social media platforms, including Facebook, pointing to calls for the murder of police officers from the far-left Antifa network and a top Iranian official promising violence against the United States. The debate about how to effectively deal with these and other individuals is necessary and important, the lawmakers wrote. However, we remain concerned that the deplatforming standards are not applied in a fair and neutral manner. Republicans referred to a report compiled by a team led by former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), about conservative concerns with Facebook, alleging the report found numerous issues that resulted in a clear political bias against conservative viewpoints. They also noted that Facebook limited a story about President Joe Bidens son Hunter from being shared shortly before the 2020 election, claiming it contained disinformation, even though subsequent reporting confirmed many of the points presented. That incident showed Facebook had a clear preference for the Biden-Harris campaign, the lawmakers said. Leaked footage from a Facebook meeting held after Biden was sworn into office showed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg praising some of the Democrats early executive orders. Instances where conservative viewpoints have been censored, blocked, or diminished harm the free exchange of ideas and irreparably damage conservative Americans faith in the fundamental fairness of purportedly neutral actors like Facebook, the lawmakers wrote. To effectively enforce content moderation rules in the public domain, Facebook must act in an impartial manner or risk delegitimizing its efforts to prevent violence and hate. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees joint hearing in Washington on April 10, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Facebook suspended Trump in early January, while he was still in office. The company at the time said the suspension would last indefinitely. The company has since referred the decision to the oversight board, an independent entity, and has agreed to abide by the boards decisions. In its first set of rulings, the board overturned four Facebook actions and upheld one. The oversight board, which includes lawyers, current and former journalists, rights advocates, and academics, announced in late January that it would accept comments regarding Trumps suspension. In its announcement, the board said Facebook raised two issues related to the case: Considering Facebooks values, specifically its commitment to Voice and Safety, did it correctly decide on January 7, 2021, to prohibit Donald J. Trumps access to posting content on Facebook and Instagram for an indefinite amount of time? Facebook also requested the Boards observations or recommendations on suspensions when the user is a political leader. The board plans to decide on Facebooks suspension by April. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree expanding the list of Ukrainian companies that have economic sanctions imposed on them in connection with unfriendly actions of Ukraine. The document was published on the official portal of legal information on Friday, TASS reports. The document introduces amendments to Appendix No. 2 to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 1, 2018 No. 1300 on Measures to implement the decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 592 of October 22, 2018. In the original version of the document, the list of legal entities subject to special economic measures consisted of 68 companies. Later it was expanded to 75 entities. Now the list comprises 84 companies. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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You dont need to comment on this, it is a personal advice to you. My mother said that each morning I should pray for my tongue. So I will leave it there, learn to pray for your tongue and learn to manage your mood and temperament because there is some potential ahead of you as a young person......So, pray for your tongue. I just think that you should be able to manage it, you didnt need to be provoked, he urged. This was after the Minority leader monitored the posture of the former Education Minister while answering some questions put to him during his vetting in Parliament on Friday, February 12. when the Honourable Ablakwa and Suhuyini were questioning you, I was not particularly happy with your mood. Mood because scrutiny of this nature as observed by one congresswoman is to look at knowledge of subject matter, IQ, temperament and service to the Ghanaian people. What they sought to do was that in the past, maybe call it exuberance, you probably before assuming office must have had your own view about who you succeeded. But I noticed that you were not particularly happy and you were finding it difficult to retract even when it was necessary" Haruna Iddrisu told Mathew Opoku Prempeh. In response, Napo as the Minister-designate is popularly called said: Thank you Minority leader, I take the advice for all of us. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video HAMPTON, Iowa The former manager of a Franklin County convenience store has been found not guilty of embezzling. Ronald Scott Nichols, 38 and now living in Waterloo, was charged with 2nd degree theft and accused of stealing $2,614.03 when he failed to deposit the days proceeds from the Git-N-Go in Hampton on November 22 and December 5 in 2019. Nichols pleaded not guilty and after a one-day trial where the jury deliberated for just 21 minutes, he was acquitted. National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye has called for former President John Dramani Mahama to mount the witness box in the stead of the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa. The Supreme Court, on Thursday, February 11, dismissed request by Lead Counsel for John Mahama, petitioner in the ongoing election petition, to have Jean Mensa testify before the court. Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata had argued that it will be appropriate for the EC Chair to be in the witness box because it's her responsibility to account for her conduct but her Lead Counsel, Lawyer Justin Amenuvor raised objections. The court ruled that it will not yield to the invitation to order Mrs. Jean Mensa and Mr. Peter Mac Manu as witnesses for the First Respondent which is the Electoral Commission and the Second Respondent, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as cited by the petitioner in the court case. . . simply put, we are not convinced and will not yield to the invitation being extended to us by Counsel of the petitioner to order the respondents to enter the witness box to be cross-examined accordingly we hereby overrule the objection raised by the counsel for the petitioner against the decision of the respondents declining to adduce evidence in this petition," Chief Justice Anin Yeboah declared as the Supreme Court dismissed Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata's request. Meanwhile, the petitioner has filed a motion to open his case which his legal team initially closed prior to the Supreme Court ruling on whether or not Jean Mensa should mount the witness stand. Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, during Thursday's hearing, said; We will now seek your Lordships permission to reopen our case in order to have a subpoena on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. My Lords, we know that we can issue a subpoena without leave but since we have closed our case on the assumption that she will be (in the witness box).so we intend to file a formal motion. Responding to the petitioner's request to subpoena the EC Chair, Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye, popularly called Nana B, states emphatically that the person supposed to be in the witness box should be the petitioner. He argued that Mr. Mahama is the one challenging the election verdict and so the proof of burden lies on him to testify before the court. He found it intriguing that Mr. Mahama hasn't put himself up to witness for his own case. "If there's anybody to mount the witness box, it should be His Excellency the former President John Dramani Mahama," he stressed on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video New Delhi, Feb 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will conclude BJP's 'Poriborton Yatra' in poll-bound West Bengal by addressing a rally in Kolkata in the first week of March. BJP's national secretary and co-incharge for West Bengal, Arvind Menon, told IANS that a large number of people are expected to attend the Prime Minister's rally in Kolkata. Menon said that the fifth and last phase of Poriborton Yatra will be flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on February 18 from Kakdwip in the Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency before culminating in Kolkata with the Prime Minister's rally. "A large number of people are expected to attend the Prime Minister's rally in Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground. The yatra will pass through 51 Assembly constituencies of West Bengal," Menon said. He added that the date for the Prime Minister's rally has not been finalised yet, but it will be fixed in the coming days. Menon pointed out that the yatra will pass through the strongholds of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and his nephew Abhishek Banerjee's parliamentary constituencies. Following the healthy turnout in the recent rallies held by the BJP leaders in the state, the saffron party is confident of uprooting the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal. "The writing on the wall is clear that the Mamata Banerjee-led government is going and the BJP is coming to power in West Bengal," Menon said. The elections for the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly are likey to take place in April-May this year. Riding high on its impressive performance in the 2019 general elections in which the BJP won 18 of the state's 42 seats, the saffron party has set a target to win over 200 seats in the coming Assembly polls. "The voters want change, which is clearly visible across the state. If Mamata Banerjee can't understand the mood of the people, no one can help her," said Menon. As many as four Poriborton Yatras are currently going on in different parts of the state. "Several senior leaders are addressing public meetings in every Assembly constituency through which the yatras are passing," said a party leader. On February 11, Home Minister Amit Shah had flagged off the fourth phase of Poriborton Yatra from Cooch Behar. Most black evangelicals say 'people like them' will gain influence under Biden, poll finds Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A new report from Pew Research Center suggests that even though evangelicals as a whole think they will have less influence in the Biden administration, a majority of black evangelicals predict that they will gain influence as a result of the change of power in Washington. The study, based on the responses of adults from several religious denominations in the United States, was conducted between Jan. 8 and Jan. 12 as part of Pews American Trends Panel, which is based on a sample of 5,360 respondents with an error margin of 1.9 percentage points. Respondents were asked if they thought people like them will gain or lose influence in Washington during the Biden administration, which had yet to take office when the survey was administered. A majority of nearly all groups surveyed predicted that people like them would lose influence in the Biden administration, which commenced when President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20. Overall, 24% of respondents predicted that their religious demographics would gain influence in the Biden administration. Meanwhile, 36% predicted that their religious group would lose influence in the new administration and 39% said that people like themselves would not be affected. Black Protestants and black evangelicals were the only two religious groups where most adherents surveyed predicted that they would gain influence in the Biden administration. Among both groups, 55% said that they expected people like them to gain influence with Biden taking office, while 39% anticipated that their influence in Washington would not be affected by the change in administrations. Just 4% of black Protestants thought they would lose influence, while 5% of black evangelicals said the same. By comparison, only 9% of white evangelicals predicted that they would see their influence in Washington increase in the Biden administration, while 63% anticipated seeing their influence wane. About 26% of white evangelicals predicted that their influence in Washington would not be affected by a new president taking office. The divergent responses from black and white evangelicals regarding their influence in the new presidency reflect the groups dramatically different preferences in the 2020 presidential election. Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, the co-convener of the National African-American Clergy Network, explained during a recent conversation on the religious divide in the U.S. that white evangelical Christians and black Protestant Christians are two of the most religiously active groups. But she stressed that they are totally opposite in their politics and their core beliefs, almost as though theyre serving a different God. According to CNN exit polling, 76% of white evangelicals voted for President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, in the 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, 87% of black voters supported Biden. A plurality of white mainline Protestants surveyed by Pew (47%) agreed with their evangelical counterparts that they would lose influence in the Biden administration. Only 14% thought they would gain influence, while 38% did not anticipate a change in the influence they would have in Washington. Among Catholics, 25% said that they expect to gain influence in Washington with Biden in the White House, while 34% told Pew that they thought they would lose influence. About 41% of Catholics foresaw no change in influence. Biden, himself a practicing Catholic, has faced criticism from church leaders over his support for abortion rights, which contradicts church teaching. About 46% of white Catholics predicted that people like them would have less influence during a Biden administration, while just 14% thought they would have more influence. Hispanic Catholics were more optimistic about their influence during a Biden administration, with 38% predicting they would have more influence in Washington and 16% expecting a declining influence. In both cases, the remainder of Catholics did not predict an impact one way or the other. Those unaffiliated with any particular religion were split on whether they would gain or lose influence in the Biden administration. Twenty-six percent predicted that they would gain influence in Washington, while 27% thought they would lose influence. A plurality of religiously unaffiliated respondents (47%) did not think their influence in Washington would change with the new administration. While 7% of Republicans and independents who lean Republican thought they would gain influence under Biden, nearly two-thirds (66%) said they would lose influence. At the same time, 40% of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic expect to gain political influence in the new administration compared to 10% who thought they would lose influence. Half of Americans expect that evangelical Christians will lose influence in the Biden administration, with white evangelicals themselves the most pessimistic about their influence in the new administration. Just 5% of white evangelicals predicted an increased influence in Washington compared to 72% who expected a decreased influence, and 20% said their influence would not be affected. Black Protestants were split about their views of evangelical Christians influence on the new administration, with 27% predicting that evangelical Christians will have more influence with Biden at the White House. Majorities of white Catholics (50%), whites (59%), Protestants (56%), white mainline Protestants (61%), men (57%) and Republicans (65%) believe that evangelical Christians will have a smaller influence in Washington under President Biden. Pluralities of women (44%), unaffiliated voters (47%) and women (44%) said the same. Meanwhile, a plurality of Catholics (44%), Democrats (47%) and blacks (48%) think that evangelical Christians influence in Washington will not be affected by a new president. A majority of Hispanics (51%) agreed. But 2019 was a normal year. In 2020, the majority of us had to spend a lot of time cooked up in the same (most of the time very cramped) space with our better halves, and a lot of steam must have built up. So a simple ride in a Russian Gvozdika 432 might not be enough this time.What we need is something like tank paintball. You know, that activity where you shoot small balls of paint at friends and lovers, only with bigger balls of paint, and tanks.Such an experience is also on the TrackDays menu. It involves a 17-ton FV432 as the main dish, and 40 mm paint rounds as seasoning. The modified war machines lack the things that might actually harm your better half, but feature modified cannons capable of firing the said spices.The experience, which seems to be as Valentines friendly as any other this February, involves a crew of three taking turns in operating the tank, loading and aiming the cannon, and ultimately firing it and all your frustrations at some targets, including an opposing team equipped with the same hardware.The great thing about this whole thing is that it all happens just as in real life, inside the tank, with military hardware and equipment all around - radio headsets, kevlar helmets, tank suits, periscopes and all that..All you have to make sure, after a full year of living together, is that your significant other lands in the enemy tank, and not yours. Its even more cramped in there than in your home, and a lot of metal parts lying around...The entire ride is not all that expensive. You get all of the above, and an experience lasting about two hours, for 140 ($193 give or take). Last year also marked tremendous efforts in industry and trade to fulfil the tasks assigned by the Party, the National Assembly, and the government, making significant contributions to achieving the countrys socioeconomic development targets in 2020. Here are the 10 top highlights of the year. 10 hallmarks for the industry and trade sector in 2020, photo Le Toan 1 - Breakthroughs in international integration International integration was a brilliant highlight of industry and trade activities in 2020. Never before had Vietnam in a single year joined three major free trade agreements (FTAs) of an unprecedented market size the EU-Vietnam FTA, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the UK-Vietnam FTA bringing the total number of FTAs involving Vietnam to 14. According to experts, through constant and profound tariff cuts, the FTAs connect Vietnam to a large playing field with GDP value accounting for 60 per cent of the global GDP. In 2020, as ASEAN chair, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) presided over, initiated, and crafted 13 initiatives for economic cooperation that were highly appreciated by other ASEAN member countries. The initiatives help strengthen intra-bloc cohesion and restructure regional supply chains in a sustainable manner. Despite facing mounting hardships due to COVID-19, Vietnam worked closely and proactively with ASEAN members and other partner countries to solve hurdles and finalise the 8-year negotiations over the RCEP while simultaneously scaling up efforts to review the legal impacts of the agreement. In addition, Vietnam had quickly completed local procedures to successfully organise the signing ceremony of the agreement in November. 2 - Exports maintain growth momentum Vietnam, with trade openness in the range of about 200 per cent of GDP, is regarded one of the most open economies in the world. The declining global economy due to COVID-19 therefore has cast detrimental impacts on the countrys exports, particularly from the early second quarter of 2020. In this context, the MoIT swiftly deployed a wide range of measures to remove difficulties for exports. Shortly after COVID-19 erupted in China, the MoIT proposed the Ministry of Health to build pandemic control protocols to apply at the northern border gates. Simultaneously, the MoIT sought to diversify component supply sources to ensure domestic production and export growth. Being able to resume production early brought distinct advantages to the country in preparing sources for exports. The MoIT and relevant ministries and agencies have been tracking the domestic and overseas market situation to render timely guidance in each particular field. Last year, 31 of Vietnams export markets reported more than $1 billion in export turnover with five markets reporting over $10 billion, and eight markets between $5 and $10 billion. 3 - Trade remedies New investigations on trade remedy measures on Vietnamese exports set a record in 2020 with 39 cases, up 2.5-fold compared to 2019. The MoIT effectively solved cases of trade remedies being applied to ensure the legitimate rights and benefits of Vietnamese exporters and producers. So far, Vietnam successfully handled 65 cases, helping many export businesses and export items to continue to enjoy zero per cent or very low tariffs and maintain export growth, particularly to big markets like the United States, the EU, and Canada. 4 - Market management undergoing restructuring Market management bodies have proven remarkably efficient in the fight against counterfeit, smuggled goods, and trade fraud. The teams have successfully detected crime rings that had been operating under the radar for years. Numerous cases of smuggling, counterfeit, and trade fraud were founded and properly settled in localities nationwide. Particularly, market management forces made active contributions to the COVID-19 prevention won praise from the government and citizens. 5 - Manufacturing and processing a major stimulation to growth The manufacturing and processing industry continues to be a driving force for industrial growth with important contributions to the countrys economic development, ensuring social wellbeing and employment. Albeit the regional and global economy was hit heavily by COVID-19, Vietnams industrial production still registered growth with continuous expansion in production scope. Significantly, industrial restructuring has been gathering increasing momentum, with key industries like electronics, textile and clothing, and footwear growing at a high level and being a major factor for Vietnams industrial development, creating more jobs for society (averaging 300,000 jobs a year on average) and helping to improve the competitiveness of Vietnams industrial sector. The MoIT submitted to the government Resolution No.124/NQ-CP dated last September on the action programme to implement Resolution No.23-NQ/TW dated March 2018 of the Politburo presenting the orientation to build a national industrial development policy towards 2030 with a vision to 2045 and Resolution No.115/NQ-CP dated August on solutions to accelerate supporting industry development. 6 - Upbeat results in oil and gas exploration The first gas stream from the Sao Vang-Dai Nguyet field in Nam Con Son Basin got to the shore on November 16, 2020, opening up an annual output of about 1.5 billion cubic metres of gas and 2.8 million barrels of crude oil and condensate. The gas source from the Sao Vang-Dai Viet field will contribute significantly to the national coffers and the economy, ensuring sufficient gas supply for power production. Last July, a colossal gas deposit of an estimated 7-9 trillion cubic feet of raw gas was discovered at the Ken Bau field in Song Hong Basin, offshore Vietnam. With this discovery, the Ken Bau gas field might be ready for exploitation in the second half of the decade, contributing to national security. This provides a substantial bedrock for continued exploration and exploitation activities at Block 114 of the Ken Bau field and neighbouring areas, gearing towards the robust development of the gas-fired power industry in Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and the central region. 7 - Consolidating domestic markets and providing firm ground for manufacturing Shortly after the pandemic outbreak, the MoIT worked closely with localities and presented plans to ensure good preparation of commodities along with setting diverse scenarios to effectively deal with any pandemic situation. As a result, the market could ensure sufficient supply of essential goods serving peoples needs in all contingencies, especially amid the subsequent disruptions. In addition, diverse initiatives were deployed with massive programmes on sale and trade promotion with strong spillover effects, helping to quickly resume purchasing power and regain growth. For instance, retail sales of goods still jumped 6.78 per cent. The MoIT also presented measures and crafted policies to support businesses on product consumption, particularly agricultural produce, and essential consumer goods. These achievements were of paramount importance, providing the lever for domestic production to weather the storm, gradually resume pace, and push up growth. 8 - Innovating trade promotion Due to difficulties in trade promotion activities, the MoIT quickly deployed new forms of trade promotion in the digital platform to supersede traditional methods. The ministry used social media platforms to ensure frequent and swift connection between Vietnamese commercial agencies abroad and local trade promotion organisations, suppliers, and exporters. From early 2020, the MoIT worked in tandem with the peoples committees in centrally-governed cities and provinces throughout the country, as well as foreign trade promotion agencies to host more than 500 online international conferences with over one million transaction sessions. In December, the MoIT held the Vietnam Food Expo online, as well as supported local businesses in taking part in dozens of other online international trade fairs. 9 - E-commerce developing robustly Last year e-commerce became a strategic move for many businesses, helping them to develop new distribution channels effectively. E-commerce, therefore, experienced booming growth right after border trade bounced back. Different e-commerce platforms like KeyPay, ERP Store, and the Online Friday event were utilised effectively, boosting Vietnams e-commerce industry as a whole. 10 - Administrative procedure reform and building e-government Along with a sharp rise in the access-to-power index, administrative procedure reform and simplified business condition and check procedures were the MoITs highlights in 2020. The ministry piloted slashing business conditions through submitting to the government for enactment a decree to help trim and simplify 205 business conditions in the fields under its management. After two revisions, 880 of a total of 1,216 conditions were scrapped. Jammu, Feb 13 : The Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist from the Samba district of Jammu involved in the killing of three Bharatiya Janata Party workers and one policeman in Kashmir last year, officials said on Saturday. Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar told IANS that a team of Anantnag police arrested Zahoor Ahmad Rather, alias Khalid alias Sahil, of the terrorist outfit LeT (TRF) from Samba in Jammu. "He had been hiding in Bari Brahman. He had killed three BJP workers in Vessu, Kulgam last year and one policeman at Furrah in Kulgam," Kumar said. "He received terrorist training in PoK in 2004 and brought five foreign terrorists with him to India. He surrendered in 2006 but last year again started killing politicians and policemen." Police said he is being brought to Kashmir for questioning. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text WASHINGTON - The one reassurance that came in the 42 days Lauren Cooper watched her 17-year-old daughter, Molly, lay in a hospital bed, fighting pneumonia, was that the nurses around her were getting their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine. Finally, the shot was available in D.C., she thought. Finally, her daughter, who has chronic lung disease and a neurological disorder, might soon have some defense against a virus that is much more likely to kill her than others her age. "I thought for sure they would open it up to people like Molly," Cooper says. "Everyone said that to me. 'Molly will be first. You guys should be excited that Molly will be first.' " But Molly wasn't first. Or second. Or anywhere near the front of the line for a vaccine, even though one was approved for those 16 and up. On Inauguration Day, while the rest of the world was focused on a different part of the city, Cooper watched her daughter leave a hospital in Northwest Washington, on oxygen, without having received the shot. Then, in the weeks that followed, she saw the teenager, along with other young people with chronic conditions, fall from priority group 1b to group 1c. And now, she has no idea when Molly's chance to get the shot might come. "It just seems like there is no timeline or plan," Cooper says through tears when we talk on a recent evening. "It just seems, like in everything else, disabled people are not valued. Kids like Molly are not valued. They are always put last. And I feel like her life is so valuable. We love her so much." Molly has Rett Syndrome, which has left her experiencing seizures and unable to talk or walk. But she also has, her mom says, "the biggest, brightest smile," a school she attends, and two younger siblings who dote on and worry about her. "I know they say kids get sick and they have it mild," Cooper says, "but Molly is not like that." The long wait for the vaccine has left many people across the country feeling anxious, desperate even. But for the young and disabled, and for the people who care about them, the realization of where they fall on priority lists has also left them feeling disregarded and discarded. They don't want to displace others who are vulnerable, but they describe encountering state health department websites that aren't accessible for everyone, frustrating wait times that differ from one state to the next for the same medical conditions and few alternatives for people who are homebound or have limited mobility. They also describe situations that make little sense from a public health perspective. If Molly were to contract the virus, her family has no doubt she would require hospitalization, and probably for a long period of time. In the past week, I have spoken to people throughout the Washington region who are high risk but don't hit the age benchmarks that would have placed them among the first groups eligible for vaccination. The waits they describe range from illogical to heartbreaking. Sabrina Epstein, a senior at Johns Hopkins University, says she realized just how fractured the country's approach was to inoculating people with disabilities when she registered her grandfather for the vaccine in Texas. She discovered that her rare chronic condition qualified her for the vaccine in that state, but she was still not eligible to receive it in Maryland, where she lives. She then started looking into what other states were doing. That's when she realized, she says, "this was a much bigger issue." A few weeks ago, Epstein approached Bonnielin Swenor, director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center, with the idea of creating an online tracker that would show where each state stood in getting the vaccine to people with disabilities. Swenor recalls her reaction: "This is a phenomenal idea. Let's do this. I'm all in." On Monday, the two, along with a team of people who have been manually inputting data, launched the disability dashboard. And on Tuesday, the National Council on Disability cited their findings in a letter to New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who chairs the National Governors Association. "While we recognize that in virtually all states the number of vaccines is limited, decisions as to who receives the vaccinations first must consider the most vulnerable in the disability community, as a matter of equity," the letter reads. It points out that despite recommendation from public health officials that "persons of all ages with comorbid and underlying conditions that put them at significantly higher risk" be included in the early phases of vaccine distribution, 29 states and D.C. "have all de-prioritized persons with disabilities that fall into that category, including those with developmental disabilities." "De-prioritzed" is one way to put it. "I look at the city's choice and see that if you're disabled and young, you're seen as lesser, disposable," are the words Anna Landre chose to use during a recent D.C. Council vaccine distribution roundtable. The 22-year-old immunocompromised wheelchair user on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for the Georgetown area talked about how her aides, simply because they work with her, had received the vaccine, but she was still waiting. She described feeling "more at risk than ever," because she had noticed those caretakers behaving more recklessly, with two recently coming in contact with people who tested positive for the virus. "In vaccinating disability care workers but not those they care for, we must ask: Who are we trying to protect from who, here? Whose lives are we valuing?" she said. "These questions are especially important to ask given the nature of disability as a cause and consequence of poverty and an identity which disproportionately applies to Black and Brown residents of our city." A week and a half after the roundtable, Landre finally got the vaccine, but not because of any effort by the city. She got it by chance, because her local Safeway happened to have extra doses left over at the end of the day. She described that luck as making her "even more angry about vulnerable people who don't have access to doses when distribution is sometimes so arbitrary." Ola Ojewumi, a 30-year-old Maryland resident who founded a nonprofit that distributes college scholarships to students with disabilities, can't even hope to get one of those leftover pharmacy doses. She doesn't go to the store anymore. "I can't go anywhere," she says. "My life is relegated to the four walls of my home. Even going to the doctor is risky." At 11, she received a heart and kidney transplant, and she continues to take immunosuppressant medication to keep her body from rejecting those organs. In December, she contracted the coronavirus, and she says her doctors fear what will happen if she gets it again. She says she has no idea when her turn for the vaccine will come. She only knows that right now, she doesn't qualify. "It's frustrating to watch people with disabilities who are the most at risk, the most susceptible, having to wait months and months," Ojewumi says. "I feel devalued. I feel frustrated. I feel people view people with disabilities' lives as expendable, as if it's OK if we perish. Our lives are worth living, and saving." Every person I spoke to about the issue said the same thing: They understand the supply is limited and that difficult choices must be made. They aren't trying to bump anyone out of line. They are just trying to get their rightful place in it. They are just trying to get officials to create a more equitable system that doesn't ignore the vulnerability of a 17-year-old who has been intubated more times than most people her age. Or a 30-year-old who has to take medication to keep her body from rejecting her heart. Or a 47-year-old professor who is terrified of leaving three elementary-school-aged children without a mom. "If I die, who do my kids have?" says Kirstin Leighton-Lucas, crying quietly. Leighton-Lucas, whose children are 5, 7 and 9, takes an antibiotic three times a week because she has bronchiectasis, a lung condition that makes her susceptible to pneumonia. She also has a herniated disc in her neck that she was supposed to receive surgery for in March but had to postpone. That has left her both vulnerable and in pain for the past year. During much of our conversation, she jokes about pandemic parenting and what her doctors have told her and how she will probably get a text from some other state telling her she's eligible for the shot before she gets one from D.C. But in other moments, she shares her quiet fears about the virus, such as "dying alone, because I know I will have to go to the hospital." "I think the hardest days are when I'm sleepless at night leading into the day, because I'm thinking, 'When am I going to get a shot? When am I going to have surgery? When can I help my husband more?' " she says. "I think about the pain. I think about the kids." Travellers crossing from England into Scotland face being questioned at the border over fears of a quarantine 'loophole'. From Monday all passengers flying from abroad into Scotland will be forced to quarantine in a hotel for ten days. But in England people will only have to do this if they arrive from a 'red list' of 33 countries. There is therefore concern travellers from lower risk countries heading for Scotland will try to fly to England first to avoid the strict hotel isolation rules before continuing north over the border. There are concerns that travellers from lower risk countries heading for Scotland will try to fly to England first Jeane Freeman, the Scottish health secretary, said UK ministers' refusal to help track arrivals who then go on to Scotland was 'deeply disappointing'. She is going ahead with plans for checks at the border in Scotland after no agreement was reached in talks on Thursday night. Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, said travellers arriving into English airports from 'low risk' countries and then on to Scotland should self-isolate at home. And First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned that police in Scotland could be asked to 'do more than they're doing right now' to make sure people are not exploiting rules to avoid quarantine hotels. Speaking at a coronavirus briefing yesterday, Ms Freeman said: 'It's deeply disappointing that as part of a family of equals, one partner isn't prepared to help the other partner enforce the policy that they think is the right policy for the people they represent. 'The discussions will continue, because we are, as we have always been, keen where we can to reach a four-nation approach to deal with a virus that doesn't respect boundaries and borders. 'But in the meantime, we will work through what the options are to mitigate where the UK government stance creates a loophole. 'We can't have people coming in, getting on public transport, coming to Scotland and we don't know about that and they are not required to quarantine in way that we can't manage so we have to consider what our options are about that land border.' This week Nicola Sturgeon was accused of trying to extend Scottish laws south of the border after she demanded that the English authorities quarantine all travellers flying into England if they were planning to go to Scotland. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that police in Scotland could be asked to 'do more than they're doing right now' The plans laid out by Health Secretary Matt Hancock state that people jetting into the UK from 33 'red list' countries will be taken from arrivals directly to one of 16 hotels. All guests will have to pay an individual fee of 1,750 for ten nights where they will have to eat airline-style food left at their door, change their own sheets and towels and be accompanied by security if they want fresh air or a cigarette outside. Meanwhile Scotland is forcing all of its international arrivals into its airports to undergo the stay at the same cost. Addressing the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood yesterday, Mr Matheson said: 'Passengers entering England from the red-list countries who then seek to travel onto Scotland will have to isolate in a hotel in England. Last week, that was 130 people. 'We continue to press the UK Government to adopt what we believe is a more comprehensive approach, and require all arrivals to go into a quarantine hotel. 'We ask the UK Government to work with us to identify international travellers not caught by this approach so that arrangements can be made for them to isolate in a quarantine hotel, in line with the policy in Scotland.' MapmyIndia CEO and Executive Director Rohan Verma said that ISRO and MapmyIndia will bring up an India made mapping portal and geospatial services. Rohan added that the collaboration would boost Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which would mean that users in India in future can rely on a country made solution and not a service designed outside India. MapmyIndia, an Indian technology company that builds digital map data, telematics services, location-based SaaS and GIS AI services, has partnered with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to offer Indias indigenous maps, navigation and geospatial services. Rohan Verma, CEO and Executive Director, MapmyIndia on Friday said that the two organisations will work to bring up an India made mapping portal and geospatial services. Rohan added that the collaboration would boost Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which would mean that users in India in future can rely on a country made solution and not a service designed outside India. He said in his LinkedIn post that people dont need Google Maps/Earth any longer. A statement issued by ISRO said that the collaboration would enable them to jointly identify and build holistic geospatial solutions utilising the earth observation datasets, NavIC, Web Services and APIs (application programming interface) available in MapmyIndia, Bhuvan, VEDAS and MOSDAC geoportals. Also read: Race to end Twitter: Indian app Koo crosses 3 million downloads Also read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch Additionally, ISRO already works on an India made navigation system, NavIC or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System or IRNSS which is Navigation with Indian Constellation. MapmyIndias Verma penned down a lengthy post on LinkedIn, He said, Through the combined partnership with ISRO, MapmyIndias end-user maps, apps and services will now integrate with ISROs huge catalogue of satellite imagery and earth observation data and would be a much better, more detailed and comprehensive, as well as privacy-centric, hyper-local and indigenous mapping solution for Indians, compared to foreign map apps and solutions. Users will be able to see in MapmyIndias maps and services, all of India from a birds eye point of view, and also benefit hugely from the various map-based analytics and insights about the weather, pollution, agricultural output, land-use changes, flood and landslide disasters etc. MapmyIndias maps and APIs will enrich ISROs geoportals, empowering Indian scientists, academia, researchers and government organisations with the best of Indias satellite imagery, earth observation data and digital map data and advanced geospatial technologies, all combined together in a fully indigenous Aatmanirbhar ISRO-MapmyIndia platform. Also read: India-China disengagement in Eastern Ladakh: After Pangong Tso, focus to shift on Depsang UNITED STATES President Joe Bidens administration is most likely to renew sanctions against senior Zanu PF and government officials as well as service chiefs after the release early this week of a damning report exposing State capture and grand corruption in the country, by South African publication, Maverick Citizen. The publication named President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the kingpin of looting cartels while also indicting his close political and business associates. Maverick Citizen, a supplement of the Daily Maverick newspaper in its 64 page report titled: Cartel Power and Dynamics in Zimbabwe, said the country may be losing up to US$5 billion annually due to operations of the cartels that now run its politics and economy. The report singled out Mnangagwa as the principal cartel chief whose tentacles, it said, were spread across a wide range of sectors. The report, which has since gained enormous international attention, on Thursday caught the eye of influential US Senator Jim Risch who said they were taking the corruption reports seriously, especially given that it came at a time the country reviews its sanctions regime. The US traditionally renews its sanctions on Zimbabwe every first quarter of the year since 2002. Risch, a Republican Senator who chairs the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted on Thursday that the report came at the most appropriate time given that the committee was starting to make considerations regarding the renewal of sanctions. State capture and corruption in #Zimbabwe continue to be a concern of mine. A timely report released by @dailymaverick exposes the destructive effects that elite cartels play in robbing the countrys future. Our partners, the Zimbabwean people, deserve better. #DemLoot, he tweeted. Lord Peter Hain, former British Labour MP and government minister also retweeted the report, saying: Zimbabwe: Explosive cartel report uncovers the anatomy@dailymaverick. Former South African opposition Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane also tweeted: This expose by the @dailymavereick is very important for every African to read. MDC Alliance treasurer, David Coltart joined in the debate saying: If you are puzzled why such a wealthy country, with such intelligent, well educated people can be so poor, then read this report published today in @dailymaverick. It explains how and why a network of cartels is plundering #Zimbabawe. The report argues that the 2017 military coup that removed the late former President Robert Mugabe was perpetuating the system albeit after changing a few individual beneficiaries. The Zanu PF government has responded to the deepening and largely self-made socio-economic crisis in the country by clamping down on dissent, the report said. Newsday FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 9, 2021 Media Contact: Press@Michigan.gov PHOTOS: Governor Whitmer, Major General Paul Rogers and State Representative Julie Brixie Visit MSU Pavilion to Observe Ongoing Vaccination Efforts EAST LANSING, Mich. Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Major General Paul Rogers visited the Michigan State University (MSU) Pavilion to observe its ongoing vaccination efforts for area residents. Joining them for the site visit were Lt. Col. Karen Sims, the Medical Detachment Officer in Charge, along with state Representative Julie Brixie (D-East Lansing). Its an honor to witness firsthand the heroic work of our frontline health care workers and the men and women of our Michigan National Guard, who are working non-stop to administer the safe and effective vaccine to Michiganders across the state, said Governor Whitmer. Every shot in the arm brings us one step closer to ending this pandemic, and I encourage all Michiganders to make a plan for how they will get vaccinated when its their turn. It's on all of us to continue social distancing, washing our hands and masking up so we can beat this virus once and for all. "The men and women of Michigan's National Guard represent some of the best of us, having been on the frontlines in the fight against this virus since Day One," said Major General Paul Rogers. "As we continue working to administer the safe, effective vaccine, the Michigan National Guard will continue to serve and protect the people of our state so that we can put an end to this pandemic." As of today, Michigan has administered 1,292,572 vaccines, moving the state closer to its goal of equitably vaccinating at least 70% of Michiganders ages 16 and older as soon as possible. As part of these efforts, Michigan is working to administer 50,000 shots per day through the Governors MI COVID Recovery Plan, partnering with private and academic organizations like at MSU Pavilion to create more opportunities for Michigan residents to receive a vaccine. Prior to her visit, the Governor invited all legislative leaders to join and witness the efforts of frontline health care workers in combatting the COVID-19 virus. ### The National Conference on Saturday said it would mount a legal challenge against the election of District Development Council chairperson in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, accusing the administration of murdering democracy in the Union territory. NC vice-president Omar Abdullah said an independent candidate was made the chairman of District Development Council (DDC) despite his party having eight members, out of the total strength of 14, in the council. He added that his party also had the support of a member of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement, a part of People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Talk about murdering democracy in J&K. I met 8 of our DDC members of Budgam district. There is at least 1 more alliance member of Javaid Mustafa Mir's party so 9 out of a total strength of 14 & yet in an election' an independent member was made the chairman (sic), he tweeted. Omar alleged that all this was done with the active involvement of the district administration which issued blatant threats about powers to detain people for two years. Early next week we will challenge this undemocratic action in the courts of law, he said in another tweet. The National Conference (NC) has already taken up the issue with State Election Commissioner K K Sharma. The party's Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi had raised the issue of unfair mode of selection of DDC chairman Budgam with Sharma, terming the entire exercise a clear violation of law and rules. It is the betrayal of people's mandate. The mode and manner in which the entire exercise was conducted has already been brought to light by nine DDC members of Budgam district with the media, he said. The group of nine elected DDC members from Budgam had held a protest here on Tuesday, demanding re-election for the post of chairperson. Earlier this week, Nazir Ahmad Khan - an independent DDC member was elected as the chairperson, while Nazir Ahmad Jahara of NC was elected as the vice-chairperson of the council. . . GOVERNMENT received a total of $7.37 billion from oil, gas and quarrying/mining companies in fiscal 2018, with the largest payment of $2 billion coming from majority State-owned National Gas Company (NGC). However, for the period 2019 to 2020, unaudited figures indicate a declining trend in revenue. It has been all change at Securities Trust of Scotland, at 200million investment fund with a global income mandate. Since mid-November last year, the trust's portfolio has undergone a major overhaul with the appointment of new managers to oversee the fund's assets. Out went Martin Currie, an offshoot of American fund giant Legg Mason, and in came Troy Asset Management that already runs investment trusts Personal Assets and Troy Income & Growth. Troy's James Harries has been responsible for the trust's restructuring. In line with the asset manager's overall conservative investment stance, the emphasis is now as much on capital preservation as on generating returns for shareholders. It has resulted in a reset with between 85 and 90 per cent of the portfolio being changed. Only three key stocks inherited from Martin Currie Microsoft, Cisco and PepsiCo have been kept. 'Our focus is about investing in quality businesses,' says Harries, 'concentrating on sectors we like while avoiding low-quality areas of the stock market.' So, the 33-strong portfolio is now dominated by companies to be found in industrial sectors known for generating high rates of return on capital employed for example, consumer staples, consumer discretionary, healthcare, technology and light industries. Sectors that are avoided include mining, oil and insurance either because they are too capital intensive or cyclical in nature. It means a portfolio where income-generating stocks such as tobacco companies BAT and Philip Morris and consumer goods giants Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser dominate. A recent addition is US industrial supplies company Fastenal which ticks all Harries' boxes in particular its ability to earn high returns from the capital it employs in the business. 'It's a substantial restructuring of the portfolio that we have undergone,' says Harries. 'But we have done it with our share holders in mind, many of whom are retired and reliant upon the capital they have tied up in the trust and the income it produces.' Just over half of the portfolio is invested in companies listed in the United States with nearly 30 per cent in UK businesses. The top 10 holdings account for 47 per cent of assets. Although such portfolio disruption has involved significant trading costs, Troy has mitigated this by waiving its 0.65 per cent annual management charge for the first 12 months. The trust's dividend has had to be reset so that it can be comfortably paid from the income generated by the portfolio. 'We've reduced the dividend slightly,' says Harries, 'but it's now a realistic payment and should grow from here.' Under the previous management, the trust's income was boosted by trading in derivatives, something Harries will not do. The most recent quarterly dividend announced was 1.375p a share, compared to 1.45p in the previous financial year, and equates to a dividend yield a tad above three per cent. Harries and the trust's board are keen to allow shareholders to sell their holdings without being hit by their shares trading at a discount to the value of the underlying assets. 'If we allow people to sell without worrying about discounts, they are also more confident to buy,' says Harries. The trust also has the ability to borrow money if it wants to increase its exposure to stock markets. Although the trust's performance over the past year is nothing to shout about a small loss of 3.7 per cent Troy's impact on the fund has yet to come through. The stock market identification code is: B09G3N2. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 22:51:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to Mario Draghi on his assuming office as prime minister of Italy. Noting that Italy is an important cooperative partner of China in the European Union, Li said in his message that since last year, the two countries have been maintaining close high-level interactions, and the inter-governmental cooperation mechanism has been functioning effectively. The two sides have been working together to overcome difficulties and fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and the friendship between China and Italy has become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the peoples, Li said. Li said he would like to work with Draghi to elevate the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership, so as to deliver more benefits to both countries and peoples. China stands ready to support Italy's presidency of the Group of 20 (G20), and work with Italy to make positive contributions to promoting international anti-pandemic cooperation and global economic recovery, he said. Enditem Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable. An Indian-origin employee at the UN has announced her candidacy to be its next Secretary-General, the first person to throw her hat in the ring against incumbent Antonio Guterres, who is seeking a second five-year term beginning January 2022 as chief of the world organisation. Arora Akanksha, 34, working as an audit coordinator for the Development Programme (UNDP), said she will run for the post of the world's top diplomat and launched her campaign #AroraForSG this month. People in my position aren't supposed to stand up to the ones in charge. We are supposed to wait our turn, hop on the hamster wheel, go to work, keep our heads down and accept that the world is the way it is, Akanksha said in a two and half minute campaign video posted online. The video shows Akanksha walking inside the sprawling UN headquarters, as her voiceover says that people who have come before her have failed to hold the UN accountable. For 75 years, the UN has not fulfilled its promise to the world - refugees haven't been protected, humanitarian aid has been minimal, and technology and innovation has been on the back-burner. We deserve a UN that leads progress," she said. That is why I am running for the Secretary-General of the I refuse to be a by-stander. I will not accept this is the best the UN can do, she said in the video. Last month Guterres, 71 had confirmed that he will seek a second five-year term as chief of the world organisation. Guterres's first term ends on December 31 this year and the term of the next Secretary-General will begin on January 1, 2022. Guterres assumed office on January 1, 2017 after a reformed selection process that included a public informal dialogue session in the General Assembly. Guterres is the 9th Secretary-General of the and no woman has held the position of the world's top diplomat in the 75-year history of the United Nations. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council, making the Secretary-General's selection subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Council. Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, responding to a question at the daily briefing on the UNDP staffer announcing her candidacy for Secretary-General, said " is a candidate for the selection process. It's not for him to comment on other people who may want to come forward. "This is a process run by Member States. So, I'm not aware of any issues or problems with that.I speak for the incumbent candidate, but we have no comment on anyone else who may wish to put their hat in the proverbial ring, Dujarric said. The spokesperson for UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir, Brenden Varma was asked at the press briefing whether Akanksha had written to the President on her candidacy. Varma said the President's office had not received any formal communications on this matter. Varma had earlier said that so far the General Assembly President had not received any notifications of candidacies for the position of Secretary-General from Member States. He added that candidates have traditionally been presented by Member States. In the video, Akanksha adds that it is time that the UN stop serving politicians and start serving people. It is time for a new UN - a UN that is a guardian for refugees, takes humanitarian crises through to completion and gets technology and education in the hands of all. She said these ideas are not impossible and don't need another 75 years to accomplish. It takes someone being bold, being a first - first to speak up, first to take action, first to make a difference and now first to challenge the UN. I'm no longer waiting for the torch to be passed down, I'm taking it because I am part of the generation of change where we don't just talk about change, we cause change, she said. According to her profile on her website UNOW.org, Akanksha graduated from York University, Toronto with a Bachelor of Administrative Studies. She received her Master in Public Administration from Columbia University. Her profile states that she was recruited at the UN to help with the financial reforms of the organisation and her work included updating financial regulations and rules of the UN and managing the internal and external audits at UNDP. A report in news site PassBlue said India-born Akanksha has an Overseas Citizenship of India and a Canadian passport. She hasn't asked either country for an official endorsement. She is nevertheless hopeful that her candidacy could shake up the selection process, the PassBlue report said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MIDDLETOWN Schools will send students in pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade back to school buildings nearly full-time beginning March 15 four days per week, while keeping those in grades 6-12 continuing under a hybrid model, despite appeals from parents who say experts data supports full reentry. Students will continue to learn remotely on Wednesdays. The proposal, debated over the course of a five-hour virtual meeting, was approved by the Board of Education earlier this week by an 8-1 vote, with member and attorney Christopher Sugar as the sole dissenter. In mid-March 2020, during the initial stages of the pandemic, the district went fully remote. Not long after, school officials began brainstorming a plan to go hybrid once state officials gave the go-ahead. A mix of classroom and online learning went into effect Sept. 3, 2020, at the start of the 2020-21 academic year. Parents spoke to the board prior to a decision, with several expressing their displeasure with the measure in letters to the superintendent, urging BOE members to return students to school buildings. There was overwhelming evidence, based on survey results and live parent testimonials during the public session, of the majority of Middletown parents desire for all our kids to go back to school, Kristen Hoyt, parent of a Woodrow Wilson Middle School student, said in a letter to the superintendent. There was also frightening statistics shared by [Middlesex Health physician Cliff OCallahan] about the increased rate of declining mental health among our children, and even mention of overall increased suicide rates among children ages 12 and up, she said. Acting Health Director Kevin Elak also addressed the issue. Hoyt, who said she believes her view is supported by many parents who are incredibly disappointed in the school board by voting against what the greater population of their constituency has asked for. Sugar, who has a son at Farm Hill Elementary School and a daughter in preschool, said he empathizes with working parents who have struggled with the challenges of juggling their jobs and their childrens remote schooling. I get it. Im there, he said about getting children back to school because its the safest place to be. However, I dont like the yo-yoing, Sugar said, referring to various reentry plans. If (we) make a decision, whether or not the parents like it or not, at least they know whats happening and they can plan around that. I implore you to figure out a way to change this decision, parent Jennifer Amalfa wrote. I realize there are rules and bylaws, but this is an unprecedented time, and decisions need to be made in innovative and unique ways stop failing our children, she said. I promise every family that we will be ready, Superintendent Michael Conner said Thursday. We will meet the moment of having our K-5 kids back. Right now, its K-5, and Im excited for that, but I hope in the future to get everyone back. No matter what, well be ready. Board members were very engaged in the process, Conner said. They made the call they thought best, and I respect that and our entire team will do all we can to make the re-entry for our K-5 students and staff smooth and welcoming and fully positive, he said. Conner, parent of a kindergartner, informed parentsi n an email Wednesday that the districts The Re-Entry: Getting Back to Innovation and Equity Plan was to be implemented. I appreciate your cooperation, collaboration, and flexibility as we navigate through the volatility of the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote. Board of Education members had a couple of days to review the particulars of the plan, Sugar said Thursday. I thought we had the information and support to at least go back four days, he said. Thats what it appeared to (be), but thats not how it turned out. My whole goal was to bring as many students back as possible. Parent Stacy Dickson characterized the boards action as a very poor decision/vote, she wrote in her letter. Based upon the survey results and the doctors feedback, Im not quite sure how you concluded keeping 6-12 grades hybrid was a good idea. Over 63 percent of the parents surveyed wanted 4 or 5 day school. The doctor clearly stated kids are suffering and it was safe to return. You did a huge injustice to our 6-12 graders and should be ashamed, Dickson wrote. Parent Joshua Yahwak was pleased members executed a somewhat right decision, but he feels Conner and Chief Academic Officer Magda Parvey lack conviction and knowledge as to what has been going on in the Middletown schools this entire academic year. It made myself and I know many other parents feel as if there has simply been no planning throughout this entire process and that you merely are all flying by the seat of your pants, he said. Academically, Dr Parvey and her team took away a whole list of considerations from the board discussion and family comments, Conner said, assuring parents the task force will look at each comment and each school offering, examining whats working and what is not, Conner said. We all want our kids back, but we have to patient and understanding and be flexible to meet that goal, the superintendent said. To view the reentry plan, visit middletownschools.org. Statewide election audit process affirms presidential election outcome Statewide election audit process affirms presidential election outcome FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Demonstrates excellence of local election officials, accuracy of vote-counting machines Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today that a statewide election audit process affirmed Michigans vote-counting machines are accurate and Joe Biden won the states Nov. 3, 2020 presidential election. This statewide audit process affirms what election officials on both sides of the aisle have said since November that Michigans election was conducted securely and fairly, and the results accurately reflect the will of the voters. I congratulate our election clerks for carrying out the most successful election in our states history, and thank them for affirming the integrity of our elections by participating in this process, said Benson. The work of elected leaders now is to tell voters the truth and move forward with nonpartisan election policy to advance the will of Michigan voters, who have demonstrated clearly and unequivocally that they want our elections to continue to be secure, strong and accessible. Hundreds of Republican, Democratic and nonpartisan municipal and county clerks from more than 1,300 local jurisdictions more than had ever participated in such an audit anywhere took part in Michigans statewide auditing exercise, hand counting more than 18,000 ballots that were randomly selected throughout the state. In the hand count, President Biden received more votes than former president Donald Trump, and the percentage of votes for each candidate was within fractions of a percentage point of machine-tabulated totals. In the states three largest counties, each of which uses a different voting machine vendor, the audit results were also all within one percentage point of the November results. Although a random sample of 18,000 ballots would not be expected to exactly match the percentages of votes cast for candidates out of all 5.5 million ballots, the closeness in percentages between the hand-reviewed ballots and the machine-tabulated totals provides strong additional evidence of the accuracy of the machine count. In the statewide sample, Biden received votes on 50 percent of all ballots reviewed while Trump received 48 percent. In Wayne County, which uses Dominion machines, Biden received 68 percent, while Trump received 31 percent. In Oakland County, which uses Hart machines, Biden received 57 percent while Trump received 41 percent, and in Macomb County, which uses ES&S machines, Biden received 44 percent and Trump received 54 percent. The audit exercise was conducted by generating a statewide manifest that included the number of ballots cast in every jurisdiction, and then using a randomly generated (by rolling 10-sided dice) 20-digit number to select 18,162 of them. Clerks then retrieved ballots that had been selected in their jurisdictions and shared if it had a vote for president and, if so, who it was for. Clerks retrieved a total of 18,084 ballots total. Twenty-one clerks did not retrieve 78 ballots in their jurisdictions, meaning the sample was 78 ballots short of a complete sample. For this reason, the audit is being considered a pilot exercise. Secretary Bensons Advancing the Vote, Protecting Democracy legislative agenda would require a statewide risk-limiting audit to be carried out prior to state certification of the election which would both speed and simplify the process, as clerks would be able to retrieve the randomly selected ballots while the election canvass in ongoing. Current law does not allow such audits to take place until after certification. Candidates can request hand recounts of all ballots prior to certification, but neither presidential candidate chose to do so in 2020. The Bureau of Elections is compiling a full report of the results, which will be published upon completion. Risk-limiting audits are considered the gold standard of post-election audits and provide an extra layer of security when partnered with the traditional audit methods already utilized by election officials. The Bureau of Elections and local clerks across the state began piloting the audits in 2018 and 2019, and also conducted a pilot of the 2020 presidential primary. The process was conducted with the assistance of VotingWorks, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. It also drew upon the advice of the Election Security Advisory Commission and an audit task force composed of election clerks. For media questions, contact Aneta Kiersnowski at 517-342-4592. We welcome questions and comments at the Contact the Secretary of State page. Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424). An Australian nurse who has attempted suicide twice due to the stress of treating coronavirus cases in the UK has started a fundraiser to return home. Perth woman Jaydel Pallace, 24, arrived in the UK in February 2020 and has been working in a hospital in central England run by the struggling National Health Service (NHS) ever since. After months of being overwhelmed with patients, Ms Pallace was admitted into an accident and emergency ward after she made two suicide attempts in October. Ms Pallace revealed her struggle with mental health in the 'Australians Stranded in the U.K.' Facebook group last week, saying she 'currently feels so lost and hopeless'. Perth woman Jaydel Pallace (pictured), 24, arrived in the UK in February 2020 and has been working in a hospital in central England run by the struggling National Health Service (NHS) ever since 'I'm an Aussie nurse working frontline in an NHS hospital during the pandemic,' Ms Pallace wrote in the group. 'Unfortunately, it has really affected my mental health and has resulted in two suicide attempts and a mental health diagnosis. 'I really need to get home to my family as it's just not safe for me to be by myself without support anymore.' Ms Pallace said she 'cannot afford the prices of some of these flights' to get home and her NHS occupational health team contacted the Australian embassy. 'They (the embassy) came back with I need to register with DFAT and I'd be put as a vulnerable citizen. But even the DFAT flights I can't afford,' she said. 'But if I book a cheaper flight it looks like I'll almost be guaranteed to be cancelled. I don't know what to do anymore.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for comment. Ms Pallace makes a snowman in the UK during winter. After months of being overwhelmed with patients, Ms Pallace was admitted into an accident and emergency ward after she made two suicide attempts in October Ms Pallace revealed her struggle with mental health in the 'Australians Stranded in the U.K.' Facebook group last week, saying she 'currently feels so lost and hopeless' Ms Pallace said she has now registered with DFAT and started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a return flight after suggestions from other expats in the group. 'I have spent the last 12 months on the frontline of the NHS, working to do my part and help with the fight against this pandemic,' she wrote. 'Now, it is my turn to ask for help.' Ms Pallace said she is 'desperately' trying to raise upwards of 7000 (AU$12,493) to buy an economy ticket for a flight from London to Perth. Her GoFundMe page has raised 1,665 of its 2,000 target. It is unclear where Ms Pallace plans to fund the remaining 5,000. 'Coupled with the inbound passenger limits into Australia, and frequently changing availability and cancellations, prices for these flights are extortionate,' she wrote. 'I have registered with the DFAT for their QANTAS repartition flights however again, these flights are in extremely high demand, with thousands of Australians also fighting to return home.' A national cabinet meeting decided to increase the number of Australians allowed on planes to fly home earlier this week. NSW will return to a cap of about 3,000 people a week, while Queensland is reverting to 1,000 on February 15. Ms Pallace wearing a face mask during a trip to Venice. She is 'desperately' trying to raise upwards of 7000 (AU$12,493) to buy an economy ticket for a flight from London to Perth Critical Care staff take care of Covid-19 patients in the Christine Brown ward at King's College Hospital in London. The coronavirus pandemic has put extreme pressure on the UK's NHS with the waiting list for routine operations hitting a 12-year high in 2020 The registered nurse said she left behind her 'beloved partner, family and friends' in Perth to work in the NHS but 'had no idea what the next 12 months would bring' when she arrived in February 2020. 'Slowly but surely, the horrible effects of being a brand new Australian expat living isolated half-way around the world amid a global pandemic have begun to take their toll, both physically and mentally,' Ms Pallace wrote. The coronavirus pandemic has put extreme pressure on the UK's NHS with the waiting list for routine operations hitting a 12-year high in 2020. There were 4.52million on NHS waiting lists in December 2020, by which point almost 225,000 people went at least 52 weeks without treatment. The UK has reported 4.01million coronavirus cases and 116,287 deaths while Australia has recorded 28,886 cases and 909 deaths. A highly virulent UK strain of coronavirus is believed to be behind an outbreak at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, which has now put all of Victoria into lockdown. Do you or anyone you know need help? Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Natural News) Texas attorney Rod Ponton went viral Tuesday, Feb. 9, when he accidentally appeared as an adorable kitten in a court hearing via Zoom. But this wasnt his first time that Ponton, who has since earned the moniker of Zoom cat lawyer has caught attention. In 2014, Ponton courted controversy for supposedly abusing his position as the district attorney of Brewster County in Texas, reports Insider.com. While serving as district attorney, Ponton was embroiled in a controversial raid on The Purple Zone, a smoke shop in Alpine, Texas. Local and federal agents raided the shop on May 7, 2014 on the basis of a search warrant Ponton requested. This led to the arrest of its owner, Ilana Lipsen, on charges related to the possession of illegal synthetic marijuana. (Related: Court documents reveal LA County prosecutor Kelly Sakir used infiltration agents, hidden cameras, extreme surveillance to target Rawesome Foods.) Lipsen was briefly jailed while her mother and sister were also arrested. That raid and its aftermath culminated what Lipsen described as a pattern of harassment orchestrated by Ponton a former lover. Lipsen stated that she had a brief sexual relationship with him after arriving in town as an 18-year-old college student in 2003. Alpine residents told news website Insider that the relationship was an open secret at the time. I heard about it before I ever met Ilana, Tom Cochran, an acquaintance of Lipsen, said Wednesday, Feb. 10. Another source said: I knew her very well. I heard it from her before the raid. After their relationship ended, Lipsen related that Ponton sometimes drove slowly past her house, almost like he was stalking me. Lipsen, a ranch owner, also said Ponton purchased horses for her and would often use them as an excuse to check up on her once the relationship ended. I ditched him because he was creepy. And then years later he sees an opportunity to fuck me up, she told Insider. Ponton denied having a relationship with Lipsen. We never had a relationship. I never had sex with her. All that stuff is false, he said. No reports were ever filed. Everything she said was a lie. Hell hath no fury like a cat scorned Pontons alleged harassment of Lipsen supposedly started March 2012. The latter recounted that about a dozen men raided her shop, handcuffed her and threw her in the back of a police van. The authorities seized her computers, hard drives and cell phone. They also took numerous packets of potpourri in the incense section of the store with colorful brand names such as Dr. Feelgood, Scooby Snax and Bomb! Marley. Ponton said Lipsens potpourri qualified as spice or synthetic cannabinoids. But state-sponsored lab tests would later confirm that Lipsens products were legal. Eight months later, Ponton had her arrested anyway along with her mother who did not even work at the store. He charged them with possession and distribution of a controlled substance a felony. Ponton cited a little-known rule on analogues chemicals that are not prohibited but are similar enough to controlled substances that they become illegal depending on who interprets the data. But Lipsen had the products tested in private labs and likewise had proof that the substances werent illegal. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) would go on to make several undercover purchases over the next few months. But lab results failed to yield the proof Ponton needed to substantiate the criminal charges he wanted to bring against Lipsen. When the state finally denied funding the repeated request for testing money, Ponton used Project Synergy Phase II, a national day of DEA raids on May 7, 2014, to get another crack at Lipsen. Organized by the Obama administration, this was meant to track down synthetic drug pushers who were allegedly using their earnings to fund terrorist groups in the Middle East. Lipsens smoke shop was again targeted. While the agents still couldnt find illegal substances, but they did find ammunition that Lipsen had received as a gift. This time, Ponton brought up another obscure law and charged her with receiving ammunition while under indictment. Lipsens sister Arielle was also arrested after arguing with an agent onsite. She sustained a neck injury when the agent threw her to the ground. Unable to post bond on the ammunition charge, Lipsen was offered a way out by signing a letter retracting a description of events she gave to news outlets in particular, advising KWest 9 News that her sister was not beaten by agents carrying an M16 rifle and that her sister instigated and assaulted agents. The letter also included an apology to DEA officers, saying they had a legitimate reason to search her shop. Lipsen signed the letter and ultimately pled guilty to first-degree felony manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance even though the substances in question chemicals found in packets from the 2012 raid were not illegal in Texas at the time. In return, charges against her mother and sister were dropped, along with the ammunition charge Lipsen faced from the 2014 raid. She was given a deferred adjudication, meaning she had to keep a clean record for 10 years or face five years to life in prison. She sold her shop and left town, in part to evade Ponton. I had to literally reinvent myself, she said. He did stalk me. She got some form of payback when Ponton lost the primary for district attorney in 2018. Follow OutrageDepot.com for more news related to government tyranny, corruption and abuse of power. Sources include: DailyHive.com Insider.com Reason.com As a global development institution, the World Bank works in partnership and through dialogue with all countries receiving financing under its administration. The Bank has a responsibility to provide recipients of such financing with information about any issue that may impact successful project implementation. In this context, the World Bank recently communicated with the Government of Sint Maarten concerning the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project. The Bank emphasized the requirement of adequate technical and managerial staffing and capacity at the Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company (PJIAE), particularly as major activities are being launched under the project. In line with the Project Agreement, the Government is responsible to ensure the presence of needed capacity at PJIAE throughout the period of project implementation. The Bank respects that the governance and management of the airport are under the Governments purview and welcomes the Governments continued commitment to the successful implementation of the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project in accordance with the Project Agreement with the World Bank. The Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project (US$72 million) is co-financed by the EIB (US$50 million) and implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and by PJIAE. It aims to restore the capacity of Princess Juliana International Airport and to increase its resilience to natural disasters. The airport is a critical gateway for Sint Maartens economy and a vital connectivity hub for the region. 7 CTs: 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 60 months after randomization 7 MRIs: 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 60 months after randomization 3 CTs: 6, 18, 36 months after randomization 3 MRIs: 6, 18, 36 months after randomization Both trials aim to reduce toxicity of treatment or cumulative radiation in early-stage seminoma Both trials are capable of improving quality of care in early-stage seminoma, as both incorporate patient and physician value and many reduce costs substantially TRISST will have a great impact on guideline recommendations, although when it comes to surveillance of CSI seminoma one size does not fit all SEMS is setting the stage for pursuing research for the role of RPLND in the treatment of low-volume metastatic seminoma (UroToday.com) The ASCO GU 2021 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium annual meeting included an invited discussant presentation by Dr. Pilar Laguna from The Netherlands to discuss Imaging modality and frequency in surveillance of stage I seminoma testicular cancer: Results from a randomized, phase III, factorial trial (TRISST) and SEMS trial: Result of a prospective, multi-institutional phase II clinical trial of surgery in early metastatic seminoma.Dr. Laguna notes that there is a need to decrease side effects in patients with testicular seminoma considering that the overall survival for CSI seminoma is 99% and that 4-12 abdominopelvic CT scans are typically used in the first 5 years of follow-up. Indeed, she notes that MRI surveillance is noted in some guidelines, but there is no high-level evidence available. As such, there are concerns for the cumulative dose of radiation and patient compliance with follow-up. TRISST is a phase III, multicenter, non-inferiority, factorial trial. Eligible men had undergone orchiectomy for stage I seminoma with no adjuvant therapy planned. Randomization was to:Follow-up for the trial was for 6 years with a primary outcome of 6-year incidence of stage IIC relapse, aiming to exclude an increase 5.7% (upper limit of non-inferiority of 11.4%) with MRI (versus CT) or 3 scans (versus 7). Median follow-up was 72 months over which 82 (12%) patients relapsed, with only 10 patients relapsing with stage IIC seminoma. In the intention to treat and per-protocol analysis there was non-inferiority for 3 versus 7 scans, and for MRI versus CT scan (upper 90% CI <5.7%) in primary and secondary outcomes. Dr. Laguna notes that for 4 of 9 stage >= IIC relapses in the 3-scan arms, there would have been additional opportunities for earlier detection if the patient had been in a 7-scan arm. She notes that recurrence risk is entirely based on risk factors, noting that most relapses were detected at scheduled imaging and few beyond 3 years (<1%). However, even 5 or 6 scans in the high-risk groups could be superior to 3 scans in detecting most of the 10 >= IIC relapses at an earlier stage. Dr. Laguna provided the following table assessing expected historical recurrence and the number of corresponding patients enrolled in TRISST:Dr. Laguna then discussed the SEMS trial, noting that toxicity from treatment leads to 7-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality than the seminoma diagnosis itself for a patient diagnosed at 19 years of age and treated with radiotherapy for a stage II seminoma. Thus, it is reasonable to assess treatments that can reduce toxicity in the treatment of CSIIA/B seminoma. The SEMS trial prospectively enrolled patients (16 years of age or older) with testicular seminoma and isolated retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy between 1-3 cm in size. Open, modified-template retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) was performed by qualified surgeons (>= 8 open RPLND in 1 year or >24 open RPLND in 3 years) with a primary endpoint of 2-year recurrence-free survival. Dr. Laguna notes that the design of this trial was excellent, focusing on the indication for the surgical intervention rather than the technique of the intervention, focusing on adverse events and potential benefit of the intervention.There were 55 patients enrolled in SEMS and underwent RPLND. Fourteen patients had initial stage I disease who developed isolated retroperitoneal relapse while 41 patients had clinical stage IIA-B at presentation. The median age was 34 years of age (range: 21-64) with 80% of patients being white. With a median follow-up of 24 months (range: 8-52 months), there were a total of 10 recurrences. The overall recurrence rate was 18% with a median time to recurrence of 8 months; the two-year recurrence-free survival rate was 84%. Of the recurrences, eight underwent chemotherapy (6 BEP x 3, 1 EP x 4, 1 carbo/etoposide) and two underwent additional surgery.Dr. Laguna notes that the trial concluded that primary RPLND should be considered as a treatment option for low volume metastatic seminoma should be interpreted with caution given that outcomes are comparable to the most recent literature (chemotherapy or radiation therapy), however with much shorter follow-up than the published literature. The SEMS trial will complement the PRIMETEST trial Phase II Single-arm trial to evaluate progression-free survival with primary retroperitoneal lymph-node dissection only in patients with seminomatous testicular germ cell tumor with clinical stage IIA/B, with an overall goal of decreasing the number of cisplatin-based chemotherapy cycles. Additionally, the 2021 EAU guidelines state that specific trials including RPLND or involved field radiation combined with a single course of carboplatin chemotherapy are addressing the role of treatment options with potentially lower toxicity compared to standard options of either radiotherapy or three cycles of BEP chemotherapy.Dr. Laguna concluded with several key messages from these two important trials in the management of testicular seminoma:Presented by: Pilar Laguna, MD, PhD, University of Amsterdam, The NetherlandsWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia Twitter: @zklaassen_md during the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (#GU21), February 11th-February 13th, 2021 Music, theatre, literature, art; the Droichead Arts Centre is bursting at the seams with a packed new programme for Spring, all of which you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. The doors of the Stockwell Street space may be closed, however a range of creative projects are continuing behind the scenes and the centre is proud to support many artists and initiatives in Drogheda and East Meath this Spring. Highlights include Solo@Home, Slow Sessions Online and Drogheda Book Collective, with Droichead Arts Centre presenting a virtual meet-up with prize winning author Sara Baume. While Droichead Presents Drama will support a number of theatre makers in the development of their practice and work over 2021 including Anthony Kinahan, Grainne Rafferty, Ronan Leahy and Juliette Crosbie. Droichead's First Solo Award also supports professional visual artists in the North East region who have yet to present a solo show. For 2021/22 Droichead is delighted to announce the recipients are Olga Duka and Rodney Thornton. Local musicians will be showcased in the coming weeks, and following its successful debut during the last lockdown, Solo@Home will return for 2021 with a new format and a new range of diverse artists performing from their own 'stages' at home! Once again curated by SJ McArdle and edited by Adrian Taaffe, eight new episodes will feature longer bespoke performances from each artist and will premiere weekly on Droichead Arts Centre's YouTube channel. Artists will be announced soon. Droichead is also delighted to announce the return of our Slow Sessions with Brendan McCreanor ONLINE beginning on Sat 13 Feb at 2pm. These sessions are for players of any instrument and at any level. A selection of easy and well-known session tunes will be played slowly so that people in the early stages of their playing, or those coming back to playing music, have the opportunity to play together in a friendly, supportive and informal context. More experienced players who wish to refine their techniques and extend their repertoire at a slower pace are also very welcome. Music will be provided in advance, by email, and the session will take the form of a Zoom meeting. Booking: www.droichead.com Cost: 5 per device Drogheda Book Collective in association with Droichead Arts Centre will present a bookclub meet up with prize winning author Sara Baume, on Saturday, 13th March at 11am. The session will be introduced and facilitated by Literary Audience Development Officer, Dani Gill, and is a collaboration between Drogheda Book Collective, co-ordinated by Rita Hynes, and the Drogheda Library. Readers will have the chance to enjoy an hour with Sara, discussing her work which includes: Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither, A Line Made by Walking, and Handiwork. Baume's accolades include: The Davy Byrnes Short Story Award, the Hennessy New Irish Writing Award, the Rooney Prize for Literature, an Irish Book Award for Best Newcomer. Her debut novel Spill Simmer Falter Wither was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, the Warwick Prize for Writing, the Desmond Elliott Prize for New Fiction and the International Dublin Literary Award. It was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. The session with Sara will be an intimate bookclub style event, where people can join with a cup of tea and enjoy an hour in the company of a good writer. Booking will open on Monday February 15th. Droichead will premiere two documentaries this Spring, Inside Out by Darren Thornton, an intergenerational community arts film project that brings teenagers and senior citizens together in order to explore their conflicting and connecting experiences of life during the pandemic, funded by Creative Ireland and produced by Droichead. The arts centre will also premiere a short 'making of' documenting the collaborative drama project by Ablevision Ireland and Quintessence Theatre which took place in 2020 and in March Amergin's Tale will premiere, this is another interactive story for children by Droichead's own Company in Residence Tailtiu Theatre. For details on all Droichead projects, and booking, visit www.droichead.com. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The public have been urged to cut their social contacts to drive down coronavirus infection rates. Irelands deputy chief medical officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, said that while progress has been made, transmission of the disease is still extremely high. A further 23 deaths with Covid-19 were notified on Friday, bringing the national toll to 3,865. This weekend, please avoid meeting people outside your household. Our social bubble consists of everybody our entire bubble is in contact with. If you have 1 person in your bubble, but that person has 10 people in theirs, you've now got 11 people in your bubble #COVID19 #holdfirm pic.twitter.com/OHgo5vhDok Dr Ronan Glynn (@ronan_glynn) February 12, 2021 Another 921 confirmed cases of the virus were also notified on Friday. Of the latest cases, most, 414, were in Dublin, while 87 were in Cork, 51 in Kildare, 48 in Limerick, 47 in Meath and the remaining 274 cases were spread across all other counties. As of 8am on Friday, there were 959 Covid-positive patients in hospitals, including 173 in ICU. As of February 9, 248,284 doses of vaccine had been administered. The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community including daily data on Irelandas COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.https://t.co/lx1E5hp4bL Department of Health (@roinnslainte) February 12, 2021 This included 158,904 first doses, while 89,380 people had received their second dose. Dr Glynn made a fresh appeal for people to stay at home and reduce their social contacts. We have made progress in Ireland over recent weeks, but the rate of transmission of the disease is still extremely high and the risks Covid-19 poses to our vulnerable loved ones have not changed, he said. Everyone is working hard to drive down Covid-19 infection in the community, and we must all continue to limit the number of daily contacts we have. Expand Close Garda stop vehicles at a checkpoint on the Irish border between Emyvale and Aughnacloy (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Garda stop vehicles at a checkpoint on the Irish border between Emyvale and Aughnacloy (Liam McBurney/PA) The only way to limit the spread of Covid-19 is to limit our social contacts and follow the public health advice, wash our hands, maintain a social distance, wear a face covering where appropriate, work from home and stay at home. Meanwhile, gardai have issued 6,550 fines for a range of Covid-19 breaches. These included 4,911 100 euro fines for non-essential travel, 116 500 euro fines for organising a house party and 127 fines of 80 euro each for not wearing a face covering. Nationwide checkpoints and high visibility patrols at public amenities across the country will continue this weekend in support of public health regulations. Israel has been America's staunch ally going back to the Cold War. Additionally, as a friendly nation that has been genocidally besieged by the anti-American, anti-Semitic bullies in its neighborhood, America felt the good guy's responsibility to help Israel protect herself. Beginning in 1979 with the Iranian Revolution, Israel and America also shared a common enemy: radical Islam. But none of that matters to Joe Biden, who's long been hostile to Israel and is following Obama's delusional effort to make nice with Iran. Biden has never liked Israel. Moreover, he shares Obama's dislike for Netanyahu, something demonstrated by his refusing to talk to Netanyahu since entering office. With Jews who are Democrats showing decreasing support for Israel, that made the campaign easier for Biden. Democrats, rather than supporting the Abraham Accords, which are causing peace to break out across the Middle East, resented the fact that Trump was able to broker the accords by circumventing the totalitarian and genocidal Palestinians rather than pandering to them. As the election drew near, confident that Democrat Jews' loathing from Trump overrode any residual love for Israel, Biden became more openly hostile to Israel. In August, the Washington Post summed up Biden's Israel policy as a morally muscular opposition to Trump's unwavering support for Israel and the peace deals he was making by ignoring the Palestinians, who have proven themselves incapable of self-governance in both Gaza and the West Bank: "The new UAE-Israel announcement does not just normalize bilateral relations between the two countries, which have existed barely under the table for many years," wrote Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. "For Palestinians, it also helps to normalize (if not actually reward) Israel's occupation." The Democrats, led by presidential candidate Joe Biden, are determined to change course should they come to power. There are open discussions within the caucus about conditioning the billions in aid given to Israel on the basis of its actions. Biden and virtually every Democrat in Congress were vocal in their opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's now-stalled plans to start annexing parts of the West Bank. [snip] "There's a real sense in the Democratic caucus that there's not much time left," said Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) in the J Street webinar, pointing to the steady expansion of settlements and the broader cynicism over the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. Levin added that if Biden were elected, he would have to immediately embark on three years of concerted diplomacy to restart a moribund peace process and cajole the two sides to a meaningful agreement. The chill toward Israel escalated on Friday when press secretary Jen Psaki could not say whether Israel and Saudi Arabia are still important allies to America: Psaki's wordy non-answer is significant. Since 1979, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. have had a shared enemy in Iran. If Biden distances himself from Israel and Saudi Arabia, he is openly allying himself with a nation that openly seeks Israel's destruction, that has "Death to America" as an official policy, and that funds deadly terrorism around the world. Image: Biden meets with terrorist-supporter and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. YouTube screen grab. When it comes to fashion, we are all inspired by what we see; whether it be a well-dressed celebrity, a blow-your-mind catwalk presentation or even a super stylish every-day passerby. As fashion editors, we're moved by all of the above, and then some. We're exposed to under-the-radar labels; we get a first-hand look at collections months before they hit stores; we're tapped into brands with chic-yet-cheap offerings and we shop a lot. To share our knowledge, FEMAIL brings you Style Swoon, a weekly series of the latest, greatest and on the verge. This Friday we highlight three brand new launches dropped just in time for Valentine's Day, starting with a 24-karat lip kit. Pucker up! Brand new: This week Mimi Luzon added to her glow collection for one of the most exciting beauty launches Kiss kiss: Mimi teamed up with her client and close friend Irina Shayk on a 24k Pure Gold Lip Treatment and an Epic Lush Lip Mask Pucker up: Celebrity aesthetician Mimi Luzon is known around the world as a skin wellbeing expert. With over 30 years of hands-on experience, she has amassed a star-studded clientele that includes a medley of supermodels including the Hadid sisters and Irina Shayk. Blending advanced skincare formulations with high quality, medical grade ingredients, Mimi's products enhance the skins appearance by smoothing fine lines, tightening facial contours and reducing dryness. Her most notable product to date is the Instagram-famous 24-karat gold leaf anti-wrinkle mask, a favorite of Gigi Hadid's. Mimi's got the Midas Touch and this week she added to the glow collection with another product that is sure to get beauty junkies excited. The expert teamed up with her client and close friend Irina Shayk on a 24k Pure Gold Lip Treatment and an Epic Lush Lip Mask. Only the best: 'When I need my skin to look its best, Mimi Luzon is the only facialist Id trust with my complexion,' said Irina Shop it: This product retails for $129 and can be purchased via www.mimi-luzon.com Lip service: The presence of pure gold helps to boost elasticity, stimulate collagen production and promote cell renewal leaving your lips illuminated and plumped Mimi recommends applying the Epic Lush Lip Mask over freshly cleansed lips, making sure all areas of your lips are covered. Infused with Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Vitamin C, the deeply nourishing mask moisturizes, brightens and repairs. Follow with Mimis 24K Pure Gold Lip Treatment. 'When I need my skin to look its best, Mimi Luzon is the only facialist Id trust with my complexion,' said Irina. 'When creating our lip kit, we blended our shared love of all things gold with Mimis razor sharp skincare knowledge to formulate something truly special.' The presence of pure gold helps to boost elasticity, stimulate collagen production and promote cell renewal leaving your lips illuminated and plumped. Retailing for $129, it's opulence at its best! Kiss kiss! The best ingredients: Infused with Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Vitamin C, the deeply nourishing mask moisturizes, brightens and repairs The best of everything: 'When creating our lip kit, we blended our shared love of all things gold with Mimis razor sharp skincare knowledge to formulate something truly special,' said Irina How to apply: Mimi recommends applying the Epic Lush Lip Mask over freshly cleansed lips, making sure all areas of your lips are covered. Infused with Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Vitamin C, the deeply nourishing mask moisturizes, brightens and repairs Set the mood: Model Elena Matei is getting us in the mood for Valentine's Day with the release of her upbeat love song "Magic World". The Moldovan-Romanian (known as Mateia) dropped the catchy single this week. Mateia was previously the face of Beach Bunny Swimwears Resort 2020 collection. With her gorgeous dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, she was also a spokesmodel for Guess. Tunes: Model Elena Matei is getting us in the mood for Valentine's Day with the release of her upbeat love song "Magic World" Wear your heart on your sleeve: Just in time for February 14, Scott Disick's dropped his latest collection from his clothing brand Talentless dubbed 'Screw Love.' This three-piece release is an assortment of loungewear pieces with a cheeky 'Screw Love' logo featuring a red heard pierced by a screw. The festive collection includes a red tie dye hoodie and sweatpants, a t-shirt and canvas bag. Prices range from $44-$99. Single and ready to mingle: Scott Disick's dropped his latest collection from his clothing brand Talentless dubbed "Screw Love" just time for February 14 Have fun: The festive collection includes a red tie dye hoodie and sweatpants, a t-shirt and canvas bag. Prices range from $44-$99 Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A total of 2,415 educational institutions have been granted permission to receive students in Libya from Saturday for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, the ministry of Education of the Government of National Accord announced here Saturday Congress responded to Mr. Obamas efforts by outlawing the transfer of any Guantanamo detainee to the United States for any reason not for trial, imprisonment or medical treatment. Mr. Biden said as a candidate that closure would require the cooperation of Congress. The Justice Department will be key to any assessment of how to proceed now because a major issue will be what to do about the conspiracy prosecutions of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other men who are accused of helping to orchestrate the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The coronavirus pandemic has stalled what was already slow-moving progress in the case, and the start of a trial is at least another year away. The Obama administration had sought to hold the trial in New York, but Congresss travel ban blocked it. A leaked Biden administration transition plan showed that the White House for a time considered an executive order that included the goal of closing the detention center. But the administration has apparently abandoned that idea in favor of what Ms. Horne called a National Security Council-led process to assess the current state of play that the Biden administration has inherited from the previous administration. Representative Adam Smith, Democrat of Washington State and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who is a proponent of closure, said in a recent interview that he thought politicians might be more receptive to the idea of moving the last few prisoners to the United States because Guantanamo is not a cost-effective place to detain 40 individuals. Mr. Smith also said that, rather than seek to close it by executive order, the administration should build the argument and the case that this is the right policy in order to change the law. Closing Guantanamo has become a political flash point, with supporters of keeping the prison open accusing supporters of closing it of being soft on terrorism or being willing to bring accused terrorists onto American soil. Mr. Smith bristled at the suggestion, saying the 40 detainees at Guantanamo are no more dangerous than the hundreds of terrorists, not to mention sociopathic murderers and pedophiles and child killers and all manner of evil who we safely incarcerate in the United States of America. COVID-19 vaccination centers, roads and destinations such as the Oregon Zoo are closed Saturday as winter weather continues to hit the region. Dangerous road conditions have been reported as snow and other wintry precipitation persists. Hundreds of thousands of people are also without power. Among the prominent closures: - The COVID-19 mass vaccination site at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland is closed Saturday and Sunday. Staff will contact people who had appointments to help them reschedule. - Salem Health vaccine clinics, including those at the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center and Salem Health Medical Clinic Woodburn, are closed Saturday. People who had appointments Saturday can check Salem Healths website for information on rescheduling appointments for next week. - There are various highway closures. Notably, Interstate 84 is closed in the Columbia River Gorge. - TriMet has suspended service Saturday morning. LIFT paratransit service has also been suspended, and TriMet said riders should contact ambulance services for life-sustaining trips. A few bus lines had been restored by roughly 2 p.m. Updates are available on TriMets website. - The Portland Streetcar has said it wont offer service Saturday morning because of ice on the tracks. - The Oregon Zoo is closed. View more closures on our live updates page. Monitor TripCheck for road conditions and traffic information. The Oregonian/OregonLive China has prohibited BBC World News from airing in the country. This is one week following their threat of retaliation for the recent termination of the British broadcasting license for China's state-owned CGTN. According to the National Radio and Television Administration, in a statement on Friday, BBC World News coverage of China had contravened requirements that news reporting be impartial and true. It undermined China's ethnic solidarity and national interests. China Bans BBC World News The move comes one week following British media regulator Ofcom's revocation of China Global Television Network's U.K. broadcast license. The Chinese government has condemned the BBC's reporting on COVID-19 in China and the nation's oppression of ethnic minority Uighurs, reported Yahoo News. The Radio and Television Administration stated, "The channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel. It added that it would not accept BBC's broadcast application for 2022, reported ABP Live. The move on Thursday was reportedly very symbolic because BBC World News was merely shown on cable television systems in hotels and apartment compounds for foreigners and other businesses. However, it draws foreign news outfits deeper into Beijing's rising conflict with Western governments after 2020's suspension of reporters for U.S. newspapers. NRTA claimed in the statement that BBC World News had reported news on China that "infringed the principles of truthfulness and impartiality in journalism," reported CNN. On February 4, China's Foreign Ministry denounced the broadcaster for its coverage of China's response to the pandemic and regarded its reports as "fake news." According to a BBC spokesperson, "We are disappointed that the Chinese authorities have decided to take this course of action. The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favor." Also Read: China Formally Detains Australian Journalist Cheng Lei for Allegedly Spreading State Secrets The decision came days following the United Kingdom's own regulator revoking the license of CGTN for provoking angry accusations of censorship from London and breaking U.K. law on state-backed ownership. Thursday's move will reportedly do little to mitigate relations between the two countries. Their relationship has been increasingly strained by China's introduction of security law in the U.K.'s former colony, Hong Kong. Therefore, BBC World News does not meet qualifications for foreign channels broadcasting in China, and its application to air for another year will not ensue. English-language BBC is not included in most T.V. channel packages in China. The China government has also criticized the network's reports of allegations of sexual abuse and forced labor in the Xinjiang region, home to the Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the move an unacceptable suppression of media freedom that would harm China's reputation in the eyes of the world. According to the BBC World News, Ofcom's decision to withdraw the CGTN's license earlier this month followed the British media regulator discovering that Star China Media Ltd wrongfully held CGTN's license. Related Article: South Korean Social Media Influencer Dropped by Chinese Media Agency for Allegedly Disrespecting China @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. More than 34 million Americans have received Covid vaccines, but the much-touted system that the government designed to monitor any dangerous reactions wont be capable of analyzing safety data for weeks or months, according to numerous federal health officials. For now, federal regulators are counting on a patchwork of existing programs that they acknowledge are inadequate because of small sample sizes, missing critical data or other problems. Clinical trials have shown both of the vaccines authorized in the United States Pfizer-BioNTechs and Modernas to be highly protective against the coronavirus and safe. But even the best trials have limited ability to detect adverse reactions that are rare, that occur only in certain population groups or that happen beyond the trials three-month period. In interviews, F.D.A. officials acknowledged that a promised monitoring system, formally called the Biologics Evaluation Safety Initiative but more widely known as BEST, is still in development. They expect it to start analyzing vaccine safety data soon, but probably not for another month or two. TheDman / Getty Images SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) San Francisco firefighters have extinguished a one-alarm fire Friday evening at a popular Mexican taqueria in the city's Duboce Triangle neighborhood. A Fire Department spokesperson said the grease fire erupted at Casa Mexicana Taqueria, at 178 Church St., near 14th Street. The fire was under control shortly before 8 p.m. For several months at the start of the pandemic, Stacie Miller lived in a Holiday Inn in Center City, a COVID hotel for people vulnerable to the virus but with nowhere to safely quarantine. That arrangement ended when city officials said federal funding had dried up and the hotels were too costly a way to prevent COVID-19 among homeless Philadelphians. So Miller, who has chronic lung conditions, and other hotel residents decamped to a former halfway house in North Philadelphia with shared bathrooms and dining facilities that make isolation impossible. Now Miller is back at the Holiday Inn because she contracted COVID-19. She believes she was infected in the halfway houses communal dining space. Now, she again qualifies to be in the hotel that once was intended to help prevent the disease. I should have never been put in a shelter, said Miller, 59. Millers concerns echo those of housing advocates, who say the city should be reopening COVID hotels to prevent illness, especially since the Biden administration has signaled it will reimburse cities for such accommodations at a higher rate than the Trump administration did. City officials counter that they are unsure what the federal government might reimburse and are reluctant to spend money they might not get back. Pointing to cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Seattle that have kept such hotels open, local advocates want Philadelphia to seek funding to reopen the hotels from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. If FEMA screws you over, work with your community and other cities, said Paul Boden, a longtime national housing activist and the president of the San Francisco-based Western Regional Advocacy Project. But dont not respond to a life-and-death situation for members of your community because theyre poor and you want better clarity from the federal government. Under the Trump administration, FEMA offered to reimburse cities costs related to COVID hotels at a 75% rate. The Biden administration announced late last month that FEMA will now refund 100% of those costs, dating back to January 2020. The FEMA funds dont cover all the costs associated with running COVID hotels in some cities; for example, Seattle had to find other ways to cover behavioral health treatment for some residents of the hotels. And the money can take some time to make its way to municipalities. The Seattle Times reported this week that King County, which includes Seattle, spent $60 million opening hotels and quarantine sites for the homeless in the first three months of the pandemic and has received $21 million in refunds from the federal government. But activists in Philadelphia say city officials here have barely made an effort to recoup what costs they can through FEMA. The city mostly used last years COVID-19 relief act to fund the hotels and are working on their first application for FEMA refunds. Its difficult to ascertain what would be reimbursed, said Eva Gladstein, the citys deputy managing director of health and human services. Were trying to maximize every federal resource. Liz Hersh, director of Philadelphias Office of Homeless Services, said the city is very, very engaged on the federal level on what new funding is available. Activists say that now, the city should be reopening COVID hotels and asking for full reimbursements from the federal government. Other cities like Los Angeles have announced plans to extend their hotel programs given the new reimbursement rules and are working with FEMA to determine if they can receive the funding up front instead of waiting for a reimbursement, the Los Angeles Times reported. Philadelphia officials have no plans to do so, Gladstein said. She said it would be disruptive for residents to be moved back from their current accommodations to the hotels. It seems to me like theres no good reason not to be doing this, said Wiley Cunningham, a member of Philadelphia Housing Action and one of a group of housing activists who have slammed the city for its closure of the COVID hotels in December. We need to lean into this and lower the community spread. And its a bunch of federal money that comes into the local economy. Former residents of the COVID hotels say the cheaper accommodations they were moved to in late December were a significant step down from the hotels where theyd had their own rooms and were able to more effectively isolate from others. The city has promised each resident of the hotels permanent housing; 110 people have moved into long-term housing so far, and about 70 are left in the shelter accommodations. Darryl Hawkins said he had spent a few months at a COVID hotel in Center City before he and several other residents were driven to another facility at 21st and Tioga Streets. He said he wasnt told where he was being taken until the van arrived on Tioga Street. Hawkins has cancer and respiratory issues. At the hotel, he was able to isolate from others; on Tioga Street, he had to share a bathroom and dining facilities with others. It was just a lot of people in the house, he said. I was never supposed to go to a shelter. I was never supposed to be around a lot of people. He became even more worried when a staffer at the facility contracted COVID-19. He ended up leaving twice, sleeping in a van under a bridge, until he was persuaded to return. Last week, he moved into a permanent apartment. He was grateful, he said, to be on his own again. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. Down in South Texas, we are seeing a surge in illegal aliens, according to new information reported in the New York Post: The Biden administration is facing fresh spikes of over 100 percent in illegal border crossings from this time last year and has opened another tent city to detain illegal immigrants in Texas, US Customs and Border Protection has announced. The Border Patrol revealed in a report released Wednesday that the number of migrants apprehended at the border in the month of January reached nearly 78,000, up from 36,679 in January 2020. Single adult Mexican citizens accounted for more than 37,000 CBP encounters, a 119 percent increase from this time last year, according to the agency. Single adult males? I thought it was about unifying families and their children. The Biden administration is carrying out a policy that was not fully disclosed during the campaign. Does anyone remember Biden saying he'd be building tents to bring people into the country? Eventually, and sooner rather than later, this is going to explode into a mess that Biden will not be able to control. Unfortunately, the people in Central America were encouraged to come north, and they came north. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). Image: Picryl. Olivia Parise didnt hesitate when Rebecca Sharpless, professor at the University of Miami School of Law and director of the Immigration Clinic, circulated an invitation last spring to student lawyers in the clinic to join a legal effort to help protect immigrants held in South Florida detention centers whowithout soap, gloves, and masks and shuttered in crowded conditions as they suffered endless delays in their caseswere especially susceptible to the spreading coronavirus. A second-year law school student at the time, Parise was already well attuned to the plight that immigrants face navigating the complicated and often capricious United States immigration system. In Connecticut, where she lived with her stepmother who had emigrated from Mexico City, Parise began volunteering at a family immigration clinic while in high school. Then, as an undergraduate in Philadelphia, her knowledge of Spanish proved valuable as she interned translating for attorneys and their clients in asylum cases. Those stories really touched my heart, and I decided that I needed to do something more than just interpretand that led me to want to go to law school, she said. Sharpless reputation and expertise, as evidenced through her voluminous writings on immigration, were the major factor that attracted Parise to the School of Law. So, when the directors invitation came to generate the lawsuit, she responded. As soon as COVID-19 started, we realized we had to do something because the conditions in detention are already terrible. And then when you introduce a global pandemic, we knew it was going to be an absolute mess, Parise recalled. Parise After getting the call, Parise joined the team of clinic students who worked nearly around the clock for the next week, communicating with legal partners, contacting detainees, plugging in facts, and honing legal arguments to file a case that would potentially save hundreds of livesand in a federal circuit that has been anything but favorable to cases regarding detainees. This was all at the end of a long semester, and it was a heavy lift, Sharpless recalled. A normal timeline for a class action suit would have been weeks or longer. Filed on April 13, 2020, the lawsuit accused the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) of ignoring COVID-19 guidelines at three detention centersKrome Processing Center in Miami-Dade, Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, and the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Havenand sought the release of the detained men and women. In addition to Parise, School of Law students Katarina Gomez, Meredith Hoffman, Maria Llorens, Jacob Morse, and Maria Piselli all helped to prepare the suit. The Southern Poverty Law Center, Americans for Immigrant Justice, the Rapid Defense Network in New York, the Legal Aid Service of Broward County, and Prader Urizar LPPC in Miami are co-counsels. King & Spalding LLP later stepped in to take the lead as the case proceeded to numerous hearings and discovery. The case was passed to Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman who returned a 69-page order 10 days later that called for the three centers to substantially reduce the population. In a subsequent order, on May 1, U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke issued a terse order accusing U.S. authorities of acting with deliberate indifference and ordered ICE to further reduce the detainee populations. To date, all but three of the plaintiffs named in the case have been released, according to Sharpless. The court ordered the government to submit weekly reports regarding its actions. COVID-19 cases can now be tracked via a dashboard. Though pleased by the progress, Sharpless remained concerned. The lawsuit forced ICE to take action that it otherwise would not have, she said, yet it became apparent pretty quickly that ICE was transferring people out of the three centers under scrutiny to make its numbers look better. Troubling conditions persist at other detention centers, and the current ruling to reduce center capacity to 75 percent is insufficient to allow for physical distancing, she said. And we just learned that ICE has no plans to vaccinate the detained men and women, she pointed out, even though CDC guidelines recommend that vaccinations be made available on a priority basis to everyone inside detention centers, including staff and detained persons. These detention centers have large populations. With people moving in and out, its a recipe for a public health disaster. Parise continues this semester as a student fellow working to identify more plaintiffs to add to the case and mentoring new students in the clinic such as Angelina Petrosova and Jose Ortega. Petrosova Petrosova, a first-year law student originally from Russia, began at the clinic just weeks ago and has been busy reviewing the sophisticated litigation. She brings a wealth of experience, however, to the task. Before coming to the U.S. in 2015, Petrosova studied at Moscow State Academy of Law and worked in a family law clinic there helping families. While seeking to resolve her own U.S. naturalization process, she befriendedand so impressedthe attorney handling her case that she was offered a job and has worked for two years as a paralegal. When she completes her J.D. degree, she expects to join the firm as a partner and practice immigration law in South Florida. It definitely takes a lot of time to just review the case, she said. You dont want to miss anything important, and its very engaging because you are helping real people in need, she added. Were just getting used to what the volume of work in the clinic is like, she continued. No matter how hard it is, we will do our best and try to make the best case we can for them. Petrosova is confident that, in contrast to the past four years, the new administration will make it easier to present legitimate cases for asylum and other immigrant-related proceedings. If a person has good moral character and is willing to work, get an education, and lead a good life here in the United States, they should have a chance, she said. Ortega Jose Ortega, a second-year law student, signed up for the clinic after taking the elective course on immigration law with Sharpless last year. He and Petrosova work as partners in the clinic. He learned the necessary terms and theories in the course, yet a case like this presents a steep learning curve. I felt prepared in that I learned the terms and theories of immigration law and gained familiarity with the many administrative offices, but Ive definitely been learning on my feet, Ortega said. A Cuban American from South Florida who hails from a family of immigrants, Ortega studied engineering before shifting his career direction to pursue a law degree. Theres something very different from growing up and hearing about the immigration journey, or even having friends who are immigrants, and then to be working on cases like this and hearing from clients about their experiences and the impact that the case has on all aspects of their lives, he said. One of the things about the clinic is that youre tackling these cases, but youre able to collaborate with another student who can bring a different perspective or skills that you dont have or ask questions that dont occur to you, Ortega noted. Thats really important. Parise echoed the rewards that come with collaborative work on a meaningful project. I love working with other people and to be able to be a law clinic fellow and share some of my experience and tips on how to navigate the clinic and the immigration legal field, including connections with other attorneys in Miami, she said. Its been really rewarding just to know that Im part of a project thats doing such great and necessary work. Bloomberg News will cut about 90 employees, mostly editors, from its staff, according to the New York Times. In a memo to staffers, Bloomberg editor in chief John Micklethwait placed some of the blame for the move on unnecessary back-reading or re-editing, adding that after the reorganization, editors will report to managing editors, who would assign them stories. However, Micklethwait said new hires in priority areas such as data journalism would offset the layoffs and that he expects the company to end 2021 with as many journalists as it had before the pandemic. We have always sought to make the newsroom better to make us more nimble, to improve our content, and to help us chronicle capitalism in an even more comprehensive way, he said. Overall, Bloomberg News has more than 3,100 editorial and research employees, and Bloomberg Media is expected to bring in at least $100 million this year from consumer digital subscription revenue. Conde Nast is looking to trim down the amount of rent it pays for its offices in One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. The company is withholding the $2.4 million in rent it owes for January 2021 and says it may withhold more in the future if it does not reach an agreement with its landlords, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Durst Organization. Conde Nast wants to reduce its square footage and its rent per square foot at the office tower. A spokesman for Advance, which owns Conde Nast, told the Wall Street Journal that the company continues to be in discussions about bringing the lease in 1WTC into line with current market conditions and its ongoing needs at that location. The company has also started looking for 400,000 square feet of alternative office space for at least some of its operations, with some of that space located in Jersey City, NJ. Google has launched News Showcase, which pays publishers for news content, as part of its Google News app in the UK and Argentina. The service, which covers over 120 publications in the UK and 40 in Argentina, also gives readers the ability to access some of a publications paywalled content for free. To read that content, users must register with the individual publisher. Participating publications receive a monthly fee to curate news stories for the service, as well as for granting access to their paywalled content. The UK publications participating include Reuters, the Financial Times, The Independent, the New Statesman, and The Telegraph. News Showcase was released in Germany and Brazil last year and in Australia last week. It now includes content from over 450 publications worldwide. Vietnam proposes COVID-19 vaccination for UN peacekeepers Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy has emphasised the need to offer COVID-19 vaccine to peacekeepers, particularly those at high risk, such as medical workers at field hospitals and forces operating in areas severely hit by the pandemic. Female medical workers of Vietnam's first level-2 field hospital leave for its mission in South Sudan (October 15, 2018). (Photo: VNA) He underlined the responsibility and role of host countries as well as the importance of close coordination between UN missions and the host countries in ensuring security and safety for peacekeepers and the COVID-19 vaccination for them during an informal discussion on the Initiative on Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) and COVID-19 vaccine on February 12. The Ambassador said Vietnam is committed to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations and efforts towards improving peacekeeping effectiveness. Quy called on the international community to provide suitable resources to fulfill political commitments, strengthen partnership between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations, promote womens empowerment and participation, and ensure security and safety for peacekeepers. The discussion was co-chaired by the Republic of Korea, Ethiopia and Norway with the UNs Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Martha Helena Lopez and more than 50 ambassadors and deputy ambassadors of UN member states in attendance. The A4P was initiated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres on March 28, 2018 to strengthen peacekeeping by spurring collective action by all peacekeeping stakeholders and foster political commitments to peacekeeping. The initiative includes a set of 45 mutually-agreed commitments endorsed by more than 150 member states across eight areas. Chief Minister on Saturday said his government is planning to bring a law under which protesters will have to pay for the damage to public properties during any protest. Talking to media after his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, Khattar said he informed the Minister about Dharnas and Maha Panchayats organised by farmers in the state. "We talked about party matters. We also talked about the farmers' protest and I gave the Home Minister all the information that I had about dharnas and Kisan Maha Panchayats in the state," said Khattar. When asked if he also talked about his government's proposed law against protestors, CM said, "No, we have not talked about the laws. We have been planning to bring this law even before the farmers' movement started. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dehradun, Feb 13 : Amid an alert, an eight-member team of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has conducted a survey of a lake in the catchment area of the turbulent Rishiganga river which had caused a deluge in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on February 7. The team headed by SDRF Commandant Navneet Bhullar returned to Reni village in Chamoli district on Saturday evening after collecting samples from the lake besides filming videos of the area. "We will send these samples and videos to the police headquarters in Dehradun for further action," said Bhullar. The SDRF team, which began its trek on Friday morning, took nearly 13-14 hours to reach the lake where they set up a temporary camp on Friday evening. Significantly, there is a considerable discharge from the lake also, Bhullar said. However, he refused to comment further on the discharge issue saying it is up to the scientists to take a note of it. "We have also found a proper route to the lake which may help in case of any emergency in the future," Bhullar said. After fears expressed by some villagers, the Uttarakhand government on Friday had sounded an alert after satellite images spotted the formation of a lake in the catchment area of the Rishiganga river. "We have to remain alert as satellite pictures show the formation of a 400m lake at Rishiganga," Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had stated. Top government officials said that people have been asked not to go near the Rishiganga river and take all precautions. The government has also asked scientists of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and the Geological Survey of India to depute teams to the Rishiganga valley to prepare a detailed report on the lake formation. Reports pouring in from different areas of Chamoli district said the flow of Rishiganga abruptly increased many times since Thursday afternoon which forced the authorities to suspend the search operation inside the disaster-hit tunnel of NTPC's 520 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project for a couple of times. Rishiganga is a tributary of Dhauliganga river on which the Tapovan project is being built. Over 200 persons went missing after the Sunday morning deluge that had hit two hydel projects in Chamoli district. Netflix will surely be busy this Valentine's Day as it keeps its subscribers' company. Romantic movies are the trend, especially during this time of the year. Whether you are single or not, you are entitled to binge-watch anything on the streaming giant. Throughout the year, Netflix has been offering a mix of films for everyone to enjoy based on their tastes. However, the company undoubtedly made sure that their romance catalog has a number of flicks that are ready to watch. With that said, as Valentine's Day nears, here are five romantic films available on Netflix that everyone can watch with their special partners (or alone). Adrift Starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Clafin, the 2018 romance and adventure film is based on Tami Oldham Ashcraft's 2002 book "Red Sky at Mourning." It tells the true tale of a couple who were once adrift in the Pacific Ocean after the Hurricane Raymond in 1983. Woodley and Clafin's characters show how the real-life couple tried hard to find their way to Hawaii with a damaged boat. Holding the Man The 2015 LGBTQ film won the hearts of 95 percent of Google users. This time, it will surely win your heart, too. Author Timothy Conigrave wrote the memoir in 1995, revealing his heartwarming love story to the public. "Holding the Man" is about Tim and John, who found love while staying at their all-boys high school. As they try to score the public's approval, they see themselves in the middle of discrimination, jealousy and temptations. This film also gives hope not only to the LGBTQ community alone but also to those individuals who are HIV positive. To All the Boys: Always and Forever For the fans of the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" trilogy, Netflix and Jenny Han offered this third and final installment to everyone this Valentine's Day. On Friday, it officially arrived on the streaming giant--just the right time for the special occasion. This time, Lana Condor (Lara Jean) and Noah Centineo (Peter Kavitsky) face the rock-bottom of their blooming relationship. Upon returning from a family trip to Korea, Lara Jean plans her college life after a rollercoaster senior high school years. However, this time, she has to move on--with or without Noah. The Notebook Each year's Valentine's Day watchlist wouldn't be complete with Nicholas Sparks' "The Notebook." The all-time favorite classic film surely never gets old, so much so that it can be considered the benchmark for every romantic movie. The 2004 tear-jerker is about the story of a rich girl who falls in love with a poor guy in a pre-World War II America. After Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams excite people's hearts, they always wreck it with a tragic twist in the end. La La Land The Academy Awards nominee highlighted Ryan Gosling's brilliance with Emma Stone in the romantic musical film. The plot follows Mia and Sebastian's relationship as they try to take a spotlight in Los Angeles. The wannabe actress and jazz musician have to choose what they should sacrifice in life--whether their careers or their relationship. See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Photo: (Photo : Photo by cottonbro from Pexels) Observe your kids mental health right now, experts say. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline #Be 1 campaign shares steps a person can do to prevent suicide. Most of our kids have been navigating the new, challenging standard for almost a year, like social isolation, intensely depressed parents, and the consequences of financial uncertainty. While Covid-19 has primarily spared children's physical health, studies have shown that it has taken a toll on their mental health, correlated with a rise in behaviors linked to suicide, experts claim. As of 2018, before the pandemic hit, suicide was the second leading cause of death among kids and teenagers aged 10 to 19 in the United States. A new pre-publication, peer-reviewed study in the journal Pediatrics found some increases, while suicide attempts and ideation were not consistently more severe in 2020. READ: Ohio Teacher Starts Class with Heartwarming Affirmation Songs [Viral Video] "Months with significantly higher rates of suicide-related behaviors appear to correspond to times when COVID-related stressors and community responses were heightened, indicating that youth experienced elevated distress during these periods." Julie Williamson, associate professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta, said: "One of the ways to prevent pediatric suicide attempts is to keep your medications locked away." Parents should invest in a lockbox, Williamson said, not just for potentially lethal prescription drugs. She said "For adolescents, suicide is often extremely impulsive and not pre-planned, so even small barriers can keep catastrophes from happening." She also added, "Attain a lockbox for even non-prescription drugs such as Tylenol. That will help protect against accidental overdose, as well. For younger children, it can discourage them from swallowing the pill unintentionally." ALSO READ: Florida Mom Who Works in the Navy Surprises Kindergarten Daughter in Her School Kid's Mental Health Hotlines Amidst an ongoing public health epidemic, we still have an incredible opportunity to come together to deepen the awareness of mental health within our families and our communities. Everyone is encouraged to connect with their friends and loved ones in an open, frank conversation, display compassion and kindness, and practice self-care by exercising, meditating, and reading the news in calculated doses. And reach out to those who may be lonely and need additional assistance. Below are hotline numbers for faster service. 1. Dating Abuse and Domestic Violence or loveisrespect: 1-866-331-9474 They focus on young adult relationships and hope to end dating abuse and offer 24/7 help. 2. Depression and Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 and The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386 The Trevor Project provided 24/7 support to the LGBTQ young adult community. There are also specific suicide hotlines according to the area. 3. General Crisis Text Line: Text SUPPORT to 741-741 The Crisis Text Line extends 24/7 help to everyone. Their goal is to help everyone move from a hot moment to a cool one, guiding each to create a plan to stay safe and healthy. 4. National Eating Disorder Association Hotline: 1-800-931-2237 NEDA offers help Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (EST) to a variety of eating disorders and hopes to "envision a world without eating disorders." 5. National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 NAMI provides treatment options and programs. They wish to "raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need." The NAMI hotline is available every Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 6. Sexual Assault like Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network: 1-800-656-4673 RAINN is the largest 24/7 anti-sexual violence organization in the world. In addition to seeking ways to avoid sexual violence, their mission is to provide victims with options and programs. READ MORE: Mom Accidentally Sent Daughter to School Picture Day Wearing a Joke T-Shirt Garnering votes from around the world, Pacific Rim by Kana was named the poll winner for the Ann Arbor region in our search for Michigans Best Outdoor Dining. This popular downtown spot has been serving the community for 20 years, and offers Asian inspired cuisine created by a the chef owner who just happens to have degrees in both biochemistry and theology. This just fits me better, said Duc Tang, owner and chef at Pacific Rim. I really enjoy it. Life doesnt always follow a straight path. Tang, who was born in Vietnam, had an original plan to become a medical doctor, then switched gears and got a masters degree in theology. He came to Ann Arbor after an invite from a good friend to help out at his restaurant. Tang had never cooked professionally before, and thought that maybe he would try it out for a few years. He quickly realized he had found his true calling in the kitchen. It can be a roundabout journey to finding what you love doing, Tang said. Coming from an immigrant family, I was taught to follow a narrow path. There is a side of me that loves using my hands creatively, but one of the reasons why my parents came to America was so that we wouldnt have to use our hands. Pursue what you love, and what gives you meaning, not what society wants. Creativity, physicality, using your hands, quick thinking, it all translates into running a kitchen, " Tang said. Tang ended up buying Pacific Rim in 2006. The menu reads like a tour of Asia, with dishes inspired by Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, and China. Weve thought a lot about what contemporary Pan-Asian cuisine means, Tang said. We take traditional flavors, and recreate them in a more contemporary way, creating elevated food that is still accessible. Pacific Rim was the poll winner for the Ann Arbor area, narrowly beating out York Food and Drink. The Grateful Crow in Chelsea came in third, and Dexter Beer Grotto fourth in our polling. The outdoor dining tents at Pacific Rim in Ann Arbor.Pacific Rim Courtesy Photo, used with permission. This past summer, the city of Ann Arbor shut down Liberty street to traffic, and opened up for spacious outdoor dining. It worked out wonderfully for all the restaurants, but with the advent of cooler weather, the street was reopened. Pacific Rim had very limited space out front on the sidewalk to erect any type of outdoor dining structures. Tang was also very concerned that whatever they came up with wouldnt compromise the dining experience people have come to expect from Pacific Rim. I didnt want it to be diminished, he said. We wanted to make people feel like home, in a private space, yet big enough. We werent sure how it would go. Youll see just how tight it is out front as soon as you arrive at Pacific Rim. Tangs soft grey tents occupy the sidewalk, while a few greenhouses owned by the Alley Bar, which is right next door, are essentially double parked in the street in front of the tents. The whole thing has been an experience with the city and us, Tang said. You dont want it too tight. According to Matthew Nagy, a customer who nominated Pacific Rim, once inside the tents you will find a peaceful ambiance with a single string of soft white light lining the tent, and a heater placed ideally above the table to keep the diner warm and comfortable. One loses sight of the outside world and can become fully immersed in the dining experience. The five tents reflect the calm aesthetic that youll find inside the restaurant. They very easily can hold six people, with plenty of room to move around, and you can fully stand up inside. Wooden tables and cushioned chairs are comfortable. The tents are cozy and warm, and a lovely setting to enjoy some of Tangs incredible food. Asian flavors obviously are the focus of the menu, and Tang incorporates more traditional French techniques in executing them. The crispy spring rolls on the menu are his mothers recipe, and come with a sweet and spicy chili-lime dipping sauce. The unagi terrine is a unique take on sushi, with layers of sticky sushi rice, avocado, and broiled eel surrounded by a zippy wasabi oil, and an intense soy reduction. For entrees, sablefish and tuna are both very popular. Theres also a five spice duck not to miss. Tang is pretty sure that hell keep some of the changes that hes made during the pandemic permanent. I like giving guests choices, he said. Its all about their experience. Lettuce wraps are just one of the delicious Asian inspired dishes you can try at Pacific Rim in Ann Arbor.Pacific Rim Courtesy Photo, used with permission. Tang has relied on his loyal staff during this difficult time. He has many employees who have been with him for 10 years or more. He attributes this longevity to his belief that service at Pacific Rim should be authentic, friendly, happy, and that my staff can be themselves, he said. I kind of make it up as to how I think it should be done, Tang said. I want us to enjoy each others company, and foster relationships. I apply this to the staff first, to create an atmosphere where they feel valued, and proud of their work. The restaurant is currently sharing tips, and is still offering a staff meal everyday. Its the most important and sacred part of the night, Tang said. Staff meal is usually served at one table, with everyone gathered talking and sharing. Things are a bit different now. While everyone still eats together, they are scattered across the room at individual tables. Its clear that Tangs employees appreciate him and his approach to ownership and management. Kiel Lerch, whos been at Pacific Rim for 3 years, said that Tang is the best boss ever. Tang and his wife Janet have five kids, and youll often see them at the restaurant visiting dad and enjoying a meal. As a chef, Tang works long hours, but I love to integrate home and work. He happy he chose Ann Arbor 20 years ago, and believes that the only way hes achieved a work/life balance is because of the community of Ann Arbor. Hes been incredibly grateful for the support hes received over the years, and never more so than in 2020. Pacific Rim has clearly made an impression on Ann Arbor, and the many, many customers who are fans of Tang and what hes created here. He wasnt kidding when he said that he had people all over the world voting for his establishment during our search. Votes came in from California, Africa, and Mexico for Pacific Rim. Reader Matthew Nagy summed it up pretty nicely when he said that Pacific Rim is an exceptional restaurant. Pacific Rim's owner Duc Tang. The restaurant in located in Ann Arbor.MLive.com Pacific Rim in Ann Arbor offers roomy, spacious tents filled with twinkly lights to enjoy right downtown Ann Arbor.Pacific Rim Courtesy Photo, used with permission. The search for Michigans Best Outdoor Dining is sponsored in part by Warm Fitness. Michigans Best Outdoor Dining Ann Arbor Poll winner #1-Pacific Rim by Kana 114 W Liberty St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (734) 662-9303 For more info: https://pacificrimbykana.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/pacificrimrestaurant Seared beef tenderloin with wasabi peppercorn sauce and asparagus from Pacific Rim in Ann Arbor.Pacific Rim Courtesy Photo, used with permission. More Michigans Best Outdoor Dining: A Michigan-made yurt village can be found at this spot in Chelsea 10 great outdoor dining spots along the White Pine Trail See all the photos from RORA-Rockford Outdoor Refreshment Area Operation Shantyville is adventurous twist on outdoor dining supporting Bay area restaurants Play river rocks, get farm to table dining at this SW Michigan spot See all of the nominations for Michigans Best Outdoor Dining Traditional Irish food, tacos and great service at this Michigans Best Outdoor Dining spot 6 things Michigan restaurant staff want you to know before you eat out This Northern Michigan town has transformed into an outdoor dining village Enjoy the cozy hygge lifestyle at this Grand Rapids restaurant Irish Wheelchair Association in Louth has called on the Government to prioritise people with disabilities under its vaccination plan, as concerns grow over vaccine delays. The charity said that people with physical disabilities are at severe risk due to underlying conditions. Louise Cahill, from the Irish Wheelchair Association based in Louth said: Many people with physical disabilities are at severe risk of Covid due to health conditions that could cause complications and hospitalisation, yet they have not been recognised as a vulnerable group by the Government. The Government must also recognise that in the absence of regular day services, many people with disabilities have been confined at home since the virus took hold last March, adding additional stress. "People we support are eager to get the vaccine and are highly concerned about how long they will wait with vaccine supplies lower than planned. At the current time, people over 65 in residential settings with disabilities are rightly getting vaccinated. "Yet worryingly, those living independently in the community and being assisted at home in Louth and across the country are not. This is a real issue. Our members have told us they are very keen to be vaccinated, but are concerned that they will be left waiting. "With concerns about vaccination supplies, we urge the Minister for Health to urgently include people with disabilities on the priority list to ensure their protection. Irish Wheelchair Association is Irelands largest organisation supporting people with physical disabilities to lead active and independent lives and has 20,000 members. The association currently has 1,500 staff across Ireland visiting 4,000 homes each month, caring for individuals with disabilities, in their own homes. Louise continued: In Louth, we have a strong team of frontline workers, who have been visiting people at home every day since Covid arrived almost a year ago. "We are helping people get out of bed, get dressed, preparing meals, helping around the home, making trips for shopping, the chemist and with personal care. Our immediate priority is to protect people with disabilities and to ensure that the most vulnerable have all the support they need while they cannot be with their family and friends. "Our members have added vulnerabilities to the Covid-19 virus. They must be included on the Governments vaccine priority list. For further information about Irish Wheelchair Association visit www.iwa.ie Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. WASHINGTON - Former president Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, becoming the first president in U.S. history to face a second impeachment trial - and surviving it in part because of his continuing hold on the Republican Party despite his electoral defeat in November. That grip appeared to loosen slightly during the vote Saturday afternoon, when seven Republicans crossed party lines to vote for conviction - a sign of the rift the Capitol siege has caused within GOP ranks and the desire by some in the party to move on from Trump. Still, the 57-to-43 vote, in which all Democrats and two independents voted against the president, fell far short of the two-thirds required to convict. The tally came after senators briefly upended the proceeding by voting to allow witnesses - only to reverse themselves amid Republican opposition and following hours of negotiations with House Democrats and Trump's defense team. The decision in the end to forgo testimony set the stage for Trump's acquittal without a full accounting of his actions on Jan. 6, when pro-Trump rioters who believed his false claims that he had actually won the election stormed the Capitol and endangered the lives of lawmakers, Vice President Mike Pence and hundreds of staff and police officers. Five people died in the melee. Even some of those who voted to acquit the former president excoriated him from the Senate floor after the impeachment trial ended. "These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flag and screaming their loyalty to him," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who voted to acquit but has previously denounced Trump's role in the insurrection and has not spoken to him since mid-December. "It was so obvious that only President Trump could end this. He was the only one." The remarks seemed aimed at attempting to turn the page on the Trump era, while also avoiding stoking the wider GOP civil war that a conviction would likely have brought. 3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford. Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post phtoo by Salwan Georges Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., meanwhile, took aim at the Republicans who defended Trump because of his continuing popularity among GOP voters and their fears that Trump or his base could turn on them if they did not remain loyal. Schumer appeared to be previewing a political argument that is likely to feature prominently in the 2022 election cycle. "Just look what Republicans have been forced to defend," Schumer said. "Look what Republicans have chosen to forgive." Trump is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice by the House, which last year handed down articles of impeachment for his attempts to pressure Ukraine in hopes of damaging his then-rival, Joe Biden, who would go on to defeat him in the 2020 presidential election. Trump was impeached again by the Democratic-controlled House last month over his alleged role in inciting the deadly Capitol insurrection. In a statement after his acquittal, Trump thanked his legal team and decried his impeachment, tying the move to broader efforts made against him by Democrats during his term in office. "This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country," Trump's statement said. "No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago." Trump has already threatened to support primary challenges against Republicans who did not promote his false claims that the election was stolen, and the power of that threat was evident in Saturday's roll call - even though the party lost both the White House and Congress during his tumultuous tenure. Among the seven GOP senators who voted to convict, only one, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, faces reelection in 2022. Two others, Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Burr of North Carolina, have announced plans to retire. Three - Susan Collins of Maine, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana - were just reelected last year. And Mitt Romney of Utah doesn't face reelection until 2024. "As a result of President Trump's actions, for the first time in American history, the transfer of presidential power was not peaceful," Toomey said in a statement. "A lawless attempt to retain power by a president was one of the founders' greatest fears motivating the inclusion of the impeachment authorities in the U.S. Constitution." Republican and Democratic senators alike indicated all week that they opposed allowing witness testimony because of the potential to extend the trial for weeks or even months. Many said the testimony was unlikely to change minds in the evenly divided chamber. While many Democrats argued that a protracted proceeding would get in the way of President Biden's agenda, in particular a coronavirus relief bill, Saturday's drama made clear that tensions remained among Democrats over whether to pursue a deeper examination of the events of Jan. 6. "Each witness can lead to other witnesses and new information," Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., wrote on Twitter after the initial vote to allow testimony. "This can also prompt others with new evidence to come forward voluntarily." The drama began when the lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin, D-Md., opened the day's proceedings with an unexpected request to call Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., as a witness following reports of her account that Trump had refused the entreaties of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to call off the rioters. Herrera Beutler described an expletive-laden phone call in which Trump falsely claimed that the rioters were members of antifa, the loose-knit movement of sometimes violent liberal activists. He also accused McCarthy of caring less about Trump's efforts to overturn Biden's victory than the rioters did. Schumer had told Democrats earlier Saturday that the decision about witnesses would be left to the House managers. So after Raskin's request, the chamber voted 55 to 45 to allow witnesses, with five Republicans joining Democrats and the chamber sliding into uncertainty as groups of senators huddled for hours to figure out what would come next. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said they monitored what happened in the Senate but were not involved in the negotiations. The possibility of a protracted trial clearly alarmed Republicans, with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shaking his head and resting his forehead on his hand as Raskin spoke. Separately, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., angrily pointed at Romney after the 2012 GOP presidential nominee voted for allowing witnesses. Trump's lawyers also threatened to call hundreds of witnesses, though they would not have been allowed to do so without Senate approval. After nearly three hours of deliberations, the Senate came back to order and Raskin announced that he was willing to accept a compromise in which Herrera Beutler's statement would be admitted as evidence - and that Trump and his lawyers would stipulate to its veracity. Stacey Plaskett, a Democratic delegate from the Virgin Islands who was one of the impeachment managers, said in explaining the decision that "other individuals who may have been there with the president were not friendly . . . to us and would have required subpoenas and months of litigation." One individual close to the House managers' deliberations said getting Trump to agree that Herrera Beutler's statement was true was an important victory. The person also said that the "already overwhelming evidence" admitted in the trial had made the managers' case "without the need for subpoena, deposition and other testimony." However, in his closing argument, Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said the former president and his lawyer were not stipulating to the "truthfulness" of Herrera Beutler's statement. The five-day trial featured dramatic presentations by the nine House impeachment managers, who offered a harrowing retelling of the terror that engulfed the Capitol last month. They shared shocking new audio and video recordings of rioters declaring their intent to harm Pence and other top officials - and showing how close they came to doing so. There were chants to "Hang Mike Pence!" and a sinister clip of a man looking for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and asking, "Naaaancy? Where aaaare you, Nancy?" And there was new surveillance video showing Romney being rushed back into the Senate chamber by Officer Eugene Goodman moments before Goodman confronted a mob of insurrectionists just paces away. All of it, the impeachment managers said, was a direct result of the president's months-long effort to persuade his supporters of the "big lie" that the election had been stolen. After he had exhausted all other options to overturn Biden's victory - including dozens of lawsuits and a sustained campaign to pressure state election officials - they said Trump turned his sights to Jan. 6, the day Congress was scheduled to formalize Biden's electoral college victory. The managers, led by Raskin, also detailed the casualties of that day, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer and four others who died. Two more officers took their own lives in the subsequent days. One officer is expected to lose an eye, others lost fingers and several are still recovering from serious head injuries. "President Trump put a target on their backs," said Plaskett, describing the threat to all of those in the Capitol that day. "And his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down." In their closing arguments Saturday, the House managers highlighted Trump's disregard for the safety of congressional leaders as well as Pence - and urged senators to convict "for the safety and security of our democracy and our people." "We've proven to the satisfaction of the American people, certainly, that the president, after the breach and the invasion took place, was not working on the side of defending the Capitol, but rather was continuing to pursue his political goals," Raskin said. The managers also attempted to rebut the Trump defense team's claims that Democrats view Trump's Jan. 6 speech as the sole incitement for the attack, that Trump could not have known that violence would erupt that day, and that the insurrectionists came to Washington of their own accord. "This was not one speech," said impeachment manager Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa. "This was a deliberate, purposeful effort by Donald Trump over many months that resulted in the well-organized mob's attack on January the 6th." The fact that the insurrection was planned, Dean argued, further supports Democrats' point. Trump's lawyers - who used only a fraction of their allotted time to make their closing arguments Saturday - emphasized that the former president never explicitly urged violence and that his false claims about the election were protected under the First Amendment. They and other Republicans also argued it was unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial after a president has left office. "At no point did you hear anything that could ever possibly be construed as Mr. Trump encouraging or sanctioning an insurrection," van der Veen said. "Senators, you did not hear those tapes because they do not exist, because the act of incitement never happened." - - - The Washington Post's Rosalind S. Helderman, Paul Kane, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner and Amy B Wang contributed to this report. You just cant keep a good city down, especially when Mardi Gras is coming. All around New Orleans, thousands of houses are being decorated as floats because the coronavirus outbreak canceled the elaborate parades mobbed by crowds during the Carnival season leading to Fat Tuesday. Some smaller groups announced no-parade plans before the city did. Pandemic replacements include scavenger hunts for signature trinkets that normally would be thrown from floats or handed out from a streetcar, as well as outdoor art and drive-through or virtual parades. The prominent Krewe of Bacchus has an app where people can catch and trade virtual trinkets during Carnival and watch a virtual parade Feb. 14, when the parade had been scheduled. But the house float movement started almost as soon as a New Orleans spokesman announced Nov. 17 that parades were off. That morning, Megan Joy Boudreaux posted what she later called a silly Twitter joke: Were doing this. Turn your house into a float and throw all the beads from your attic at your neighbors walking by. But the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. She started a Facebook group, the Krewe of House Floats, expecting a few friends and neighbors to join. The numbers rose. Thirty-nine subgroups evolved to discuss neighborhood plans. By Carnival seasons official start Jan. 6, the group had more than 9,000 members, including out-of-state expats. About 3,000, including a few as far afield as England and Australia, will have their houses on an official online map, said Charlotte Charlie Jallans-Daly, one of two mapmakers. Houses are to be decorated at least two weeks before Fat Tuesday, which is Feb. 16 this year. With widespread addresses and two weeks to gawk, the hope is that people will spread out widely in time and space. I didnt think I was starting a Mardi Gras krewe. Here I am, Boudreaux said. Ive got myself a second full-time job. Discussions in the Facebook groups include how-tos, ads for props, and neighborhood themes. Artists have given live-streamed outdoor lessons. Katie Bankens posted that her blocks theme was Shark Week staycation paradise. When a resident worried that she was not crafty enough, administrator Carley Sercovich replied that if they could play music and throw trinkets to neighbors, You are perfect for this Krewe! Boudreaux also suggested that people could hire or buy from out-of-work Carnival artists and suppliers hit by the parade cancellation. A spreadsheet of artists and vendors followed. One of them, artist Dominic Dom Graves, booked more than 20 five-person classes in professional papier-mache techniques, at $100 a person. Devin DeWulf, who already had started two pandemic charities as head of the Krewe of Red Beans walking club, kicked the house float idea up a few notches at the suggestion of Caroline Thomas, a professional float designer. Their Hire a Mardi Gras Artist crowdfunded lotteries and collected enough money to put crews to work decorating 11 houses, plus commissioned work at two more houses and seven businesses. Weve put about 40 people to work, which is nice, DeWulf said. With Mardi Gras approaching, he said a 12th lottery would be the last. One commissioned house is rented by a pair of nuns. Sisters Mary Ann Specha and Julie Walsh, who run a shelter for homeless women with children, had to get permission for their own crowdfunding from the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubuque, Iowa. They loved it, Specha said. The crowdfunded decorations may be auctioned after Mardi Gras to raise more money, DeWulf said. Several mansions along a short stretch of St. Charles Avenue had elaborate displays with signs noting their creation by one of the citys biggest float-making studios. Tom Fox, whose wife, Madeline, painted a SpongeBob SquarePants scene and made jellyfish from dollar store bowls, said he thinks a new tradition may have begun. Even when Mardi Gras comes back, I think people are going to keep doing this, he said. As Tianwen-1 marked its entry into Mars orbit earlier this week, the cameras on-board the spacecraft managed to capture a close-up view of Mars. Chinas space agency has now released two videos providing a glimpse of the same. Deeming it as a Lunar New Year greeting to Earth by Tianwen-1, China National Space Administration has released two clips of just under a minute of the spacecraft entering Mars orbit. The Tianwen-1s New Year blessings came through from far-away Mars, the CNSA said on Friday which marked the first day of the Lunar New Year. Shot from the cameras attached to the spacecraft, the footage shows Mars as a big ball of white light in the background with craters on its surface. The footage starts shaking at one point, depicting the activation of solar powered thrusters on the spacecraft to slow its descent into the Mars orbit. The solar panels, directional antenna, Martian atmosphere and surface topography are clearly visible, the CNSA said. Tianwen-1 took off from Earth last July, and covered a six and a half half month long journey through space to reach the red planet. It became the second spacecraft to reach the planet this month, with UAEs probe being the first one and NASAs Perseverance rover yet to arrive. In the coming days, the orbiter on Tianwen-1 will float around the red planet. After monitoring the Martian skies for three months, the rover on the Tianwen-1 will detach and be lowered down to the Martian surface. Once on the surface, it aims to find clues for water under the Martian surface and even look for signs of ancient alien life on the planet. (With input from agencies) I am paying close attention to the current impassioned debate regarding the impact of the vigils on the current Covid-19 spike, as asserted by the Prime Minister. In seeking to examine this myself, from an almost scientific perspective, I have had to check my emotions at the front door, as this is a subject which stirs passions. By Ishani Sarkar | Published on 2021/02/13 The roster of 2021 K-Dramas is already looking more promising than ever before with a beautiful blend of thrillers, romance, comedy and more. What is even more exciting is the fact that a lot of the most beloved actresses in Korean television will be coming back this year to create some more iconic dramas and fans cannot be any more delighted about the same. Park Shin-hye One of the most popular actresses in the industry of Korean dramas, Park Shin-hye is ready to enthral us once more with her upcoming drama "Sisyphus: The Myth" where she plays the role of Kang Seo-hae, a woman from the future who travels against time to save Han Tae-seul when she discovers a mysterious link between their fates. Kim So-hyun Fans couldn't be more excited about the return of actress Kim So-hyun in the female-driven historical drama "River Where the Moon Rises" especially since she'll be acting alongside everyone's favourite Ji Soo, who has finally landed himself the main lead role. There's a reason why Kim So-hyun is known as the 'Queen of sageuk' and that is all the more reason for the excitement towards this drama. Jun Ji-hyun Jun Ji-hyun returns to television after a painfully long time with her upcoming drama "Jirisan" and fans of the actress simply cannot wait. "Jirisan" tells the story of park rangers at Mount Jiri who go on rescue missions to save people there. She will be acting alongside Ju Ji-hoon which is amplifying the anticipation for the drama manifold. Park Bo-young Park Bo-young will be back in 2021 with Seo In-guk for the drama "Doom at Your Service". Not only is the lead pair visually extraordinary but the plot of the drama seems novel and unique as well. It is certainly not something that has been done before and the concept of a walking 'doomsday' is interesting to say the least. Hyeri Hyeri is one of the most beloved actresses in the industry and she's all set to return with her upcoming drama "My Roommate Is a Gumiho" alongside Jang Ki-yong. Hyeri plays a college girl, Lee Dam who ends up swallowing a gumiho's precious fox bead. In order to resolve this situation, the two end up living under the same roof. Hyeri is evidently incredible at romance comedies and fans cannot wait for her return. Jeon Yeo-bin The cold and collected documentary director from "Be Melodramatic" finally returns to the small screen with one of the most anticipated dramas of 2021, "Vincenzo" alongside actor Song Joong-ki. She plays Hong Cha-yeong, a fiercely independent and sharp-tongued lawyer who doesn't hold back when it comes to her own benefit. Clearly, this is the perfect role for her and fans cannot wait to see the chemistry that develops between the two main leads despite their personalities and agendas. Kim Yoo-jung Kim Yoo-jung is all set to appear in "Redsky", another female-oriented historical drama alongside Ahn Hyo-seop. It will be a fantasy drama which charts the life of Hong Chun-gi, the only recorded female painter from the Joseon Dynasty. Knowing her beautiful record of historical dramas, "Redsky" is sure to be another beaming success. Ryu Hye-young Everyone's favourite 'noona' from "Answer Me 1988" will be back again as another genius law student in the upcoming drama "Law School" alongside Kim Beom where exceptional students and their equally extraordinary Professors navigate the complicated world of justice and the law. Bae Doona Bae Donna is one of the most critically acclaimed actresses in the industry and the fact that she will be returning alongside Gong Yoo, another highly critically appreciated actor for the science-fiction thriller "The Silent Sea" is a treat in and of itself for K-Drama fans all over the world. Kim Hye-yoon Finally, the powerhouse of talent Kim Hye-yoon will also be coming back in 2021 with her upcoming drama "Snowdrop" alongside actor Jung Hae-in, Yoo In-na and Jisoo. "Snowdrop" is highly anticipated, especially considering the incredible cast. The setting of the story in 1987 and the fact that the drama is based on the handwritten notes of a man who escaped from a political prison camp in North Korea is certainly piquing viewers' interest. By Ishani Sarkar This month, Hearst Television is celebrating Black history by having courageous conversations. The fight for civil rights and justice goes back generations and has looked different each decade. Were speaking with community leaders, elders those who have lived through victories and troubled times, to talk about their experiences, and compare them with what we still struggle with today. Joseph Powdrell grew up in Crosbyton, Texas, at a time when its schools were still segregated. "I always wanted to experience things like microscopes and stuff like that," Powdrell said. "We had none of that. We simply had a classroom, paper and none of that. And that's when I started to feel like we're missing something here. There was a white high school right down the street from us. They had everything. Biology labs they did everything, and then I'm starting to wonder, 'Why do they have that? ... Why are we deprived of certain things?' And the word 'racism' wasn't mentioned." "So, it wasn't viewed as racism," sister station KOAT reporter Kalyn Norwood asked. "It was just two different life experiences?" "Yeah 'This is suitable for you this is suitable for us,'" Powdrell said. By the late 1950s and the beginning of the civil rights movement, he and his family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, hoping for a better opportunity. When it was time for college, he decided to go to the University of New Mexico, running track on scholarship. Norwood asked what Powdrell thought of the civil rights movement as it happened. "I was always impressed with the fact that people weren't taking it," Powdrell said. "I remember on campus, and I'm talking the University of New Mexico at the time, we didn't have an African American studies program. So, students started to engage. We're doing sit-ins that was the latter part of my college career. I was just about out of college at the time, but it felt good. But, the reaction to it. The people who were active in it troublemakers. So, now you have a choice. Do you want to be viewed this way? Or do you just want to just chill?" Norwood asked Powdrell what it was like for him, having seen the civil rights movement play out during his lifetime to then also see another movement happen in 2020. "Those movements in the '60s were, I won't say they were much more violent," Powdrell said. "They appear to be violent because the world didn't want that. America didn't want that kind of visible reaction to what's been wrong. 'We're going to work it out, don't worry about it.'" Norwood asked Powdrell if he thought demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd were similar. "I think similar in the issue," Powdrell said. "The issue was the same. That kind of brutality, I'm seeing that George Floyd, he was like, another one." As the fight for justice and equality continues, he shared a word of wisdom to the next generation. "I would say to your generation, when life is all said and done, what you think about yourself is going to be the bottom line," Powdrell said. "You be who you want to be." Powdrell's family went on to open Mr. Powdrell's BBQ, a restaurant in Albuquerque, which he still runs today. They've had well-known visitors such as Spike Lee and the daughters of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. A new investigation by the specialist New South Wales police unit that deals with fraud and scammers has been started into the case of missing suspected conwoman Melissa Caddick. While Caddick's disappearance - along with missing millions from clients of her 'wealth management' company Maliver - has so far been a missing person case, an announcement is expected confirming that the Financial Crimes Squad will now run a separate investigation, the The Daily Telegraph reported. Caddick was last seen on November 11 when her $6.1million Dover Heights home was raided by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) over allegations she had used another person's financial services licence to run her business. Melissa Caddick (pictured) during the raid of her home by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission on November 11 Caddick (pictured here with husband Anthony Koletti), who allegedly pocketed more than $20million from investors, lived a lavish lifestyle ASIC had been investigating her for three months before the raid. Claims have since been made that Caddick swindled millions from clients - including friends and family - and ASIC documents show she owned luxury cars, travelled widely and splurged hundreds of thousands of dollars on high end fashion labels including Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Oscar de la Renta. She spent $229,277 on Dior alone in less than three years. There are also suggestions that Caddick's husband, hairdresser Anthony Koletti, did not fully inform police about her final movements, initially claiming she had gone for a run on the morning of November 12. There is no suggestion that Koletti had knowledge of the alleged fraud. Police now believe Caddick may have fled after the raid. Her husband Anthony Koletti in conversation with the family at their home on February 7. On right, his father-in-law Ted, potters around the balcony The Financial Crimes Squad is one of eight specialist units under the New South Wales State Crime Command. 'The missing person strike force will still be run out of the eastern suburbs but it will focus on finding out what happened to Melissa,' an officer said. 'The fraud investigation would focus on the alleged offences. It makes sense for financial crimes to be involved. They have the relationships with ASIC and banking sector.' It works primarily on cybercrime and scams and according to the police website it 'drives the NSW Police Force response to fraud, identity crime, motor vehicle theft/re-birthing and arson.' The offences NSW detectives are expected to look at include dishonestly obtaining advantage by deception and forgery, according to the source. Caddick is pictured with her husband Anthony Koletti. He handed over five passports in her name after she disappeared During the raid of her Dover Heights home by ASIC, Caddick allegedly demanded answers on how she was to abide by a court order freezing her assets Police looked into 50 tip offs about where Caddick could be in an investigation spanning four states - but came up empty handed. A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia no new sightings had been reported. In January NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller all but confirmed that investigators believe Caddick is alive and on the run. 'We are treating the case as she is still alive,' the commissioner told Radio 2GB's Ben Fordham breakfast program. The corporate watchdog alleges she would open up fake CommSec accounts for her clients and send them fake monthly reports of how their shares were going. One investor's report, provided to Daily Mail Australia, shows him raking in an astronomical 257 per cent return on Macquarie Bank shares. ASIC's investigation found Caddick spent an enormous amount of luxury clothes, overseas travel and even protein shakes. On her American Express card alone, Caddick allegedly spent $229,277 at Dior, $187,000 at Canturi Jewellers, $48,000 at Chanel and $52,548 at Cosmopolitan shoes. Caddick, wearing a $250,000 Stefano Canturi necklace, with her husband Mr Koletti on her birthday this year. He is not suggested to have played any role in her disappearance. On right, Caddick is seen during a helicopter ride Melissa Caddick's $6.1million Dover Heights home has come into focus after being raided The documents also reveal how Caddick also splurged on holidays to Fiji, New York and Aspen. In a sworn statement tendered at the Federal Court, and newly made public, investigator Isabella Allen alleges that Caddick hit her with a barrage of questions when authorities raided her $6.2million Dover Heights mansion on November 11. Caddick allegedly demanded answers on how she was to abide by a court order freezing her assets. Those questions include: When would she have to appear in court? Where would she drop off her passports? Did one order mean she couldn't use her credit cards, because she used them for all transactions? Mr Koletti with his $300,000 Audi R8 at McMahon's Point on Sydney's lower north shore. He and his wife were known for their extravagant lifestyle, but Mr Koletti is not suggested to have had knowledge of Caddick's alleged financial misappropriation Mr Koletti with Caddick's brother Adam Grimley during their only press conference about her disappearance Did she have to write up a description of her assets and liabilities by the following Monday, and 'how am I supposed to do that when you have taken my computers?' she allegedly spluttered. The investigator replied: 'I am unable to answer that question and it may be best that you speak to a lawyer. Do you have a lawyer?' According to Nine's 60 Minutes program Mr Koletti joined Caddick's the family - her brother, Adam, and parents Ted and Barbara - at her parents' apartment in Sydney's east for about two hours in early February. 'They were having an animated discussion,' an observer said. Adam shut the blinds of the family's sunroom after realising media were nearby. Washington, Feb 13 : Former US President Donald Trump's insurrection incitement charge is a "monstrous lie", his defence lawyers said as they presented evidence in the US Senate. Lawyer Michael van der Veen called impeachment proceedings against the former president a "politically motivated witch hunt" by the Democrats, the BBC reported. Trump is accused of causing riots in the Capitol on January 6 which left five persons dead. He denies the charge. Most Republicans have indicated they will not vote to convict Trump. The defence team took less than four of its 16 hours, trying to move the impeachment trial to a speedy end. After this, senators were given four hours to ask questions of the two sides. Earlier, they sat through two days of minute-by-minute accounts featuring video and audio footage, as Democratic prosecutors sought to show that Donald Trump had a pattern of condoning violence, had done nothing on the day to prevent the riot, and had expressed no remorse. They argued that an acquittal could see a repeat attack on the Congress. On Friday, van der Veen used his opening remarks to dispute the Democrats' case that Trump had incited violence during his speech to supporters on January 6 in Washington DC to try to stop Joe Biden's election victory being certified. Trump had made allegations of voter fraud and urged his supporters to converge at the Capitol building a short while before the riot broke out. However, the fact there was evidence among some groups that violence had been pre-planned demonstrated "the ludicrousness of the incitement allegations against the (former) president", van der Veen said, adding: "You can't incite what was already going to happen." "To claim that the president in any way wished, desired or encouraged lawless or violent behaviour is a preposterous and monstrous lie. In fact, the first two messages the president sent via Twitter once the incursion at the Capitol began were 'Stay Peaceful' and "No violence because we are the party of law and order,'" the lawyer said. Telling the crowd they needed to "fight like hell" was simply political speech, van der Veen said. Make no mistake, he told the senators, "this is an effort to smear, censor and cancel not just Trump, but the 75 million Americans who voted for him". Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 04:31:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KINSHASA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A third new case of Ebola has been confirmed in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a local health official said Friday. The latest patient is a 22-year-old woman related the first case, who has died. She is being treated in Katwa treatment center, on the outskirts of Butembo, a city in North Kivu, said provincial health minister Eugene Nzanzu. Sources with the World Health Organization said an additional team has been deployed on site in Butembo to support local efforts in contact tracing in preparation for vaccination. Since the announcement of the first case last Sunday, nearly 200 contacts have been identified in the affected health areas. The majority of those contacts are family members who accompanied the first two victims to hospital and later participated in unsafe burials, according to health authorities. Samples taken from the first case are still being processed in the main laboratory of the National Institute for Biomedical Research of Kinshasa for genome sequencing in order to identify the Ebola strain and determine its link with the previous epidemic. Authorities have to decide whether to declare the latest outbreak as a new epidemic on the basis of the results of the genome sequencing. The province of North Kivu was hard hit in the 10th epidemic, which lasted almost two years before being declared over last June, afflicting more than 3,460 people and killing 2,280 of them. Enditem After a year-plus saga, limited Muni Metro service is scheduled to head back into the citys subway tunnels starting in May. Service is expected to resume on the N Judah and T Third to West Portal on an unspecified date in May, the Municipal Transportation Agency confirmed Friday. Resuming service on the two lines would bring the agency a step closer to restoring Muni Metro service after COVID-19 cuts shuttered light-rail service in March 2020 and trouble with power cables over the summer extended the shutdown, frustrating riders and angering city officials. The N Judahs status as Muni Metros busiest rail line made it a logical choice to be one of the first to return to the rehabilitated subway, said Erica Kato, a Muni spokeswoman. The T Third, which has run between Sunnydale and the Embarcadero station since February, was included in the subway restart as part of Munis efforts to improve equity in service to transit-dependent neighborhoods. Buses have been running in place of the lines. Its about time for the subway to reopen, said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who sharply criticized Muni after the botched August reopening. The cables that power Muni Metro trains in the subway have long been in need of repair, he said, and after failing twice, he anticipates theyve been successfully fixed. Im very hopeful that the third time will be a charm, he said. Cat Carter of the San Francisco Transit Riders Union welcomed the return of subway service and is hopeful the subterranean repairs will make Muni Metro run more smoothly. Every step of reopening is exciting to see, she said. Were so far cut back on service that every step forward to bring back service to the city is a sign of hope and brings access back to people whove been missing it. Carter said the return of rail service to the subway would also benefit the rest of the Muni system by freeing up more buses, possibly enabling Muni to restore more routes. It means more flexibility, more efficiency, more ability to bring access back to people whove been missing it, she said. Like Peskin, she said she hopes the return of Metro trains to the subway will go smoothly, and that the improvements to the power system will help eliminate the chronic delays and frequent meltdowns that have plagued the system. We may end up with better subway service than we had in March 2020, she said. The road to partially reopening has been bumpy. An attempt to reopen Muni Metro in August ended two days later following equipment failures and an employee in the transit systems control center testing positive for the coronavirus. At the time, SFMTA chief Jeffrey Tumlin blamed the equipment failure on a supplier. Two new overhead wire splices broke in the span of a few days, despite months of preparations to reopen the subway and a focus on fixing a backlog of deferred maintenance. Problems with overhead wires are nothing new for Muni. A similar breakdown ground the subway to a halt for 13 hours in 2019, prompting Tumlins predecessor, Ed Reiskin, to step down. At the time of the summer meltdown, many riders expressed frustration with the extended shutdown and public officials criticized the SFMTA over the difficulties. This is inexcusable, and I am despondent over that, Peskin said in August. It is a sordid tale that The City That Knows How bungled this. Its miserable and I hate saying that. SFMTA director Steve Heminger called the situation a significant failure in September and said weve got some amends to make, I think, with a lot of stakeholders. The SFMTA kept the subway closed through the end of 2020 to replace the faulty equipment that caused the failure. Then the agency discovered that the Twin Peaks Tunnel a $50 million project completed two years ago needed to be redone, shuttering underground service until at least February. SFMTA did not respond to questions about the total costs of the repairs. The SFMTA resumed some light-rail service on the streets in December and more in January, but the subway has remained closed for maintenance. Muni officials released a few details about the projected reopening in a Transit Performance Update report that is slated to be presented at an SFMTA board meeting on Tuesday. When Munis other Metro lines the J Church, K Ingleside, L Taraval and M Oceanview return to the subway depends on a number of factors, Kato said, including training enough rail operators, completing work on the L Taraval line and future public health orders that may limit capacity. Until then, those lines will continue to be served by buses that follow the subway routes as closely as possible. Before it was shut down by the pandemic, Muni Metro carried about 164,000 passengers a day, according to the agencys website. We know many San Franciscans rely on our light rail service and we apologize for the inconvenience the continued closure of our rail system has caused, Kato said in an email to The Chronicle. We are working hard to bring rail service back in better shape for a more comfortable and reliable ride. Mallory Moench and Michael Cabanatuan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench, @ctuan STOCKHOLM, Feb. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Crunchfish is a technical pioneer within digital payment with Digital Cash that settles payments in two steps, first offline and then online. This enables payments that always work and can also be made with preserved integrity. Digital Cash is extremely flexible and complements all types of payment schemes, both on cards and mobiles. Crunchfish now enables internationally interoperable payment services by a global root certificate for Digital Cash. "With Digital Cash, Crunchfish establishes a new international rail for digital payments that enables different payment services even from different payment schemes to interact. This opens up new possibilities and has the potential to fundamentally change the ecosystem for digital payments", says Joachim Samuelsson, CEO of Crunchfish. Digital Cash is extremely flexible and complements all types of payment schemes on both cards and mobiles with initial settlement offline, before the payment is finally settled online. Crunchfish now announces a new patent-pending innovation with application number SE2150159-8 which makes payment services internationally interoperable, through the issuing of a global root certificate of the Digital Cash service. Payment in other countries also becomes possible through handling of exchange rates offline. This invention is extremely valuable from an international perspective, as payment schemes - cards, Real-Time Payments and CBDC - can be used over international borders. A national interoperability between different payment schemes is also important, especially to accelerate the implementation of Central Bank Digital Currency CBDC. In the digital payment systems of today interoperability is hard to achieve due to payments being settled in a single online step. Crunchfish's patent pending two-tier settlement of payments, first offline and then online, is what enables smooth interoperability of the world's payment services. The payee verifies that the transaction is legitimate by being able to check the payer's certificate and thereby trust that the payment can be settled online at a later stage. Crunchfish intends to establish a root certification for the Digital Cash service on a global basis that verifies offline payments when the payer and the payee use different payment services or different types of payment rails. An exchange table in the payment app means that the offline balance can also be debited for offline payments in foreign currency. Any currency differences are adjusted at the point of online settlement by debiting or crediting the payer's account. One year ago Crunchfish announced offline frictionless mobile payments as a patent pending innovation, making mobile payments services far more robust by introducing the concept of Digital Cash using a two-tier settlement architecture, offline vs. online. Recently, Crunchfish also announced the possibility to implement Digital Cash on cards. The solution leverages the fact that it is not important to the merchants if the transfer to their accounts occurs at the moment-of-payment or a little later, as long as there is trust that the transfer will occur. It is critical however, that the payment experience must be robust, smooth and secure. This implies that the transaction cannot be dependent on the Internet and cloud payment services. No matter how much investments are made into IT-infrastructure, the systems will never be operational 24/7. An ingenious solution is simply to implement this two-tier settlement architecture. Recently, the same approach was proposed by VISA in a research paper describing an Offline Payment System (OPS) protocol applied to CBDC. Crunchfish's original solution was not however limited to CBDC, but equally applicable to all payment schemes - Card, Real-Time Payments and Closed-Loop Wallets. For more information, please contact: Joachim Samuelsson, CEO Crunchfish AB +46 708 46 47 88 [email protected] Ulf Rogius Svensson, IR & Marketing Manager +46 733 26 81 05 [email protected] Vastra Hamnen Corporate Finance AB is the Certified Adviser. Email: [email protected]. Telephone +46 40 200 250. This information is information that Crunchfish AB is obliged to publish in accordance to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was provided by the contact person above for publication on February 13, 2021. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/crunchfish/r/digital-cash-enables-global-interoperability-for-payment-services,c3286171 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/14959/3286171/1372585.pdf 210213 - Digital Cash enables global interoperability for payment services https://news.cision.com/crunchfish/i/digital-operability,c2877268 Digital operability SOURCE Crunchfish Related Links https://www.crunchfish.com Almost half of all New York Times employees say they don't believe they can express their views freely at the newspaper, according to a company survey. A poll conducted among staff in December revealed negative responses to questions regarding company culture, the New York Post reported. According to the report, only 51 per cent of NYT employees agreed with a statement: 'There is 'free exchange of views in this company; people are not afraid to say what they really think.' A review of the findings found that those results were 10 per cent lower than the 'benchmark', or the average response to that question at other companies, according to the Post. 'Although the majority of us feel well-informed, many indicated that differing viewpoints aren't sought or valued in our work,' a report on the results said. About 49% of NYT employees did not agree with a survey statement claiming there is a 'free exchange of views in this company', according to The New York Post 'Relatedly, we saw some negative responses on whether there's a free exchange of views in the company, and scored below the benchmark on this question.' The company also reported a 10 per cent decline (74 per cent) from 2019 in answers about leaders and colleagues 'accepting and embracing differences in race, gender, identity, and religion.' 'Responses from Black and Latino colleagues declined at an even greater rate,' the assessment stated, according to the Post. The survey comes amid mounting criticism of the Times - long regarded as a newspaper of record - following a series of scandals in the past year. In January it was reported The New York Times had editor Lauren Wolfe's contract after she tweeted that she had 'chills' watching President Joe Biden land at Joint Base Andrews the day before the inauguration and slammed Trump for not sending him a government plane. Earlier this month The New York Times was reported to have killed a column by Pulitzer-winning Bret Stephens, left, that took issue with paper's handling of a star health reporter, Donald McNeil (right) who resigned after using the N-Word According to Wolfe, the tweet was 'the only reason they fired me', she said as she responded to the paper for claiming otherwise. A statement from the Times had alleged that her dismissal was not on the basis of the tweet alone, but did not comment any further on the reasons for letting her go. 'There's a lot of inaccurate information circulating on Twitter,' the statement said. 'For privacy reasons we don't get into the details of personnel matters, but we can say that we didn't end someone's employment over a single tweet. 'Out of respect for the individuals involved we don't plan to comment further. (To clarify something that has been incorrectly reported, Ms. Wolfe was not a full-time employee, nor did she have a contract.)' Lauren Wolfe lost her gig with the Times last week following a tweet in which she described herself as 'having chills' seeing Joe Biden's plane land before his inauguration More recently, reporter Donald McNeil Jr announced earlier this month he was resigning and apologized for his 'extraordinarily bad judgement' over his use of the N-word after his Pulitzer Prize-winning colleague Nikole Hannah-Jones threatened to launch her own investigation into him. A piece written by NYT conservative columnist Bret Stephens that was critical of executive editor Dean Baquet and managing editor Joseph Kahn's response to the controversy was later revealed to have been spiked. Baquet and Kahn had initially said: 'We do not tolerate racist language regardless of intent.' Stephens had planned to question those comments by Baquet and Kahn in his column titled 'Regardless of Intent' due to run Monday. The New York Post later obtained a copy of his column and published it in full. In July, opinion editor Bari Weiss announced she was leaving the paper in a scathing resignation letter that slams the Times for fostering an 'illiberal environment' and allowing her to be bullied by coworkers for 'wrongthink'. Right-wing commentators jumped on the tweet, accusing Wolfe of failing to remain impartial Weiss, who joined the Times in 2017, said the paper of record was among the media institutions now betraying their standards and losing sight of their principles as she accused them of only publishing stories that 'satisfy the narrowest of audiences'. In December the Times also admitted that it was duped by a fake terrorist in the creation of its hit podcast Caliphate. The Times acknowledged that it had been misled in the production of the series by Canadian-Pakistani man Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, who had fabricated his story of working as an ISIS executioner. Yet it was in further hot water earlier this month after a group of 20 influential public radio stations condemned the Times for a 'lack of transparency' after personal ties between the star host of 'The Daily' Michael Barbaro and its discredited series 'Caliphate' emerged. In July, opinion editor Bari Weiss announced she was leaving the paper in a scathing resignation letter that slams the Times for fostering an 'illiberal environment' and allowing her to be bullied by coworkers for 'wrongthink' Barbaro was in December tasked with speaking to the Times' executive editor Dean Baquet in an episode of The Daily - which is also broadcast on public radio - in which the paper retracted much of the story on which popular series Caliphate had been built. Yet in hosting the episode, Barbaro failed to disclose that much of the production team involved in 'Caliphate' had come from 'The Daily' - and that he is engaged to the series' executive producer Lisa Tobin. According to NPR, Barbaro also pressured at least five journalists via social media to play down the errors in Caliphate and to get them to pull back their public criticism of the series. And it follows on from the scandal after New York Times' opinion editor, James Bennet, resigned after a controversial op-ed from Senator Tom Cotton in June. The opinion piece, entitled Send in the Troops, advocated using federal troops to quell unrest across the US caused by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Denton, TX (76205) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 75F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. SYDNEY, Feb. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UserTesting , a leading on-demand Human Insight platform, conducted a survey capturing the responses of Australian men and women around Valentine's 2021. Study revealed that a majority of women in Australia have made peace with the unprecedented times, choosing to stay indoors on this day. Women also expressed that they would like to spend a quiet evening watching movies, exchanging gifts, and cooking meals with their partners. Whereas a majority of men are looking for romantic getaways on the beaches and planning hiking/other outdoor activities. Other findings from the study were: Men are more excited about Valentine's Day than women in 2021 In the past year, couples have experienced unexpected restrictions on usual dating activities while following stay-at-home norms, social distancing and working from home.A So, when respondents were asked how excited they are to, ranging from Not Excited to Extremely (scale of 1-5), a majority of women (70%) were only somewhat excited (3 ratings) while a majority of males (70%) were considerably excited (4 ratings). Bottle of wine, champagne, spirits - popular gift choices in women The survey showed a wide gap in genders' perspectives regarding their gift expectations. 70% of women expressed their likeness for flowers and beverages including bottle of wine, champagne, spirits etc. as their perfect valentine gift. While remaining said Jewelry (necklace, ring, watch) and candles/home accessories. However, with men, there weren't any popular choices. Chocolates/candies, flowers/plants, gift cards, and beverages were 25% each. Over-the-top fairy tale romantic ideas to surprise your partner is a faded concept The survey found that 70% of men said that planning a valentine's date is a mutual affair with their significant other compared to only 40% of women who said the same. Another 40% of women and 20% of men stated that they were solely responsible for planning activities and 10% of men stated activities were planned solely by their partner. Cupid arrowing retail over romance? The survey revealed that romance is losing its sheen to retail as the majority (60%) of women wanted to shop on the holiday and (40%) of men shared the same thoughts. While (30%) of men & women still believe in celebrating love. Remaining (10%) of women and (30%) of men admitted they only celebrate it to make their partner happy. VisitA UserTesting For more details; Archit archit@wizikey.comA A The hit song by Britney Spears, Baby One More Time, debuted at number one in 1999. Over 20 years later, the album is still the biggest-selling album ever by a teenage artist. However, Spears hit single almost went to a 90s girl band. Britney Spears perform her song Piece of Me | Denise Truscello/BSLV/Getty Images for Brandcasting, Inc Does Britney Spears write her own songs? Britney Spears did not write her first hit song, Baby One More Time, however, she did collaborate on many songs as she became more popular. Spears did not write any of the songs on her debut album. Eric Foster White and Max Martin wrote most of the songs on the album Baby One More Time, along with other songwriters and producers. Spears co-wrote one song on her second album, Oops I Did It Again. The first song the pop icon received writing credit for was Dear Diary. She contributed more to her third album and was even more involved in writing her fourth album. For Spears album, In The Zone, she co-wrote nine songs and collaborated with stars such as Madonna. However, on her album, Blackout, she only co-wrote two of the 12 tracks on the album. Although she doesnt write all of her music, Spears has a substantial creative say in everything she produces. Britney Spears song Baby One More Time was offered to TLC before the pop icon Before Baby One More Time fell into Britney Spears hands, the Swedish songwriters sent it to TLC. The 90s girl band made up of Tionne T-Boz Watkins, the late Lisa Left-Eye Lopes, and Rozonda Chili Thomas scored nine top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. However, Baby One More Time would not become one of those hits. TLC felt the song, originally titled Hit Me Baby (One More Time), had domestic violence undertones to it. Britney Spears, Madonna and Christina Aguilera during the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic RELATED: Britney Spears Boyfriend, Sam Asghari, Calls Jamie Spears A Total Dick I was like: I like the song but do I think its a hit? Do I think its TLC?' T-Boz explained to The Guardian in 2013. Was I going to say Hit me, baby, one more time? Hell no! T-Boz didnt feel that the song was their style, so the Swedish songwriters sent Baby One More Time to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse star. Britney Spears knew what the songs real meaning was immediately. The pop icon related to the lyrics and agreed to produce it. Baby One More Time is not sexual Most people who listened to Britney Spears hit song felt it was sexual in nature. However, that isnt the case at all. The whole song is about that stress that we all go through as teens, she told the outlet. I knew it was a great song. It was different, and I loved it, [but] I dont think you can anticipate how a song is going to be received. When it came to producing the video for Baby One More Time, Spears rejected the idea of an animated music video. Instead, she suggested the high school student daydreaming in the Catholic schoolgirl uniform. The songs success was a blur to Spears, but 90s children will never forget listening to the pop song for the first time. It would be strange to hear it sang by TLC instead. SAGINAW, MI Less than two years after being sent to prison for sexually assaulting a teen, a prominent Roman Catholic priest is about to be paroled. A Michigan Department of Corrections parole board on Dec. 29 decided to parole Robert J. Father Bob DeLand Jr., said MDOC spokesman Chris Gautz. DeLand, now 73, is currently incarcerated at the Marquette Branch Prison in the Upper Peninsula. DeLand will be released around April 23, Gautz said. Conditions and restrictions DeLand will have while on parole are still being determined. DeLands parole term is expected to last two years, Gautz said. DeLand must register as a sex offender until Oct. 13, 2045, at which time he will be 98. Saginaw County Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson in April 2019 sentenced DeLand to two to 15 years in prison. Police began investigating DeLand in November 2017 after receiving a complaint that the priest had inappropriate contact with a minor. At the time, DeLand was pastor at St. Agnes Parish in Tittabawassee Township, volunteered as a greeter at Freeland High School, and was so popular a local road was named after him. Police arrested DeLand in February 2018 and he subsequently faced seven charges related to the alleged sexual assaults of two teens and one young man. DeLand in September 2018 pleaded no contest to all charges. He later withdrew his pleas and went to trial on a few of the counts in March 2019 and was found not guilty by a jury. Some of those charges stemmed from allegations that DeLand had attempted to sexually assault a teen in the coatroom of St. Agnes Church during a May 2017 memorial service for classmate who had died by suicide. The day after the acquittal, and with two more trials looming, DeLand pleaded no contest to second-degree criminal sexual conduct, gross indecency between two males, and manufacturing or distributing an imitation controlled substance. The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw has suspended DeLand from his priestly duties. During DeLands sentencing, Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa J. Hoover read a statement penned by the victim in the charges DeLand had pleaded to. I would like to make it known what that man has done to me will define my life forever, Hoover read. While dealing with the loss of a friend by suicide, This man of God told me I wasnt OK, no matter how much I told him I was strong, Hoover read. The teen testified in court that DeLand gave him cigarette packs and $100 to acquire ecstasy. The teen was 17 at the time he visited DeLands Saginaw Township condominium in February 2018, equipped with a recording device provided by police. Thats when DeLand massaged the teens feet, chest and back, and put his hand on the teens buttocks for a minute or two, the teen testified. DeLand gave a brief statement at his sentencing, saying, Im very sorry the community has gone through all of this. DeLand also was accused by a man who was age 21 at the time of getting him intoxicated at DeLands condo and sexually assaulting him. That man was to testify in a trial that was canceled by DeLands pleas. At least two lawsuits have been filed against DeLand. One was filed by a diocese-employed maintenance worker and relative of the teen whom DeLand allegedly tried to assault in the church coatroom. The other was filed by attorney Todd J. Weglarz and names the Saginaw diocese and now-deceased Bishop Joseph Cistone as codefendants. Weglarz filed his suit on behalf of a juvenile and an adult representative, alleging DeLand had inappropriately touched the juvenile by groping and fondling his crotch and buttocks, feet and toes. The boy fled the condo and police arrested DeLand the same night. The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, headquartered at 5800 Weiss St., covers 11 counties in eastern mid-Michigan: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Tuscola. In the aftermath of DeLands arrest, the diocese named 22 clergy as having been credibly accused of sexual misconduct going back decades. Many of those are now deceased. Read more: Judge dismisses ex-detectives lawsuit alleging he was fired for investigating Catholic priest Employee sues Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, claiming retaliation for reporting sex-abuse complaint Suspended Catholic priest gets two years for sexual assault of teen Catholic priest pleads no contest to sex assault charge, avoids second trial Jury acquits Catholic priest Robert DeLand of sexually assaulting 2 teens Teens testify Catholic priest sexually assaulted them Lawsuit against Father Bob, Saginaw Diocese moved to state court "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.- E. M. Forster Vadim Kotelnikov writes, "Steve Jobs was one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our generation. His success story is legendary. Put up for adoption at an early age, dropped out of college after 6 months, slept on friends floors, returned coke bottles for 5 cent deposits to buy food, then went on to start Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios." Steve jobs went through vagaries of life of all sorts from his early childhood till his death due to cancer on 5th October, 2011, at the age of 56. But, Steve was Steve - an icon of passion who loved himself thoroughly all through and tried to do what he used to profess, ''Do what you love to do. Find your true passion... The only way to do great work is to love what you do." Absolutely correct! Anthony Robbins, speaker and author says it this way, "There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether its the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessperson. In fact, passion is the genesis of genius." Take the example of one of the greatest sons of soil who lived on this earth only for 39 years, but his contribution has been unparalleled and unmatched. He is the man widely known all over the world as Swami Vivekananda. He was full of passion to know himself, his motherland and the rest of the world with a view to serve the humanity at large in his own inimitable manner. As a young man of 25, he started his Bharat Darshan and travelled through length and breadth of the country like a wandering monk for five years. Swami Vivekananda's speech at the World Parliament of Religion in Chicago in September 1893 when he was aged only 30 has been the true testimony of his great passion for making this country and in turn the world a better place for every human being, irrespective of religion, region, class, color or country. One of the world's greatest military leaders, Napoleon Bonaparte who said that there was no word like 'Impossible' in his dictionary, was extremely passionate about his mission in life. He built one of the strongest army in Europe with five lakh trained soldiers that used modern tactics and strategies to win the battles even in the most difficult situations. Napoleon used to motivate his forces and people as a passionate leader. On one occasion he said, "I closed the gulf of anarchy and brought order out of chaos. I rewarded merit regardless of birth or wealth, wherever I found it... All men are equal before God. Wisdom, talent, and virtue make the only difference between them. We find such inspiring examples in different fields of activity ranging from literature, singing, dancing, cooking, mountaineering to administration, agriculture, space science, film making and whatnot who made us extremely proud by their creed and deed to be imbibed and emulated. Very interestingly, pursuing one's passion is replete with moments of suspense and pleasure worth experiencing and enjoying. The American children's writer, T. Alan Armstrong puts it nicely in these words, "If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you." New Delhi, Feb 13 : Full-service carrier Vistara will operate special, non-stop flights between Maldives capital Male and Mumbai from March 3. Accordingly, the airline will fly three times a week to Male under India's travel bubble agreement with the Maldives. Vistara will deploy its Airbus A320neo aircraft with three-class cabin configuration on the route. At present, all tourist establishments in the Maldives have been regulated to ensure that they are in line with the Covid-19 safe tourism guidelines issued by the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism along with a certification program to uphold high safety and hygiene standards. "Vistara will accept all eligible customers meeting visa or entry requirements in both countries, as specified by the respective government bodies," the airline said in a statement. --IANS rv/sn/in Get Outlook for iOS -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Gateway Arch is seen across from snow covered banks of the Mississippi River during cold weather in St Louis, Mo., on Feb. 11, 2021. (Lawrence Bryant/Reuters) Snow, Freezing Rain Forecast for US Heartland on Valentines Day Weekend NEW YORKA fresh wave of wintry weather will keep a vast swath of the United States in a deep chill over Valentines Day weekend, forecasters said on Friday, an outlook that should encourage pandemic-weary Americans to stay home and snuggle up around a fireplace. Snow and freezing rain could fall from Seattle to Washington, and from North Dakota to Louisiana, said meteorologist Marc Chenard at the National Weather Services Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. Lots of winter weather. This is about as busy as youll get for weather across the country, Chenard said on Friday. Bitter cold was already gripping the Plains on Friday, just a day after winter weather battered the United States from coast to coast, including freezing rain as far south as Fort Worth, Texas, where six people died in a multi-vehicle pileup. Temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit gripped Montana and Minnesota as cities such as Bismarck, North Dakota, shivered at minus 26 Fahrenheit. North Dakota is all fun and games until you have to be working in negative 40 degree weather, @BricFlare wrote in a Twitter post. The Plains states will see significant snowfalls of 6 or more inches and freezing rain from Sunday into Monday, the weather services Chenard said, with the threat of freezing rain as far south as Houston and Louisiana. In the U.S. Northwest, snow and freezing rain blasting Portland, Oregon, and Seattle on Friday was expected to linger into Saturday. By Saturday night, freezing rain was expected in areas around the nations capital, including Virginia and Maryland, Chenard said. A wintry mix was expected to pelt the Northeast, where accumulations were expected to be minimal, although any slickness on roadways heightens travel risks. It shouldnt account for too much, but if its freezing rain, that can cause issues even if its light, Chenard said. By Barbara Goldberg Military drills of Azerbaijan and Turkeys armies "Winter-2021" ended in Kars, the message of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense reads. The drills started on February 1, 2021. "We congratulate all our personnel and brothers in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the high results achieved during the joint exercises," the report of the Turkish military department runs. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Washington: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell signalled he will vote to acquit former president Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. In an email, McConnell made his plans clear, according to an official who confirmed on the condition of anonymity. Word of McConnells plans came shortly before the trial was set to reconvene at 10am on Saturday, when senators are scheduled to decide whether to call witnesses. If they skip that step, House managers and lawyers for the president will deliver final arguments. Before adjourning on Friday, senators posed questions to both sides about Trumps role in the violent takeover of the Capitol on January 6. President Joe Biden is expected to remain out of public view on Saturday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in western Maryland. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) While calling for the complete restoration of democracy in Myanmar, the Philippine government said it puts primacy on the countrys sovereignty and distances itself from a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution deploring the military coup that ousted and detained democratically-elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. As a sovereign country in a world of sovereign states, the Philippines cannot stress strongly enough the primacy of national internal efforts towards democratic reforms, and never by the imposition of foreign solutions whether in regional or multilateral contexts, including through this Council, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released on Saturday. We reaffirm our support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Myanmar, the DFA added. The UN HRC on Friday adopted a resolution condemning the removal of Myanmars elected government and demanding the release of State Counsellor Suu Kyi and other arbitrarily detained individuals. It also called on the Myanmar military to lift restrictions on Internet, telecommunication and social media, and take steps to protect the peoples rights to freedom of opinion and expression, religion or belief, association, and peaceful assembly. The 47-member council requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and a special rapporteur to assess the situation in Myanmar, urging the authorities there to cooperate. Findings will be discussed in the next regular session of the council which is set for February 22 to March 23. Not a 'no' vote The DFA said the Philippines is joining China, Russia, Venezuela and Bolovia in dissociating itself from the resolution, noting that it was adopted without a vote. The Philippine strong statement was delivered by recorded message, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Teddy Boy Locsin, Jr. said in a tweet. The Philippines has been supportive of Myanmars progress towards a fuller democracy, cognizant of the Armys role in preserving its territorial integrity and national security, as well as the unifying role of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the history of the country and Army her father founded, the DFA statement read. The Philippines will settle for nothing less than, and nothing else but the complete restoration of the status quo in which Myanmar had made so much progress, it added. READ: PH backs 'complete restoration' of democracy in Myanmar The DFA stressed that dissociation does not mean a "no" vote, it just means the country's position is "not exactly the same as those who joined the consensus." The Philippines and Myanmar The Myanmar military seized power in a coup on February 1, sparking protests across the country. Internet and news services were limited. The military said it was taking over due to widespread voting irregularities in the November 2020 election, which gave Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party a second consecutive landslide victory. READ: Why the generals really took back power in Myanmar The military said it was releasing more than 23,000 prisoners on Union Day on Friday, a national public holiday observing unification of the country, but theres no indication Suu Kyi and other officials will be among those freed, CNN reported. Both the Philippines and Myanmar are member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is known for its policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of one another. This is one of the fundamental principles of the 10-member regional bloc, as stated in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia of 1976. Meanwhile, the Philippines human rights situation has been scrutinized in previous sessions of the UN HRC. The council in October 2020 approved technical assistance to the Philippines, a move that has been criticized as a soft approach compared to calls for an international, independent, and impartial investigation on the reported killings and alleged abuses in the bloody war on drugs. (CNN) -- A group of more than 100 former Republican officials have discussed the possibility of forming a "center right" party due to their unhappiness with the direction of the GOP under former President Donald Trump and the likelihood he'll be acquitted at the end of his second impeachment trial, according to Republicans who participated in the conversation. Former Republican House Rep. Charlie Dent confirmed to CNN that he and about 120 Republicans held a conversation last Friday about whether to form a new party or a new faction within the Republican Party that would operate independently from the GOP. "Clearly, there are a number of Republicans like myself and other Republican leaders, who want a clean break from President Trump, and we are kind of rallying around some core founding principles like truth and honesty, and democracy, and rule of law," the former Pennsylvania congressman, who is a CNN contributor, told CNN's Chris Cuomo Thursday. The remarkable move would exemplify how fractured the Republican Party is, but Trump still has a high approval rating among Republican voters and the two-party system has dominated the US political system for centuries. Reuters first reported on the Zoom call that included former officials who served in the GOP administrations of Trump, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan talking about the Republican Party's future and the possibility of forming a center-right breakaway party. The call came nearly a month after the January 6 insurrection on the US Capitol, when Trump supporters attempted to stop the certification of the 2020 election, believing the false claim promoted by Trump that it was stolen from him. One week later, the US House voted to impeach Trump for "incitement of insurrection," with 10 Republicans joining with Democrats. Despite the visceral presentation from House impeachment managers during Trump's Senate impeachment trial this week, Republican senators have signaled that they will vote to acquit Trump, arguing Democrats have not made a strong case that Trump's words led to the violent actions in January and that the trial is unconstitutional since Trump is a former president. Dent told CNN on Thursday that Trump is likely to be acquitted and "will not be held to account," and he will then attempt to take down Senate Republicans who vote to convict him and the 10 GOP House members who voted to impeach him. "That's what I'm most fearful of now, that Trump will feel vindicated. He'll feel like he's been exonerated," Dent said, adding that he thinks Trump will try to hold those who voted against him "accountable in his own perverse way." Dent told CNN that Republicans like himself believe it's important to rally around GOP Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Fred Upton of Michigan, and GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, "who stood up for truth, for principle and want to make a clean break and want this party to be different." "What we want is, we don't want to cling to the past, cling to a man who is disgraced, in any way, shape, or form. We don't want to follow that man who brought nothing but defeat and misery and insurrection," Dent said. "Let's go forward, not backwards." Anthony Scaramucci, who did a very brief stint as White House communications director under Trump, also confirmed he too is a part of the discussions with other former Republican officials to form a "center-right party." "I think what's happened over the last three or four days has fortified a very large group of people" who believe that if Senate Republicans don't convict Trump that the "party is going to split into two pieces" so that it's "diluted and completely weakened," Scaramucci told CNN's Cuomo. Scaramucci predicted that Trump will be acquitted in his Senate trial and that 5-20% of the GOP will break off and start a new party. "It will be a center-right party that will be cooperative with the Democrats and it will liquidate the nonsense on the far-right," said Scaramucci. Evan McMullin and Dent both confirmed to CNN that the group was roughly split about whether to form a faction or a new party. McMullin, a former House GOP aide and current executive director of Stand Up Republic who organized the virtual meeting, told CNN on Thursday that the discussion was "primarily about creating something new to help change the direction of the party or challenge it directly." He said that if a new faction is formed, they would put forth their own Republican candidates and even, in some cases, support Democratic candidates for election. He cited Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, who's up for a six-year term in 2022, as a candidate they would support if he were to run against a GOP candidate like Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, a hardline Republican who has aligned herself with Trump. McMullin said Friday's call was a starting point for ongoing discussions about the policies they'd support, telling CNN that the group did discuss various social issues but will articulate their stances at a later time. He had previously told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday that the "current direction" of the Republican Party is "destructive, both for its own interests, but most importantly, for the interests of the country." "So as extreme as some members of Congress are getting on the Republican side, as the party deals with those related issues, there's also an opportunity for renewal and rebirth, and that's what we spoke about," he said. McMullin, who ran as an Independent for president in 2016, acknowledged that the Republican Party is still largely under Trump's control. "What we're about is a new direction for the party, and we're trying to unite people who are committed to our foundational values, to democracy, and to who are desiring that, regardless of who they supported in the past, and the fact our numbers are growing is the most exciting thing about it," he said. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A wealthy pair of high-flying executives swapped their usual lavish holiday with a budget break volunteering at a local animal shelter on Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday. In tomorrow's episode of the Channel 5 show, Julia and Katya, who both work in luxury lifestyle management and live in the affluent London suburb of Wimbledon, ditched their 'private yachts and jets' for a twin bedroom in a backpackers hostel. The two wealthy friends exchanged holidays with the single mother and body artist Annie, from East Lothian, Scotland who can't afford to take all of her three children abroad, and opts for camping and caravan parks rather than glamorous getaways. While the Richardson family bagged an 11,788 all expenses paid trip to Altalia, Turkey, Julia and Katya embarked on a 422 trip to Tenerife, where they would be volunteering at a local animal sanctuary. Julia (left) and Katya (right) , who both work in luxury lifestyle management and live in the affluent London suburb of Wimbledon, appeared on Channel 5's Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday The pair ditched their usual lavish holidays including 'private yachts and jets' for a twin bedroom in a backpackers hostel in Tenerife And the friends weren't exactly impressed with their new dwellings, with the pair bemoaning the lack of champagne in the fridge and gasping: 'There's no wardrobes! Oh my god what about all these clothes.' While they're now use to the laps of luxury, Julia and Katyas lifestyles couldnt be further from the childhood they both experienced in the Soviet Union, Julia in Bulgaria, Katya in Russia - however their current income puts them in the top ten per cent of earners and theyve holidayed all over the world. 'I've been to Mauritius, China, Hawaii I stay in luxury hotels all the time', said Julia, 'Go on private yachts private jets, being with very wealthy very interesting people 'But for us it's like a normality,' added Katya. The Richardson, (pictured L-R mother Annie and children Alexander, Leanna and Ray) family bagged an 11,788 all expenses paid trip to Altalia, Turkey Annie usually likes to 'incorporate holidays with working', but instead spent her vacation relaxing by the pool in a lavish hotel. Pictured, the family onboard a private boat in Turkey The pair told how they wanted to experience a more budget friendly holiday to as they fear that their lavish lifestyle may have made them 'too soft'. During the collapse of Soviet Union, we had to queue for basic essentials, toilet paper was considered luxury. It was a childhood very different to the life im living now, it was simpler,' Katya said. 'Luxury is something we have discovered at a certain stage in our lives, added Julia, 'Maybe I have become too soft'. Meanwhile, Annie, who is mother to children Leanna, Ray and Alexander likes to 'incorporate holidays with working' and recalled a holiday to a private beach owned by a client where she was 'paid in food'. I try to incorporate holidays with working', she said, 'One of the holidays I went on, I did some painting on a private beach and the owner of the beach paid me in food Katya and Julia were given 120 in cash to enjoy a local breakfast before heading out to the local market for some shopping She added: 'If you're going somewhere you should at least learn something, I don't want them to think a holiday is a place where you go and it's the same, sitting by the pool is very boring and i'll probably get sunburned.' As their holidays began, the Richardson family enjoyed a luxury breakfast before being tasked with relaxing by the pool, trying out a Turkish tasting menu and paragliding. Meanwhile, Katya and Julia were given 120 in cash to enjoy a local breakfast before being told they would be volunteering at a nearby animal rescue centre. The pair opted for a deal on two full English breakfasts with a drink for just 9 (and were happily surprised with the meal, but questioned whether their eggs were organic. The friends soon set off for the working section of their holiday, arriving at Tenerife Horse Rescue, but they were underwhelmed with their surroundings In exchange for volunteering Julia and Katya will get their food and boarding for free, and were seen helping staff members sort through food donations for the sanctuary and helping tend to the animals 'I would never have a full English breakfast at home unless it was an authentic English place, said Julia, 'And here we are in Tenerife!' The friends soon set off for the working section of their holiday, arriving at Tenerife Horse Rescue, and while the pair were excited for their new jobs, they were underwhelmed with their surroundings. 'I was hoping this isn't where we were going to be honest', said Katya, 'I saw some funny buildings, not even buildings basically a wall, quite untidy.' In exchange for volunteering Julia and Katya will get their food and boarding for free, and were seen helping staff members sort through food donations for the sanctuary and helping tend to the animals. 'When we first arrived we looked quite alien probably', said Katya, 'Like we just landed from another planet.' Despite arduous tasks such as mixing clay, Julia and Katya found comfort in working with the animals and were determined to prove themselves as hard workers Despite arduous tasks such as wheelbarrowing sand and mixing clay with their hands , while working at the sanctuary, Julia and Katya found comfort in working with the animals and were determined to prove themselves as hard workers. 'I feel very comfortable with animals and the farm lifestyle', said Julia, 'it has stayed somewhere deep in my heart from my childhood'. After discovering the cost of her holiday, Katya added: 'I'm so impressed, it's exciting to see how little to discover a human needs, I did not think this was even possible'. Julia went on: 'It has totally changed my view of what a holiday is, that there is more than going to a fancy hotel and just thinking about ourselves Katya added: 'It's an amazing thing to realise that the amount of money you spend on a holiday doesn't necessarily equal happiness and fun.' Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday airs on Sunday at 9pm on Channel 5. Defence Ministry tears into Rahul Gandhis claims that India ceded territory to China India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: The assertion that the Indian territory is up to Finger 4 in Pangong Tso area is categorically false, the Ministry of Defence said in a strongly worded statement after Rahul Gandhi claimed that India had ceded territory to China during the disengagement. India has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement with China, the ministry also said. Further it said that even the Line of Actual Control as per the Indian perception is at Finger 8 and Finger 4. India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China, the Defence Ministry also said. The permanent posts of both sides at north bank of Pangong Tso are long-standing and well established, the Defence Ministry also noted. Further the ministry said that on the contrary India prevented any unilateral change in status quo and said that the LAC was at Finger 8 and not 4. Standing our ground: How Indias national security planners ensured disengagement at LAC Following an agreement reached between India and China, the disengagement at Pangong Lake began at 9 am on Wednesday. This is thanks to several back channel talks held by the military commanders, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval with their counterparts in Beijing. Officials tell OneIndia that this has been achieved after the back-channel talks by India's top national security planners and also the fact that India stood its ground. Officials also said that once the disengagement is complete at Pangong Tso, talks would be initiated about the withdrawal from patrolling point 15 and 17 ie Gogra and Hot Springs respectively. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Rajya Sabha that the Armed Forces had responded to the challenges posed by the unilateral Chinese action and have shown valour and courage on both South and North bank of Pangong Tso. The statement in the Upper House was made a day after China said that both the armies would disengage from the north and south banks of Pangong Tso. The statement by the Defence Minister signals that the are clear signs of tensions being eased in Eastern Ladakh. Disengagement at LAC raises hopes, but Delhi would remain cautious BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Many strategically important points were identified and our troops positioned themselves at those Hill Tops and at locations which were very important from our point of view. It is because of this great bravery of our Armed Forces in the face of harsh adverse climatic conditions that we maintained the edge. Our Armed Forces proved yet again that territorial integrity of our country remains safe in their hands and their grit and determination to safeguard our borders is unwavering, the Defence Minister said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 9:12 [IST] More than 2 million people have received their first shot of the coronavirus vaccine in France, and now authorities say that those who have already suffered the infection may not need a second dose (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier) The French health authority Haute Autorite de Sante has recommended that only a single shot of COVID-19 vaccine should be given to people who have already been infected with COVID-19. The HAS said in a statement that people previously infected retain an immune memory that calls for only a single dose. "The single dose of vaccine will act as a reminder", the health authority added. The statement, printed on the HAS website, said that people who have had a positive coronavirus test, or antibody test, should be considered protected for at least three months by "post-infectious immunity". It added: "Current data do not allow to rule on the immune response beyond six months. The HAS therefore recommends that the vaccination be carried out within a period of almost six months and confirms that it should not be considered before a period of three months after infection." French health minister Olivier Veran received his first dose of COVID vaccine at the start of February, but many French citizens are still extremely sceptical when it comes to accepting the vaccine (Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS It continued: "At this stage of knowledge, people who have already been infected retain an immune memory. This leads the HAS to offer only one dose to people who have been infected... regardless of how long the infection has been. The single dose of vaccine will thus act as a booster." Two exceptions were given - people with proven immunosuppression - especially those receiving immunosuppressive therapy - "should, within three months of the onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection, be vaccinated by the two-dose schedule", it said. And people who have received a first dose of vaccine and who develop coronavirus in the days following their first vaccination should not receive the second dose within the usual timeframe, but within three to six months after infection. The decision is the first of its kind, with all other EU countries still following the guidelines of two shots per person. All three COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the European Union are administered in the form of two doses, delivered several weeks apart. Clinical trials have showed that immunity against the disease is significantly higher after individuals receives two doses. Story continues Britain's COVID-19 vaccination programme has seen more than 13 million first doses administered already (REUTERS/Phil Noble/Pool) France began its vaccine rollout in January and by Friday 2.1 million people in the country had received at least one vaccine dose, with almost 535,800 having already received two. However, the country faces a long-standing battle against vaccine-sceptics, with more than 40% of its population saying they would not be willing to accept immunisation if it was offered. By Friday Britain had administered more than 13 million first doses of the vaccine, with a policy of giving booster jabs within 12 weeks to everyone. Two recent US studies, reported in the British Medical Journal, suggested that a single vaccine dose may be enough for people who have already recovered from COVID-19. One paper said that immunity in individuals who had had COVID and then received a single vaccine dose was "equal to or even exceeds" that of people who have not had COVID but received two vaccine doses. In a paper published on Thursday regarding the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, the World Health Organization said: "The recommended dosage is two doses given intramuscularly with an interval of eight to 12 weeks." It added that "additional research is needed to understand longer-term potential protection after a single dose". The Catch-up s However, the implications of just administering one dose has been questioned by Eleanor Riley, professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh, who said that in practice the process could be difficult to implement and keep track of. The authors of both papers suggest that people who have had a PCR confirmed COVID-19 infection may only require one dose of the vaccine," she said. "Certainly, this would appear to provide them with protection that is at least as good as two doses of vaccine. "However, incorporating this into a mass vaccination programme may be logistically complex and it may be safer, overall, to ensure that everyone gets two doses. Lawrence Young, virologist and professor of molecular oncology, at the University of Warwick, agreed thatthe approach may be viable if vaccine supply became an issue. However, he said more research was needed before considering changing advice on the number of doses people should receive. He said: If future work can confirm this high level of immunity post a single mRNA vaccine in this group of individuals, this could become a viable option when there are concerns around vaccine supply. A vaccine still in development by Johnson & Johnson works with a single dose, but it is yet to receive emergency use authorisation from regulators. Watch: What is long COVID? Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 14:34:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least seven policemen were injured as a car bomb rocked Arghandab district in the southern Kandahar province on Saturday, police spokesman Jamal Barikzai said. Without providing more details, the official said an investigation had been initiated into the incident. In the meantime, another official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the blast targeting police at 7:30 a.m. local time on Saturday killed four policemen and injured 11 others. Enditem Efforts to pass a $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill with direct payments of $1,400 moved ahead Friday as President Joe Biden pushed for $350 billion in state and local aid, a top Democratic demand that delayed approval of legislation in the last Congress. House committees approved the state aid as well as funding for vaccines and coronavirus testing a day after a separate panel voted to approve $1,400 per person stimulus payments for those making $75,000 or less year and couples making $150,000 or less. The money, including $1,400 for dependents, would phase out for individuals earning more than $100,000 and couples making more than $200,000. The individual sections now go to the House Budget Committee, which will combine them into one single bill with an eye toward approval by the full House by the end of the month. Biden met with governors and mayors of both parties at the White House as he pushed for the state and local funding. The most important piece, in my view, is making sure we give them enough capacity to deal with the virus in their states and how were going to do that, Biden said before the meeting. But equally consequential is the need to help the states economically, in terms of everything from unemployment to being able to make sure that theyre able to get kids back in schools and what role the federal government should play in helping getting that done. Democratic efforts to provide such funding in the last spending bill ran into opposition from Republican lawmakers, who derided the aid as a blue-state bailout even as GOP-run Texas and Florida would have been among the biggest recipients of federal support. Eventually, lawmakers agreed to leave the aid out of the $900 billion stimulus law enacted in December. Under the funding approved by the House Oversight Committee, Texas and Florida would be among the four biggest recipients of aid, along with California and New York, according to preliminary figures supplied by the committee. New Jersey and its municipalities would get $9.4 billion. Critical services must be restored, jobs must be saved, and local and state governments must finally receive the help they need to fight the pandemic, said committee chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. But Rep. James Comer, the top Republican on the Oversight panel, said the states and localities didnt spend all the federal funds theyve already received. They have until Dec. 31 to use the money. Before Congress even considers giving states and local governments another dime, funds already available to them must be used, said Comer, R-Ky. New Jersey spent 72% of its $3.4 billion allocation under the $2 trillion stimulus law known as the CARES Act through Dec. 31, according to the U.S. Treasury Departments inspector general. At the end of June, the state had spent just 2.1%. This time, though, Republican opposition to the state and local aid may not matter. Democrats are attempting to approve the legislation under a procedure known as reconciliation, the same one Republicans used in 2017 to pass their tax law and to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act on party-line votes. That would allow Senate Democrats to pass the bill by a simple majority without the threat of a filibuster, but would require all 50 members of their caucus to vote yes if no Republicans support the legislation. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage The House Energy and Commerce Committee, meanwhile, approved $14 billion for vaccine manufacturing the distribution, $46 billion for testing and contract tracing for the coronavirus, $5 billion to help low-income residents pay their winter heating bills, and $7.6 billion to expand internet connections. Taken together, vaccines and testing are key to reducing the spread of COVID-19, getting our kids back to school, revitalizing our economy, and safely returning to normal patterns of life, said the committee chairman, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved its section, which included $26.1 billion in funds for transit agencies in large metropolitan areas. Based on previous allocations, NJ Transit could get close to $2 billion. There also was $1.25 billion for specific grant programs, including New Starts, which will partially fund construction of the new Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River, and $1.5 billion for Amtrak to allow the passenger railroad to restore daily long-distance service and recall its furloughed employees and pay them through Sept. 30. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Add CoolSocial badge. Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Lamine.com scored 52 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 25 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Add a widget like this on your site: click here This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the lamine homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if lamine has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the lamine homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the lamine homepage on Twitter + the total number of lamine followers (if lamine has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the lamine homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the lamine homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. Basic Information PAGE TITLE Textuel La Mine DESCRIPTION Nous produisons des idees, des medias et des contenus. BDDP Unlimited est constituee de BDDP et Fils (publicite), et de Textuel et Textuel Lamine (contenu on et off-line) ainsi que de Marketing Services et de Medias et Supports (regie). KEYWORDS BDDP Unlimited, BDDP et Fils, Textuel, Textuel La Mine, Marketing Services, Medias et Supports, publicite, contenu on et off-line, regie pub, Agence de publicite, agence de contenu, pub, site internet, site web OTHER KEYWORDS The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE French UTF-8French DETECTED LANGUAGE French French SERVER nginx OPERATIVE SYSTEM Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services. The language of lamine.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for lamine.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The URL of the found Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The type of Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND SAN FRANCISCO The fish and crab tanks at the back of the wood-paneled restaurant are empty, and chairs are stacked here and there. Bill Lee, the owner of the Far East Cafe in San Franciscos Chinatown, surveyed the empty second-floor banquet hall that during any other Lunar New Year would be packed with hundreds of customers. I keep losing money, Mr. Lee said of his century-old restaurant, a former Cantonese social club and speakeasy. If it continues this way, Id rather to close down. As the Year of the Ox began on Friday, there were only muted attempts to celebrate. The pandemic has hit San Franciscos Chinatown, Americas oldest and largest, particularly hard. The lack of tourists, a spate of violent attacks and robberies in Chinese neighborhoods across the Bay Area, and pandemic-related racism against Asian-Americans have combined to exacerbate the economic pain felt in Chinatown. From a strictly medical perspective, the neighborhood has fared better than many other parts of the country, heading off a mass outbreak early. And mask wearing was ubiquitous this week on the streets of the densely packed neighborhood, where shoppers strolled through the handful of shops selling Lunar New Year decorations. Share your feedback to help improve our site! Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Donald Trump's impeachment lawyers accused Democrats of waging a campaign of "hatred" against the former president as they sped through their defense of his actions and fiery words before the Jan 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, hurtling the Senate toward a final vote in his historic trial. The defense team vigorously denied on Friday that Trump had incited the deadly riot and said his encouragement of followers to "fight like hell" at a rally that preceded it was routine political speech. They played dozens of out-of-context clips showing Democrats, some of them senators now serving as jurors, also telling supporters to "fight", aiming to establish a parallel with Trump's overheated rhetoric. "This is ordinarily political rhetoric that is virtually indistinguishable from the language that has been used by people across the political spectrum for hundreds of years," declared Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen. "Countless politicians have spoken of fighting for our principles." But the presentation blurred the difference between general encouragement to battle for causes and Trump's fight against officially accepted national election results. The defeated president was telling his supporters to fight on after every state had verified its results, after the Electoral College had affirmed them and after nearly every election lawsuit filed by Trump and his allies had been rejected in court. The case is speeding toward a vote and likely acquittal, perhaps as soon as Saturday, with the Senate evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans and a two-thirds majority required for conviction. Trump's lawyers made an abbreviated presentation that used less than three of their allotted 16 hours. Their quick pivot to the Democrats' own words deflected from the central question of the trial - whether Trump incited the assault on the Capitol - and instead aimed to place impeachment managers and Trump adversaries on the defensive. His lawyers contended he was merely telling his rally crowd to support primary challenges against his adversaries and to press for sweeping election reform. After a two-day effort by Democrats to sync up Trump's words to the violence that followed, including through raw and emotive video footage, defense lawyers suggested that Democrats have typically engaged in the same overheated rhetoric as Trump. But in trying to draw that equivalency, the defenders minimized Trump's months-long efforts to undermine the election results and his urging of followers to do the same. Democrats say that long campaign, rooted in a "big lie" l, aid the groundwork for the mob that assembled outside the Capitol and stormed inside. Five people died." And so they came, draped in Trump's flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and to bludgeon," Rep. Madeleine Dean, one of the impeachment managers, said Thursday as she choked back emotion. On Friday, as defense lawyers repeated their own videos over and over, some Democrats chuckled and whispered among themselves as many of their faces flashed on the screen. Some passed notes. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal threw up his hands, apparently amused, when his face appeared. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar rolled her eyes. Most Republicans watched intently. During a break, some joked about the videos and others said they were a distraction or a "false equivalence" with Trump's behavior."Well, we heard the word 'fight' a lot," said Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.Colorado Sen. Michael Bennett said it felt like the lawyers were "erecting straw men to then take them down rather than deal with the facts." "Show me any time that the result was that one of our supporters pulled someone out of the crowd, and then we said, 'That's great, good for you,'" said Delaware Sen. Chris Coons.Trump's defenders told senators that Trump was entitled to dispute the 2020 election results and that his doing so did not amount to inciting the violence. They sought to turn the tables on prosecutors by likening the Democrats' questioning of the legitimacy of Trump's 2016 win to his challenge of his election loss. The defense team did not dispute the horror of the violence, painstakingly reconstructed by impeachment managers earlier in the week, but said it had been carried out by people who had "hijacked" what was supposed to be a peaceful event and had planned violence before Trump had spoken."You can't incite what was going to happen," he said. Acknowledging the reality of the January day is meant to blunt the visceral impact of the House Democrats' case and pivot to what Trump's defenders see as the core - and more winnable - issue of the trial: Whether Trump actually incited the riot. The argument is likely to appeal to Republican senators who want to be seen as condemning the violence but without convicting the president. Anticipating defense efforts to disentangle Trump's rhetoric from the rioters actions, the impeachment managers spent days trying to fuse them together through a reconstruction of never-been-seen video footage alongside clips of the president's months of urging his supporters to undo the election results. On Thursday, they described in stark, personal terms the terror they faced that January day - some of it in the very Senate chamber where senators now are sitting as jurors. They used security video of rioters searching menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, smashing into the building and engaging in bloody, hand-to-hand combat with police. Though defense lawyers sought to boil down the case to a single Trump speech, Democrats displayed the many public and explicit instructions he gave his supporters well before the White House rally that unleashed the deadly Capitol attack as Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory. And they used the rioters' own videos and words from Jan. 6 to try to pin responsibility on Trump. "We were invited here," said one Capitol invader. "Trump sent us," said another. "He'll be happy. We're fighting for Trump." The prosecutors' goal was to cast Trump not as a bystander but rather as the "inciter in chief" who spread election falsehoods, then encouraged supporters to come challenge the results in Washington. The Democrats also are demanding that he be barred from holding future federal office.Trump's lawyers say that goal only underscores the "hatred" Democrats feel for Trump. Throughout the trial, they showed clips from Democrats questioning the legitimacy of his presidency and suggesting as early as 2017 that he should be impeached."Hatred is at the heart of the house managers' fruitless attempts to blame Donald Trump for the criminal acts of the rioters - based on double hearsay statements of fringe right-wing groups, based on no real evidence other than rank speculation," van der Veen said. Trump's lawyers noted that in the same Jan 6 speech he encouraged the crowd to behave "peacefully," and they contend that his remarks - and his general distrust of the election results - are all protected under the First Amendment. Democrats strenuously resist that assertion, saying his words weren't political speech but rather amounted to direct incitement of violence. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID news * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! For the record, having grown up sharing bunks in a bedroom, Elliott and Zaac now each have their own bedroom at the house they share in Sydneys inner west they are super-happy, marvels Sam but as musicians The Rubens have found individual paths that allow them to productively work together. Sam and Elliott, for example, are the instigating songwriters, much to the latters surprise. I didnt know how to write a song and I never thought that was something I would do. I just figured I would play keys and basically show up, Elliott says. Eventually I realised all of us could contribute and have an influence. Adds Sam: Elliott will just sit down and write and if he has a problem with a song hell just work through it. Hes quite studious, whereas if somethings not right for me writing a song I just want to break my laptop and walk out of the room. 0202 is testament to one of The Rubens defining strengths: a willingness to adapt and change their sound. The vintage British 60s R&B rock grooves and modern production of 2012s The Rubens has given way to electronic textures and rhythms predicated on their love of hip-hop music. While recording their debut album the band members had to stage an intervention with leading producer David Kahne, who they felt was adding too many synthesiser parts to their songs, but now theyre the ones channelling pops glinting pieces. We would have gotten bored by this if wed stayed in that mindset of what were allowed to use when we record and what were not, Sam says. Its in our personalities to constantly want to try new things. We also had success with certain songs that freed us up. Hoops was a departure, it was scary for us, and the fact that it was our most successful song at the time was liberating. Says Elliott: Were not technical musicians at all. When were writing a song the parts we put down are often quite simple. Were not trying to blow anyones minds with our chops. What we get down is what were capable of: we keep the instruments simple and slot in a melody that works. Were not hindered by our lack of virtuosity, it helps us. 0202 began without the band realising it. On a lengthy regional Australian tour to promote their third album, 2018s Lo Ra Ru, The Rubens got into a routine of tinkering with demos during the week, playing a long weekend of gigs, and then during the drive back on Monday voting on which new composition to record. One van session produced a 5-0 verdict in favour of a song called Live in Life, which became a surprise hit when they released it as an interim single in 2019. The bittersweet self-recrimination and buoyant melody are now emblematic. My favourite type of song is the one where theres something sad about it but at the same time youre kind of happy but you dont know why, Elliott says. I dont know if its major chords or a nice melody, but when the thing youre singing about feels dark the listener is lulled into a weird dreamy state thats the kind of music I like to listen to. Thats our personalities, and thats where were comfortable, notes Sam of the quintets melancholy streak. Regardless of how good you feel you have it in life or your career, people have inner turmoil. That never goes away. A big element of my life is really nice I am very happy and more settled than ever but I still have a lot to think about. The Rubens still have their eye on America, where their career was sidelined in 2014 because the song about romantic dissolution they were hoping would be their breakthrough had the title and repeated chorus of My Gun, which radio balked at in the wake of multiple school shootings. But for now theyre excited for 0202, and determined to stay relevant for a young audience. At gigs Sam is delighted when he meets teenagers whove talked their way in, making The Rubens their first adult gig. I meet them at the merch desk and theyre always so excited, he says. Someone whos 18 now and listening to these new songs was eight when we released our first album. Thats wild. Its great that people are still on board, but I dont just want to write songs for people our age. That wouldnt be fun for us. Baby Rubens - the band in 2012 (from left) Scott Baldwin and Zaac, Sam and Elliott Margin. SCHOOL OF ROCK One of Sam Margins favourite memories of being 18 was travelling in Germany and spontaneously deciding to sneak into a gig despite not having a ticket. He made it inside the venue, discovered it was a heavy metal fest, and happily ended up in a vortex-like mosh-pit. These are the things that you do when youre young, and The Rubens frontman is acutely aware these are things teenagers couldnt do in 2020. Former President Donald Trump's defense attorney David Schoen speaks on the fourth day of former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Feb. 12, 2021. (congress.gov via Getty Images) House Democrats Selectively Edited Trumps Speeches: Defense Attorney Democratic House impeachment managers selectively edited the presidents words in making their case against former President Donald Trump, defense attorney David Schoen said on the fourth day of the impeachment trial. Words matter, they told you, but they selectively edited the presidents words over and over again, Schoen said on Feb. 12. They manipulated video, time-shifting clips, and made it appear that the presidents words were playing to a crowd when they werent. Lets take a look. Schoen showed lawmakers a video of Trumps speech on Jan. 6, showing a side-by-side comparison of what House impeachment managers had presented of Trumps words, and a fuller excerpt of what Trump said. The left panel of the video showed a short portion of a montage of the events on Jan. 6 that lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) played at the trial in his opening statement. Part of the video montage showed Trumps speech. Trump is seen saying: After this, were going to walk down and Ill be there with you. Were going to walk down. Were going to walk down, after which the clip cuts to a separate scene of crowds in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 gathering near the Capitol building. On the right panel of the video, Trump was seen remarking: Were going to walk down any one you want, but I think right here. Were going walk down to the Capitol, and were going to cheer on our brave senators, and congressmen and women. Were probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them because youll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. Trump continued: We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Then-President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the Stop The Steal rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Schoen pointed out that the video that Democrats showed omitted that Trump had wanted his supporters to make their voices heard peacefully and patriotically. And we are going to walk down to the Capitol, they showed you that part. Why are we walking to the Capitol? Well they cut that offto cheer on some members of Congress and not others, peacefully and patriotically, Schoen said. The attorney said that the Supreme Court in a 1969 landmark decision in Brandenburg v. Ohio ruled that theres a very clear standard for incitement, notably, he said, paraphrasing, whether the speech was intended to provoke imminent lawless action, and was it likely to do so. Go to the Capitol and cheer on some members of Congress but not others,they know it doesnt meet the standard for incitement so they edited it down, Schoen pointed out. Shortly after the Democrats video montage was shown, the Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) posted on Twitter pointing out that the video did not include Trumps calls for peace. The former presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., also posted on Twitter, pointing out that Democrats had used a deceptively edited video to make their case. Newsweek, in a fact check, determined that RSBNs claim was true that the video was edited to leave out Trumps calls for peaceful protest. Former Republican congressman Jason Chaffetz suggested on Twitter on Feb. 9 that the video may have violated a House rule which says people may be subject to discipline for the dissemination of any image, video, or audio file that has been distorted or manipulated with the intent to mislead the public. Raskins office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times. References to Fighting In another case, Schoen alleged that one of the House managers had quoted Trump out of context in using the remarks, you have to get your people to fight. Schoen showed Trumps remarks in full: You have to get your people to fight. If they dont fight, we have to primary the hell out of the ones that dont fight. You primary them. Were going to let you know who they are. I can already tell you, frankly. The people who need to fight are members of congress, Schoen clarified. Why do we have to skip the necessary due diligence and due process of law that any legal proceedings should have? he asked. It couldnt have been the urgency to get President Trump out of office. House Democrats held the articles until he was no longer president, mooting their case. Hatred, animosity, division, political gain, and lets face it, for House Democrats, President Trump is the best enemy to attack. Schoen also pointed to how House Democrats and the media this week have been quoting fight like hell, which he says was used out of context. We heard a lot this week about fight like hell but they cut off the video before they showed you the presidents optimistic patriotic words that followed immediately after, Schoen said, before showing another video comparison. In the Democrats version of the video, Trump is seen as saying, We fight like hell and if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, before the clip is cut off. The fuller version shows the president continuing to say: Our exciting adventures and boldest endeavors have not yet begun. My fellow Americans for our movement, for our children and for our beloved country and I say this, despite all thats happened, the best is yet to come. Double Standard Schoen said that house managers themselves have ignored their own words in condemning Trumps rhetoric and set a dangerous double standard, having advocated their supporters to fight multiple times in the past. He presented a lengthy video montage of clips showing Democrats, some of them senators now serving as jurors, also telling their supporters to fight. Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen later said on the floor: This is ordinary political rhetoric that is virtually indistinguishable from the language that has been used by people across the political spectrum for hundreds of years. Countless politicians have spoken of fighting for our principles. Trumps attorneys asserted that the former president was entitled to dispute the 2020 election results and that his doing so did not amount to inciting the violence. They also likened the Democrats questioning of the legitimacy of Trumps 2016 win to his challenge of his election loss. Here, Schoen also presented another video showing how multiple Democrats disputed the election results and continued to doubt the 2016 presidential election results after Trump came into office. He alleged, The House managers position really is that when [a] Republican candidate for office claims an election is stolen or that the winner is illegitimate it constitutes inciting insurrection, and the candidate should know it. Somehow when Democratic candidates publicly decry an election as stolen, or illegitimate, its never a big lie. Youve been doing it for years, Schoen said, in a reference to how House impeachment managers have alleged that Trumps big liethe claim that the election was stolenincited the riot. The House voted 232-197 in January to impeach Trump, charging him of inciting an insurrection. Senate Democrats would need the support of 17 Republicans to convict Trump. According to a tally by The Epoch Times, 35 Republican senators have suggested or committed to voting to acquit Trump. No president in U.S. history has ever been convicted. If Trump were to be convicted, the Senate could hold a subsequent vote to disqualify him from ever holding office in the future. Unlike an impeachment conviction, which requires two-thirds of the Senate to be adopted, only a simple majority would be required to ban Trump from future office. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The NSW government has shelved one of the boldest recommendations in the NSW Curriculum Review, dumping a proposal for untimed syllabuses that let students progress at their own pace instead of grouping them by age. The plan grew from concern students were moving ahead without mastering key skills, but Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the government would instead reduce syllabus content to give teachers more flexibility to help students. Chantel Mirzai, a teacher at Auburn Public, is one of the teachers chosen to give feedback on new syllabuses. Credit:Nick Moir Ms Mitchell said 200 expert teachers had been recruited to help with the curriculum reforms by advising on whether the new syllabuses work well in the classroom. The first new syllabuses, for kindergarten to year 2 maths and English, are due to be taught in schools from the beginning of next year. Streamlining and updating the curriculum is more than just removing content the curriculum needs to be teachable in the classroom, so as to enable teachers to meet the needs of their students, Ms Mitchell said. Not even a Royal is spared the scourge of a bunion which is why the Duchess of Cornwall will soon be putting her best foot forward in trainers. The Mail on Sunday can reveal the Duchess, 73, who has long complained of the painful effects of Royal walkabouts, has invested in the 179 Sole Bliss shoes to soothe her aching toes. The fashionable shoes are specially designed by podiatrists to provide extra cushioning to wide and bunion-prone feet, and have already been acquired by Dame Helen Mirren, comedienne Dawn French and Loose Women panellists Denise Welsh and Saira Khan. Camilla recently bought two pairs of the brand's 'Hero' trainers in black and navy making her achingly trendy, rather than merely aching. The Mail on Sunday can reveal the Duchess, 73, (pictured right with Prince Charles) who has long complained of the painful effects of Royal walkabouts, has invested in the 179 Sole Bliss shoes to soothe her aching toes. The Duchess has made no secret of her foot pain, which stems from the 221 public engagements she carries out each year. They leave her 'screaming in agony at the end of the day', she has revealed, desperate to kick her heels off 'at every opportunity'. Three years ago, on the eve of her 70th birthday, she admitted she could no longer wear heels over two inches. 'I can't do it any more,' she said. The trainers have an 'innovative bunion bed', cushioned soles, wider widths, seam-free leather linings and a device to prevent pronation the inward rolling of the feet. Designer Lisa Kay, a mother-of-two, spent five years perfecting the technology especially for those suffering bunions. The bony bumps, which form at the joint at the base of the big toe, deform the natural shape of the foot. Standard shoes can be painful, but specialist shoes often lack style. The fashionable shoes are specially designed by podiatrists to provide extra cushioning to wide and bunion-prone feet. Pictured: Navy Hero leather trainers by Sole Bliss Ms Kay told The Mail on Sunday last year that she first spotted the Duchess wearing Sole Bliss shoes at the Royal Cornwall Show in June 2018. 'I was relaxing after a day's work at my factory in Italy when I first saw a photo online of the Duchess wearing my shoes,' she said. 'We immediately received emails from our customers asking if the Duchess was indeed wearing the same shoes as them! I'm delighted and honoured that Her Royal Highness continues to wear Sole Bliss shoes.' Camilla is not the only Royal to struggle on her feet. The Duchess of Cambridge wears 14.95 Alice Bow insoles, while the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly wears in Her Majesty's shoes for her. Germany needs to renew its mandate to participate in the NATO mission in Afghanistan so as not to jeopardize the negotiation process between the Afghan authorities and the radical Taliban, German FM Heiko Maas said in an interview published on Saturday by the Funke editorial group. The current mandate implies the participation in the mission of up to 1,300 troops from Germany. It expires on March 31. On February 29, 2020, the US administration under former president Donald Trump and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in Doha. Thus, the United States, its allies, and the coalition have pledged to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan within 14 months. The Taliban, in turn, guaranteed that they would not use the territory of Afghanistan for actions that pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies. On February 4, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the new administration had not yet made a decision on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper noted that the date set for the end of April for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan to NATO is considered unrealistic. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who is currently shooting for Anubhav Sinha's Anek in Assam, is overwhelmed with the love he has received in the Northeast. Reportedly, 40 to 50 people from neighbouring villages flock to the set to meet Ayushmann and wish him well for his film. "I'm truly overwhelmed with the love that I'm receiving from the people here in the Northeast. I have met all those who have been kind enough to come to our sets to wish me luck for Anek. It was humbling to know that they love my craft and my brand of cinema and I have had interactions with them during shot breaks and post wrap whenever possible," Ayushmann said. "The warmth that I have received from the people here will always stay with me, motivating me to do better and to entertain my country better," he added. The actor has a packed date diary, with a number of releases lined up for his fans. He has Anubhuti Kashyap's comedy drama Doctor G co-starring Rakul Preet Singh coming up, besides Abhishek Kapoor's romantic drama Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui that features Vaani Kapoor with him. A Chinese national flag is displayed Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Vincent Yu/Associated Press One week after threatening retaliation, China has banned BBC World News broadcasts in the country. Earlier this month, a British media watchdog revoked a Chinese network's UK broadcasting license. The BBC was already widely restricted to most viewers in mainland China. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The Chinese government has banned BBC World News from broadcasting in the country, striking back after the British broadcasting license for a Chinese state-owned television network was revoked earlier this month. The move comes one week after British media regulator Ofcom revoked China Global Television Network's UK broadcast license, according to The BBC. But in a statement dated Friday, China's National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News had been banned because its reporting "seriously" violated broadcast guidelines that reporting be "truthful and fair" and not "harm China's national interests." The Chinese government has criticized the BBC's reporting on both COVID-19 in China and the country's persecution of ethnic minority Uighurs. The outlet recently published an alarming story on the rampant sexual abuse and forced labor alleged in China's "re-education" camps for Uighurs. A BBC spokesperson told CNN the outlet was "disappointed" by the decision. "The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially, and without fear or favour," the statement said. Ofcom's decision to withdraw the Chinese state broadcaster's license earlier this month came after the British media regulator found that CGTN's license was actually, wrongfully held by Star China Media Ltd, according to the BBC. Ofcom also reportedly listed links to China's Communist Party as one of the reasons for the revocation. The Chinese television network had also breached British broadcasting regulations last summer when it aired a UK citizen's alleged forced criminal confession. Story continues The Chinese station saw losing its British broadcasting license as a major setback, according to The Associated Press, which reported that the channel's European operations hub in London was central to China's push to bolster its international image. The day after Ofcom revoked the license, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman accused the media watchdog of acting on "political grounds based on ideological bias" and noted China's right to respond by protecting its own media rights and interests, the AP reported. The Chinese government's Friday statement also said it would not accept BBC's broadcast application for next year. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement that China's decision to ban the BBC was an "unacceptable curtailing of media freedom." "China has some of the most severe restrictions on media & internet freedoms across the globe, & this latest step will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world," he tweeted. BBC World News was already unavailable to most viewers in mainland China, and it is unclear if the ban will affect BBC reception in the few places it could previously be viewed in the country, namely some international hotels and diplomatic compounds. Read the original article on Insider The set of Australian Survivor is officially relocating from the Pacific Islands to the outback of northwest Queensland, after Ten Network secured government funding to film closer to home. And TV Tonight has now suggested that the funding could see Australian Survivor make a more permanent move to Queensland - filming not one, but two seasons in the Sunshine state. The grant, given under the government's Location Incentive Program, will provide $3.9million for the reality show, and inject a boost into the local economy. Staying closer to home? Rumours are swirling that Australian Survivor could be gearing up to film not one but two seasons of the show in Queensland, after Channel Ten received $3.9million government funding. Pictured is host Jonathan LaPaglia However, the show's production company Endemol Shine Australia refused to comment on whether a second season will be filmed in Queensland in 2022. Meanwhile, filming for the 2021 season is set to kick off later this year, near the small town of Cloncurry in Queensland. Communications and Arts Minister Paul Fletcher told Mumbrella this week that production will inject $29million into the regional economy and create 150 jobs. Back on track: Filming for the 2021 season will happen later this year, near the small town of Cloncurry in Queensland. Pictured is Brooke Jowett 'Local production of the show's sixth season will support businesses in regional Queensland and create 150 employment opportunities for local crew, providing a major boost to the Australian economy,' he said. The official Australian Survivor social media accounts also announced the good news on Thursday. 'This year we'll be tackling a new kind of setting!' read the announcement. Local production: Communications and Arts Minister Paul Fletcher told Mumbrella this week that production will inject $29million into the regional economy and create 150 jobs. Pictured is Flick Egginton Coming soon! The official Australian Survivor social media accounts also announced the good news on Thursday 'Swapping the sea breeze, cold sand and palm trees for the vast outback of northwest Queensland, our castaways will need to be prepared for a unique set of challenges in Cloncurry,' it continued. According to Channel 10, 'there will be bigger challenges and a different set of skills put to our castaways to the ultimate test'. The last season of the show to air was an All Stars version, which wrapped in October, 2019. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Former head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi has formally accepted the role of Italy's next Prime Minister and will be sworn in on Saturday. Draghi has named his cabinet after meeting the Italian president. He has secured the support of almost all the main political parties, following the collapse of the previous administration last month, the BBC reported. It was thrown into chaos amid a row over how to spend EU coronavirus recovery funds. Italy is still grappling with the pandemic and is also facing its worst economic crisis in decades. The country has recorded more than 93,000 deaths, the sixth-highest death toll in the world. After receiving the support of the largest group in parliament, the Five Star Movement, Draghi now has backing across the broad political spectrum. It means he will have a large enough majority to push through his agenda. A senior figure in the Five Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, will stay on as foreign minister in his cabinet. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Giorgetti, a senior figure in the populist far-right League party, will be industry minister. Andrea Orlando, from the centre-left Democratic Party, will be labour minister. The government faces a confidence vote next week -- a formality given its cross-party backing. An economist with experience at the highest levels of the European Union and as governor of the Bank of Italy, Draghi is being seen as a safe pair of hands. "Mario Draghi was the Italian who saved Europe, and I think now he is the European who can save Italy," former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told the BBC's Newshour programme last week. The previous prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, resigned in January after his party lost support for its coalition government over plans for spending EU recovery money. LANE COUNTY, Ore. --- Four Oregonians have contracted Coronavirus after being fully immunized with the COVID-19 vaccine, including two residents in Lane County. Health experts warn, this could become more common with the variants that have emerged in the pandemic. These cases are called "breakthrough cases" and it means they contracted the virus at least 14 days after completing their vaccination series. Officials said the other two cases came out of Yamhill County. Even though both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are supposed to be up to 95% effective, there is still that 5% that may not be. That's why health officials said this is a serious but not surprising development. "Both COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective but even with the vaccines that are 95% effective, some people will still get sick. This is common with all vaccines," Director of the Oregon Health Authority Pat Allen said. During a press conference Friday, health officials said these cases were found through testing. The reason for this is because some of them had symptoms and the others got tested for other reasons. However, health officials said none of them were hospitalized. Some had no symptoms at all while others had mild ones. "No vaccine provides 100% protection and clinical trials of both vaccines presently being used, included breakthrough cases. In those cases, even though the participants got COVID, the vaccines reduced the severity of illness. Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill, even if you do get sick," Dr. Dean Sidelinger said. OHA is working with our local and federal public health partners to investigate and determine case origin. While they don't anticipate that these cases are going to be associated with variants that are more highly transmissible, they said they want to have that data. So they said they're working with labs that are doing sequencing and they expect to have some initial results by next week. However, health officials said we can expect to see more breakthrough cases in Oregon. "To date, we've had over 160,000 Oregonians receive their second dose and not all of them are two weeks out from their second dose. So that indicates a large amount of people who could potentially develop disease after full vaccination. But again the data we're seeing and other states shows, we're not seeing severe disease or hospitalizations in these people, our vaccination does work," Sidelinger said. In the meantime, they said getting as many Oregonians vaccinated as possible remains a critical objective to ending the pandemic. Health officials want to reiterate the importance of getting vaccinated the first chance you get. "The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. The benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks of getting COVID-19," general surgeon Dr. Mary Giswold said. While the OHA wasn't able to give details about where these cases came from, their ages or when they got their last vaccine, they said 2 of the 4 cases are associated with a single location where a cluster is. Health officials said even when you're fully vaccinated, it's important that Oregonians continue to take steps to protect themselves and their loved ones. Poet W.B. Yeats came to recognize something precious and profound at center of his this-worldly identity during family vacations in County Sligo: his Irishness. In 1923, at the age of 58, Yeats accepted the Nobel Prize the only way he could as an Irishman on behalf of Ireland. What motivated the committee was "[Yeats's] always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." Symbols That Shame And Save But what about that black preacher poet across the Atlantic, that slave-descendent Baptist of that land where so many Irish found refuge in the time of the great famine? Was such a patriotism to him also vouchsafed? Amazingly yes. The unjust, humiliating, and murderous degradations dealt out by the Jim Crow South notwithstanding, Martin Luther King, Jr. refused to relinquish his claim upon either the flag flown by the nation of his birth or the Bible it placed in his hands. His words penned in a Birmingham jail cell record the miracle: One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. What lay at the center of the identity of King's nation lay also at the center of his own being, his own identity. Because this was so, Martin Luther King Jr., as a native son, was able to deliver an ennobling shaming to America. Let us be who we say we are. Only symbols unalterably fixed by history made possible the pressure that produced the passage of the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. King brandished the Bible and the Bill of Rights, the flag and the founding fathers, the cross and the Constitution necessary to shame even as doing so ennobled this people, this nation, between these oceans, on this blood-hallowed Gettysburg earth. Symbols trump Springsteen Jeep and Bruce Springsteen decided they needed powerful symbols to make a post-Trump and good-riddance-to-Trump Super Bowl pitch for national unity. They targeted the irredeemables, the MAGA hats, the clingers, the 75 million. There at the actual geographic center of the lower 48 states, Springsteen and Jeep confronted not only a tableau uncontrived by costal elites, Big Tech moguls, or university professors, but one over which the left, at least for now, exercises no control whatsoever. There the citizens of Lebanon, Kansas gathered and displayed symbols disdained by the cultural revolutionaries who destroy the nation's cities with fire and fill the heads of the nation's children with critical race theory and intersectionality a Christian chapel bearing a wooden cross framed by the Stars and Stripes within a humble worship space amid the storied amber waves of grain. These were authentic symbols, inherited, boasting long fraught histories, recognized, embraced, and re-embraced for generations. These were not pretenders to national symbol status such as a rainbow flag hastily crafted for a modern cause. Nor were they the sacred symbols or shaping scriptures of some other nation where the Crescent, Star, and Koran might serve some unifying aim. Appeal to the heart of this nation required the same symbols MLK embraced and wielded the cross and the flag and all that they represent. Springsteen and Jeep may deserve every scintilla of conservative cynicism evoked by their Super Bowl call to national re-unity. But the symbols pressed into their hands, whether voluntarily or not, by the citizens of Lebanon, Kansas pack powers far beyond what the likes of a mere car company in cahoots with a crooning, guitar-strumming Jersey boy can hope to fully contain or channel or control. They played with the Christian and patriotic fire they knew appeal to the deplorables, and the resultant blaze shall burn where it wills. Faith and the Flag Are Our Friends The left Springsteen champions and corporate America alternately advances and bows to has largely lost its ability to reproduce with a clear conscience the sort of unadulterated affection for either the flag or the cross they found on display on the plains of Kansas. Evangelical elites have chastised their erstwhile followers who voted virtually as a bloc for Donald Trump. Too much patriotism smacked of idolatry, they were told. But the charge never fit and so never stuck. The cross and the flag belonged together for them, for MLK, and for the good citizens of Lebanon, Kansas because the history the symbols witnessed to in the land on which that history played out put them together. Support for America and the worship of God were never at odds, never mixed up, and never in competition for them. Symbols and Sin Yeats left directions for the disposal of his body in his poem Under Ben Bulben. He wished his bones interred beneath the dark Irish ground of County Sligo, the site of the discovery of his Irishness. But patriots, whether poets or preachers or politicians, are never pure, and neither was Yeats. Much of his later poetry glamorizes vulgarity and infidelity. Long before BLM formally despised the nuclear family and made the queering of the nation its priority, the married, dirty old man Yeats rolled in the sack with more than one very young woman to whom he had taken no vows and whom his two children did not know as their mother. But Yeats's moral corruption owed no more to his nationalism than did chattel slavery to America's founding, as Frederick Douglass discovered when he read the Constitution and became irresistibly an irrepressible patriot. MLK understood from personal experience that neither his nation nor he himself had lived up to the standard set by the Bible, the cross, the Declaration of Independence, or the Stars and Stripes. From Thomas Jefferson to JFK to MLK to DJT, patriotism has traveled, because it had to, with imperfection. The flaws and failures attaching to these legacies are not small, but neither are they Hitler- or Stalin- or Mao-like in depth and heinousness. We repudiate, deface, and destroy monuments to and symbols of true patriotism at our peril. Does the Springsteen/Jeep refusal to eschew the symbols they found in Lebanon, Kansas recall a classic liberalism that cherishes the nation's 1776 founding and honors the Judeo-Christian heritage MLK championed the heritage BLM repudiates and attacks? Let us hope. This nation can hear and heed hard words about itself. It has done so more than once. But only words that ennoble as they shame, spoken by true patriots, avail for the nation's good or for any unity to which the adjective "American" may authentically apply. National bonds of unity require true symbols for their nurturing and securing, those drawn from the 1776 collection, the ones MLK and some folks in Kansas reached for and that Jeep and Springsteen found they could neither repudiate nor evade. Mark DeVine teaches at the Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama and is the author of Bonhoeffer Speaks Today and Shalom Yesterday, Today, and Forever. Image: Stian Schlsser Mller via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cornwall And Devon Walks With Julia Bradbury ITV, Wednesday Rating: Darcey Bussell's Wild Coasts Of Scotland More4, Monday Rating: Joanna Lumley's Home Sweet Home: Travels In My Own Land ITV, Tuesday Rating: Extraordinary Escapes With Sandi Toksvig Channel 4, Wednesday Rating: Television has a monstrous appetite for new programming, but how do you feed the beast during a pandemic? By throwing various British celebrities at various parts of the British Isles, seems to be the answer, although not literally. That would be weird and uninsurable. But Im not saying I wouldnt watch that, as I probably would. At least it would be, you know, different. So which British celebrities were thrown not literally, regrettably at which parts of the British Isles this week? There was Cornwall And Devon Walks With Julia Bradbury, in which she hiked the Lizard Peninsula. Walk with me. Its going to be an adventure you will never forget, she promised. There was Cornwall And Devon Walks With Julia Bradbury (above), in which she hiked the Lizard Peninsula. Walk with me. Its going to be an adventure you will never forget.' The scenery was beautiful, but we already knew that, as this programme was very much: Cornwall, Sticking Rigidly To The Tourist Trail. Mostly, as the wind whipped her hair and the sea crashed against rocks, I found myself hoping Captain Poldark would gallop past and liven things up a bit, but we had to make do with an item on choughs nearly dying out instead. Bradbury declared everything fascinating, as is the nature of celebrity travelogues. Show the presenter a paving slab and theyd say the same, which does make it all fairly meaningless. Naturally, she met interesting people, but her interest in these interesting people was never convincingly feigned. She met a fella who makes giftware from serpentinite rock and it was, somewhat patronisingly: Gary, youre a very talented man. Keep it going. Thanks. Bye. There was more to this half-hour a fisherman?, a fourth-generation pasty-maker? but the truth is, and despite her promise, I have already forgotten. On to Darcey Bussells Wild Coasts Of Scotland, which has the former ballerina and Strictly judge travelling the Inner Hebrides rather than the Outer Hebrides, where she might have bumped into Joanna Lumley. (What are you doing here? Im saying fascinating at everything! Me too!) Bussell was journeying to Bute, as its where her grandfather holidayed, which seems a tenuous connection, but there you are. The beast needs feeding, remember. She added that she had yearned to visit the islands ever since I was a child, which did make you wonder what had ever stopped her. Ive visited at least twice and dont have any connection, tenuous or otherwise. She started her journey on the Isle of Skye, where her interesting people included a weaver, a scallop diver, a salt producer and a Scottish dancer. The usual suspects. She was delightful and charming and soothing, and made the people she met feel good about themselves. You could just tell. But by now I was longing for someone to subvert the genre. She went plastic-picking on the beach and I was longing for her to say: God, this is boring. Or: I didnt come all this way for this. But no such joy, alas. The cumbersomely titled Joanna Lumleys Home Sweet Home: Travels In My Own Land offers a whistle-stop tour that continued this week with visits to Harris (Outer Hebrides), Glasgow and Northern Ireland, even though her grandfather did not holiday in any of these places, as far as we know. People do seem to bloom in Lumleys presence, which is a gift and she is, by far, the most convincing feigner of interest. There is even the possibility she may not be feigning at all. And some of this was quite fun, as when she visited the Scottish castle where she also made her first appearance in The New Avengers I enjoyed the clips; my, Purdey could kick and some of it was quite affecting. In Northern Ireland she met her old friend Richard Moore, who was blinded as a boy by a soldiers bullet, then went on to forgive that soldier, and is known as the Derry Lama. Here, I found my own interest wasnt feigned. Amazingly. I had high hopes for Extraordinary Escapes With Sandi Toksvig, as each week she would be joined by a fabulous woman proper chat! but, basically, this came down to selling the luxury holiday rentals neither you nor I will ever be able to afford. This first episode took us to Suffolk, where Sandis companion was Alison Steadman, and they stayed in an astonishingly converted Martello tower, a restored Tudor farmhouse and a 14th Century priory. Steadman, we discovered, is wonderfully enthusiastic about clouds and mushrooms, which was enchanting, but we didnt learn much more, as we then had to admire the view from some window or other, or marvel at a bedroom, or at how sympathetically one of the properties had been extended. At one point the pair were sitting on a beach, cagoules zipped up, blankets over their knees, drinking prosecco from plastic goblets, and I thought: just let them talk and keep the camera running. Just make it like Bob and Paul going fishing. Thats the programme we want. But it was not to be. Regrettably. Sophie Clarke from Greystones has made a nine-minute film about her second cousin in Kerry. The film is called 'Brendan' after charismatic Listowel man Brendan O'Sullivan (34), the subject of the piece. Sophie is from Seagreen and is in 5th year at Temple Carrig school. 'We were told in transition year to do a thesis. It could be a write up about a project,' said Sophie, who said her classmates came up with great ideas such as building a forge or cheese from scratch. She decided to follow in her dad's footsteps and make a movie. The film gives viewers a quick insight into the life and happiness of one of Listowel's most beloved residents. The documentary features several interviews with Brendan's family and friends from around Listowel, including Billy Keane. Billy, the owner of John B Keane's pub and one of Brendan's four employers, describes him as a 'rogue', who can pull the perfect pint. 'Every time I go to Listowel there's another extravagant story about Brendan's shenanigans,' said Sophie. 'He's a gas character.' Expand Close Brendan OSullivan is the subject of the film Brendan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brendan OSullivan is the subject of the film Brendan While she thought that this would be a story of 'overcoming despite stigma', Sophie found Listowel to be 'the most supportive and brilliant town I have ever seen'. She said that the town has an excellent drop-in centre for people who have special needs. Sophie interviewed the principal of the school Brendan went to and saw its incredible facilities. A hard-working man, Brendan has four jobs - including at a chemist one or two days a week, John B Keane's pub, volunteering at a gym, and working in a barbers. When he gets a moment, he also enjoys yoga and tai-chi. He was delighted to be in Sophie's film. 'He might have gotten a bit too ambitious though,' said Sophie. 'He told people it's going to be on RTE!' Everyone interviewed had the height of praise for the well-known local man whose smile is infectious. She hadn't quite finished the final edit for handing in at the end of transition year, but Sophie did hand in what she had done along with a written reflection on her work. Sophie decided recently to finish the project, and gave herself a lot of extra work by changing it around altogether. 'I completely re-cut it!' Her dad Andy works in film in visual effects and she was doing work experience at his studio while cutting the film. The project has given Sophie insight into what she wants to do after school. She had held ambitions of being a midwife but now has her heart set on studying film and TV at IADT, where her dad lectures in animation. Also proud of her work are Sophie's mum Niamh and younger brother Oscar (12). She has put the film in for two youth festivals and a film festival in London about diversity and equality, as well as the Kerry International Film Festival. Sophie is looking forward to getting back to Kerry to see Brendan when regulations allow. Her film can be seen on YouTube by searching 'Brendan 2021'. It is suspected the use of the nebuliser, which turns liquid medications into a fine mist that can be inhaled, caused fine aerosolised particles carrying coronavirus to be suspended in the air and spread the virus throughout the hotel. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald verified the mans identity after viewing hospital admission documents, including his transfer papers from hotel quarantine. A senior health source, who was not authorised to speak to the media, also independently confirmed the mans identity. On Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews defended the states hotel quarantine program after questions were again raised over how the nebuliser, not permitted in hotel quarantine, made its way into the Holiday Inn undetected. At a press conference, the Premier was adamant the nebuliser was never declared by the returned traveller. Short of barging into peoples rooms multiple times a day which, again, I think might well produce a pretty big infection control risk itself you have got to rely on peoples judgment, Mr Andrews said. Those machines are not allowed, that was clearly communicated, but if you are inviting me to have a crack at a bloke who is on a machine to breathe at the moment in an ICU Im just not doing that. Youre not allowed to have them, you shouldnt be using them, theres an interview where that is clearly communicated. Its happened. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The man, who is slowly recovering from the virus, maintains he was given permission by staff to use the nebuliser at both the initial quarantine hotel and the medi-hotel to which he was moved. After testing positive to the virus at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, the man and his family were taken to the Holiday Inn medical hotel in Flinders Lane. I came in and again declared the nebuliser and I said, I need to use it, because I was struggling to breathe, and they said, Look, no problem. You just need to tell us, because we cant come into the room for an hour after you use it. He said that four hours later staff at the hotel called him and told him that following a consultation with infectious diseases experts at Alfred Health, the use of a nebuliser was not permitted inside the hotel. Alfred Health staff support COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, which runs quarantine, by providing medical care in hotels set up for people who have tested positive to the virus. They suggested that I used [an asthmatic] spacer instead and provided me with one, he said. That helped me a lot before I was taken to hospital. Vaporiser machines, including sleep apnoea machines, are banned from standard quarantine hotels. The medical device is also believed to have fuelled serious coronavirus outbreaks in Victorian hospitals during the second wave. In the wake of the outbreak, all returned travellers will have their bags thoroughly searched upon arrival in Melbourne. Since the case emerged, authorities say they have introduced clear signage at Melbourne Airport and employed nurse spotters working with Australian Border Force to identify any aerosol-generating devices with incoming travellers. A spokeswoman for COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria said an investigation on February 5 found no record of the nebuliser being declared. This audit shows the use of the nebuliser only emerged during a formal case interview on Friday, February 5, once the man had tested positive and been moved to the health hotel, she said. Each resident undergoes an initial health screening at the airport prior to entering quarantine and a more comprehensive review within 12 hours of arrival and the records do not mention the nebuliser. Our healthcare providers have audited medical records and provided assurances about their contents, while we have reviewed CCTV of any staff interactions. The man, who frequently had to pause during the interview when he became breathless, said he used the nebuliser on day five and six of his quarantine inside his hotel room after returning a negative test on day three. He said he first began to show signs of respiratory illness an hour after arriving at the Holiday Inn on January 23 and blamed a faulty evaporative airconditioning system that continually fluctuated in temperature for aggravating his asthma. What was more disturbing is we found hairs on the floor and some crumbs on the couch and table that had not been cleaned up, he said. The room did not feel like it had been deep cleaned after the last person stayed there. It was really dirty in general. COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria responded directly to this claim by saying complaints about cleanliness were investigated and dealt with immediately. Loading CQV has no record of a complaint. During their stay, residents can request cleaning supplies given staff cannot attend the room to clean due to infection prevention and control measures. This is a standard procedure. The man said his respiratory symptoms worsened each day, and he requested another test on day six of quarantine, but this request was refused. The entire family tested positive to the virus on their 11th day in quarantine. Jared Leto has denied a rumour that he once gave Suicide Squad co-star Margot Robbie a rat. In a conversation with GQ, the actor, who portrays the Joker in the DC Universe and allegedly gave his co-stars Joker-esque gifts during production, said, Its also interesting how this stuff all takes on a life of its own. I never gave Margot Robbie a dead rat. Thats not true. I actually gave her I found this place in Toronto that had great vegan cinnamon buns, and that was a very common thing. Back in 2016, Suicide Squad co-star Viola Davis told Vanity Fair that Leto gave her a dead pig. Now I'm terrified as a person thinking 'Is he crazy?' but the second part was 'Oh s**t! I got to have my stuff together. You talk about commitment and then he sends Margot Robbie a black rat. It was still alive in a box. She screamed, and then she kept it. Indeed, in the new interview, the actor didn't specify whether or not there was a rat at all. If there was one, however, then it sounds like the rat was very much alive. Leto also described the role of the Joker as Shakespearian, saying, Stepping into the Joker's shoes ... it's an incredible opportunity. I guess it's this generation's version of taking on an infamous Shakespearian character. Lots of people the part before, lots of people play it in the future. So really it's an opportunity to do something new and to explore challenging territory. And we had a lot of fun with it. Director Zack Snyder's new cut of 2017s Justice League, which didn't originally feature Leto as the Joker but will in The Snyder Cut, is coming to HBO Max in March. To the delight of one secondary schools pupils especially some excitable triplets the Mail Force van has made its latest delivery of laptops. Mail Force has now raised a whopping 10.6millon for the Computers for Kids campaign in just three weeks, to help lockdown pupils struggling to follow online classes. The charity has had a sensational boost with a video appeal fronted by David Beckham and 29 other famous British faces going viral reaching some 123million social media users. In Southampton, 12-year-old triplets Sandra, Daniel and Manuel Naduvila were beaming ear to ear as they received their hi-tech goodies earlier this week. For 12-year-old triplets Sandra, Daniel and Manuel Naduvila, there is a strict pecking order Their mother Jubi, a hospital healthcare assistant who works night shifts, said: Its crazy at the moment. Theres no school, they cant really go out, we have got just one computer, the triplets were just getting used to secondary school and now they are trying to learn on their phones. She added: They need more than that, because they cant submit their work on phones. On a computer, you can save and organise work properly. Her husband Abey, who is a kitchen worker at Hampshire County Council, added: Thank you for this laptop donation. It will really help us. Mail Force has donated seven top-of-the-range Microsoft Surface 2 Go tablets for families of Saint George Catholic College in Southampton, Hampshire, on top of 75 laptops handed to the comprehensive school by the Department for Education. Head teacher James Habberley said: We are incredibly grateful for the donation from the Daily Mail. Weve had a number of students who have been struggling with remote learning, because theyve only had one device between a large family... We have already allocated all our donations from the DfE, so this has come at a really important moment for us, and were very grateful to readers who have donated these laptops. Thank you very much. The Mail Force campaign aims to help fix the digital divide blighting hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren unable to follow their online lessons. Some of Britains biggest stars including David Beckham, David Walliams, Stephen Fry, Dame Emma Thompson, Naomi Campbell, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Ian McKellen have all backed Mail Force, along with all six living Prime Ministers and all the main teaching unions. Who'll use it first? Our sister - she's the eldest There's a triple thank you for the latest Mail Force laptop delivery yet no question as to who will use the device first. For 12-year-old triplets Sandra, Daniel and Manuel Naduvila, there is a strict pecking order. Asked who would use their new Mail Force computer first, both boys instantly pointed to their sister who confirmed: Yes, me. Manuel said: It is because shes the eldest by two minutes, while Sandra thanked the campaign for helping with their studies. For their mother Jubi, a healthcare worker, the Mail Force delivery is certainly a godsend. But she admits, it is going to be challenging to get the competitive siblings to share nicely. The Year 7 triplets only had one term at Saint George Catholic College in Southampton, Hampshire, before lockdown struck. The family of six also includes 15-year-old Sania who is in Year 10 and studying for her GCSEs and has had the most time on the familys sole laptop. Olivia said working on a phone has been difficult, and added: Thank you... Its lovely that people have actually donated money for me to have this. Amazed by generosity Olivia, 11, has been doing her Year 7 work on a mobile phone. So the Drake family, who also have daughter Georgia, seven, were delighted with their Mail Force delivery. Olivias mother Claire, a social worker, said: Thats amazing that people are giving money... to children that they dont even know. Olivia said working on a phone has been difficult, and added: Thank you... Its lovely that people have actually donated money for me to have this. With his brother Hugo, ten, working on the family laptop while Daniel, five, uses their fathers phone, remote learning has been difficult for the Carvalho family Class will be easier now Using only a mobile phone for his schoolwork, 12-year-old Diogo has been struggling. With his brother Hugo, ten, working on the family laptop while Daniel, five, uses their fathers phone, remote learning has been difficult for the Carvalho family. That is, until Mail Force gave Diogo a Microsoft Surface 2 Go device. He thanked the campaign, saying: It is very hard to write on a phone... I think with a laptop it will be way easier to get on with my work. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 20:38:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Peerzada Arshad Hamid NEW DELHI, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from an explosion inside a fireworks factory in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu has risen to 19 after four more people succumbed to their injuries, said an official in charge of the disaster management office in Virudhunagar on Saturday. As many as 35 people injured in the blast were undergoing treatment at different hospitals. The explosion took place on Friday at Acchankulam village in Virudhunagar district, about 484 km southwest of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. The police arrested one of the contractors of the fireworks factory for culpable homicide and a case against five people has been registered, while the search for the remaining four is underway, a police official said. According to disaster management officials, the blast inside the licensed fireworks factory triggered a massive fire. Local media reported that firecrackers were stored in close to six rooms at the factory and the rooms caught fire one after another leading to multiple blasts and a huge fire. Authorities have rushed firefighters and fire tenders, as well as police and disaster management teams to the spot to carry out rescue work. "It took the rescue personnel over three hours to bring the fire under control and bring out the people trapped inside," the disaster management official said. "The process of carrying postmortem is underway at the district government hospital and a few bodies are yet to be identified as they are charred beyond recognition," an official said. Officials said around 100 people work in the factory but only 50 people were inside it at the time of the explosion. Local reports said more than half of the workers had gone for a lunch break when the blast took place at 1:30 p.m. local time. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief minister of Tamil Nadu have expressed grief over the deaths in the explosion, and announced monetary relief for the victims. Authorities have ordered an investigation into the accident. Reports suggested that friction during mixing of combustible chemicals might have triggered the explosion. Accidental explosions are common in Indian fireworks factories and shops. Enditem BOSTON (AP) The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way Saturday for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan in the escape of former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn. Justice Stephen Breyer denied a bid to put the extradition on hold to give Michael and Peter Taylor time to pursue an appeal in their case challenging the U.S. officials plans to hand them over to Japan. Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his son are accused of helping Ghosn, who led the Japanese automaker for two decades, flee the country last year with Ghosn tucked away in a box on a private jet. The flight went first to Turkey, and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Lawyers for the Taylors argue the men cant legally be extradited and will be treated unfairly in the Japan. Their lawyers told the Supreme Court in a brief filed Friday that the men would face harsh treatment in the Japanese criminal justice system. The issues raised by petitioners merit full and careful consideration, and the stakes are enormous for them. The very least the U.S. courts owe the petitioners is a full chance to litigate these issues, including exercising their appellate rights, before they are consigned to the fate that awaits them at the hands of the Japanese government, their attorneys wrote. U.S. authorities had said they would not hand the men over to Japan while their bid for a stay was pending before Breyer, an attorney for the Taylors said. Michael Taylor said in an interview with The Associated Press that he feels betrayed that the U.S. would try to turn him over to Japan after his service to the country. Taylor refused to discuss the details of the case because of the possibility that he could be tried in Japan, but he insisted his son had no involvement. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston refused Thursday to put the extradition on hold, finding that the Taylors are unlikely to succeed on the merits of their case. The Taylors have been locked up at a suburban Boston jail since their arrest last May. Ghosn was out on bail at the of his escape and awaiting trial on allegations that he underreported his income and committed a breach of trust by diverting Nissan money for his personal gain. Ghosn said he fled because he could not expect a fair trial, was subjected to unfair conditions in detention and was barred from meeting his wife under his bail conditions. Ghosn has denied any wrongdoing. The University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Durham, New Hampshire. Denis Tangney Jr./Getty Images A white male university professor has quit after posing as a female immigrant of color on Twitter to make sexist and racist comments. The assistant chemistry professor at the University of New Hampshire, who the Daily Beast has identified, used the now-deleted account 'The Science Femme, Woman in STEM' and the Twitter handle @piney_the, according to the Portsmouth Herald. The account, taken down on September 29, was routinely sexist, racist, and transphobic. He was also accused of attacking mostly women of color who disagreed with him and encouraging his followers to do the same, the Associated Press reported. In one tweet on his account with 13,000 followers, he wrote: "Here it is: I was successful in killing my dept's woke statement on recent social unrest. This took several weeks and may have permanently burned some bridges, but I think it's important. It is a toxic ideology that cannot be given an inch." In that same thread, he concluded: "I was successful in removing all woke terminology from the statement including anti-racism, white supremacy, white privilege, and claims of systemic racism." Read More: Black Comedy Central employees felt tokenized and used as a 'taste tester for racism' by the network, while it showcased diversity on TV He has also been accused of cyberstalking and harassing former California Congresswoman Katie Hill, who resigned in 2019 after nude photos of her were leaked, the Portsmouth Herald added. The University of New Hampshire's investigation into the account was first announced last September after information was shared on Reddit and Twitter by an anonymous source within the chemistry department, the college newspaper, The New Hampshire noted. Story continues In a statement seen by The New Hampshire, University President James Dean Jr. said: "UNH remains committed to the fundamental principles of diversity, inclusion and equity as well as the right to free speech. "Our mission requires open and honest debate on difficult issues, and we will continue to create opportunities for dialogue as we move forward from this difficult situation." Read the original article on Insider Chennai based Garuda Aerospace has deployed drones to help National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)'s relief and rescue operations at the Chamoli glacier burst site in Uttarakhand. Chief Operating Officer Sam Kumar told ANI that Garuda Aerospace has sent four types of drones - video surveillance drone, stringing drone to transport electric cables, emergency supply drone and tunnel inspection drone at the glacier burst site. "Where the choppers will not be able to fly, we will fly the drones in those areas and deliver food packets and medicines to affected people. The tunnel drone will inspect the tunnel to check if there are people stuck in the tunnel," he said. Kumar said that he is very proud of the fact that NDRF has chosen Garuda to assist their work in calamities. "Earlier, we sent our drones for sanitation during COVID-19. We sent drones for locust control operations in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh," he said. Meanwhile, the death toll in the Uttarakhand glacier burst incident reached 38 on Friday. According to police, 166 people are still missing following the incident. A glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand on Sunday, which led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. (ANI) Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Melania Trump has officially opened her post-White House office, three weeks after leaving Washington, DC. The former First Lady made the announcement on Twitter Friday, but did not disclose what projects she will be working on under the new initiative. 'Mrs. Melania Trump is announcing the opening of The Office of Melania Trump. Please follow this account for news and updates,' a post from the new Twitter account @OfficeOfMelania read. According to CNN, Trump has hired three members of her White House staff to help her with the set-up of the office. One source told the publication that she 'hopes to resurrect her Be Best campaign' to help children deal with online bullying. Melania Trump has officially opened her post-White House office, three weeks after leaving Washington, DC. She is pictured in Florida late last year The former First Lady made the announcement on Twitter Friday, but did not disclose what projects she will be working on under the new initiative Meanwhile, the former First Lady is said to be enjoying a leisurely pace of life since she relocated to Mar-a-Lago last month. Several sources told CNN that Trump is spending much of her time at day spas. 'She goes to the spa, has lunch, goes to the spa (again) and has dinner with Donald on the patio,' one person who is familiar with the former First Lady told the network. Another source stated: 'It is not unusual for Trump to spend several hours a day there [at the spa], enjoying the benefits at her disposal, often going twice in a 24-hour period, for massages, nail care, facial treatments or other items on the menu.' The sources both say 'the former first lady has mentally all but left Washington behind, unlike her husband'. Melania Trump is reportedly jealous of the attention new First Lady Jill Biden is receiving after moving into the White House Melania is also reportedly jealous of the attention new First Lady Jill Biden is receiving, with sources saying she is 'lamenting the media focus on her successor'. Biden featured alongside her husband on the cover of People this week, and has given an interview with Parents magazine. She has also been the subject of several glowing profiles, and has already given more than half a dozen speaking engagements. On Sunday, First Lady Biden additionally appeared with the new President in a televised message which aired just before the Super Bowl. It is a contrast to Trump, who largely preferred to stay out of the spotlight and often shirked public appearances with her husband. But according to CNN's sources, Trump sees the positive coverage of Jill Biden as proof of media bias, despite the fact she shied away from being featured in the when she became First Lady in January 2017. 'Melania intentionally didn't do press as a defense mechanism,'Trump's former friend Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff told CNN. 'Donald was more upset about Melania not getting magazine covers than Melania was.' Biden featured alongside her husband on the cover of People this week, and has given an interview with Parents magazine On Sunday, First Lady Biden additionally appeared with the new President in a televised message which aired just before the Super Bowl It appears First Lady Jill Biden won't be stepping out of the spotlight anytime soon. On Friday, she appeared alongside President Biden to erect heart-shaped signs outside the White House to celebrate Valentine's Day The 69-year-old palled around with the press pack alongside her husband and their rescue dog as she posed by the signs However, 'the former first lady is not blaming herself in hindsight, she's blaming others - former staff members, magazine editors, and corporations and foundations that opted not to work with her'. 'That seems unfair, but typical to blame everyone else,' one source told CNN. 'Everyone knows Melania Trump does what she wants when she wants, and not one staffer on her team could have done anything to change that.' Meanwhile,it appears First Lady Jill Biden won't be stepping out of the spotlight anytime soon. On Friday, she appeared alongside President Biden to erect heart-shaped signs outside the White House to celebrate Valentine's Day. According to a media release from her office, Valentine Day has always been one of Jill Biden's favourite holidays. The 69-year-old palled around with the press pack alongside her husband and their rescue dog as she posed by the signs. They featured words such as 'kindness', 'healing', 'courage' and 'compassion'. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Melania Trump has been bitter and chilly towards her husband, Donald Trump, since leaving the White House and has spent most of her time relaxing in Mar-A- Lagos spa, CNN has reported. Ms Trump, who appeared cheerful when leaving Washington behind on Inauguration Day last month, is apparently making the most of civilian life and has left much of the politics of the presidency behind. "She goes to the spa, has lunch, goes to the spa (again) and has dinner with Donald on the patio," a person familiar with her schedule told CNN. "Rinse and repeat. Every day." "She almost always does dinner," another source who has seen Ms Trump outside the spa said, adding that she is sometimes joined by her parents and often chooses fish for an entree. However, despite the opportunity for relaxation, the former first lady is reportedly bitter and chilly at times with her husband over the impact on her image of their contentious departure from Washington. "She could see how it was going to go for her," one former White House official reportedly told CNN while discussing her delayed reaction following the 6 January attack on the Capitol. The former first lady waited five days before speaking out in condemnation of the violence at the Capitol and used her statement to defend herself against salacious gossip and unwarranted personal attacks. "Once (the insurrection) happened, she knew there was nothing to gain for her by speaking out or doing something so she didnt do anything," the former White House official told CNN. The Independent has contacted the Trump organisation for comment. After a relatively private and at times controversial term as first lady, Ms Trump left DC with one of the worst approval ratings for any modern first lady, according to polling conducted by SSRS for CNN. Ms Trump never did an interview with a national outlet as first lady, choosing not to do press as a defense mechanism, former aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who wrote a tell-all book about Ms Trump, told the outlet. She had reportedly planned on attending Joe Bidens Inauguration and only found out that she would not be after a post on her husbands Twitter indicated otherwise, the report claims. Both Ms Trump and Mr Trump left Washington early on Inauguration Day, and once Ms Trump touched down in Florida photographs and videos appeared to show her reluctant to engage with the press. And despite her husbands ongoing impeachment trial, Ms Trumps day to day schedule is said to have returned largely back to life before Washington. "Its pretty much the same as it was before (she was first lady) or even when she would come down during vacations," a source familiar with Ms Trumps schedule told CNN. On Friday, Ms Trump launched a new office of the former first lady, which will reportedly aim to maintain her "Be Best" campaign against online child cyberbullying from her time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The office of the former first lady is still working out of Mar-A-Lago, the former presidents private club, but theyre looking for separate office space in Palm Beach, Florida, according to CNN. This article has been updated First, it was little more than a tickly cough and scratchy throat. Then there was a mild, nagging headache that came and went. In normal times, Adrian Simpson, 38, wouldnt have thought much of it. But when the cough persisted for a day or so, he went online and booked a Covid test. I wasnt worried. It was more out of curiosity than anything else, explains the primary school teacher who lives in Chiswick, West London, with his partner. When the result came back positive, Adrian admits he was pretty shocked. He was also confused. It was late January, and hed been no further than the local supermarket in weeks and even then, late in the evening when it was quiet. Hed taken to breaking up the day by running a few laps of the park down the road which was, he admits, like Piccadilly Circus at times. And thered been a couple of chilly outdoor meet-ups with a friend, but that had been weeks before. Adrian recovered in a matter of days his partner tested negative and he has now finished isolating. But hes been left with the nagging question thats no doubt baffled many of the four million Britons whove tested positive for the virus: just where did I catch Covid? Perfect transmission point: Shops can be a place where the virus lingers but youre more likely to catch Covid at the checkout than by touching food A member of staff pictured enforcing social distancing rules in a queue outside a Waitrose supermarket in Frimley, south west of London in March last year Even with the country having been in near-total lockdown since January 6, roughly 15,000 people a day tested positive for Covid last week. The week before, it was 20,000 every single day. Could it be, as Adrian suspected, many are getting it at the supermarket, or in the park? Its now well recognised that bars, restaurants and gyms indoor spaces where strict social distancing isnt always possible are ideal environments for the virus to transmit between people. But have the few places left for us to go during lockdown now become hubs for infection? Even a year into the pandemic, finding a clear answer isnt as straightforward as you might think. When a person tests positive, Test and Trace questions them about places theyve been over the past week. Public Health England collates this information, and then publishes it. In the latest report, for the week up to February 11, 53 per cent of people who tested positive reported having visited a supermarket either to work or shop, oddly, they make no distinction. But, while this shows where a person has been, it doesnt tell us when or where transmission occurred. A man walks past a 'please wear a face covering' sign while shopping in Sainsbury's on January 12 this year in Newcastle-under-Lyme An Asda supermarket on Old Kent Road in London pictured packing with people shopping in December last year - when the capital city was under Tier 4 restrictions Public Health England admits: It is very hard to find out where people catch it [Covid]. The body also reports where outbreaks of infection (defined by two or more linked cases) are occurring. Care homes and workplaces top the current list and Public Health England confirmed those workplaces may include supermarkets, but how many or what proportion isnt made public. Outbreaks at supermarkets involving members of the public do not feature. According to its latest surveillance reports, about one in 64 Britons or 1.57 per cent of the population have Covid. COVID FACT US health chiefs say people who have been vaccinated for Covid no longer need to self-isolate after being exposed to someone infected with the virus. Advertisement The prime location for transmission, according to all studies, is within the home, or at work. Key workers, in particular those living in poorer, urban neighbourhoods; ethnic minorities; and people in large households are more likely to have it. And 60 per cent are totally asymptomatic, according to Imperial College London research. Leicester Royal Infirmary virologist Dr Julian Tang believes that supermarkets are an obvious place for infection. Theyre the epicentre of a community and people from all over town will be there on a pretty regular basis, says Dr Tang. Social distancing can be difficult in supermarkets, and many have poor ventilation systems, meaning the virus can linger in the air. He believes he caught Covid last May at a supermarket. My wife and I hadnt been anywhere in months where wed come into contact with people. And then, after a trip to the supermarket, I got ill and later tested positive. Its hard to know for sure, but standing next to someone at the checkout, even socially distanced and masked, can be a risk as Covid can pass through the sides of a mask. Checkout workers may also be a risk because they come into contact with so many people throughout their shift. Those screens they have in front of them dont offer much protection. Doubtless, there will be cases where members of the public pick up Covid from someone working at a supermarket. But its staff who are the most at risk, not shoppers. Care homes and workplaces top the current list for where outbreaks of infection are occurring and PHE confirmed those workplaces may include supermarkets (file photo) A shopper wearing a face mask is seen passing a cutout of a police officer in the window of a Morrisons store in south London in January this year Recent research suggests that supermarket staff with customer-facing roles are five times more likely to test positive for the virus than their back-office colleagues. In the American study, published in October in the British Medical Journal, experts also found three in five of those who did test positive were asymptomatic. This, the authors suggested, meant that workers could be a reservoir for infection. This WORKS Steri-Wipe disinfectant wipes Rid your phone of bacterial and viral particles with these wipes that release disinfectant slowly, keeping germs at bay for up to a week. 4.49, liquid nanoshop.com Advertisement At present, face masks are compulsory in supermarkets unless youre medically exempt, which will provide protection. But could you catch it from touching items on shelves? The World Health Organisation states: There is no evidence that Covid-19 can be spread through contact with food or food packaging. Covid-19 is generally thought to be spread from person to person. Our own public health guidelines echo this. But last month the Prime Minister warned that the coronavirus could be spread through handled goods. Boris Johnson said: This disease can be passed on not just by standing too near to someone in a supermarket queue, but also by handling something touched by an infected person. Washing your hands now is as important as it has ever been. Dr Tang is circumspect: The dangers of catching the virus from surfaces were somewhat overstated at the beginning of the pandemic. Its definitely possible, but its unlikely because the virus particles become inactivated pretty quickly outside the body. Again, wearing a mask is still your best protection here because even if you get the virus on your hands, it still needs to enter your mouth or nose to infect you. Until the vaccine rollout is complete, there is still a significant risk of the infection rate rising and getting out of control again. Dr Tang says: My biggest worry though is that we seem to have stopped limiting the number of people in shops. People wearing face masks are pictured carrying their shopping bags outside an Asda supermarket in April last year in Birmingham The virus is still infectious, so we all need to be wary of crowded spaces for the time being. The advice on parks is more reassuring. It has been hypothesised that joggers in a park, breathing heavily, could emit clouds of the virus, if they were infected. Could this so-called Covid slipstream infect passers-by? The answer is that its unlikely, according to Professor Catherine Noakes, an airborne-infection expert from the University of Leeds, who says someone would need to cough directly into your face while you were breathing in for an infection to happen. But she does say the Covid slipstream is a danger if you are with someone for a long period of time. For example, running right behind a friend for 20 minutes or more. She added: The sad fact is that your greatest risk is from the people you know. Some names have been changed. The study has opened a gateway to research the potent tobacco-specific carcinogens present in airborne particulate matter, and their health implications in inducing lung cancer, but not only, associated with a continuous exposure. About 6 trillion cigarettes were smoked worldwide in 2016. Considering a conservative value, worldwide, Secondhand Smoke (SHS) (from cigarette smoking alone), releases about 22 million kilograms of nicotine and about 135 million kilograms of PM into the atmosphere each year. What is the fate of those particles?The criteria for an ideal marker are that this is expected to behave similarly to the material for which it is a marker (in this case, cigarette SHS PM) under a range of environmental conditions and can be detected at low concentrations.For this purpose, historically, several studies tried to find a marker to show exposure to ambient SHS. Since 1991, the main marker of choice was Nicotine. Later studies have verified that nicotine is found almost exclusively in the gas-phase and would underestimate the exposure to the particle-phase of SHS; ages differently from other substances thus explaining the poor correlation with other SHS components; it has high adsorption rate to surfaces and easily desorbs from surfaces in the absence of active smoking. This meant that Nicotine was neither adequate nor suitable as a marker to SHS in PM. Over the last 3 decades, 16 different markers were tried and tested but all failed in one way or another to satisfy the necessary marker characteristics.nicotelleIn 2013, at the Division of Cardiology, Clinical Pharmacology Program, Department of Medicine, UCSF, Nicotelline, a tripyridine alkaloid found in tobacco leaves and tobacco smoke, having a low volatility, led to hypothesize that it would be found mainly in the PM of SHS and should therefore be a useful tracer for tobacco smoke PM. It was thought that Nicotelline would be expected to be more stable in the environment than previously tested tracers for SHS. The 2013 study led by Dr Jacob III, was limited to a chamber, highly controlled environment, dealing with very few short-time airborne samples and deposited dust samples. Those findings were not sufficient to verify the requested marker characteristics.In 2016, Dr Aquilina, one of the few European Affiliate Researchers of the Thirdhand Smoke (THS) Research Consortium, was invited by UCSF to:Coordinate a comprehensive air sampling campaign in several countries with different climates, to show the ubiquitous presence of Nicotelline in airborne samples. Samples were collected in six cities in California including San Francisco; USA, Birmingham; UK, three sites in Hong Kong; PR China and Msida; Malta;Develop an analytical method to extract Nicotine, Nicotelline and other tobacco-related compounds from airborne sample;Validate the extraction method against a standard reference material and show that Nicotelline can be detected reliably at very low concentrations;Carry out tests to verify the atmospheric stability of Nicotelline in relation to Nicotine in PM.The samples for the test to show the most important and necessary property for a marker, atmospheric stability, and hence confirm its suitability as a marker, have been collected on the University of Malta, Msida campus in 2018 using the Mobile Air Quality Laboratory equipment operated by the Faculty of Science.A suite of real-time monitors were used in conjunction with localised meteorological data to verify the atmospheric conditions which could influence the stability of Nicotelline on filters during sampling.The study has shown that:Nicotelline can be considered as a suitable marker for tobacco-smoke driven particulate matter in SHS;The marker shows a ubiquitous presence even at low concentrations and geographical variability linked to population density and tobacco use prevalence;The mean load of tobacco smoke particulate in airborne particulate matter is 0.06 %.In 2010, about 1 % of the global mortality was attributed to SHS exposure. Lower respiratory infections in children younger than 5 years, ischaemic heart disease in adults, and asthma in adults and children indicate there is no risk-free level of exposure to SHS.Given the abovementioned health implications, what does this study add to the scientific community?Although airborne PM is generally loaded with several pollutants that can be mutagenic, genotoxic and carcinogenic due to different sources, now it is confirmed that a small load of PM comes exclusively from tobacco smoke, hence air is also contaminated with tobacco smoke.Although the load appears to be too low to be of an immediate hazard, this marker has set a new standard on the possible chronic exposure to SHS/THS through inhalation of PM even in non-smoking environments.These are THS components which are the frontier of science associated with tobacco smoke and its health effects.There is the need to look into additional exposure pathways, including dermal uptake, hand-to-mouth transfer and by inhalation of secondary particles that form after re-emission from surfaces. This is where a suitable particle-phase marker will be used, to distinguish the contribution of past indoor smoking from what is an unavoidable contamination originating outdoors.Source: Eurekalert Death Saved My Life (8 p.m., Lifetime) - In this new movie, a woman with a successful career, a respected husband and a young daughter leads a far-from-perfect live behind closed doors. Playing Cupid (9 p.m., Hallmark) - In Hallmarks new Valentine Day movie, a girl sets her single father up with her teacher after starting a matchmaking business for a school project. 48 HOURS (10 p.m., CBS) - Erin Moriarity interviews the sister of Michelle Troconis, a woman charged in the 2019 disappearance (and presumed murder) of Connecticut mother of five, Jennifer Dulos, who was in the middle of a nasty divorce and custody battle with her husband, Fotis Dulos. Fortis Dulos was charged with Jennifers murder but died by suicide weeks after his arrest. Michelle Troconis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering and hindering prosecution, but she denies those charges, insisting she has no information about Jennifer Dulos disappearance. The family of Michelle Troconis talk to 48 HOURS about the case. The report also includes interviews with friends of Jennifer Dulos, family members of Fotis Dulos and investigators. Saturday Night Live (11:30 p.m., NBC) - Regina King hosts tonight and Nathaniel Rateliff performs. Some programming descriptions are provided by networks. When the ocean liner SS Morro Castle caught fire off the Jersey Shore on Sept. 8, 1934, leaving hundreds of injured passengers and crew scattered on Monmouth County beaches, the Belmar First Aid Squad responded. When the Hindenburg burst into flames on May 6, 1937, the Belmar squad likewise rushed to the scene at Naval Air Station Lakehurst in Manchester Township. And throughout its 93-year history, the BFAS has performed resuscitation and other emergency medical services to countless victims of injury and illness, and sped many to hospital emergency rooms when minutes or seconds meant the difference between life and death. But no more as of March 31, when the BFAS, founded in 1927 and one of the countrys oldest ambulance squads, will cease operations and begin the process of dissolving itself. Were done, BFAS President Francis Hines said succinctly. We operated at a loss of $160,000 last year. Hines and others blamed the squads demise on a variety of factors that have beset volunteer and paid rescue squads in recent years, including rising costs and increased time demands for certification of EMTs, as well as the difficulty of recruiting new members and keeping those it had trained. Hines said the squad is even a victim of the coronavirus pandemic, which reduced its number of hospital transports by 20% last year, cutting into its main insurance reimbursement revenue source, because people have been reluctant to go to the hospital. Other squads that didnt survive into the new year include Ramtown First Aid in Howell, which ceased operations on Dec. 31 after 44 years, and the Hamilton First Aid & Rescue Squad in Neptune Township, which was absorbed into the Shark River Hills squad effective Jan. 1. We are seeing a lot of squads that area struggling, said Barbara Platt, president of the EMS Council of New Jersey, which represents 250 volunteer and paid rescue squads, as well as those with a mix of volunteers and paid staffers or part-timers. Hourly requirements for EMT certifications have just about doubled in recent years, to about 180, Platt said, making it harder for individuals with day jobs to become certified. Certification as a paramedic, for more advanced medical service, is the equivalent of a 2-year associates degree, Platt said. Belmar had been an all-volunteer organization up until three years ago, when it began having trouble recruiting volunteers. In addition, volunteer status meant the squad could not bill for its services, and instead had to rely on private donations and municipal aid to pay its operating costs, Hines said. The squad made the change to a paid outfit three years ago, hoping to improve financial and staffing issues. But Hines said the jump to the paid ranks entailed about $100,000 in added staffing and billing systems costs, plus another $150,000 for a new ambulance. It had already been trying to catch up when the virus cut into its revenues last year, he said. In a Jan. 4 letter to Belmars mayor and council, Kenneth Pringle, a lawyer for the squad and a former borough mayor, told officials the squad had voted unanimously to dissolve during meetings on Dec. 20 and Jan. 3, and that the squad had already ceased accepting donations. In its IRS financial disclosure form filed by the squad as a non-profit, BFAS lists expenditures totaling $453,188 for 2020, including $256,849 in salary and benefits for what the squad said is 22 part-time paid EMTs and other staff. Thats against $369,907 in revenues, mainly divided between donations and insurance reimbursements, for a year-end deficit of $83,281, which Hines said was covered by the squads savings. In addition to its financial woes, several senior squad members are advancing in age, including Hines, whose father and brothers were members and who, at 67, is ready to retire following 45 years with BFAS as a volunteer EMT and three as the squads paid president. And, Pringle wrote, It has only been their love for our community and their tremendous pride in the 93-year history of the Grand Daddy of First Aid that have kept the Belmar First Aid Squad going this long. Belmar officials are investigating alternatives to the BFAS, including a municipal squad under the Belmar Police Department that would hire much of the existing squads part-time staff, or an outside unit that responds to a request for proposals that the Borough Council authorized drafting last week. I can assure everybody that we will have emergency first aid, or emergency medical services, in this town on April 1, Mayor Mark Walsifer said during the councils Feb. 2 meeting. Walsifer, a retired Belmar Police sergeant, said Borough Business Administrator Edward Kirshenbaum, a fellow Belmar PD veteran, was working diligently on the problem. I know they just want to sell off the property with the buildings, so we might have to take the Belmar First Aid under the umbrella of the Police Department, Walsifer said. But hopefully we can keep the Belmar First Aid in tact. Theyve been there for 93 years and I, for one, would hate to see it go. Theyve done such great work over the years. In addition to serving Belmar, the first aid squad also responds to calls from neighboring Lake Como, where Mayor Kevin Higgins said his borough was also looking into how to replace BFAS, including talks with Belmar and issuing its own request for proposals. We were very happy with the service of Belmar First Aid, said Higgins, a member of the Belmar Water Rescue Team, a volunteer lifesaving group. We had no complaints from our residents about the service they provided. We are very sorry and very sad to see them go. The feeling was mutual, with Hines praising Lake Como for a generous annual payment of $30,000 a year in return for 200-250 responses a year, versus a $33,000 stipend from Belmar, where the squad responded to about 1,000 calls annually. In both cases, Hines said, the squad agreed not to charge individual residents for calls, including for any portion of a bill not covered by their insurance company for ambulance service, with the basic fee at $850 per call, though insurers typically covered about half that. Hines acknowledged that his squad saved about $25,000 a year on its members health insurance premiums thanks to Belmars allowing the BFAS to enroll members in the boroughs joint insurance fund. Naomi Reissner, a trustee and past president of the Belmar Historical Society, said the first aid squads founding nearly a century ago was rooted in an individuals compassion. It started with a young boy who witnessed somebody getting hurt, and there was nobody who could help him, and his father, who was a person of considerable wealth, donated money so they could get it started, said Reissner, who has lived in Belmar full-time for 20 years but began spending summers there as a newborn with her parents and grandparents 77 years ago. As a local historian, Reissner was disappointed that the squads 1938 ambulance was headed for the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborne, Michigan. But as a lifetime denizen of the borough, she was saddened by the loss of such a constant in the life and life-saving of Belmar. Its just a comforting thing because you knew the people responding, Reissber said. Theyre courteous, theyre trained. Theyll stop by and say, Hey hows your father doing? Its just central to the town. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com The late Marvel creator Stan Lee and his only daughter had such a volatile relationship that he called her the dumbest white woman Ive ever known and she rang her parents 50 times a day demanding money, a new biography reveals. Lee also said that his daughter, Joan Celia, 70, suffered from schizophrenia and paranoia. It is also alleged that JC physically assaulted her parents after they gifted her a leased Jaguar for her birthday instead of buying it outright. Ive had it, you ungrateful b****! Lee is reported to have yelled at JC after the 2014 incident, which was recounted in the biography True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee. Lee is heard in one tape saying that JC always makes me wanna kill myself. In another excerpt, he is reported to have told his daughter: I think youre the dumbest white woman Ive ever known! Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee (right) had a volatile relationship with his daughter, Joan Celia Lee (left), because of her alleged free-spending ways, according to a new biography. Lee and his daughter are seen above in Hollywood, California in October 2016 In 2018, Lee, whose net worth was estimated between $50million and $70million, died just six weeks shy of his 96th birthday. According to a new book, he was forced to work when he was frail and old in the latter years of his life because of his daughter's profligate spending, saying: 'I need the money' To which JC is reported to have replied: F*** you, Stan! Another tape captures Lee responding to a request to come to the phone so that JC can tell him that she loves him. F***, she doesnt know what love is, Lee responds. I dont need to be upset every f****g time she calls. The book, published by Crown, is due for release on Tuesday. An excerpt of the book, which was written by journalist Abraham Riesman, was printed on Saturday by the New York Post. His wife, Joan B. Lee, passed away in 2017 after suffering complications from a stroke. Joan gave birth to JC in April 1950, when Lee was working at Marvel Comics offices in Midtown Manhattan. The family is seen above in this undated file photo DailyMail.com has sought comment from JC. Lee, the creator of the popular Marvel Comics franchise that includes beloved superheroes like Spider Man, Black Panther, Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and the X-Men, died in 2018. He was just six weeks shy of his 96th birthday. Lee didn't leave behind many other family members at the time of his death. The tapes were leaked to Abraham Riesman, the author of an upcoming biography called True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee His wife, Joan B. Lee, passed away in 2017 after suffering complications from a stroke. Lees only other daughter, Jan Lee, died in 1953 three days after birth. Joan gave birth to JC in April 1950, when Lee was working at Marvel Comics offices in Midtown Manhattan. Eventually, he rose up to become interim editor at the age of 19 and then took it over after returning from his military service during World War Two. The book describes JCs difficulty in finding direction in life. She dropped out of drama school and only lasted two semesters at The School of Visual Arts. She also wore out her welcome while working as a receptionist at Marvel. In her adult life, she was known to throw marijuana-filled parties after the family moved out to California. As her father became wealthier, her spending grew more out of control. Tapes that were secretly recorded by Lees former manager, apparently without the knowledge of Lee himself, shed new light on just how fraught his relationship was with JC. The former manager, Keya Morgan, 44, was arrested in 2019 and charged with elder abuse for his treatment of Lee. He was also charged in Los Angeles with other felonies including embezzlement, forgery, and theft. In one excerpt, JC is reported to be furious at her parents because they gifted her a leased Jaguar for her birthday instead of a Jaguar that was bought outright. JC and Stan are seen above in November 2014 Toward the end of Lees life, Morgan was accused by JC of mishandling more than $5million of her fathers money. Lees lawyers also alleged that Morgan exploited his close relationship with the Marvel creator in order to embezzle artwork, cash, and other assets. Morgan has strenuously denied the allegations, calling it a witch hunt launched by JC because she cannot stand the fact Stan likes me so much. Morgan told DailyMail.com that he has had 'six fake charges dismissed so far that the daughter induced, not Stan.' He said: 'I loved Stan, and he was my partner for many years. I never had a single argument with him. 'JC was severely abusing us every single day. And I have the proof. I have tapes that will blow everyone away.' Morgan added: 'I was never his manager, I was his close friend, co-creator and partner. 'There have been 1 million lies written about me in the media that were interjected by his daughters publicist.' Morgan also states that he made the recordings with Stan's full knowledge and blessing. He also says that JC even approved of the tapings. 'All recordings were made with Stans permission and in fact he ordered me to record them,' Morgan told DailyMail.com. 'I even have Stan on tape giving permission multiple times. And the permission of his lawyer Rob Reynolds, and I have even have permission from his own abusive daughter to record.' Morgan added: 'Stan asked me to place 22 cameras and mics in the house and everyone knew that.' Lee is heard in the tapes complaining about his daughters free-spending ways. He is reported to have said that JCs profligate spending forced him to continue to appear in person at comic book shows in the latter stages of his life, when he was old, frail, and weak. Lee did so even though his net worth was estimated at between $50million to $70million. When his brother asked him why he does it, Lee is reported to have said: I need the money. The tapes were reportedly recorded by Keya Morgan, Lee's former manager who was arrested and charged with elderly abuse and stealing from the Marvel creator. Morgan has denied the allegations My wife spends a lot, and my daughters even worse. Tape recordings reveal heated conversations between Lee and JC, including one in which she scolds him by saying: What have you done for your daughter? In another conversation, JC is heard yelling at her dad: You stopped my credit cards! The book quotes one source who claims that JC would call up her parents up to 50 times a day and scream at them for not giving her enough money or opportunities. JC defended herself, telling Riesman: Lets just say I bought a pair of shoes or I bought thirty pairs of shoes. Is it anybodys business? DailyMail.com has sought comment from Morgan. The tensions within the family are a constant theme of the book. In one home movie filmed in the 1980s, JC is seen saying: There is no yelling [between my parents]. But when I come into the picture? When I come into the picture . . . A Lee associate told Riesman that JC was the worry of [Stan and Joans] lives. Morgan reportedly provided Riesman with a video in which Lee is seen talking to a doctor about his daughters mental health. Shes schizophrenic; shes got paranoia, Lee says of his daughter. I have tried, for many, many years, starting when we lived in New York, to get her help, and never could find any. And every year, every day, she just grows worse and worse and worse. Tesla Inc will set up an electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka, said chief minister BS Yediyurappa in a statement. The statement was a part of release listing benefits for the southern state under the Union Budget 2021. "American firm Tesla will open its electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka," Yediyurappa said in a statement in Kannada. In January, billionaire Elon Musk's company set up a subsidiary named Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt. Ltd in Bengaluru. It registered office at Lavelle Road, a business district in Bengaluru, with a paid-up capital of 1 lakh and an authorized capital of 15 lakh, a Registrar of Companies (RoC) filing showed. The filing mentioned the Indian unit has three directors including David Feinstein, who is currently a senior executive at Tesla, according to his LinkedIn profile. Elon Musk, founder and chief executive officer of the Cupertino-based Tesla, said earlier US electric carmaker will make a foray into India in 2021.Next year for sure," Musk said on Twitter in reply to a post with a photograph of a T-shirt with the message: India wants Tesla" in October 2020. Thanks for waiting," Musk said. The move comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting the production and use of electric vehicles to reduce the countrys oil dependence and cut down on pollution. The state had earlier said Tesla would open a research and development (R&D) centre in Bengaluru, according to reports. We have been interacting with Tesla for the last few months and it is happy news that they have decided to incorporate their company here. We have impressed upon them that Bengaluru is not only the technology capital but also the aerospace and space capital. For any kind of technology collaboration, it has the right kind of talent pool," Gaurav Gupta, principal secretary, commerce & industries of Karnataka earlier told Mint. Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said in December that Tesla will begin its operations in India early this year with sales, and later venture into assembly and manufacturing of electric cars. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. City officials have selected a Hatfield nonprofit affiliated with a church that once sued the city on behalf of impoverished residents to create Philadelphias first-ever tiny-house village for the homeless, The Inquirer has learned. The agency, Sanctuary Village, will build the site on city-owned property at 7979 State Rd., the campus of Riverview Personal Care Home in Northeast Philadelphia, according to Liz Hersh, director of the citys Office of Homeless Services. No city money will go into the construction, the cost and timeline of which are still undetermined, she added. As part of the agreement that closed the sprawling, controversial homeless encampment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in October, the city committed to establishing two tiny-house villages to accommodate unhoused Philadelphians. The other site, at 4917 Aspen St. in West Philadelphia, has yet to be awarded to an agency to operate. The Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia, a nonprofit that works with college students to provide shelter for homeless people, has applied to the city to develop that site. Hersh said that Sanctuary Village is affiliated with the Welcome Church, a religious organization without walls that serves people experiencing homelessness in Center City. As a way to protect residents from COVID-19, the tiny-house village in the Northeast will serve as temporary housing for homeless people over 65 or those with underlying conditions. There are currently no provisions to give preference to anyone who lived in the encampment, city officials said. Initially, Hersh didnt think a tiny-house village could work. I had to be convinced, she said. Rowhouses are Philadelphias original tiny houses, and we have lots. What convinced me was going to Seattle and seeing how tiny-house villages work so well. Cathy Farrell, founder and board president of Sanctuary Village, said the Seattle tiny-house villages are the template for the Philadelphia site. Farrell serves as director of medical affairs at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of Johnson & Johnson in Horsham. City documents show the State Road site is expected to comprise 12 to 24 single-room units that are 120 square feet each. While theyll be heated and have electricity, they wont have water or bathrooms. A central kitchen, as well as a building with bathrooms, showers, and laundry, will be constructed. Services to help the homeless also will be available, some of them at the Riverview Personal Care Home. Such homes have been described as residences that provide shelter, meals, supervision, and assistance with personal care tasks, typically for older people, or people with physical, behavioral health, or cognitive disabilities who are unable to care for themselves but do not need nursing home or medical care. Some of the costs of running it are expected to be covered by Philadelphias share of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, Hersh said. A city spokesperson added that the city has pledged up to $500,000 in CARES money for the project. Farrell, whose nonprofit was created to build tiny-house villages for the homeless, said that planning has been a real hard slog. But, she said, the idea just spoke to me. I thought to myself, You have to do this. Contributing to the development of the Northeast Philadelphia site is Violet Cucciniello Little, pastor of the Welcome Church, which is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The church conducts Sunday worship, mostly for homeless congregants, at Aviator Park across from the Franklin Institute. In 2013, the church, with other organizations, sued the City of Philadelphia for banning them from feeding the homeless along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Little said. So, weve kind of developed a close association with the city, she said, smiling. The one thing we all agreed on was that the enemy was not the city but poverty and racism and homelessness. The city lifted its outdoor meal ban in 2016. Little said that she, Farrell, and others were dreaming about a tiny-house solution for homelessness since 2017. Cathy came to me with all this enthusiasm, Little said. And, God bless her, she never gave up. I give her a lot of credit. Shes been the driving force. In December, city officials had been contemplating a different site for the village, nearby at 8201 State Rd. at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center, records show. The new site was determined to be a better fit, officials said. As for the West Philadelphia site, the city has yet to determine who will run it. That site will host permanent housing for 24 people. It will consist of 12 two-bedroom tiny homes, each under 400 square feet, all outfitted with utilities, bathrooms, and kitchens, people familiar with the plans said. It is expected to cost $1.2 million to develop, those same people said. As with the Northeast site, no city money will be used for construction. During the summer, the encampment, which appeared in June on the Parkway at 21st Street, was organized both to protest homelessness and support issues related to the Black Lives Matter movement. At its peak, it was home to about 200 people. Along with the tiny-house villages, as part of the agreement with organizers of the encampment, the city said it would provide 25 vacant houses in various neighborhoods for people experiencing homelessness. The Philadelphia Housing Authority pledged another 25. Home > 2021 > Myanmar: A turbulent Democracy | Priyanka Mallick by Priyanka Mallick * Myanmar is again under military rule. After a gap of almost one decade, Myanmar is directly under military control. The State Counsellor of Myanmar and the leader of National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi are detained in the early hours of February 1, 2021, along with other politicians. Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief, took control over the country for one year and declared a state of emergency. In November 2020 General Election, Aung San Suu Kyi party NLD won more than two-third seats. However, the election result was not supported by the main opposition party Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). This party was founded in 2010 and heavily supported by the militarymost of the party members either directly or indirectly linked with the military forces. Opposition party and Army claims, fraud in the voter list and several other irregularities. Since that time, there is a tension between military and civilian government. In Myanmar, the role of armed forces is deeply rooted in the countrys historical and political development. Unlike the Ahimsa led the independence movement in India, the Myanmar national movement was carried forward by the group Thirty Comrades later established the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom of League. The members of this group were military trained and took a pro-active role in the independence of Myanmar. The first military dictator of Myanmar Ne Win was also a member of the group. The army of Myanmar officially known as Tatmadaw played a crucial role in the independence struggle of Myanmar under the name of the Burmese Independence Army. In the beginning armed forces also received a lot of support and respect from the people, which faded with time. History of Military Rule in Myanmar In Myanmar, the first military coup happened in 1962 by Ne Win against a democratically elected U Nu government and ruled Myanmar till 1974 by the Revolutionary Council. In 1974, a new Constitution of Socialistic Republic of Union of Burma was adopted in 1974 by Ne Win and transformed the country under one-party rule, Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) headed by Ne Win. It led to a massive economic crisis and series of the demonstration by the pro-democratic group. In 1988, the famous 8888 Uprising forced Ne Win to step down. The pro-democratic group formed a new political party National League for Democracy under Aung San Suu Kyis leadership. However, the movement was crushed, and Myanmar came again under the direct military rule that continued till March 2011. Since 2011 Myanmar has been transformed from military to the democratically elected government. According, Marco Bunte, this transition is similar from a ruler to a guardian. Earlier administration was directly under the control of the army, and now they are the guardian of the civilian elected government. The army never left the control over the administration of Myanmar. It is visible in the new constitution of the Myanmar that was formed under the military government in 2008. Controversial features of the 2008 Constitution The new constitution was formed in Myanmar to give away to the democratic civilian government. Nevertheless, a lot of features of the constitution makes it more undemocratic. Amendment in these principles is very crucial for a genuinely democratic transition in Myanmar. Twenty-five per cent of the Parliament seats (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) is reserved for the military personnel. Important ministries of the house like -Home, Border and Defense must be headed by the military officials. President of Myanmar must not have a family with a foreign citizen. Thus, a particular post of State Counsellor was created for Aung San Suu Kyi as she marries a British citizen. The amendment process is very tough as it requires more than 75 per cent of both the house of Parliament and a referendum also needed in some cases. Now, the main question is how Myanmar again come under direct military control when most countries are on the path of elected civilian government? The one aspect is visible in the political system of the country. Various other factors lead it to a weak democracy. In Myanmar, the civil society group is not strong and highly divided on the numerous domestic issues. Myanmar has multiple ethnic groups, and since the time of independence, some of the ethnic groups are under armed conflict with the government. The most important ethnic group Burman constitute the 60 per cent of the population and mainly lives in the central part of the country. However, the other ethnic groups like Shan, Karen, Kachin, Chin, Rohingyas etc. are living in the periphery of the country. These ethnic minorities feel marginalized and excluded from Burmans mainstream in almost all areas like politics, economics, education, etc. There are numerous cases of human right violence and suppression of civil liberties by government officers and army. Nationalists also fear the disintegration of the country because of the ongoing armed conflict with ethnic groups. The civilian government is also not getting support from all the ethnic groups. Myanmar never achieved democracy in its true sense. The new phase of the military rule further deteriorates the condition of minorities. Military coup is criticized by UN Security Council. In its Press release UNSC condemned it and asked for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other leaders. They expressed continued support of the democratic transition in Myanmar. This new transition is also not good for the India-Myanmar ties. India always supports a peaceful democratic government. Myanmar is the entry point in India Act East Policy. Development and growth of Indias northeast region are also very much influenced with the political development in Myanmar. Kaladana multi-modal project and India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project may also face some setback because of the current transition in Myanmar. Recently, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also expressed her interest to join this trilateral highway project. Only the future can say how far this transition would impact regional cooperation. It is also essential to see whether this military coup has any influence in any other country of the region that already come out to an elected civilian government after a long military rule. References Aung, Myo, (2016), Why the Military Rule Continue in Myanmar? available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307863293_WHY_THE_MILITARY_RULE_CONTINUE_IN_MYANMAR Bunte, Marco (2014), Burmas Transition to Quasi-Military Rule: From Rulers to Guardians? in Armed Forces & Society 40(4), pp.742-762. Chaturvedi, Medha, (2012), Myanmars Ethnic Divide: The Parallel Struggle in Special Report, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. Shakila Devi, Konsam (2014), Myanmar under the Military Rule 1962-1988 in International Research Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 3(10), pp. 46-50. Yhome, K. (2019), Myanmars constitutional reform imbroglio in available at https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/myanmars-constitutional-reform-imbroglio-57868/. Websites and Newspapers: The Irrawaddy, The Hindu, The Diplomat, The Economic Times, BBC news. * (Author: Dr Priyanka Mallick is a PhD holder from School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi. She has numerous publications. Currently working as a Guest Faculty in Bengaluru City University) Portland has long stood in the popular imagination as a liberal utopia full of offbeat, laidback inhabitants. In recent years, however, its national and even international image has been recast in many minds as a lawless town run by marauding left-wing mobs. Arguably no one person has played a larger role in that reputational rewrite than Portland-raised Andy Ngo. A clenched-fist attack and milkshake-drenching of Ngo, 33, at a downtown demonstration in 2019 transformed the former graduate student with a side-hustle of documenting protesters behaving badly. He quickly became a high-profile figure sought after by national conservative media outlets and politicians as a foremost expert on and victim of left-wing extremism. Ngo now commands a Twitter following larger than any news publication in Oregon and is a Fox News regular. He has twice testified before Congress. His personal attorney served as a legal adviser to former President Donald Trumps re-election campaign. Along the way Ngo has faced repeated charges of peddling propaganda that foments far-right violence, inspiring a visceral loathing of him by the left. Hes said that hatred has led to continuous threats against him and his family. The star turn for the self-described independent journalist culminated this month with the publication of a best-selling book that claims to be a definitive inside look at the amorphous movement of anti-fascist activists, commonly known as antifa. More polemic than a work of reported revelations, Unmasked: Inside Antifas Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy was denounced in January by Portland leftists outside the flagship Powells Books. That only fueled its rise as one of the most popular political titles on Amazon before its release. Some of the biggest names in conservative circles, including Tucker Carlson and Dinesh DSouza, have hyped Ngos book as a must-read. This week, it debuted as number three on the New York Times Best Seller list for nonfiction. But the work contains serious omissions, errors and false equivalencies that have alarmed an array of academics and intelligence officials who track extremist movements. Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino, delivered a blunt appraisal of Ngos book after reading it. Its full of claims that are patently false and rife with factual deceptions, Levin said. Ngo declined to respond to specific criticisms of his work, telling The Oregonian/OregonLive to instead review Congressional testimony made by former Acting Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli about Portland protester violence. In his book, Ngo seeks to shift the public focus from acts of horrific and even fatal right-wing violence that flourished during the Trump administration to warn of what he sees as an even greater menace: the ranks of far-left activists whose supposed subversive and effective savagery is facilitated by liberal politicians including Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and a complicit press. Drawing on accounts from Portland and around the country, Ngo portrays antifa as a well-oiled machine of organized, diabolical danger. The groups adherents and enablers, he writes, range from radical anarchists to the Wall of Moms who attended Black Lives Matter demonstrations downtown last year. His view: They orchestrate riots. They terrorize with impunity. They harm and maim. No honest person denies there are indeed violent far-right militants in the United States, as documented by federal law enforcement, but their numbers and influence are grossly exaggerated by biased media, Ngo writes in the opening pages. Antifa receive a tiny fraction of the news coverage of the far right, and yet I would argue their increasingly violent tactics and ideology pose just as much, if not more, of a threat to the future of American liberal democracy. Though the lefts acts of violence including the fatal shooting of a pro-Trump protester in Portland by a self-professed antifa supporter and widespread property damage are well-documented, national security officials believe theres little evidence of a vast criminal conspiracy among its ideological backers. Rather, those who identify as anti-fascists are a loosely knit band without known leaders, hierarchy and ideological litmus tests of a typical political organization. Thats not to say there isnt a problem, said Elizabeth Neumann, who served as the assistant secretary of counterterrorism and threat prevention at the Department of Homeland Security under Trump. Some anarchists are imposing what may very well feel like terror by members of their community. FACTS DONT ALIGN Ngos 320-page treatise hit the market just months after the FBI foiled a suspected right-wing plot to kidnap the governors of Michigan and Virginia, both Democrats. Five weeks ago, hundreds of Trump supporters, conspiracy theorists and white supremacists stormed the U.S. Capitol to overturn a free and fair presidential election, threatening the lives of lawmakers and attacking dozens of police officers. One of the officers, Brian Sicknick, later died from his injuries. Ngos assessment that antifa poses the most significant risk to the nations safety conflicts with those of federal law enforcement officials and experts who study political extremism. The Homeland Security Department in October said that violent white supremacy was the most persistent and lethal threat in the homeland in an annual assessment that did not mention antifa by name but did warn of anti-government extremism hatched by anarchists. That same month the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington D.C., found those affiliated with right-wing ideologies accounted for two-thirds of all domestic terrorist attacks and plots in the U.S. through the first eight months of 2020. White supremacists, militias, and other related extremists have committed a much higher percentage of domestic terrorist attacks and plots than anti-fascists, anarchists, and others, Seth Jones, the lead author of the report, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. No question about it. That may matter little to those across the nation who have watched dramatic televised scenes of black-clad throngs brawling in the streets of Portland or listened to Trump blame antifa for setting fires, damaging building exteriors and clashing with police during weeks of racial justice demonstrations that erupted nationwide last summer. However, such depictions belie a more muddled hodgepodge behind left-wing protests locally and nationwide. Their participants have included MSNBC liberals who voted for Joe Biden and peaceful social justice activists along with militant radicals, including anarchists and anti-fascists, who largely reject leaders and organized groups. Ngo, speaking to The Oregonian/OregonLive from his current home in London, defended his portrayal of antifa as more accurate than that of the mainstream media, which he said went soft on far-left militants and turned its collective gaze largely to peaceful bystanders caught in the fracas. The framing of the local press, including your paper, depicted mothers and veterans getting gassed by secret police, Ngo said in the telephone interview. What I witnessed were people in an organized manner bringing weapons to injure police and setting fires to government property. And that was cheered on by certain members of the populace. BORN TO REFUGEES WHO FLED LEFTISTS Ngos antipathy for the left is deep-seated, a preoccupation that is as intensely personal as it is political. Hes the son of Vietnamese refugees who were tortured by the countrys communist government and later forced into re-education camps. After a string of harrowing experiences, his parents managed to land in the United States and eventually build a middle-class life in Portland for their son. Ngo earned a degree in graphic design from UCLA during the Great Recession but, unable to find work, moved back into his parents house. Within a few years, he started dabbling in journalism and commentary while pursuing a masters degree in political science at Portland State University. Although Asian American and openly gay, Ngos political leanings did not mesh with his schools and hometowns progressive bent or their promotion of social justice causes. And some of his writing, which began to appear in national publications, attracted controversy. An opinion piece he wrote for the Wall Street Journal in 2018 about his experience visiting Londons Muslim communities was widely panned as Islamophobic. One response, published by Business Insider, called the piece cowardly and race-baiting and said Ngo engaged in a weak attempt to skew facts and promote fear of Muslims. In a New York Post article the following year, Ngo questioned the veracity of reports of hate crimes against gay and transgender people that had spread in Portland. Ngo called the alleged hate crimes hoaxes, a move his critics say put vulnerable people in danger. His inflammatory writing earned him a burgeoning audience online as well as praise from fellow conservative media personalities. Hes always presented a major conundrum for the left and those obsessed with identity politics, said Lars Larson, the longtime conservative talk radio show host in Portland, whos made Ngo a frequent guest. They want to like him because hes gay and a person of color. But hes right of center and it drives them nuts. VIRAL VIDEOS During this time, Ngo also gained notoriety filming the convulsive protests and political clashes unfolding regularly in Portland, with a focus on selectively showing the worst conduct of left-wing demonstrators he broadly characterized as members of antifa. The videos he promoted on Twitter his own as well as those taken by other people depicted these protesters, many of them masked and dressed in black, as they picked fights with political rivals, blocked downtown traffic and hurled invective at police and passersby. Sometimes they smashed up storefronts and cars. Such clips, along with Ngos penchant to insinuate such activity went largely unpunished in Portland, often went viral. Many racked up millions of views online and became fodder for conservative news outlets eager to cast liberal cities as lawless and awash in political violence. They also helped Ngo gain thousands of additional Twitter followers, publish new articles and land on cable television shows. Exhibiting a quiet, gentle demeanor, he often spoke of those who attempted to silence him with threats or brute force and his refusal to back down. I think hes a good guy who is doing good work drawing attention to a real evil thats within our midst, said James Buchal, former chair of the Multnomah County Republicans and a Portland attorney who has represented Ngo. You have an organized gang thats hostile to fundamental American values enshrined in the Constitution and rule of law. Not everyone saw Ngos protest coverage as an accurate accounting of events that were often chaotic, could involve hundreds of people and stretch for hours. Critics, including activists and other journalists, concluded he used highly edited video and selective reporting to exaggerate the actions of some and to minimize those of others. At times, Ngo wasnt even present at the protests whose most explosive moments he played an outsize role in shaping through his social media reach. He also drew outrage from progressives for frequently publishing the names, booking photos and personal information of those arrested at protests in Portland and elsewhere around the country, which subjected some to the very types of harassment Ngo claimed hed faced. ATTACK SEEN ROUND THE WORLD A brewing hostility toward Ngo first came to a boil in May 2019 after authorities say members of local right-wing group Patriot Prayer started a brawl with patrons at Cider Riot, a now-shuttered Northeast Portland pub that had been a popular among anarchists, anti-fascists and other leftists. As he tried to capture the melee on camera, a masked Cider Riot patron pepper-sprayed Ngo in the face, leading Ngo to tell police he was the victim of an assault. Later, leftwing activists learned Ngo had been with the Patriot Prayer members prior to the brawl and walked to the pub with them. The revelation led many to believe Ngo was collaborating with those they deemed to be violent right-wing extremists, an allegation he continues to call baseless and defamatory. He was actively trying to harm the left, said Gregory McKelvey, a longtime progressive activist who has sparred publicly with Ngo over the years. Any illusions he was just a conservative blogger were gone. Less than two months later, on June 29 of that year, Ngo was beaten by a group of masked individuals during a large right-wing rally and counter-protest in downtown Portland. His assailants kicked, punched and threw milkshakes at him, leaving his face caked in white goop. Ngo, who said his attackers also stole his GoPro camera, did not fight back or run. The violent scene, part of it captured on video by an Oregonian/OregonLive reporter, made headlines around the world. The attack left Ngo with a brain injury, memory lapses and lingering trauma, he said. It also catapulted him into the national spotlight and catalyzed his career. A GoFundMe account set up to assist Ngo in the aftermath raised him nearly $200,000 as an outpouring of support and sympathy rolled in from around the country. His assault helped spark calls among prominent Republicans, including Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, to label antifa a domestic terrorist organization, a refrain that resurfaced during summer 2020 as nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd at times led to riots and looting. It also prompted the far-right Proud Boys, several of whom now face federal charges for their suspected participation in the U.S. Capitol siege, to hold a nationwide rally in Portland weeks after Ngo was beaten. For whatever reason, the violence of June 29, 2019, in Portland became one of the watershed moments that brought national attention to antifa violence and the left-wing politicians who enabled it despite many people having been victimized before me, says Ngo in his book. CONNECTIONS AND LIMELIGHT Since the attack, Ngo has appeared on Fox News at least two dozen times to detail the dangers the left poses, according to figures compiled by Media Matters, a liberal watchdog group. Hes been invited twice by Republican lawmakers, including once by Cruz, to testify before Congress. During this time, Ngos personal attorney has been Harmeet Dhillon, a national Republican operative based in California who served as a legal adviser to Trumps re-election campaign. Joe Lowndes, a professor of political science at the University of Oregon, said Ngos emergence as an authority in the eyes of GOP officials, Fox News and outlets like it is no coincidence. Andy is indicative of the increasingly blurry line between far-right media and the Republican Party, which have coalesced around demonizing the left, Lowndes said. Though Ngo stopped attending protests almost entirely after the milkshake episode, hes continued to post and comment on protest footage in Portland and around the country. He now boasts more than 750,000 followers on Twitter, more than any news organization in Oregon, including The Oregonian/OregonLive. His book, which shares the same publisher as titles by Donald Trump Jr. and Newt Gingrich, rarely strays from the territory Ngos staked on Twitter over the last couple of years. Nor does it provide much beyond interpretation and conjecture drawn from previously reported news events. Ngo conducts few original interviews and offers little in the way of documents or records that form the foundation for most mainstream investigative reporting. He steers clear of experts or sources who could complicate the narrative he puts forth. The book gives no indication hes spoken with members of the political movement he purports to unmask. And while Ngo told The Oregonian/OregonLive he covertly attended several dozen protests in Portland over the summer, he provided neither proof nor dates when asked. His book is also riddled with misleading claims and factual inaccuracies. Ngo, for example, says that a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, carried out by 24-year-old Connor Betts in 2019 was inspired by antifa. His proof? Prior to the attack, which left nine people dead, Betts had occasionally voiced support for left-wing causes online. Meanwhile the FBI, whose investigation into the shooting has probed far beyond the killers social media posts, has yet to find a clear motive. The shooting remains under investigation, the bureau said. In another instance, Ngo cited figures alleging Portland protesters had cost downtown businesses more than $23 million during the first few weeks of the citys nightly demonstrations. Those figures, the Oregonian/OregonLive revealed in a widely read article, were tied overwhelmingly to coronavirus closures, not the nightly unrest. TARGETED, HES LEFT THE U.S. Ngo said he has endured a great deal of harm while pursuing the subject of his book. In addition to being physically assaulted on a number of occasions, he said hes received a deluge of death threats and had people in masks show up outside his parents home. Others have posted online photos that show them posing next to graffiti in Portland that reads Kill Andy Ngo. Because of increasing concerns about his personal safety, Ngo said he recently left his hometown for London. He filed at least 10 reports with Portland police about threats made toward him or his family since last June, said Sgt. Kevin Allen, a bureau spokesman. His accounts of his own experience are very moving and powerful, said Neumann, the former Homeland Security official. That should not happen in America. Still, some are disturbed by an apparent conflict of interest that Ngo chose not to disclose. In June, he filed a $900,000 lawsuit in Multnomah County against Rose City Antifa, a largely anonymous group of anti-fascists based in Portland. The suit alleges the group orchestrated a campaign of intimidation and terror against Ngo, including his June 2019 assault. His book never mentions the lawsuit nor the nearly $1 million Ngo stands to reap should he win. Ngo does, however, devote an entire chapter to Rose City Antifa and also discusses some of the people targeted in his civil case. Ngo defended that omission. It is standard protocol to not discuss ongoing litigation other than through counsel, he told The Oregonian/Oregonlive in an email. The way publishing cycles and lawsuits work, any book about an ongoing lawsuit would become dated by the time of publication. Levin, who runs the hate and extremism center in San Bernardino, said concerns with the far left in Portland and other parts of U.S. are not unfounded and that the movement poses a number of political threats. However, he believes Ngo has not provided a balanced or credible forum to explore them. Unfortunately, Levin said, hes doing a disservice to the American public. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. UN urges to investigate escalation of violence in Colombia Malaysia to open mega-centers for vaccination against coronavirus Police find 5 million in cash in London apartment French citizen to face trial in Iran on spaying charges Over 60 children in UK undergo surgery due to TikTok challenge Iranian Central Bank governor dismissed Armenian opposition: The one who liberated Artsakh will not go to debates with the one who sold it Iranian energy ministry: Iraq to allocate $ 125 million of frozen funds for vaccines No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects Armenia ex-PM says at least 2 more secret documents signed but not published yet Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia UK PM gets married in London Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia 2 people die in Armenia road accident Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released 61 quakes recorded in Congo per day Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Hes no stranger to television himself, having appeared on Tens Recipe to Riches and headlined his own program on Foxtels Lifestyle channel: Darren Robertsons Charcoal Kitchen . The British-born Robertson has also been a guest judge on MasterChef . Thats where, along with LaBrooy, he met Allen. Sometimes moons have to align with regards to dates and budgets, but MasterChef has opened doors, and the power of Andy Allen helped, for sure, laughs Robertson. Classically trained chef Darren Robertson doesnt begrudge Andy Allen his shortcut to success via a MasterChef win. He imagines that Allens profile now as a judge on that show was a factor in their restaurant chain, Three Blue Ducks which they run with chef Mark LaBrooy scoring a self-titled series on Network Ten. Over six episodes, the surf-loving trio sources produce and inspiration for new dishes to serve in their six establishments spanning NSW, Victoria and Queensland. I was very skeptical when Andy first joined us, Robertson reveals. I thought: Hes only going to be with us for 10 minutes and then hell go on to bigger and better things. But he was a legit grafter and a really good cook. Within two years of winning MasterChef, he was running the breakfast section [at the Three Blue Ducks flagship cafe in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bronte], which isnt incredibly glamorous. Having done his apprenticeship at a Michelin-starred restaurant outside London, before rising to head chef at Tetsuyas, then risking it all to join the pop-up guerilla dining movement, Robertson has witnessed an enormous shift in the industry. Hes seen a move away from pretty grim, quite irresponsible conditions for kitchen staff, towards a more respectful culture, Tetsuya Wakuda memorably warning that screaming doesnt make the food taste better. And hes been part of the revolution in casual dining. Back then, the thought of a fine-dining chef going to work in a cafe was quite an unusual move. There was snobbery around cafes. Its not like it is now with cafes and bakeries respectable places. I felt like doing something different not just chasing hats and the decision to join a group of mates and have a bit more fun paid off. Throughout the series, the three maintain a jocular rapport, whether catching lobsters in Shoal Bay, or roasting lamb with CWA members in Tullamore. The emphasis is on ethically grown ingredients and getting to know the farmers. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Valentine's day 2021: Countdown to the festival of love has begun as the much-awaited Valentine's Day will be celebrated on Sunday, February 14, across the world by couples of all age groups. The day gets its name from a famous saint, but there are several stories surrounding who he was. The popular belief about St. Valentine is that he was a priest from Rome in the third century AD. History of Valentine's Day Thousands of years ago, Romans used to celebrate the feast of Lupercalia between February 13 and February 15, in which men sacrificed a dog and a goat. The festival, which celebrates the coming of spring, included fertility rites (what does this mean) and pairing women with men by lottery, according to Britannica. Later, at the end of the 5th Century, Pope Gelasius forbade the celebration of Lupercalia and replaced it with St. Valentine's Day. Also read: Tech gifts for your Valentine Who is Saint Valentine? Valentine was a priest who secretly arranged marriages by going against the order of Roman Emperor Claudius II who never allowed men to get married. The Emperor believed that single men were better and more dedicated soldiers, but Saint Valentine did not believe in Claudius II's ideology. One day, when Claudius found out about the secret marriages, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. During the time in jail, Saint Valentine used to take care of his fellow prisoners and also the jailer's blind daughter. Some reports say that Valentine became a good friend of the jailer's daughter and healed her from blindness also. On the execution day, Valentine wrote a letter to the jailer's daughter and signed 'From your Valentine'. Valentine was executed on February 14, 270 AD. It is for this reason that this day is associated with love. Also read: Happy Chocolate Day 2021: Check out Chocolate Day Wishes, Messages, Quotes, Images At the end of the 5th century, Roman Pope Gelasius officially declared the date of February 14 as "St. Valentine's Day." It wasn't until the Middle Ages, though, that the holiday became associated with love and romance. Formal messages, or valentines, appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s, commercially printed cards were being used. The oldest record of a valentine being sent was a poem written by a French medieval duke named Charles to his wife in 1415. Charles penned this sweet note to his lover while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London at just 21 years old. One of the lines in the poem? "I am already sick of love, My very gentle Valentine." Swoon! Additionally, in the 17th century giving flowers became a popular custom on Valentine's day when King Charles II of Sweden learned the "language of flowers"--which pairs different flowers with specific meanings --on a trip to Persia, and subsequently introduced the tradition to Europe. The act of giving flowers then became a popular trend during the Victorian Era--including on Valentine's Day. Also read: Happy Promise Day 2021: Wishes, Messages, WhatsApp and Facebook status, Quotes to share with your partner At present, the day is celebrated differently around the world. Many Latin American countries know the holiday as el dia de los enamorados (day of lovers) or dia del amor y la amistad (day of love and friendship). Though couples exchange flowers and chocolate on this day, the holiday's focus is also directed at showing gratitude to friends. In Japan, it's customary for women to give confections to the men in their lives, with the quality of the chocolate indicating their true feelings. On March 14, exactly a month later, men repay the favour by celebrating the increasingly popular "White Day." Also read: Happy Valentine's week 2021: Check out all special days with date Also read: 'Vaccines are forever': Watch Anand Mahindra's hilarious ad suggestion for Adar Poonawalla Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Supporters of strangling the country always demand What would you have done? if I dare to criticise the Governments wild, unprecedented policy for dealing with Covid. They assume, as backers of crazy policies always do, that there is no alternative to mass house arrest, enormous police powers, Maoist travel bans and the crippling of large parts of the economy. Well, there is an alternative. Sitting in the Government archives is a 70-page document called UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011. Dont be put off by that influenza. The plan could easily be adapted to deal with a coronavirus or any similar threat. Supporters of strangling the country always demand What would you have done? if I dare to criticise the Governments wild, unprecedented policy for dealing with Covid. Trafalgar Square is seen above in lockdown this weekend Agreed by all four governments of the UK, it was revised after the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. It is typical of careful, commonsense UK state planning before the hysteria outbreak of March 23, 2020. But it was ditched in a moment of madness. As the noted Government adviser Neil Ferguson explained, the spectacle of a health crisis in Italy persuaded British authorities to follow the Chinese model instead. He described how Sage, the Governments scientific advisory group, had watched as Chinas despots embarked on an unheard-of form of disease control by shutting down an entire province. They claimed to have flattened the curve. I was sceptical at first. I thought it was a massive cover-up by the Chinese. But as the data accrued, it became clear it was an effective policy. As the noted Government adviser Neil Ferguson explained, the spectacle of a health crisis in Italy persuaded British authorities to follow the Chinese model instead Then, observing the crisis in Italy, Sage asked itself whether such ferocious methods could be applied here. Its a Communist one-party state, we said. We couldnt get away with it in Europe, we thought And then Italy did it. And we realised we could. What he meant by get away with it, I am not quite sure. But the document, which can be found on the internet, to which I provide a link on the Peter Hitchens Blog and on my Twitter feed @ClarkeMicah, has many interesting things to say. It is very concerned with maintaining freedom and keeping society open, listing as objectives: Minimise the potential impact of a pandemic on society and the economy by: Supporting the continuity of essential services, including the supply of medicines and protecting critical national infrastructure as far as possible. Supporting the continuation of everyday activities as far as practicable. Upholding the rule of law and the democratic process. Preparing to cope with the possibility of significant numbers of additional deaths. Promoting a return to normality and the restoration of disrupted services at the earliest opportunity. It stresses Proportionality: the response to a pandemic should be no more and no less than that necessary in relation to the known risks. It relies on centuries of experience and good practice, planning to quarantine the sick rather than the healthy. It recommends simple hygiene. It supports school closures in some circumstances but this is because influenza seriously affects the young and is known to be spread through schools. And it has interesting things to say about masks: Although there is a perception that the wearing of facemasks by the public in the community and household setting may be beneficial, there is in fact very little evidence of widespread benefit from their use in this setting. On the closing of borders and restricting travel, it says: Modelling suggests imposing a 90 per cent restriction on all air travel to the UK at the point a pandemic emerges would only delay the peak of a pandemic wave by one to two weeks. Even a 99.9 per cent travel restriction might delay a pandemic wave by only two months. It has interesting things to say about masks: Although there is a perception that the wearing of facemasks by the public in the community and household setting may be beneficial, there is in fact very little evidence of widespread benefit from their use in this setting' During 2009 it became clear the pandemic virus had already spread widely before international authorities were alerted, suggesting that in any case the point of pandemic emergence had been missed by several weeks. The economic, political and social consequences of border closures would also be very substantial. On the banning of public gatherings, it says: There is very limited evidence that restrictions on mass gatherings will have any significant effect on influenza virus transmission. Large public gatherings or crowded events where people may be in close proximity are an important indicator of normality and may help maintain public morale during a pandemic. It adds: There is also a lack of scientific evidence on the impact of internal travel restrictions on transmission, and attempts to impose such restrictions would have wide-reaching implications for business and welfare. For these reasons, the working presumption will be that Government will not impose any such restrictions. The emphasis will instead be on encouraging all those who have symptoms to follow the advice to stay at home and avoid spreading their illness. These thoughtful plans existed and were over-ridden. Instead we copied the Chinese police state which silences dissent, imprisons ethnic minorities in tyrannical labour camps and has recently insulted us by vaporising the freedoms we left behind in Hong Kong and which it promised to maintain at least until 2047. There was an alternative. There still is. It can hardly be claimed that the repressive panic policy which we have followed has been a great success. Why Winston should be revered Of course, Winston Churchill was not perfect. Of course he did bad and wrong things and made mistakes. Only a fool would pretend otherwise. But his supreme achievement, steadfastly refusing to make a shameful peace with Hitler when so many Tories wished to do so, rises far above all those errors. It is because he stands as a gigantic pillar of Parliament, patriotism and tradition that the enemies of Britain know they must destroy him if they are to abolish this country (as they wish to do). That is why he is now being attacked, as he was at a Cambridge debate last week, and why his statue is vandalised. As long as he is still revered, it will be much harder for this country to be turned into the miserable Peoples Republic which the Blairites hope for. Defend him and his memory. See this film and cherish your liberty After the Soviet authorities had massacred striking workers in the town of Novocherkassk in June 1962, they tried to obliterate all traces of the murders. But the heat of the sun had baked the bloodstains into the surface of the main square and they could not wash them away, so they had to burn away the road surface and relay it. Then they announced that a dance would take place at the scene of the killings and expected the townspeople to attend and dance where their friends and neighbours had been gunned down a few days before. This horrible event is the subject of a brilliant new Russian film, Dear Comrades!, which I greatly recommend. It brutally describes what happens in a society where the state claims to be completely in charge of the welfare of all its citizens the sort of state we are now building here, I might add. If the people do not like what is being done in their name and dare to object, then they have to be punished and frightened into changing their minds. In this case, the people could not be persuaded that pay cuts and price rises were for their own good. And, as the state is always good, any trace of such a revolt must be wiped from the record. The bodies of the murdered were even buried by the KGB in existing graves, in nearby towns and villages, to conceal their very existence. See the film. Remember the dead. And learn that liberty, limited government, the rule of law over power, and free speech are your most precious possessions. If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click here Burma At UNHRC, Russia and China Still Dismiss Myanmars Military Coup as an Internal Affair Protesters gathered in front of Russian embassy in Yangon on Friday (Feb. 12) / The Irrawaddy China and Russia continue to defend Myanmars military, insisting that the armed forces seizure of power from the democratically-elected government is Myanmars internal affair. Meanwhile a majority of United Nations members deplored the militarys actions during a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Friday. Myanmars military (Tatmadaw) seized power from the elected National League for Democracy government hours before a new parliament was set to begin on Feb. 1, saying the ousted government failed to act on its claims of voter list irregularities. The military detained civilian leaders, including the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and others. It also blocked internet service providers, restricted social media and established an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew. Following the coup, the country seen ongoing nationwide protests opposing the military regime. Protesters have been met with a police crackdown, including arrests, shooting and the use of water cannons, injuring dozens. A 20-year-old protester was fatally shot in the head by police on Tuesday in Naypyitaw. In light of the current situation, the UNHRC held its 29th special session on human rights to discuss the implications of the crisis in Myanmar. Myanmar permanent representative at Geneva U Myint Thu defended the coups leaders. But the UNHRC passed a resolution, put forward by the UK and a European Union representatives: [T]the Council deplored the removal of democratically elected government.. and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arbitrarily detained . . . and the lifting of the state of emergency. Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the coup constituted a profound setback for the country after a decade of hard-won gains in its democratic transition. However, Myanmars giant neighbor China distanced itself from the countrys human rights issues, with Chinas representative to UNHRC saying, What happens in Myanmar is essentially Myanmars internal affairs. That stance is consistent with Chinas refusal along with Russia to condemn the military takeover during last weeks meeting of the UN Security Council. Both China and Russia, which have long histories of good relations with the Myanmar military. Both now face Myanmar citizens denouncing them via an online campaign for supporting the military. Myanmar protesters continued the demonstrations in front of both countries embassies this week, urging them not to support the military regime. We want the Chinese government to support our elected government and to stand with the people. We hope China does not support the coup leaders, a protester in front of Chinese embassy in Yangon told The Irrawaddy on Friday. Another protester who took part in an anti-coup demonstration in front of the Russian embassy in Yangon on Friday told The Irrawaddy, We want them to hear our voices, therefore we have been marching to different embassies and the UN Office in Yangon. But Russias representative said that country believes that settling a disagreement between the political forces in Myanmar is a purely domestic affair of the sovereign state. Russia urged the international community not to criticize the military regime, instead providing practical assistance to the new authority of Myanmar to fulfill their obligations, including in the field of human rights. Japan, a close friend of Myanmar, expressed great concerns over the seizures of power by the military on Feb. 1 and the detention of the democratic leaders. A spokesman said the country strongly hopes that the government, democratically elected by the people of Myanmar, will be swiftly reinstated. Japan is also seriously concerned about the rising political tension and strongly urges the military and other security forces to immediately limit the use of force and other violence against the public, the official statement said. Echoing Japan, many western and European countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and South Korea, also strongly urged the Myanmar military to release all those arbitrarily detained, including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and immediately restore the democratic political system. Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said that even if election irregularities did occur, there was no justification for declaring a state of emergency, arresting the civilian leadership, and attempting to destroy Myanmars fledgling democracy. As the people of Myanmar demonstrate their remarkable courage and resolve, let us demonstrate our support of them and the principles and values that they are fighting for, he added. You may also like these stories: Veteran Student Leaders, Rocker, Social Influencers on Myanmar Militarys Arrest Warrant Defying Myanmar Military Regime in Harmony: Gen Z and Other Main Forces Myanmar Military Bans Use of Regime, Junta by Media Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 20:10:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed gratitude to China for its offer of COVID-19 vaccines. HARARE, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed gratitude to China for its offer of COVID-19 vaccines. In an interview with Chinese media on Friday, President Mnangagwa said the donation is a testament to the long-standing relationship between the people of Zimbabwe and China. He said the Zimbabwean government and the ruling party ZANU-PF are extremely grateful to the Chinese government for extending this gesture to the people of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe will receive 200,000 doses of vaccines next Monday that were donated by China, the first vaccines it has received as it steps up efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks during an interview in the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Feb. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang) Mnangagwa said the kind gesture speaks volumes to the cordial relations between the two countries that date back to the 1960s when China provided assistance to Zimbabwe during its fight against colonial rule. "We feel greatly honored, and this speaks volumes to the relationship between us and the people of China," he said. He said the donation will cover all frontline health workers, and the excess will be extended to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. "We've already worked out the program, but most importantly, would like to convey our deep appreciation and gratitude to the people and the government of the People's Republic of China," Mnangagwa said. He expressed confidence that the vaccines will help Zimbabwe counter the pandemic and play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of its people. Zimbabwe has already finalized a vaccine deployment strategy that would see at least 10 million people, about 60 percent of the population being inoculated. The country has so far reported 34,949 confirmed cases of the virus, including 1,382 deaths and 29,620 recoveries. Two U.S. senators have urged President Joe Biden to ensure the implementation of sanctions aimed at stopping the Nord Stream 2 gas-pipeline project from Russia to Germany. Senators Jim Risch (Republican-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat-New Hampshire) urged the State Department in a letter on February 12 not to delay issuing a report to Congress required under sanctions passed last month in the annual defense policy bill. The report, due by February 16, will identify companies involved in constructing, insuring, and verifying Nord Stream 2. The law requires the companies listed in the report to be sanctioned. The letter made reference to "press reports that the German government has put forth an offer that would require the United States to disregard statutorily mandated sanctions." Risch and Shaheen didnt provide details, but reports in German media have said Germany sought to cut a deal with the Trump administration to let the nearly completed pipeline be finished. An environmental and consumer protection group said on February 9 that the German government offered financial support of up to 1 billion euros ($1.21 billion) to invest in facilities for the import of U.S. liquefied natural gas. The Trump administration pushed U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas as an alternative to Russian gas. According to a document published by the Environmental Action Germany (DUH), German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz offered funding in August. In return, Washington was asked to permit the "unhindered construction and operation of Nord Stream 2. 'A Dirty Deal' Sascha Mueller-Kraenner, the DUH executive director, called it a "scandal" and a "dirty deal at the expense of third parties." The German Finance Ministry has not commented on the matter. State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated on February 12 that the United States sees the pipeline project as a "bad deal" for Europe. "It's a bad deal because it divides Europe, it exposes Ukraine, and Central Europe to Russian manipulation. It goes against Europe's own stated energy and security goals," Price said. But he said "sanctions are only one" of many tools, and that the department will work closely with allies and partners to reinforce European energy security and safeguard against "predatory behavior." About 150 kilometers of pipe transiting Danish and German waters of the Baltic Sea must be laid to complete the pipeline controlled by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom. The pipeline is intended to carry 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Russia to Germany, but work was halted in December following the threat of sanctions from Washington. The pipeline would affect Ukraine by depriving it of transit fees from existing pipelines that transverse its territory. With reporting by Reuters and Bloomberg In 1980, when Robert Shafran arrived for his first day of college at Sullivan County Community College in New York, he was confused and overwhelmed by people he had never met warmly greeting him with hugs and high-fives, and, strangest of all, calling him Eddy. The reason behind the odd reception emerged when he met his new roommate Michael Domitz. It turned out that Michaels roommate from the previous year was Eddy Galland, a young man who not only looked exactly like Robert, but walked, talked, and acted like him as well. The two men were exact copies of each other, so after Michael learned that Robert was born on the same day as his old roommate and that, like him, he was adopted, he decided the two of them had to meet. He had the same grin, the same hair, the same expressions it was his double, Domitz says in Tom Wardles new documentary Three Identical Strangers, which won a special jury award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Photo: Three Identical Strangers/YouTube Soon after their meeting each other, Robert and Eddy realized they were brothers separated at birth, both born July 12, 1961, in Long Island, and then adopted by different families. Their story made the local news, which brought about another twist. Shortly after the story came out, David Kellman of Queens made contact with the twins. He also looked, talked, and acted exactly like the two brothers. The long lost twins were in fact long lost triplets. The three boys had a great deal in common, from their taste in food to the brand of cigarettes they smoked. They all clicked instantly. The initial meeting was just complete surrealism, Robert says in the documentary. But then once we got together there was a joy that I had never experienced in my life, and it lasted a really long time. The triplets moved in together and transferred to the same courses at college. This happy reunion wasnt the end of the story, however. The most significant twist was yet to come. After doing some research, the boys soon came to realize that their separation had been deliberate as a sinister social experiment by Peter Neubauer, a psychiatrist in New York. In fact Dr. Neubauer was responsible for the separation of dozens of newborn twins, scattering them among similar families to study their upbringing. The doctor used the children to explore the theory of nature vs. nurture. Neither the doctor nor the adoption agency ever informed the adoptive family of each boy that they were separated triplets, only that their child was part of a developmental study. Dr. Neubauer had chosen the families because they each had a daughter around two years old at the time of adoption, but had varying levels of wealth. The triplets were then monitored closely throughout their lives. Once a year each family visited Manhattans Child Development Centre, which has since merged with The Jewish Board of Family and Childrens Services, for assessment tests. Psychologists filmed and logged these assessments, as well as interviews with the boys and their families. Claire Kellman, Davids adoptive mother, revealed in the documentary that he sensed something was missing. David began talking very early. I remember him waking up and saying, I have a brother. We would all talk about his imaginary brother, she said. It later emerged all the boys exhibited symptoms of separation anxiety during infancy, but that only made sense in hindsight. After the boys found each other, their families were furious with the psychologists, but there wasnt much they could do about it, as apparently there was no law prohibiting Neubauer and his team from running their cruel experiments. Sadly, Eddy took his own life at the young age of 33, after suffering from severe depression. Robert and David are currently seeking an apology from The Jewish Board, as well as compensation and all the official documents from the study to be released. The Jewish Board refused to take part in the documentary, but has since released a statement via the Washington Post: The Jewish Board does not endorse the study undertaken by Dr. Peter Neubauer, and is appreciative that the film has created an opportunity for a public discourse about it, a spokesperson said. We hope that the film encourages others to come forward and request access to their records. The Jewish Board had no role in the separation of twins adopted through Louise Wise. Nancy Segal, a psychologist, and author of an upcoming book called Accidental Brothers, met Dr. Neubauer before he died. She told the Times: What struck me most was he showed absolutely no remorse for what he had done. He still felt he had done the right thing. Segal added that Neubauers study found that genes have a more pervasive influence than we thought and that most of the separated twins involved in the research ended up being extremely alike. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir would be given statehood back at an appropriate time. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Shah said that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Amendment Bill 2021 has nothing to do with statehood of the union territory. He urged the opposition members to not oppose it just for the sake of politics. Shah asserted that the Bill does not mention anything about not granting statehood to the union territory. I say it again that this Bill has got nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu & Kashmir. Statehood would be given to Jammu & Kashmir at an appropriate time, Shah said. I have said in this House & I say it again that this Bill has got nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu & Kashmir. Statehood would be given to Jammu & Kashmir at an appropriate time: Union Home Minister Amit Shah https://t.co/2AgL6Dnfuq ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2021 Shah said that it has only been 17 months since the abrogation of Article 370 and he is ready to account for everything. Taking a dig at Congress he asked what they did in the 70 years of their rule. I have no objection, I will give an account for everything. But those who were given the opportunity to govern for generations should look within if they are even fit to demand an account, Shah said. Talking about the Bill, Shah said, Many MPs said that bringing Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 means J&K won't get statehood. (But) Nowhere is it written that J&K won't get statehood. Where are you drawing conclusion from? Shah hit out at Congresss Manish Tewari saying thousands of people were killed and curfew were imposed during the Congress regime. I don't want to recall the days of unrest. Such days won't be there again, Shah said. (With inputs from ANI) Live TV FDI focus leans into sci-tech sphere for 2021-2025 phase A number of new foreign-invested projects have been licensed already this year. In the northern region, Foxconn received an investment certificate in January for its $270 million Fukang Technology factory in the northern province of Bac Giang. The move is part of the groups plans to make $700 million investment in the country this year. In the central region, Nghe An province granted an investment certificate for Shenzhen tech company Everwin Precisions $200 million project, while neighbouring Quang Binh also approved investment plans for 14 projects worth $1 billion. And in the south, Dong Nai province lured over $226 million in foreign-invested projects in the first two weeks of the year, making it the highest figure in the same period in the last five years. Nguyen Mai, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign-Invested Enterprises told VIR, This is a good signal. More will be coming if Vietnam properly prepares to welcome a new investment wave. Fresh orientations According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, foreign-invested enterprises are gradually recovering, and some even have planned expansions. Meanwhile, foreign-invested projects aiming to tap into trade agreements are heading to Vietnam. To prepare for the new wave of foreign direct investment (FDI), in draft socioeconomic development strategies and plans for the decade. a number of specific key tasks and measures have been worked out to improve the business climate, with creation of a breakthrough in regulatory reform being a focus. According to Nguyen Dinh Cung, member of the Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Group, regulatory reform will be made to push innovations and digital transformation, as well as development of new products, services, and business models. The improvement of the business climate is the top issue among foreign investors, including members of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), as well as Japanese, South Korean, and Singaporean investors among others. Tomaso Andreatta, vice chairman of EuroCham said, We welcome regulations such as the decree on deferral of tax payment and land rental, the resolution on tasks and measures to continue removing difficulties for production and business, and proposals of a rescue package with widespread coverage. This would enable the equal protection of domestic and foreign businesses, given Vietnams strong integration into global supply chains and capital flows. We have worked together with the government and the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reforms to support European investments and enable the swift entrance of European and US investors and experts, Andreatta added. Similarly, Virginia Foote, chairwoman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, said, As we look to boost economic recovery after COVID-19, there are many things the government can do right now to improve the business and investment climate and to attract new investment. Elsewhere, Tetsu Funayama, representative of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam, said that Japanese companies are concerned when expanding into Vietnam and face challenges when they execute permitted investment or establish a production plant. In addition, they are confused about tax and labour and concern about energy infrastructure. Solving these issues will lead to the attraction of FDI not only from Japan but also from other countries, Funayama noted. To create such a breakthrough in the business climate improvement, the country will continue to complete and improve the quality of the regulatory reform of the socialist-oriented market economy, with a focus on the market factors of production, especially the market of land-use rights and sci-tech; while mobilising and using resources in line with market mechanism, and developing efficient state apparatus. Specifically, the country will concentrate on tasks including building and deploying policies to ease COVID-19 impacts to facilitate the economic recovery, and tap into the new opportunities for national development. Also, the country will continue to cut conditional business lines and conditions, and increase trade facilitation and digital services. It will also increase the efficiency of administrative reform, removal of business barriers, complete the policies on tax, and fees on par with the market condition and international norms, while enhancing IT application and reduce cost for tax and fee procedures for people and businesses. Regarding the sci-tech market, the country will be further developed together with development of national database on sci-tech; intensification of connection between sci-tech transaction floors and related application and tech transfer centres in localities, and strong development of the network of intermediate services and technology transfer assessment. On the other hand, the country will build a complete legal framework on testing the mechanism and special policies to accelerate digital transformation, digital economy, and development of new business models, startups, and supply of public services. Land management policies, which are among international investors concerns, will be renovated to create more favourable conditions, thus encouraging the accumulation of farm land, and developing the land-use rights market. Also, the management of farm land use purpose will be also changed towards increasing flexibility, removing the limitations on the subject to farm land transfer, and increasing the term of farm land handover and leasing. The regulations on assets rights will be reformed, focusing on the registration of asset ownership and use, mortgage assets at banks, and procedure for bankruptcy. Also intellectual property protection, and enforcement of intellectual property rights will be intensified, while building on the standards and norms on par with international practices. A more favourable business and investment environment is expected as Vietnam aims for the countrys business climate to be ranked in the top 30 countries worldwide by 2030. Brighter prospects With great changes in the business and investment climate, together with socio-political stability and population structure, Vietnam has risen as a more attractive FDI destination in Asia, according to a January report by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The report noted that other factors that make Vietnam more appealing than its regional peers are the incentives for international corporations for setting up facilities to manufacture high-tech products, the pool of low-cost workers, and the proliferation of trade deals. In line with new orientations, sci-tech businesses in innovation, digital transformation, and new business models will have broadened chances to venture further into the market on the back of the countrys acceleration of embracing digital. In other economic sectors, investors and businesses will gain from more favourable market entry. The enforcement of free trade agreements such as the one between Vietnam and the European Union and the recently-signed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is expected to enlarge the countrys investment space and trade in the long term. Also importantly, the Southeast Asian nations success in tackling the coronavirus pandemic has increased international ventures confidence in the market as a safe destination, together with the enforcement of new laws on investment and enterprises, with a number of long-expected favourable rules included. The movements of shifting investment among Japanese, South Korean, Singaporean, and European investors have intensified the trend. For instance, in a list released recently by the Japan External Trade Organization, out of 30 Japanese companies that will move their factories out of China, 15 have registered to move to Vietnam. A number of investment plans announced in the first days of January signalled bright prospects for the foreign investment picture ahead. To the editor: This is in response to the letter, "Where does Moolenaar stand?" Congressman Moolenaar voted for Marjory Taylor Greene keeping her committee assignments. He voted against fines for Congress members who disregard the Capitol police and evade and disregard House Floor security measures. His Jan. 31 email states: "We need to act now to stop Biden and his socialist agenda from corrupting America and destroying our economy. Please consider making a donation today so that John can keep striving to stop the Socialists and keep America safe." and "President Biden has already outlined his plans to defund our military and police forces, dismantle our institutions, and destroy our economy with his outrageous new proposals." I called his Washington office and asked for the supporting evidence that show the "outlined plans to defund our military and police forces" and which institutions President Biden is "dismantling." They could not find that information and said they would get back with me. So far, no response. On his webpage, he states "Marjorie Taylor Greenes offensive, unacceptable and inaccurate comments were hurtful to people across the nation. We are all accountable for our own words and I hope she will continue to learn from her past mistakes." I find it interesting that he has not said the same about former president Trump. Statements (and the lack there of) from politicians are always purposeful. It is clear to me where Congressman Moolenaar and the current Republican party stands. BRIAN ZIMMERMANN Midland A dozen of the states motor vehicle agencies will be closed Saturday as a result of last-minute employee refusals, to work, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Spokesman William Connolly told NJ Advance Media Friday evening. The employee refusals on Saturday were over a mandatory furlough day they are taking on Monday, Connolly said. Presidents Day is one of the scheduled furlough days for CWA and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers/Service Employees International Union members as a result of memorandum of agreements reached last summer between the unions and the state to avoid layoffs amid the coronavirus pandemic. The following agencies will be closed Saturday, Feb. 13, due to the staffing issues: Delanco Eatontown Edison Freehold Lakewood Lodi Manahawkin Newton Oakland Salem Toms River Wayne In addition to these closures, six agencies will be closed due to employees testing positive for the coronavirus at each location: West Deptford, reopens Feb. 16 North Bergen, reopens Feb. 18 Turnersville, reopens Feb. 22 Jersey City, reopens Feb. 24 Camden, reopens Feb. 25 Paterson, reopens Feb. 26 In addition, three agencies will be open by appointment only on Saturday with no walk-ins: Bakers Basin Bayonne Rio Grande (knowledge testing appointments have been canceled) All MVC facilities will be closed on Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 15. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter will participate in fewer air shows this year as military leaders deal with an engine shortage for the fifth-generation stealth jet. Bloomberg News reported this week that there is a growing shortage of F135 engines, which are manufactured by Pratt & Whitney, now owned by Raytheon Technologies Corp. Air Combat Command, or ACC, which oversees fighter aircraft units, has scaled back its 2021 air show requirements for the F-35 to ensure availability of jets for deployments and training. It has cut about eight performances, according to Bloomberg. Read Next: Retired 3- and 4-Star Generals Petition Court to Add Women to Draft Registration "The leadership team here is focused on a comprehensive recovery plan to mitigate the readiness impact to our F-35 operational units," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday. Since August 2020, Pentagon senior leadership has been "actively engaged" on F-35 engine availability issues, he said during a press briefing. "They don't deem the engine issues right now to be a safety of flight issue, but maintenance inspections are resulting in unscheduled engine removal." The F-35 demonstration team typically performs at about 20 shows each year, though the 2020 season was also scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Problems with existing engines are exacerbating the availability issue. According to Bloomberg, a surface coating on the turbine blades overheats, causing the blades to crack. A defense official told the news outlet that the engines require maintenance earlier than planned, taking them out of service. Specifically, the issue affects the HPT blade coating, a spokesman for the manufacturer said Friday. "Pratt & Whitney incorporated a hardware modification in spring of 2020 in both production and sustainment to address the HPT blade removals," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We continue to work closely with the F-35 Joint Program Office, the services, and the Oklahoma City-Air Logistics Complex (OC-ALC) to increase enterprise capacity across the F135 maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade network." The spokesperson added that the company is pursuing "multiple initiatives aimed at accelerating capacity growth." The F-35 demo team flies operational aircraft, meaning there are no jets specifically designated for air shows. The team is based at the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 388th has an inventory of 78 single-engine F-35s. The demo team takes two of those aircraft -- one as primary, the other as a spare -- to each show, according to the Air Force. A single F-35 typically performs at air shows alongside the Heritage Flight Foundation. The foundation is a contractor with ACC and performs across the U.S. and overseas, flying old warbirds such as the P-51 Mustang. Only four aircraft -- the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor and F-35 -- are certified to fly alongside the planes from a bygone era. "We in the 388th Fighter Wing, like the rest of the F-35A community, have been working through some challenging engine sustainment issues," a wing spokesperson said in a statement Friday. "Our demo team aircraft are not unique or dedicated aircraft; we can and do fly any of the wing's 78 operational aircraft." While the unit is meeting its operational and deployment requirements, ACC has asked the demonstration team to scale back some 2021 appearances until "the sustainment challenges can be further addressed," the 388th spokesperson said. "Air Combat Command is working hard on our behalf with the Air Force and the F-35 Joint Program Office to develop a solution for engine sustainment," the wing said, adding it is ready to conduct its primary combat mission. The F-35 Joint Program Office, the Defense Department's lead agency overseeing its most expensive program, praised the demo team on the same day the reduced show schedule was announced. "Who is ready to see the @F35demoteam soar through the skies in 2021?" the JPO tweeted Friday. "While we wait for their 2021 air show season to start, ride along in an #F35 with the #F35A Demo Team's pilot and commander Capt. Kristin "BEO" Wolfe!" the account posted, alongside a video of Wolfe, the first female demo team lead, piloting the jet. It was unclear when the video was filmed.. A request for more information from JPO was not immediately answered. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214. Related: Watchdog: Pentagon Needs to Answer Questions on New F-35 Logistics System More than 100 employees of a popular ski resort in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 after they contracted the illness by holding social gatherings outside of the work place - though the actual number of infections is thought to be far higher. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has reported 109 cases of the coronavirus at the Winter Park Resort in Grand County. The outbreak was first declared on January 23 and accounts for more than 6 per cent of the 1,700 employees at the ski resort. Grand County Health did not report the positive cases to the state until this week, the Post reported. Grand County Health and the Winter Park Resort issued a joint statement that said the cases have not been traced to interactions with visitors. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has reported 109 cases of the coronavirus at the Winter Park Resort in Grand County. A skier and snowboarder head down Upper Hughes run at the Winter Park Resort in this March 2017 file photo A spokesperson for Winter Park Resort told DailyMail.com that the complex took necessary precautions to mitigate the spread of the virus before it reopened to the public on December 3. Jen Miller said that the resort implemented rules requiring masks and social distancing throughout the complex. In addition, the resort put in place 'increased sanitation procedures' and added staff to remind visitors about masking requirements, she said. There is no indoor dining available at the resort as visitors are only permitted to do 'grab-n-go' food shopping, Miller said. 'WPR has worked closely and been transparent with state and local public health authorities since the onset of the pandemic and in recent weeks to navigate these dynamic circumstances,' Miller told DailyMail.com 'WPR has an onsite testing site that they have managed since December and has consistently utilized GCPH testing sites as deemed necessary. 'Throughout the past few months, WPR has implemented robust contact tracing among employees which has helped [Grand County Public Health], and a CDPHE contact tracing support team has been enlisted as needed during this outbreak. 'WPR has also enlisted a CDPHE epidemiology/hygiene consult to further investigate changes that could be made that could suppress COVID activity among employees.' For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. Other popular ski destinations in Colorado reported outbreaks, though far smaller in scope. Breckenridge reported 12 active coronavirus outbreaks totaling 26 cases while Keystone has four outbreaks with 10 positive cases. State public health officials define an outbreak as two or more cases of COVID-19 that were contracted at the same site. An outbreak is considered resolved only after 28 days have passed without any new infections. According to the latest data, there are 430 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Colorado as of Friday. The most recent data from Colorado public health officials indicates that COVID-19 infection rates have fallen statewide The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment also reported steep drops in the number of COVID-19 deaths Public health data shows that most of the COVID-19 cases are concentrated in the Denver area Denver and El Paso Counties have also reported the highest number of fatalities State public health officials said that the moving average positivity rate has declined to 3.95 per cent. The World Health Organization recommends that positivity rate be kept at or below 5 per cent in order to contain the virus. As of Friday, nearly 609,000 Colorado residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, 271,104 have been inoculated with two doses. The state is also reporting good news as hospitalization rates decline. The latest figures indicate that 430 people are currently in hospitals due to confirmed cases of COVID-19. Another 40 patients are suspected of carrying the virus. On Friday, the state reported 24 new hospital admissions - down from 61 the previous day. The seven-day moving average of new hospitalizations fell to 59 this past week - down from 64 on Thursday. Of all hospital beds available in the state, just 5 per cent are occupied by either confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. State officials are also reporting just 2 per cent of medical facilities that say they face ICU bed shortages in the next week. MONTREAL - A pair of Quebec-born cheetahs are adapting to life under the African sun in preparation to be released in a rare, international "rewilding" project that conservationists hope will help ensure the future of the species. MONTREAL - A pair of Quebec-born cheetahs are adapting to life under the African sun in preparation to be released in a rare, international "rewilding" project that conservationists hope will help ensure the future of the species. Big cat brothers Kumbe and Jabari are settling in well after recently making the multi-day journey from Quebec's Parc Safari to the Imire wildlife sanctuary in Zimbabwe. The siblings are spending 60 days in quarantine before they are released into a 4,500-hectare reserve, and are already starting to act like wild cheetahs much to the joy of Nathalie Santerre, the zoological director at Parc Safari who helped raise them. Santerre said within 24 hours of arrival, the cheetahs had already learned to find higher ground a habit wild animals use to spot prey or danger and had showed an interest in hunting. "They're very in tune with every little noise, every little movement," Santerre said in a recent interview. Kumbe and Jabari were born at Parc Safari in 2019 conceived through a breeding partnership with the Toronto Zoo and were chosen for the project based on their strength, size and genetics. It's hoped they will eventually sire cubs of their own and help restore Zimbabwe's wild cheetah population, which has declined to fewer than 200 animals from around 1,500 in 1975. Both Park Safari and Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums say they believe Kumbe and Jabari are the first Canadian-bred cheetahs to be released in Africa. Santerre said Kumbe and Jabari were carefully raised in order to give them the best chance of thriving in the wild. They were kept within sight of their potential prey and fed animal carcasses to teach them how to tear into food. While cats have a natural, strong hunting instinct as anyone who's seen a domestic pet stalk a mouse can attest Kumbe and Jabari's skills and endurance were developed by training them with lures. It remains to be seen, however, whether the cheetahs will learn to feed themselves successfully in the wild, Santerre said. But so far, she added, "the boys" are exceeding every expectation chasing small animals that venture into their enclosure and eyeing the larger prey animals they can see from a distance. "You can see they're keen to get out on those plains and just start running," Santerre said. The cheetahs will be equipped with GPS collars and monitored by rangers for the first year so they can ensure the animals are eating and finding water. "Rewilding" is the process of reintroducing animals to an area where their species used to roam in the hope of re-establishing that population, according to a senior conservation biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Carolyn Callaghan says the cheetahs' journey from Quebec to Africa the product of a partnership between Parc Safari, the Aspinall Foundation and Imire is an example of the international effort that is increasingly needed to save vulnerable animals. The partnership also reflects the shifting role of zoos, she said, from displaying captive animals to helping repopulate endangered species. In particular, she said zoo breeding programs play an important role in ensuring at-risk species maintain as much genetic diversity as possible to keep populations healthy. "It remains one of (zoos') mandates to connect people with these captive wild animals, but it has grown beyond that to this conservation genetics role and re-establishing population," Callaghan said in a recent interview. Species have also been successfully reintroduced in Canada, she said, including Vancouver Island marmots as well as bison and whooping cranes. Callaghan notes, however, that captive breeding and reintroduction are an inferior solution to protecting animals and their habitats in the first place. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2021. In an interesting new development in the increasingly-complicated and geopolitical/economic situation between India and China, ByteDance is reportedly now looking to sell-off its Indian TikTok assets to local rival and unicorn Glance. The report comes from Bloomberg and concerns recently-initiated high-level and still secret talks. We'll try our best to simplify thigs as much as possible here. After India made its ban of 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok within the country permanent this January, ByteDance - the Chinese parent company for the short video sharing platform effectively closed-down its operations in India and pulled-out of the country. Ever since, ByteDance has been looking for a way to at least salvage some of its local assets. Apparently the opportunity has presented itself. The Japanese SoftBank Group Corp - the multinational conglomerate holding that tends to pop-up fairly frequently when discussing major tech companies is apparently a backer in both TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance and Glance's parent InMobi Pte. Hence, the interest to make local TikTok assets profitable again is definitely there, even if on the surface, this looks like an assimilation from competitor Glance. According to sources familiar with the matter, the talks go way beyond simple business relations between companies. Apparently, in light of ongoing India/China tensions, the Indian government will have to give its seal of approval on any such deal. Sources claim that the latter authorities will insist that TikTok user data and technologies stay within India's borders. China's fairly new rules on the export of technology are expected to complicate negotiations even further. With all said and done, it is likely that both governments will have to approve any eventual deal that SoftBank mediates between ByteDance and InMobi Pte. TikTok's misfortunes in India started last summer when the Indian government issued preliminary bans, citing threats to its sovereignty and security. At that point TikTok had a massive 200 million user base in India and hundreds of local employees. Since then, most of those ex-employees have gravitated towards homegrown TikTok rivals, which seems to be popping-up rapidly all over the place in hopes of filling the market void. Glance or Glance Digital Experience as its full name goes, the most-likely partner in the aforementioned assets transferal deal is definitely one of the bigger names. Its parent InMobi was founded by Harvard Business School alumnus Naveen Tewari and is India's first unicorn - a term that denotes a privately held startup, valued at over $1 billion. That unicorn status was only recently acquired in December, following the beginning of the TikTok ban saga, as well as funding from Google and billionaire Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital going towards InMobi. The point here being that major economic interest and players are involved left and right. Source remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. CONTRACT OPPORTUNITY DOD releases $1B in tech development work for bids Almost $1 billion in technology development and integration work with the U.S. military was been put out this week for to industry to bid on and multiple companies will call themselves winners. Contract number one to highlight here is the largest -- a potential $950 million contract vehicle for technology prototyping, production, sustaining engineering and studies and analysis services to support the Air Forces training ranges. Proposals for the multiple-award Range IDIQ Support Effort are due to the Air Force at 2 p.m. Eastern time on March 15, the Air Force said in a contracting notice posted Wednesday. The Air Force expects it will choose between 11 and 20 companies that will then compete for work over the contracts five-year duration. Opportunity number two comes out of the Defense Departments Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, which is seeking multiple industry partners to help test and evaluate AI capabilities. Proposals are due to JAIC by 1 p.m. Eastern time on March 5. The center said in a notice it anticipates awarding between 15 and 25 blanket purchase agreements against the potential five-year, $249.5 million vehicle. Awardees will focus on data set development and curation, test harness development, model output analysis, test planning, documentation and reporting. JAIC is undertaking this effort alongside Tradewind, a separate initiative by the center to build a new acquisition ecosystem that can speed up deliveries of AI capabilities. LAHORE : Two 11-week-old white tiger cubs that died in a Pakistani zoo last month appear to have died of COVID-19, officials said. The cubs died in the Lahore Zoo on Jan. 30, four days after beginning treatment for what officials thought was feline panleukopenia virus, a disease that zoo officials said is common in Pakistan and targets cats' immune system. But an autopsy found the cubs' lungs were badly damaged and they were suffering from severe infection, with pathologists concluding they died from COVID-19. Although no PCR test for the new coronavirus was conducted, zoo deputy director Kiran Saleem told Reuters the zoo believes the cubs were the victims of the pandemic that has killed 12,256 people in Pakistan. "After their death, the zoo administration conducted tests of all officials, and six were tested positive, including one official who handled the cubs," Saleem said. "It strengthens the findings of the autopsy. The cubs probably caught the virus from the person handling and feeding them." Pakistan's zoos regularly draw the ire of animal rights activists, who say hundreds of animals have died from poor living conditions there. "The last two white tiger cubs have died at Lahore zoo and once again the negligence of the management and authorities has come out," Zufishan Anushay, founder of JFK (Justice for Kiki) Animal Rescue And Shelter, told Reuters. "White tigers are extremely rare and need a specific habitat and environment to live a healthy life. By caging them in unhygienic conditions with no medical arrangements, we will keep witnessing these incidents." COVID-19 is a new virus, and the world is making policies for humans, she said. It should not forget animals in pet shops, zoos and everywhere else." Saleem rejected the allegations of neglect at the zoo, telling Reuters that animal rights activists were welcome to visit and check the facility's safety and hygiene protocols themselves. In December two Himalayan brown bears were airlifted out of the Islamabad Zoo to a sanctuary in Jordan. That rescue came weeks after an elephant Kaavan was moved to a sanctuary in Cambodia, the culmination of a years-long campaign that included U.S. pop star Cher. At the Peshawar Zoo, officials have said four giraffes died in 2020. Last year two lions at Islamabad Zoo suffocated when workers lit fires in their cages. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Depending on the way you look at it, Gresham-Barlow Superintendent Katrise Perera has bad news for her students. No more snow days, she said. The statewide pivot to virtual learning last March made districts more nimble in the ways they dispatch technology, so teachers and students can still take part in classes when they cant physically get to school. But the pandemic that forced that change also shed a harsh light on existing disparities in Oregons education system, from the difficulties some families face reliably accessing broadband internet to the shortcomings of tests in assessing academic growth for Black, Indigenous and other students of color. Over the last year, Perera has seen fewer Black, Indigenous and other students of color disciplined a at a higher rate than their white peers. Fewer have also been issued special education plans, which many officials argue also disproportionately get assigned to children of color and can follow them for years. No one listening to this would accept the fact that somebody would come to their office or their job and assess them for 30 minutes, then label them for the remainder of their career, Perera said. She joined Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero and Miriam Calderon, director of Oregon Department of Educations early learning division, to discuss the challenges theyve faced over the last year during a panel discussion in front of the City Club of Portland Friday. Stand For Children Oregon Executive Director Toya Fick moderated the conversation. You can watch the full panel discussion HERE The three touched on how they believe the pandemic and last years protests against systemic racism and police brutality have changed schooling for years to come. Guerrero touted the Portland districts new climate curriculum. Its development was led in large part by students continually pressing Portland Public Schools to deliver on a promise the school board made in 2016. As recently as May of 2019, pupils filled school board meetings demanding the district fulfill its pledge. Students across the state also joined a pair of global climate strikes that year. Attendees in Portland numbered in the tens of thousands during one such protest. We had thousands of youth on the bridge crying out about climate justice, Guerrero said. Now were embedding it into the courses of study. Guerrero also took a nod at his districts decision to cut ties with the Portland Police Bureau program that stations armed officers on high school campuses across the city. That effort was also led in large part by students and parents decrying a school board vote to fund the program from district coffers. Black, Indigenous and other students of color staged protests and filled board meetings. Many testified during public comment periods to say they felt a sense of unease around armed police. When theyre on campus, they want to feel its a safe space, Guerrero said. Calderon said she believes the public writ large has a greater respect for daycare providers and early childhood educators now that many parents have been thrust into those roles. Capacity for those systems shrank when Gov. Kate Brown imposed tight limits on the number of people allowed to gather indoors in the early goings of the pandemic. Its also not a service well-suited to virtual delivery. This is a line of work where, to do it well, you cant keep 6 feet of distance, Calderon said. She noted that women of color comprise much of the states early childhood and daycare workforce. While some providers asked Calderon and other state officials to limit their business in the early goings of the pandemic, others pushed for the opposite for fear of lost wages, telling her, If we dont work, we dont get paid. What we see is significant disparities in the respect afforded to those workers, she said. Its a field with perpetual low wages. The discussion was broad for much of its runtime, with administrators sidestepping one of Ficks most direct questions: If they knew in February 2020 what they know now about the coronavirus, what would they do differently? Lets pretend its Feb. 12, 2020, Fick said. Study after study has shown that children younger than 10 dont transmit the virus as effectively as preteens, teenagers and adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday released new school reopening guidelines and emphasized that districts can safely reopen if community infection rates are low. Parents have grown louder in their calls for districts to offer some in-person instruction, regularly demonstrating outside of school buildings over the last few weeks. A rally in Beaverton drew about two dozen parents and students pushing for the district to transition into hybrid learning earlier than its projected early April start. Regardless, Perera said, schools would still have had to adhere to Browns limits on indoor gatherings and other stay-home orders. She told Fick her main concern was making sure students had access to school meals and technology. The heaviest lift in the early goings of Browns school closure order was making sure every Gresham-Barlow student had a Chromebook for distance learning. We had a plan for three years. And we had to do it in two weeks, Perera said. As for what school might look like once children can return to classrooms on a mass scale, both superintendents said they hope testing standards change. Guerrero said hed be interested in having eighth-graders complete some sort of capstone project before advancing to high school and gauge what social-emotional support they might need. We have to reimagine the time and space, Guerrero said. Are we prepared for more multi-age settings? He, Perera and Calderon all agreed the pandemic has influenced the way they approach their jobs. Some of those changes are positive, they said, such as virtual lessons during snow days and the greater attention the public pays to the struggles of daycare providers and early childhood educators. I never want to waste a good crisis to improve on some things, Perera said. --Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344 | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook Eder is The Oregonians education reporter. Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email ecampuzano@oregonian.com. The Army is being threatened with losing almost 10,000 troops over the next decade as defence chiefs plan to invest in drones and cyber warfare capabilities. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is believed to be considering allowing troop numbers to fall from 82,000 to 72,5000 as part of the forthcoming defence review. The Ministry of Defence believes reducing the number of soldiers will free up funds for other priorities. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, right, is considering cutting the strength of the army by almost 10,000 troops as part of next month's defence review Currently the British Army's has a strength of 82,000 troops. Under the defence review, this could be reduced to 72.500 over the next decade with the saving invested in equipment such as drones and artillery A source told The Telegraph: 'We are not preparing an Armed Forces to re-fight Helmand, we are looking at where we might fight tomorrow in the wars we haven't encountered.' The source added there was 'no point in having 82,000 people' without 'the right drones, the right artillery, the right air cover and armoured personnel vehicles'. It is understood that no soldiers will be made redundant, rather fewer will be recruited to replace those who leave the service. However, former defence minister Lord Robathan has described the plan as 'completely bonkers'. In a debate earlier this week in the House of Lords, Lord Robathan: said: 'This is nuts. It's completely bonkers.' He siad the army's involvement in tacking the coronavirus crisis shows how important they are for the nation. He said: 'We are about to face rocketing unemployment levels so recruitment should come easier and we don't want to add to unemployment.' He also claimed with China and Vladimir Putin presenting a continuing threat to national security, it is not a good idea to reduce the size of the army. However, the plan to cut soldier numbers has been criticised with politicians citing the important role played by the army in the response to the Coronavirus pandemic Regular troop numbers in the British Army have fallen from around 100,000 in 2012 to almost 80,000 in 2020 He claimed: 'We fondly imagined the world was getting safer. 'We may not like it but it's actually getting more dangerous.' He said reducing the size of the army by 10,000 would risk the UK not being taken 'seriously' by allies or the rest of the world. Responding for the Government, Defence Minister Baroness Goldie pointed out that, according to Nato criteria, the UK was 'the highest defence spender in Europe'. She said a major review of Britain's military and security policy, due to be published in March following delays, 'will detail the forward shape of our whole defence capability as we look to a new age of threats'. Lady Goldie added: 'Any speculation about Army force structure at the moment is purely that. 'But I would wish to reassure peers that we are confident that we have the numbers and the capabilities to do the job. 'We have discharged our core obligations to protect and secure the nation against threat, despite the challenges of Covid. 'That again has been entirely down to the professionalism, the competence and the commitment of our armed forces personnel.' A spokesperson for the MoD told MailOnline: 'Last November the Prime Minister announced the biggest increase to defence spending since the Cold War. 'This will underpin the modernisation of the Armed Forces following the conclusions of the Integrated Review, cement our place as a leader in NATO and bring jobs and prosperity to every part of the UK. 'The Integrated Review is not yet complete, so this speculation is not just inaccurate but deliberately misleading. 'The Army will continue to have the numbers and capability required to protect the UK. As the threat changes our Armed Forces must change. Following the record financial settlement, they are being redesigned to confront future threats, not re-fight old wars.' The Lackawanna County judicial race looks like a two-person contest. Scott Twp. Supervisor Mike Giannetta, a former state deputy attorney general, said Friday he wont run. Attorney Patricia Grande Rieder texted to say that she wont run either. Barring someone else jumping in, that leaves attorney Mary Walsh Dempsey, 54, the former Scranton city councilwoman, and Magisterial District Judge Paul Ware, 54, of Dunmore. Giannetta, who hired a pollster to survey the race, said he thought long and hard about running. I can easily win the Republican nomination, but I dont see an easy or clear path in November, Giannetta, a registered Republican, said. Mary is very strong on the Democratic side. Shes a great candidate. I know her personally. Both graduated from Scranton Prep, and they have a lot of mutual Prep friends, he said. He plans to circulate nominating petitions for her, he said. I think she will make a great judge, Giannetta said. Giannetta said he plans to run for judge in 2023. The court will have a vacancy then because Judge Vito Geroulo will reach the mandatory retirement age of 75 next year. County solicitor Frank Ruggiero, a Democrat, told us last week he plans to run for that vacancy, too. Miscellanea One of the great remaining pre-primary election mysteries: whether City Controller John Murray, a former city Democratic Party chairman, plans to run for Scranton mayor. We havent been able to reach him for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, already in the Democratic race, keeps rolling out endorsements. Friday, she added state Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely, who called her his friend and said, In a short amount of time, Mayor Cognetti has demonstrated effective leadership amidst the incredible challenges we are facing. A day earlier, her campaign announced the endorsement of state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-181, Philadelphia, who also called her his friend and a tenacious leader whos brought the city together to address the pressing issues of working families. She knows what it takes to make local government responsive to real people, Kenyatta said. An endorsement like that may not seem like it matters because hes from out of town, but Kenyatta is Black and openly gay and Scranton has substantial numbers of both communities. Mullins and Kenyattas endorsements add to a list that includes state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-114, Waverly Twp.; state Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald; former state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale; and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and his wife, Gisele. One notable name still missing from the Cognetti endorsement list: U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. Casey and Cognetti teamed up to help President Joe Biden win Pennsylvania, but Casey and Murray are close friends. Murray ran the regional auditor generals office when Casey was auditor general. Forgot to mention last week that Cathy Nealon Wechsler formally announced her candidacy for Scranton tax collector. Still waiting for City Councilman Kyle Donahue to decide if he will run for tax collector or another term as a councilman. Former City Councilman Brian Reap said he has decided against running for council this year. Reap is nearing retirement from his private-sector job, but that wont happen until later this year. You cant read the letter from Lackawanna County Chief of Staff Brian Jeffers as anything but another sign of tension between Cognetti and the Democratic majority county commissioners office, despite what both sides say. Next week, we start finding out whos really running for local offices and whos feigning interest. Tuesday is the first day candidates may begin circulating nominating petitions. The deadline for filing the petitions is March 9. Anyone who questions the validity of a petition has until March 16 to object. Alex Molfetas, the owner of Center City Print in downtown Scranton, told us last week he plans to run for city council as an independent. He cant circulate nomination papers until March 10, the day after Democrats and Republicans deadline for filing nominating petitions for the May 18 primary election. The Ware and Dempsey campaigns have started candidate committees to raise money and both have familiar names leading them. Dempseys campaign committees registration statement says the chairwoman is Nancy Barrasse, the sister of county Judge Michael J. Barrasse. Dempsey said Barrasse is co-chairing the committee with attorney Gerard Karam. Attorney Jim Tierney is chairing the fundraising, she said. The campaign treasurer is accountant Joseph M. Alu. Wares campaign chairman is attorney Thomas W. Munley, the son of Judge Tom Munley. His treasurer is Michael J. Mellody, which may make you wonder if hes related to Pat Mellody. Well, he is, but not that Pat Mellody. Hes related to Patricia Mellody, his mom, a nurse, not the Mellodys with the long history in the county Democratic Party. I get asked that question all the time, said Michael Mellody, a certified public accountant who lives at Lake Wallenpaupack. Patrick J. Mellody was a Scranton School Board president and county Democratic chairman before county judges appointed him to replace Commissioner Michael J. Lawler, the county Democratic Party legend who died Sept. 29, 1962. Mellody won full four-year commissioner terms in 1963 and 1967 before losing in 1971 as Robert Pettinato and Charles Luger won majority control of the commissioners office for Republicans for the first time since the 1930s. Patrick Mellodys son, also named Patrick J. Mellody, was county Democratic chairman from 1984 to 2002. Commissioner Jerry Notarianni succeeded him as county chairman. BORYS KRAWCZENIUK, The Times-Tribune politics reporter, writes Random Notes. bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147. Former SBI NSE 0.77 % chairman Rajnish Kumar was on Friday appointed as the exclusive advisor to a USD 1 billion-stressed assets fund floated by the Kotak Mahindra Bank NSE -0.51 % group. Kumar retired as the chairman of the country's largest lender in October last year after an over four-decade career. Earlier this week, there were reports of global private equity major Baring Private Equity Partners appointing Kumar as an advisor. In a statement, Kotak Investment Advisors (KIAL) on Friday said Kumar will be the "exclusive advisor for its USD 1 billion special situation fund". KIAL had announced a fund raise of USD 1 billion in August 2019, anchored by a USD 500 million commitment from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund. According to reports, KIAL was to invest the money over a four-year period while the overall fund life was pegged at ten years. It can be noted that the quantum of sour debt is pegged at over 10 per cent of the banking system's assets and is widely believed to have increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund looks for special situations where a company may be short of liquidity, stressed assets and cases being resolved under the provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) for its investments, according to its website. It will be looking for investments between Rs 350 crore to Rs 1,500 crore, as per media reports. Also read: SEBI extends deadline for comments on proposal on appointment of MDs (Natural News) Google has escalated its control over what people see when they use the big tech companys market-dominating search engine. It has added 12 new types of manual action penalties, or topics where human moderators are allowed to manually penalize websites and suppress them, preventing them from showing up in search results. This marks the first time that a website could potentially receive a manual penalty for violating Google News and Google Discover policies. Previously, manual actions could only be applied for violation of Google Search policies. (Related: Googles monopoly on power allows it to weaponize data against its political opposition.) As its name suggests, a manual penalty is issued by a human moderator at Google. It is applied after a Google reviewer determines that a sites content is not in compliance with the corporations guidelines. Before this change in policy, any violations in Google News and Google Discover were handled by automated action. Google has not mentioned what the penalty would be for violating News and Discovers new policies. Historically, a manual penalty results in pages or sites receiving a lower ranking in a search result. Offending websites might even be removed from the result entirely. Since penalties are handled at the discretion of Googles moderators, theres no way to know for certain what punishment a site with supposedly offending content would receive. Furthermore, Googles help page does not indicate whether pages would be demoted or removed only from News and Discover, or if this penalty would be extended to Google Search. Listen to this special Situation Update breaking news episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he talks about how American corporations like Google are now treating their loyal customers as the enemy. Google News and Discovers 12 new manual action penalties Out of Googles 12 new manual action penalties, one solely concerns News, two are specifically for Discover and the other nine are applicable to both News and Discover. The one manual penalty that affects only Google News is for violating the transparency policy. This policy could be violated if a website appears in News but it does not provide proper bylines and dates for its articles, as well as relevant information regarding authors, the publication, the publisher, the news network or company behind the site as well as the sites contact information. The two manual penalties specific to Discover include violating Googles policies regarding adult-themed content and misleading content. A violation would occur if Googles system detects nudity, sex acts, sexually suggestive or explicit material or content that Google finds to be misleading or within the realm of clickbait. Here are the nine manual penalties that are shared between News and Discover: Harassing content Content that involves threats, bullying or harassment. Content that involves threats, bullying or harassment. Sexually-explicit content Content that involves explicit sexual videos or imagery intended to cause sexual arousal. Content that involves explicit sexual videos or imagery intended to cause sexual arousal. Medical content Content that aims to provide medical treatment, or to help give advice or a diagnosis regarding medical concerns for commercial purposes. Content that aims to provide medical treatment, or to help give advice or a diagnosis regarding medical concerns for commercial purposes. Violence and gore content Content that incites or glorifies violence, or content that is purposefully extremely graphic for the sake of eliciting a reaction of disgust. Content that incites or glorifies violence, or content that is purposefully extremely graphic for the sake of eliciting a reaction of disgust. Dangerous content Content that could cause serious and immediate harm to animals or people. Content that could cause serious and immediate harm to animals or people. Terrorist content Content that is related to terrorism, terrorist organizations and acts of terrorist extremism. This includes content that is intended to recruit people, incite violence or celebrate terrorist actions. Content that is related to terrorism, terrorist organizations and acts of terrorist extremism. This includes content that is intended to recruit people, incite violence or celebrate terrorist actions. Vulgar language and profanity Content that includes gratuitous use of profanities or obscenities. Content that includes gratuitous use of profanities or obscenities. Manipulated media Video, image or audio content that has been manipulated with the goal of misleading, defrauding or deceiving. Video, image or audio content that has been manipulated with the goal of misleading, defrauding or deceiving. Hateful content Content that is intended to incite hatred. It is possible to recover a website from a manual action penalty. If a website receives a manual penalty, Google would send the sites owner or webmaster a message via Google Search Console. This is the companys web service that allows webmasters and site owners to check their sites indexing status and to possibly improve their online search visibility on the search engine. Googles message would inform the website that it has received a penalty, why the penalty was issued in the first place and how to recover from it. To submit an appeal, webmasters and site owners have to remove the offending content and submit a request for reconsideration to Google for review. Learn more about how the tech giants are using their platforms to escalate their drive to censor by reading the latest articles at TechGiants.news. Sources include: Breitbart.com SearchEngineJournal.com FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Almost immediately after bullets stopped ringing out at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, and 17 students and faculty were dead, a crop of surviving students raised their voices to demand action. They planned and led marches all around the country. They took to town halls and pressured their local public officials. Their faces were splashed on television screens and magazine covers. Their advocacy was rewarded by small, but significant changes in Florida legislation. Three years later, many of these students are attempting to juggle the normal things young college students these days juggle: Zoom classes, relationships and thoughts about their futures. The only difference is many of them now have hundreds of thousands of followers, national platforms and all the attention that comes with that. Three years after the tragedy that forever changed them, students have forged ahead with activism and so much more. Heres a look at how theyve continued on their paths. Emma Gonzalez, 21 Gonzalez is perhaps the most recognizable face from the March for Our Lives movement who emerged after the shooting and was named among Time Magazines 100 most influential people of 2018. During the March for Our Lives protest on Washington, D.C., in 2018, she famously stood in silence at the lectern for a little over six minutes to commemorate how long it took for 17 people to be shot and killed during the shooting. She appeared at the helm of a number of marches afterward, was a familiar face on television and in the pages of publications and even saw her voice sampled by Madonna. She is now a college student at New College of Florida in Sarasota. Gonzalez couldnt be reached for comment for this story. In February 2020, she published an open letter to Florida representatives who were considering voting to merge both New College of Florida and Florida Polytechnic University into the University of Florida. Gonzalez wrote that she always wanted to attend a small school, rather than a large school. No part of me was interested in being a face lost in a lecture hall, she wrote. The bill was dropped a month later. In October, she wrote an op-ed for Vogue advocating for the election of Joe Biden. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for fascism. In the op-ed she said that she is still struggling with PTSD, anxiety, depression and ADHD. Later that month, she was featured alongside other members of her graduating class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in the documentary Us Kids, which chronicled the March for Our Lives movement immediately after the shooting. In January, she was one of many voices of former students calling for the removal of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from committees after her disparaging comments about Parkland survivors. David Hogg, 20 Hogg is another recognizable name who emerged from the student-led movement after the shooting and helped co-found the March for Our Lives organization. He is now a student at Harvard University. Like Gonzalez, he also couldnt be reached for comment. While juggling Zoom classes and fighting back against recently resurfaced claims by Rep. Greene, Hogg also has been busy trying to get a new pillow company off the ground to compete against MyPillow. Hoggs new company is called Good Pillow. In a branding document shared on Twitter, Hogg pledged that the company will support charitable organizations around the world and will be made in the United States, among other things. But the news hasnt been taken well by everyone. Some have accused him looking to profit from his platform and letting down the over 1 million followers hes drawn as an activist. Hogg fought back against these claims on Twitter. I am more than my trauma, he wrote. I am more than an activist. Im a human being that gets to decide what I want to do with my life. If I want to start a pillow company to help people, feed myself and create jobs Im going to do it. On Feb. 10, March for Our Lives also announced that Hogg will take a leave of absence from his role as a board member. Cameron Kasky, 20 After confronting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at a CNN town hall days after the shooting, Kasky was featured on a Time magazine cover in 2018 alongside Gonzalez, Hogg, Alex Wind and Jaclyn Corin. Wind and Corin did not respond to requests for comment. Today, Kasky is living in Manhattan and directing his talents for organizing toward the mayoral campaign of Andrew Yang. Kasky told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that even before the 2018 shooting, he had an interest in politics and organizing. Although he hasnt been to South Florida in some time, he said he could see himself returning to support any Democratic candidates who seek to challenge Senator Rubio in 2022. Kasky said he is not formally involved with the March for Our Lives organization these days, but that he keeps tabs on it and is proud that the organization has evolved from focusing just on Parkland. Today, there are 300 chapters around the country led by students in high school and college. Im super proud of them, he said. Speaking of the three-year anniversary of the shooting, he said every year is difficult, but especially because the day falls on Valentines Day. Now that he is in a relationship, he feels ambivalent about what he should do. On the one hand you want to enjoy a holiday that a very, very evil person took away from people, he said. But on the other hand, that day is to remember people. Ryan Deitsch, 21 Immediately following the shooting, Deitsch was thrust into prominence after the footage he filmed hiding in the closet with classmates was shared around the world. He later became a founding member of the Never Again and March for Our Lives Movement and has been a staunch advocate for mental health. Today he is a sophomore at American University in Washington, D.C., but, like most college students, much of his learning happens on Zoom. Deitsch told the Sun Sentinel he is still involved with the D.C. chapter of March for Our Lives, where the organization is lobbying the Senate and House for further gun reform. Although he is happy about local legislation that has passed since the shooting, such Floridas red flag law, he hopes federal action can happen under President Joe Biden. This is the first time that we are directly advocating under President Biden, he said. I have a good feeling where things are heading. Deitsch said the anniversary of the shooting has never been easy for him. Trauma is just something that very much sticks with you. He also said the attention hes had on him ever since 2018 has been difficult to handle at times. I just sometimes want to stop altogether. But he said he ultimately feels a responsibility to his community to continue the fight that started in the days after the shooting. I realize that because I am in such a privileged position and because I have this platform, Im going to use it until the day that no one listens to me. One area that he has been particularly vocal about is mental health resources and space for healing. He said that he believes officials in Parkland and Broward County have not done enough to ensure students who were impacted by the shooting have the resources they need to heal. He also criticized officials for the lack of a permanent space off-campus that students and other members of the community can go to mourn and reflect. After the shooting, Deitsch said he had a dedicated trauma therapist funded by a grant. But he said he no longer qualified for the free care once he moved to D.C. He worries that as the last class who witnessed the shooting graduates this summer, local officials wont continue to prioritize the same resources and support that were immediately available after the shooting, especially to students at Westglades Middle School who were also on extended lockdown that day. My sincerest fear, he said, is that the community will continue to normalize the situation and move on but in a way that isnt conducive to healing. Carly Novell, 20 Three years ago, Novell was hiding in a closet with classmates. When she emerged, she became the second person to survive a mass shooting in her family. Her grandfather survived one in 1949. Novell is currently living in Washington, D.C., and studying journalism at George Washington University. She told the Sun Sentinel that she has always been interested in journalism (she wrote for the paper as a high school student). But her own difficult experiences with members of the news media after the shooting only further motivated her to pursue a career in the field. I was 17 and some of the ways I was talked to as someone who just went through a traumatic experience was really off-putting, she said. But I realize I can use my experience to be a better journalist for the stories of other people. In addition to keeping most of her classes online, she said the pandemic has made this years anniversary especially difficult because of the isolation. It doesnt help, she said, that people such as Rep. Greene are in the news bringing up the sort of conspiracy theories that Novell said only hurt survivors of the shooting. The whole point of them is to distract from the real problem, which is gun violence. Unlike other students the Sun Sentinel spoke to, Novell said she isnt getting her hopes up about wide-scale changes to gun laws. She said Biden has talked a good game, but words dont count for much. Weve seen the plan, but we havent seen the action, she said. Im waiting for the action to happen. Sari Kaufman, 18 Kaufman says she was lucky to have escaped Marjory Stoneman Douglas thanks to a fire alarm that went off three years ago, in the midst of the shooting. But the sounds of those gunshots have never left her mind. She went on to organize large marches in Parkland and Tallahassee and pen op-ed letters against arming teachers at school. Now she is a freshman at Yale planning to major in political science. She told the Sun Sentinel she is looking toward a possible future in public office. After experiencing the shooting and seeing how politics is just so intertwined with what happened and the inaction that followed, it made me want to go into politics, she said. When she isnt on Zoom for classes, Kaufman has taken up a new cause to advocate for: voter education. She said she got the idea while organizing early marches after the shooting and realizing that most young people, including herself, never paid much attention to who their local leaders were. She recently started an organization called MyVote Project, which creates digital voter guides so young voters can know who is running for office in their communities. She has already assembled a team of 200 high school and college volunteers across the country. Because it has been three years since the shooting, Kaufman said she knows a lot of people who didnt experience it first hand may have forgotten about what happened. Which is why she believes it is important that the victims are honored every year. It is very important for people who werent there to remember how they felt when they found out that 14 children died at school, she said. Its important that they remember how they were mobilized afterwards and continue to press lawmakers to pass common-sense gun safety legislation. The boss of British Airways has urged Boris Johnson to commit to lifting the tough restrictions on international travel to save the summer holiday season. In a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Friday, BA's chief executive, Sean Doyle, blasted the Government's 'uncertainty' and 'mixed messaging' over whether summer holidays are possible this year. He urged Johnson to set out a timetable for restarting travel now that around 15million Britons have been vaccinated. Appeal: BA's Sean Doyle, left, is urging the Prime Minister to allow British families to take flights abroad to enjoy foreign holidays again In his letter, seen by The Mail on Sunday, Doyle said: 'Now is the time to start charting a course for people to return safely to flying. With the success of your vaccination programme, the steady reduction in serious cases and good news around the effectiveness of the vaccines on variants, we should be confident to prepare for summer travel. 'I urge you to tell us when we can return to the skies in your briefing on February 22 and... that you focus on making decisions based firmly on fact and risk factors, not on the rumour and speculation that fills social media.' Aviation insiders said they are in 'the pits of despair' following the launch of tough border restrictions. From tomorrow, all passengers travelling to Britain must take one Covid test before departure, and two more during their ten-day quarantine on arrival. Those travel ling from Covid hotspots must self-isolate in a Government-approved quarantine hotel at a cost of 1,750 per person. Health Secretary Matt Hancock last week warned the outlook for overseas holidays was 'uncertain' while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was 'too early' to book summer breaks. Behind the scenes, aviation chiefs are working frantically to restart air travel through globally agreed safety standards such as digital health passports, which would show travellers' Covid test results and, eventually, vaccination certificates. It is thought that health passports could be introduced in the UK from the spring, once the over-50s have been vaccinated. Greece, Israel and Iceland are among those also introducing health passports, with Greece saying it could accept vaccinated Britons from May. Doyle said blocking Britons from taking a summer holiday for the second year in a row would 'prolong their anguish' after a year of sacrifices. He said: 'We agree that health must be everyone's first priority, and we are not asking to restart [travel] immediately. Hope: Greece, Israel and Iceland are among those also introducing health passports, with Greece saying it could accept vaccinated Britons from May 'But I must be clear: neither the aviation industry nor the country can afford to lose a second summer of flying and we need your help if we are to continue connecting the country to the world and build a truly Global Britain.' BA has launched a trial of its VeriFLY health passport on routes between London and the US, jointly with American Airlines. This week it will extend the pilot to all its inbound international flights. BA and parent company IAG are also in talks with global industry body IATA about rolling out its Travel Pass digital health passport. Emirates will launch a trial of the Travel Pass app on flights to Dubai in April, and IATA is in talks with the Government about a roll-out with UK airlines. Doyle said: 'We urgently need the Government to create agreements with other countries so UK citizens can travel. 'With the UK's national technology capability, we should be leading the way and setting the international standards.' He added that if the Government cannot include aviation in its February 22 roadmap, then Ministers must commit to a support package that ensures the sector's survival. Government statistics on Friday showed air travel has been the worst-hit sector of the economy in the pandemic, contracting by almost 90 per cent compared to February 2020. Travel agents and tour operators shrank by 86 per cent, and tourism by 73 per cent. Brian Strutton, general secretary of pilots' union Balpa, said he expects UK airlines to make further cuts to summer schedules over the coming weeks, which could lead to job cuts. He added: 'Now a senior Government Minister has told their passengers that they shouldn't book summer holidays, airlines will all be going through their spreadsheets and looking at how they can survive this year.' Analyst Mark Manduca, managing director of European research at investment bank Citigroup, expects demand for short-haul European leisure travel to be less than 50 per cent of 2019 levels this summer. He said the new travel restrictions will mean any recovery will be 'truncated, jagged and uneven', and that airlines could have to raise further cash from the spring to restructure debt. Manduca added: 'Industry net debt has ballooned to such uncomfortably high levels, it is no longer in the same stratosphere as airlines' future earnings potential. This will trigger an arms race of dilutive equity raises from shareholders.' Strutton said: 'Airlines and airports can't take out any more loans because they are already loaned up to the hilt and they will struggle to pay back the interest with no revenue coming in. 'If the effect of public health decisions is to effectively shut down an industry, then those businesses should be compensated. Aviation feels like it's in a death spiral it's just one blow after another.' Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Saturday said that police personnel have been deployed at her residence here without her seeking security and suspects that she is under "some sort of surveillance". In a letter to police, Moitra, , a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government, demanded that the personnel, including those from the BSF, be withdrawn immediately. The letter addressed to the Station House Officer of Barakhamba Police Station and copied to Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava said the former had come to her house at 6:30 PM on Friday and at around 10 PM, three BSF personnel armed with assault rifles had been deputed at her residence. "The conduct of these armed officers indicate that they are making notes of movements to and from my residence, it appears to me that I am under some sort of surveillance. I wish to remind you that Right to Privacy is a fundamental right guaranteed to me as a citizen of this country under the Constitution of India, 1950," the West Bengal MP wrote. 3 BSF men w/ assault rifles outside my home. Say they are from Barakhamba Road police station for my protection. Still outside my home. Am a free citizen of India - people will protect me. Request Honble HM @AmitShah Ji & @HMOIndia to remove immediately pic.twitter.com/7nQLy323Xv Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) February 13, 2021 "Upon making inquiries, I was informed that the armed officers had been deputed from the police station, Barakhamba Road for my protection. However, I being an ordinary citizen of this country, did neither ask nor want any such protection. Therefore, you are requested to kindly withdraw these officers," Moitra said in the letter. The Krishnanagar MP also tweeted pictures of the personnel deployed at her residence saying that they told her that they were sent by the local police station. "I am a free citizen of India, people will protect me. Request Home Minister Amit Shah and the Ministry of Home Affairs to remove (the personnel) immediately," she tweeted. The aisle was a lane and the altar a window at a Dunkin drive-through as Selena Stallmer and Brian Dinsmore said I do Friday afternoon. The couple won the statewide Dunkin "Marriage is on the Menu" contest and wed at the doughnut shops newest New York state location in Middletown, Orange County. Guide: Everything you need to plan your wedding in the Capital Region After Stallmer worked for a few hours in the morning at her job as a direct support professional helping people with disabilities, the couple cruised down the Thruway in her Honda Civic, swung by the carwash in town and headed over to their wedding. Once at the doughnut shop, they wore matching Dunkin masks. He sported a bow tie with the restaurants logo and a sweet boutonniere made from a munchkin. Her delicious bouquet was crafted of -- you guessed it -- doughnuts. After ordering a wedding at the drive-through, the nuptials were officiated by Eric Strauss with I Do Drive Thru Weddings, a company that offers elopement-style ceremonies, wherever you like, according to their website. The duo did a little post-wedding toast with doughnuts (of course). Stallmers was cupid's choice -- a heart-shaped doughnut filled with bavarian cream and topped with strawberry frosting. A heart-shaped brownie batter doughnut stood in as Dinsmores toasting tool. They then posed for photos and headed back to their home in Niskayuna with a box of custom treats in the backseat -- doughnuts with the couples engagement photo printed on top. We had such a fun time. We never ate breakfast or lunch so we're gonna head out to dinner now, said Stallmar as she pulled in her driveway just before 7 p.m. Friday to change out of her wedding dress for their reservation at Delmonicos Italian Steakhouse. That'll be our little celebration. Having spent his first one hundred days on this planet in hospital, Charlie Butler is home and can't stop smiling, and neither can his parents who are thrilled to see his progress. Charlie was born at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on March 3rd, a fortnight before the first lockdown. His parents Avril (nee Mullery) and Rhyan Butler (31) were married in July 2019. They couldn't wait to see Charlie, and clearly he couldn't wait to see them as he arrived 14 weeks premature after a 20-minute birth. Throughout they received amazing support from staff at CUH maternity building and Bru Columbanus, where they got to stay enabling them to be close to Charlie. Primary school teacher Avril (30) has undertaken a 100km challenge to raise money for Bru Columbanus and CUH and is already 30kms in. So far 3,718 has been raised. Expand Close Little miracle Charlie Butler from Gusserane pictured on Monday / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Little miracle Charlie Butler from Gusserane pictured on Monday Charlie weighed just 640g (1 lb 7oz) when he was born. He spent the first 100 days of his life in hospital receiving life-saving treatment. Avril, who lives in Gusserane, said: 'It was a baptism of fire. I had been a patient at University Hospital Waterford. At 22 weeks I was transferred to Cork where they have a neo natal intensive care unit so they felt I was safer there. When we arrived there we got a tour of the unit. We knew then it was going to be a long stay in hospital.' Their world was turned upside overnight. 'I was put in an ambulance and wasn't home until summer.' Born 15 weeks premature, doctors were unsure Charlie would survive his first day. 'A baby is only viable from 24 weeks on. Thankfully there were no restrictions [at the time] so Rhyan was there with me. Charlie was placed on a ventilator straight away and he remained on a ventilator for weeks.' Avril and Rhyan were by Charlie's side up until restrictions means Rhyan could not see his son. 'He would fit in the palm of your hands. We didn't get to hold him for three weeks. It was really hard. When you picture your first pregnancy you only picture going straight home with your new baby. Premature, to me, would have been two to three weeks early.' Avril and Rhyan were given a 50/50 survival prognosis. 'That is why to us he is such a little miracle, especially with everything else going on in the world. He is a good news story.' Rhyan stayed at Bru Columbanus - five minutes from CUH. Bru Columbanus provides 26 ensuite family rooms with a supporting kitchen and lounge where families can meet other families who are in similar situations and can lend support and understanding to each other and draw on their shared experiences. They rely on fundraising to fund this fantastic facility and the Butlers would love to support them in continuing their work. Avril said: 'They have really felt the effect of Covid and haven't been able to get fundraising events off the ground. Those nights when we were called at 3 a.m. and told Charlie has taken a turn and that we needed to be there. If we had been living in Wexford it would have been too far away. It allowed us to make a home away from home. Rhyan felt the effects of restrictions as dads were taken out of neo natal units for ten weeks. There were days we didn't know if he'd come home so he wouldn't have been able to see, touch or be there with him if the worst had happened.' 'Thankfully Charlie came home to us on June 1st and hasn't been out of our hands since.' Having been told Charlie might not survive his first day last March, every day with him has been a bonus, Avril said. 'After that it was take it day by day. He got more aggressive treatment to help his lungs form when he went off the ventilator. We never expected any of this in our pregnancy. The day he arrived we were told we were about to go on the biggest rollercoaster ride of our lives and that was exactly what we got.' 'Some days are good days and some days are bad. Charlie had surgery in Crumlin last month and has bounced back from that. He is healthy and is having appointments every few weeks and if there is anything needed, doctors will intervene.' Charlie now weighs over 18lbs and is the size he would have been if he was born on his due date. He has physiotherapy sessions every fortnight and Avril does Mommy boot camp with him. 'He is a fraction smaller than a baby born last March. He is healthy. His lungs are a little under developed and the main thing is that he's always smiling. When I am going to bed every night I just thank my lucky stars that he is beside me. For four months we weren't able to have him beside us as his feeds and the early night calls were looked after by nurses.' Avril is praying the cold weather won't affect her ability to run, but is confident she will complete her 100kms by the end of the month, having already ran 30kms within her 5km limit. She is asking people to consider making a donation to the Neonatal Unit in Cork University Maternity Hospital. 'We feel so lucky Charlie was born there and from the moment he entered the world, Charlie was cared for by an exceptional team of kind, supportive and dedicated doctors and nurses in their NICU. We are beyond grateful for what they did for our little boy. They are currently fundraising for a Sanctum for sick babies and their families.' Avril thanked everyone who has already donated and people still have time to donate at www.idonate.ie/charliesfundraiser. President Bidens administration on Friday weighed in for the first time with guidelines for reopening schools amid the pandemic, providing a road map for local officials navigating the fraught debate on how to return students to classrooms safely. Citing a growing body of science on the virus and data from schools in the U.S. and Europe that had reopened, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined key strategies, in particular universal masking and adherence to social distancing. The guidance also ties reopening recommendations to the prevalence of the coronavirus in a schools community. The safest way to open schools is to ensure that there is as little disease as possible in the community, said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. Even so, she said, schools can open for some in-person instruction at high levels of community transmission, provided they take necessary steps to mitigate spread of the virus. The guidance from the Democratic administration which is not a mandate appears unlikely to resolve the ongoing disagreement in many communities among school leaders, teachers unions, and different factions of parents. READ MORE: A debate in the Philly suburbs on bringing more students back to classrooms is as political as the presidential election In Pennsylvania, state and county authorities have issued their own guidelines, and schools in the Philadelphia region have taken different approaches, with students in some communities attending school in person five days a week and others offering only virtual instruction. Though Biden has pledged to reopen most K-8 schools within the first 100 days of his administration, officials said this week that the presidents commitment referred to in-person teaching at least one day a week. Walensky on Friday acknowledged the role of local decision-making in reopening schools, and said returning to classrooms must be based on a thorough review of what the science tells us works, and an understanding of the lived experiences, challenges, and perspectives of teachers and school staff, parents, and students. The guidance outlines five strategies officials described as key for a safe reopening of school, in particular universal masking and social distancing. The agency recommended that schools in areas with high levels of community transmission maintain six feet of spacing between students, and opt for hybrid in-person and virtual instruction or reduced in-person attendance rather than full reopenings. A number of Philadelphia-area schools have been considering whether to reopen fully, in some cases by reducing spacing between students. The Radnor School District, for instance, announced Thursday that it would offer full-time in-person instruction to its youngest students later this month, a move that involves reducing its six-foot distance to four feet. Those districts may have to think twice now about whether that is a safe thing to do, said Chris Lilienthal, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the states largest teachers union. He called the guideline good news from the PSEAs perspective. Steve Baker, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Education Association, said it was refreshing to hear the CDC keep safety at the forefront. In Bucks County, where the health department has endorsed three feet as a minimum in schools, some said the guidance likely wouldnt cause any change in their approach. Dont mess with whats working, said Bill Harner, superintendent of the Quakertown Community School District, which brought students back five days a week in the fall. Harner said the district has spaced students four-and-a-half feet apart and had not one proven case of in-school spread. In deciding how to return children to classrooms, every community, I believe, is unique, Harner said. READ MORE: As schools seek to reopen, heres what local data say about in-person classes and COVID-19 Walensky said the CDC was not requiring schools that were currently open to close, but providing mitigation strategies we know work. While still leaving decisions to local authorities, the new guidelines are more prescriptive than the guidance from former President Donald Trumps administration, Walensky said. The key strategies for schools also include hand washing, cleaning, and contact tracing. Walensky, who has said teachers do not need to be vaccinated for schools to reopen safely, described inoculation as an additional layer of protection that can be added. We strongly encourage states to prioritize teachers and other school staff to get vaccinated, Walensky said. Most educators in the region arent yet eligible for vaccination. Gov. Tom Wolfs administration said Friday it did not plan to move teachers into the states first priority phase for vaccination; its unclear when the state will move into the next phase, which included educators and other essential workers. Another way to add protection is improving ventilation, Walensky said, such as by opening windows and doors when possible. READ MORE: https://www.inquirer.com/education/philadephia-school-district-reopening-teachers-union-20210211.html Its very hard to interpret the science of safe reopening in the context of ventilation, Walensky said. That said, we know that respiratory viruses thrive when theres poor ventilation and we very much advocate for another layer of mitigation to be improved ventilation. In Philadelphia where school ventilation problems have spurred a standoff between the teachers union and district over reopening Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said the guidance reinforced the unions position that ventilation was a key metric for mitigation which is why we have been fighting against an unsafe reopening of buildings. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said the district had implemented multiple layers of safety measures that are already included in todays recommendations from the CDC. He also said the district had incurred $65 million in COVID-19 related costs and was still facing fiscal uncertainties. Bidens administration has been pushing for billions in relief funding for schools. A bill advanced by House Democrats this week would give $130 billion to K-12 schools, including to repair ventilation systems and buy protective equipment. Staff writers Melanie Burney and Erin McCarthy contributed to this article. Canada is reaffirming its commitment to international student graduates by further loosening eligibility requirements for the Post-Graduation Work Permit. International students can now do 100% of studies online and still get PGWP International students can now do 100% of studies online and still get PGWP Canada is reaffirming its commitment to international student graduates by further loosening eligibility requirements for the Post-Graduation Work Permit. International students can now do 100% of studies online and still get PGWP Canada is reaffirming its commitment to international student graduates by further loosening eligibility requirements for the Post-Graduation Work Permit. International students can now do 100% of studies online and still get PGWP Canada is reaffirming its commitment to international student graduates by further loosening eligibility requirements for the Post-Graduation Work Permit. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A International students who complete their entire postsecondary program online will now be eligible for an open work permit after graduation. Canada is making it easier for international student graduates to be eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) during the pandemic. Before, online learning could not count towards a PGWP application, but that has all changed. This new policy means that students hoping to work in Canada after graduation wont miss out on opportunities, while ensuring that our economy and society continue to benefit from all that international students bring, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said in a media release. Our message to international students and graduates is simple: we dont just want you to study here, we want you to stay here. This new measure to support international student graduates comes just weeks after Canada announced that PGWPs can be renewed for up to 18 months. Typically, PGWPs have a fixed duration and cannot be renewed or extended. Find out if youre eligible for Canadian immigration The new measures apply to international students who are enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program, and whose study program begins in any semester between spring 2020 and fall 2021. It also applies to those whose study program was already in progress in March 2020 when Canada first went into lockdown. International students also need to meet all other PGWP eligibility criteria, including the requirement to have an approved study permit. In 2019, more than 572,000 international students contributed $21 billion to the Canadian economy, supporting 170,000 jobs through tuition and spending. Also that year, more than 58,000 graduates became Canadian permanent residents. Canadian immigration has taken a hit due to the pandemic. Service disruptions and travel restrictions make it difficult for international students to come to Canada. Currently, international students can travel to Canada if they are going to a DLI that has an approved COVID-19 readiness plan. PGWP supports permanent immigration The PGWP allows international student graduates who studied at a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI) to work for any employer anywhere in Canada for up to three years. The work experience that international graduates can get from a PGWP can support a future application for permanent residence through several immigration pathways. Express Entry, Quebec Experience Program, and the Provincial Nominee Program, for example, all highly value Canadian work experience and some programs require it. Find out if youre eligible for Canadian immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Today Cloudy, breezy, and still very cool with additional rain and drizzle at times. Tonight Mostly cloudy and cool with a shower or two still around. Tomorrow Becoming warmer with clouds breaking for sunshine. There might be a lingering shower very early in the morning.. Each parent must be given six months paid parental leave if women are to gain equal access to work, equal pay and superannuation, according to Independent MP Zali Steggall. Ms Steggall will call on the federal government on Monday to extend paid parental leave from 18 weeks to 52 weeks that can be split equally between parents. When living in Holland, Alison McGregor and Mario Mortera experienced high levels of government support for parents, thanks to policies aimed at men and women sharing childcare. Credit:Justin McManus Providing six months paid leave to partners would encourage fathers to share care and cause less disruption and long-term impact to mothers careers, she says. Childcare is a major barrier to equitable workplace participation and a major factor in the pay gap of around 14 per cent that persists between genders, said Ms Steggall, the mother of a blended family of five adolescent and adult children. The Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial Saturday, voting that Trump was not guilty of inciting the deadly January 6 riot at the US Capitol, but the verdict amounted to a bipartisan rebuke of the former President with seven Republicans voting he was guilty. The final vote was 57 guilty to 43 not guilty, short of the 67 guilty votes needed to convict. But the Republican senators who voted against Trump amounted to a number higher than even Trump's legal team had expected, marking a stark departure from the first impeachment trial where only one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, found Trump guilty. LIVE UPDATES - Trump's second impeachment trial: Day 5 This time, Republicans Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowksi of Alaska, Romney, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania voted to convict Trump on Saturday. Perhaps the biggest surprise was Burr, the former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman who led the Senate's Russia investigation, after he voted earlier in the week that the trial was unconstitutional. Both Burr and Toomey are retiring from the Senate at the end of 2022 and will not face voters again. Burr said that while he believed the trial was unconstitutional, he decided to put that aside after the Senate voted Tuesday that the trial was constitutional and should proceed. "As I said on January 6th, the President bears responsibility for these tragic events. The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection against a coequal branch of government and that the charge rises to the level of high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Therefore, I have voted to convict," Burr said in a statement. But enough of Burr's colleagues sided with the constitutionality argument in their votes to acquit. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered a blistering criticism of Trump's actions surrounding the January 6 riots on the Senate floor after the vote, but McConnell said he voted to acquit because he did not believe convicting an ex-president was constitutional. "The Senate's decision today does not condone anything that happened on or before that terrible day," McConnell said. "It simply shows that senators did what the former President failed to do. We put our constitutional duty first." Vote comes after surprise call for witnesses The final vote came quickly Saturday on the fifth day of the Senate trial after a surprise Democratic request for witnesses earlier Saturday threw the trial briefly into chaos. The move to the trial's finishing stages was a final twist after the House managers' surprise request for witnesses had appeared to extend the trial indefinitely. The Senate voted 55 to 45 to consider witnesses -- with five Republican joining Democrats -- after the managers said they wanted to hear from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Washington Republican who had told CNN new details about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's phone call with Trump. But after several hours of intense negotiations between Senate leaders, the managers and Trump's legal team, the managers agreed to enter Herrera Beutler's statement into the trial record as evidence and move forward without hearing from witnesses. On Saturday morning, Democratic senators had expected House managers to move past witnesses onto closing arguments and a final vote. But the lead impeachment manager, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, announced when the trial got underway that the managers wanted to subpoena Herrera Beutler about her knowledge of McCarthy's phone call, following a CNN report Friday. Herrera Beutler, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last month, confirmed in a statement Friday that McCarthy said the President told him on the call, "'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.'" The trial recessed after the witness vote and Senate leaders tried to hash out the next steps. Calling witnesses could have opened up the trial to a lengthy new phase, as Trump's team vowed to call hundreds of witnesses in response, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Republican senators demanded that each side receive an equal number of votes. Closing the House managers argument, Raskin played to senators' sense of history in urging them to convict the former President for inciting the rioters to attack the Capitol on January 6 and failing to stop them after the violence had unfolded. "This is almost certainly how you will be remembered by history," Raskin said. "That might not be fair. It really might not be fair. But none of us can escape the demands of history and destiny right now. Our reputations and our legacy will be inextricably intertwined with what we do here, and with how you exercise your oath to do impartial justice." Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen argued that Trump did not incite a riot that had been preplanned, again repeating the falsehood that the rioters represented both left and right fringe groups, when video evidence and court documents conclusively show that the riot was perpetrated by Trump supporters. Concerns that calling witnesses would backfire After the last-minute decision calling for witnesses, House Democrats ultimately decided to cut a deal because of the unpredictability of how that would turn out and fears that doing so could backfire and undermine their case, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions. Democrats didn't make a decision to call Herrera Beutler to testify until shortly before the proceedings began Saturday morning, sources said. The managers debated until nearly 3 a.m. ET Saturday morning about whether to call witnesses following news of the McCarthy call. According to a Democrat familiar with the matter, House Democratic impeachment managers did not tell top Senate Democrats they wanted witnesses until five minutes before the proceedings. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer didn't even know until that point, but he told the managers Friday night and Saturday morning that Senate Democrats would support whatever decision the mangers made -- and reiterated that point on a caucus call Saturday. "After the vote, it was clear the managers had no plan," the Democrat said. "Senate Democrats gave them the votes, but the managers didn't know what their next step was." They ultimately settled on submitting her statement to the record as long as Trump's attorney made a public statement agreeing to submit it as evidence. The reason: They believed that pushing forward with her testimony would add little beyond her statement and could potentially cost them GOP support, while dragging out the proceedings further. Collins, Murkowski, Romney and Sasse voted in favor of witnesses. Before the vote was finalized, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he was changing his vote to yes -- the idea being to support Trump's lawyers also calling witnesses in addition to the managers' request. The sources told CNN that Democrats were uncertain how Herrera Beutler's testimony would come across after she was subject to cross examination, with some concerns that she could potentially undercut their case if there were holes in her account. Moreover, if they called other witnesses, it could also backfire. For instance, McCarthy could provide testimony that defended Trump, undermining what they believe is a rock-solid case that Trump incited the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, the sources said. Plus witnesses would not ultimately change GOP senators' minds, they concluded, while hearing from witnesses could bog down the Senate for weeks and imperil President Joe Biden's agenda. With Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Angus King of Maine, who are two centrist members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, telling CNN there needed to be an equal number of witnesses on both sides, that meant that the trial could be delayed for an indefinite period, perhaps weeks. The concern was that the Trump team could try to call witnesses like Pelosi and put them in an awkward position. And with a weeks-long delay, it could threaten Democrats' ability to advance Biden's agenda since they need consent from Republicans to schedule votes on nominees and other matters. With no consent, the Senate could be in a state of gridlock because Schumer would be forced to take procedural steps to overcome an objection, a process that takes days for each objection. Democrats had been debating whether to call witnesses leading into Saturday's session in light of new details that have emerged with the trial underway this week. In addition to the McCarthy call, Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville confirmed that, in a call he had with Trump as the riot unfolded, he told Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, whose phone Trump had called when he spoke to Tuberville, submitted phone records showing the call at 2:26 p.m. came two minutes after Trump had tweeted an attack on Pence. Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, one of the impeachment managers, argued that the call showed Trump was more concerned about delaying the certification of the November election than Pence's safety. Trump took no actions after learning Pence had been evacuated, Cicilline said. GOP senators focus on constitutional argument While there was plenty of drama over witnesses at the trial Saturday, the reality for Democrats was that additional evidence was still unlikely to change the final outcome of the trial. The final vote was already telegraphed earlier in the week, when the Senate voted 56-44 that the impeachment trial was constitutional. The GOP senators who voted the trial of a former president was unconstitutional said that was what would determine their final vote, leaving the Senate well short of the two-thirds -- or 17 GOP senators who would have to join all 50 Democrats -- needed for conviction. McConnell told his colleagues Saturday morning he would vote to acquit Trump, according to a source familiar with the conversations. McConnell plans to explain his decision after the final vote. The six Republicans who voted the trial was constitutional are the GOP senators who had left open the possibility they could vote that the former President was guilty, after 10 House Republicans joined Democrats to impeach Trump in the House last month. Several of those Republican senators -- Collins, Murkowski, Romney and Cassidy -- pressed Trump's lawyers during the Senate's question-and-answer session Friday over the actions Trump took when he learned about the riots unfolding and tweeted Pence was lacking courage while he was being evacuated from the Senate. The House managers have argued throughout the trial that Trump should be convicted and barred from holding future office because he was responsible for the rioters who attacked the US Capitol on January 6 and endangered the lives of lawmakers and Pence. They've made the case that Trump incited the rioters through months of false claims that the election was being stolen from him, then failed to take any action to stop the violence or condemn the rioters afterward. The defense team offered its rebuttal on Friday in a brief presentation, in which they sought to equate Trump's rhetoric with that of Democrats, arguing that political rhetoric is protected by the First Amendment and Trump's language did not incite a riot that was pre-planned. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments Saturday. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a forum in Las Vegas, Nev., on Oct. 2, 2019. (Steve Marcus/Reuters) White House Reassures Gun Control Groups It Will Fulfill Ambitious Gun Control Agenda With control of the House, Senate, and White House as a backdrop, Biden administration officials in their meeting with gun control advocates conveyed confidence about enacting gun control legislation through legislative and executive actions that in the past had not gotten the votes. On Wednesday, domestic policy adviser Susan Rice and White House public engagement director and senior adviser Cedric Richmond held a virtual meeting with leaders of gun control groups, including Giffords Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and Brady, during which they discussed gun violence in America. Rice and Richmond told attendees that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are ready to act to reduce gun violence and enact common sense gun laws. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Thursday that the Biden Administration is moving forward with fulfilling its ambitious plan of increasing gun control in the near future. During the campaign, President Biden laid out an ambitious plan to make our community safer. And thats why in part, yesterday, senior members of his team hosted a virtual discussion with leaders of gun violence prevention groups to discuss our shared goals, said Psaki. We look forward to working with gun violence survivors and advocates and sharing more in the weeks and months ahead about our efforts to make our communities safer, she added. The main part of Bidens gun control agenda includes banning the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, regulating possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act, buying back these weapons and high-capacity magazines from citizens, requiring background checks for all gun sales, ending the online sale of firearms and ammunition, and providing more funds to enforce these laws. The gun control groups who were in attendance at Wednesdays meeting shared their optimism about getting gun control laws in place that had previously been blocked by the GOP majority in the Senate. This meeting provided more evidence that the Biden Administration is committed to being the strongest weve ever seen on gun safety, said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a joint press release. Among the topics discussed at Wednesdays meeting were steps that can be taken to close background check loopholes, stopping the sales of unregulated and untraceable ghost guns, and expanding violence intervention programs. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, said she is confident that the public will see gun control executive and legislative action in the near future. In 2013, after gun safety stalled in the Senate, President Biden stood by former Congresswoman Giffords and vowed to fight the gun lobby and that the time would come for change. That moment has arrived, said Peter Ambler, executive director of Giffords.org, referring to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired space shuttle Commander Mark Kelly, background right, acknowledge the crowd after delivering the commencement address in two parts, during the 153rd Commencement at Bard College, Saturday, May 25, 2013, in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. Giffords also received an honorary degree. (AP Photo/Philip Kamrass) Giffords is a gun control group founded by former Congresswoman Giffords, who was shot in the head by a gunman in 2011 at a Congress On Your Corner constituent event in Tucson, and where six people were killed and 12 were injured. In addition, Kris Brown, the president of Brady, praised the Biden Administrations willingness to take decisive action against gun violence. They know that this is a public health threat and that there isnt a moment to waste. This administration is prepared to take a whole-of-government approach to keep Americans safe and Brady looks forward to working with them to do so, said Brown in a Thursday press statement. The Brady organization was named after Jim Brady, former press secretary for Ronald Reagan who in 1981 became permanently disabled from a gunshot wound during the attempted assassination of the Republican president. Meanwhile, gun rights groups are encouraging members to demand that their state and federal lawmakers advocate for gun owners by protecting the Second Amendment. Colorados Rally for Your Rights members are gearing up to fight local and federal legislation that infringes on their Second Amendment rights to own a gun for self-defense. The National Rifle Association (NRA), has urged members to make their voices heard in opposition to any infringement upon their constitutional rights. The 117th U.S. Congress has filed a half dozen gun control measures with the House Judiciary Committee and includes Rep. Bobby Rushs (D-Ill.) H.R.30, which would punish and deter firearms trafficking and Rep. Al Greens (D-Texas) H.R.167, which would prohibit the transfer of a firearm at a gun show by a person who is not a federally licensed firearms dealer. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) has filed four gun control bills including H.R.127, which would require the licensing of firearm and ammunition possession and the registration of firearms and to prohibit the possession of certain ammunition. Gun rights groups have called H.R. 127 The Gun Apocalypse because the bill would require expensive psychological evaluations for multiple family members before being able to purchase a gun. Biden wants to ban our semi-auto rifles, tax our guns/mags & more. He knows the only thing standing in his way to DISMANTLE THE 2ND AMENDMENT is NRA. Gun owners must stay vigilant & be engaged in elections and the legislative process, The NRA told its members. Lydia Branley pictured with her parents, Joanne and Martin at their home in Largydonnell, Kinlough in 2014. A driver who was previously jailed for dangerous driving causing serious injury after his female passenger was paralysed when he lost control of his car at high speed has applied to have his driving licence back. Martin Kearney (40) made the application for the restoration of his licence before Judge Francis Comerford at Sligo Circuit Court last week. Kearney of Farranoo, Ballina, County Mayo was jailed for four years in 2012 by Judge Anthony Hunt at Sligo Circuit Court where he also received a 20 year driving ban after admitting dangerous driving causing serious harm to Lydia Branley, then aged 25, of Largydonnell, Kinlough, Co Leitrim. The accident occurred at Drumiskabole on September 30th, 2010. Mr Liam Dockery BL, for Kearney, explained that the original disqualification order of 20 years was subsequently appealed and reduced to 12 years. The disqualification was following his client's conviction for dangerous driving causing serious injury at Sligo Circuit Court on June 14th 2012 He said the conviction was appealed on December 4th, 2014 and the disqualification was reduced from 20 years to 12. Judge Comerford said he knew it was a terrible accident with Ms Branley suffering significant injuries. He said the woman did suffer terribly and the court will have to consider the matter in relation to the application. There was legal discussion with regard to the interpretation of section 29 (1) under which the application to restore Kearney's driving licence was being made. Mr Leo Mulrooney BL (for the DPP), with Ms Elisa McHugh, State Solicitor, suggested to the judge that as there is another similar application to restore a driving licence on February 15th at Sligo Circuit Court, to possibly have the case listed then also. Judge Comerford said the case would want to be really strong to change his mind on the reading of section 29 (1). He said that the matter will go in for mention on February 15th and that evidence will be heard on another day. "To me, it cannot be clearer, the Act," Judge Comerford said. He said that it was a tragic accident and his sympathies were with everyone involved, particularly Ms Branley. "I don't know what her situation is now, but she suffered horrible injuries and all my sympathies are there," Judge Comerford added. The previous sentencing hearing heard of the horrific 150 km/h car crash, in which Kearney's high powered BMW 3 series 3.2 litre coupe tumbled over two barriers and rolled and tumbled for another 100 meters before colliding with a pole in a field at Drumiskabole, ending up in a stream and left the then 25-year old Lydia Branley paralysed, unable to eat or talk, and 'tortured with pain' every day. She spent nine months in a coma. In her victim impact statement read to the court by her sister, Andrea, Lydia stated: "I wonder if Martin Kearney remembers my screams? "I hope he is horrified by what he did. I will never again be able to use my limbs. I cannot drink a cup of tea. The only thing I have left is my brain." The crash happened as Kearney turned off the Sligo-Dublin N4 road onto a slip road near Ballisodare for a turn on to the Ballina road. Lydia had gotten a lift with Kearney that night and he and a rear-seat male passenger were thrown 10 metres clear in the crash. The court heard Kearney had convictions going back to 2002. In 2007, he had been banned from driving for five years, but the licence was restored in 2009. When jailing Mr Kearney, Judge Tony Hunt, referring to Ms Branley, said he could not recall seeing anyone being "so seriously and tragically maimed as a result of a road accident". In subsequent High Court proceedings, Ms Branley sued Martin Kearney, the driver of the car, and, in his capacity as owner of the car, his father Michael Kearney, Faranoo, Ballina. Ms Branley secured 10m in settlement of her action at the High Court in Dublin in 2014. WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) Austin Butler had 20 points and 11 rebounds as Holy Cross beat Boston University 82-65 on Saturday. Ryan Wade had 13 points for Holy Cross (3-8, 3-8 Patriot League), which broke its six-game losing streak. Gerrale Gates added 13 points and eight rebounds. Matt Faw had 10 points. Holy Cross scored 48 points in the second half, a season best for the team. Javante McCoy had 16 points for the Terriers (3-6, 3-6). Walter Whyte added 16 points and seven rebounds. Sukhmail Mathon had 12 points. The Crusaders improve to 2-1 against the Terriers on the season. In the most recent matchup, Holy Cross defeated Boston University 68-66 on Jan. 5. ___ For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25 ___ This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Jammu and Kashmir has been a top priority for the current government since it took power in 2014, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Lok Sabha Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday defended the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and said that the Union Territory will get its statehood at an appropriate time. "Nowhere in the Bill has it been said that Jammu and Kashmir will never get its statehood. Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood at an appropriate time," Shah said, replying to a discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill. Slamming some Opposition members for their claim that the proposed law negates the hopes of the region getting back its erstwhile statehood, Shah said the region's Union Territory status is temporary. He then took a swipe at the Congress and other regional parties, saying Article 370 was a temporary provision but they continued with it for over 70 years before the Modi government annulled it in August 2019. Shah also told the Lok Sabha that the Modi government has done more for Jammu and Kashmir since Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019 than those who ruled it for generations, as he reeled out statistics to assert that its development has been the government's top priority. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON PARLIAMENT HERE "The Opposition knows very well that the administration was handling the situation in Jammu and Kashmir when the COVID-19 pandemic started. Everything came to a standstill for a year. Yet you are asking for an account. I will give an account, but first, you (the Congress), were given a chance to rule for several generations, look at yourself and ask yourself if you have a right to ask." "Jammu and Kashmir has been a top priority for the current government since it took power in 2014," he said. "Decentralisation and devolution of power have taken place in the Union Territory following the revocation of Article 370," Shah said, noting that panchayat elections saw over 51 percent voting. "Panchayats have been given administrative and financial powers for local development, something they lacked earlier," he added. "Now people chosen by the masses will rule Jammu and Kashmir, not those born to 'kings and queens'," he said, attacking dynastic parties in the region. "Even our rivals could not allege any wrongdoing in these polls, which were conducted fairly and peacefully," the Union home minister said. "Work on two AIIMS in the region has begun, and the Kashmir Valley will be connected to the railways by 2022," he added. Shah also gave the assurance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that "no one will lose their land". "The government has sufficient land for development works," Shah said. Responding to Opposition remarks that Article 370 is under judicial review, Shah said that the court has not yet found any fault in the abrogation of Article 370. "If the court had found the abrogation of Article 370 illegal, it had all the right to prevent its implementation. The court has not said that the order can't be implemented. It has kept it under consideration. But should we stop the entire development work in Jammu and Kashmir?" Shah also accused the Opposition of misleading the people with its remarks. "The Opposition questioned why aren't we approaching the Supreme Court to expedite hearing in the case. They know very well that the hearing in a matter of this importance would have hundreds of lawyers, which is not possible in the virtual mode of hearing currently in place. I am sure the court will hear the matter as per its priority once physical hearings begin. But should we not do any work till then?" The bill seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of civil services officer with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. Shah said the government expects that around 25,000 government jobs will be created in Jammu and Kashmir by 2022. Shah also slammed the criticism for merging the Jammu And Kashmir cadre of IAS, IPS, and IFS officers with Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, saying they don't understand the cadre. "When there is a special geographic situation, officers have to be sent. They are sent for the development of the state," he said. Shah also accused AIMIM chief Asaddudin Owaisi of communalising the officers of the country. "Are you saying that a Hindu officer can't serve Muslim citizens?" Shah said. With inputs from PTI To appear in the examination at the centre, candidates will have to produce e-admit card along with a photo identity card like voter id, passport, driving license, etc The Central Selection Board of Constable, Bihar has released the schedule for release of the e-admit cards and constable written examination on its official website csbc.bih.nic.in. As per a report in Hindustan Times, the board will conduct the CBSC constable recruitment written examination on 14 March and 21 March. The examination is being conducted for direct recruitment of 8,415 Constable vacancies. The report adds that the admit cards for the recruitment examination will be released on 25 February. A report by The Times of India mentions that candidates will not be sent the admit card via post. The written examination is being held for candidates who applied for posts of Constable in Bihar Police / Bihar Military Police / Special Integrated India Reserve Corps / Bihar State Industrial Security Corps by Central Selection Board (Constable Recruitment). To appear in the examination at the centre, candidates will have to produce e-admit card along with a photo identity card like voter id, passport, driving license, PAN card, Aadhaar card etc. In case the photo is not available or is not there on the admit card, candidates will have to carry two photographs of the application form to the examination venue. Candidates who have not been able to download the admit card from the website are advised to contact the Central Board of Selection Council (Constable Recruitment) office located near Boring Road Secretariat Halt, Patna 800001 on 10, 11 and 21 March 11, from 10 am to 05 pm for the issuance of a duplicate e-admit card. Remember the crocheted doll version of the Bernie Sanders meme? It was all over social media and the woman from Texas who knitted it, ended up raising $40,000 (Rs 29,03,642) for charity. "On Inauguration Day, when I saw that that meme was trending, I said, 'Oh, I'm going to go get that pattern, I'm going to modify it real quick to make it look like his inauguration outfit,'" Tobey King, 46, told Reuters. She added, "I made that in about seven hours." Since clearly this became a trend, a Twitter user named Rowan Battley took to the microblogging website to share 'lovely' pictures of crocheted dolls his wife had apparently knitted. In his tweet, Battley wrote, 'My wife Lola will be selling her crocheted dolls in the precinct this Saturday, all proceeds to the drop-in-centre.' He added, 'For God's sake buy one, she's made 600 of the bloody things. They're all over the house. Every time I open the airing cupboard it's like being attacked by Chucky.' And if we have to be the judge of the dolls, we definitely agree with Mr Battley that it does feel like being attacked by Chucky. Here, have a look at them yourself! My wife Lola will be selling her crocheted dolls in the precinct this Saturday, all proceeds to the drop-in-centre. For God's sake buy one, she's made 600 of the bloody things. They're all over the house. Every time I open the airing cupboard it's like being attacked by Chucky. pic.twitter.com/Qi4iB0uBS5 Councillor Rowan Battley (@CllrBattley) February 11, 2021 Mr Battley's tweet has gone super viral on the microblogging website with more than 26,000 retweets, more than 7,000 quote tweets and 1.5 lakh likes. People took to the comments section to share their views on the 'dolls'. Also read: Indian-Origin Student Built Website To Put Bernie Sanders Mittens All Over The Map One user commented, Jesus imagine having those staring at you all day Simonc (@simoncoll10) February 11, 2021 To which, Mr Battley responded, I don't have to imagine, Simon. I'm surrounded by the woollen bastards day and night. I opened the fridge last night and one was sitting in the salad-crisper. Councillor Rowan Battley (@CllrBattley) February 11, 2021 Other users also commented things like: Could be worse, my grandmother had DOZENS of clowns like this one on display in her living room... pic.twitter.com/pcGdGaJpOf EM (@EAM74) February 12, 2021 When I first looked at the pictures I thought it was like an itty-bitty burn unit.. my bad. StayAtHomeBrad (@brad_stay) February 12, 2021 Could be similar scenes in house all over Ireland at the weekend with those dolls pic.twitter.com/ezSTtcbM7B Patrick Ryan (@PRyanoLimk) February 12, 2021 I love everything about this Tweet. The charity, the spousal support, the cheerful acceptance that these things are terrifying craft-abominations. You might want to buy her a candle making book for Valentines Day. Or get her a still. Definitely encourage a new hobby La Castillo (@hellshousewife) February 12, 2021 My wife also used to make nightmare creatures. I feel your pain. Here's one in progress before assembly and addition of tortured soul pic.twitter.com/eW9tpZfCCl Vince (@VinceA) February 12, 2021 If we all donate money to the drop in centre, without taking a doll, would she unpick them and turn them into blankets please? Jane (@britrobin) February 12, 2021 Would you like to get one? Asylum Seekers Enter US As Biden Ends "Remain In Mexico" Policy A Salvadorian girl sits near a Biden-Harris campaign poster inside a camp for asylum seekers on Feb. 7, 2021 in Matamoros, Mexico. Credit - John MooreGetty Images For close to a month, lawyers for Maria, an asylum seeker from Honduras, have tried repeatedly to convince border officials to let the 54-year-old into the U.S. due to her severe and urgent medical condition, but their requests have so far been denied. Maria has been waiting for nearly a year and a half at the U.S. border with Mexico for her asylum claim to be adjudicated in the U.S. under the Trump Administrations Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the Remain in Mexico policy. Her latest rejection came on Thursday, just hours before the Biden Administration announced a plan to begin processing an estimated 25,000 people in Mexico with active MPP cases out of the program and into the U.S. As of Friday, Feb. 12, Maria was still in Mexico, living at a shelter with her son. Phase one of the federal governments plan to begin processing asylum seekers is scheduled to start on Feb. 19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Thursday. They will begin processing up to about 300 asylum seekers per day through two ports of entry into the U.S. All will be tested for COVID-19 before being allowed into the U.S., according to DHS. The announcement was met with enthusiasm by lawyers and advocates who have long criticized the policy, which requires asylum seekers to wait out their asylum case in Mexico, as inhumane and cruel for forcing many asylum seekers to live in dangerous conditions. But many advocates also share concerns for how effectively the plan will play out, particularly in regards to DHS planned virtual online registration system. Asylum seekers will use the system to receive individualized details for when and where they will be admitted into the U.S. Those who have been waiting the longest will receive priority. Clothing drying on a fence at a camp for asylum seekers in Matamoros, Mexico, on Feb. 7, 2021. John MooreGetty Images Thousands of asylum seekers have remained close to the U.S.-Mexico border waiting for news of their case and orders to appear in courtthough most court dates have been postponed due to COVID-19, prolonging wait times in Mexico. Many asylum seekers have been able to find work, apartments or homes to live in while they wait. But thousands of others, including Maria and her 11-year-old son, have had to find shelters to take them in, or live in makeshift tent encampments run by NGOs and local charities. Story continues Read more: Migrants Stranded in Mexico Have 1 Year to File for Asylum. COVID-19 Is Making That Deadline Nearly Impossible Since MPP began in January 2019, over 70,000 immigrants have been enrolled in the program, according to Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a research organization. Though DHS announced it has identified 25,000 asylum seekers who still have active MPP cases, TRAC reports that number is higher, at 29,148, according to data released Friday. Although some people with pending cases may have given up after waiting for their hearing or due to violence in northern Mexico, it remains a legal and moral imperative that the U.S. government abide by national and international refugee law and provide these individuals with an opportunity to request asylum, Austin Kocher, TRAC faculty fellow, said in a statement. Unfortunately, DHSs process for hearing these remaining cases relies on a virtual registration process that may actually exclude precisely those asylum-seekers who dont have access to technology and who are the most in need of protection. For Maria, a transition into the U.S. cant come soon enough. In September 2019, Maria was brutally raped by a group of men in Ciudad Juarez while she made her way home to a shelter for migrants after leaving work. As a result of the rape, she developed a rectovaginal fistula that requires extensive and urgent treatment. On Thursday, lawyers for Maria learned that their third attempt to have her removed from MPP under a clause that vulnerable asylum seekers with known physical or mental health issues should be paroled into the U.S. had failed. Though they presented government officials with medical records, Maria was once again denied entry into the U.S. A U.S. Border Patrol surveillance tower stands on the other side of the Rio Grande in Matamoros, Mexico, on Feb. 7, 2021. John MooreGetty Images Brooke Bischoff, an attorney with the legal nonprofit Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, Texas, who represents Maria, tells TIME she doesnt know yet what DHSs plan means for Maria and her son. According to MPP guidance to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued during the Trump Administration, asylum seekers with known physical and mental health issues should not be in the MPP program to begin with, but lawyers and advocates for two years have tried to remove vulnerable individuals with clear medical conditions from MPP on a case-by-case basis, and have had minimal successes. Read more: Vulnerable Asylum Seekers Are Supposed to Be Able to Stay in the U.S.But Critically Ill Migrants Are Still Being Sent Back to Mexico [Maria is] really struggling, shes in a lot of pain, Bischoff says. At one point she told us that she thought she was dying. Its just a real struggle for her right now at this point, and we obviously want her out [of MPP] as soon as possible. While this is a definite positive step forward, Bischoff adds, we are still nervous about what this process will look like but were also extremely hopeful that this program [MPP] is coming to a close. TIME has reviewed Marias medical records and other supporting documents provided by Bischoff and Las Americas, and agreed to identify Maria only by her middle name for her protection because she is afraid of being identified by her attackers. DHS did not respond to TIMEs request for comment and further details about the plan, but DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told NPR on Friday morning that the government will be sensitive to acute vulnerabilities to accelerate them as well. This will take time to build, Mayorkas added. But we are poised to begin the program later this month. DHSs announcement on MPP comes as parts of the border have started to see an increase in the number of migrants apprehended since the start of the Biden Administration, according to CBP. Since early 2020, CBP has faced a growing number of individuals attempting to cross the southwest border, averaging about 3,000 arrests per day in January 2021, the agency announced on Feb. 10. Asylum seekers washing clothing inside a camp in Matamoros, Mexico on Feb. 7, 2021. John MooreGetty Images DHSs Thursday MPP announcement urged that it should not be interpreted as an opening for people to migrate irregularly to the United States, and that asylum seekers under MPP should wait where they are for further instructions rather than try to make their way to a port of entry. In Matamoros, where currently estimated 900 asylum seekers live in a tent encampment, the medical aid NGO Global Response Management (GRM), says they have noticed an increase in the number of people joining the camp in January after numbers had been dwindling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrea Leiner, director of strategic plans at GRM, tells TIME that the population at the camp, which at times has surpassed at least 1,200, dropped to about 500 in December. In January, the population increased to 900 as people rejoined the camp, along with other asylum seekers under MPP who never lived at the camp before. She adds that international aid organizations like UNHCR, USAID and UNICEF will be assisting with the transition. I know I can speak for all the groups on the ground that were here and ready to collaborate and fill in the gaps before more federal programs or international programs are there, Leiner says. Even though there have been bumps in the road, the Administration has been very open and responsive [about their plans] and were very grateful for that. Vietnams coffee exports are expected to have a good start to 2021 after a gloomy year due to the severe impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to industry insiders. Vietnams coffee exports are expected to have a good start to 2021 - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Last year, the Southeast Asian country gained 2.66 billion USD from shipping 1.51 million tonnes of coffee abroad, falling 7.2 percent in value and 8.8 percent in volume year-on-year. Vietnamese coffee products have been present in more than 80 countries and territories worldwide, and accounted for 14.2 percent of the global coffee bean market share. In 2020, German, the US and Italy continued to be the largest coffee importers of Vietnam. According to the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, coffee prices are expected to surge in 2021 since global coffee stocks have fallen to the lowest level in the past years. Chairman of the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association Luong Van Tu held that the coffee market has gone through four consecutive years of falling prices, and the coffee prices are likely to increase in 2021 due to a decline in global supplies. However, the coffee sectors ability to gain its bounce depends largely on the recovery of the tourism sector, he added. A wide range of free trade pacts such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) are billed as catalysts that help Vietnamese coffee reach out to the world (Photo: VNA) A wide range of free trade pacts such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) are billed as catalysts that help Vietnamese coffee reach out to the world. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said under the EVFTA, the EU removes tariffs on all unroasted or roasted coffee products (from 7-11 percent to 0 percent), and processed coffee (from 9-12 percent to 0 percent) since the deal took effect on August 1, 2020. Vietnams coffee industry also gains competitive edge over its rivals since it is among 30 Vietnamese geographical indications recognised and protected by the EU under the trade agreement, he added. In a bid to effectively carry out the EVFTA, the ministry asked localities to apply state-of-the-art technologies into coffee cultivation, processing and preservation to meet requirements of EU importers. Localities are also encouraged to increase the percentage of specialty coffee plantation, register geographical indications and build brands for their coffee products. The Ministry of Industry and Trades Foreign Trade Agency said Vietnam has envisaged to develop the coffee sector in a uniform and modern manner, aiming to rake in 6 billion USD from coffee exports by 2030./. VNA Coffee trade prospect 2021 Many financial analysts expect a recovery in the agro-market in 2021, including the coffee sector. She debuted a dramatic new look in December. And on Wednesday, Heidi Latcham made a rare appearance on social media with Adam 'BarRat' Barratt at Sea Life Sunshine Coast in Mooloolaba, Queensland. The former Married At First Sight star, 40, sizzled in a figure-hugging wetsuit while feeding Little Blue Penguins with her 91.9 Sea FM co-host. Team bonding: Former Married At First Sight star Heidi Latcham sizzled in a figure-hugging wetsuit while feeding Little Blue Penguins with her 91.9 Sea FM co-host Adam 'BarRat' Barratt The reality star-turned-radio host put on an animated display as she watched and interacted with the birds at the aquarium's new 'penguin encounter'. 'What an epic morning at @sealifesunshinecoast with BarRat and Heidi getting to take part in the awesome new Penguin Encounter!' 91.9 Sea FM's official Instagram captioned a series of photos and videos of the experience to its account. Heidi's slender frame was on show in the swimsuit as she stood thigh-deep in the water while feeding the penguins. Her signature platinum curls, which she dyed peroxide blonde in 2020, were tied back off her face and into a high bun. How cool is this! Heidi (left), 38, joined BarRat (right) at Sea Life Sunshine Coast in Mooloolaba, Queensland, on Wednesday Getting up close and personal: The reality star-turned-radio host put on an animated display as she watched, and interacted with, the birds at the aquarium's new 'penguin encounter' What was she wearing? Heidi's slender frame was on show in the swimsuit as she stood thigh-deep in the water while feeding the penguins. Her signature platinum curls, which she dyed peroxide blonde in 2020, were tied back off her face and into a high bun She appeared to be makeup-free for the occasion - and teamed her wet suit with matching black gloves and booties. 'The best!!!' Heidi commented under the post on 91.9 Sea FM's Instagram account. Her day out follows Heidi unveiling her dramatic new look in December, where she shared a picture of herself leaning up against a stack of chopped wood in a blue mini-dress. Blonde ambition: Her day out follows Heidi unveiling her dramatic new look in December, where she shared a picture of herself leaning up against a stack of chopped wood in a blue mini-dress The dress featured a belted waist, fringed hemlines and paisley print, and she paired it with a pair of white slip-on sandals. Heidi also showed off her new bleached blonde hairdo, with the radio host opting for peroxide curls, which she styled half-up, half-down. It's a change from her appearance on MAFS, where she wore her hair in a thick mane of sandy-coloured blonde curls. Blonde bombshell: Heidi first debuted her bleached blonde hair back in September, but it's the first time she gave her followers a good look at her new style Heidi also showed off a more natural look, opting for no fake tan and natural-looking makeup. She appeared relaxed and happy, smiling as she leaned back against the wood. Heidi first debuted her bleached blonde hair back in September, but it was the first time she gave her followers a good look at her new style. CLEVELAND, Ohio A Cuyahoga County grand jury on Friday declined to bring charges against an off-duty Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 22-year-old Desmond Franklin. The Ohio Attorney Generals Office presented the case involving officer Jose Garcia, who fatally shot Franklin on April 9 as both men drove on Pearl Road in the citys Brooklyn Centre neighborhood. The grand jury rejected charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault and aggravated assault. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said during a Friday evening news conference that Garcia claimed self-defense and that Ohio law at the time of the shooting required that Garcia prove he acted in self-defense. Garcia did not have a duty to retreat under the law at the time because he was inside his car, Yost said. Yost said Ohios stand your ground law, enacted on Jan. 5, makes prosecutors prove that a person did not act in self-defense. He said that will make investigations into similar incidents even more difficult. It is often difficult to prove a negative, and that warning proved valid in this case, Yost said. The shooting prompted protests in Cleveland, including some who invoked Franklins name during the May 30 protests in downtown Cleveland over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd and another large protest one week later. Franklin family attorney Stanley Jackson said he was disappointed in the grand jurys decision, but that they would continue pursuing the case, possibly in civil court. Unfortunately this is business as usual in America and Northeast Ohio, where an officer can kill one of our citizens and get away with it, Jackson said. This is a perfect example of why we need change in the judicial system. Franklin was an aspiring plumber and father of four. He was free on bond at the time of the shooting in two separate cases one for armed robbery charges and another for possessing stolen property. Garcia was hired in 2008. Cleveland officials have not released his personnel file, requested by cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer the day after the shooting. Assistant Attorney General Dan Kasaris said Garcia was disciplined three times, but did not say why. None of the discipline was for use of force incidents, Kasaris said. Cleveland police said in an emailed statement that they will begin an internal review of the case to determine if Garcia should face discipline. Yost said the investigation did not try to determine any civil issues that could arise from the shooting. His death, under the law is not the result of a criminal act, Yost said. Civil liability, however, is a question for a different day. There have been four on-duty fatal Cleveland police shootings that happened since the U.S. Department of Justice entered into a federal court agreement with the city to reform the police department after years of documented unconstitutional practices, including excessive use of force. The Justice Departments 2015 report also criticized Cleveland police for firing guns at moving cars and drawing weapons while responding to non-violent crimes. The Ohio Attorney Generals Office will also be the special prosecutor in the Nov. 17 fatal shooting of 19-year-old Arthur Keith by a Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority police officer. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff investigated Franklins shooting. Yost said investigators used witness statements from Garcia and a 17-year-old boy inside Franklins car, along with six security videos from nearby businesses, ballistics and interviews with two other witnesses. Yost said only Garcia said Franklin pointed a gun at him. The teen and the two other witnesses did not see if Franklin flashed a gun at Garcia, Kasaris said. Investigators relied on other evidence at the scene, including finding a bloodied gun on the floor below Franklins car seat. Franklins death happened shortly after a chance encounter between Franklin, a 17-year-old boy and Garcia at a convenience store. Garcia was not on duty at the time, was not wearing a police uniform and was on his way in to start his shift. Garcias case was not viewed as an officer-involved shooting because Garcia was not on-duty and took no actions as a police officer, Yost said. Instead, prosecutors and investigators reviewed the case like they would any other citizen, Yost said. Garcia pulled into the parking lot and saw the 17-year-old boy taking two cases of peach Faygo out of a box truck. Garcia told investigators that he rolled down his window and said to the duo: Thats not nice. He said Franklin replied by saying: Shut up, you want your s--t shot up. The teen told investigators that Garcia rolled his window down and said: Youre a p---y. Franklin responded: Brugh, youre a b---h. Kasaris said the teen gave Franklin a gun to hide. The teen wrote in a witness statement included in a civilian complaint to Clevelands Office of Professional Standards that Franklin asked for the gun because they felt threatened. Garcia left the parking lot and turned right on Pearl Road. Franklin drove away on Forestdale and turned around in a Wendys parking lot. He caught up to Garcias car at the intersection of Pearl Road and Forestdale. As the light turned green, Garcia said Franklin flashed his gun, and that he fired five gunshots. A bullet hit Franklin in the head, likely killing him instantly, Kasaris said. Franklin crashed the car into a fence at Riverside Cemetery. The 17-year-old boy tried to run for help, but a nearby business owner didnt allow him to call 911. He returned to Franklins car and Garcia arrested him. Garcia called 911 and reported that he believed that Franklin or the teen tried to shoot at him and shot at him. Officials have not said if someone fired a shot at Garcia. He was trying to shoot at me, and I shot back, Garcia told the dispatchers. Later in the call, he told dispatchers: I shot back, and I think I hit him The guy pointing at me shot at my car. Jackson and law partner Shean Williams previously said that an autopsy showed that Franklin was shot in temple, meaning he was looking forward when he was shot and could not have been pointing a gun at Garcia. Yost said that the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner could not determine Franklins position when he was shot. It is a tragedy that Desmond Franklin is dead, Yost said. A young life ended too early. And Im saddened by it. I pray for comfort for his family and extend my sincere condolences in their grief. Read more from cleveland.com: Grand jury convened in fatal shooting by off-duty police officer, police chief says Black Clevelanders express hope protests will usher real change: The world has joined Witness of fatal shooting by off-duty Cleveland police officer gives account to city investigators Ohio Attorney Generals Office reviewing fatal shooting of Desmond Franklin by off-duty Cleveland police officer Attorneys: Man killed by off-duty Cleveland cop never threatened officer or flashed gun Listen: Off-duty Cleveland cop tells 911 dispatchers duo tried to shoot at and shot at his car before he fatally shot driver Man killed by off-duty Cleveland police officer identified Man shot to death by off-duty Cleveland police officer in Brooklyn Centre neighborhood, police say Police chase protesters demonstrating against the military coup before firing shots at them in Mawlamyine, capital of southeastern Myanmar's Mon state, Feb. 12, 2021. Myanmar authorities snatched a doctor from his clinic and rounded up bureaucrats as the ruling junta moved to arrest professionals and state staffers for joining days of growing mass protests against military rule in scores of cities across the country in defiance of crowd limits, curfews, and increasing shows of force by police. Crowds in the big cities of Yangon, Mandalay, and the capital Naypyidaw have topped six figures for several days, and were still growing on the 12th day since the military deposed and arrested leader Aung San Suu Kyi, suspended parliament, and imposed a one-year period of emergency rule. U.N. rights officials are tracking more than 350 politicians and state officials, activists, civil society members, journalists, monks, and students who have been taken into custody, Nada Al-Nashif, deputy U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said Friday. The Feb. 1 seizure of power by the military over claims that last Novembers election was fraudulent constitutes a profound setback for the country, after a decade of hard-won gains in its democratic transition, she said. The junta has detained 220 government officials and members of civil society, including Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and members of the Union Election Commission, said Thomas Andrews, the U.N.s special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar. Many of these detentions have occurred in the dark of night and many times by plain-clothed police, he told a special session on Myanmar at the Human Rights Council on Friday. These actions are a violation of the basic right to be free from arbitrary arrest and detention. The military must release them all immediately, said Andrews. The U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution denouncing the 12-day-old military coup and subsequent violations of civil and human rights. The Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP) on Friday put the number those arrested and detained in relation to the coup at 326, with three having been sentenced and 23 others released. As part of an amnesty by the military regime, more than 23,000 prisoners, including many drug offenders and four political prisoners, were released Friday in honor of Myanmars Union Day, according to the AAPP. There is a genuine worry that this amnesty is being used to make space in prisons to detain more political prisoners, and that the released prisoners will be called up to engage in the pro-military counter-protest movement, the group said in a statement on its website. Workers from Myanmar's Forestry Department hold signs calling for the release of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in Naypyidaw, Feb. 11, 2021. Credit: RFA They took him away so fast Despite a ban on public gatherings of more than five people and increased security, mass protests against the military junta drew tens of thousands of people in cities across the country of 54 million that is the size of France or Texas. Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in three main area of Yangon in front of City Hall, at the Hledan junction near Yangon University, and at the Myae Ni Gone junction while smaller rallies were held in other townships. Protests continued in Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, and in Naypyidaw where government workers, attorneys, medical personnel, and education workers joined rallies. We are participating to show support for government staffers who are participating in civil disobedience movement campaigns, said a lawyer at the scene. We encourage government workers to defy the military regime regardless of what it has announced. We are campaigning to protect them in accordance with the law. On Thursday, some government workers in Naypyidaw reported that senior officials had pressured and threatened them to abandon the civil disobedience movement and return to work. Others who participated in rallies and strikes were detained overnight by security forces who forcefully entered their homes. Military regime leader Senior General Gen Min Aung Hlaing warned in a speech on Thursday that civil servants who failed to carry out their duties at work due to instigation by disruptive forces would be dealt with severely. Thet Thet Khine, a history professor at Meikhtila University in Mandalay region, told RFA that soldiers on Thursday night arrested mathematics professor Aung Kyaw Min who had participated in the movement. Soldiers who arrived in seven military vehicles asked young men at the universitys front gate at gunpoint for keys to the professors quarters, she said. They took him away so fast that his wife and son didnt even realize it, she said. Authorities in Ayeyarwady region arrested Dr. Pyi Pyi Naing around 3 p.m. while he was seeing a patient at his private clinic in Ingapu township, a resident said A group of men in mufti took him away in a car, and local residents followed it, he said. They found the car at the Ingapu police station and demanded that he be freed, but they couldnt find the doctor there. Myanmar engineers march along a road during a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw, Feb. 11, 2021. Credit: RFA Police fire at protesters In southern Mon states capital Mawlamyine, police fired rubber bullets at demonstrators and arrested student leaders and supporters, injuring three people, according to news reports. The police have arrested nine of our protesting students this morning, said a student demonstrator who requested anonymity for security reasons. We are now staging a sit-in protest against the authorities. We will leave only when they release our detained friends. Meanwhile, a doctor treating Naypyidaw protester Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing, who was shot in the head by police on Tuesday, confirmed that the 20-year-old woman died in the hospital, though her family refused to have her taken off life support after a failed attempt to remove the bullet fragment from her brain. We pronounced her brain dead, said a doctor from the 1,000-bed hospital where she was being treated. We informed her family and asked them when we should take her off the life support machine. The military regime denied that riot control police uses live bullets against protesters, but an x-ray provided by the hospital showed a metal bullet lodged in the young womans head. Saung Hnin Wai, a protester in Thandwe town in western Rakhine state, said police there began cracking down on peaceful demonstrators Friday morning, detaining one person. They hit two kids who were holding flags and marching at the front, she told RFA. Then, they tried to disperse the crowd. As the protestors withdrew from the scene, a police vehicle tried to drive into the crowd at a road junction. A man tried to use his motorbike to block the single police car accompanied by military vehicles, but authorities arrested him, she added. In Kengtung, a town in eastern Shan state, authorities nabbed six protesters on Tuesday and another two on Thursday amid a growing number of arrests in various cities, a local High Court lawyer said. This civil disobedience movement can be interpreted as a peoples duty to repel unjust laws, he said. The military is itself breaking the law by arresting people who have the right to freely protest. They dont have the right to make these arrests. This is the nature of these military takeovers. From their point of view they think they are right, but in the view of the people this is not right. Tun Win and Thingyan Moe, two assistant managers at the Civil Aviation Department in Yangon were arrested around 11 p.m. Thursday night along with deputy general manager Aung Zaw Thein for taking part in the civil disobedience movement, their families said. In Mandalay, police, armed soldiers, and local authorities tried to arrest Dr. Khin Maung Lwin, rector of the Institute of Medicine, after midnight, but they had to turn back when residents drove them away, a source close to the family said. The rector managed to escape custody. Cybersecurity law in the works Fears are growing that the military regime will enact a repressive cybersecurity law that would require online service providers to store user data at a location accessible to the government. The ruling State Administrative Council installed after the Feb. 1 coup submitted a draft law to telecommunications operators on Tuesday and requested their input by Feb. 15. The draft law requires online service providers to retain users names, IP addresses, phone numbers, ID card numbers, and physical addresses for up to three years in a yet to be designated place and to provide the data to authorities when requested under any existing law, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch. Online service providers also are required to block or remove information if instructed by authorities, which would allow military authorities to remove any content they dont like, HRW said. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung and Khun Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. It was another eventful week in the junior oil and gas sector. ( ) this week launched a A$12mln (6.7mln) share placing to support its ongoing evaluation of the conventional and unconventional prospectivity on the North Slope of Alaska. The exploration company seeks to sell new shares at a price of 0.8 Australian cents per share, equivalent to 0.45p, which puts the placing at a 27% discount to Tuesdays closing price in Australia. It comes as the company is preparing for the drilling of the Merlin-1 exploration well alongside a joint venture partner. The company is on schedule to spud the well in late-February or early-March. The new funds will also allow the company to identify and exploit new opportunities in the region more Zephyr Energy Plc ( ) on Friday revealed new estimates for the Paradox project based on current commodity prices, following the initial findings of the State 16-2 well. Contingent recoverable resources are estimated to exceed 12mln barrels of oil equivalent, based on 30 wells, the company said in a statement. It also estimates a net present value of US$120mlm, based on a US$55 per barrel oil price, and, US$148mln at US$60 more ( ) told investors the companys September 2020 North Sea licence award has been formalised. The company was awarded Merged Licence P2498 in last years 32nd Offshore Licensing Round and it was executed on 10 February 2021. This additional acreage is located within the area referred to by the company as a the Greater Buchan Area (GBA) which spans the Buchan oil field and the J2 oil discovery, and is the basis of the companys field development strategy more s ( ) partner in the Algoa-Gamtoos license, offshore South Africa, has provided a new prospective resource estimate which details the potential for some 5.27bn barrels of oil to be present. The company, in a statement, highlighted that the new estimates are triggered by the reprocessing of 4,500 kilometres of 2D seismic data which improved the image quality, improved confidence, and identified new targets. Altogether, the new estimates have increased prospective resources by 54% more s ( ) Perseverance-1 exploration well, offshore Bahamas, encountered hydrocarbons but commercial volumes were not discovered. The company, in a statement, highlighted that the well has successfully validated the structural model and the petroleum system. It fulfilled the core technical objectives of the well, the company added. The validation of a competent seal, good reservoir quality, charge and the presence of oil points to significant hydrocarbon potential remaining in various independent, untested play systems and structures within BPC's extensive acreage, BPC noted more ( ) told investors that the WR-38Z and WR-16aZ wells at the West Rustavi field have been brought back online safely, with oil and gas now flowing into the fields Early Production Facility (EPF). "I am pleased to announce recommencement of production from our West Rustavi field, with the expected revenue from both our oil and gas production providing a welcome boost to Block's cashflow position, further strengthened by the current higher oil price, said Paul Haywood, Block chief executive more Law enforcement agencies are considering widening the search for Qinxuan Pan, who police say is a person of interest in last weekends killing of Yale graduate student Kevin Jiang. Pan, 29, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was last seen in Georgia, and U.S. Marshal Matthew Duffy said efforts were still focused there. Were acting on information provided by the family and an eyewitness account that led us to that area, Duffy said. But as the search continues, Duffy said Saturday that authorities may have to broaden our scope. Were not ruling anything out, he said. Theres always the possibility that by the time we got the information, hes already out of that area. Though Duffy described Pan as a very intelligent kid, he did not doubt that he would be apprehended. Hes going to get caught, Duffy said. Were going to catch him. The marshals service asked anyone with information to call 877-926-8332. There is a $5,000 reward offered for information that leads to Pans arrest, but officials have warned that he should be considered armed. Heres what we know and what we dont about the killing of Kevin Jiang and the search for Qinxuan Pan: What we know Jiang, a student at the Yale School of the Environment, was fatally shot Feb. 6. His body was found around 8:30 p.m. on Lawrence Street, in the area of Nash Street, in New Haven. Pan was named a person of interest in the killing on Feb. 10. Jiangs fiancee, Zion Perry, attended MIT as an undergraduate student, graduating in 2020 with a degree in biological engineering. The couple became engaged a week before Jiangs death. Pan has a residence in Malden, Mass., and Duffy said a member of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Boston was also involved in the search. One of Pans family members told police that he had been acting strange in the days before the killing, Duffy said. Police in New Haven said they believe Pan visited car dealerships prior to the homicide looking to purchase a small model SUV. Pan, who is described as 6-feet tall, weighs 170 pounds and has short, black hair, could possibly be staying with friends or family in the Duluth or Brookhaven areas of Georgia, police said. He was last seen on foot carrying a black backpack, between around midnight and early Thursday morning, police said. What we dont know How are Pan and Perry connected? Photos have emerged online that reportedly show Pan and Perry together at an MIT dance on March 4, 2020, but their connection, if any, is unknown. What happened in North Haven? Police there searched behind the Arbys on Washington Avenue, next to where Pan reportedly was last seen. North Haven police came into contact with Mr. Pan sometime after our homicide, according to New Haven Police Chief Otoniel Reyes, though he would not elaborate further. Did Pan buy a car? He was found behind the wheel of a vehicle with a flat tire in the parking lot of Sims Metals, a junkyard on Universal Drive in North Haven. He did have a valid drivers license and was not detained. That car, which was later towed from the scene, was reported stolen by a Massachusetts police department. Is Pan still in Georgia? Though a witness has placed Pan in Georgia after Jiangs death, it is unknown if he is still in the area. What is Pans state of mind? Pan was reportedly acting strange, Duffy said. A family member could not really describe it. We dont know his state of mind, Duffy said of Pan. AP health minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas along with tourism minister Muttamsetti Srinivas interact with survivors of Fridays Anantagiri bus accident, at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. K. Murali Krishnaealth minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas along with tourism minister Muttamsetti Srinivas interact with survivors of Fridays Anantagiri bus accident, at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. DC Image/K. Murali Krishna VISAKHAPATNAM: The death of four tourists from Hyderabad and injuries to 23 others on Friday evening has once again compelled road transport authorities to focus on the condition of roads and vehicles and the experience of drivers using them. RTA officials said the driver of the ill-fated bus did not take adequate rest, and had long spells of driving from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Simhachalam and various places in the Visakhapatnam agency, before starting off to Hyderabad. Like the 2018 mishap at Chinutur in East Godavari district, which killed eight pilgrims from Karnataka, officials squarely blamed the driver for the ghastly incident. But road engineering experts pointed out that authorities always blame drivers either for drunken driving or working without rest but never point an accusing finger at agencies responsible for maintaining the quality of roads. A senior police officer said that the roads connecting Paderu, Chintapalle and Anantagiri in Vizag district and Maredumilli, Chinturu, Rampachodavaram and other areas in East Godavari district have been identified as the most dangerous stretches. Former deputy commissioner S. Venkateswara Rao, who obtained PhD in road engineering and public transport, said that there were a number of hairpin bends and the visibility at these curves was very low in monsoon and winter. The drivers need a lot of experience to negotiate at the steep bends. In most cases, they lose control over the vehicles while negotiating curves and fail to notice the incoming vehicles leading to mishaps and head-on collisions, he added. ITDA project officer Dr S. Venkateswar said that the Araku ghat road was technically perfect and the latest incident was the result of human folly. "National Highway 516E that passes from Rajahmundry to Vizianagaram will be widened and that will make the roads ghat roads more motorable for bigger vehicles,'' the project officer said. He also suggested that night-driving restrictions should be imposed for bigger vehicles. Germany is rapidly losing faith in the EU amid continuing Covid jab chaos across almost all member states, according to a new poll. More than 60 per cent of German citizens said their view of Brussels had worsened due to its bungled handling of the vaccine roll-out. And almost 70 per cent of them laid the blame squarely at the feet of fellow German Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, who admitted last week that mistakes were made in the blocs approach to procurement of jabs. She provoked international outrage two weeks ago when she tried to impose Covid controls on the Northern Ireland border. Just six per cent of Germans said their view of the EU had improved. Almost 70 per cent of the German citizens who took part in the poll laid the blame squarely at the feet of Ursula von der Leyen (pictured above), the President of the European Commission Last weeks survey of 5,020 people was commissioned by German newspaper Der Spiegel. Its editorial noted: The criticism of the EU comes from all political camps. Even among supporters of the Union, the SPD, the Greens and the Left, more than half said that their image of the European Union had deteriorated. The proportion was even greater for supporters of other parties. Meanwhile, the fallout from the vaccine shambles continues elsewhere after France recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid-19 receive just one dose. The French public health authority, Haute Autorite de Sante, said clinical trials showed that those who had already been infected with the virus developed a natural immune response similar to that bestowed by a single vaccine shot. Guidelines from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) state that approved vaccines should be given in two doses. The move in France comes amid continuing concerns about the low number of jabs being given across the member states due to a poor supply chain. Little more than two million members of the 67 million French population have been inoculated so far. The fallout from the vaccine shambles continues elsewhere after France recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid-19 receive just one dose (file photo) Hungary became the first EU nation to start using the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine after breaking ranks with the bloc in approving the jab ahead of the EMA. Trial data released last week suggested the vaccine was 92 per cent effective. Hungarys chief medical officer Cecilia Muller revealed last week that two million doses are set to be delivered over the next three months. The first 2,800 doses will be given to those who have registered with their family doctors in the capital, Budapest. Hungary has also granted approval to Chinese company Sinopharms vaccine, with supplies expected to arrive later this month. Viktor Orban, the countrys far-Right prime minister, has previously said: It cannot be that Hungarian people are dying because vaccine procurement in Brussels is slow. This is simply unacceptable. Last week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps revealed that the UK had given first jabs to more people than all of the EUs 27 member states put together. According to a statement published by the British MoD (Ministry of Defense) on February 12, 2021, The United Kingdom has donated 100 Armoured Patrol Vehicles Land Rover RWMIK (Revised Weapons Mounted Installation Kit) to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to tackle the threat from terrorism on its border with Syria, which is frequently used by violent extremists and smugglers. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link The United Kingdom donates 100 Revised Weapons Mounted Installation Kit (RWMIK) Land Rovers to Lebanon. (Picture source British MoD) The Revised Weapons Mounted Installation Kit (RWMIK) Land Rovers, which are capable of tackling the rugged Syrian border terrain and can be mounted with heavy weapons, have been given to the LAFs Land Border Regiments (LBRs) that patrol the area. This allows them to keep closer watch over their borders and stop extremists trying to enter Lebanon, who could otherwise then attempt to travel on to Europe. The Lebanese border is also used by international arms and drug smugglers, with the illicit substances and arms then transited through the country and onto other parts of the world. Supporting the LAF and promoting security and stability in the region during a time of economic crisis is also crucial to reinforcing the LAFs ability to defend the state of Lebanon from a range of threats. The RWMIKs are being taken out of service by the British Military this year after a long and successful period on UK operations around the globe, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following a request from General Aoun, the Commander in Chief of the LAF, to help bolster border security, the vehicles left the UK on 18 January and arrived safely in Lebanon on 31 January. The total value of the vehicles is 1.5million. A small specialist team from 16 Air Assault Brigade deployed to meet the vehicles on arrival in Beirut and have delivered an initial round of vehicle training to the LAF. This training will continue in the spring to ensure the LAF can get the very best tactical and operational effect from them. The Conflict Security and Stability fund is also providing 300,000 for spare parts for the vehicles. The donation builds on significant support already provided to Lebanon by the UK, including the construction of 79 border towers, provision of 350 vehicles, and training over 23,000 LAF personnel. Following the devastating Beirut explosion in August 2020, the UK also provided 27 million in humanitarian assistance and deployed HMS Enterprise to assist at the port - the first foreign ship to arrive in support of the Lebanese people. In recent years Lebanon has become an increasingly important counter-terrorism partner for the UK. The UKs support to the LAF - who drove Daesh out of Lebanese territory in 2017- is an important part of the UKs contribution to Counter-Daesh efforts in Iraq and Syria. UK Armed Forces continue to take the fight to Daesh in the region by supporting Operation Shader alongside our allies. On 24 January, RAF Typhoons launched an airstrike on a Daesh cell in northern Iraq. Four Paveway IV guided bombs struck their targets accurately and the strike was assessed to have been a success in eliminating the terrorist threat. Labors innovation spokesman Ed Husic has been asking himself the same question for five years, since he first visited Teslas California factory in 2016: why cant Australia build an electric car? Mr Husic, who was elevated to the role of shadow industry and innovation minister last month, says he doesnt have a plan - yet - for how to make it happen. Labor MP Ed Husic during Question Time at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But in the two weeks since he took over his dream portfolio the western Sydney MP has visited tech start-ups and medical companies and held round tables in Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. Hes even been to a western Sydney exporter of high-end pet food which gets shipped to Japan. Hes determined to kickstart a conversation about reviving car-making in Australia, even though major manufacturers quit Australia in the last decade despite $30 billion in government subsidies between 1997 and 2012. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The city of Midland is reminding residents its illegal to leave their dogs outside when the temperature falls below 32 degrees and warns they could face repercussions for doing so. Council member Jack Ladd posted a Facebook live video on Thursday telling residents theres a state law against leaving dogs out when the temperature is below freezing. Ive asked the police department to enforce this law, he said in the video. So, if you know someone whos doing that, feel free to call the police. And its too bad we cant put people like that outside and tie them to a pole. The best way to report any animal-related concern is to call Animal Services at 685-7420, according to a city spokesperson. If calling after hours, she said to leave a message and an on-call officer will respond. Residents can also call the Midland Police Departments non-emergency line at 685-7110 and the department will notify Animal Services on-call officer. A person found to have left their dog in freezing temperatures could be charged with animal cruelty, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $4,000 and up to one year in jail. Someone can be charged with animal cruelty if they intentionally, knowingly or recklessly fail to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter for an animal in the person's custody, according to Texas Penal Code. If Animal Services responds to a call and believes there is a cruelty concern, staff will contact the MPD to discuss pursuing further action, according to the city spokesperson. Freezing temperatures are expected to last until Tuesday and a mix of icy rain and snow is expected to continue through the weekend. On Sunday, a low of zero degrees is predicted, which would be a record cold for Valentines Day in Midland. Other Texas cities are also taking tough stances on leaving pets outside as a cold front engulfs the state. Animal Care Services in San Antonio reported that pet owners could face a minimum $300 fine and losing their animals if pets are left outside. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. By Brenda Goh SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the team's investigators said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began. The team had requested raw patient data on 174 cases that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, said Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert who is a member of the team. Such raw data is known as "line listings", he said, and would typically be anonymised but contain details such as what questions were asked of individual patients, their responses and how their responses were analysed. "That's standard practice for an outbreak investigation," he told Reuters on Saturday via video call from Sydney, where he is currently undergoing quarantine. He said that gaining access to the raw data was especially important since only half of the 174 cases had exposure to the Huanan market, the now-shuttered wholesale seafood centre in Wuhan where the virus was initially detected. "That's why we've persisted to ask for that," Dwyer said. "Why that doesn't happen, I couldn't comment. Whether it's political or time or it's difficult ... But whether there are any other reasons why the data isn't available, I don't know. One would only speculate." While the Chinese authorities provided a lot of material, he said the issue of access to the raw patient data would be mentioned in the team's final report. "The WHO people certainly felt that they had received much much more data than they had ever received in the previous year. So that in itself is an advance." A summary of the team's findings could be released as early as next week, the WHO said on Friday. Story continues The probe had been plagued by delay, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and criticised the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research. The team, which arrived in China in January and spent four weeks looking into the origins of the outbreak, was limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts and prevented from contact with community members, due to health restrictions. The first two weeks were spent in hotel quarantine. China's refusal to hand over raw data on the early COVID-19 cases was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times on Friday. The WHO did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment but Beijing has previously defended its transparency in handling the outbreak and its cooperation with the WHO mission. HARMONIOUS, WITH ARGUMENTS Dwyer said the work within the WHO team was harmonious but that there were "arguments" at times with their Chinese counterparts over the interpretation and significance of the data, which he described as "natural" in such probes. "We might be having a talk about cold chain and they might be more firm about what the data shows than what we might have been, but that's natural. Whether there's political pressure to have different opinions, I don't know. There may well be, but it's hard to know." Cold chain refers to the transport and trade of frozen food. Peter Daszak, a zoologist and another member of the WHO mission, however tweeted on Saturday https://twitter.com/PeterDaszak/status/1360551108565999619 that he had a different experience as the lead of the mission's animal and environment working group. "I found trust & openness w/ my China counterparts. We DID get access to critical new data throughout. We DID increase our understanding of likely spillover pathways," he said in response to the New York Times piece. Daszak did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Beijing has sought to cast doubt on the notion that the coronavirus originated in China, pointing to imported frozen food as a conduit. On Tuesday, Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation, told a news conference that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility, but pointed to market vendors selling frozen animal products including farmed wild animals as a potential pathway that warrants further study. (Reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Additional Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, David Kirton in Shenzhen and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Franklin Paul, Tony Munroe, Shri Navaratnam and Clelia Oziel) Roses are red. Violets are blue. Students at Wolseley School wanted to trade valentines but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to keep safety in mind, too. Roses are red. Violets are blue. Students at Wolseley School wanted to trade valentines but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to keep safety in mind, too. While some schools called off Valentines Day gift exchanges, citing the risk of virus transmission, others implemented strict quarantine orders so students could still exchange cards. "Despite all the challenges were facing, were trying to give the kids some normalcy," said Vanessa Wiehler, a Grade 5-6 teacher at Wolseley School. To do that, Wiehler and her colleagues gave families instructions to send valentines and pre-wrapped treats to school on Feb. 9, days before their festive classroom celebrations were scheduled. The red, white and pink cards and candies were set aside, in brown paper bags, for 72 hours. "Its spreading out the joy a little bit," said Wiehler, who handed out Harry Potter-themed valentines with the punny phrase, I A-Dumbledore You on them to her students this year. All cards and candies were set aside in quarantine for 72 hours before being distributed. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) Although COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through droplet and airborne transmission, the World Health Organization acknowledges individuals can become infected if they are in contact with a contaminated surface, and then touch their mouth, nose or eyes. The current scientific consensus is that SARS-CoV-2 can last on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days, depending on material, temperature and humidity. Thats why Erin Martins son came home empty-handed Friday. Students at Ecole Tuxedo Park took valentines to school on Friday, but the gifts including 18 homemade Valentines Day-themed tic-tac-toe games prepared by the Martin family must be quarantined over the long weekend. "They have the focus in the right place, which is on the kids. Its so much easier to just say no," Martin said, adding she and her first-grader spent days putting together festive packages for his classmates. Dr. Jazz Atwals advice to students on how to distribute valentines safely is to ensure good hand hygiene while writing and handling cards, and to maintain physical distance while giving them out. Dr. Jazz Atwals advice to students on how to distribute valentines safely is to ensure good hand hygiene while writing and handling cards, and to maintain physical distance while giving them out. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) "If envelopes are being used, do not lick them closed," said Atwal, Manitobas acting deputy chief public health officer, this week. Grade 4 student Noah Proenca Menezes didnt need to worry about envelope hygiene when preparing his valentines this year. The remote learner used pixels instead of paper to wish his classmates, most of whom he has yet to meet in person, a happy Valentines Day. His teacher sent the class information on accessing a program to make graphics to create virtual valentines. Mother Aline Proenca said its been neat to watch her son get creative in a virtual sphere. While Noah said remote learning has been tough and repetitive, his mother said one upside has been the improvement to his computer skills. He has learned how to use platforms, including video conferencing software Microsoft Teams, math program Prodigy and Adobe Spark, which he used to make a virtual valentine. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall. The dictionary defines sophistry as misleading but clever reasoning. Republican opponents of upholding adherence to the Constitution offer a variety of misleading defenses. 1) The outgoing presidents words did not reflect his intention. 2) Since he is no longer in office, he is immune from accountability. 3) The divisiveness will bring more anger and violence. 4) His opponents are haters who have tried to destroy him from the beginning. 5) There is a feeling lurking in the shadows that he might destroy those who dont support him. This is known in some circles as the mafia defense. I was born in 1939 as the country was gearing up to stop a German dictator. A vague memory recalls me hiding behind the sofa with my older sister during a blackout. In the 1960s, I began my military draft obligation with an oath to uphold the Constitution. I did not really believe in the domino theory, but I did believe I was blessed to live in America where I could participate in choosing leaders and policies. I knew I was free to choose employment of my interest and skill level and free to express my beliefs. These are all guaranteed by the United States Constitution. But as the Founding Fathers knew, freedom does not mean giving license to every instinct and impulse that we have. Rather it rests on thoughtful reflection, personal responsibility, and acting in the best interest of self and others. Top terrorist associated with Lashkars proxy TRF wanted for killing of BJP leaders arrested India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist involved in the killing of 3 BJP activists last year in Kulgam. The Anantnag police in a midnight operation made the arrest in the Samba Sector with the help of the local police. The arrested operative has been identified as Zahoor Ahmad Rather. Rather is associated with The Resistance Front, a wing of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. The police say that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the Resistance Front were behind the killing of a BJP leader and two of his associates last year. Terror tag of Lashkar-e-Tayiba retained by US In July The Resistance Front, a little known proxy of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba has claimed responsibility for the killing of BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, his father and brother at Bandipore, Jammu and Kashmir. The first time that the agencies got to know about this group was in March 2020, when the police busted a module of The Resistance Front." The module was busted on April 23, 2020 at Sopore and it was found back then, it was linked to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Intelligence Bureau officials say that this group has cropped up for a variety of reasons. The Hizbul Mujahideen, the local outfit in J&K is on the verge of a shut down. With most of its top leaders killed by the security forces, the group has not been able to draw inspiration among the youth. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson visits Newcastle-based QuantuMDx - QuantuMDx has developed Q-POC - a rapid, PCR diagnostic device for coronavirus testing at the point of care NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UK, 13 February 2021. QuantuMDx Group Limited, a UK-based diagnostics company which has developed a revolutionary 30 minute PCR diagnostics device, Q-POC, and accompanying SARS-CoV-2 test, today welcomed the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, for a tour of its purpose-built HQ in Newcastle upon Tyne. Q-POC is an innovative portable, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) device offering lab-standard diagnostic testing as the patient waits, with swab-to-result in 30 minutes. This is the same time as a lateral flow test but with PCR accuracy. The Q-POCTM has been designed for rapid PCR testing in clinical settings to ensure the safety of our NHS frontline healthcare workers. The simple-to-use test (insert cassette and press go) will be rolled out in a wide range of settings from emergency rooms, hospital triage ICU, test-and-trace initiatives to pharmacies and clinics rapidly and without the need for a laboratory. The Q-POC has just completed its evaluation by the Technology Validation Group (TVG) of the NHS and results will be published shortly. The Q-POC device was designed and is now manufactured in the UK, representing the best of British innovation. This was made possible with a 16m grant from Her Majestys Government, which allowed the company to accelerate its manufacturing programme. The Q-POC system has this week been made available for research use only (RUO) and the company expects to receive CE-IVD marking in the summer. As the device represents a significant advance on rapid and portable PCR testing, the company is anticipating strong sales and is already in talks with a wide range of customers including airports, private healthcare, pharmacies and overseas health ministries. The companys first commercial test for Q-POC will detect SARS-CoV-2 and all known variants, including South African, Kent and Brazil. Jonathan OHalloran, Chief Executive, QuantuMDx, said: We were delighted to welcome the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, to QuantuMDx today and we are grateful for his and the governments support. The funding we received at the beginning of this pandemic has enabled us to rapidly accelerate the scale up of our Q-POC system for SARS-CoV-2 testing. Having the ability to run a rapid diagnostic swab test as the patient waits will provide the diagnostic silver bullet for hospital triage, A&E, ICU, business continuity, track and trace, and many more settings. The deployment of Q-POC at the point of care will provide another important tool in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic and will ensure an installed base of best-in-class point of care molecular diagnostics across healthcare systems worldwide. We will use this installed base to launch more tests to ensure that an investment in Q-POCTM is a legacy investment that will provide rapid, high quality testing to patients long after the pandemic is over. ### About QuantuMDx: QuantuMDx Group is an ambitious company with a global vision of empowering the world to control and eradicate disease by making transformative, quality point-of-care diagnostic technologies universally accessible. QuantuMDx has operations and strategic partnerships in the United States, Asia, Australasia, Europe and Africa keeping it at the forefront of molecular diagnostics. For more information go to: www.quantumdx.com For media enquiries: Debra Daglish, Marketing Communications Manager, QuantuMDx Group, 0870 803 1234 Chris Gardner, Matthew Neal and Lindsey Neville, Consilium Strategic Communications , 0203 709 5700 For investor enquiries: Mass street demonstrations in Myanmar entered their second week Saturday with neither protesters nor the military government they seek to unseat showing any signs of backing off from confrontations. Protesters in Yangon, the country's biggest city, again congregated at Hleden intersection, a key crossroads from which groups fanned out to other points, including the embassies of the United States and China. They marched despite an order banning gatherings of five or more people. The U.S., especially after the announcement by President Joe Biden of sanctions against the military regime, is regarded as an ally in the protesters' struggle against the Feb. 1 coup. China is detested as an ally of the ruling generals, whose support is crucial to them keeping their grip on power. Demonstrations also resumed in the second biggest city, Mandalay, with lawyers making up one large contingent. The military ousted the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her government and prevented recently elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament. Suu Kyi and other senior members of her government and party remain in detention. The junta led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said it was forced to act because Suu Kyi's government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in last year's election, which her National League for Democracy party won in a landslide. The election commission said there is no evidence to support the military's claims. Saturday's protests coincided with the birthday of Gen. Aung San, the country's independence leader and father of Suu Kyi. His name and image have appeared on signs carried by some demonstrators. Authorities have stepped up the arrests of politicians and activists, and in areas outside Yangon have become more aggressive in trying to break up protests. According to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 326 people have been detained since the coup, of which 303 remain in custody. There have been many reports over the past three nights of raids during a curfew in which security personnel have tried to seize people from their homes. In several cases, neighbors and others people have rushed to the scene in such numbers that security forces have abandoned their attempts to haul in their targets. Videos of such raids have been widely posted on social media. The prisoners' association also said that riot police fired rubber bullets, injuring five students, and took away another nine in a protest Friday in the southern city of Mawlamyine. Family members are left with no knowledge of the charges, location or condition of their loved ones, it said in a statement. These are not isolated incidents and nighttime raids are targeting dissenting voices. It is happening across the country. Detainees have included political leaders, government officials, civil servants, activists and student leaders. Medical personnel have been singled out because their community initiated the civil disobedience campaign against the military takeover and remains in its vanguard. The military ruled directly for five decades after a 1962 coup, and used lethal force to quash a massive 1988 uprising and a 2007 revolt led by Buddhist monks. The U.N.'s top human rights body on Friday passed a consensus resolution urging the military to immediately release Suu Kyi and other civilian government leaders while watering down a draft text amid pressure led by China and Russia. In a special session at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the original resolution presented by Britain and the European Union was revised to remove calls to bolster the ability of a U.N. rights expert to scrutinize Myanmar and for restraint from the country's military. After the updated resolution passed with no opposition, Chinese Ambassador Chen Xu thanked the sponsors for adopting our recommendations but said China still was distancing itself from the measure. Short link: Russias Internet and search giant Yandex on Friday said that it caught one of its employees providing unauthorized access of users mailboxes to third parties for personal gains. While the company did not disclose the employees name, it said that the person was one of three system administrators with the necessary access rights to provide technical support for its Yandex.Mail service. The data breach was discovered by Yandexs security team during routine screening, and a thorough internal investigation of the incident is currently underway. According to Yandex, payment details have not been compromised. An internal investigation revealed that an employee had been providing unauthorized access to users mailboxes for personal gain. The employee was one of three system administrators with the necessary access rights to provide technical support for the service. As a result of his actions, 4,887 mailboxes were compromised. No payment details held by Yandex were compromised, the company said in a press release on Friday. Yandexs security team has already blocked unauthorized access to the compromised mailboxes. The Russian company has also contacted the affected owners of the 4,887 mailboxes and alerted them about the data breach. They have informed the affected owners of the need to change their account passwords. Yandex will be making changes to administrative access procedures to help minimize the potential for individuals to compromise the security of user data in future. The company has also contacted law enforcement to inform about the incident. When I was growing up, my mother would constantly tell me to mind my attitude. This most often occurred while I was doing household chores at her request. What she meant was for me to not only respect her but also be gracious and grateful, even while doing chores. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Andrews government has stuck by its claim a returned traveller since hospitalised with coronavirus didnt declare a nebuliser blamed for the hotel quarantine super spreading event that has locked down Victoria. The 38-year-old man has insisted hotel quarantine staff were aware that he had the device and that they had even offered to source more of the medication administered by the machine. The head of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Emma Cassar addresses the media on Saturday Credit:Luis Ascui But Premier Daniel Andrews deferred much of the persistent questioning on the issue to the head of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Emma Cassar on Saturday, and the senior public servant later maintained she could not explain the opposing version of events. Hes not lying, we are not making those accusations, she said of the returned traveller, who has been in intensive care. No one is going to win from this argument where we are constantly having a battle on these matters, which are so private for somebody. Auburn, the Brits were getting the vaccine long before us. Our doses were sitting in a warehouse because Trump was too busy trying to overturn the election to organize their distribution. Biden set up sites all over the place so you and thousands of others could get your shot. Yes, there have been glitches where people try to use capitalism to get rich, but Trump had no plan at all. Mahanoy City To Shenandoah, like Hitler, in my opinion, President Trump headed for a form of genocide against the elderly and disabled when he cut the tax that supports Social Security. His action would cause the end of Social Security by the year 2023. I am praying President Biden rectifies this. Schuylkill Haven Mahatma Gandhi said if there is an idiot in power, it means that those who elected him are well-represented. Minersville To the caller about the Saint Clair Area Elementary marquee saying thank you school board members and they said, for what? I hope that person would be informed that it is not a job. It is an elected position. It is an unpaid position. We really do need to say thank you to all school board members. Ringtown Hats off to the Republican carrier in Norwegian Woods. My wife and I did our best cleaning out the mailbox and they put the mail and the paper in a clear plastic bag. Awesome people. Pottsville To the caller from Auburn who got her first vaccine shot and thanked President Trump. No, it wasnt him. It was CDC and everybody that helped. It wasnt Trump. Shenandoah I am calling about the elderly. They said they were getting shots first but thats not true. You have to have a computer and none of us have it so I guess we will die. Girardville I read in the paper that the Blue Mountain superintendent is against a state tax increase to help fund schools. Why, then, does he support building an elementary school with the capacity almost twice as large as the current enrollment? Also, there is nothing to support increased enrollment but there is a past history of declining enrollment. Also, as we have noticed and the school board has mentioned, online learning is the wave of the future. So, why is it that he supports yearly property tax increases but does not support a state tax increase? Cressona Nancy Honicker, about fathers and stepfathers in France sexually abusing their own kids and thinking it is alright sickened me. I hope God punishes all who do this to defenseless kids. Saint Clair Joe Biden destroyed 10,000 to 15,000 pipeline jobs, wants to pay for abortions in other countries, wants to allow thousands of immigrants into the country and gas is up 18 cents a gallon in just two weeks. You Democrats should be ashamed for voting for such people to run our country. Everything they do is wrong. Wayne Township This is to all the Trump supporters raving about what he accomplished. On the news they had a list of his promises and not one came true. I am going to give you two examples. Health care is easy to reform and it will be done within 10 days. Zero was done. Secondly, coal mining will make a great comeback. Guess what? It is in worse shape than ever. I could go on and on. Frackville Gov. Wolf wants to raise taxes 46% on businesses and people that are struggling already. I hope everybody remembers this the next time a Democrat tells you they care about the middle class, which by the way will be the next election. Hegins Yes, they did a great job plowing the streets in Schuylkill Haven but they also plowed people in that have doctors appointments and have to go to work four times. There must be a better solution. Use your common sense and find it. Schuylkill Haven Information for the Tamaqua caller, be advised there has been nine presidents before Biden since the 1973 Roe v. Wade became law. Six were Republicans. None made any real effort to get it overturned because polls in the USA show that 70% of women support their right to choose. Abortion needs to be attacked internally at each church by offering guidance and real financial support to members to select other alternatives. Minersville If Mr. Trump would ever start his own third party I will join it because he is for Americans, for keeping jobs over environment. Hes pro-life, protecting the unborn. He is a true patriot and believes in keeping the illegals from coming, only if they come the legal way and not crossing the border and putting us all in jeopardy of crime and disease. Pottsville Pro-life or pro-death? Pro-good or pro-evil? Pro-God or pro-devil? He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Matthew Chapter 25, Verse 30. What will you and I choose? Orwigsburg I want to thank Rich Magnani of Brockton for his Feb. 4 letter to the editor. He referred to the need for deprogramming some people in the post-Trump era. I agree completely and it seems he is one of them. His chaotic rant of a letter illustrates the point perfectly. Somebody get that man a Snickers bar, please. Mahanoy City Hey, Rich Magnani, dont ever stop writing your letters, buddy. I find them more amusing than the comics. Pottsville It took me 10 years to pay off my student loans. So when Biden decides to forgive anywhere from $10,000 up to $50,000 off someones student loan, I expect a little check in the mail to reimburse me because I worked for it and I am still poor. Schuylkill Haven Jesus Christ, our only hope in 2021. Frackville At this point in our history, everyone should ponder the words of Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address and think about their actions going forward. Frackville I think political opinions are a lot like crossword puzzles. English words have several definitions. Only when the cross answers match the down columns do you have the correct answer. Unity is not based on stubbornly ignoring either side. Mahanoy City My God. My blood is boiling. Wolf signs pandemic relief bill. He puts money in there for renters. What about property owners? Property taxes are killing us. We are losing our houses. My God, this man needs help. Minersville I know I am not as bright as Tom Noonan but I would like him to explain a couple things. Number one, why doesnt the unifier in chief work with Republicans? Number two, how did any of his executive orders benefit the average American citizen? Number three, why are Democrats so afraid of the military? Why dont they treat the military better than they do? I would like some answers, Tom. Maybe you could tell me why Biden is tearing this country apart at the seams. Frackville Thanks, Biden, for doing away with the Keystone Pipeline. In addition to thousands losing their jobs, crude oil prices are going up daily. This will have a domino effect on everything costing more. Hegins I just want to express my good feeling about Boyers in Shenandoah. I had asked them a question about different things. Always pleasant, always informative, always would find out an answer to my question. Walmart, I asked three different people there about why they are out of the cat food and not one person could answer me. They didnt know. But Boyers has been a pleasure to shop at. Shenandoah Hats off to the Pottsville Republican delivery person in the Williamstown area. They are the most reliable, dependable people we have ever had since the Republican went to the morning edition. Hats off and congratulations. Williamstown New Delhi: On a two day visit to India, Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop has interacted with students on the subject 'Career of future'at Shiv Nadar School. She said "We can see that the jobs and careers of the future are going to be very different.A decade later, at least 65 per cent of students today will end up working in an industry which has not even been thought of.So the challenge before the education system is to prepare students for a future which is quite unknown". "Australia is the second most popular destination in the world for intyernational students and last year there were 70,000 enrolments from India for students to study in our universities, in our institutions and we have some of the best in the world,"she said. She also added that though technological adaptability is a must in this day and age time but an individual's ability to communicate should not be taken away by machines. She emphasised that "This is a time of unprecedented change and we see technological advancements disrupting the way we live,the way we communicate and the way we work". While interacting with students she said At a time when we see an increase in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, technological adaptability is amust but an individual's ability to communicate should not be taken away by machines. With PTI inputs Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Larry Flynt should be remembered as a 'scourge on society,' not a free speech advocate Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A national organization that combats sexual exploitation said pornographer Larry Flynt, who died Wednesday at 78, should be remembered as "a scourge on society," not championed as a free speech advocate. Flynt, the founder of Hustler magazine, is famous not only for his pornographic publications but his involvement in legal matters centering around what qualifies as freedom of speech and expression in society. Defenders of porn have maintained that pornography is a form of speech and is thus constitutionally protected. Opponents have countered that obscenity, particularly sexually explicit content, is not a First Amendment matter and have in recent years framed the issue as a public health crisis given its myriad harms and links to societal ills such as domestic abuse and human trafficking. In 1988, the United States Supreme Court ruled 8-0 in Flynt's favor in the case of Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, ruling that the First Amendment and 14th Amendment bar public figures from recovering damages for the tort of the intentional inflicting of emotional distress if such distress was caused by a caricature or parody that a reasonable person would not have interpreted as the truth. Flynt had depicted Jerry Falwell Sr. as an incestuous drunk in an advertisement in Hustler magazine's November 1983 issue. Yet because Falwell was a public figure, the high court said that the ad was not sufficient reason to deny First Amendment protection to this kind of speech. The story of this litigation and a biographical exploration of Flynt's troubled life were depicted in the Oscar-nominated 1996 film "The People v. Larry Flynt." In a statement Wednesday, the Washington-based National Center of Sexual Exploitation said the pornographer ought to be remembered as "a scourge on society." "He directly contributed to and profited from the sexual exploitation of women for the majority of his career, and our culture is poorer for it, said Dawn Hawkins, NCOSE senior vice president and executive director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Flynt should be remembered by the simple fact that he put an image of a woman being fed into a meat grinder on the cover of his magazine. That image conveys the ugly truth of Flynts life and his misogynistic and harmful attitude toward women. Spurning the idea that he was a First Amendment hero, she added: Flynts lasting legacy is that the pornographic content he pushed into the mainstream has led to the rampant abuse, racism, and child sexual abuse material found on tube sites like Pornhub." Some mainstream journalists joined in with their disgust, noting the pornographer's documented sordid behavior. "Before you memorialize Larry Flynt as a hero please remember his daughter Tonya Flynt-Vega said he was a child molester and a monster," CNN's Jake Tapper tweeted Wednesday. Aura Bogado, senior reporter for Reveal, tweeted that she was glad to see him dead. "Larry Flynt tormented me by commissioning racist caricatures of my likeness and written hit pieces against me. He also commissioned a photo spread in which it was suggested that I should be raped. For a while, I wasn't sure how I'd feel once he died. To be honest, I'm thrilled," she tweeted Wednesday. Anti-porn scholar Gail Dines, author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, commented on her Facebook page Thursday that although Flynt is dead, his magazine "paved the way for the mainstreaming of today's hardcore porn. It pushed the envelope by grooming the public into accepting hardcore porn as normalized (who can forget the meatgrinder image, or Chester the Molester?), and was the bridge between the covert misogyny of soft-core pinups of Playboy and the overt misogyny of sexual violence rebranded as 'kink.'" "One more pornographer dies without ever being held accountable for the enormous damage he did to women." "You heard of honest Socrates The man who never lied: They weren't so grateful as you'd think Instead the rulers fixed to have him tried And handed him the poisoned drink. How honest was the people's noble son. The world however did not wait But soon observed what followed on. It's honesty that brought him to that state. How fortunate the man with none." - Bertolt Brecht Laffaire Salman Khan was deconstructed in different, even discordant ways by various groups of people, depending on their particular socio-economic situations. A large section of Bollywood declared it as a triumph of justice and a vindication of their peculiar ethic that claims special privileges for celebrities who entertain the nation, who spend so much on charity, who keep the industry going (several hundreds of crores are said to be riding on Salman Khan). Those who are not star-struck, nor are rich and famous received it as yet another confirmation of their belief that the law of the land cannot chastise the rich and the famous. Still others commentators, anti-corruption activists etc. saw it as an endorsement of the truth alone triumphs motto. As a former IPS officer who has put in forty years in the organisation I see it quite differently. To me, it is yet another stern warning that the perils of honesty and commitment to the rule of law come with an unacceptable risk for the policeman. Society has evolved considerably from its earlier identification with courageous and conscientious upholders of law as heroic figures; achievers and the successful are the new role model. In a time when even directors of CBI have been seen to be puny foot-soldiers of the rich and powerful, characters like Ravindra Patil seem to be chasing illusory, quixotic goals. As a lowly constable, he had the temerity to stand for truth, equality before law and a determination to bring the powerful to justice. In doing so he went against the organizational culture. He was a turncoat of his profession. No wonder the Mumbai police force excommunicated him. (Ravindra Patil was a commando from Mumbai police who was assigned as bodyguard to Salman Khan in the wake of threats to him from the Mumbai underworld, and was with him on the fateful night when the superstar ran down pavement dwellers and ran away. Patil was the lone eyewitness, who stuck to his account that Salman Khan was drunk and drove rashly despite being cautioned. Repeated threats, inducements and pressure from his own department did not dissaude him, and he paid the price with his eventual dismissal, and ultimate death, alone in a hospital. Newspapers report his statement to a friend a mere two days before his death: "I stood by my statement till the end, but my department did not stand by me. I want my job back, I want to survive. I want to meet the police commissioner once.") The system wreaks punishment in great detail to those who stand for truth in contemporary society, and the utter futility and pointlessness of such a gesture would be evident if we plot the life of the individual in history as opposed to the timeless image of the hero. Satya Harischandras insane commitment to fulfill a promise made in a dream cost him his kingdom, and his son. He sold himself into slavery of the worst kind, and even felt duty-bound to ask his wife to part with a portion of the saree covering her modesty. He passed the test and the gates of heaven opened for him. The gods themselves anointed him. Those were the days when gods and men were on equable terms of association - reward, and punishment, redemption and retribution followed close at hand. Patil was similarly seized by a delusional notion called commitment to rule of law; he believed in the grandiose promise of law made grander still by the Latin it is couched in. Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum (Let justice be done though heavens fall). We have rarely seen the heavens fall, but the fall of those who try to bring the powerful to justice is an everyday occurrence. When it confronts the powerful, the law of the land reads itself differently from the way it initially wrote itself. So he had the devil to pay for his naivete. He was subjected to physical threats, he had to go in hiding, he was deprived of his job; his family deserted him, he contracted the most virulent disease that can afflict a human being, was reduced to begging and died an anonymous death. Patils victory was both pyrrhic and pointless. The powerful man walked free in a few hours .The policemans prolonged suffering, disgrace and ultimate death did not sanctify any cause because no such cause exists today and the just gods who in mythical times rewarded the virtuous and punished the wicked have departed long back, leaving no addresses. But there is cold comfort at hand. Media, the nearest equivalent of God in our godless world, have woken up to him as if he had been incarnate yesterday. Perhaps if it had taken some notice earlier Patil may still have been alive. But no one, it seems, wants martyrdom interrupted because the deaths of these suckers serve a very utilitarian purpose. They help derive a very comforting moral: fighting injustice and corruption in the system is beyond the realm of an ordinary man's effort. So while in principle the society may continue to endorse the values of probity in public life, it can merrily go about its business in the usual manner. India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. Norma Engelberg/Pikes Peak Courier file After being reappointed to the Woodland Park Downtown Development Authority Board, Jan Wilson, right, is sworn in by Woodland Park City Clerk Suzanne Leclercq in this June 2018 photo. Wilson, who voted under her married name Janis Cummer, was found guilty last week of voting twice in the Nov. 3, 2020 general election. Thailand's student-led pro-democracy movement rallied at Bangkok's Democracy Monument on Saturday, symbolically removing small plants from around the monument and tossing them into a heap, before draping the landmark in red fabric. The demonstration in the Thai capital was called by the Ratsadorn movement, which campaigned last year for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his government to step down. They also demanded changes to the constitution and reforms to the monarchy to make it more accountable. Four top leaders of the movement, including Arnon Nampha and Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak, have been in detention since Tuesday after being denied bail. They have been charged with sedition and defaming the monarchy for their protest activities. The protesters' demand for monarchy reform is the most radical and controversial, because the institution has widely been considered an untouchable, bedrock element of Thai nationalism. The movement has struck a chord with many Thais but alienated others, especially royalists shocked at its criticisms of the monarchy. The movement began to lose steam late last year amid differences among its factions, and because of a resurgence of the coronavirus in Thailand. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Dual Mandate system, allowing TDs and Senators to also serve as councillors, was abolished by the Local Government Amendment Act of 2003, in time for local elections the following year. But that is not stopping Independent TD Verona Murphy from keeping her ear close to the ground and her finger on the parochial pulse by taking the unusual step of attending county council and district council meetings in the county, which have recently been held on Microsoft Teams. Members of the public are entitled to attend local authority meetings by prior arrangement with officials and some people avail of the opportunity if there is a particular issue they are interested in. Deputy Murphy has been attending county council meetings and recently requested permission to also attend district and municipal council meetings, including Wexford Borough and Rosslare, New Ross, Enniscorthy and Gorey districts, which was agreed to by senior Council officials. According to County Secretary and Director of Communications, David Minogue, Deputy Murphy has to notify the administrator of a particular meeting she is intending to observe and she is then sent the Microsoft Teams link. She has to make the request each time and is there as a member of the public, not as an Oireachtas member, he pointed out. 'It is happening in the same way that we would get requests from members of the public, who are also currently entitled to attend via Microsoft Teams,' he said. Mr. Minogue said the Council would be delighted for any member of the Oireachtas to attend a meeting and they would be welcomed with courtesy. 'We welcome the interest of Oireachtas members in the work of the local authority and we welcome their attendance at meetings of the Council,' he said. The former Road Hauliers Association President, who has no experience of serving on a local authority, is attending meetings as an observer and is not entitled to speak or vote. At a recent meeting of Rosslare District Council, attended by Deputy Murphy, Cllr. Lisa McDonald took the chairman Cllr. Frank Staples to task when he congratulated the Independent TD for her work on behalf of Rosslare Europort and she, in turn, thanked him for his kind words. Cllr. McDonald said that of course Deputy Murphy worked hard for the port, as did other TDs, councillors and staff of Iarnrod Eireann. But she reminded Cllr. Staples that Deputy Murphy is not a member of the Rosslare District and was not entitled to participate in the meeting. Cllr. McDonald said it is important the chairman would not single out a person because he/she was in attendance and asked for a Protocol meeting to discuss the matter. Cllr. McDonald said this week that she has a concern about the separation of powers and the possibility of the dual mandate creeping in through the back door. Councillors and TDs are elected to separate forums and separate decision-making bodies and that separation should be maintained, even within the more confusing platform of a Microsoft Teams meeting, in her opinion. 'I would say that she is entitled to attend as a member of the public, if she is broadly interested in the issues that are on the agenda,' said Cllr. McDonald of Deputy Murphy's attendance at meetings. There is no specific mention in the 2003 Local Government Act which abolished the dual mandate, of TDs being permitted to regularly attend meetings of local authorities. But the Minister did make provision in those regulations for Oireachtas members to be kept in the loop after giving up their council seats, as many were concerned about losing touch with local information on the ground. The 2003 amendment Act requires councils to supply TDs and Senators with notices, agendas and minutes of local authority meetings as well as other specified documentation and correspondence. It states that this provision shall not derogate from the democratic representational function of the local authority or the role of councillors as locally elected representatives. In 2006, TDs from Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour met then Minister for the Environment and Wexfordman, Dick Roche to complain that councils around the country were failing to respond to them and that access to files had been curbed while their constituency representations were being ignored. The Minister reacted by warning that new rules would be introduced unless more cooperation was given. The Oireachtas members were concerned that they were losing out on vital local information even though they no longer sat on local councils. However, with the development of Council websites and the requirement for greater public transparency, some would argue that a lot of information is now readily available on local authority websites including agendas and minutes of statutory meetings. Fianna Fail TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne served on Wexford County Council for seven years before his election to the Dail. He receives council agendas and minutes and still reads through them, sometimes engaging in a discussion with a party councillor in relation to a particular issue of interest, he said. Deputy Browne said councillors have their role and he trusts them to carry it out. He would see no reason to attend three-hour council meetings and would not have the time to do so, in any event, due to his parliamentary and constituency workload. 'You are given the agenda, you can get the minutes which are very detailed, running to 60 or 70 pages, with the reports attached, and you can talk to the officials. I don't see what else you could get by attending.' But he would not be against any TD attending council meetings and it's a matter for themselves if they wish to attend as a member of the public. Deputy Browne said the right of a TD to attend a council meeting is contained in Article 11 of the Local Government Act of 2001, Section 237A which states that a parliamentary representative is entitled to be present without notice at a meeting of a local authority or of a committee of that authority, subject, as appropriate, to section 45(3) of the Local Governemnt Act, 2001 or regulations made under section 54 of that Act. Labour TD, Brendan Howlin spent approximately 12 years serving as both a TD and a councillor before being appointed as a Government minister at which point his dual role ended. 'There was a very good reason to separate local government and national government, so that we would have local councillors focussing exclusively on local matters and legislators working at national level while being kept informed of what is happening locally. 'It was never envisaged that members of the Dail would regularly attend council meetings. It seems to run counter to the notion of separating the two roles. Besides, with the business of the Dail, particularly the devolved committee system, members would not have the time, even if they had an inclination, to attend every council meeting. 'I know how busy councillors are, they're nearly as busy as TDs, how anyone could do the two jobs is beyond me.' He said he presumed that like any citizen, Deputy Murphy was entitled to attend the meetings but not to participate. 'I think there is a certain element of a TD looking over the shoulders of the councillors that I think the councillors would not appreciate that,' he said. 'Each to their own job and county councillors are very well capable of doing the job they were elected to do,' said Sinn Fein TD Johnny Mythen, who served as a town and county councillor for 10 years before being elected to the Dail. 'I consider that TDs are elected to look after national issues and councillors are there to look after the local interest and you also have the officials who are very capable and very well able to do their job.' 'Councils are made up of members of all parties and none, and for that reason they have a good insight into what is happening on the ground. 'I feel there was a reason that the dual mandate was stopped - when it came to decisions on certain issues, there was political interference by the TDs, who had more influence than the councillors, who were being left behind. 'If there is an issue, the county council will contact the TD anyway. That's the way it should be,' he said. Deputy Mythen said Sinn Fein has two very capable councillors in Fionntan O Suilleabhain and Tom Forde and there is a two-way system between them when it comes to information. 'As a TD, I can pick up the phone and talk to Tom Enright (Council Chief Executive), who is very amenable, and will tell me exactly what's going on in the county,' he said. Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe, who was elected to the Dail 19 years ago without ever having served as a councillor, said he has no issue with a TD attending local authority meetings 'but personally I don't have the time'. 'Not having served as a councillor hasn't affected me in my ability to work as a TD and I have always been able to get re-elected,' said Deputy Kehoe, who has attended county council AGMs and the occasional meeting where an issue of particular interest has been up for discussion, but has never attended a district meeting. 'I get the agenda and the minutes and if I have a question about an issue or a decision, I will go to the County Manager or the Director of Services. 'We have absolutely excellent Fine Gael councillors that I trust 100% to represent party policy at meetings. I don't need to be looking over their shoulders to see what they're doing. Does Deputy Murphy not trust the independent councillors on the local authorities? If I was to attend every council meeting, I wouldn't have time for my constituency and parliamentary work. 'Councillors are there to do a job. If a TD wants to contribute to the council, maybe they should consider their position and run for the council', said Deputy Kehoe. Deputy Murphy said her only interest is what is good for the people of Wexford. She pointed out that under the legislation she is entitled to attend council meetings as an elected representative and she is entitled to receive all of the relevant information. 'The only thing I'm not entitled to do is speak. I actually don't need permission. I'm entitled to attend the meetings as a TD but when I'm there I'm treated as a member of the public would be.' Deputy Murphy said as an Independent TD with no party structure behind her, sitting in on meetings helps her to find out what the issues are at council level in her constituency, issues that she believes are not being fully represented on the floor of the Dail. As an example, she cited the widespread problem of illegal dumping, which she raised in the Dail last week, calling on the Minister for the Environment to bring legislation forward to assist the local authority which is hamstrung in prosecuting offenders due to GDPR regulations around the use of CCTV footage. 'I don't see that I'm doing any harm. It's time-consuming for me but I'm doing it for the benefit of the people who elected me to represent them and in order to do that I have to know what's happening on the ground in the county,' she said. Deputy Murphy said the experience has been 'fantastic' and very informative for someone without a background in local government, who doesn't have a party behind her, unlike other TDs with county and district councillors to feed information through to them. She intends to continue attending local authority meetings around the county, even after the current lockdown ends, with a withdrawal of the remote convenience of Microsoft Teams. 'To the best of my ability I will be making the time. There will obviously be conflicts of interest but I would see it as a priority for me'. 'I can't even understand why it's an issue,' said Deputy Murphy who is aware that questions have been raised in certain quarters about her right to attend. 'At the New Ross district meeting, Cllr. Sheehan made some remarks and questioned the District Manager as to whether I was legally on the Zoom call. I was aghast. 'I don't see what the problem is. I don't feel it is something I have to justify. It's not like I'm interfering with the meeting. The benefit is to the people who voted for me.' A murder investigation has been launched after a man was attacked and left for dead in the street. The victim, 31, was found in a critical condition on Friday night by officers who had been called to Stevenage, Hertfordshire, out of 'fear for his welfare'. The man was given emergency treatment by paramedics before being rushed to Lister Hospital - but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The murder victim has not yet been positively identified and named by police A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police said an investigation has been launched by detectives from the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire Major Crime Team. Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins said: 'We are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry but are also appealing for any witnesses or anyone who has information about what happened to contact us. 'A murder investigation has been launched after a man was attacked in Stevenage. 'Police were called to Meadow Way, Stevenage at 9.15pm on Friday evening in relation to concerns for the welfare of a 31-year-old man from Stevenage. 'Paramedics took the man to the Lister Hospital where he was sadly pronounced deceased shortly after arrival. 'A scene guard remains in place in Meadow Way while inquiries continue.' A post mortem is to be carried out to establish what injuries caused his death and an inquest will be opened and adjourned later next week. The murder victim has not yet been identified and named. Anyone with information can contact police on 101. ADVERTISEMENT The police in Lagos have charged 40 protesters arrested at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday to court, for breaching public peace. The arrested protesters include, Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka, Damilare Adenola, Anjorin Joseph, Paul Terkuma and Anisere Sodiq. The protesters were charged at the Magistrate Court of Lagos State, Yaba. Charges In the charge sheet obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, they were charged on three counts including failing to comply with the Quarantine Law which prohibit any social gathering to avoid spreading and contacting of Coronavirus Disease. The other charges are breach of public peace, harassment, and causing unnecessary alarm to the public. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the arrest of the protesters and how they were manhandled by police officers. They were also reportedly denied access to their lawyers, some activists claim. According to the charge sheet, the police said the protesters did conspire among yourselves (themselves) to commit a misdemeanour to wit conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 412 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The second count on which they were charged also states that the protesters gathered themselves, to harass and cause unnecessary alarm and panic in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 168 (1) (e) and punishable under Section 168 (2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The protesters were also charged with failure to comply with COVID-19 law recently passed by the federal government. That you the above named Defendants on the 13th of February, 2021 at Lekki Toll Plaza in the Yaba Magisterial District did fail to comply with the Restriction/Prohibition Quarantine Law which prohibit any social gathering to avoid spreading and contacting of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 5 of the Quarantine Act Q2 Law of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004 as domesticated under Public Health Law CH: P: Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015, the court document reads. The right to protest is a fundamental human right in Nigeria but the police on Saturday clamped down on several protesters who were unarmed. The arrest of the peaceful protesters has been condemned by different groups and individuals, with many calling for their unconditional release. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help ECONOMISTS have long argued that for Canada to maintain economic growth and generous benefits amid a rapidly aging population, the country will need to attract newcomers to preserve both its labour force and taxpayer base. Doing otherwise will invite diminished productivity, a decline in consumer activity and the need to raise taxes or cut spending on social programs to offset reduced government revenues. Opinion ECONOMISTS have long argued that for Canada to maintain economic growth and generous benefits amid a rapidly aging population, the country will need to attract newcomers to preserve both its labour force and taxpayer base. Doing otherwise will invite diminished productivity, a decline in consumer activity and the need to raise taxes or cut spending on social programs to offset reduced government revenues. While caring for an older population was always going to place more strain on Canadas finances, health-care systems and overburdened nursing homes, the pandemic has complicated things further by ravaging federal and provincial balance sheets. Given the likelihood of a federal election this year, the country is well-positioned for a timely national conversation on the fundamental role immigration can play in its pandemic recovery and beyond. But in this era of social polarization and economic uncertainty, the flip side is that framing immigration as a wedge issue, or even being fully honest about the levels of immigration that may be required long-term, risks possible blowback. The key question: are Canadians with more than a million workers economically adrift and some 150,000 small businesses on the brink of collapse ready to accept sustained immigration levels averaging more than 400,000 yearly newcomers for the foreseeable future? They might have to be. Seniors outnumber children in Canada, and in less than a decade they will comprise roughly one-quarter of the population. The worker-to-retiree ratio is on pace to drop from 4:1 currently down to 2:1 by 2035. Birth rates, already below replacement level, are plummeting even further as pandemic-induced financial distress and career uncertainty are producing an apparent "baby bust." At the same time, the digital transformation underway society-wide has underlined a massive need within the labour market for skilled workers, particularly in the tech sector. In response, many commentators are now calling for a serious increase to immigration once border restrictions are lifted, given how it could act as a highly effective form of economic stimulus and provide a desirable injection of global talent. Sensing an opportunity, the Trudeau government in October released a three-year immigration strategy that aims to bring in more than 1.2 million migrants before 2024, an annual intake that would equate to more than one per cent of Canadas entire population and amount to levels not seen since 1911. Although he may not subscribe to such eye-popping numbers, and despite a willingness to toy with culture-war rhetoric, Conservative Leader Erin OToole won his partys leadership race as a pro-immigration candidate a welcome break from the days of Conservatives proposing hotlines to report "barbaric cultural practices" such as forced marriages of girls and young women and so-called honour killings. But even if overt anti-immigrant sentiment no longer emanates from Canadas national political parties in the same way it does from Republicans in the U.S., what the past four years of Trumpism have done is mainstream fringe views and embolden xenophobia within electorates everywhere, including Canada. Research by the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University has found there to be more than 300 far-right groups currently operating in Canada, including the now-infamous Proud Boys. Police departments have reported hate-crime incidents over the last three years have far exceeded the average of the past decade, hitting a record high in 2017. Meanwhile, the murder of an Etobicoke, Ont., mosque caretaker by a white nationalist in October bore a grim resemblance to the 2017 Quebec mosque shooting in which six worshippers were killed and several others injured by a 27-year-old supporter of Donald Trump and French far-right populist politician Marine Le Pen. Anti-immigrant extremists flocked to pro-pipeline, anti-carbon tax protests in February 2019 to rage over the Liberal government signing the non-binding United Nations pact on global migration, falsely painted by some as a global conspiracy meant to undermine Canadas sovereignty. There are other challenges, too. A growing population will make reaching carbon-emissions reductions goals more difficult. The anxiety and disorientation some people feel over massive social change and economic displacement in their communities are also legitimate problems that are already not being adequately addressed. Convincing the public that a sharp rise in immigration is in Canadas national interest will require walking a political tightrope. Nevertheless, recent polling data indicates a majority of Canadians embrace welcoming immigrants and refugees now more than ever. The past 12 months of the pandemic have fast-tracked the future into the present. Now is the time for an overdue conversation about how immigration will underpin Canadas long-term pandemic recovery and future prosperity. Kyle Hiebert is a research and policy analyst based in Winnipeg, and the former deputy editor of the Africa Conflict Monitor. The Embassy of Vietnam and a number of Vietnamese representative agencies and expats in Malaysia on February 12 offered incense to late President Ho Chi Minh as a gesture to pay tribute to their root on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year). Vietnamese expats offers incense to late President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year). (Photo: VNA) The Embassy of Vietnam and a number of Vietnamese representative agencies and expats in Malaysia on February 12 offered incense to late President Ho Chi Minh as a gesture to pay tribute to their root on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year). As Malaysia re-introduced the movement control order (MCO) from January 13 February 18 to stem the third wave of COVID-19, the Embassy of Vietnam did not celebrate this years festival with get-togethers of Vietnamese expats as usual. Instead, it has been keeping its door open to its staff and Vietnamese people living in Malaysia to offer incense and flowers to the late President at his worship altar. Visitors are required to adhere to local preventive rules against the COVID-19, including wearing masks, avoiding gatherings of more than five people and no more two people per vehicle. In his Lunar New Year address, Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Viet Thai wished all Vietnamese people living in Malaysia good health, happiness and success. He hoped that the Vietnamese community will continue caring for and supporting each other, strictly complying with local rules against the novel coronavirus, better integrating into the host country and closely cooperating with the embassy. The embassy has also been maintaining close contact with Vietnamese citizens stranded in Malaysia due to COVID-19 to learn about their wishes, said Vu Minh Duc, Second Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia. In the Malaysian state of Jahor where a large number of Vietnamese people live, the embassy has coordinated with local organisations and associations to make banh chung, Vietnams traditional staple during Tet holiday, and present gifts to workers, he added. In Japan, the Embassy of Vietnam on February 11 hosted a gathering to welcome the Year of Buffalo with many Vietnamese representative agencies in the host country in attendance. Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam recalled several landmark milestones in the bilateral relations last year, particularly highlighting that Vietnam was selected as one of the two destinations new Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide had visited on his first official trip overseas. The two countries relations have been growing strong despite the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. He also urged the embassys staff and Vietnamese representative agencies in Japan to continue overcoming hardships to fulfil their tasks and missions, contributing to accelerating the strategic partnership between the two nations. VNA Wendell Rodricks died on February 12, 2020. It has been a year since the demise of Wendell Rodricks, a towering personality on the Indian fashion scene. He made his mark as a designer of international repute specialising in resort wear, promoting eco-friendly fashion and reviving the traditional Goan kunbi sari. Though his initial education was in catering, he later moved to Los Angeles and Paris to study fashion design and couture. As an openly gay man, this Padma Shri awardee is also remembered for his relentless advocacy against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Rodricks passed away peacefully at his home in Colvale, Goa on February 12, 2020, just two years after the Supreme Court of India read down the colonial-era law that criminalised carnal intercourse against the order of nature. His thoughts on the judgment can be gleaned from a column titled Truly a time to celebrate a new India (2018) written for Mumbai Mirror. Here he proudly states, After decades of writing on Section 377 and speaking on endless TV and radio debates, freedom from criminality is finally here. Since Rodricks had been living with Jerome Marrel, his partner of 36 years, he knew that his own life would not change drastically. However, the verdict was important because Rodricks wanted future generations of LGBTQ Indians to get dignity, equal rights, and not look at themselves as criminals. It is important to celebrate his life as the Delhi High Court is now hearing three petitions seeking the recognition of same-sex marriages in India. Rodricks fell in love with Marrel, a French businessman, after they met in Muscat in 1983. Their blind date is passionately described in Rodricks autobiography The Green Room (2012). In this book, he recalls, I spun around to see the most sparkling green grey eyes I had ever seen. They shone like brilliant cut-diamonds. I was mesmerizedWe spoke so much and with such honesty and intensity that it felt like going to confession. While Marrel was ready to commit, Rodricks was a bit skeptical. Marrels wonderfully soothing voice had cast a spell on him but he did not want to make a hasty decision. He had heard about divorces in the Western world and how they could leave us at any moment. Eventually, what strengthened their bond was the fact that they both grew up in large families and had a similar Catholic, middle-class upbringing. The book shows beautiful glimpses of their travels all over the world before they eventually settled down in Goa. The Green Room, which is published by Rupa, rarely makes it to lists of highly recommended LGBTQ-themed books in India, perhaps because it is written by someone who led a glamorous lifestyle and is therefore not considered serious enough. However, the writing is far from superficial. It is heartwarming to read how they built a life around each other steeped not only in attraction but also respectmaking small efforts and big sacrifices, truly believing that they belonged together despite the physical distances that often separated them. Though it has been widely reported that Rodricks and Marrel got married in December 2002, the truth is that they signed the Pacte Civil de Solidarite (PACS). There is a technical difference. In The Green Room, Rodricks reveals that the French consul, who stayed with the couple in Goa, said, It is not a marriage. It is simply a legal agreement which states that on the death of one of the partners, the family has no right over the properties owned by the couple. Also, the dues and all taxes will be paid by the surviving partner. By opening up about this private matter, Rodricks draws attention to the discrimination faced by same-sex couples in India. Even if they are fiercely committed to each other and have lived together for a long period of time, they do not enjoy the same rights that are granted to heterosexual unions. He writes, For me, the most important clause was the one which said that either partner could sign the release letter in a life-threatening situation at a hospital and in the case of death even bury the partner without consent of the families. This option was available to Rodricks because of his partner but is out of reach for most Indians. Those who advocate for the legal recognition of same-sex marriages emphasise the role it would play in helping couples make important life decisions related to ownership of property, loans, joint bank accounts and life insurance. The plea to legalise might be couched in the rhetoric of love but it also emerges from the knowledge that marriage is a contract. Before the PACS ceremony took place, writer Shobhaa De broke the news in her column for Times of India. Her praise for the couples decision had a disastrous impact. In his book, Rodricks writes, Being openly gay in the place where I lived and the industry in which I worked was fine with everyone, but seeing it in print...was another matter. I took a flight to Mumbai to break the news to Mummy, but the damage had already been done by the time I reached. Malicious neighbours had begun a shame campaign that rattled everyone. Rodricks was heartbroken. His family did not turn up for the Christmas lunch that he had planned and for the PACS ceremony. This part of the book unveils the sad reality of Indian families that care more about maintaining a pristine image in society and less about feelings that are hurt because of insensitive behaviour. Rodricks thought about how he had carried his brothers in his arms, supported their education, married them off and made their wives look like queens. He writes, We had only felt joy and happiness on the eve of their unions; on the eve of ours, they had abandoned us. I suddenly felt stained. Dirty. Defeated. Despite these feelings, Rodricks tried to put himself in their shoes. He reasoned that they did not know to handle the situation because they, unlike him, were not accustomed to media attention. He concludes the book on a hopeful note, saying, What is in store for the future? Who can tell? Whatever happens, I know I will take Jeromes hand and cruise into the sunset. When he was writing these words in 2012, little did he know that he was going to leave behind a lifetime of memories, breathing his last with Marrel by his side. Rodricks dedicated himself to transforming the heritage home he shared with Marrel into the Moda Goa Museum and Research Centre. However, he did not live long enough to see the completion of his dream. A week after his death, Marrel wrote an Instagram post announcing that the museum would open on October 19, 2020 to commemorate the day they had met 37 years ago. Thanks to his efforts, the fashion label that Rodricks had launched in 1989 was recently acquired by a Mumbai-based fashion house named Purple Style Labs. Apart from being a founder member of Rainbow Catholics India, a support group for LGBTQ Catholics, Rodricks was also a patron of the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. To honour his legacy, Marrel has pledged to continue sponsoring the poster design contest hosted by the festival. Perhaps the best way to remember Rodricks is to revisit these lines from a song called Somewhere over the Rainbow sung by Judy Garland and quoted by him in his book: If happy little bluebirds fly/ Beyond the rainbow/ Why, oh why cant I? (Chintan Girish Modi is a writer, educator and researcher who tweets @chintan_connect) Imperial Valley News Center South Korean National Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in Federal Prison for Smuggling Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Santa Ana, California - A Fullerton man was sentenced Monday to 46 months in federal prison for illegally importing bulk quantities of erectile dysfunction drugs that he marketed as herbal male sexual enhancement products in a scheme that earned him millions of dollars. Nam Hyun Lee, 62, a.k.a. Daniel Lee, a South Korean national illegally residing in the United States, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge James V. Selna. Lee pleaded guilty in September to one count of smuggling misbranded drugs, in this case Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Lee specifically admitted that in late 2016, he caused 21.4 kilograms of the drug to be imported into the United States from China. In his plea agreement, Lee admitted smuggling both Sildenafil and Tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis, that were illegally brought into the U.S. under descriptions such as Acrylic Paint and Glass Bottles. Lee used the Sildenafil and Tadalafil to manufacture pills he sold to distributors, who then sold the products to liquor, gas and convenience stores across the United States, according to court documents. Even though his products contained drugs that required a prescription, the labels on Lees products either stated that no prescription was necessary or failed to state one was needed meaning the products were mislabeled. Over the course of about 2 years until his businesses were shut down by federal authorities in October 2018 Lee sold at least $3.5 million worth of pills under numerous names, including Rhino and variations of that name. Lee organized the importation of bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients into the United States from China under false pretenses, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. He then used this bulk powder to sell counterfeit prescription drugs across the United States totaling millions in sales. At least one of the consumers of [Lees] drugs, Victim S.S., suffered a serious medical condition after taking [Lees] counterfeit pills. Lee has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case on October 31, 2018. Lee has agreed to forfeit his $1.2 million residence in Fullerton, nearly $458,000 seized from eight bank accounts, $346,324 in U.S. currency, and a 2018 Cadillac Escalade. The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Food and Drug Administrations Office of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Los Angeles Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jake Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Katie Schonbachler and Victor A. Rodgers of the Asset Forfeiture Section handled the forfeiture aspect of the case. A convicted sex offender who sexually assaulted a young girl was yesterday handed a three-year prison sentence suspended for three years. Robin Armstrong (44), of Ferryquay Place, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault and one charge of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. The offences took place on dates between January 1, 2013 and June, 30, 2016 when the girl was aged between eight and 11. Prosecution counsel John Orr QC told Belfast Crown Court that Armstrong had a relevant conviction when he was convicted of sexual assault at Antrim Crown Court in 2018 and received a two-year probation order. Defence counsel Alan Kane QC told Belfast Recorder Judge Stephen Fowler QC that Armstrong had recently "suffered a heart attack and required surgical intervention by way of a stent". He added that had this case been dealt with at the same time as the case in 2018 "this may have led to a different outcome" in terms of sentencing. "The factual reality is that he received a two-year probation order and that has been satisfactorily completed and he has made considerable progress. Probation is not some sort of easy option. "It is my respectful submission that an immediate custodial sentence is not the only possible outcome." The senior defence counsel said it was open to the court to take a course such as a "suspended sentence left hanging over his head" to allow him to sustain the progress that has been made with the Probation Service. "This is a real rehabilitative process and would be of benefit to the wider public and which would satisfy the protection of the public." Judge Fowler said he had read a victim impact statement which stated that the victim had suffered "psychological upset" as a result of the sexual assaults on her, she had attended sexual counselling over a number of years and also suffers from "self image confidence problems and struggles to cope with these problems". The Belfast Recorder said there were a several aggravating features including the numerous assaults, the time period over which they occurred, the age of the victim when the abuse first started and the defendant's relevant conviction from 2018. In mitigation, Judge Fowler said he was taking into account the defendant's plea of guilty which had spared the victim from having to give evidence against him. He said he was also taking into account Armstrong's "genuine victim empathy and remorse" expressed in the pre-sentence report along with his well documented learning difficulties. The court heard that from the age of 10 to 15, Armstrong attended a school for children with special educational needs. He was assessed as having low intelligence and had the literacy and numeracy skills of a seven-year-old. The judge noted that the defendant had successfully completed a course with the Probation Service and there had been no further offending since. The Belfast Recorder stated that the case before him "was more serious" than that dealt with in 2018 and it was open to him to impose an immediate term of imprisonment. Given the delay in bringing the case to court and the defendant's successful rehabilitative work with probation, Judge Fowler said there were "exceptional circumstances" that would justify him in suspending the 36-month sentence for a period of three years. He told Armstrong that if he stayed out of trouble "that will be the end of this matter", but if he engaged in this type of behaviour again, he would be brought back to court and could be jailed for three years consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Armstrong was made the subject of Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years and was barred from working with children and vulnerable adults. Before arriving in Mallorca an awful long time ago, I knew very little about Spain and even less about Mallorca. I was aware of the name and that it was a Mediterranean island. As an admirer of the poetry of Robert Graves from my early teens, I also knew he lived here. I was ever so slightly more familiar with Spain. I had discovered flamenco singing at the age of 13 on some EPs (remember EPs?) which I had bought in Paris. I had read Hemingways The Sun Also Rises (several times) and Death in the Afternoon, still the best book on bullfighting written in English. I knew virtually nothing about Spanish food, which simply wasnt an option in Britain in those days. There was a Spanish restaurant called Martinez in Londons Swallow Street but I was more interested in French, Italian, Chinese and Indian places. And fish and chips shops. However, I also discovered Elizabeth Davids Mediterranean Food at the age of 13 and about a year before leaving for Mallorca I made a paella, from her recipe in that book. I had never eaten a paella and hadnt even seen a picture of one. I didnt even know it should be made in a special shallow pan, also called a paella. I made mine in an aluminium casserole type pot and it was a bit of a travesty, although it was tasty and the rice was properly al dente. Having been brought up in a half-Italian home, I was very much aware of the al dente term from a very early age. Very soon after my arrival in Palma I was fortunate in that I met many Mallorcans who were able to point me in the direction of the citys best restaurants. I soon found those places that did the best frito mallorquin, roast suckling pig or sopes mallorquines. I also realised, sooner rather than later, that Spanish food or Spanish cooking simply doesnt exist: all cooking on the Iberian Peninsula is very much a regional affair perhaps even more so than in France or Italy. One comes across variations on certain themes, but food in Spain, thanks to the countrys compartmental structure, remains amazingly true to its geographical origins. Another reason I was unfamiliar with Spanish regional cooking was that until the late 1950s there were no restaurants doing mainland specialities. Palmas first regional restaurant was Basque and it was called Santurce. It was at the top of Calle Concepcion, a very basic rustic kind of place with communal tables where one ate authentic Basque dishes. But it was expensive and I preferred to go in search of the best of Mallorcan cooking. With the exception of a few fruits and vegetables, it wasnt even easy to find mainland products in Palma. But that started to change in the mid-1960s with the influx of workers from the mainland who were needed to man the islands growing tourism industry. By the late 1960s, Palmas Plaza Olivar market (now known as Mercat dOlivar) was stocking cheeses and charcuterie from the mainland and a few regional restaurants (mainly Galician) started to open. Some of the more famous of Spains regional dishes, such as paella or gazpacho, appeared on the menus of restaurants everywhere, regardless of their culinary pretensions. When I eventually delved into the marvels of Spanish regional recipes, it became obvious that those of the Basque Country most appealed to my concept of fine food. I was soon putting Basque cooking at the top of my list their recipes for salt cod dishes were more than enough on their own to make Basque cooking an adventure for me. Catalan food, so accomplished and with such a long pedigree, was a good distance away but with a firm footing in the number two spot. But when I eventually had a good look at the splendid array of dishes that make up Catalan cuisine, my opinion of it soared. I now rate it very much on a par with Basque cooking. However, I find it impossible to split the other regional cuisines into categories, mainly because every one of them has a varied collection of truly interesting recipes, some of which are quite unique. In the relatively recent past I decided that the worlds finest culinary nations split the kudos and form a triumvirate. In alphabetical order they are France, Italy and Spain. But trying to make up a champions league of Spains most memorable regional dishes is impossible. How can I put Andalusian food, with its gazpacho and batter-fried tapas, ahead of Valencia, with its paella and other superb rice dishes? And how can I possibly separate the cuisines of Asturias, Castilla and Galicia? I cannot even begin to put one in front of the other except, perhaps, alphabetically. So in the end I am extremely grateful for Spanish regional cooking and I accept it and embrace it as an incredible entity that is a bottomless pit of never-ending pleasures. The 9-year-old Black girl sat handcuffed in the backseat of a police car, distraught and crying for her father as the white officers grew increasingly impatient while they tried to wrangle her fully into the vehicle. This is your last chance, one officer warned. Otherwise pepper spray is going in your eyeballs. Less than 90 seconds later, the girl had been sprayed and was screaming, Please, wipe my eyes! Wipe my eyes, please! What started with a report of family trouble in Rochester, New York, and ended with police treating a fourth-grader like a crime suspect, has spurred outrage as the latest example of law enforcement mistreatment of Black people. As the U.S. undergoes a new reckoning on police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of George Floyds death last May, the girls treatment illustrates how even young children are not exempt. Research shows Black children are often viewed as being older than they are, and are more likely to be seen as threatening or dangerous. Advocates have long said that leads to police treating them in ways they wouldnt dream of treating white children. In some cases it has led to fatalities like the killing of Tamir Rice, a Black 12-year-old shot by a white police officer in Cleveland in 2014. Black children have never been given their opportunity to be children, said Kristin Henning, law professor and director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law. A study published in the journal Pediatrics in late 2020 found Black children and teenagers were six times as likely to die from police gunfire as white children. It analyzed data from police use of force in situations involving young people between the ages of 12 and 17 from 2003 to 2018. Black children have really been seen as older, more culpable, less amenable to rehabilitation and less worthy of the Western notions of innocence and the Western notions of childhood, Henning said. The headlines from Rochester were deeply personal for Mando Avery, whose 7-year-old son was hit by pepper spray from a police officer aiming at someone else during a protest in Seattle last summer. The spray left his sons face and chest painful and swollen from chemical burns for several days, and even required a visit to the emergency room. He has since had nightmares and now fears police. Small things can bring back bad memories, like using a spray bottle to do his hair. Their innocence goes away much, much sooner, Avery said. What kind of temper tantrum leads to handcuffing a child? In the Rochester case, the girls mother called police on Jan. 29 after an argument with her spouse and said she asked officers to call mental health services when her daughter grew increasingly upset. But police body camera video shows only officers at the scene, first handcuffing the girls hands behind her back and then growing increasingly impatient as they tried to get her into the police car, culminating in the pepper spray. Theres a point in the video when an officer says, Youre acting like a child! to which the girl replies, I am a child! The officers have been suspended pending an investigation. More video footage released Thursday showed the wait until an ambulance arrived for the girl. The case comes months after the high-profile death last spring of Daniel Prude, a Black man undergoing a mental health crisis when his family called the Rochester police. Officers handcuffed him, then put a hood over his head when he spit at them. As he struggled, they pinned him face down on the ground, one officer pushing his head to the pavement until he stopped breathing. The 9-year-old girls mother, Elba Pope, told The Associated Press she didnt think the white officers saw her daughter the same way they would have seen a white child. Had they looked at her as if she was one of their children, they wouldnt have pepper sprayed her, she said. Henning agreed. This is where the question of race comes into play, she said. If that child had looked like one of their little girls, looked like the little child that they tucked into bed, it is far less likely that they would have done that. The president of the Rochester police union has said the officers didnt lack compassion but were dealing with a difficult situation with limited resources and were following department protocol. New York isnt the only place where police treatment of Black children has been a flashpoint. In suburban Denver, four Black girls aged 6 to 17 were detained by police at gunpoint after they were wrongly suspected of being in a stolen car last year. One officer tried to handcuff the 6-year-old, who was wearing a tiara for what was supposed to be a girls day out with her relatives, but the cuffs were too big, according to a lawsuit filed by the family. In North Texas, a white police officer was recorded on video pushing a swimsuit-clad Black girl to the ground at a pool party in 2015. Later that year, a sheriffs deputy at a school in South Carolina flipped a girl to the floor and dragged her across a classroom after she refused to surrender her cellphone in math class. In Tamir Rices case, the 12-year-old was playing with a pellet gun in November 2014 when Cleveland police responding to a call pulled up and within seconds, shot him. When his 14-year-old-sister ran to the scene, she was pushed to the ground and handcuffed. The officers were not indicted. Its that history that makes Christian Gibbs, a Black father of three daughters, grateful the girl in Rochester wasnt more grievously injured and angered thats even a worry. Thank God she wasnt killed. ... And the fact that we have to say that is already an indictment of the type of treatment that we expect to be doled out, even to little children, said Gibbs, 46, of Bowie, Maryland. Holly M. Frye, of South Ogden, Utah, said she has near-daily conversations with her three children about how to act around police officers, the same kind of conversations her parents had with her. This sort of aggression toward the Black race has always been in existence, its just being recorded now, she said. Its a topic that never leaves our kitchen table, were always constantly talking about it. While data is scarce on very young childrens interactions with police, Black youths are nearly five times as likely to be incarcerated compared with white young people, according to an analysis by the nonprofit The Sentencing Project. The incarceration rate for white youth is 83 per 100,000; for Black youths that number jumps to 383, The Sentencing Project found. While that is partly due to differences in offending, studies have found teenagers of color are more likely to be arrested and more likely to face severe consequences compared with their white peers, the report said. And its not just policing and the criminal justice system. Black students face higher rates of suspension and expulsion from school, said Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of the Advancement Project, which fights against structural racism. Its the way that our Black children are questioned by adults, with this underlying assumption that they are not to be believed, and theyre not to be trusted, and that theyre always up to something wrong, she said. That leads to trauma and mistrust on the part of Black youth toward the authorities around them, she said. There is no Officer Friendly for Black kids, she said. READ: Harrisburg activist not guilty of disorderly conduct after police pepper sprayed people in her yard 21 runners killed during mountain race in northwestern province of Gansu; Indian variant of Covid-19 found in Guangzhou; Beijing willing to arrange for vaccines to be sent to Taiwan May 28, 2021 08:15 PM The Eastern District of Tennessee will hold two virtual Naturalization ceremonies on Wednesday, Feb. 24 in Courtroom 1A of the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building, 900 Georgia Ave. in Chattanooga. The ceremonies are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. United States District Judge Harry S. Mattice, Jr. will preside over the ceremonies. Approximately 40 applicants are expected to take the Oath of Allegiance to become American citizens. Mogadishu: A car bomb exploded outside the parliament building complex near Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday in Mogadishu, the capital of the African country of Somalia. The explosion killed one suicide bomber and injured seven civilians. The police has given information about this. According to police officer Abdullahi Adan, according to local time, the blast occurred at 9 am in the Somalia capital near the tightly guarded Green Zone. The green zone is called the area where government buildings and foreign embassies are usually located. More security personnel are deployed in this area than the rest. While giving information about this, Abdullahi Adan has said that a car loaded with explosives passed through the security checkpoint of the hotel, but when it was tried to stop it, it moved rapidly. According to Abdullahi Adan, after this, the police personnel opened fire on the car, but it blasted itself as it reached outside the Parliament House complex. They are usually accommodated in government hotels, MPs, and big businessmen of the city. Somalia has been facing a war for a long time. Also Read: Radio is an important means of spreading awareness in society: Ashok Gehlot UK media watchdog imposes 50,000 pound fine on Khalsa TV for violent content, terror reference Iran's tally of corona cases surpasses 1.5 million Panaji, Feb 13 : The police in Goa on Saturday busted a kidnapping, extortion and immigration racket involving a gang from Haryana, which would lure victims with a Canadian work visa and then hold them captive in Goa and extract more money from their family members and friends for facilitating their visa and ticket. South Goa Superintendent of Police Pankaj Singh told the media that 12 persons, including nine from Haryana, two from Goa and one from Uttar Pradesh, who were part of the racket, have been arrested for duping an Afghan national, Shapur Zarifi, who had been kept in captivity at a bungalow in the coastal state, while his family members believed that he had migrated to Canada. One minor person has also been arrested in connection with the racket. Singh said that the arrests were carried out based on a complaint lodged by a woman earlier this month, who claimed that her husband was being kept hostage in Goa. "Our investigation has revealed that the gang would lure gullible travellers intending to visit Canada and call them to Goa, where advance payment would be taken from them after which they would be held captive at a rented bungalow. A fake boarding pass and passport would be sent to the family members to make them believe that the victim had indeed travelled to Canada or to their desired destination," Singh said. "WhatsApp voice messages were then sent from the victims mobile number using a VPN reflecting their IP locations in Canada. Later the victims were made to call their family and friends asking for the final payment to be made," he added. Zarifi had initially paid Rs 2 lakh to the gang leader, Sushil Singh from Haryana, towards payment of a flight ticket to Canada and visa processing fees. Zarifi was then called to Goa and was detained in a bungalow in the Porvorim area in North Goa, from where he was made to call his friends under duress to borrow $20,000, failing which the gang had threatened to physically harm him. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Mani C Kappen, who is heading the faction, revolted against the state LDF leadership following the reported move by the CPM to hand over Pala Assembly seat to its new ally, Kerala Congress (M) Ahead of the Assembly polls in Kerala, the opposition UDF on Saturday got a shot in its arm with a faction in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a constituent in the ruling LDF, announcing its decision to part ways with the CPM-led alliance and join the Congress-led front. Mani C Kappen MLA, who is heading the faction, said he would attend the 'Aiswarya Kerala' Yatra led by senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala when it reaches his constituency Pala in Kottayam district on Sunday. Kappen, who won the Pala seat as an LDF candidate in the bypoll held in 2019, claimed support of seven district presidents and nine state office bearers of the NCP. He revolted against the state LDF leadership following the reported move by the CPM to hand over Pala Assembly seat to Kerala Congress (M)-led by Jose K Mani which recently joined the ruling front after severing its decades old alliance with the UDF. Talking to reporters, Kappen expressed hope that the UDF will take his faction in its fold. Kerala Transport Minister AK Saseendran, who heads the NCP rival faction, condemned the move by Kappen to join the UDF, alleging that he did injustice to the people of Pala who elected him in the bypoll. However, the NCP national leadership has not reacted to the development. Kappen had defeated Kerala Congress leader Jose Tom, who contested as UDF candidate in the 2019 bypoll necessitated due to the demise of veteran Kerala Congress leader and former minister KM Mani. KM Mani had represented the Pala seat in the Assembly for over 50 years. Kappen hadhelddiscussions with the national leaders of the NCP in New Delhi this week about the "injustice" being meted out to him by the LDF over the Pala seat. New supports have been unveiled to allow Fingal farmers to go organic. Minister of State for Community Development and Charities and Green Party T.D for Fingal, Joe O'Brien, has welcomed the announcement by his Green Party Colleague, Senator Pippa Hacket that the Organic Farming Scheme will reopen to new entrants in the first week of March. The re-opening, subject to EU Commission approval, is expected to result in an increase of up to 30% in the number of farmers farming organically in Ireland this year. Minister O'Brien is urging the many farmers in Fingal to avail of support scheme through which they can apply for financial support as they transition to organic farming practices. In sectors where there's a big market for organic produce -- like horticulture, dairy, and tillage -- these farmers will be prioritised for access to the scheme. Speaking about the scheme opening on March 1st Minister O'Brien stated; 'I am delighted with this enhanced support for farmers in Fingal and nationwide who want to farm organically. I'm particularly pleased with the prioritisation of horticulture applications given this sector's importance to Fingal. The COVID crisis has led to an increased demand for locally produced food. 'Organic farming embraces nature and natural processes to produce organic food, for which there is a growing demand both in Ireland and across Europe. So there is now an opportunity for both experienced and new entrant fruit and vegetable commercial growers to build on this trend and transition to organic production. 'And the reopening of this scheme, with the extra funding and scope for so many more farmers to join, demonstrates this Government's commitment to helping farmers all across Fingal cater for that demand.' He added: 'There is significant horticultural production in Fingal and so I am particularly pleased to say that it is expected 400-500 new farmers will be able to join the scheme. That represents a significant added investment organic farming which we can make because of the additional 4million we secured in this year's budget. It will also help us meet the targets set out in the Programme for Government to align Ireland's organic land area with that of the current EU average over the lifetime of this Government.' The Organic Farming Scheme is an agri-environment measure under the Department's Rural Development Programme. Farmers entering the scheme could qualify for yearly payments of up to 220 per hectare during the conversion period and up to 170 per hectare when they have achieved full organic status. Higher payment rates are available for organic horticulture and tillage farmers. Announcing the reopening of the now expanded scheme, Minister Hackett said: 'I am happy to prioritise those sectors for which most market demand exists, namely the dairy, horticulture and tillage sectors, but I also want to encourage young farmers to convert to organic farming so I will be making provision in the selection process to achieve this. I will also ensure that farmers who were not successful in gaining entry to the previous scheme but who have continued to farm organically, have their commitment acknowledged, through priority access. 'The scheme and funding are closely aligned to the targets in the National Organic Farming Strategy to 2025 and will help us deliver on them. So I very much look forward to announcing the full details when applications open on the first of March.' Dubal Holding's recent decision to acquire a majority stake in OSE Industries, a highly specialised aluminium extrusion producer based in Dubai, is a major vote of confidence in the UAE economy, said Dubai Industrial City, the regions largest manufacturing and logistics hub. Dubai Industrial City, which is home to OSE Industries, lauded the deal as a reflection of the growth opportunities and underlying strength in Dubais industrial sector. OSE Industries began manufacturing operations in 2015 and now exports MPE, precision tubing and industrial piping across the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, Europe and the US. Its clients include a well-known US electric carmaker, as well as major players in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) sector. Dubal Holding, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Investment Corporation of Dubai, said it is focused on expanding its industrial footprint and stimulating growth in the downstream value chain. Its stake in OSE Industries sends a positive message to the global investment community in Dubais future growth potential as the restart in the global economy gains momentum, said the company. Its acting CEO Ahmad Bin Fahad said: "We have strong faith in the fundamentals of Dubais economy and continue to actively explore investment opportunities in key growth sectors to create value and downstream opportunities." "Our agreement with OSE Industries underscores our resolute confidence in the emirates industrial ecosystem. I would also like to commend Dubai Industrial Citys role in creating a vibrant ecosystem with infrastructure and an enabling environment to help companies scale and grow," he added. OSE President and Chairman Othman Sharif said: "As the shift to electric vehicles in Europe and the US steps up a gear, our business is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this evolution in the automotive market and the move towards a cleaner, greener future." Situated near Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport, OSE Industries strategic location in Dubai Industrial City affords the business trade access to two-thirds of the global population in eight hours. This has enabled it to expand quickly as electric vehicles become more popular and the HVAC sector shifts its focus to aluminium rolled tubes, noted Sharif. "The UAE is a regional leader in sustainability, and we are proud to be a family-run, Dubai-based company that has grown organically, exporting high-quality products to markets all around the world," he added. Saud Abu Al Shawareb, Managing Director of Dubai Industrial City, said: "This deal is a major boost for Dubais industrial sector. It will enhance the emirates position as a hub for manufacturing and logistics in line with the vision of our leaders for a diversified, sustainable economy." "As a strategic driver and enabler of the Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030, we work hard alongside our 750 business partners to position Dubai as a global platform for knowledge and innovation-based industries with a focus on priority sub-sectors including aluminium and fabrication metals," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies. High 76F. Winds light and variable. Gretel Killeen has forged a successful career as a television host, commentator, comedian and author. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph's Stellar magazine this weekend, the former Big Brother host revealed the change in her appearance that's making men swoon. The 58-year-old said the decision to stop dying her long locks and grow them out grey, has attracted the opposite sex. 'I've never had more compliments!' Former Big Brother host Gretel Killeen (pictured), 58, revealed to The Daily Telegraph's Stellar magazine this weekend, the subtle change in her appearance that's making men swoon 'I've never had more compliments from men in my life since allowing my hair to go this colour,' Gretel told Stellar. However, it's been somewhat of a different story when it comes to women, with not all having been won over by her new natural look. After a recent appearance on Australian television, Gretel recalled having received a nasty message from a stranger. Ageing gracefully: 'I've never had more compliments from men in my life since allowing my hair to go this colour,' Gretel told Stellar of the decision to stop dying her locks and allow them to go grey. Pictured in 2003 hosting Big Brother Australia 'I got a message from a woman who said she was sorry but my long grey locks were so ugly that she had to turn the television off whenever I was on,' she said. Confident in who she is, Gretel was able to laugh off the troll's comment, telling Stellar: 'This is me. And I'm increasingly comfortable with who I am.' Gretel hosted Big Brother Australia from 2001 until 2007, is now a commentator for Channel Seven, and is the author of an incredible 30 books. Comments: It's been a different story when it comes to women, with not all having been won over by her new natural look. After a recent appearance on Australian television, Gretel recalled having received a nasty message from a stranger. Pictured for Stellar magazine Nasty: 'I got a message from a woman who said she was sorry but my long grey locks were so ugly that she had to turn the television off whenever I was on,' the author told Stellar The media doyenne, who is a mother to two adult children from a previous marriage, previously revealed why she enjoyed hosting Big Brother Australia. 'I love doing Big Brother because there's that element of surprise,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald back in 2002. 'I have no idea what anyone is going to say because nobody knows how they're going to deal with being in a house under constant surveillance.' Gretel also said that when she looks back at her career that's never included a nine-to-five job, she thinks it's 'cool' and there's been 'a lot of colour and movement'. Karnatakas Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Suryanarayana Suresh Kumar on Thursday met a 17-year-old student who tried to end his life after he was allegedly humiliated by the school authorities for failing to pay his fees. The minister visited the home of the teenager who studies at a school located in Bengalurus Somasundara Palya, HSR Layout and told him that it is important to have the courage to face any adversity. He asked the boy if the thought of his family members crossed the latters mind before taking this step. As reported by The Times of India, Education Minister Kumar also gave him the example of a migrant workers son Mahesh who scored 616/625 in SSLC examination in 2020. He informed the student that many people came forward to help Mahesh and that he also should not lose heart during adversities. Apart from guiding the disheartened student, the minister is also taking the school to task for their behaviour towards the class 10 student. The report says that action has been taken against section 3 of the Disaster Management Act, Karnataka Education Act and Section 188 of the IPC. The education department has asked the school to submit an explanation in the matter and the notice also seeks a reason why it should not withdraw recognition given to the school. Apart from being allegedly scolded in front of his classmates, the student was also not allowed to write his school exams. Disappointed with what had happened at school, he had tried to hang himself on Tuesday, February 9. Meanwhile, the parents of the student have also blamed the police. They have alleged that when they tried to register the complaint, the police failed to take any action against the school authorities. This is not the first time that the minister has tried to encourage students. Last year, he visited Maheshs house and offered him help. He had said that the education department would offer Mahesh the required support for further studies, reported The Week. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Alabamas Republican Sens. Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville voted to acquit former President Donald Trump of impeachment charges alleging he incited the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In statements following the vote, neither Alabama senator spoke to the question of President Trumps culpability for inciting the violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol. They focused on the constitutionality of impeaching a president after his term of office. The Constitution speaks of removing a sitting president, not a private citizen. Last week, I voted to dismiss this case based on its questionable constitutionality, Sen. Richard Shelby said in a statement Saturday. Sen. Tommy Tuberville echoed a similar rationale but said he kept an open mind during the impeachment proceedings. I voted to not convict for a number of reasons, including the fact that I dont think the Senate has the authority to try a private citizen, said Sen. Tuberville in a statement on Saturday. I had concerns with the lack of due process and constitutionality of this trial going in, and I voted twice to say so. But I had a duty as a juror to listen to the arguments of both sides and keep an open mind, which I did. Senator Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) February 13, 2021 Trump was acquitted by a vote of 57 guilty to 43 not guilty on Saturday. A total of 67 votes would have been necessary to convict him on the charges brought by the House. Only seven Senate Republicans voted to convict the former president. The Republicans who voted to convict Trump were Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. The Framers were clear in limiting impeachment to the President, Vice President, and civil officers of the United States. That is why today, I voted to acquit, said Sen. Shelby. My statement regarding the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial: https://t.co/PQ0F2jZOEV Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) February 13, 2021 Sen. Tuberville said it is time for the country to move on, adding that both sides of the political aisle need to remember that theyre ultimately on the same team. There are no winners today. The American people lost. Our country is hurting from a global pandemic, and rather than addressing the serious needs of our constituents we wasted a full week on an unconstitutional trial. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Kameel Ahmady spent years in Iran compiling research into the treatment of some of the most vulnerable elements of society. His widely praised anthropological work shone a light on child marriage, sexual orientation, minorities and ethnicity, as well as official silence over the ongoing practice in Iran of female genital mutilation. More recently, with a long prison sentence pending as one of the Iranian regime's latest dual-nationals convicted on dubious charges of spying for the West, Ahmady made headlines with a daring escape on foot across Iran's mountainous northeastern border. But personal accounts by three Iranian women, whose identities are known to RFE/RL but who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for their safety, suggest that the Iranian-born and U.K.-educated Ahmady's story may include a darker side -- including sexual assault and other predatory behavior against women. Two of those women accuse him of sexual assaults that date back several years and, in one case, possibly with the use of illegal drugs. The other says he once emerged from a bathroom naked and wanted her to fondle him. When contacted by RFE/RL via e-mail, Ahmady demanded the names of the women who accused him in order to defend himself. He also agreed to be interviewed by Skype but later e-mailed to say he was seeking legal advice. Ahmady has rejected allegations of sexual abuse in the past on multiple occasions. In a February 12 statement to The Guardian, which published a story about sexual allegations against him the same day, he called the claims "deliberate slander and baseless, but also very well and deliberately organized, at both a state and personal level." Ahmady added that some people "used their gender" to "weaken my scholarly research and personal position" and to "create obstacles in my lifein their desire to gain power." Most of the public accusations that have previously emerged against Ahmady -- and allegedly prompted his expulsion from a sociological association last year -- have been anonymous. RFE/RL knows the identities of the accusers and has maintained their confidentiality because they could face punitive action by Iran's strict Islamic authorities for engaging in even nonconsensual sex if their assault charges were not believed once they told their stories. The women also fear they could face shame and ostracism from families and friends over the episodes. Researching The Vulnerable As a researcher whose work has frequently focused on vulnerable members of society, Ahmady was in close contact with women who have suffered genital mutilation in their youth or are lesbian in a country that does not officially recognize homosexuality. The allegations against Ahmady were first published on social media in late August as a worldwide #MeToo movement first gathered momentum in Iran. It included an outpouring of reports of sexual abuse or rape from Iranian women who, in some cases, named their alleged abusers. Eight women posted their accounts of alleged abuse on a feminist Twitter account called Bidarzani against a man who was identified by the initials "KA" or, in one case, as "Mr. X." RFE/RL learned through sources that Ahmady was the target of those accusations. He then issued a statement on September 2 on social media saying that he "apologized" for some mistakes" at work and for "hurting" some people due to what he said was "my relaxed attitude and different views toward relationships." Detailed Accounts At the time of the accusations on social media, Ahmady was awaiting sentencing after being charged with espionage, an offense that the Iranian judiciary often brings against dual nationals who have been used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. In September, Ahmady was expelled from the Iranian Sociological Association, where he had been head of a group focusing on the sociology of childhood. The association said its board of directors had "meticulously investigated" allegations of the sexual abuse of female colleagues by Ahmady and cited "available evidence" to expel Ahmady for "misusing one's position of power" and "misusing relationships that were built on trust." It concluded that "the behavior resulted in the sexual abuse of some younger [female] colleagues in the project." Since Almaty's perilous escape to the West earlier this month, RFE/RL has spoken to three women who accused him of sexual misconduct after they met him through research projects on gender, child labor, or minority issues. Two of the women offered detailed accounts of the assaults allegedly committed by Ahmady. Another said he appeared naked in front of her after he invited her to his apartment and attempted to convince her to look at and touch his genitals. She said Ahmady attempted to manipulate and pressure her into having sex with him during the three years they worked together. All three of the women cited the sensitivity of such issues in Iranian society, where women are often blamed for being sexually harassed or even raped. Proving a crime like rape is extremely difficult and victims can face punishment based on laws that criminalize sexual relations outside of marriage. Similar Stories Marzieh Mohebi, a lawyer based in the northeastern city of Mashhad, told RFE/RL that she had been approached by four women who accused Ahmady of sexually assaulting them. She said she believed the women's claims but that they had insufficient evidence after the years since the assaults took place to prove their cases in an Iranian court. Those we talked to had his text messages, the text of their chats on Whatsapp and Telegram where he had invited them or threatened them, but it wasnt solid enough for [an Iranian] court, Mohebi said. Activists have long complained of the difficulty of proving rape allegations in Tehran's judicial system, which routinely discounts women's testimony without concurring testimony from a man. If unproven, such accusations can turn into prosecutions of female accusers of sexual wrongdoing under strict Islamic codes on marriage out of wedlock. Mohebi said that, while the women did not know each other, their accounts were all similar. "He would find his victims among girls and women active socially and would meet them for research purposes," she said. One of the women RFE/RL interviewed, a well-known researcher, said she was sexually assaulted by Ahmady during a field trip to an Iranian province about 10 years ago. Another, an LGBT activist, said she was sexually assaulted by Ahmady in 2016. All three women who spoke to RFE/RL were in their 20s when the alleged attacks took place. They offered similar accounts of Ahmady inviting them to an apartment where he was staying in Tehran or other cities. They said he offered them alcohol and, in one case, a woman accused Ahmady of putting hashish in a water pipe without her knowledge. She said she became dizzy and felt she was losing consciousness before going to lie down. She said Ahmady entered the room and sexually assaulted her despite her protests. A few days later and amid mounting anger, she told RFE/RL that she confronted him. The other woman alleged that when Ahmady assaulted her she didnt fight him as she was afraid he would harm her. "I didnt physically resist," she said. "He looked very drunk and I was thinking that if he injures me, how am I going to explain it to my parents?" #MeToo Arrives In Iran She became the first woman to post an account of alleged sexual assault by Ahmady on Bidarzani amid last years social media campaign among Iranians highlighting sexual abuse. She told RFE/RL that Ahmady later contacted her, asking her to remove the post and threatening to report her LGBT activism to Iranian authorities if she did not. Meanwhile, her account of the alleged assault seems to have prompted several other Ahmady accusers to come forward. A former colleague of Ahmady's who now lives in Europe told RFE/RL that she had witnessed what she described as inappropriate and unprofessional behavior and language by Ahmady over the years. She said she had not witnessed any assaults. The ex-colleague, who also did not want to be named, said Ahmady often talked about sex with women who seemingly trusted him due to their work relationship. "He would pose as a hero who has come to save [Iranian] women from sexual deprivation," she said. "I witnessed it many times." All of the women interviewed by RFE/RL, including the alleged victims, said they had been frustrated by the recent media reports depicting Ahmady as heroic because of his escape from Iran. Ahmady authored a widely cited study on female genital mutilation five years ago that aimed to shatter official silence over the fact that the practice was being carried out on a large scale in some Iranian provinces. Ahmady reportedly grew up in a largely ethnic Kurdish and Turkish town near the northwestern border where Turkey, Iraq, and Azerbaijan converge. He emigrated in his late teens to the United Kingdom, where he studied anthropology at the University of Kent before returning to Iran in 2010, reportedly to look after his aging father. State Harassment Ahmady's projects since then have focused on some of Iran's most acute social and cultural fractures, including child marriage (which can be as young as 9 for girls, with court and parental permission), sexual orientation, ethnicity, and a groundbreaking study exposing officials' failure to halt genital mutilation in women. Iran's hard-line clerical leadership frequently dismisses international pressure for tolerance on those issues and other matters -- including the discriminatory treatment of women and a liberal application of the death penalty -- as Western meddling. Ahmady had previously complained of alleged harassment by Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that he said targeted him over his research and its dissemination among other academics and lawmakers. Born into Iran's minority Kurdish community, Ahmady was sentenced in December to at least eight years in prison for allegedly collaborating with a hostile government -- a charge he denies -- and ordered to pay a fine equivalent to some $720,000. He spent time in solitary confinement in Tehran's notorious Evin prison and was released on bail before his recent escape in which he made his way through Iraq and Turkey to get to Europe. "The sentence issued against him in Iran is unfair," said the activist who claims Ahmady sexually assaulted her. "But at the same time the public should know who he is. I saw young students around him -- these girls have a right to know." "The most important thing is for men like him who do these things to understand that they cant get away with it," another alleged victim told RFE/RL. U.K.-based activist and doctoral student Zeynab Peyghambarzadeh said she had learned of accusations of sexual assault against Ahmady in 2017. Offenders, she said, should be held accountable in such cases. One shouldnt face prosecution for doing research," said Peyghambarzadeh, who last year signed a petition calling for Ahmady's release from prison. "But a person who is facing [sexual assault] accusations should be investigated." Prominent Iranian-born womens rights advocate Sussan Tahmasebi said Ahmady should be held accountable for any "unforgivable breach of trust with these most vulnerable communities and the harm that he has [allegedly] caused to social research in Iran." Venture Minerals is ticking all the boxes and is advancing along the path towards being a producer and realising up to A$100 million of value. The first Coffee with Samso - A Targeted Diversified Mineral Explorer - Venture Minerals Limited (ASX:VMS) was published on October 26, 2020. When we started that journey with the company, there was not a lot of value being placed on the Riley's hematite project in Tasmania. Things have changed a lot since then with a rising iron ore price to a near all-time high. Today, Andrew Radonjic shares with us: The significance of the latest announcement on the Riley's hematite project; The long-awaited journey to mining an iron ore mine; The challenges of getting all the team in place to make the mining process possible; When will the company see cashflow; and What will mining mean to the company. PODCAST: About Andrew Radonjic Andrew Radonjic is a geologist and mineral economist with more than 25 years of experience in mining and exploration, with a specific focus on gold and nickel in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. He began his career at the Agnew Nickel Mine before spending more than 15 years in the Paddington, Mount Pleasant and Lady Bountiful Extended operations north of Kalgoorlie. He has fulfilled a variety of senior roles which gave rise to three gold discoveries, totalling in excess of 3 million ounces in resources and the development of in excess of 1 million ounces. About Venture Minerals Venture Minerals Limited (ASX:VMS) is exploring in Western Australia for copper-lead-zinc at the Thor Prospect, nickel-cobalt at the Pingaring Project (adjacent and along strike to the Quicksilver nickel-cobalt discovery), nickel-copper (new target) at the Odin Prospect and nickel-copper-cobalt at the Caesar Project. Recently the maiden drilling program at Thor intersected massive sulphides confirming the copper-lead-zinc target is a 20-kilometre VMS style system. Thor is now a top priority target for Venture moving forward. The company's initial focus was on realising the full economic potential of the Mount Lindsay Tin-Tungsten Deposit in northwest Tasmania. The company has already defined one of the world's largest undeveloped tin deposits and has completed a feasibility study on Mount Lindsay. The emergence of tin as the metal most impacted by new technology through its use in Electric Vehicles has refocused Ventures approach to developing this asset and an underground scoping study is currently underway. VMS Ebook This is a good time to download the first Ebook (FREE) from Samso as it is all about VMS (Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides). Please let us know your thoughts and send us any comment to info@Samso.com.au. Remember to Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Samso Media and our mail list to stay informed and make comments where appropriate. Other than that, you can also give us a Review on Google. For further information about Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talks visit: www.samso.com.au Samso is primarily a consulting company that delivers digital information to the market in terms of creating organic content. Samso simplifies your story to customers or investors. Samso creates organic content for you to engage your audience and BRAND yourself to them. Samso provides bespoke research and presentation for clients to engage their customers or investors. Organic content allows audiences to feel a real sense of sincerity when you share your business strategy, allowing your business to stand out among the sea of social media traffic. Working with Proactive Group allows exposing our Insights to over 1.2 million monthly unique views internationally. Samso has nearly 30 years of experience in developing business ideas and concepts in the Australasian region. Samso has worked primarily in the mineral resources industry, capital markets and corporate finance. Noel Ong is the founder of SAMSO. Disclaimer Samso and affiliated companies accept no responsibility for any claim, loss or damage as a result of information provided or its accuracy. The information provided is general in nature, not financial product advice, see a financial expert before making any investment decision. Your personal objectives, financial situation or needs have not been taken into consideration. There may be a conflict of interest present with commercial arrangements with companies and/or stock held. Samso or an associate may receive a commission for funds raised. The Government has been slammed by a leading human rights lawyer for releasing hotel quarantine guidance just days before rules are enforced. When the new regulations come into law they will require people from 'red list' countries to isolate in approved accommodation. UK nationals or residents returning to England from 33 countries will be forced to spend 10 days in Government-designated accommodation from Monday. The law sets out new requirements for people to book their 'managed self-isolation package' which includes a hotel, transport and testing. People must quarantine in the room but exceptions allowing them to leave include the need for urgent medical assistance, to exercise or attend the funeral of a close family member. They will also be allowed outside to get fresh air or have a cigarette break - and will only need to get hotel staff permission. The regulations state that leaving for these exceptional reasons should only happen if the person 'has been given prior permission by a person authorised by the secretary of state for this purpose'. However, human rights barrister Adam Wagner, who studies coronavirus rules and tries to simplify them for the public, had led an outpouring of anger against the government over the timing of the legislation's publication so close to the rules becoming law. The Government has been slammed for releasing hotel quarantine guidance just days before rules are enforced requiring people from 'red list' countries to isolate in approved accommodation. Pictured: Stock image Human rights barrister Adam Wagner, who studies coronavirus rules and tries to simplify them for the public, criticised the timing of the legislation's publication so close to the rules becoming law He tweeted: 'Inexcusable that these have been published *zero* working days before they come into force and will not be scrutinised by Parliament at all before they do.' Writer and filmmaker Laura Dodsworth added: 'The new detention, I mean 'hotel quarantine', regulations have just been published, ZERO working days before they come into force. 'MPs should be UP IN ARMS. No Parliamentary debate or vote. 'People will be put in detention for being *potentially infectious* & have to pay for it!' The legislation, called the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 7) Regulations 2021, comes into force at 4am on Monday. Although the government hasn't revealed which hotels will house the quarantine passengers, Novotel on Bath Road near Heathrow is thought to be one of them The Thistle Hotel, by Heathrow Terminal, is another thought to have been approached by the government People may only arrive into Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport, Farnborough Airport or any military airfield or port, the legislation states. Travellers are required to have booked a 'testing package', which includes provision for a test on days two and eight of their quarantine. The accompanying explanatory memorandum to the legislation says travellers 'can only leave managed quarantine or self-isolation once they have received a negative result from their day eight test and quarantined until the end of the 10-day period'. The Crowne Plaza, also in Heathrow, is thought to have been approached to accept passengers Passengers arriving into England face fines of up to 10,000 for failing to quarantine, and those who lie on their passenger locator forms face up to 10 years in jail, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced earlier this week. The cost for a quarantine hotel stay is 1,750 for a single adult. The regulations say the secretary of state or a person designated by him 'may impose a charge in relation to the accommodation, transport and testing package' and that the secretary of state 'may recover any sum owed by P (the traveller) pursuant to such a charge as a debt'. Guidance published by the Government on Thursday said people on income-related benefits can apply for a deferred repayment plan when making their quarantine package booking and repay the cost in 12 monthly instalments. No10 admits 'quarantine hotel' rules are looser than Australia and people only need permission from hotel staff to leave rooms for 'gulp of fresh air' or cigarette - while booking site is STILL offline just days before first UK arrivals are due to check in By James Tapsfield, Political Editor and Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter for MailOnline No10 has admitted people in 'hotel quarantine' will only need permission from staff to go outside and exercise amid fears the scheme is already facing meltdown - with travellers still unable to book rooms just days before it is due to come into force. The government portal is still not live with less than 72 hours left to go until the first people are due to check in. A message on the website blames a 'minor technical issue' and admits it will not be available until 'later today'. Despite the chaos Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted this morning that the arrangements for arrivals from 'red list' countries will be 'up and running' on schedule, although she pointedly stressed it is the responsibility of Health Secretary Matt Hancock. The confusion came as Downing Street defended the fact that the rules are less strict than in other countries such as Australia, where 'red list' guests are not allowed out of their rooms and staff are tested daily to stop the spread of Covid including new strains from abroad. The Government has been accused of 'not learning the lessons' after several hotel outbreaks when workers fell ill, and a flurry of new cases that pushed Melbourne into a five-month lockdown after guests and staff mingled. By contrast, in the UK those paying 1,750 to quarantine in hotels for 10 days will be allowed to leave their rooms to walk and smoke outside as long as they are accompanied by security - a rule scrapped Down Under after it was blamed for spreading the virus. Asked if it was up to 'the discretion of hotel staff' whether people in quarantine could go outside a spokesman for the PM said: 'That's correct, yes. Travellers must quarantine inside their rooms for 10 days. They are allowed outside for exercise with permission from hotel staff, so that is correct.' Asked if it was 'unfair' to put this pressure on hotel staff, he added: 'the measures that we are putting in place are in line with other countries who are taking this approach.' Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said it was reasonable to let people to have a 'gulp of fresh air' outside during a stay of that length. There are also concerns about a lack of daily testing for staff after people got ill delivering meals and guarding corridors - and not insisting on high-grade masks with filters in all areas of the hotel. In the UK only a surgical mask is required. Meanwhile, the huge uncertainty for travellers was underlined with warnings that the 'red list' could be expanded with almost no notice if a threat from a variant is identified in another country. And footage has shown arrivals at the border are already queuing for hours and rowing with frustrated staff. The government portal is still not live with less than 72 hours left to go until the first people are due to check in. A message on the website blames a 'minor technical issue' and admits it will not be available until 'later today' The three-star Ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel will be one of England's quarantine hotels but there are concerns about the rules not being strict enough Despite the chaos Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted this morning that the arrangements for arrivals from 'red list' countries will be 'up and running' on schedule How UK hotel quarantine compares to Australia WHO HAS TO QUARANTINE IN A HOTEL? All arrivals in Australia, except for some from New Zealand. In England, only those who have recently been in a 'banned list' country such as South Africa and the UAE. But Scotland is sending all arrivals from outside the UK and Ireland into hotels. LENGTH OF QUARANTINE 14 days in Australia, 10 in Britain. VIRUS TESTING In Victoria, people are tested on day 3 and day 11. In New South Wales, it is day 2 and day 12. In Britain, people must get a test 'on or before day 2' and 'on or after day 8'. Neither country allows people to leave early if they test negative. CAN PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR ROOMS? In Australia, not unless they have an emergency or a medical reason. The UK government says hotel staff can give people permission to exercise but that 'this is not guaranteed'. MEAL DELIVERY Australia has introduced staggered meal times to reduce the chance of guests inadvertently coming into contact when they open their doors. Britain merely says that room service will follow 'best practice', according to a document seen by BBC News. PROTECTION FOR HOTEL STAFF Hotel staff in Victoria have to wear medical-grade N95 masks, which are also being considered for guests. The UK policy only calls for standard surgical masks. Advertisement Scientists voiced concerns about the strength of the hotel quarantine arrangements as leaked document obtained by the BBC revealed: British quarantine hotel guests will be allowed to leave their rooms and go outside with security - despite it being banned in other countries after mingling was reported and the virus spread; Masks worn by UK guests and staff do not have to be at the same FFP2 standard in Australia. Only a standard surgical mask is required; Staff won't be tested every day. In Australia all hotel workers are, even on their days off, and are paid for it; In Australia food is now delivered at different times to rooms across from each other after a woman from Singapore is believed to have caught Covid from the Nigerian family opposite when their doors were open at the same time. The UK policy does not say this will be the rule here; In Australia they have had quarantine in hotels for 12 months, and have learned some 'harsh lessons' - but Britain could be about to repeat some of them, experts have said. Professor Mike Toole, from the Australian Centre for International Health at Burnet Institute in Victoria, told the BBC that allowing people to leave their rooms 'is a very risky procedure', as is not using proper masks. He said: 'We have had a situation where a hotel guest infected staff when she opened the door and a fog of virus was pushed from the room by positive pressure into the corridor, infecting staff'. And in another warning for the UK he added: 'One all hotel staff are employed by the Government so they can't have second or third jobs and therefore can't spread it from workplace to workplace'. From Monday, travellers who have been in a country on the Covid hotspot 'red list' in the previous ten days are required to quarantine for 11 nights upon arrival. They must book a hotel 'package' online before flying into the UK and face being banned from boarding if they can't show proof. They will also face a 4,000 fine if they fail to book a quarantine hotel before travel and extra police are set to patrol airports to help enforce the scheme. Officers will escort arrivals on to coaches so travellers can be taken to the places they are designated to stay. But yesterday the link to the booking system on the Government website crashed, saying that 'due to a minor technical issue' the link would not be available until later in the day. It has still not gone live today, and the Department of Health did not respond to questions about when it might be working again. The site had initially said no hotel rooms were available until Wednesday next week despite the scheme coming into force on Monday. In a phone-in on LBC radio this morning, Ms Patel conceded there had also been problems with the booking system for tests. From Monday arrivals to the UK from all countries must have pre-booked two Covid tests. The IBIS welcoming Heathrow arrivals from Monday as part of the government's travel quarantine programme, MailOnline can reveal. Pictured is one of the twin bedrooms There was chaos at Heathrow again yesterday as queues of strangers formed with little social distancing because of a lack of staff Ms Patel urged people to 'persevere' with the Government's testing website after a woman raised fears she will not be able to travel back from the US because of issues. An LBC radio listener said she is a UK citizen married to a US citizen and is due to return from the States on February 22 but has been unable to book a test. The Home Secretary responded: 'I do understand there have been problems with the testing package website, which I think was launched yesterday. 'I've been told it was back up and running this morning so please persevere with this. 'This is a fresh website clearly.' Ms Atkins said it is 'reasonable' to allow travellers quarantining in hotels a 'gulp of fresh air', despite an epidemiologist warning it is 'risky'. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We have to look at our own measures in our own country. 'The hotel will of course be adhering to all of the very strict measures that we have in place in relation to social distancing and face masks and so on. 'So I think allowing someone a gulp of fresh air apart from anything else, we know that being outside is less likely to transmit than being inside. 'But I think allowing someone a gulp of fresh air during a 10-day visit in a hotel, with all the very strict measures that we have, I think is reasonable but of course we will keep these measures under review.' She added: 'We are confident that the measures that we have in place, ready to go on Monday, are strong and that they will help to protect our country against any of these new variants that are being found.' Arrivals at the border described a scene of 'absolute bedlam' yesterday as they lingered in queues for more than four hours while stretched officials lost their cool and lamented: 'We have not got any more staff!' Days before a tough hotel quarantine regime is enforced, Heathrow Airport was swamped with passengers trying to enter the UK. Footage shows one border force official telling an impatient passenger it was taking up to 30 minutes to wave through a single person. Pictures show a line of visibly frustrated arrivals snaking back dozens of rows, while some slump on the floor and take off their masks. Dylan Carter, 23, whose girlfriend was coming back from Ukraine, told MailOnline: 'It's absolute bedlam. They've been stuck in queues for four hours. Officers have been shouting at the crowds saying things like 'you chose to travel'. He said his girlfriend landed at Terminal 2 at 11am and only eventually passed through security at around 5pm. Mr Carter blamed the wait on a scramble from passengers to avoid the beefed-up border controls the Government is introducing from Monday. Police patrols at airports stepped up for start of hotel quarantine scheme Police patrols will be stepped up at airports and ports as hotel quarantine rules for travellers come into force, the Home Secretary said. From Monday, UK nationals or residents returning from 33 'red list' countries will be required to spend 10 days in a Government-designated hotel. Passengers arriving into England face fines of up to 10,000 for failing to quarantine, and those who lie on their passenger locator forms face up to 10 years in jail. Priti Patel announced more police would be deployed to check the reason for passenger journeys and to help 'ensure compliance of arrivals from red-list countries who will be part of the mandatory quarantine scheme'. It comes as she pledged 60 million to police forces in England and Wales to cover the extra costs of enforcing coronavirus pandemic rules. Forces will be reimbursed for costs they have already incurred as a result of their additional duties and also fund fresh enforcement action planned at airports and ports. Advertisement And a video sees an irritated border guard berate one of the impatient arrivals suggests it was due to a shortage of staff. The footage appears to show the male official fume: 'We have not got any more staff! We have staff isolating, we have staff off with Covid and we have had two staff die with Covid! So forgive us for not being understanding!' A separate clip shows his colleague sternly telling an arrival that social distancing was compounding the hold-up. The official seems to say: 'It's taking anything to 30 minutes to deal with one single person. Unfortunately, border force staff are not immune to Covid either so we... have to work in bubbles. 'If you choose to stand close to someone, that's up to you, but we have to socially distance. It takes time to do things, so please be patient.' From Monday arrivals from a 'red list' of 33 countries - who will only be allowed to fly into one of five airports - will be expected pay 1,750 to quarantine for 10 full days (11 nights) in designated hotels. Those who attempt to evade quarantine by providing false information face a fine of up to 10,000, and up to 10 years in prison, while those who do not book a hotel place before arriving in England face a 4,000 fine. But it was thrown into chaos as its booking website crashed minutes into its launch, while travellers were not allowed to reserve rooms for the first two days. Searches at Birmingham, Glasgow and Heathrow airports showed they weren't 'any applicable hotels' for passengers to stay in. The Government is already thought to have contracted 16 hotels to take part in the scheme, with the 50-a-night Thistle near Heathrow believed to be one of them. The new booking website asks people to state the airport they are landing at, along with the date and the number of people arriving. It then lists what is included in the 1,750 quarantine package, such as food, drinks, transfers, security costs and two Covid tests. The website also informs visitors that there is a 650 surcharge for an extra adult in the same room, and a 325 charge for children aged between 5 and 12. However, minutes after going live, the new website was taken down, with an error message telling visitors developers were carrying out 'some maintenance'. The website does appear to be working for some visitors. A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said the problem was a 'minor technical issue' and that the website was 'currently undergoing maintenance'. The spokesperson said: 'Rooms are available from Monday 15 February and travellers will be able to book through the site imminently.' However Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds slammed the launch blunder and said ministers must 'act urgently' to get it back up and running. 'It is extremely worrying that even the limited hotel quarantine booking system is showing signs of failing from the outset,' he said. 'Over a year into this pandemic and 50 days on from the discovery of the South African strain, there are no excuses for yet more Government incompetence in the introduction of hotel quarantine.' Meanwhile the Government issued more advice on its quarantine hotel scheme. The guidance states that any traveller wishing to leave their room for exercise will only be allowed with special permission from hotel staff or security and is 'not guaranteed'. Travellers who don't book a hotel quarantine place face a 4,000 fine even though the UK website is STILL down The UK booking website was down on Friday despite the scheme starting on Monday Travellers arriving in England from 33 'red list' countries who don't pre-book a space at a quarantine hotel face a 4,000 fine - and will still have to pay the cost of their stay. But the website is still down today. Arrivals the Covid hotspots will have to pay 1,750 to quarantine for 10 full days (11 nights) in designated hotels from Monday. The package includes the costs of transport from the port of arrival to the designated hotel, food, accommodation, security, other essential services and testing. But the government warns those who have not arranged a quarantine package prior to their arrival in England, 'face a penalty of up to 4,000 and will still have to pay for your quarantine package on arrival'. The costs for the 11 night stay, including food, drink and transfers, are 1,750 for one adult in one room, with a 650 additional rate for 1 adult (or child over 12) and a 325 rate for a child aged 512. Meanwhile, providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out your passenger locator form is an offence punishable by imprisonment. The Government warns that you could be fined up to 10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both, if you do not provide accurate details about the countries you have visited in the 10 days before you arrived in the UK. Advertisement The Government also published a list of five airports in England that travellers from red list countries must fly to under the quarantine rules. The accepted entry points from red list countries are: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport and Farnborough Airfield. Notable absences on the list include Manchester Airport - which is the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow. Luton and Stansted have also been excluded. Farnborough Airport - which is included on the approved list - is a private airport catering mostly for business passengers and has around 30,000 movements each year. It comes Matt Hancock this week unveiled England's new quarantine programme for Britons arriving home from Covid hotspots abroad. The measures are aimed at stopping Covid variants discovered in countries such as Sotuh Africa and Brazil taking hold in the UK. Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport chiefs warned that unless there is a way to revive the travel industry soon, thousands more jobs will be lost. Bosses at the London airport fear that once the quarantine rules are introduced on Monday only the 'desperate and wealthy' will be flying. Ahead of the new measures being introduced, face mask wearing passengers pushing large trolleys of luggage were seen streaming through the arrivals area at Heathrow. A large group of people were also seen waiting at the arrivals area waiting for passengers, while there were queues at departures as people checked-in for flights leaving the UK. The arrivals landed in Heathrow, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer visited the busy London airport, where he delivered a scathing attack on the Government's quarantine scheme. An estimated 10,000 travellers arriving in the UK from 'higher-risk countries' every day will avoid hotel quarantine, Labour warns. 'I don't think anybody would argue that's a system that's going to work,' Sir Keir said. The Labour analysis is based on the number of people travelling from countries where the South African or Brazilian coronavirus variants are circulating but which are not on the Government's red list. This includes locations such as France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Speaking to reports during his visit to the airport, he said: 'Our concern isn't their preparations, because they're getting on with that. 'Our concern is that we now know that there are variants in countries that aren't on the red list. So this partial approach by the Government isn't going to work'We are at this crucial stage now where it's a race between the vaccine and variants, and the only way through this is to buy time by having a comprehensive system of quarantine in hotels, wherever you come from.' WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the House Committee on Oversight and Reform approved a package of funding that includes $350 billion in direct fiscal assistance to states, local governments, territories and tribes. The legislation is the Committee's contribution to the larger Biden COVID rescue plan, which has made helping American cities a priority. Securing these critical resources for cities has also been the top priority for the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM). All across America, in cities big and small, mayors are confronting enormous budget deficits as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. To date, most cities have received no direct funding to help mitigate the increased costs and falling revenue stemming from the crisis. As a result, cities have been forced to make layoffs, furlough workers, and cut essential services. The funding approved by the committee today will be critical to helping cities, residents, and the American economy recover. This legislation will now be combined with other pieces of the Biden plan at the House Budget Committee before the entire package is voted on by the full House of Representatives. Celebrating this important step, USCM President Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer released the following statement: "Mayors everywhere thank Chairwoman Maloney and members of the committee for recognizing the tremendous challenge facing American cities. From the start of this crisis, local leaders have been fighting on the frontlines to defeat this virus, but the cost has been enormous. The severe budget crunch created by this pandemic has contributed to more than one million state and local jobs being lost, including police, firefighters, and teachers. To build back better we must have strong cities that can drive our recovery. No city could have been prepared for the costs of this pandemic, and we are grateful to President Biden for supporting the local governments that have been supporting relief efforts on the ground. We still have a long way to go, and I urge Chairman Yarmuth and the Budget Committee to act quickly on the next legislative stage, but this was an important step to bringing relief for cities and the people who call them home." About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors Related Links www.usmayors.org While many Ontario horsepeople await and prepare for the return of harness racing in this jurisdiction next week, a number of others -- like trainer Teesha Symes -- have made their way stateside since the start of the shutdown to ply their trade. Shes quick to admit, however, the move is simply a temporary one until she can head back to her regular base. Ontario is home for me right now, Symes told Trot Insider. My boyfriend (Beau Brown) actually had plans of coming to Ontario this summer with me before this lockdown started. Hed like to get driving some more, as well. Im hopeful hell be able to fit well into Hanover, Clinton and Dresden this summer. Im just making lemonade while life hands us lemons. Ohio may be in the long term plans for us but for right now the plan is to head back north soon. Ive still got six in Ontario; a few on a break and a couple jogging back, Symed added. Theres six down here racing. Also, the old horse Rockin In Heaven stands stud in Ontario and will soon need to start breeding mares. While returning to Ontario is the short-term plan, the long-term plan could see her shift her operation stateside. Its just tough for me to leave right now, Im only into my fourth year on my own, admitted Symes. Ive been very lucky to get some great owners along the way. Im set up in a beautiful, 12-stall barn of my own at Golden Horseshoe Training Centre in Hamilton with beautiful huge paddocks. And with the old horse Moe (Rockin In Heaven) racing and breeding in Ontario this season, an Ohio permanent move right now would be tough, she added. Its definitely not out of the question, and most likely in the cards within the next couple of years. While her current six-horse stable is the reality, it easily could have been 16 or more. But that wasnt something she was interested in managing at this time. Ive honestly turned at least 10 people away, which may or may not be the right choice, said Symes. But the way I look at it is quality over quantity. I didnt make this move to expand my stable. I made it to try and keep the money coming in for my current owners. I dont want to have a bunch of horses for a certain class and my owners, who have been with me since pre-lockdown, having their horses sit out. I believe the people that want to send horses are only wanting to send horses for the sheer fact that theyre not able or willing to come here themselves. Or their current trainers arent able or willing. Im not about to take money out of the Canadian trainers pockets just for the convenience of me being here, she added. If they wanted those people to train their horses in Canada, they should stick with those trainers during the lockdown. Also hiring help down here can be difficult with me being Canadian and all. So Id like to keep my numbers down where I can do them myself comfortably. Whats helped make the transition a smooth endeavour is the fact that she has some good people in her corner. Brian and Jennifer (Brown) both have been super awesome with me coming down, said Symes. And Amy Hollar (Beaus aunt), theyve all been super helpful with getting set me up here. Im in one of their barns at Delaware. Its always nice to have people in your corner when going somewhere new and theyve all been very helpful and welcoming. What has been a challenge for Symes is adapting to the style and calibre of racing at Northfield Parks half-miler. Its tough, Symes exclaimed, sporting a 3-3-2 record and $19,277 from 25 starts. Ive raced horses on the east coast, Maine, Ontario and New York on my own and with my dad and I can honestly say Northfield is the toughest. They freaking fly! Its a completely different style of racing. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Maggie Schaller is one of just six percent of top-tier college seniors selected to join Orr Fellowship. Orr Fellowship, one of Indianas most celebrated nonprofit talent programs, is a two-year post-graduate program that places high-achieving college seniors from across the Midwest in full-time, paid positions at dynamic companies and organizations in Indianapolis. Schaller will join Orr Fellowships 20th and largest cohort of Fellows to date. From August to October, college seniors from across the Midwest were recruited to Orr. Of the nearly 1,300 applicants, just 100 were invited to Orr Fellowships Finalist Day held in November. Of those 100 applicants, 79 individuals received job offer calls. Orr Fellowships one-of-a-kind interview day, typically held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Media Center, was turned into a virtual event this year. Candidates and Indianapolis business executives conducted over 420 interviews over the course of eight hours. Schaller and other fellows were hired by 46 partner companies this year that include IU Health, Kinney Group, KSM Consulting, Lev, Roche Diagnostics and Terminus. There were nine first-time partner companies also welcomed to the Orr Network. After graduating with a degree in marketing from Valparaiso University, Schaller will begin at SupplyKick, a consulting and strategic e-commerce company. In addition to working at SupplyKick, Schaller will participate in Orr Fellowships programming dedicated to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit and developing strong leadership skills. Schaller will also enter Orrs networking communities via the program and help recruit the next cohort of Orr Fellows. Dozens of Fellows have gone on to find their own businesses and most former Fellows have become leaders at successful companies. Its nice to see PatnaDaily back after a brief recess. Running a media outlet during the pandemic must have been a challenge, given the fact that many essential human activities world wide had to be either curtailed or discontinued. In its editorial, PD is Back with a Change, published on 8 Feb 2021, the Daily explains its current thinking in a constantly changing socio-political or media environment. All of the modifications proposed to be adopted are, therefore, worthy of serious consideration. It has rightly warned its readers not to succumb to fake news, rumors and propaganda. And thats where the role of a media platform like PatnaDaily becomes crucially important. People, particularly interested in whats going on in Bihar, have to be fed the right information and more important than that an incisive discussion/opinion on the developments reported. Its true, as the editorial notes, the same set of news annoyingly repeats itself in Bihar, and thats why the Dailys news section could be dispensed with. However, the sad fact of Bihar is that we cant turn our attention away from all such recurring news if (a) we have to hold the feet of someone to the fire including the governments or (b) we have to have an informed opinion. Two quick instances may be worth considering. If there are broad daylight murders of citizens in the heart of the city, unless the murders are reported, people will have no clue on the circumstances around the murder and what the administration was doing. May be, similarly, information on Pappu Yadavs frequent activities in Patna will help understand why a former MP and a dreaded person like him couldnt win an Assembly constituency in Bihar where his caste dominated. The real frustration the PatnaDaily could share with its readers is that despite constant news coverage of the same issues nothing or very little seems to be moving in Bihar. The news of seasonal waterlogging in Patna, therefore, becomes as hackneyed as the reports exposing the City officials, including the Mayors and Counsellors, to be notoriously corrupt. Not seeing the positive impact of repeat news, people begin to dislike the news itself. They are desensitized. Coverage of news strictly in brief, therefore, will be the best middle path. General flashy news these days could be collected from a third source as well, a reporter doesnt have to be dispatched for that. An investigative exclusive reporting will be a separate matter. It appears the problem of Bihar is not so much the paucity of news as what to do with the abundance of news. It looks like people for a variety of reasons are so indifferent to whats going on around them that they arent able to coalesce into an effective public voice; and if they have one on any specific issue, its instantly politicized, ignored or suppressed in a 24-hour news cycle. PatnaDaily could offer a valuable service as a platform where diverse public opinions with regard to the pressing news/issues are formed, represented and amplified. For that, it will also have to shame and shake the Bihar elites out of their stupor. We must be reminded that in this digital age, researchers from any part of the world interested in knowing about Bihar would search for a regional media outlet like PD to gather opinions of the real people. PatnaDaily can be a place where authentic news, analysis and opinions are generated and archived. Dr. Binoy Shanker Prasad hails from Darbhanga and currently resides with his family in Dundas, Ontario (Canada). A former UGC teacher fellow (at JNU) in India and Fulbright scholar in the USA, he has taught politics and authored conference papers, articles and chapters on Bihar in previously published books in the United States, India, and Canada. Dr. Prasad administers a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OverseasBihari and has sponsored Aware Citizenship Campaign at a micro-level in his home-town. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) rescued 90 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast. UNHCR on Friday said that more than 90 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast. UNHCR took to Twitter and wrote, "93 persons were brought back to Libya overnight by Libyan Coast Guard. The UN agency further wrote,"Our teams were at the disembarkation point to provide urgent medical aid and humanitarian assistance to all survivors."The UN further added that 21 refugees were resettled this week from Libya to Canada with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Due to insecurity and chaos in the North African nation after the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, choose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe. As per IOM, over 2,000 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast so far in 2021. Also Read: Chinese CanSinoBio becomes fourth Covid-19 vaccine to be approved in Pakistan Open to all hypotheses and require further analysis and studies: WHO Trump impeachment: Insurrection incitement charge a 'monstrous lie' More than 500 killed by wild animals in Bengal since 2015, govt to give jobs to their kin Four elephants die within 11 days in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Bhawanipatna, Feb 13: At least four female elephants have died within 11 days at Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha's Kalahandi district, official sources said. The latest jumbo death was reported on Thursday when the forest officials found carcasses of a female elephant by the side of Ghusurigudi Nullha, a water body inside the sanctuary. Similarly, one elephant death was reported on February 10 and 9 from the same Ghusurigudi area, the official said. According to information, the first such incident came to the light on February 1 after officials found a dead female elephant near Tentulipada village inside the sanctuary. World Radio Day: Radio a fantastic medium that deepens social connect, says PM Modi The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Sashi Pal said the jumbo deaths were due to some bacterial infection. The water bodies in the sanctuary could have been infected, he said. From the post mortem conducted it was revealed that the dead elephant was pregnant and the death is due to Septicemia, an official said. Divisional Forest Officer, Kalahandi (South Division), Ashok Kumar said that the post mortem of the dead elephant has been conducted by the veterinary surgeon and the report is awaited. More than Rs 1500 crore received in donations for Ram Mandir's construction: Trust The lab test of the first elephant conducted in the Centre for wildlife Health OUAT in Bhubaneswar reveal that it is due to Haemorrhage Septicemia, he said. Official sources said separate herds in Karlapat wildlife sanctuary as per 2018 wildlife census. The DFO said the villagers are advised not to allow their cattle inside the forest as it is suspected that the water bodies could be contaminated for some reason or the other. Stagnant water is treated with bleaching powder to avoid further spread of infection and water samples were collected from different spots for testing, he said. Now forest staff have been directed to conduct a field survey and trekking of the elephant herds is in progress, he said, adding that it is not yet known whether any other species of wild animals are also affected. The DFO further said that experts from the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology will soon be reaching the sanctuary for on-the spot analysis. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Spread over an area of 175 square km in Odisha's Kalahandi district, Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary is the home of many wildlife species like tiger, leopard, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse deer, a wide variety of birds like green munia, great eared-nightjar and various reptiles apart from elephants. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 10:22 [IST] Russia has slapped fresh sanctions on nine Ukrainian companies which include names such as vessel builder Craneship, towage firm Donmar, cargo operator Tranship, and metal producer Maxima Metal. The new decree issued by the Putin administration targets all the nine firms by special economic measures. Relations between the two erstwhile Soviet nations have deteriorated considerably in recent weeks prompting Moscow to sanction as many as 84 Ukrainian firms as of now. Reason not known The reason behind the hard-hitting economic sanctions is yet not known. Previously this month, Kyiv banned Russian vaccine producers. In a statement released later, it announced the prohibition of COVID-19 shots from any aggressor states, a title given to Russia following its invasion of Crimea in 2014 and its subsequent support to Pro Russia separatists in Eastern Ukraine. In a bid to resolve the conflict, both the nations inked Minsk peace plan brokered by France and Germany in 2014. However, Russias UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, last month, accused Ukraine of failing to implement the 2015 Minsk agreement. Speaking at its sixth anniversary, he said Over those six years, we still havent gotten an answer to two very important questions: How exactly does Ukraine intend to peacefully resolve the conflict, and how does Kiev envisage special status of Donbass within Ukraine? Read: Russia Clashes With US And West Over Conflict In Ukraine Read:Europe's Rights Court Accepts Ukraine Case Against Russia Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba recently said that he was against the use of Russian COVID-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V' due to Moscow's "propaganda factor. While speaking to Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel, Kuleba said that the propaganda capabilities of Sputnik V surpass by far its actual capabilities and effectiveness. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal informed that Kiev is holding talks with all vaccine manufacturers except for the Russian ones. Thanking China for the vaccine supplies, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the country will be launching a large-scale inoculation. Read: Ukraine Against Using Russian COVID-19 Vaccine Due To 'propaganda Factor', Turns To EU Read: Ukraine And Moldova Presidents Support Joining European Union This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Tesla Inc will set up an electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Saturday. The statement was part of a press release on Saturday listing benefits for the state under the Union Budget. However, according to sources in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the budget does not mention the move but talks around it have been positive. Last month, the American electric carmaker incorporated Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited with its registered office in Bengaluru, a hub for several global technology companies. Tesla, the worlds most valued car maker, registered with the Registrar of Companies on January 8. Its main office will be on Lavelle road, in the heart of Bengaluru's central business district. Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein are listed as Directors of the incorporated entity. ALSO READ | Elon Musk's Tesla Officially Enters India as it Registers Office in Bengaluru ahead of Upcoming Launch While Taneja is their chief accounting officer, Feinstein is the Global Senior Director of Tesla, based in California. Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa had announced a grand welcome to Tesla on social media saying, "Karnataka will lead India's journey towards Green Mobility. Electric Vehicle Manufacturer Tesla will soon start its operations in India with an R&D unit in Bengaluru. I welcome @elonmusk to India & Karnataka and wish him all the very best." First and foremost, kudos to the team: they well deserve a heart-felt congratulations on their success and it is hardly surprising that the people's mandate has given them, with Mr Kumar as the leader at the helm of affairs, the opportunity to lead Bihar for the second time. It's a pleasure to see a dedicated civil engineer in action as the CM of a state so vital to the long-term economic and political future of the country. It's definitely more reassuring than the likes of more medievally oriented and century-old mindsets which managed to bring this once prestigious state on the verge of a meltdown. I am not a structural or civil engineer but I have read extensively on flood and disaster management: available best practice guidelines and evidence. I would only make a few pertinent comments regarding flood control strategy for the Kosi and other rivers: The USA implemented policies in 1970s to control flood erosion. It obviously has a significant 'lag time' to achieve the desired effects, say 5-10 years. They found that planting trees and shrubs and Conservation tillage achieved maximum reductions over the years (Source). To put this in perspective, I think the Kosi action plan team should be looking at not only preventing deforestation along the river, but also actively promoting afforestation activities of fast-growing shrubs, especially close to river banks, canals and other bodies. On searching for information on drainage into the Kosi from Nepal, there are many feeder rivers that make the Kosi: Hence the name- Saptakoshi. Previous experiments and tests have confirmed that the 'Arun' tributary/feeder into Kosi brings the maximum amount of sediment into the Kosi. This alters the course of the river over years/decades, leading to floods. Bringing technology to the rescue: Active reforestation measures can be combined with 'Gabion Technology' to shore-up river beds/banks. The whole package of Gabion meshes, reinforced baskets and walls would essentially make our water resources safe for decades to come. This could involve, but not limited to: Dams, Erosion control, Gravity bank protection, Light bank protection with geosynthetic MAC-MAT technology & Natural Combines for environmental restoration, River/stream bank protection, Rockfall netting, Soil conservation. Reinforced cross-linked polymers or simple jute-based products can also dramatically cut-down the cost of base materials prior to using gabion pre-formed steel meshes (reinforced with locally available rocks to decrease transport costs). This hopefully will be a long-term solution to the Kosi problem. The meshes will reinforce the banks of the rivulets/river/ and it will have enhanced protection over time as vegetation grows into the wire/rock mesh. It is also more malleable as it only is steel wires/meshes with rock between them (That's Gabion technology in a nutshell!), so it does not have cracks appearing it as may happen with concrete/water seepage into concrete etc. It is a very natural system which takes into account of water seepage and the wall but prevents the soil erosion. Over years, the sediment/erosion will reduce and lead to a more naturalized flow of the river. At this later stage, guessing over 10-20 years construction of a major dam may even be beneficial as the river flow would have become more predictable with a decreased sediment load flowing into the river. Stopping illegal sand-mining will also help: May be creating registered sand vendors and all construction companies signing up to only source materials from registered vendors. Cost issues: According to my own research: Rs 75 lakh-Rs 1 crore per kilometer of mesh using gabion technology. The river has a total length of 729 km. This will have to involve meshing in higher catchment areas, especially "Arun" tributary within Nepal as this is where the main bulk of sediments is coming from. So, in essence, a Rs 700-1000 crore investment might bring long-term solution to this problem. Readers may recall that the damage caused by the recent floods were estimated at more than 1000 crores. And lastly, providing communities with renewable sources of energy to reduce dependence on wood. Heartening to see lot of available ranges of solar operated lanterns, street lights etc. at a nominal cost. This could offer us a cheap and cost-effective solution to empowering standalone families in remote locations with reduced dependence on fossil fuels/cutting trees etc. Who knows we may prevent another Kosi! Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 21:08:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for stricter COVID-19 border controls, noting another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic may be on the way in the country. "More attention must be paid to foreign entries, especially from countries infected with new variants of the virus," he said in a meeting of the national anti-COVID-19 headquarters in Tehran, official news agency IRNA reported. Rouhani stressed the need that all local officials and members of the Basij, a volunteer force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, engage in the monitoring of individuals coming from abroad, who must stay in quarantine when necessary according to Iran's protocols. The Iranian president called on a general effort to prevent a new wave of the outbreak before Nowruz, the Iranian new year, given the social and economic importance of the yearly celebrations. Also on Saturday, the southwestern province of Khuzestan was declared on red alert over the spread of the virus, after several weeks without any province on red alert. Even if vaccination against COVID-19 is successful, Rouhani further said, people should still be careful and maintain the current lifestyle for at least a year. The spokesman for the headquarters, Alireza Raisi, said that the number of daily deaths is decreasing in Iran, but warned about the increase in cases in Khuzestan and northwestern province of West Azerbaijan, state TV reported. The spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Sima Sadat Lari, said that 74 new deaths related to the coronavirus were registered in the country between Friday and Saturday, pushing the death toll to 58,883, said the ministry's official website. The total number of COVID-19 infections confirmed so far in Iran is 1,510,873, after 7,120 new cases were detected in the past 24 hours, she added. The Iranian health ministry started the COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday using Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Enditem Marc Llistosella has been appointed to the role of chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Motors effective 1 July 2021. Marc Llistosella will replace Guenter Butschek who informed his desire to relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons. Butschek will continue to be a part of Tata Motors as the MD & CEO till 30 June 2021. Llistosella was most recently the President and CEO of Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks in Asia. He was earlier the MD and CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. Commenting on his appointment Llistosella said, "I am delighted to become a part of the unique Tata family. Having been bonded to India for so many years, a new exciting chapter is now opened. We would jointly awaken the potential of Tata Motors." Commenting on the development, N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Motors said, I am delighted to welcome Marc to Tata Motors. Marc is an experienced automotive business leader with deep knowledge and expertise in Commercial Vehicles over his illustrious career and has extensive operational experience in India. Marc will bring this experience to take the Tata Motors Indian business to even greater heights. Tata Motors, part of the Tata group, is a global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses. On a consolidated basis, the auto major's net profit surged 64.9% to Rs 3,222.21 crore on 5.4% rise in net sales to Rs 74,878.98 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20. Shares of Tata Motors rose 0.11% to Rs 325.25 on Friday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Panaji, Feb 13 : Goa ushered in the colourful festival of Carnival, albeit on a toned down scale, with a float parade organised in the state capital of Panaji on Saturday. The parade was led by King Momo, a larger than life ceremonious king selected by a local carnival committee, who offers to each city, a symbolic key to celebration. King Momo for 2021 is Goa-based restaurateur Eric Dias. "For three days, King Momo rules Goa with the motto of 'eat, drink and be merry'. Goa welcomes all carnival celebrating tourists to our parades," Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Saturday, while inaugurating the float parade in Panaji. This year, Goa will host only two carnival parades in Panaji and Margao on account of the pandemic and wearing of face masks has been made mandatory. Similar parades were traditionally held in all major towns in the coastal state. Goa's colourful carnival processions, which are normally held in February before the holy season of Lent are symbolic of Goa's colonial Portuguese legacy. For the week prior to the austere Christian season of Lent, Goa celebrates 'one last shot at having fun' before the liquor bottles and meat is shunned as part of a 40-day period of religious penitence. Lent concludes with the celebration of Easter. Of course, you might well be dreaming right now not of where you have been, but of where you hope to go. The travel industry is well aware of this, of course, and endlessly adaptable to how you are feeling now. So is the media, accounting for all of those experiential stories about glamorous destinations to plan for in the future (maybe just not right now, and we dont quite know when, but we will be ready to welcome you back). Surat: The Supreme Court-mandated Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is overseeing the construction of Ram Temple in the holy city of Ayodhya, has informed that the donations for the same have crossed Rs 1500 crore. Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri said that an amount of Rs 1,511 crore has been deposited in the account of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra so far. For the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the whole nation is donating funds. We aim to reach 4 lakh villages and 11 crore families across the country during our donation drive. We are conducting the donation drive from January 15 and it will continue till Feb 27. I am here in Surat as part of the drive. People are contributing to the trust. After 492 years, people have got such an opportunity again to do something for the Dharma," Giri said. "Till now, Rs 1,511 has been deposited in the account of Trust for the construction of Ram Mandir," Giri, the treasurer of the trust constituted to look after the construction and management of Ram Temple in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya, said. Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust is conducting a mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya, which began on January 15 and will go on till February 27. On November 9, 2019, a five-judge of the Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi ruled in favour of Ram Lalla and said that the entire disputed land spread over 2.7 acres will be handed over to a trust formed by the government, which will monitor the construction of a Ram Temple at the site. In February 202, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, to oversee the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the bhoomi pujan for the construction of Ram Temple. Live TV KALAMAZOO, MI One person was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries as the result of a shooting Friday afternoon on Kalamazoos Northside, police said. Kalamazoo Public Safety officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire in the 1000 block of Cobb Avenue at 1:45 p.m., Feb. 12, a news release from the department states. Upon arrival, officers located evidence of shots fired, the release states. While officers were still on scene, a victim arrived at a local hospital suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, police said. No suspect information is available at this time. Related: Drive-by shooting on Kalamazoos Northside sends one to hospital This marks the second straight Friday officers responded to shootings on Cobb Avenue. Officers responded to a drive-by shooting three blocks over, in the 700 block of Cobb Avenue, at around 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. One person was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries in that incident, police said. Anyone having information regarding either matter is asked to contact the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 269-488-8911 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100 or kalamazoosilentobserver.com. Also on MLive: Police believe they have found burial site of missing Portage couple Kalamazoo city commissioner says new economic development CEO does not share the regions values Woman carjacked at knifepoint in high school parking lot KALAMAZOO, MI A Kalamazoo city commissioner is speaking out against the hiring of a former GOP lawmaker as CEO of a Kalamazoo-based economic development group, saying his values does not align with those of the region. Former Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield was hired as the new CEO of Kalamazoo-based Southwest Michigan First, the organization announced on Thursday, Feb. 11. Hours after the news was made public, Kalamazoo City Commissioner Erin Knott issued a scathing statement criticizing the decision. Knott, who is gay, works as the executive director of statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Michigan. Todays announcement was a surprise to people who care about equality, Knott said on Thursday, Feb. 11. The former Speaker, having the worst equality record in the state House, does not share the values of Kalamazoo County or Southwest Michigan. Knott, who has served as a city commissioner in Kalamazoo since November 2015, criticized Chatfields record on issues related to the LGBTQ community. Chatfield contends that he believes in equal civil rights for everyone. The new position will be non-partisan, Chatfield said in a Feb. 12 interview with MLive. The former political leader said he will work to ensure his personal opinions are not driving the direction of the organization. He will work in a different way than he did when he was the top Republican in the GOP-led House, Chatfield said. Knott said Chatfield championed the obstruction of efforts to pass non-discrimination protections and stood against anti-discriminatory legislation. Did the Southwest Michigan First Selection Committee weigh diversity, equity, and inclusion when making the decision to hire Lee Chatfield, it appears that they did not, Knott said. I question the weighting based on LGBTQ equal rights, womens rights, etc. A request for an interview with a representative at Southwest Michigan First was not fulfilled by publication time. Chatfield said, during a 2019 media interview, that he would not support a change to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act expanding anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The former lawmaker noted at the time he does not believe anyone should be discriminated against, but said he believed the proposed change would have infringed on religious beliefs. The city of Kalamazoo had a similar debate at the local level in 2009, about a decade before the conversations at the state level. Local voters approved an anti-discrimination ordinance, with nearly 62% of the vote, to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in matters of employment, housing and public accommodations. Other local communities have since passed similar measures. Chatfield is well-known statewide and beyond for his role as a Republican state lawmaker, but he plans to work differently in the new role as CEO, which he calls nonpartisan. It is public knowledge that my personal opinions line up with the basic tenants of the Republican platform, Chatfield said. But Im not going to lead with that, nor talk about that, in this new role of economic development. Economic development is bigger than partisan politics, he said. My personal philosophy is to treat each and every person with respect and dignity, and Ive attempted to live up to that, even during my time in the legislature, Chatfield told MLive Friday, responding to Knotts criticism. And Im going to do all I can in this new role to meet with people, to listen to people, and to understand people and what their challenges are. He plans to bring humility and patience to the new job, Chatfield said, and found in politics it is difficult to dislike someone you know. He is excited to get to know people in the Southwest Michigan region, Chatfield said, and his goal is to create opportunity for people. Chatfield said he plans to work with and collaborate with people who have different opinions. Im going to take the same passion and energy in engaging with every single community the same way I did in the legislature, Chatfield said. I became very good friends with people on the other side of the aisle, and got to know them very well, and have really learned a lot over the past six years. Chatfield, a Levering resident who represented Northern Michigans 107th District in the Michigan House of Representatives, said he plans to move to the area but also plans to keep his home in Levering, where his parents and sister will continue to live. Kalamazoo County Republican Party Chairman Scott McGraw said the news of Chatfields hiring is positive for the community and region. I am very please to see Southwest Michigan First have someone of Lee Chatfields experience and talents at the helm of this vital organization, McGraw told MLive on Friday. Lee is a quality person who has shown an ability to work together to reach consensus under stressful circumstances. His vision will be an asset for Southwest Michigan First. I am happy to see him working for the benefit of the Kalamazoo community. Former CEO Ron Kitchens left the position in January. Read more: State bills seeking to void Kalamazoos gay-rights ordinance, domestic partner benefits opposed by City Commission WMU student launches sustainable clothing boutique out of her college apartment Kalamazoo residents left wondering why city leaders met in private, without the city manager Denton, TX (76205) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 75F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Representatives of the Illinois Department of Employment Security testified before the Senate Labor Committee about fraudulent claims, continued delays in responding to unemployment applicants and a multi-billion dollar deficit in the fund that pays out benefits. Acting Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Kristin Richards and members of the departments staff fielded questions about the backlog that individuals face when they contact the agency with questions about their claims. While the agency has seen fewer traditional unemployment claims, it has continued to see individuals file roughly 700,000 to 800,000 claims per month since August through the pandemic unemployment programs created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and other federal programs. Those include the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, and the Extended Benefits program Illinois Department of Employment Security has put in place a callback system to reduce wait times for callers and a web form online for people to submit questions, but Richards said individuals still wait between one to two weeks for a callback from the agency, depending on the subject of the call. But I need to stress that if an individual has, for example, reached out to us about the status of their adjudication or appeal it could take four to six weeks because its working its way through the process and we need to connect with the right professional to help them. We realize that is less than ideal for individuals dying for an answer from IDES, she said. Richards said the Illinois Department of Employment Security is working to address those delays by training contractual staff members and adding full-time employees to the agency. The agency has roughly 1,200 employees, Richards said, including about 750 contractual staff. She said the agency has stopped slightly more than 1 million identity theft claims, including through the traditional unemployment system and the PUA system, but the agency doesnt know the specific amount of money that has been paid out in fraudulent claims. Some of the new unemployment programs created during the pandemic, especially the PUA program, left unemployment systems vulnerable, Richards said. That new program had no employer wage base to balance off of. There was no second step, as a check and balance. Until wage verification documents were required, we saw that imposters were getting in, she said. Overpayment of benefits Richards also announced during the virtual committee meeting that the department will begin to send out waivers next week to individuals who had received an overpayment of benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a federally funded program providing unemployment benefits to gig workers and others not traditionally eligible for them. By law, claimants who were overpaid benefits must repay the money they were not due under unemployment laws. The waiver authority provided in federal law allows the state to waive the repayment in certain circumstances if the overpayment was not the fault of the claimant. The overpayment waivers are available through the federal Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act, or CAA, which was signed into law in December. If the waiver request is successful, we need to return those dollars that were recuperated to the claimant, she said, adding the department has not yet developed a mechanism to return the money. She said the agency is working on creating a questionnaire and request form for those eligible for a waiver, and the agency would consider those requests on a case-by-case basis. Illinois Department of Employment Security manager of unemployment insurance programs Justin Brissette said overpayment is not uncommon, but the number of new claims has made it more prevalent. Richards said one of the issues that resulted in some overpayments was individuals inadvertently providing wrong wage information, such as listing their net income rather than gross income. Trust Fund The committee also discussed the deficit in the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund which funds unemployment payments and is projected to have a negative balance possibly exceeding $8 billion in the next two years, according to a presentation from the department. Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, raised questions about the impact of fraudulent claims on the trust funds deficit. We all will have to work on a solution to the trust fund. I think everyone recognizes that, Barickman said. There was a tremendous presentation today on the amount of fraud that exists. There was a tremendous presentation on the negative balance that is going to exist in the trust fund and I have no data in front of me on how to tie those two together. Shouldnt we have that data, as lawmakers, so that we can understand what the financial impact has been on our trust fund? In response, Richards said she did not have that information but would work on getting it to lawmakers. Pressed further, Richards said she couldnt provide a timeframe on when that information would be provided. I hear you loud and clear, she said. We need to come up with the numbers and provide that to the committee. A group of youth in Ogun State has issued a seven-day quit notice to cattle herders in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state. The notice followed the recent clash with suspected herdsmen in which three people were killed. Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that some herdsmen on Friday night stormed Igbooro, Oja-Odan in the Yewa-North Local Government area of Ogun, to unleash an attack on residents. They allegedly shot indiscriminately into the air and set some houses ablaze. The incident, according to witnesses, led to the death of three people while two others reportedly sustained gun injuries. Speaking about the attack on the village to journalists, the community leader (Baale) of Igbooro, Abidemi Akorede, said: some Fulani herdsmen invaded our village last night. As they arrived, they set ablaze some houses and started shooting sporadically, they macheted a child to death where he hid, he was quoted by Punch Newspaper. They hacked a mother and her child to death. I have counted three corpses, two have been rushed to the hospital, they are in critical condition after they were shot. They did not come with their cattle for grazing. They just stormed the village, killed people, and destroyed a lot of property. Three houses were set ablaze and one commercial bus. Silos were also burnt with the grains, he said. The state police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident said our men have been deployed to the place and are investigating the cause of the incident. The latest incident occurred barely 24 hours after five persons were killed in Owode Ketu in the same state where a series of kidnap and killings have been recorded in the past few months. Quit notice In response to the security challenges, some youths under the banner of Yewa North Patriotic Forum (YNPF), in a statement by their president, Sanni Omobolaji, have issued a quit notice to Fulani herdsmen. We also use this medium to give a seven-day ultimatum within which all killer herdsmen must vacate our local government or face the full anger of grieving people, part of the statement read. If this ultimatum is taken with levity, we shall stop at nothing in ensuring that all unknown Fulanis are flushed out of our local government at the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum. We are fully ready to take our destiny in our own hands and not wait till the Fulanis successfully wipe off all our promising children and caring parents. Now is the best time to dissolve the marriage of inconvenience between our people in Yewa North Local Government and the killer Fulani herdsmen as we can not condone these criminals beyond seven days in our domain. Not the first time PREMIUM TIMES reported how Sunday Adeyemo known as Sunday Igboho in January visited Ogun State to evict herdsmen. The state government, however, distanced itself, from his activities. Mr Igboho earlier led some youths in Ibarapa local government area of Oyo State to evict Salihu Abdukadir, leader of the Fulani group in Igangan over the killings and abductions in the area. Under the nations laws, Nigerians are free to live in any part of the country. ADVERTISEMENT This week House Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., put on a powerful and compelling case that left no doubt that Trump incited that mob that he sent to the Capitol where they committed their horrific crimes of violence. Also, he was not just unremorseful. Nebraskas Republican Sen. Ben Sasse said Trumps staff told him their boss was delighted for hours by what he saw happening at the Capitol. But leading Republican senators were at pains to show publicly they werent pained at all by the Democrats case. This is a complete waste of time, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said. And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said: I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House managers offensive and absurd. Most Republicans who spoke on the record were using the constitution as a shield, crouching low so as not to have to stand up for a moral or patriotic principle. They were insisting Trump, a remorseless private citizen now, cannot be convicted of an impeachment crime even incitement of insurrection against our democracy. A windy and icy Valentines weekend is in store across the country as two yellow weather warnings have been issued by Met Eireann. Wrap up warm and stay indoors if you can as its set to be a washout weekend. A yellow snow and ice warning is also in place for 20 counties until 12pm today. The warning has been issued for Connacht, Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. Met Eireann said: The midlands, north and east will see further blustery falls of sleet and snow this morning, bringing accumulations and hazardous conditions. "Some freezing rain possible locally, bringing very slippy conditions too. The southern region of the country is set to be extremely wet this morning as Cork, Kerry and Waterford has been issued a yellow rainfall warning until 12pm today. The national forecaster continued to outline in a statement on their website: Outbreaks of rain and drizzle elsewhere, with heavy persistent rain across southern counties, bringing the ongoing risk of flooding here. "However, it will become drier into the afternoon with any wintry falls mainly confined to the northeast. "Cold across much of Leinster and Ulster with highest temperatures of just 1 to 4 degrees Celsius. Temperatures rising in the south and west though with highs of 6 to 10 degrees Celsius. The national forecaster had placed a yellow wind warning on Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford, which expired at 9am this morning. However, nationally it is set to stay windy and cold across the day with lows of 1 to 4C. It is forecast to be windy again tonight with fresh to strong southeast winds and outbreaks of rain are expected, especially in the southern counties. Valentines Day will be very windy and stormy with strong to gale force southerly winds. Very wet with the risk of flooding, especially across southern counties. "However, it will become drier later in the afternoon and evening, with winds moderating then too. Milder everywhere with highest temperatures of 11 to 13 degrees Celsius, Met Eireann has said. Aspen, CO (81611) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High near 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 41F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. New Delhi: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in response to a question in Rajya Sabha said that Dalit converting to Islam or Christianity cannot claim reservation benefits and it will also deprive the person the eligibility to contest parliamentary or Assembly election from constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC). Prasad, in response to a question from BJP member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, clarified that those who have adopted Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist faiths would be eligible for contesting from SC reserved seats and getting other reservation benefits. He further elaborated on the aspect of eligibility to fight an election from reserved constituencies. Prasad added that Para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order outlines that no person who professes a religion different from Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste. However, the minister clarified that there was no proposal to bring in any amendment in the Representation of People Act to debar SC/STs converted to either Islam or Christianity from fight polls: parliamentary or Assembly elections. In 2015, the top court in a ruling had said that once a person ceases to be a Hindu and becomes a Christian, the social and economic disabilities arising because of Hindu religion cease and hence it is no longer necessary to give him protection and for this reason he is deemed not to belong to a Scheduled Caste. Prasad, in his response, made it clear that there exists a clear distinction between Dalits adopting Islam and Christianity with those choosing to adopt Hinduism. The nation's political landscape has seen a momentous shift with the election of a new president, followed by the slimmest of new majorities in the Senate after Georgia's recent special election. As a 50-50 Senate run by Democrats settles in, attention is now turning back to another massive pandemic relief bill, this time shaped in the image of President Biden. The Senate voted 55-45 on Saturday in favor of calling witnesses in former President Trump's second impeachment trial after three days of presentations from House Democrats and Trump's defense team. Five Republicans voted with Democrats to call witnesses. The state of play: The vote opens up new possibilities for Democrats to strengthen their case, which alleges that Trump incited an insurrection on Jan 6. Witnesses were not called in Trump's first impeachment trial, but Republicans held the Senate majority at that time. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Driving the news: The Senate was expected to wrap up its trial on Saturday, but lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin, announced Saturday morning that his team was seeking testimony from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) to talk about her knowledge of a conversation between House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Trump during the Capitol attack on Jan. 6. GOP Senators Susan Collins (Maine), Ben Sasse (Neb.), Mitt Romney (Utah), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) voted in favor of seeking witness testimony. Between the lines: Some Democrats originally signaled that they would vote against witnesses. House managers throughout the week aired video and audio recordings of Trump's Jan. 6 rally and the subsequent Capitol attack, which some lawmakers said was sufficient evidence. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y) on Thursday told reporters that she believes that evidence suffices, stating, "We've heard from many witnesses based on their interviews and their video presentations, so, I feel like we've heard from enough witnesses." Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) stated, "I think the case has been made. I dont know what witnesses would add," per USA Today. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. ROSEBURG, Ore. Detectives from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office are renewing the call for information about a man who went missing in 1995. Curtis Dale Hill was reported missing on February 12 of 1995. Though the Sheriff's Office says that they conducted an extensive investigation into his disappearance, Hill was never located "and the circumstances of his disappearance remain limited." It has been 26 years since he disappeared. Someone out there has information; and we just need them to come forward to help us bring a sense of peace to his family, said Detective Kevin Dodds. In 2009, the Cold Case Squad a former division of the Sheriff's Office made up of retired law enforcement officers who volunteered their time reviewing cases re-opened Hill's case, talking to friends and family in an attempt to glean more information. The attempt did not turn up any viable leads. The Sheriffs Office never closes a missing person case where the person has not been located. The cases remain open and are periodically reviewed and efforts to glean additional information are made, said Sgt. Brad ODell. Detectives at the Sheriff's Office did more work on the case in 2011 and 2012, again to no avail. DCSO says that it is once more going over the investigative files and asking for help from the public. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Curtis Dale Hill or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance is asked to call the DCSO Detectives Tip Line at (541) 957-2099 or send an email to dcso.pio@co.douglas.or.us referencing Case #95-0845. HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board ("Regional Board") today released a revised Tentative Order permitting the operation of the proposed Huntington Beach Desalination Project ("Project"). The Regional Board is tentatively planning to consider adoption of the permit this coming April. The Regional Board held three public hearings in July and August 2020 to consider the staff-recommended amendment and renewal of the Project's permit, which was first adopted in 2006. The Regional Board requested at the time that Poseidon and its staff work together to amend plans to mitigate the Project's unavoidable marine life effects. The revised Tentative Order incorporates Poseidon's proposed Enhanced Coastal Habitat Restoration Plan which nearly doubles the number of mitigation projects from three to five including four projects inside the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and provides a four-fold increase in restored habitat acreage from 21 acres to 84 acres. Poseidon's proposal also includes accelerating its financial obligation for the preservation of the Bolsa Chica Wetland's ocean inlet, a condition that could save the state taxpayers $28 million, as well as enforceable financial assurances and stipulated financial penalties if the remaining habitat restoration projects are not developed in a specified period of time. The four proposed Bolsa Chica Wetlands' projects include the long-term preservation of the wetland's ocean inlet; restoration of the wetland's intertidal shelf; restoration of the wetland's muted tidal basin and creation of the muted tidal basin water circulating system. In addition, Poseidon is proposing a fifth project - the restoration of a 41.5-acre rocky reef offshore of Palos Verdes, a project identified by state agency staff including the Coastal Commission staff. The Enhanced Coastal Habitat Restoration Plan will collectively provide a total of 112.5 acres of mitigation credit. "The development of Poseidon's Enhanced Coastal Habitat Restoration Plan was a collaborative effort with state agency staff," said Poseidon Water Vice President Scott Maloni. "The suite of projects ensures the desalination facility will be responsible for preserving, enhancing and restoring valuable coastal habitat, including the largest wetlands complex in Southern California, that serves as a critical bulkhead in combating the effects of climate change on coastal Orange County. The suite of projects is responsive to the Regional Board's direction and reconciles Water Board and Coastal Commission marine life mitigation requirements by including restoration of an offshore rocky reef," said Maloni. In addition to increasing the number of coastal habitat restoration projects and restored habitat acreage, Poseidon is also proposing to accelerate the timing of its commitment to assume responsibility for preserving the Bolsa Chica ocean inlet to within 12 months after securing project construction financing, rather than prior to discharge as currently conditioned in the earlier 2020 draft permit. Poseidon's early obligation is possible because the Bolsa Chica ocean inlet preservation activities are a permitted and ongoing operation today. Because coastal habitat mitigation projects in California can take over a decade to permit, under Poseidon's proposal the company would assume responsibility for Bolsa Chica Wetland's ocean inlet preservation at least 14 years earlier compared to the condition in the 2020 draft Tentative Order that prohibits Project operation until all the coastal habitat restoration projects are permitted and implemented. The previous 2020 permit condition would leave the State of California in the difficult position of having to find $2 million per year to continue the maintenance dredging or accept the decline in the health and vitality of the largest marine estuary in Southern California. Finally, Poseidon's plan includes a permit condition that ensures it takes all reasonable steps to finalize the remaining four habitat restoration projects' implementation plans and secure approvals and permits prior to the facility's commercial operation in accordance with a specific schedule identified in the permit. Poseidon's proposed plan includes posting financial assurances and agreeing to pay stipulated financial penalties to ensure the restoration project requirements within Poseidon's control will be satisfied consistent with the schedule. The California Ocean Plan Amendment ("OPA") recognizes that the development and permitting of coastal habitat mitigation projects is a complex process that can take a decade or longer. Therefore, the OPA requires that a desalination facility's marine life impacts be mitigated for a period commensurate with its operating life (e.g., 30-50 years) but not necessarily concurrent with the facility's operating life. There is no precedent for a California regional water quality control board to require mitigation projects to be fully permitted or implemented prior to a facility's operation, and the information provided to the Regional Board by Poseidon confirms such an unprecedented condition would render the Project infeasible. "Poseidon shares the Regional Board's desire that the restoration projects are implemented in a timely manner and the permit's mitigation conditions are strictly enforceable," continued Maloni. "The permit condition proposed by Poseidon achieves this goal while ensuring the Regional Board approves a legally defensible permit for a feasible project that can move forward in the state's permitting process and be successfully financed in a reasonable period of time. Conditioning the permit so that the facility could not operate prior to securing mitigation project permits would delay Poseidon's ability to secure construction financing by over a decade," closed Maloni. ### About Poseidon Water Poseidon Water is a private company that partners with public agencies to deliver water infrastructure projects. The company's primary focus is developing large-scale reverse osmosis seawater desalination plants implemented through innovative public-private partnerships in which private enterprise assumes the developmental and financial risks. For more information on Poseidon's Carlsbad Desalination Plant, visit carlsbaddesal.com, and for more information on Poseidon's Huntington Beach desalination plant, visit HBfreshwater.com. Contact: Jessica Jones [email protected] SOURCE Poseidon Water Related Links https://www.poseidonwater.com/ Mapping campus love stories Where is the love? As students, Kira Holmes 17 and Colleen Truskey 17 heard a rumor that 25% of William & Mary students end up marrying someone else from the university. Later, as post-baccalaureate fellows at William & Marys Center for Geospatial Analysis (CGA), they wondered: Where are all these people meeting each other and falling in love? The result was the Where W&M Couples Meet map, where students and alumni can plot where, when and how they met their significant other. Courtesy image Photo - of - Hide Caption The following story originally appeared in as an online exclusive for the W&M Alumni Magazine. - Ed. As students, Kira Holmes 17 and Colleen Truskey 17 heard a rumor that 25% of William & Mary students end up marrying someone else from the university. Later, as post-baccalaureate fellows at William & Marys Center for Geospatial Analysis (CGA), they wondered: Where are all these people meeting each other and falling in love? Can we crowdsource data to learn more about this? And could this project help W&M students learn more about geospatial analysis? The result was the Where W&M Couples Meet map, where students and alumni can plot where, when and how they met their significant other. (You can add your love story to the map using this online form.) The map launched for Valentines Day 2018. Based on the map right now, you are most likely to marry your freshman biology lab partner, laughs Holmes, who is also part of an alumni couple. Unfortunately, most of those matches happened in Millington Hall, which doesnt exist anymore. In that sense, the map is a time capsule, adds Truskey. It allowed us to collect stories, and it was a fun way to get people involved in mapping. It encouraged people to think about their relationship to space differently and the way people over time interact in the same places. This project was one of the ways Holmes and Truskey engaged students with the work of the CGA during their fellowships. The CGA is a resource for W&M faculty, staff and students, as well as the broader community, for all things related to mapping and the visualization of spatial data using geographic information systems (GIS). Each year, they bring on two or three fellows. The fellows bring such creative ideas, says Shannon White, interim director and coordinator of CGAs certificate program. Each group of fellows builds on the projects of the previous cohort. As well as promoting the CGA on campus through outreach events and fun maps like this one, fellows help teach other students about GIS and assist faculty and community partners in creating useful data-driven maps. For example, Truskey helped faculty develop maps to be published in journal articles and created a map to visualize the worldwide scope of the 2018 Race, Memory, and the Digital Humanities conference. Holmes helped map local insect species and analyzed topography along the James River. They also worked on a project with FeedVA to map food insecurity in Virginia, a project that is still maintained by current fellows. Our work as fellows helped students understand that GIS is a really useful skill for any kind of research, not to mention it looks great on your resume, says Holmes. Its important to notice whats happening around you and develop spatial awareness. Where you are matters for example, if youre in a food desert or a floodplain, that affects your life. Holmes also helped teach GIS skills in a class led by professors Rob Rose and Rebecca Green, who were 2018 W. Taylor Reveley, III Interdisciplinary Faculty Fellows. The class used GIS to draw different options for Virginias electoral map to learn more about the consequences of gerrymandering. The class is still offered each year. Through these projects and connections with CGA alumni, fellows and students gain insight into how various industries use GIS and access to career opportunities. As a geology major, Holmes was interested in computer modeling and mapping, which led her to apply for the CGA fellowship after graduation. She now works for a health care IT firm and volunteers for the Madison Audubon Society in Wisconsin, doing GIS work. Truskey, an anthropology major, took a GIS class in her senior year, because she was interested in learning how to use maps to better understand and communicate social conditions. She applied for the fellowship because she wanted more practice with these skills. Now, she is an interdisciplinary GIS specialist with the National Park Service. Colleen and I really complemented each other. Shes more on the people side and Im more on the science side. I was interested in computer programming and automating the processes, and Colleen was better at making it look good and communicate well, says Holmes. Those kinds of pairings are intentional in the CGA, says White. Each set of fellows helps hire the next set, and fellows dont need to come into the program with a high level of skill in GIS the fellowship is designed to help them learn more about it. With additional private funding, the CGA hopes to be able to expand the number of fellows and increase opportunities to engage with students. Through CGA, we are making connections between alumni and students, and students and the professional world, says White. We want our alumni to stay connected with what they are passionate about at William & Mary. Truskey and Holmes are proud to see the work they furthered at CGA living on through the next set of fellows. CGA was my home and got me through some tough times, says Holmes. We wanted to make the CGA a welcoming place to hang out and conduct research and make maps, and I hope thats part of our legacy. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday berated the US President Joe Biden saying that his administration's policy on Iran was nothing different from that of Donald Trumps. Furthermore, the leader said, that there was no notable shift in the US approach with Iran. At a ceremonial launch of the Health Ministrys national projects, Rouhani condemned Joe Bidens Iranian rhetoric, saying: We have seen no goodwill from the new US administration. The rhetoric has changed but there has been no change in practice. Further, in his statement, cited by ANI, the Iranian leader renewed calls for the US to redefine bilateral relations with Tehran, and remove obstacles created by the former administration. Earlier, similarly, the Iranian President had countered signals for the United States to take an initiative to resume dialogue on the 2015 Nuclear Deal, saying the ball is in Washingtons court, in a televised cabinet speech. A military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hossein Dehghan, made similar remarks against the Joe Biden government, saying, Biden administration talked about diplomacy, multilateralism, and interaction in the international arena as well as returning to its international commitments but we still see the same policies from the newly elected administration as we did from the Trump team. In an interview with Guardian newspaper, referenced by ANI, the Iranian military adviser continued, that the US was not lifting the oppressive sanctions against Iranian people, continuing to block Iran oil revenue in foreign banks while we need the money to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Future U.S administrations need to understand that the resilient Iranian nation will not surrender. Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 22, 2020 No administration in history has undone 13 yrs of Intl negotiations w/o rationale and dishonored UN resolutions. The U.S can neither impose negotiations, nor war! Life is hard under sanctions, but it is harder without independence. Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 22, 2020 They falsely accuse us and impose sanctions without any foundation under the pretext of nuclear proliferations, while the infamy of the only use of atomic bombs in the history of humanity lies upon them. Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 22, 2020 Read: Iran Marks 1979 Revolution Anniversary Amid Virus Read: EAM Jaishankar Greets Iran's Zarif, Citizens On The Eve Of Islamic Revolution Anniversary 'Want guarantees', says military adviser Stressing on the proposal first made by Iran to the US to negotiate on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Khameneis adviser said, Americas approach has made our nation not to trust them, we want to receive guarantees that the Americans will not infringe on the agreement [JCPOA] again. Dehgan further called on the United States to lift unilateral and illegal sanctions against Iran and urged the Biden administration to fulfil its commitment. Earlier, Iran rejected Frances offer for mediation in talks with the US, appearing reluctant about external intervention. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman on February 7 told state reporters that the Islamic Republic would not need a mediator, snubbing Frances mediation attempts as a go-between for Tehran and Washington. Read: Iran Produces Uranium Metal In Latest Breach Of 2015 Nuclear Deal: IAEA Read: Iran's Guard Begins Ground Forces Drill Near Iraqi Border A measure of the tense and subdued celebrations this year was a scene from a park in San Franciscos Chinatown on Thursday afternoon. Will Lex Ham, a New York-based actor, was helping lead a neighbourhood safety patrol, handing out whistles to residents as well as a Chinese-language pamphlet titled, How to Report a Hate Crime. In recent weeks, the outrage over the attacks has grown broader. In early February, not long after leaders in Oaklands Chinatown, along with Mayor Libby Schaaf, held a news conference pleading for help after a series of attacks targeting Asian American seniors, actor Daniel Dae Kim retweeted the video of the attack on the 91-year-old man, saying that such crimes have been ignored and even excused. He and actor Daniel Wu offered a $US25,000 ($32,000) reward for information leading to an arrest. Californias Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus issued a statement condemning a surge in hate crimes targeting innocent Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, describing it as a national emergency. But while researchers have said that inflammatory statements from leaders can exacerbate racist behaviour, experts say it is difficult to quantify hate. Incidents of racism can take many forms like being coughed on or spat upon, or being denied a ride-share. Tallying such incidents requires that victims tell authorities or another organisation what happened, which can be difficult when they may feel ashamed or distrustful of those authorities. Loading Stop AAPI Hate, an initiative formed in March last year aimed at tracking and responding to incidents of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, received more than 2800 reports of racism and discrimination targeting Asian Americans from March 19 to December 31. Of those, the vast majority, about 71 per cent, were incidents of verbal harassment. Physical assaults made up 8.7 per cent. One statistic that has been widely cited, identifying a 1900 per cent increase in hate crimes against Asian-Americans, appears to have a very small sample and come from the New York City Police Department, which said that in 2019, only one anti-Asian incident was reported, compared with 20 in the first half of 2020, according to The Queens Chronicle. Russell Jeung, chair of the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University and one of the leaders of Stop AAPI Hate, said that, according to the organisations data, people 60 and older were disproportionately targeted with physical violence, as were women. Loading Jeung said that it was not clear whether the recent attacks in the Bay Area were racially motivated but that it was likely that older people walking alone through their neighbourhoods to shop may appear vulnerable. And particularly around holidays, they may be carrying cash. We tend to see small upticks in crime during the Lunar New Year, because people are out shopping, Jeung said. In another widely reported incident earlier this month, a 64-year-old woman of Vietnamese descent had just left a bank with more than $US1000 in cash for the holiday when her purse was snatched. What is clear, Jeung said, is that Asian-American communities are in pain. And even with new recognition from President Joe Biden who last month signed a memorandum directing federal agencies to explore ways of combating racism and xenophobia against Asian-American and Pacific Islanders in the United States there is more work to be done. The community is alarmed and upset, and we demand justice, Jeung said. Loading San Francisco is not the only area of the country seeing a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans. New York City saw a large surge in hate crimes directed at Asians in 2020 and most of the increase was directly related to the pandemic, police said. There were at least 28 hate crimes against Asians reported to the New York police, and all but four involved an assumption that the victim had the coronavirus, police said. The crimes included assault, vandalism, theft and harassment. In August, the steep rise in bias crimes against Asian people prompted the New York City Police Department to form a special taskforce to investigate them. It was a huge uptick, so much so that people were starting to talk about it, and we needed to address the situation, said Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo, the task forces director. But in 2021, some community organisers and advocacy groups, including Stop AAPI Hate, have said Asian Americans must look beyond calling for increased police presence in neighbourhoods to achieve that justice. We recognise that policing has led to the criminalisation of communities of colour, and mass incarceration, Jeung said. Why perpetuate a system that doesnt work? The people arrested in both the Chinatown incident in Oakland and the fatal assault on Ratanapakdee are black, which community organisers said has brought to the fore some anti-black racism, particularly as outrage about the attacks has spread on social media. WYOMING, MI Its turkey, ham, soul food sides and peach cobbler on the menu this weekend for 115 foster families in Kent County. Foster Kent Kids and its community partners are teaming up to thank foster families and distribute meals on Saturday, Feb. 13. Foster Kent Kids, a group of five Kent County foster care agencies, is serving the food alongside Closet of Hope, an organization that provides clothing and more to foster families in need. The event is taking place via a drive-thru at Closet of Hopes parking lot in Wyoming. Parenting is always tough, but especially so for foster parents, said Phelesha Kyes, Foster Kent Kids coalition member and event organizer. The goal of this event is to take at least one thing off their plates, especially now, Kyes said. You throw in the added stressors of being a foster parent -- you know, just inconsistency, the uncertainty, the trauma that a lot of these parents are trying to overcome and it can be a stressful job, Kyes said. And it takes a lot of work and a lot of love. And so we wanted to take this Valentines Day and show love to our foster parents, and just say, Hey, we know the work youre doing is hard. But its worth it and we love you. The organizations have partnered with The Candied Yam, a Grand Rapids soul food restaurant, to provide the meals at a $1,500 discount. Part of this stems from owner Jessica Ann Tysons connection to their mission. Before being adopted, I experienced food insecurity, rummaging through trash cans in order to eat, Tyson said in a news release. Im excited to help Foster Kent Kids provide meals to local families because food is meant to be cooked with love and shared with family, friends, and community. Most of the families being served have five or more kids, with 20 of them having more than six children, Kyes said. Its a massive undertaking to be a foster parent, Kyes said, but hopefully moments like these ease that strain and encourage other families to take in a child in need. I think what we will inevitably see is just a lot of smiles, Kyes said. But really, what I hope to get out of this is just blessing these families with one small gift on Valentines Day. And I hope to give more than I receive, obviously, but I really just hope to just share a smile. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The on Friday called party leader Dinesh Trivedi "ungrateful" after he resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat, while the BJP, jubilant over his decision, invited him to join its camp. Trivedi's resignation dealt yet another blow to the Mamata Banerjee camp, which is grappling with exodus of party members ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls. The former Union minister announced that he would be resigning from the Upper House, saying that he feels suffocated for not being able to do anything amid the growing violence and unrest in Bengal. The two-time Lok Sabha MP was sent to Rajya Sabha last year by the after he lost the parliamentary polls in 2019. He is reported to have had some tiff with another senior Rajya Sabha member of the party. Reacting to the development, Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said Trivedi is "ungrateful." "For the last so many years he (Trivedi) did not say anything. Now, all of a sudden, just months before the assembly polls, he has complaints. This shows his true colours," Roy said. "He is ungrateful and has betrayed the trust of people," he added. Echoing him, party colleague and Lok Sabha MP Sougata Roy said, "People like Trivedi enjoy power during their tenure and leave before elections. If he had grievances, he could have aired it within the party." Senior TMC leader and minister Tapas Ray said if people like him leave the party, it is a blessing for the ruling camp. "It is good that he left us. He never enjoyed mass support. He used to win elections because of Mamata Banerjee's image. People like him are of no use to any political party," he said. Elated over the development, the BJP, however, iterated that "the beginning of the end of the TMC has begun". Claiming that the party will disintegrate soon, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, "It is only a matter of time before the TMC disintegrates. If Dinesh Trivedi wants to join us, we will welcome him." BJP general secretary and the party's Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya lauded Trivedi as a "capable leader". "Those who want to work for the country or the state has no place in a private limited company like the TMC. Last year, I had met him at the airport and he told me that he was not being allowed to work for the masses. He took one year to take this decision. We respect his decision and if he wants to join us, he is most welcome," Vijayvargiya said. Trivedi is the fourth senior leader to quit the ruling party in Bengal in the last two months after Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, who switched over to the BJP, and Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who expressed his desire to quit This was not the first time Trivedi openly aired his grievances against the party. Earlier, in March 2012, he had to step down as railway minister after Mamata Banerjee, who is also the TMC supremo, opposed the budget placed by him, proposing fare hike. He was replaced with the then TMC general secretary Mukul Roy. Shortly after, Trivedi was also suspended from the party but later reinstated. The TMC was an important constituent of the-Congress led UPA government at the Centre. Earlier in the day, Trivedi said, "If you sit here quietly and cannot do anything, then it is better that you resign from here and go to the land of Bengal and be with people." "What I mean to say is the way violence is taking place in our state. Sitting here, I am feeling perplexed as to what I should be doing," he added. Later in the evening, while talking to a Bengali news channel, Trivedi dropped hints that he might cross over to the BJP in the near future. "I share cordial relations with the BJP top brass, including Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi... I could have joined the BJP long ago. But I cant talk about future," Trivedi said. The CPI(M) leadership mocked the TMC and the BJP, and said it was funny that people are jumping ship just ahead of the polls just "because of the call of their inner voice". "After so many years, Trivedi listened to his inner voice. Was his inner voice sleeping all these years? However for a corrupt party like the TMC, this is what it deserves," CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim said. Trivedi begun his political career in the Congress in 1980s but later switched allegiance to the Janata Dal in 1990. He joined the TMC in 1998. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fermoy may consider restoring the twinning ties it scrapped last year with a Polish town over the latter's controversial stance on LGBT+ rights. The twinning agreement was formally scrapped last October after officials from the town of Nowa Deba failed to respond to a request from Cork County Council's Fermoy Municipal District Committee (MDC) calling on them to renounce its declaration of the Polish town as an 'LGBT+ Free Zone'. In July 2019, the Nowa Deba council adopted a resolution pledging to "defend against aggressive, deceptive and harmful LGBT ideology" and "homo-propaganda". Nowa Deba was among dozens of conservative towns and municipalities in Poland to sign similar declarations over the past couple of years. An 'Atlas of Hate' map compiled by pro-LGBT activists had shown that up to one third of the country had been declared an 'LGBT-Free Zone'. The issue incensed the European Union, which warned regions that declared themselves LGBT+ zones could lose out on financial support packages. Last year, Fermoy's Cllr Noel McCarthy described Nowa Deba's stance as "completely unacceptable", placing a motion before his Council colleagues that eventually led to the suspension of the twinning agreement. "I represent the council on the twinning committee and I think we should be seen not to accept this. In Ireland we have supported gay marriages. We respect everybody's rights," said Cllr McCarthy at the time. "This is not a decision that has been taken lightly. But, we feel that being twinned with a town that does not respect the rights of everyone is most definitely against the core principles of the twinning committee and indeed the wider community in Fermoy. Anti-LGBT+ agendas have no place in our society and Fermoy will not associate ourselves with such ideology," he added. It has now emerged that Nowa Deba has become the first municipality in Poland to row back on its anti-LGBT+ stance. According to local newspaper Tygodnik Nadwislanski, 10 of Nowa Deba's 15 councillors voted to rescind the resolution, one abstained and four others did not vote. The head of the council, Damian Diektiarenko, was quoted as saying the original resolution has been "misunderstood" and exploited in a bid to harm the reputation of the town. "We cannot allow anyone to use this against our municipality. We cannot allow anyone to tarnish our image by exploiting this declaration," he said. While Cllr McCarthy welcomed the apparent about-face, he said it did not necessarily mean that a twinning agreement would be reinstated. "It is an important step, but we will not rush into anything. We will wait for six months to see if the Nowa Deba council is serious. If, at that time, we feel they are being genuine, I will place a motion before council to see if there is any appetite for restoring the twinning agreement," said Cllr McCarthy. We all need to remain extremely vigilant as council issue latest detailed local pandemic update This article is old - Published: Saturday, Feb 13th, 2021 The latest local update has been published by Wrexham Council, detailing the precise local areas that have seen rises in coronavirus. The council has said: Wrexham still has the highest coronavirus levels in Wales (199 per 100k population on a rolling seven-day basis) and although the figures are going down for the county borough as a whole, theyre still high and have even gone up in some areas recently. We all need to remain extremely vigilant They added, Most areas of Wrexham continue to improve, but the figures are still high, and some areas have got worse. The areas where cases have gone up are: Gwersyllt West and Summerhill 354 per 100k (compared to 321 on Feb 5). Penycae and Minera 349 (a significant rise from 157 on Feb 5). Rhos and Johnstown South 256 (compared to 199 on Feb 5). The council noted virus is still mainly spreading in households between family members, with the Kent variant accounting for all cases. The full council update is copied in full below, as usual any bolding or italics is from Wrexham Council: ORANGE CITY, Fla. (AP) A Florida man stole an engagement ring and wedding bands from a girlfriend and used them to propose to another girlfriend, according to authorities. Volusia County Sheriffs deputies said Thursday they have issued an arrest warrant for Joseph Davis, 48, who had not been found as of Friday. Their investigation started earlier this year when a woman from Orange City, Florida, told detectives she had discovered her boyfriend was actually engaged to someone else. When she looked up the fiancees Facebook page, she noticed a photo of her wearing a wedding band and engagement ring that was identical to her own from a prior marriage, the sheriffs office said in a news release. When the Orange City woman checked her jewelry box, she found her rings were missing, as were several other pieces of jewelry, including a diamond ring that belonged to her grandmother. The total value of the stolen property was about $6,270, according to the sheriffs office. Orange City is located halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach. The Orange City woman reached out to the fiancee, who returned some of the items, and they both called it off with Davis, who also went by the names Joe Brown and Marcus Brown, the sheriffs office said. The fiancee, who lives in Orlando, told detectives she had been duped too. Davis once took the fiancee to a house that actually belonged to the Orange City woman, while she was at work, and claimed it was his. He then asked the fiancee to move in with him, but he then disappeared. By that time, the fiancee discovered her laptop computer and jewelry were missing, the sheriffs office said. Even though they did not have his real name, the jilted women remembered he had a relative in North Carolina and detectives were able to track down the relative who identified Davis, according to the sheriffs office. Davis has an active arrest warrant for a hit-and-run crash with injuries in Oregon, and previously has been arrested for possession of fictitious ID, filing a false police report, domestic assault and possession of cocaine with intent to sell, the sheriffs office said. According to the sheriffs office, the jail where Davis previously was booked noted he had a tattoo on his left arm that said, Only God can judge me. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Chhattisgarh gets award for producing 28.68% more crops than last year Govt to provide 5 kg grains, 1 kg pulses for free over next 3 months: Sitharaman Vietnam buys rice from India for first time in decades: Report India gifting 2,000 metric tonnes of rice to Syria India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 13: India is gifting 2,000 metric tonnes of rice to Syria following a request from the Arab republic, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. The first consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice was handed over by Indian ambassador to Syria Hifzur Rahman to Syrian Minister of Local Administration Hussain Makhlouf at Latakia Port on Thursday, the MEA said in a statement. The MEA said the remaining 1000 metric tonnes of rice is expected to reach Syria on February 18. "In response to a request from the government of the Syrian Arab Republic for emergency humanitarian assistance, the government of India is gifting 2000 MT of rice to strengthen food security in Syria," the MEA said. Vietnam buys rice from India for first time in decades: Report It said India has always stood in solidarity with the people of Syria, and its bilateral engagement has continued apace even during the years of internal conflict in that country. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News India had earlier gifted 10 metric tonnes of medicines to Syria in July last year as part of COVID-19 assistance, the MEA said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 8:14 [IST] Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy - Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations What contributions have Vietnam made to the UN Security Councils (UNSC) shared activities in 2020? The UN Charter tasked the UNSC to take the top responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. The council is in charge of three major tasks, namely conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and dealing with unplanned issues. In 2020, after Vietnam and Belgium completed their chairmanship month in January and February, the COVID-19 pandemic became serious. The UN headquarters closed its doors, with the UNSC halting its meetings. The issue then was how the council could continue its activities given an expected rise in challenges for international peace and security due to the pandemic, especially in regions with armed conflicts. After two weeks of discussions, the UNSC agreed on a new working method, with all meetings to be held online and flexible and creative activities, such as document-based voting and online negotiations. Almost all UN member states and the international community have held that the UNSC has completed a good job in 2020. Within such shared efforts, Vietnam has made very positive contributions to conflict prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes. It has also contributed to improving the methods of work of the UNSC: enhancing engagement with regional arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, protection of civilians and critical civilian infrastructure in armed conflict; and much more besides. Vietnam has created an imprint via organising an open discussion and adopting the chairmanship declaration on respect for the UN Charter in protecting international peace and security, with the record number of participating member states in the UNs 75-year history. In 2020, UN-ASEAN cooperation was consolidated, with three records for a resolution on this relationship forged. Could you elaborate on this? Though 2020 was full of difficulties, the UN-ASEAN ties saw interesting breakthroughs. As UNSC chair in January 2020, Vietnam proposed discussions on the ties at the UNSC. As chair of the ASEAN Committee in New York, Vietnam also hosted the compilation of the content, discussions, and requesting the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution on UN-ASEAN cooperation via consensus, breaking three records the shortest time for consultancy with all parties, the shortest time for mobilisation, and the biggest number of nations with co-sponsorship. Specifically, the UN-ASEAN cooperation resolution is a biennial one, aimed to boost the two organisations ties. The biggest difficulty was that the resolution must be adopted as soon as possible. On November 23, 2020, the UN General Assembly considered resolutions on cooperation with regional organisations, while the time for this activity every year is often late December. Meanwhile, the most important document for us to formulate the resolution is the UN-ASEAN Action Plan for 2021-2025, and this document was approved on October 21. Many important contents of the resolution were also agreed on November 15. Thus, we had only less than one month to make the draft resolution, negotiations, and mobilisations before reaching consensus from all the 193 member states of the UN. Vietnam hosted the compilation of the draft resolution in parallel with the process of adopting other relevant documents, advancing consistent principles within ASEAN and with other member states so that the resolution could gain the highest consensus. Finally, the resolution was passed by a record number of 110 co-sponsorship nations and 10 ASEAN member states. One of Vietnams most outstanding achievements at the UN in 2020 is the construction and adoption of its resolution at the UN General Assembly on the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. How important was this gain? On December 27, the world for the first time in its history organised activities to boost anti-epidemic efforts. The UN General Assembly president, the UN secretary-general, and the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) sent messages. Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also delivered a message on the importance and measures for fighting epidemics. This is the UN General Assemblys first-ever resolution of the type, and also the first hosted and advanced by Vietnam which was adopted by the assembly. This resolution was supported by all UN member states. Canada, Niger, Senegal, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were co-authors with Vietnam. Moreover, over 100 UN member states in all regions worldwide sponsored the resolution, which calls for all member states, systems in the UN, international and regional organisations, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, research institutes, individuals, and other stakeholders to celebrate the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on an annual basis in order to raise awareness on anti-epidemic measures, from there making preparations and conducting partnerships at all levels. This is also a concrete action of Vietnam in implementing the Party Central Committees Secretariats Directive No.25-CT/TW on promoting and enhancing the role of multilateral diplomacy until 2030. With such specific contributions as the resolution, Vietnams role in the international community has been further enhanced. What are the advantages and difficulties for Vietnam to advance having a day set aside for global epidemic preparedness? The advantage is that amid COVID-19, the idea for the day to raise awareness and then make better preparations is practical and has a long-term, wide-ranging influence. The disadvantage is that amid the current coronavirus pandemic, at the UN, there appeared at the same time many initiatives on this topic, while there were differences about connotations, origins, and the impacts of the pandemic, as well as in responsibilities, and roles of stakeholders in preventing and containing the outbreak. In fact, many proposals of many nations were also advanced but failed to be adopted or used as an input for a joint resolution on COVID-19. To succeed, we had to thoroughly study and select words already agreed on in previous documents in order to formulate the resolution and make a suitable and unified approach roadmap with strict principles before negotiating with other nations. For differences, we remained consistent with basic principles like promotion of multilateralism, international cooperation, and roles of UN organs, especially the WHO, in fighting epidemics while also reaffirming the responsibilities, roles, and sovereignties of nations on this issue. What will be Vietnams orientations and goals in the second year as a non-permanent member of the UNSC across this year? COVID-19 may be controlled to some extent, but the aftermath it has and will cause is very big, with new unpredictable changes. Meanwhile, current conflicts in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Somalia are still taking place. The nuclear issue in Iran or the relations between climate change and conflicts remain complicated, excluding dangers about new conflicts. All of these factors are threatening international peace and security. In this context, Vietnam will continue attaching importance to priorities it advanced when it joined the UNSC, especially respect for international law and implementation of principles under the UN Charter. We will boost the implementation of anti-conflict measures, pay more attention to humanitarian issues, protection of civilians, and address the aftermaths of armed conflicts, including socioeconomic recovery and tackling consequences caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war. We will also continue boosting issues related to womens role in peace and security, addressing challenges about climate change in conflicts. Another important issue will be that Vietnam will also beef up peacekeeping operations including its own ones at the UN. We will also continue closely combining with UN member states to ensure these priorities will be implemented effectively. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Heres a look at the top criminal-justice-related headlines across the borough this week. NYPD: 39K HAUL FOR COMMERCIAL BURGLAR Police cars are stationed in New Dorp Lane following a report of a burglary on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) A burglar stole $39,000 by raiding an ATM at a deli on New Dorp Lane and busted through a glass door and wall of an adjacent storefront to burglarize a restaurant on Forest Avenue in Mariners Harbor, authorities allege. When officers tried pull over Juan Reyes, 39, of Graniteville, in a stolen van shortly after the restaurant caper, the suspect hit the gas and led officers on a wild chase through the streets of Mariners Harbor, according to the criminal complaint and police. Click here for more story details. ROSSVILLE MAN INDICTED IN ALLEGED RAPE A Rossville man has been indicted on charges alleging he raped and sexually abused an underage girl last year and also hit two children. Salvatore Lovacco, 48, of the 100 block of Santa Monica Lane, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to all charges at his arraignment in state Supreme Court, St. George. Click here for more story details. HES INDICTED IN GIRLFRIENDS MURDER A Tompkinsville man has been indicted on a murder charge in connection with the slaying of his live-in girlfriend in their apartment two months ago. Milton Bolton, 39, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday in state Supreme Court, St. George. Prosecutors allege Bolton killed Natasha Colon, 38, on Dec. 15. Click here for more story details FDNY MEMBER HIT WITH CHILD-PORN CHARGES A 59-year-old Staten Island man stands accused of possessing child pornography, according to the NYPD and a criminal complaint. Police identified the suspect as Joseph Perrone, an FDNY member who was off-duty at the time of his arrest at his home on Wednesday at about 5 p.m., according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. Click here for more story details NYPD: 3 TEENS ARRESTED WITH GUN Police arrested three suspects and seized a loaded gun during a car stop in the 121st Precinct. (Courtesy of NYPD) A traffic stop led to the recovery of a gun and the arrest of three teens in Graniteville, according to police. Officers pulled over a 2009 Mazda on Thursday around midnight at the corner of Sanders Street and Forest Avenue, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPD. A loaded, .22-caliber Phoenix Arms gun was recovered during the incident, which resulted in the arrest of three boys ages 17, 16, and 14, according to the police spokeswoman. Click here for more story details. COPS DETAIL ALLEGED CRIME SPREE A Great Kills man stole an SUV and brandished a hunting knife while trying to rob Dominos Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, and Stop & Shop locations in a four-day crime, authorities allege. Then, when cops caught up with Joseph Bianchino, 34, of Exeter Street, and tried to pull him over, he struck an officer with the stolen car, police say. Click here for more story details HES SENTENCED IN TRANSIT CENTER GROPING First, he groped a man in the Eltingville Transit Center, said police. Then, weeks later, Vondell Cox followed a mother and her children from the Staten Island Railway station in New Dorp and shoved the woman and her 7-year-old daughter to the ground, authorities said. Now hes off to a jail cell. Click here for more story details. NYPD ARRESTS 18 AMID BROOKLYN SLAYINGS The Brooklyn District Attorney and NYPD announced Tuesday more than a dozen arrests of young men with alleged gang ties in connection with a recent surge in violence. (Staten Island Advance)Staff-Shot Eighteen young men, and a few teenage boys, with alleged ties to gangs in Brooklyn, were arrested this week in connection with multiple shootings and killings part of an overall surge in violence over the past year across New York City. The suspects allegedly fall under an umbrella group called the 900 Gang, which operates out of public housing complexes in Bedford-Stuyvesant; some accused of shooting at gang rivals on sight for the sake of territorial dominance, the Daily News reported. Click here for more story details. Islamabad: For combating terrorism, US has provided more than 50 sophisticated hand-held explosive detectors to Pakistan Army the American embassy said on Wednesday. The Fido X3 explosives detectors were provided by the embassy's Office of the Defense Representative Pakistan(ODRP) under a USD 128 million counter-explosive initiative. "The Fido is a sophisticated hand-held device that will allow Pakistani soldiers determine in less than ten seconds whether an item is composed of explosives," the embassy said in a statement. It said that new Fidos will be added to those previously provided to the Pakistan army, currently used in various counter-terrorism operations throughout the country, helping to seize explosives and save lives. "This delivery from the US government provides world-class technology to the Pakistan Army. A primary way to stop abomb is to catch the bomb maker or attacker before he puts the device in position. This advanced system improves on previous versions used to great effect by the Pakistan Army to safeguard the nation," said Brigadier General Kenneth Ekman,Chief of the US Embassy's ODRP. He said the provision of equipment highlighted the US partnership with the Pakistan Army in its ongoing efforts tocombat terrorism, particularly in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. The shipment of Fido devices is part of an ongoing USD128 million initiative funded by the US government to assistthe Pakistan Army in defeating illegal explosives, the embassy said in a statement. The US-Pakistan counter-explosive assistance programme includes armoured vehicles, bomb disposal robots, training,and the construction of a laboratory allowing for detailed analysis of explosive samples. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Colbeck Capital Management Takes a Look at the Messy World of Mergers and Acquisitions in Higher Education Close (Photo : Colbeck Capital Management Takes a Look at the Messy World of Mergers and Acquisitions in Higher Education) While it would seem as though 2020 naturally would spell doom for many financial markets, including colleges and universities, it's actually 2026 which poses the great challenge to survival for institutions of higher education. It is 2026 that marks the start of a great shrinkage amongst the applicant pool. Estimated to reduce the pool by 280,000/year for four years, this upcoming reduction means that colleges and universities will be dealing with even greater excess capacity than they are now (currently estimated to be at 6.4% for public colleges and 12.4% for private colleges). Colbeck Capital Management breaks down this problem on their Medium blog Limited Liabilities. There is no way around it, mergers and acquisitions are going to become a major part of the landscape for higher education, which is why Colbeck Capital Management made it the topic for a recent fall newsletter. Mergers and acquisitions are much more challenging in higher education than in the business world for numerous reasons. One big one, as Colbeck Capital Management points out, is that the merger has to be in accordance with three levels of regulatory bodies: state regulators, accreditors, and the Department of Education. Additionally, mergers and acquisitions tend to lack the support of presidents and the board, because those M&A's that occur in higher ed lack the same payoffs of golden parachutes in the business world, and the president risks losing their job. Oftentimes, without proper planning, mergers and acquisition in higher education can amount to a fire sale and liquidation of a former institution. The M&A Success Story The first merger which Colbeck Capital Management takes a look at is one that met with mostly success, creating opportunity and growth for both partners. The merger, between Boston Conservatory of Music (BoCo) and Berklee College of Music paired two very different institutions right next door. BoCo was a traditionalist and small college with just 730 students and an endowment of $15 million. Berklee was a much more modern school than its counterpart and mid-sized with over 4,000 students and an endowment of $321.5 million. While several students expressed dismay over the merger, the leaders of the colleges saw the union of two different kinds of institutions as a source of strength and innovation. Colbeck Capital Management quotes BoCo's president, Richard Ortner, as saying, "Can't we open this entire world to pioneer all of the new forms and new musical activity that we know is waiting in the wings?" What made the merger of BoCo and Berklee so different from the typical merger in academia was that both partners entered into the agreement firm in their position and with the strength to back that up. Both schools received real benefits: BoCo in the increased security from a larger financial overwriter, while also maintaining its name, board members, faculty, and even president (though Ortner promised to retire within the year). BoCo also had $27 million in debt from renovations paid off and saw their applications increase by 50% over three years. Berklee was able to greatly increase the caliber of what they offered, adding a dance school as well as one of the most renowned musical theater programs in the country. Not Everyone Can Plan Ahead for the Perfect Merger For their next case study, Colbeck Capital Management takes a look at Wheelock College, a small liberal arts school in Massachusetts that ended up joining with Boston University. In 2016, facing shrinking enrollment, the college hired a new president, David Chard, in the hopes that he would save them. But with the writing on the wall, he soon realized that in two or three years the school would face forced closure. Although the college was in effect facing "imminent death," Chard saw an opportunity to take some control of the situation. They chose sixty names from the Association of American Universities and sent each one a request for a proposal, with two weeks given to submit a letter of intent. In the end, they received seven proposals and found all to be potential solutions. They were able to choose the one that was best for them. This was BU's option which created the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, offered faculty positions at BU, and students a place there. Poor Planning Can Mean a Poor Merger With the final case study, that of Mount Ida, Colbeck Capital Management describes an M&A that was ultimately unsatisfying to everyone. After waiting far too long when facing mounting debt and smaller enrollment, the college announced in 2018 that they would be merging with Lasell College, another liberal arts school. However, they became unhappy with the timeline that the regulators were requiring and went back on the deal. At this time students were still touring, professors were being hired and tuition was deposited until the school announced its closure in April. The entire school was broken up by the Massachusetts public university system, with one campus getting the land and another the students. This led to bad press all around. Mount Ida's inability to make the necessary decisions for itself led to an M&A that no one was happy with. There is a need to call for the normalization of M&A within academia. As this will be a part of the world of higher education for the foreseeable future, institutions would do well to approach it with some of the detachment and careful planning that goes into those of their corporate counterparts. See Now: Facebook will use AI to detect users with suicidal thoughts and prevent suicide 2017 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Throughout the pandemic, Gov. John Bel Edwards has used more of a soft touch than an iron fist to enforce his COVID-19 restrictions, typically directing agencies carrying out the orders to give businesses who break the rules multiple chances to get it right. But over the last 10 months, more than 70 bars across the state pushed the envelope on that leniency and landed themselves in hot water with regulators. Records from the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, which has emerged as one of the few entities doling out punishments for business owners who flout the coronavirus rules, show at least 74 bars had their alcohol permits suspended for such indiscretions. The violations are wide-ranging. Some bars went big: The Basin Music Hall in Baton Rouge was dinged for a 150-person party in late November, in which the front doors were locked, the windows were blacked out and people entered through the back. In Chalmette, Sullys was similarly operating as a sort of pandemic speakeasy, with the 75 patrons entering through the back door, according to records. At the other end of the spectrum, agents cited several small-town watering holes for having just a few people inside, at times when the governor had ordered bars in their parishes closed to indoor service. Can't see chart below? Click here. Some of the busts have a comedic, only-in-Louisiana quality. In St. Amant, for instance, ATC agents stumbled upon a parking lot cornhole tournament that begat a bizarre feud with the owner of Swamp Chicken Daiquiris. The bars owner shouted profanities and dared agents to arrest him, according to an investigative report from the agency. In nearly all cases, however, the bars owners ultimately agreed to follow the rules after getting caught. Of the 74 establishments that had their permits suspended, only one -- T&D Sportsman Paradise Bar, in Welsh -- had its alcohol permit revoked permanently. Another bar, Wodes Chill Spot in Harvey, closed for good, and Club 425 in Lafayette still has a suspended permit. Six bars, including several recently shuttered by local officials in New Orleans in a Carnival crackdown, are awaiting hearings. +7 Three more New Orleans bars shuttered in pre-Mardi Gras enforcement of coronavirus rules New Orleans officials cracked down on bars flouting coronavirus rules and crews erected fences along North Claiborne Avenue over the weekend a The suspensions represent the sharpest tool at the disposal officials have to keep businesses in line with the COVID rules issued by Edwards, which limit occupancy and at times order bars to close. Still, they remain a statistically small part of the states strategy to limit the spread of the virus at private businesses. The state Fire Marshals office has received more than 5,800 complaints about businesses breaking the rules since May, according to spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue. Those helped agents discover 1,778 violations. But the Fire Marshal hasnt issued any penalties, Rodrigue said. And the Louisiana Department of Health has only ordered two restaurants to close, including a Livingston BBQ joint that has defied the order in a case that is still being litigated. Stakes high for Louisiana and for defiant Livingston BBQ that disobeyed mask order In late July, an inspector from the Louisiana Department of Health went to check on a BBQ restaurant near Denham Springs after getting a clust Ernest Legier, commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, said the vast majority of bar owners come into compliance after a warning, and suspensions are relatively rare. But he noted a lot of residents and business owners have COVID fatigue. When you combine that with the fact that people are struggling to pay their bills, theyre relying upon these businesses to feed their families, theres understandably going to be some emotion involved when you seek to stop them from earning a living through the regulatory process, he said. Much as the violations found at bars vary, so do the owners reasoning for breaking the rules. Several owners said they were just trying to make some money to pay the bills, with the pandemic ravaging their business and little federal aid in the offing. Some were victims of their own success. A manager of City Bar, in downtown Baton Rouge, told regulators he tried but failed to keep the number of people inside under the allowable threshold. For others, its a philosophical war. Timothy LeJeune, the owner of T&D Sportsmans Paradise Bar, has laid out his views in a series of lengthy Facebook posts, calling Edwards a tyrant. In an interview, he said he doesnt see his battle as political; rather, its about his right to stay open. I feel they had no legal right to suspend my license, LeJeune said. LeJeune can no longer buy alcohol from distributors because he lacks a permit. He said hes staying open by having supporters bring in donated liquor. His theory relies in part on a Facebook post made by Attorney General Jeff Landry, in December, which claimed the governors orders were null because of ongoing litigation between the governor and the state House of Representatives. In the post, Landry called Edwards orders aspirational not enforceable. How a high-stakes hearing over Louisiana coronavirus rules turned into a Zoom meeting fiasco Judge William Morvant was dressed in a typical judges robe Thursday, seated between an American and Louisiana flag in a 19th Judicial Distric When enforcement agents visited LeJeunes bar in late December to warn him he was breaking the rules, LeJeune told them, we thought we could be open at that time, according to AG Landrys post. They told him he was wrong. In an email, Landry spokesperson Cory Dennis reiterated the AGs view that the Edwards administration has exceeded its authority. Dennis didnt respond to a question about whether its appropriate for bars to operate using donated liquor after having their permit pulled. No agency has yet promulgated any rules that permit the arbitrary suspension of any business license or permit of any kind based upon the executive orders of the Governor, Dennis said. The Legislature suspended his powers to enforce these orders, and as a matter of law that suspension is effective. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The governors office, which has yet to be defeated in a court case challenging his restrictions, has repeatedly said the orders are still in effect. LeJeunes defiance of the order led to the only instance in which the ATC permanently revoked a bars liquor permit for breaking COVID rules, said Legier, who was appointed commissioner of the agency by Edwards last summer. The ATC regulates about 15,000 alcohol permits in the state, and only has 25 agents who handle enforcement, Legier said. In most cases we try whenever possible to partner with local officials, Legier said. Frankly sometimes locals are more cooperative than others. This thing unfortunately is highly politicized. As coronavirus cases soar, some Louisiana bars continue to challenge governor's restrictions Liz Breaux says Red's Levee Bar is "legal as can be" and has been for nearly 70 years, even though the small bar in rural St. Martin Parish ha Among the establishments to have a permit suspended was the Oasis, a combination outdoor volleyball court and restaurant in Baton Rouge. Owner Chris Shaheen said hes not anti-ATC, and respects the job agents have to do. At the same time, he said his cornhole league, held on the outdoor patio, has been shut down, which he doesnt understand. In New Orleans, local officials shut down several bars in the run-up to Mardi Gras, including some that locked the doors to outsiders and offered late-night service to unmasked patrons. On Friday, New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said Bourbon Street and Frenchman Street will be closed from early on Fat Tuesday until Ash Wednesday. All of NOPDs 1,100 officers will be on duty through Mardi Gras to crack down on gatherings, he said. The recent crackdown in New Orleans was prompted in part by pictures circulated widely on social media, including one of a large and boisterous crowd at the Red Eye Grill in the Warehouse District. A similar scene greeted agents with the ATC and Baton Rouges local alcohol regulator when they visited the Basin Music hall on Third Street downtown, in late November. They found the front doors covered from the inside with black curtains, and a row of bar chairs placed along the doors. A large number of patrons were standing and dancing with no social distancing or masks, according to an investigative report. Brian Ott, an owner of the Basin, said after getting bit once by regulators, he doesnt intend to reopen until the state allows him to. He said his business has struggled with canceled bookings for live music, and federal aid hasnt come close to making him whole. At times, hes bought beer that has an expiration date and no way to sell it, and he said he saw other businesses hosting private parties because they had different types of permits. I dont want to come off as we dont care about the health of people, he said. Were trying to do the right thingWe just want to operate our business. Some bars have decided to take legal action. Edwards restrictions have been upheld repeatedly by courts, with judges relying on long-standing precedent that holds the judiciary shouldnt second-guess elected officials in times of a pandemic. Jimmy Faircloth, the attorney representing another City Bar, in Maurice, and others in a class-action suit filed recently in the 19th Judicial District, said the virus still raged even when bar owners took it on the chin and closed. Youre never going to stop that, he said. Its a fallacy to think youre going to control the spread of the virus by shutting down these bars. Aly Neel, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health, said the states COVID numbers are trending in the right direction, and people should avoid bars as the more transmissible U.K. variant gains a foothold. As we have said from the beginning, bars are one of the highest-risk settings for COVID transmission, she said. Legier said he thinks the enforcement strategy is working. Once bar owners realize the consequences of their action -- namely a suspension of their alcohol permit and fines -- the vast majority decide to follow the rules, he said. Even Swamp Chicken Daiquiris in St. Amant got its permit reinstated -- despite the bar owners over-the-top reaction -- about a month and a half after it was suspended on Nov. 28, records show. When an ATC agent received two anonymous complaints that the bar was hosting a cornhole game in the parking lot, the agent showed up at the bar to meet with the owner, who identified himself to agents as Wesley Simoneaux. Immediately, Simoneaux started cursing, and became irate, according to the report. Im not signing s---! Simoneaux said after the agent asked him to sign documents about the visit, according to the report. Eventually, the owner began poking the agent in the chest, and dared the agent to arrest him. Take me to f---ing jail, Simoneaux said, according to the report. He earned an emergency suspension of his alcohol permit, but not an arrest. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that it was City Bar of Maurice, not City Bar of Baton Rouge, that is suing Gov. John Bel Edwards over COVID-19 restrictions. The eagle eye view injects mystery and suspense to the film Rating: The year 2021 hasn't begun well for Malayalam film director Lijo Jose Pellissery. First, his film Jallikattu, India's entry to the Oscars, didn't impress the Academy judges, and now the director, who has acquired a cult following, seems to have disappointed his devoted fans with his latest film, Churuli, which premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) on Thursday. There was palpable enthusiasm in the lead up to the film's show at Thiruvananthapuram's Kairali theatre, causing much anxiety to IFFK organisers who are determined to maintain social distancing in theatres. But, daunted by the long queues of young boys and girls as well as unannounced guests of the state government, some adjustments had to be made in the cinema hall where alternate seats had been taped up to avoid Corona spread. For Churuli, the audience sat elbow-to-elbow in a few rows. The director's loyal fans applauded cheerily at all of the films piffling jokes, but as the film progressed they seemed bewildered. The mandatory clapping at the end of the film was tentative and weak, as if they were all wondering whether they didn't get it, or it just didn't make sense. Churuli, billed as a science fiction horror film, begins with gorgeous and haunting aerial shots of a bus winding its way on a serpentine road that cuts through a lush green forest. The eagle eye view injects mystery and suspense to the film which seems to be getting into the thick of the forest in search of a fable-like tone. This eerie note accompanies the two cops -- one experienced and cynical, the other a younger, enthusiastic sort -- who are en route, in mufti, to nab a criminal hiding in the misty forest. Anthony (Chemban Vinod Jose) and Shahjiva (Vinay Forrt), their assumed names, tell the villagers that they are labourers who have come looking for work. But the man on whose rubber plantation they are to dig pits is away. So they get hired as helping hands at an arrack bar-cum-restaurant run by a husband and wife duo. There is no pay, but there's boarding, lodging and drinking. The film is light and fun as long as it stays with the two bumbling, bantering cops. Shajivan is keen to get the job done quickly, but his senior, Anthony, is treating this as a relaxed retreat. As the film goes on a hunting trip and then ventures into a rather strange sauna-cum-massage parlour run by a paan-spewing lady, we are amused en route by Pellissery's delightfully subversive politics where the bar gets turned into a temporary chapel. But then, the inexplicable intervenes an axe-wielding resident, a drunk man, a tree hugger, a game of slapping and a death. There are also two alien-like creatures with torch-lights for eyes who keep meandering about. Churuli, based on a short story, opens with a fable about a Brahmin going to a forest to capture a phantom named Perumadan. But the shape-shifting phantom tricks him and the Brahmin, the story goes, is still wandering the forest looking for Perumadan while carrying the phantom on his head. Lijo's film is like that Brahmin. Trying to get somewhere but never quite getting there. Churuli means a helix, a spiral, and the film's story by Vinoy Thomas, which was turned into a screenplay by S. Hareesh, is about losing the way and ones self while in pursuit. Churuli drops obscure hints about its theme but is so taken in with bizarre happenings and characters that it doesn't care to join the dots. We are left to fend for ourselves, to piece together a disjointed narrative. The forest is the films stage but also a character in Churuli. It breathes, observes and reacts. Much like the jeep which makes a fuss every time it has to cross a bridge to the forest. Churuli is shot in High Range, Kerala, and is gorgeous. It also has the chops and atmospherics -- sharp, high-strung montages, a cool background score, random absurdities and lots of forestry. But its long, pointless sequences are exhausting and nothing to the story. In skilled hands, the random, the inexplicable, the absurd can be fun. Here it feels amateurish, forced, self-conscious. Churuli carries that silly, childish misconception which besets many students films that obtuse dialogue, vague characters and badly shot scenes can somehow be sold as something deep and clever coming together. When, in fact, it's just a bad script transmuted to cinematic gibberish. Lijo, who has made Ee. Ma. Yau. and Angamaly Diaries, is a fine director when he is tethered to the ground and reality. Here he takes flight and loses the plot. A liberal relative of mine said of Biden's victory that she was overwhelmed with relief. But she is not likely to experience the life of calm and safety she anticipates with the Democrat party having won the presidency, the Senate, and the House, not to mention control at all levels of the state she lives in: California. To illustrate the point about safety, take New York City. A New York Post editorial quotes New York City police commissioner Dermot Shea: "We have made staggering numbers of gun arrests, taking guns off the streets from felons, but when you look, three days later, four days later, those individuals are back on the street committing more gun violence." The editorial continues by saying that years of often ill conceived criminal justice reform has set up a revolving door that frees even repeat offenders almost instantly. And "[w]orse, because everyone knows the perp will be back in the neighborhood again and the no-bail law lets the defense know right away who has talked witnesses are ever-harder to come by." Well, that's in one Democrat-run state. What about California? According to Hotair.com: "Through a series of measures starting back in 2014, the state of California has made it increasingly easy for people to commit property theft and get away with it[.] ... Even in cases where they do manage to catch somebody stealing, it's too often not worth the trouble of taking them down to the station because they'll just be released immediately without bail anyway." One result of this is that California businesses are shutting down for good. What about Democrats in Congress? Surely they have our safety at heart! Well, not really, reports Fox News: "Democrat Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) is backing for Manhattan district attorney Tahanie Aboushi, who favors a slew of left-wing proposals, including capping sentences at 20 years and refusing, without exceptions, to prosecute a host of lower-level offenses[.] ... Those included prostitution, theft of services, drug possession and sale, third degree burglary, petit larceny, making graffiti, and second and third degree forgery." Surely such a candidate couldn't win! Unfortunately, she could. According to the Washington Times, the leftist billionaire George Soros "bankrolled the successful campaigns of a new crop of district attorneys who now preside over big cities with skyrocketing crime and frayed relationships with police departments." These D.A.s fire prosecutors and stop prosecuting "low-level" crimes. What about at the federal level? President Biden has our back, right? Well, no, according to the Daily Caller: President Biden told ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to stand down. Under his new rules, illegal aliens will no longer be deported if they get a DUI or commit fraud, tax crimes, or assault. Frederick County sheriff Chuck Jenkins told "Fox & Friends" host Steve Doocy what this means: "These people are going to roam our streets with impunity[.] ... This is going to be disastrous, dangerous, gonna impact every county, every city, every community in this country and again, this is total lawlessness." Jenkins added: "Americans will not be safe. Immigrant communities will not be safe." The Democrats do seem to be concerned about one type of crime. Historian Victor Davis Hanson writes: "Not since the Civil War has Washington resembled such a vast police state. Ex-military officers who once warned Donald Trump not to deploy federal troops to ensure the safety of the White House from Antifa and BLM demonstrators now are silent about a veritable army deployed in Washington." So though the disruptive Trump is no longer causing my relative nightmares of incipient dictatorship, we can be confident that my relative was premature in her feeling of relief. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New details have emerged about the life and tragic murder of a former model and reality star, who was found shot dead by an interstate off-ramp in western Pennsylvania on Sunday. Rebecca Landrith, 47, had become estranged from her family before dropping out of high society in New York City to travel the country under an alias, hitchhiking in her final months with the trucker accused of killing her. Truck driver Tracy Rollins, 28, was arrested and charged with her murder and abuse of a corpse, after a note in Landrith's pocket led investigators to him. While much remains mysterious about the events that led up to Landrith being shot 18 times, clues about her final years and months hint at a darker side behind the high-fashion lifestyle that Landrith presented to the world. Rebecca Landrith, 47, had become estranged from her family before dropping out of high society in New York City to travel the country hitchhiking under an alias Suspect Tracy Rollins, 28, whose name was found on a note in Landrith's pocket, has been charged with criminal homicide and abuse of corpse Over the years, Landrith appears to have become fixated on nebulous 'corruption' in business and the government, a review of her online trail and interviews shows. Landrith was born in Virginia, and said she had a background in the legal field before turning to modeling. She appeared often at charity events, and in 2014 was was both a finalist for the Miss Manhattan contest in New York City and Americas It Girl Miss Lady Liberty. At around the same time, she launched a fashion public relations business called Angel Rock PR. In 2015, she faced a misdemeanor charges of using profanity over public airways and obstructing justice without force in Virginia. Those charges usually refer to making threats over the telephone and providing a false name to police, and Landrith was found not guilty. Over the next several years, seemingly out-of-place references to evil and corruption began to appear on her company's website. Alongside professional testimonials from fashion industry professionals, appeared quotes such as 'Corruption is Legal in America The stuff you learned about government as a kid is completely wrong.' Another 'testimonial' read: 'I believe that Satan has tried to discourage and even kill you, as well, which must mean that God has a good plan for you--otherwise the enemy would not be working so hard to try you destroy you.' Seemingly out-of-place references to evil and corruption began to appear on Landrith's company's website, which has not been updated since around 2017 Landrith appeared to stop updating the site around 2017. In 2016, she gave an interview stating: 'I thought I could accomplish this working in the legal industry, but I couldn't due to the high level of corruption and lack of integrity- however I enjoy working in Fashion and meeting designers and helping non-profits grow.' Little has been seen of her professionally since 2016, but she did appear at fashion events in New York in early 2020, photos show. In 2019, she was charged with several misdemeanors and traffic violations in Arizona. One of the charges was providing a false name to a police officer. None of the charges appear to be drug related. Police investigating her death learned that in December 2020, Landrith had booked into a hotel in Milford, Connecticut under the alias Leslie Myers, according to court documents. Police said Rollins and Landrith had been travelling across the country since meeting at a truck stop in Connecticut in December. Landrith is believed to have accompanied Rollins on his deliveries in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois and Maine over the last three months. Rebecca Landrith, 47, from Virginia was found dead at the side of the road near West Buffalo Township, Union County in western Pennsylvania on Sunday Landrith, who was originally from Alexandria, Virginia, was a 2014 finalist for the Miss Manhattan contest in New York City, as well as America's It Girl Miss Lady Liberty the same year. She also appeared on WE TV's 'America's It Girl'. A bio on her iStudio page states: 'I adore fashion and the industry and am a warm weather person with a warm heart. I have worked with some really great photographers and fantastic people in this industry. 'I love clothes and have a great wardrobe to style myself and bring to shoots. I know high fashion labels and have fabulous shoes with all my outfits.' The bio adds that she previously worked in the field of law and that she had appeared in more than 50 fashion shows since she started in 2009. Landrith's brother, George Landrith, told PennLive that his younger sister had never married and had been estranged from the family for about five years. He said he knew little about her life since then. Her brother did say that their parents are divorced and that their father lived in Utah. She was the youngest of five siblings. Pictured: A map showing Landrith's movements since December Landrith, originally from Alexandria, Virginia, was a 2014 finalist for the Miss Manhattan contest in New York City, as well as America's It Girl Miss Lady Liberty the same year A bio on Landrith's iStudio page states: 'I adore fashion and the industry and am a warm weather person with a warm heart. Pictured: A collection of her modelling pictures Rollins is accused of shooting Landrith 18 times in the cab of his truck and then dumping her by the side of the road. Gunshot wounds were found to Landrith's head, neck, throat, chest and hand, according to a statement from Union County Coroner Dominick Adamo. Police tracked him down after a note was found in Landrith's pocket bearing his name. When police arrested Rollins on Wednesday in Connecticut, they found a bottle of bleach in his cab and signs that the interior of the vehicle had been disinfected. Police said the former model was found wearing blue maternity jeans, a purple shirt and a black leather jacket but no socks or shoes, WLNS reported. They believe that she was killed a few hours before she was found near the interchange ramp in Union County, around 120 miles north of Philadelphia. Investigators believe that Landrith had recently traveled through Indiana and Wisconsin because of receipts they found on her from those states. They identified her using fingerprints found on the receipts. Landrith was reportedly found near mile marker 199 on the eastbound I-80 (pictured) Pictured: A news report from Fox56 shows the road near where the model's body was found When questioned by police, Rollins denied knowing Landrith. He did, however, say that he had met a woman named 'Leslie' whose car had broken down in Connecticut and that he had been traveling with her across the country. He said drove through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. In January, she met Rollins at a truck stop, and the pair traveled together until, it is believed, he murdered her on February 7. Her body was found at around 7am. Rollins was arrested at another truck stop in Milldale, Connecticut on February 10. A criminal complaint obtained by Philly Voice said that surveillance video and cell phone location data allegedly linked Rollins to the same businesses and times corresponding to Landrith's receipts. Police arrested the suspect after tracking down his truck. Homosexuality, even after being decriminalized by Supreme Court, is still stigmatized in our society. Many same sex couples have to go through some very traumatic events because of their sexuality. In a recent incident, the Uttar Pradesh police had to intervene in one such case of a homosexual couple. According to one of the two women, they were captivated in a room, from where she had escaped to seek polices help. The woman crossed a wall to eventually reach the police station so that she could also get her partner rescued safely. According to a report in The Times of India, the woman also claimed that she and her partner got married at a temple on November 17 last year. The matter was reported at Thakurganj Police Station where the officials offered their help in the sensitive situation. The woman also claimed that she and her partner were being beaten and tortured by their families despite being married to each other. As per her request, the police managed to rescue her wife from the house in which she was held captive. The police went to the said location in Dubagga and brought the other woman to the Thakurganj Police Station. IP Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, told the news portal that the families of the two women were against their relationship. They were both held captive at the residence of one of the women. In order to deal with the matter, the police decided to call their families to the police station for counselling them. The families were also informed them that same sex couples are now given protection by law. So, if they did something similar, a complaint could be lodged against them and appropriate action will be taken. The couple also asserted that they do not need any assistance from any person as they are self sufficient. Further, they also emphasized that the two of them want to live peacefully with each other and do not want any interference from people regarding their relationship. David Davis today leads a Tory charge to stop Rishi Sunak unveiling a tax-raising Budget next month that could kill off Britain's post-pandemic recovery David Davis today leads a Tory charge to stop Rishi Sunak unveiling a tax-raising Budget next month that could kill off Britain's post-pandemic recovery. The former Brexit Secretary gives notice that he would not vote for such a package, insisting this was no time for 'damaging tax increases'. Instead, he urges the Chancellor to forget trying to balance the nation's books now and do all he can to help British business recover from the pandemic. He declares: 'Growth must be the clear aim of our economic strategy for the next two years not spreadsheet conservatism.' The clarion call will chime with the private views of many Tory MPs anxious that Mr Sunak will use his Budget on March 3 to raise taxes to start clawing back law back some of the almost 400 billion of Government borrowing. It may also provide them with cover to raise their concerns publicly after Tory Chief Whip Mark Spencer last month sought to head off any Tory Budget rebellion, warning that a vote against the Finance Bill would be seen as a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister. Treasury officials are already said to be poring over plans to increase capital gains tax and freeze personal income tax allowances. Tory backbenchers also fear that he will raise the 57.95p- a-litre tax on fuel. Instead, Davis urges the Chancellor to forget trying to balance the nation's books now and do all he can to help British business recover from the pandemic But in an article for The Mail on Sunday today, Mr Davis blasts the Treasury for even floating the possibility of the tax rises. He writes: 'The mutterings that keep emerging from the Treasury about increasing taxes to balance the books are economically incomprehensible. 'Such action would not only be wrong, it would be completely counterproductive.' Mr Davis also challenges the Chancellor to respect the 2019 Election manifesto promising not to increase the rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT. He says: 'I will not break the spirit or the letter of that promise and neither should the Chancellor.' Mr Davis, acknowledges that Government borrowing this year is set to be a 'colossal 394 billion'. However, he insists there is 'no way' Mr Sunak can balance the costs of Covid in the short term, describing the debt levels as 'war-time figures' He adds: 'Britain did not try to pay for the costs of the war straight away. Quite properly we took 50 to 100 years to pay off those war loans.' Mr Davis also points out that the UK tax burden is already at 50-year high and raising it further now would be 'to forget our party's roots'. Davis declares: 'Growth must be the clear aim of our economic strategy for the next two years not spreadsheet conservatism.' Pictured: Pedestrians walk along a high street where shops are closed in Maidstone, southeast England Declaring now is 'not the time to stifle productivity with damaging tax increases', he says: 'I certainly would not vote to approve a Budget that increased the tax burden above its already high level.' Next month's Budget will come with Mr Sunak, 40, still riding high in the Tory popularity stakes and with many predicting he is the man to succeed Boris Johnson. However, in a hint that the young Chancellor's biggest challenges are yet to come, Mr Davis, 72, urges him to stand up to his Treasury officials as former Tory Chancellor Nigel Lawson would have done and face down their demands to find ways of repaying our enormous Covid debts in the short term. He also appeals to Mr Sunak to 'take his lead' from former US president Ronald Reagan who defied 'conventional economists' by slashing income tax rates and revitalising the American economy in the 1980s. 'Reaganomics was heavily criticised by conventional economists, but it led to a growth in GDP, a resurgence of business confidence, and a fall in unemployment rates,' he writes. 'We need to repeat that feat today.' His intervention comes as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also said tax rises should not be put in place now and unveiled plans for a student loan-style system to allow firms to pay down debt only when profits returned. DAVID DAVIS: Rishi must NOT raise taxes. He should be bold and CUT them like Reagan By David Davis for the Mail on Sunday The mutterings that keep emerging from the Treasury about increasing taxes to balance the books are economically incomprehensible. Such action would not only be wrong, it would be completely counter-productive. We Tories must be honest with ourselves and with the public: There is no way we can balance the costs of the crisis in the short term. Last November, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated that Government borrowing for this financial year would be a colossal 394 billion. And in December, public sector debt passed the 2 trillion mark. These are figures normally associated with wartime and we should treat them as such. If Chancellor Rishi Sunak increases tax now, I fear all he would achieve would be to undo much of the good work of his first year at the Treasury The mutterings that keep emerging from the Treasury about increasing taxes to balance the books are economically incomprehensible, writes David Davis MP In 1945, Britain did not try to pay for the costs of the war straight away. Quite properly, it took 50 to 100 years to pay off those war loans. The situation we face today is no different. Of course, this will only be temporary and in due course we must return to the time-honoured Conservative principle of balancing the books. Now is not the time to stifle productivity with damaging tax increases. I certainly would not vote to approve a Budget that increased the tax burden above its already high level. If Chancellor Rishi Sunak increases tax now, I fear all he would achieve would be to undo much of the good work of his first year at the Treasury. He must act on the fact that Conservatives are on the side of small business. We support shopkeepers, plumbers and restaurant owners who are the beating heart of our economy. Small and medium-sized businesses make up 99.9 per cent of all UK firms, employ 60 per cent of all workers, and produce more than half of our private sector. We must not let them down. The UK's tax burden is already at a 50-year high. To raise it further, when millions of people and businesses are teetering on the financial edge, would be to forget our party's roots. Rishi Sunak must act on the fact that Conservatives are on the side of small business. We support shopkeepers, plumbers and restaurant owners who are the beating heart of our economy. Pictured: Pedestrians walk past a row of empty shops in the Strand in London Once we are past this immediate crisis, Rishi Sunak will be under enormous pressure from his Treasury officials to find ways to repay the enormous amounts borrowed during the pandemic. He must resist, as his greatest modern predecessor, Nigel Lawson, would have done in a similar situation. He should take his lead from President Ronald Reagan, who revitalised the American economy. He cut the top rate of income tax from 70 per cent to 28 per cent across his eight years in the White House. Reaganomics was heavily criticised by conventional economists, but it led to a growth in America's GDP, a resurgence of business confidence and a fall in unemployment rates. We, in Britain, need to repeat that feat today. We need a tax system that encourages growth. Two days ago, the Office for National Statistics announced that GDP fell in 2020 by 9.9 per cent. That is a record drop and more than twice the size of any previous annual figure. The Office for National Statistics said over the whole of 2020 the economy dived by 9.9 per cent - the worst annual performance since the Great Frost devastated Europe in 1709 The economic threat facing this country is, perhaps, the most serious of our lifetimes. Tax levels should be set to encourage the start-up of new businesses and accelerate inward investment in a fiercely competitive world. Growth must be the clear aim of our economic strategy for the next two years, not spreadsheet conservatism. In 2019, I and all Conservative MPs signed up to our manifesto that promised 'not to raise the rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT'. I will not break the spirit or the letter of that promise and neither should the Chancellor. The truth is that any tax increase at such a precarious moment is a gamble we cannot afford. No sensible person would take the risk of starting a business today if they knew taxes were going up tomorrow. The Chancellor must help light the spark of British industry, not dampen the flames of invention. It is not just about taxes, however. Like Reagan, the Government needs a clear overall strategy on deregulation, for example. Now that we are out of the EU, we should revamp regulations to help create products and processes that are just as safe as before but delivered with a lighter, simpler and faster touch. It is not just about taxes, however. Like Reagan, the Government needs a clear overall strategy on deregulation, for example. Pictured: President Ronald Reagan with his wife Nancy Reagan in 1986 The Covid vaccine regulatory strategy is a brilliant demonstration of what is possible. Indeed, the Bank of England has said our vaccine rollout has already 'improved the economic outlook'. We should copy this much more effective light-touch system a thousand times across all of Government and industry. Alongside low taxes and deregulation, there is a third tool that will benefit Britain in our new global role targeted Government investment. History tells us a lesson from the Great Depression, for example that used properly, Government money spent today brightens the outlook for tomorrow. We should take inspiration from Roosevelt's New Deal, when billions were spent on thousands of small infrastructure projects 78,000 bridges were built, there were 11,428 road projects and 7,488 school building programmes. We should have our own New Deal and invest tens of billions on infrastructure up and down the country for long-term economic benefits. Not vanity projects such as HS2, but carefully thought-out smaller projects such as local fibre-optic delivery, improvement of existing rail infrastructure and local road networks. Nowhere is investment more important to our long-term economic prospects than in technology. We must set ourselves up to succeed in a technology- dominated future. The Covid vaccine regulatory strategy is a brilliant demonstration of what is possible. Indeed, the Bank of England has said our vaccine rollout has already 'improved the economic outlook' That means a vast range of initiatives from re-engineering school classrooms with artificial intelligence-assisted teaching, through upgrading the science learning in universities to innovations such as creating an 'MIT of the North' (based on the cutting-edge Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and expanding our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. Soon this pandemic will pass. As every shopkeeper reopens their store and each chef reopens their restaurant, they will be placing trust in themselves to succeed. Crucially, too, they are also placing trust in the Government not to make their lives any more difficult. The British people will succeed if we give them the opportunity. The Conservative Government must extend a helping hand to the self-employed and small business owners by ensuring that we don't destroy jobs by increasing the tax burden. The Bank of England enthusiastically predicts that the economy will recover in one year. Not on its own it won't. A significant number of businesses have shut their doors for ever. In order to recover to our previous economic size, we will need to replace them with new businesses. That requires active encouragement from the Government. As we look forward to our post-Covid lives, few people are better equipped than Boris Johnson to lead the country into an optimistic and upbeat future. But to achieve that future and not just talk about it we need to engineer it, and we need to start doing it now. 7 Republicans Join Democrats in Voting to Convict Former President Trump Seven GOP senators on Saturday joined 50 Democrats in voting to convict former President Donald Trump on an article of impeachment, though the vote fell short and Trump was acquitted. Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) voted to convict Trump in a charge of incitement of insurrection. I listened to the arguments on both sides I thought the arguments in favor of conviction were much stronger, Toomey told reporters after the vote. Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty, Cassidy, who has been censured by his party for his anti-Trump votes, added in a video statement. Romney, a longtime Trump critic, said he carefully considered arguments from the House impeachment managers and Trumps legal team before concluding the former president was guilty. President Trump incited the insurrection against Congress by using the power of his office to summon his supporters to Washington on January 6th and urging them to march on the Capitol during the counting of electoral votes. He did this despite the obvious and well known threats of violence that day, he said. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate minority whip, told reporters that he wasnt surprised by the number of Republicans who voted to convict. I think most people staked out their positions earlier. So it was, I think kind of what most people expected, he said. Eight other Republicans had indicated they were open to convicting Trump or had not ruled it out, but ultimately voted to acquit. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) walks in the Capitol as the Senate proceeds in a rare weekend session for final arguments in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 13, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo) Nine Democrats had said they would wait until hearing presentations from both sides before deciding how to vote, while Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) had resisted attempts to clarify her stance. All 10 ended up voting to convict. Trump incited a violent insurrection against his own government because he did not like the outcome of a free and fair election, Sinema said in a statement. A conviction would have required a 67 vote supermajority. The chamber is divided evenly between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans after the Democrats won both Georgia runoff elections in January. Republicans who voted to acquit highlighted their stance that the trial was unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office. Some defended Trump against the incitement accusations. It remains true that Congress simply does not have the constitutional authority to impeach a former president. And rather than take its time to hold hearings and assess all evidence, the House had a rushed impeachment process that denied President Trump due process, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) said. The House brought only one charge before the Senate: incitement. Donald Trump used heated language, but he did not urge anyone to commit acts of violence. The legal standard for incitement is very high and it is clear by the results of this vote that the House Managers failed to present a coherent standard for incitement, added Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Marking the rollout of the Rs 12,110 crore crop loan waiver scheme for over 16 lakh ryots in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Saturday gave away certificates to nine farmers here. The certificates state that loans taken from cooperative banks and due on January 31, 2021 have been waived. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Agriculture Minister K P Anbalagan and senior officials led by Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan participated in the event at the state secretariat, a government release here said. On February 5, Palaniswami had announced waiver of Rs 12,110.74 crore crop loans availed by 16,43,347 farmers from cooperative banks. The move was considering damage to crops following back to back cyclones 'Nivar' and 'Burevi' last year, besides the heavy unseasonal rains. The waiver would pave the way for farmers to continue cultivation without any hassles, Palaniswami had said. Following the announcement, Government Orders were issued on February 8, setting the stage for the scheme's implementation. Shun stubborn attitude on farm laws: Naresh Tikait tells Govt India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Sambhal, Feb 13: BKU national president Naresh Tikait on Friday said the deadlock over farm laws can be resolved if the government shuns its stubborn attitude and does not play with the honour of farmers. When asked about the future course of action, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader said, "It all depends on the government. If it sheds its stubborn attitude and stops playing with the honour of farmers, the matter can be resolved." On the question of foreigners' support to the stir, Tikait said they have nothing to do with it. Tikait to join 7 'mahapanchayats' in 3 states starting Feb 14 What is happening also goes to foreign countries. The image of government is getting maligned. Why you (government) allow such a situation," he said while on his way to Moradabad's Bilari. BSF foils drug smuggling attempt, 1 shot dead | Oneindia News Tikait said his message to farmers is, "Peace is our weapon and it should be adopted. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, February 13, 2021, 10:43 [IST] Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova reported that the interrogation of director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) Artem Sytnyk has been canceled. "The interrogation of Sytnik and Kaluzhynsky is canceled," Venediktova wrote on her Facebook page on Saturday. In turn, journalist Yuri Butusov said: "A very quick and important decision of the Prosecutor General - let me remind you that last night the director of NABU Artem Sytnyk and the heads of detectives received summons for questioning at the Prosecutor's General Office. Thus, the attempt of Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko to create a conflict of interest in the investigation and to withdraw the case from the NABU on this basis was thwarted (it concerns the 'case' of deputy head of the President's Office Oleh Tatarov]." "This means that the Tatarov case continues to remain under the jurisdiction of NABU," Butusov wrote. As reported, NABU detectives reported the suspicion to Tatarov, who is accused of providing unlawful benefits by a group of persons to ensure the issuance of an inaccurate written opinion of a forensic expert (part 3 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) as part of an investigation into the misappropriation of property of the National Guard of Ukraine. On December 21, 2020, Tatarov's lawyer Oleksandr Kuzmenko said that the criminal proceedings of NABU against the Deputy Head of the President's Office concern a discount on parking in one of the residential complexes of Kyiv, and not the case of "apartments for the National Guard". Model Katie Price has spoken out against the online bullying directed at her teenage son Harvey. Speaking on The Late Late Show tonight, Price said that her son receives a lot of abuse on the internet, although thankfully he is unaware of most of it. The most vulnerable, sweetest thing is Harvey has no idea about all of this, she said. When we go to the shops and people ask for a picture He has no idea, he just likes the flash of the camera. She added that he gets a lot of trolls, and the thing is with Harvey, he gets trolled so much as well, and luckily he doesnt understand it, but I do. Read More Host Ryan Tubridy said: shame on the people who troll Harvey. What youre doing to highlight the case for people with special needs and their families and their extended families, and the campaign against the trolling - its just wonderful what youre doing Katie, hats off to you. Harvey, who is now 18-years-old, has a number of disabilities. Harvey was born blind, and I found that out when he was six weeks old, Price said. I then found out he had like autism, then he had ADHD, Opposite Deficit Disorder, and hes got Prader-Willis. And people dont really know what that is. Its when you think youre hungry all the time, so you just want to eat. And obviously he feels hungry all the time, so it does affect his behaviour. In addition to all of that, Harvey also has tic disorder and septo-optic dysplasia, which makes optic nerve development unpredictable. He is on medication for life, Price said. It is complex, but I love him to bits. I would not change him, and I dont treat him any differently than any of my other children. I try to make it as normalised as possible. Price also spoke about how difficult it is to find nice clothing for Harvey due to his size. Hes 62 and 29 stone, and he wears 7XL clothes, she said. Its impossible to find clothes on the high street that fit him. And because hes young I try to find him trendy clothes, but I just cant. Shes trying to help him lose weight, but unfortunately its proving to be difficult because of Prader-Willi syndrome. Its because of his condition, its not because he eats a lot, Price said. On a final note, Price also noted that shes trying to get Harvey into a college which could accommodate his needs. When you settle it down to what Harveys got, there were only about three or four colleges that could deal with Harvey, and unfortunately it was very far from home. When the college is far away, I have to say to myself its not forever and this is for him to transition into an adult, give him independent skills. This is what he deserves. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Australian rare earths exploration and development company RareX Limited entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the leading global rare earths producer, China-based Shenghe Resources Holdings. Shenghe, listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, has a market capitalization of approximately US$4.6 billion. It is a leading producer of rare earths, zirconium and titanium, and is vertically integrated through the rare earths value chain from ore mining, processing to concentrate production, refining and separating to high-purity rare earths oxides, metals and alloys, and the production of a range of downstream rare earths products. Shenghes two primary investments outside of China are an 8% interest in MP Materials Corp., which has a market capitalization of approximately US$4.8 billion, and a 9.7% interest in Greenland Minerals, which has a market capitalization of approximately A$380 million. The terms of the MoU provide a framework for Shenghe and RareX to establish an alliance via the formation of a jointly owned Rare Earths Trading Company (RET Co) to source rare earths concentrates globally (excluding from within China) for processing at Shenghes existing and proposed refining assets within China and around the world. Key MoU terms are: Initial equity ownership structure of RET Co of 51% Shenghe and 49% RareX. Both Shenghe and RareX to support RET Co in its business activities. RET Co to source rare earths concentrates globally (excluding from within China) to supply Shenghes existing and proposed rare earth refining operations globally. Subject to applicable laws, regulations and interests of the relevant parties in relevant jurisdictions, Shenghe and RareX to commence commercial discussions towards: Shenghe investing, on commercial terms, in the Cummins Range Rare Earths Project; RET Co being offered exclusive marketing rights, on commercial terms, to any rare earths concentrates produced at the Cummins Range Rare Earths Project; and Joint investment by Shenghe and RareX, on commercial terms, in rare earths refinery assets located outside of China. Shenghe and RareX to progress discussions with respect to RET Co and the proposed alliance with a view to moving towards formal documentation and the execution of a binding Heads of Agreement. RareX also remains focused on preparing for the upcoming drill program at its 100%-owned Cummins Range Rare Earths Project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Work is also progressing on an updated Mineral Resource Estimate, which is on track to be released later this quarter. Newly independent Kosovo spent much of its first decade stuck in the political mud. Led almost exclusively by veterans of a bloody war for independence, it was weighed down by only being partially recognized and by an exodus of emigres who could have helped the tiny Balkan country gain economic traction. When voters in 2019 appeared to plot a new course behind an emerging nationalist party that challenged the old guard, Kosovars watched one year later as their push for change sputtered into a political dead end. The resulting power vacuum and caretaker leadership have persisted through national tests like an unprecedented health crisis, mounting pressure to mend diplomatic fences with neighbor Serbia, and war crimes indictments that unseated a powerful president and other senior politicians. But Kosovo's voters will be back for more on February 14. "Despite all the difficulties, this election will be a kind of new test, yet again, to prove what started in October 2019," says Vedran Dzihic, a professor at the University of Vienna and a senior researcher at the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP), of the vote that broke the tight grip on power of the Democratic Party (PDK) and other groups led by ex-guerrillas. He says subsequent events have been a nasty reminder of the "clientelism" and immaturity of the Kosovar political scene. The coalition government led by Albin Kurti and his Self-Determination (Vetevendosje) party, which took power after the 2019 elections, lasted just two months before it was toppled by a no-confidence vote based ostensibly on its handling of the coronavirus pandemic early last year. Recent polls show Self-Determination with support of between 40 and 50 percent this time around, well above its 26 percent plurality in the last elections. It probably won't be enough to give Kurti's party sole control of the 120-seat parliament. Old And New Guards But it could far outpace its soured former coalition partner, the Democratic League (LDK), or the other of Kosovo's big three parties: the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which is led by former liberation army fighters. Each of those parties has been polling somewhere around 20 percent. "There is an obvious clash of generations and political styles now for the voters to decide which way to go," Dzihic says. Dzihic identifies three main contrasts between the old and new guards. The first is the difference between the "old-fashioned, established, quite corrupt and clientelistic parties rather oriented toward keeping their privileges," he says. Another is the perceived attention to domestic issues, including the COVID-19 crisis, which Dzihic says neither the LDK-supported caretaker government nor Kurti's government appeared to manage very well. The third fracture point is generational. "Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe, and there is a growing confidence of young generations, and also women, and they want to see a different type of politics," Dzihic says. 'Collective Action Problem' These national elections are the fifth since independence, with the intervals narrowing with each successive vote. They were called on short notice by Kurti ally and acting President Vjusa Osmani after the courts threw out the mandate of the caretaker government last month based on legislation banning individuals with recent criminal convictions from parliament. Since then, the campaign has featured late-hour disqualifications of senior politicians, including Kurti himself, based on the same law, as well as an outcry within Kosovo's sizable diaspora over glitches in registration and the distribution of ballots. The concern has been that it could all signal more than just growing pains for a fledgling European democracy of some 2 million people that's only about one-third the size of Belgium. But Kosovars also do not appear to be overly bitter about the setbacks of frequent elections to replace battered coalitions. "We don't believe them. We're so used to these promises," Elma Ejupi, an economics student in Pristina, tells RFE/RL of the pledges that accompany each election cycle. "They promised before new jobs, which never happened, especially not for young people. We should, however, vote and try to effect change." Ahead of the Balkans' first election since the opposition in nearby Montenegro turned the tables on a party that had ruled for three decades, a recent study by the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) think tank said a majority of Kosovars still have faith that elections can bring change. Kosovars were second only to Montenegrins in breaking out of what BiEPAG described as "the Balkans' collective action problem." "The significantly higher trust in the electoral process in Montenegro, and partially also in Kosovo and in North Macedonia, after election results which confirmed that such change is possible, cannot be overstated," the BiEPAG authors said. They said the "'changeability' of the government is an important precondition for democratization" in a tough region democratically. But they added that such hope "must lead to the improvement of institutions' performance and their independence for it to have long-lasting positive effects." With enduring faith that votes matter, turnout on February 14 could be high despite the recency of the last election. That could boost the prospects for Kurti and his opposition allies, according to Bekim Baliqi, a professor of political science at the University of Pristina. "All these controversies regarding diaspora voting, [the] Kurti exclusion, and so on may have countereffects -- they might increase mobilization of the opposition or provoke reaction to the undecided electorate to vote against ruling parties," Baliqi tells RFE/RL. "In this sense...the dissent among citizens about these government decisions and actions will only increase the legitimacy of the voting, perceiving it as a kind or referendum, as the opposition called it." 'All That's Left Is To Run Away' "They lie. They work for themselves and no one works for the people," Nuhi Dili, a voter in Pristina, tells RFE/RL's Balkan Service. "In 21 years, the situation hasn't gotten better. Visa liberalization, nothing. Economy, the same.... I'll vote for those I've made up my mind on, but if they don't implement their promises, all that's left is to run away from Kosovo." Kosovars, like many of their Balkan neighbors, have already shown a willingness to uproot themselves and set out for greener pastures if their governments continue to fail them. The outflow of Kosovars has eased since its peak early last decade, but the best estimates still represent a 10 percent drop since independence in 2008. "Kosovo's had so many elections and everybody considers every election to be a turning point," says Robert Austin, an East-Central and Southeastern Europe specialist at the University of Toronto. "And the problem with Kosovo is sometimes you reach a turning point and then nothing turns." But it could be an "extremely important" election for Kosovo, he says, particularly if Kurti gets a chance to finish what he started as prime minister a little over a year ago. If that happens, Austin says, "it could start a new era for Kosovo." Dzihic suggests much the same thing. "If everything runs smoothly now, and if you get significant change, that will be yet more exceptional proof of a continuing resilience and quality of Kosovo democracy," Dzihic says. He sees some hope in the political ascendancies of Kurti and acting President Osmani, who has expressed support for Self-Determination and is herself expected to seek election in an indirect presidential election that hasn't been scheduled but should take place by early March. "This tandem could be really something new or could initiate a kind of a new era for Kosovo, at least internally," Dzihic says. February 1921 - An appalling tragedy occurred in Balscadden, a village about two miles from Balbriggan at about 8.45pm on Saturday February 12 when Patrick Howard, egg and poultry merchant, was mortally wounded in the public house of Miss Ellen Landy. It would appear that the deceased, a batchelor and who lived alone, had just come home from the Drogheda market and was in the pub having a drink with some local men, when two men with handkerchiefs over the bottom of their faces appeared at the door of the pub. One man entered the pub and shouted 'hands up'. Patrick Howard hesitated for a moment and with that his killer, who had his hands in his pocket, raised his coat and the form of a revolver could be seen. He fired at Patrick Howard, shooting him twice in the arm and then in the stomach. Mr Howard dashed for his life, despite his injuries, running out through a back door of the shop into the yard and through a hedge, inflicting injuries to his face. His assailant did not follow him. In the pub, one of the armed men raided the contents of the till and made off with his companion. The wounded man was attended by Fr Fulham from Balbriggan and Dr Lynch from Stamullen and a local priest. He was taken to the Mater Hospital but died the following day. The funeral took place to the family burial ground in Balscadden. Chief mourners were Messrs T and J Howard (brothers) and Mrs T Howard (sister in law). Two RIC men brought before the courts June 1921 A Field General Courtmartial, sitting at the City Hall An Thursday, resumed the hearing of a charge of wilful murder against George Pearson and George Smith, members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, who are charged with shooting a farmer named Patrick Howard at Balscadden, near Gormanstown, on Saturday, 12th February, There is an alternative charge of manslaughter. Counsel did not deny that the accused were in the publichousc that Saturday afternoon, but there was no more reason for charging them with murder than for charging any of the other constables who were in the publichouse on the same afternoon. Identification depended upon a glimpse of Pearson as he was moving round a corner of the counter. A female witness was not able to identify Pearson on the first identification parade, although she walked up the whole length of line, and it was only when she was called in a second time that she identified him. That identification was really worthless. Both the accused made statements detailing their movements on the night of the murder and absolutely denying all knowledge of the crime. Tho Judge-Advocate, summing up, said there appeared to be no evidence that Smith was at the door, as suggested, and it would not be safe to convict him on the testimony given, and they should find him not guilty on both charges. He was released. Pearson was found not guilty of the charge of manslaughter. His army record showed that he served in the Army from 1916, being with the British Expeditionary Force till 1917 in tho Royal Fusiliers and the Royal Engineers, and took his discharge as being no longer fit for active service. Defending counsel said accused bore an excellent character while in the R.I.C. and a record to this effect was put In. The decision will be promulgated in Pearson's case on the charge of murder. The court heard during the robbery, Howard did not raise his hands by reason of the fact that he had a considerable sum of money on him, and, anticipating what was going to happen, refused to put up his hands, and made for the front door. The two other people who wore told to put up their hands did so, and backed towards the fire. Howard made out round the counter towards the door. The man with the handkerchief turned and fired two shots on him, and as he got round towards the door it was slammed in Howard's face from the outside, as the Crown suggested, by Smith, who was acting in concert wiih Pearson. Poor Howard turned like a hare, and as be crossed Pearson's path the latter fired at. him again. But Howard must have been struck previously, for he fell at Pearson's feet, and Pearson fired two more shots into his body. Howard was able to stagger outside the door. Pearson, having the shop at his mercy, proceeded round the counter, and took a considerable amount of money from the till. .Immediately afterwards the handkerchief fell off his face, and people who were in the shop would tell the. Court that Pearson was the man who shot at Howard and robbed the till. There was no direct evidence against Smith of the actual murder, except that he was acting in concert with Pearson', and if the Court found that they were conspiring together for a common unlawful purpose, he, was equally guilty of murder. The day after the occurrence a local man acquainted with Smith, who had heard of the murder, said to him : "Did you go up there last, night?" and .Smith said : "Yes, we did." The man then said : "You've done a fine thing-the man's dead." Smith replied: "We only got 13. I got 6.and Pearson 7." Smith was then supposed to have explained that Pearson said "Hands up!" and that he (Smith) stood at the door, and that the man (Howard) started to run out. and Pearson shot him. That was not evidence against Pearson, but it was, continued counsel, evidence of Smith's complicity. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Delightfully Wilds victory in last weeks Filly and Mare Open Pace at Cal-Expo had the wow factor, as the Jessie Pacheco trainee looked more like a 1-5 shot than a 17-1 chance as she blitzed the field on the front end with new pilot Doug Chappell. Richard Morita and David Yamadas colourbearer flew to the front and immediately established command, opening up by as much as five lengths on the backside while posting fractions of :27.1, :54.4 and 1:23.2 on the way to a length and three-quarters score in 1:52.2. Even though Delightfully Wild had a couple of wins to her credit at this meet and came into the race with over $200,000 on her card and a 1:51.1 mark, she looked to have her work cut last weekend while facing some very sharp distaffers. On the plus side, she had suffered through a couple of troubled trips. This was the first time Doug had driven her and I told him to go to the front and see what happens, Pacheco related. She can race very strong on the lead, which she showed last year at Hawthorne, and I felt she was ready for her best race. Having felt that, Jessie admits when he saw that :54 and change half-mile he was concerned. I honestly thought she would get tired after that and probably be passed, but she was strong to the end and I was very proud of her. Pacheco explained that his horses were given some time prior to the start of this meet, so many of them are just now coming to their best races, as evidenced by Delightfully Wilds scintillating once-around of this layout. Can she keep the momentum going? Stay tuned. Sunday Cal-Expo trot lures Flameon Trotters will command the Cal-Expo spotlight Sunday night, with Flameon getting away from the likes of Silverhill Volo and Pridecrest while heading the cast for the $6,800 Open II contest. There will be 12 races presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 4:50 p.m. and the feature slotted as the third event on the evening. Flameon is an 11-year-old son of Angus Hall out of the Valleymeister mare Benns Fire who is owned and was bred by Mark Anderson, hails from the Gordie Graham barn and will have Jacob Cutting in the bike from the assigned outside post in the field of seven. Flameon has seen his last two starts remain in minor awards behind the razor-sharp Silverhill Volo and track record holder Pridecrest, but should appreciate getting away from that pair for Sundays assignment. That was also the cast on January 16 three starts back, as Cutting sat a perfect trip with the Anderson charge and drew away by lengths to reward his many backers as the 3-5 favourite that night. The veteran sidewheeler comes into this assignment with 28 victories from his 84 trips to the post, has $135,000 in his bank account and established his 1:55.3 lifetime standard over this track six years ago. Set to challenge Flameon this weekend are Jesses Student, Christoper Frenzel; Manley Stanley for Gerry Longo; Teachmehowtotry, Nick Roland; Bringthegold with Phil Knox; Md Magic for Luke Plano and Major Al Mar, who will have Cordarius Stewart giving directions. (Cal-Expo) AFP | New Delhi The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A newly formed Himalayan lake raised fears on Friday of another flash flood above a disaster-hit valley in northern India, prompting authorities to conduct helicopter surveys and send a team on a 16-hour climb to investigate. Thirty-six people died and 168 are still missing after a barrage of water and debris hurtled down the valley in the northern state of Uttarakhand with terrifying speed and force on Sunday, obliterating roads and bridges and smashing through dams. The flash flood on the Rishiganga river is thought to have been triggered by a chunk of glacier breaking off, or a glacial lake formed when a glacier retreats bursting its banks. Glaciers are receding fast in the region due to global warming. On Thursday, geologists said that a new lake had formed near the same river. Naresh Rana, a geologist at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, released a video shot in the area, in which he pointed out the location of the lake and said this means that the Rishiganga will breach again. Satellite images and a helicopter survey had confirmed the presence of the lake, a local police official said. AFP He said that teams had been sent to investigate on foot, a trek that would take around 16 hours, with the spot at around 4,200 metres above sea level. But there is one important thing to note. For the last few days, there was less water flow in the Rishiganga. But since yesterday, the flow is a lot, Kumar said. That means that the lake has given some opening. It would have been dangerous if the water had just been collected and there was no flow. A desperate and arduous search continued on Friday to reach around 30 people trapped in a tunnel since Sundays flood, with hopes fading for their survival. We are trying to go to the smaller tunnel which is 12 metres below the existing one, Kumar said. In the small tunnel, we are hoping for the best... If they escaped the slush and the water, they might be safe in one corner. The former deputy chief of the Rhode Island Airport Police Department who was fired in November for insubordination has filed a lawsuit to be reinstated with back pay. Helen Ricci alleges that the Rhode Island Airport Corporation did not adhere to the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights when terminating her, the Providence Journal reported. Ricci argues in the lawsuit that she demanded a hearing under the Bill of Rights statute and the Airport Corporation never granted her one. According to court documents, the corporation said that at the time of her dismissal she was the highest-ranking officer and therefore exempt from the Bill of Rights law. Riccis lawyer, Joseph F. Penza Jr., said that the lawsuit is not to dispute if she deserved to be fired, but if the proper procedure was followed in her termination. The first doses of the only Covid-19 vaccine so far approved for use in New Zealand are due to arrive, earlier than expected, next week. Officials have plenty of work to do however, to organise the roll-out. The Ministry of Health says the inoculation campaign is a "massive logistical exercise", and it is continuing to work through specific details, such as vaccination locations and ultra-cold freezers. Border and MIQ workers will be the first to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with inoculations taking place from Saturday February 20. Although it's good news on the vaccine front, at this stage the early rollout won't help the prospect of a trans-Tasman bubble. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, but this year red roses are more expensive due to the impact Covid-19 has had on imports. Florists have had to pay at least 30 per cent more for the flower. On Friday, there were two new cases of Covid-19 detected in managed isolation in Auckland. The ministry has imported nine freezers, capable of getting down to -80 degrees Celsius, to meet the requirements of the Pfizer vaccines. Some of the ultra-low temperature freezers that will be used to store the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vccine vials. Photo: Ministry of Health. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at temperatures of between -80C and -60C until it is ready for use, then it can be kept at a warmer temperature of 2-8C for up to five days. Seven of the freezers are in Auckland and final checks on those were due to be finished on Friday. The remaining two freezers are in Christchurch and will be ready in two weeks following thorough testing, MOH said. Special containers had been bought to transport the vaccines around New Zealand at ultra-low or cold chain temperatures. Global toll Johns Hopkins University says there have been more than 108 million cases and 2.3 million deaths attributed to the virus globally. More than 130 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide already, and early signs suggest vaccines are helping drive down infection rates in some countries, including Israel and the UK. According to scientists, the strain of coronavirus found in the UK is expected to become the most dominant in the world. The head of the World Health Organisation says the drop in infections around the world is encouraging, but cautioned countries against complacency and relaxing restrictions. What should I do? Anyone who wants to get tested can find their local testing centres by visiting the Ministry of Health website. New Zealand is at Covid-19 alert level 1. Masks are mandatory for: people travelling on public transport services in and out of the Auckland region; the drivers of small passenger service vehicles in Auckland, such as taxis and app-based ride services; and people travelling on passenger flights throughout New Zealand. If you are sick, call your GP before you visit, or Healthline on 0800 358 5453. To avoid contracting and spreading the virus, wash your hands properly, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow and throw tissues away immediately. Reach out, find support from people who care, connect with your community or help a neighbour in need. The provincial government is under fire for reportedly interfering in collective bargaining, after issuing a notice to school divisions to direct them to seek direction from cabinet before undertaking labour negotiations with employees. The provincial government is under fire for reportedly interfering in collective bargaining, after issuing a notice to school divisions to direct them to seek direction from cabinet before undertaking labour negotiations with employees. School boards typically engage directly with the local unions who represent teachers, educational assistants or bus drivers, among other school employees, in collective bargaining. On Feb. 2, the education department sent Manitoba superintendents a letter indicating divisions must now obtain "a bargaining mandate" from cabinets public-sector compensation committee prior to engaging in negotiations with both unionized and non-unionized staff. "Governments traditional function is one of its core duties as the overall steward of public funds. In the current environment, it must also take into account the realities and breadth of the fiscal challenges caused by the (COVID-19) pandemic," states the notice, which was obtained by the Manitoba NDP. NDP MLAs called out the province Friday for barring divisions from being able to negotiate with school employees in good faith. "The province is really sticking their nose in something that they really have no jurisdiction in," said MLA Nello Altomare, NDP education critic. "Thats why this letter makes me shake my head." Altomare said the province should be focused on student well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than meddling in collective bargaining. The official Opposition also accused the province of wanting to freeze school staff wages through this new protocol, citing its persistence with Bill 28. The province is currently appealing a court ruling that deemed the legislation, which tried to force a two-year wage freeze on public-sector unions, unconstitutional last year. The president of the Manitoba Teachers Society said Friday the directive "clearly constitutes an unfair labour practice." "If a school division wants to inject this mandate into local bargaining, then wed see it as a breach of charter rights," said James Bedford, who represents upwards of 16,000 public school teachers in the province. Should that happen, the union will file an unfair labour practice, Bedford said. In a strongly worded letter penned to Education Minister Cliff Cullen, Bedford wrote Friday it is "simply untrue" the government has a traditional role in setting broad bargaining mandates. Cullen was not made available for an interview Friday, but his office issued a statement that backed such claim. "When the NDP were in government, they oversaw what became one of the worst-performing education systems in Canada. Our government is focused on delivering a stronger education system that puts resources in classrooms, not board rooms," Cullen said in a statement. The Progressive Conservatives have been in power since April 2016. Provincewide bargaining is expected to replace the 38 individual collective agreements between divisions and teachers in Manitoba. The province introduced Bill 45 to streamline bargaining in autumn. It proposes MTS be the teacher bargaining agent and the education minister appoint the employer bargaining agent to represent divisions in the future. Meantime, Bedford said many teachers in the province are working without a collective agreement. Last year, an arbitration ruling in the Louis Riel School Division overturned wage freezes in line with Bill 28. Teachers were retroactively awarded salary increases, including a 1.6 per cent hike for 2018-19 and a 1.4 per cent increase for 2019-20. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your review via the link below. You can see the new edition of our E-Magazine here: Xpatloop.com/newsletters/2021/11-february.html 1000's of readers already got it in their inbox - if you didn't then don't miss out by joining in using the Newsletter box on the right side of this page. 1. In focus are new Interviews with folks you may know, or may want to know: E.g. Owner Of 'No Paint No Gain Studio' / Ambassador Of Croatia To Hungary, Personal Style & Wardrobe Consultant / Expat Dentist / Director at Sixt Hungary. 2. There's a curated selection of News, Information & Inspiration: E.g. "Hungary Could Ease Covid Restrictions In May" - Says President Ader. Video: Budapest Baker Makes 'Goulash Cakes' / Xploring Hungary: Gemenc Forest. 3. Plus you can see Calendar highlights & several new Specials: E.g. Free Consultation For Xpats @ Smile & Teeth Dental Clinic. 'Vintage & Industrial' Garage Fair In Budapest This Weekend. We hope you like what's included for you this week. Yours with best wishes, Team XpatLoop.com RICHMOND, Va. - The state House and Senate on Friday passed competing budget plans that reflect Virginia's ongoing battle with a pandemic but boast better-than-expected tax revenue and the promise of federal help. Both chambers call for pouring tens of millions into summer school and other forms of remediation intended to make up for lost learning time over the past year, as many K-12 public schools have been shuttered for in-person learning. The budget bills also would fund low-cost business loans, housing aid and utility relief - financial lifelines for small businesses and individuals bearing the brunt of the crisis. But with state revenue exceeding the dire projections made when the coronavirus first gripped Virginia, the House and Senate also found ways to boost pay for teachers, correctional workers, state employees and home health care aides. "While we faced a national crisis, Virginia has been unique in that our revenue have remained positive and we've been able to meet our central needs," said Del. Luke Torian, D-Prince William, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "My concern is that the true storm will arrive next year when federal funds have been diminished." While the two chambers will have to work out many differences before the bills can advance to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, the result is likely to be a spending plan that is more flush than anyone imagined even as recently two months ago. In early December, when it was unclear if the federal government could agree on coronavirus relief funds, Northam proposed a budget plan that set aside $90 million in state general funds for coronavirus vaccine doses. Since then, Congress and then-President DonaldTrump approved more federal relief funds, allowing the state House and Senate to bankroll all or most of the vaccine with federal money - and use the state revenue elsewhere. "Virginia legislators' and the governor's approach in the spring was to be extremely cautious because they didn't know where things were going," said Laura Goren, research director for the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a Richmond think tank that has analyzed all three budget plans. "Virginia's economy, in part because of our dependence on federal spending, has not been hit as hard as some folks feared. So tax revenue certainly kept up better than expected." Both chambers passed their plans on bipartisan votes, 68-30 in the House and 31-8 in the Senate. There was little debate, aside from a flare-up in the House related to the proposed elimination of the death penalty, noted in the budget because the policy change is projected to save the state money. In the upper chamber, Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, spoke against spending$50,000 to plan an otherwise privately funded memorial on state property to the late Yvonne Miller, the first Black woman elected to Virginia's legislature. No one else objected. Chase said Virginia, which took down many Confederate statues last year, needs a "cooling off period" before it starts erecting new monuments. "There are some laudable elements of this budget," House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, said in a written statement after the vote. "But it falls woefully short of meeting our most pressing need - getting our K-12 kids back up to speed." Gilbert introduced a floor amendment that called for public schools to offer an in-person instruction option for the 2021-22 school year. It was set aside on a party-line vote, with Democrats promising to tackle that issue in legislation coming over the next few weeks. A week ago, Northam called on all schools in the state to offer some form of in-person learning by March 15. Early last year, the General Assembly passed and Northam signed a two-year, $135 billion state budget. They would typically make adjustments a year later to reflect adjusted revenue forecasts. But the economic shock brought on by the pandemic forced them to revamp the budget almost immediately upon passage, with Northam freezing new spending and calling the House and Senate into a special session to amend the budget that stretched from summer through fall. Northam restored some of that frozen funding in the budget he proposed in December. The House and Senate budgets passed Friday are amendments to his budget bill. The two chambers will have to iron out their differences before they can send the bill back to Northam. "This is just an important milestone in what is a long process," said Sen. Janet D. Howell, D-Fairfax, chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee. "We have miles to go before the budget is finalized." Tucked in the Senate version is language requiring that all schools offer in-person instruction by July 1. Northam's budget and the House's do not include that provision, which Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, said the Senate will insist on. "In order to have a budget, the House is going to have to agree to our terms," Petersen said. "I'm not leaving Richmond without a mandate to reopen schools." The Senate version lines up with Northam's plan to give an additional $514 million to support local K-12 schools, which have been struggling with remote learning, loss of students and other expenses related to the virus. Even temporary drops in enrollment could cost school systems money under state funding formulas, but Northam promised to keep districts whole. The Senate's plan follows that approach. But the House would reduce state support for that "no loss" protection to $400 million, using federal dollars and $30 million in anticipated gambling revenue to partially cover the cost. The House includes $81 million for summer school and other forms of K-12 remediation, while the Senate includes $30 million. The House and Senate offer more generous pay to teachers and school staff than Northam, who'd provided $80 million for the state's share of a one-time 2% bonus. The House provides $231 million for a 5% raise, while the Senate budgets $140 million for a 3% raise. The House and Senate plans also give bigger pay hikes to state workers, state-supported local employees and adjunct faculty at state colleges. The governor calls for spending $98 million to cover a one-time $1,500 bonus for most state employees, a $750 bonus for adjunct faculty and a 1.5% bonus for state-supported local employees. The House plan would give them all a 3.5% raise; the Senate, a 3% raise. The House plan includes $7.5 million to give correctional workers a one-time $1,000 bonus, something not included in the Senate's budget or Northam's. In higher education, the House and Senate agree with Northam's plan to restore $36 million to his "G3" initiative to waive community college tuition for people seeking job training in high-demand fields. The Senate version adds an extra $5 million for outreach efforts. Like the governor, the House and Senate restore $30 million in need-based financial aid for in-state college students. The House and Senate tap millions in federal funding for colleges and universities to conduct coronavirus testing, something that was not available when Northam issued his budget plan. The House plan includes $35 million in federal funding and Senate $17 million. The Senate, like Northam, would make a $650 million deposit into the state's reserve of cash to bring rainy-day accounts up to about 8% of the overall budget, a historically high level aimed at protecting Virginia's prized AAA bond rating. The House plan would go further, with a $780 million deposit. In health care, the House includes $37 million and the Senate $67 million to boost wages for home health care providers. Northam's plan does not raise their pay. The House includes $3.4 million to provide home health care workers with paid sick leave, something the Senate and Northam do not fund. Like Northam, the House and Senate budgeted for various historical justice projects, such as memorializing the slave trade in Richmond, redesigning the city's Monument Avenue now that Confederate statues are gone or coming down, and commemorating a historic Black cemetery from the District of Columbia that had its headstones dumped on property in Virginia. The House included $15 million for those efforts and the Senate $11 million, while Northam budgeted $25 million. The House and Senate plans both include funds for a multiyear effort to legalize recreational marijuana, including the cost to oversee the industry and expunge records of certain marijuana-related convictions. The House sets aside $20 million for that while the Senate budgeted $35 million. Northam had budgeted $25 million. Health care workers prepare COVID-19 vaccinations recently at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. The state adopted a "buddy system" Thursday that allows one person who accompanies a person older than 75 to some COVID-19 vaccination clinics to get the shot themselves. Jaipur: Six people were killed and seven others injured when their jeep collided with a trailer truck in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan on Saturday. AccidentThe incident occurred in Rajiyasar when the jeep was going towards Sangaria town in Hanumangarh district, they said. Six people were killed on the spot while seven were injured, who are undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, police said. Where is Raymond Koh? Pastor remains missing 4 years after abduction Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An international group serving persecuted Christians has drawn attention to the unsolved case of Malaysian Pastor Raymond Koh, who has been missing since he was abducted in a well-organized, military-style operation four years ago after being accused of preaching to Muslims. For four years, hes been neither seen nor heard from. For four years, his family has suffered, worried and fought for answers, says The Voice of the Martyrs in a statement sent to The Christian Post, recalling Kohs abduction on Feb. 13, 2017, while driving near Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the Muslim country in Southeast Asia. Koh, who is ethnically Chinese, founded Hope Community, a nonprofit to serve the poor and underprivileged along with his wife. In 2011, authorities accused Koh of seeking to convert Muslims an act forbidden by law in Malaysia. Though the allegations against Koh were dropped, bullets were later sent to his home as a warning. Kohs 40-second abduction was captured on surveillance cameras (watch here), but neither Koh nor his car has ever been found. Koh was driving in the Petaling Jaya area when his car was surrounded by three black SUVs, forced to a sudden stop and he was abducted. A task force was formed after Malaysias Human Rights Commission found in 2019 that Malaysias Special Branch intelligence service was likely behind Koh and Muslim social activist Amri Che's disappearances. Another year has gone by, VOMs spokesperson Todd Nettleton said. Yet no arrests have been made, no one has been held accountable, and there is still no explanation for what happened to him. His family deserves answers. Last January, Malaysias Ministry of Home Affairs said that the task force needed more time to prepare its report. VOM said the motive for the pastors forced disappearance centers around Kohs strong Christian faith and particularly allegations that he evangelized ethnic-Malay Muslims a crime under the southeast Asian nations strict Islamic legal code. Last March, Pastor Kohs wife, Susanna Liew, was honored with the U.S. State Departments International Women of Courage Award. Despite police harassment and death threats, she continues to advocate for her husband and others, not because of her faith or theirs, but because of their rights as Malaysians, a State Department press release said at the time. In 2019, VOM launched a petition called Release Raymond, calling on Christians around the world to demand that the Malaysian government reveal the truth. We, pastor Raymonds fellow Christians from around the world, call on your government to release any and all information related to the forced disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh, including any involvement of policemen from the Special Branch, the petition read in part. We demand pastor Raymonds immediate release and safe return to his family. Finally, we call for justice. Those responsible for his disappearance must be held accountable for this inhumane crime. VOM says it has launched a site for Koh, and more than 65,200 people have signed the petition, which will be hand-delivered to the Malaysian embassy in Washington, D.C. Malaysia is 56% Muslim and less than 10% Christian. Family of Man Fatally Shot By Deputies To File Claim Against County Attorneys for the family of a 29-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies in August today announced their plan to file a claim against the county. The lawyers for the family of Dijon Kizzee, including national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, are demanding $35 million $25 million for severe and substantial damages incurred by his father, Edwin Kizzee, and $10 million for economic and injury costs to his estate stemming from the intentional and/or negligent infliction of harm on Mr. Kizzee until the moment that he took his last breath, according to the filing provided by attorneys. ADVERTISEMENT The claim alleges the county failed to properly train the deputies involved, and that Kizzee did nothing to justify this use of serious and unreasonable force against him, among other allegations. Dijon Kizzee was shot Aug. 31 by two sheriffs deputies in the unincorporated community of Westmont, near South Los Angeles, where they initially stopped him for biking on the wrong side of East 110th Street. Deputies said Kizzee refused to stop and, abandoning his bike, fled while carrying a gun wrapped inside a piece of clothing. He was confronted by the deputies shortly after on 109th Place, where one tried to detain him, the sheriffs department has said. The department contends that Kizzee had dropped a gun during the confrontation with deputies, then picked it up during the physical confrontation and raised it toward them, prompting them to open fire at him 19 times. Kizzees attorneys denounced the departments version of events and insists that Kizzee was shot with his hands in the air, then was shot repeatedly while he was on the ground. In September, attorney Carl Douglas said an independent autopsy determined Kizzee was shot 15 times, and that he did not die instantly, but was writhing on the ground in pain when officers opened up on him. ADVERTISEMENT The shooting of Kizzee prompted a series of protests outside the South Los Angeles Sheriffs Station. A claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit against a government. The pandemic has accelerated refinery closures globally as refiners and oil majors acknowledge that some sites have become permanently uneconomical amid depressed refining margins, fierce regional competition, and expectations of declining road fuel demand in the long term. For many countries, the closing of refining capacity means increased dependence on imports and heightened risk of fuel supply disruption in case of a major regional or world conflict. Nowhere is this more evident now than in Australia, which will soon find itself with just two operating refineries, including one under review for potential closure, compared to eight operational sites 20 years ago. Due to its geographical position, Australia has lost the competition in the refining business as small and old refineries cannot rival the booming oil processing capacity in Asia, particularly China and India. Also due to its location, Australiawith reduced refining capacitywill increase its dependence on fuel imports from Asia, including from China, relations with which have deteriorated significantly over the past months, severely affecting energy trade. Governments need to realize that the importance of refineries as strategic assets of national security has diminished since World War II, and an all-out global conflict with todays warfare capabilities would cut not only fuel imports to oil-importing nations but also crude flows, Reuters columnist John Kemp argues. In case of a war, refineries in countries dependent on crude imports would be worth nothing if blockades of shipments and shipping lanes cut off crude flows to feed those refineries, Kemp says. This may be true in case of a global armed conflict, but Australia, due to its proximity to China, is thinking about its national security even when a refinery with a processing capacity of just 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) closes. Related: Rosneft Stake Becomes Headache For Oil Major BP This will happen when ExxonMobil converts its Altona refinery into an import terminal. The refinery is no longer considered economically viable, the U.S. corporation said this week, in the second such announcement from a supermajor in just a few months, following BPs decision to cease production at the Kwinana refinery in Western Australia and convert it to a fuel import terminal. The U.S.-China trade war and the Australia-China geopolitical and trade spat of recent months, as well as the heightened uncertainty on global energy markets in the pandemic, is exacerbating the national security challenge for Australia. The country will have two more import terminals and two fewer refineries, which will inevitably raise its import dependence. The refinery closures also highlight the wobbling energy strategy of Australias government, which has yet to draft a comprehensive plan how to adapt the worlds top coal exporter to the challenges posed by climate change, according to Reuters columnist Clyde Russell. Australia has a strong pipeline of solar and wind power projects, which could help it achieve the fastest transition to an overwhelming share of renewable sources in its energy mix, according to data and analytics company GlobalData. However, growing shares of renewable electricity will not mask the fuel import dependence. So Australia will need to import more fuel and will likely import it from those new large regional refineries that have killed its small decades-old facilities. The continued growth of large-scale, export-oriented refineries throughout Asia and the Middle East has structurally changed the Australian market, BP said in October when it announced the decision to convert the Kwinana refinery into a fuel import terminal. Having fewer refineries reduces Australias ability to refine fuels if shipping and supply chains are ever severely disrupted for any reason in the future, Dr. Hunter Laidlaw from the Parliamentary Library wrote in December. Even before these refineries close, more than 90 percent of Australias refined fuels are coming from overseas, leaving the nation seriously exposed to any crisis that impacts on maritime supply chains, Jamie Newlyn, Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Assistant National Secretary, said after Exxons announcement this week. Related Video: The Painful Death Of Coal If a pandemic, military conflict, natural disasters, or an economic shock cuts the flow of fuel to Australia, the situation would be catastrophic, with every part of the nation grinding to a halt, Newlyn added. The fact that Australia will likely increase its dependence on Chinese fuel imports is also a concern, especially amid the difficult relations of the two countries in recent months. Australias petroleum imports from China have more than doubled over the last five years, Australian energy advisory firm EnergyQuest said this week. A whopping 98 percent of all petroleum sales in Australia in 2019, the last normal year, came from imports of crude or refined products. Australias imports from China accounted for 14 percent of refined product imports, according to EnergyQuest data. Australia also imports from Japan, Singapore and Taiwan where there are also cuts to refining capacity so imports from China could increase further, replacing these. A return to normal growth in petrol, diesel and jet fuel would also increase Chinese imports, EnergyQuest said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Fine Gael and Dublin Fingal TD, Alan Farrell has called on the Government to act decisively in order to safeguard the future of the Irish aviation industry and the jobs that rely on it. Deputy Farrell said: 'The introduction of the 'Ireland Strategic Investment Fund' (ISIF), was an important and necessary step to ensuring the long-term health of medium and large businesses. Minister Paschal Donohoe's creation of the Pandemic Stability and Recovery Fund (PSRF) and the additional 2 billion at its disposal was equally important for the support of large employers within the State. 'I believe that the situation within the Irish aviation industry is at a critical juncture and Government must ensure that as many jobs are protected as possible. 'The PUP, TWSS and CRSS, were all beneficial programmes which thus far have limited job loses, however without the provision of ISIF funding through PSRF, we risk losing a large number of jobs and the knock on effect to jobs that rely on a thriving aviation sector, thus affecting countless families across the country.' Deputy Farrell continued: 'Any such decision by Government, must include both Aer Lingus and Ryanair, which together make up a significant number of employees within the sector. 'As an island nation, we have long used our geography successfully, linking the old and new worlds of Europe and North America. This connectivity has allowed us to grow our influence around the world and launch our economy to new heights.' Deputy Farrell added: 'Without action by the Government, we risk losing these vital connecting routes held by the aviation industry in Ireland, the loss of which could prove catastrophic to the sector and the wider economy.' A traveler walks past a Christmas tree as he makes his way through the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia, on Dec. 22, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters File Photo) White House Says No Intention to Require COVID-19 Testing on Domestic Flights WASHINGTONThe White House said on Friday it was not currently planning to require people to take COVID-19 tests before domestic airline flights after the prospects of new rules raised serious concerns among U.S. airlines, unions, and some lawmakers. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a briefing on Friday that reports that there is an intention to put in place new requirements, such as testing, are not accurate. Psaki spoke after the chief executives of major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, met virtually with White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last month the agency was actively looking at expanding mandatory COVID-19 testing to U.S. domestic flights. The CDC on Jan. 26 began requiring negative COVID-19 tests or evidence of recovery from the disease from nearly all U.S.-bound international passengers aged 2 and older. Any CDC order would first need to be drafted and then reviewed by other federal agencies in the Biden administration, including the White House. The White House and officials told Reuters this week that no formal order had been circulated and that officials were not expected to endorse requiring negative COVID-19 tests before domestic flights, but added that decision could change at a later date. We had a very positive, constructive conversation focused on our shared commitment to science-based policies as we work together to end the pandemic, restore air travel and lead our nation toward recovery, Nick Calio, chief executive of the Airlines for America industry group, said in a statement after the meeting on Friday. The White House has a separate interagency meeting scheduled for later Friday to discuss coronavirus issues. The meeting of airline CEOs, Zients and other administration officials involved in COVID-19 issues came after the industry strongly objected to the possibility of requiring COVID-19 testing before domestic flights. Southwest Airlines warned such a requirement could put jobs at risk and a major aviation union said it could lead to airline bankruptcies. One idea that has been under serious consideration is for the CDC to issue recommendations advising against travel to specific areas of the United States with high COVID-19 caseloads, although those travel recommendations would not be binding, officials said. The CDC currently has a broad recommendation discouraging all non-essential air travel. By David Shepardson and Steve Holland While many volunteers of UK-based international Sikh charity, Khalsa Aid has been relentlessly helping those affected in Uttarakhand glacier disaster since Sunday (Feb 7), its volunteers have also been helping other communities in need of help across the world. One of them is, the Yazidi community which has now returned to their homes in Iraq's Sinjar town six years after they fled. The community suffered a genocide under ISIS. khalsa-aid-iraq-6027a1961de64 Charity group helped Yazidis The charity group distributed 5000 blankets to the displaced community of Yazidis on Friday. Yazidis are an endogamous and mostly Kurmanji-speaking minority, indigenous to Upper Mesopotamia. The majority of Yazidis remaining in the Middle East today live in the disputed territories of Northern Iraq, primarily in the Nineveh and Dohuk governorates. 5000 blankets for the #Yezidi community who have returned to their homes in Shingal after 6 years ! Our support for the IDPs & refugees continues in the Middle East. @Ezidi2 @SayeedaWarsi @RupaHuq pic.twitter.com/ZICf2pj8HJ Khalsa Aid (@Khalsa_Aid) February 12, 2021 Khalsa Aid has been volunteering at war-struck region of Iraq in the past. Iraq : Supporting the #Yezidi community who suffered a Genocide under ISIS. We were honoured to have TV celebrity @RosieCakeDiva join us in Iraq to see our humanitarian work in the region. pic.twitter.com/UcDfXcay28 Khalsa Aid (@Khalsa_Aid) February 7, 2021 We have been supporting the Yezidi community in #Iraq since 2014, our work continues .. pic.twitter.com/99HVOZeoR3 Khalsa Aid (@Khalsa_Aid) January 23, 2021 Aided homeless in US Khalsa Aid also distributed winter and hygiene care packages to those without a home in Washington DC in US. khalsa-aid-washington-6027a1aef0c74 Were in Washington, D.C. distributing winter & hygiene care packages to those without a home. Spreading love this #ValentinesDay during the cold months. #SpreadLove #gratitude pic.twitter.com/X6SDitr9rL Khalsa Aid USA (@KhalsaAidUSA) February 12, 2021 Meanwhile, Khalsa Aid has dispatched its first batch of volunteers to Uttarakhand to help the victims of the glacier disaster. "Our volunteers from Khalsa Aid India are on way to assist the people of Uttarakhand! More to follow," Khalsa Aid said in a tweet. Our first team of volunteers has left for Uttarakhand. We are monitoring the situation and in constant touch with central and state disaster Relief committees, Amarpreet Singh, Director Khalsa Aid Asia Pacific, said on Twitter. Our first team of volunteers have left for #Uttarakhand We are monitoring the situation and in constant touch with central and state disaster Relief committees. Watch this space for regular updates on #UttrakhandDisaster #khalsaaid #khalsaaidindia @khalsaaid_india @Khalsa_Aid pic.twitter.com/OqhnLue7Nm Amarpreet Singh (@amarpreet_ka) February 8, 2021 This comes at a time when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the organisation in connection with an FIR registered against banned outfit Sikhs For Justice under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act on December 15, 2020. In 2019, Sikhs for Justice, a UK-based group was banned by the Ministry of External Affairs on being considered as "pro-Khalistani". Khalsa Aid along with several others was summoned as witnesses in the case. Vietnam records 53 more Covid-19 infection cases, total tally reaches 2,195 53 more people have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Vietnam, raising the total number of patients in the country to 2,195, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday evening. Illustrative photo According to the ministry's report, 49 of the new patients are infected in the community including two in Ho Chi Minh City and 47 in Hai Duong Province. The four imported patients include a 55-year-old Vietnamese woman, a 39-year-old American man, a 39-year-old Taiwanese woman, and an eight-year-old South Korean girl who recently arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. The patients are now being treated at the Cu Chi Field Hospital for Covid-19 patients. With these new infection cases, the number of imported Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 2,195, including 1,297 locally-transmitted cases with 604 cases reported since the new outbreak started in Hai Duong on January 28. As of 6 pm on February 13, a total of 1,531 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. There have been 35 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases. At present, as many as 129,098 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home. This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire . The author of this post is Charlotte Pence Bond More than 100 members of Congress sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Tuesday asking him to reverse his executive order on climate change, calling it "ill-conceived" and "devastat[ing]" to large parts of the economy.Not only did the order include the United States' re-entry into the Paris Agreement, but it also addressed domestic efforts to reduce the effects of climate change. Included in the group of 105 members who signed the letter were Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) and House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-AR).Their response argues that Biden's environmental strategy will damage the American economy further, noting how millions of Americans are already unemployed because of the harmful effects of COVID-19 on the workforce.The letter also details how Biden's plan will "handicap" environmental restoration programs by cutting off one of their main sources of funding for conservation: "revenues from conventional energy production."Biden's plan placeswhich Republicans explain includes energy and mineral development, both of which areThe letter adds that a large portion of the money that the federal government receives on these areas comes from "bonus bids from lease sales." They claim that halting the ability to create new leases will increase the country's debt and "create an opportunity cost in the billions."The executive order alsoThe Republicans address this, as well, calling the percentage an "arbitrary 30% threshold" and describing this act as a "pledge to lock up" a portion of the United States' land and water. They describe howbut include that the "rich resources" of the country can be used in "safe, ecologically conscious ways."They argue that limiting U.S. energy production as Biden proposesarguing that the pollution caused by this process will increase. The letter concludes by saying thatand calls on Biden to work with Republicans on new policy.Shortly after the executive order was signed in January, Roll Call reported that Republicans will likely use Biden's actions on climate change to win seats in the 2022 midterm elections.The National Republican Congressional Committee spread a memo first obtained by CQ Roll Call that referred to polling from the 2020 election in which voters in "battleground" districts suggested they would beA full list of signatories on the Republicans' letter to Biden can be found HERE Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 11:28:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Jiang Li BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The most fundamental principle of news coverage is objectivity and facts-based reporting, but the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has degenerated into a factory of fake news on China. BBC's slogan is "Putting News First." Yet for quite some time, whenever it comes to reporting China, it seems to be always putting fake news first. By doing so, BBC deserves to be banned by the Chinese authorities in the country for serious content violation. In its latest bids to distort truth about China, the biased British broadcaster simply coined up some sensational stories alleging "systematic" abuses of Uygur women in Xinjiang, and tried to cook up so-called "human-rights violations" in the Chinese city of Wuhan with a video of an anti-terrorism drill. In BBC, doing China news is like writing novels or shooting films. For its producers and field reporters, facts do not matter while their pre-set opinions do reign their storylines. To prop up their presumptions, they tend to give interviewees misleading questions, twist answers and apply special video-editing or shooting techniques. None of those moves are qualified for producing facts-based news products in accordance with real journalistic standards. Still, BBC refuses to apologize for producing fake news on China, and insists on branding itself as unbiased. What a shame! BBC's rumor-mongering against China is a clear demonstration of both arrogance and ideological prejudice deeply rooted in the minds of some Western-centrists. In their eyes, the Western world holds the monopoly on truth, and is entitled to judge what is right and wrong in the world. It is not that those BBC reporters did not know what is truly happening in China, but that they felt utterly uncomfortable with those facts, so that they decided to remold them according to their imagination. China welcomes all foreign media organizations as long as they can exercise journalistic professionalism and tell the world real stories about the country and its people. The ban on BBC sends out a clear signal that days are officially over when Western media outlets can feel free to smear China without facing consequences. If BBC still wants to return to China's markets, it needs to do a serious soul-searching why it is cast out. Enditem After some members of her staff received the coronavirus vaccine this week, Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng faced pointed questions from council members about her decisions on who was eligible to get the coveted jab. Several council members questioned why Lee Sheng included some parish staff but not council members or their staffs. Some said they were unaware that some staffers had received shots until seeing social media posts. +2 Louisiana coronavirus: 1,859 more confirmed cases reported; 61,973 more vaccines administered The Louisiana Department of Health reported 1,859 more confirmed coronavirus cases and 23 more confirmed deaths in its noon update Thursday. Under a provision in the governor's latest order added parish emergency response and COVID response personnel to the vaccine-eligible list, Lee Sheng and some staff got the first shot at a parish vaccination site at the Alario Center on Tuesday. Lee Sheng said her administration interpreted the governor's order to include nearly 100 parish employees who are required to report to the parish's Emergency Operations Center during crises, as well as some of her executive staff who are "in the situation room" with her during emergencies. The parish would not say how many of the employees actually received the shot. Council members were not included in that list. Parish Council member Dominick Impastato sent a letter to Lee Sheng on Wednesday telling her that he had received inquiries from constituents about why some administration staff were getting the vaccine ahead of elderly or at-risk residents who were still on waiting lists. "I was hoping we could get some clarity as to the protocol being applied," Impastato wrote. "I only ask so that I can explain to those questioning me as to how that was determined." In an interview, Impastato said he wasn't upset that he had not been offered the vaccine, but that his constituents had been asking for answers. "The issue for me was 100% communication," he said. "My complaint has nothing to do with being excluded." Other council members had similar critiques. "I think there was miscommunication," Council Chairperson Scott Walker said. "The information wasn't disseminated like it could have been." In New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, some members of her administration and the City Council also received shots this week. And in Baton Rouge, Gov. John Bel Edwards was among the officials given a shot. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Some Jefferson Parish Council members said that while they perhaps are not required to report to the EOC, they are still key players during times of emergency. "You are not going to find somebody that's more on the front lines in an emergency than me," Council member at large Ricky Templet said. +6 500 vaccinated at Jefferson Parish drive-up site - including Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng In what Jefferson Parish officials hope will be a preview of march larger events to come, 500 coronavirus vaccinations were administered Tuesd Lee Sheng defended her handling of the matter. The compressed time frame the parish was notified of its allotment of vaccine and the rules for its distribution four days before the event made the situation more difficult, she said. Parish Council members were notified on Sunday, when Lee Sheng put out a press release with the governor's wording on the eligibility categories. She did not include a list of parish staff who would be offered the opportunity to get the vaccine. In a reply letter to Impastato, Lee Sheng cited the governor's order, which said "some Unified Command Group members, state COVID emergency response personnel, local emergency response personnel, law enforcement, first responders and elections workers for the upcoming March and April elections will also be eligible." Lee Sheng also included employees who staff the two shifts of the emergency operations center during hurricanes. "These team members include some parish employees, some directors, some executive staff and all EOC staff," she wrote. Lee Sheng said she was told by a state health official that council members in New Orleans should not have received the vaccine. "I called to see if our council members were eligible" after seeing the New Orleans City Council's vaccinations, Lee Sheng said. "I was told that they were not." Lee Sheng said she had verified that again Thursday with the Louisiana Department of Health. An spokeswoman for LDH said in a statement eligibility decisions are left up to individual parishes. "Each parish is allocated a certain amount of vaccine at this juncture for purposes of vaccinating essential COVID response staff, and it is the parishs responsibility to define who those individuals are. Since the management and operations of each parish is different we wouldnt expect any two parishes lists to be identical," the statement said. WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of lawmakers has asked the Biden administration to move ahead with a U.S. pledge made under the previous administration to invest $300 million in energy infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe as Congress seeks to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the region. The Trump administration in 2020 agreed to contribute up to $1 billion to the Three Seas Initiative Infrastructure Fund through the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which in December approved an initial investment of $300 million. However, amid a bumpy presidential transition, the money has yet to be transferred. The fund was set up by 12 nations in Central and Eastern Europe, which lie between the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black seas and are members of the European Union, to address historical infrastructure gaps that have left the region heavily dependent on Russia for energy imports. Congress last year passed a resolution announcing its support for the fund. The group of nations is seeking to expand energy infrastructure running north and south to counter the predominance of infrastructure built during Soviet times to run from Russia westward through Central and Eastern Europe. Each of the 12 nations is expected to contribute to the fund. "The current infrastructure deficit leaves the region overly dependent on Russia and China for energy and economic needs. Unfortunately, these malign actors seek to sow discord in the transatlantic alliance through hybrid warfare operations, compromised telecommunications hardware, and the export of authoritarian ideals," the representatives said in a February 11 joint letter to the president. "Our support for the Three Seas Initiative will help provide a solid footing for our allies and partners to achieve these goals," they said. 'Undue Influence' Moscow has been accused by Western governments of using its dominant energy position as a "weapon" to maintain influence in the former communist nations of Central and Eastern Europe. Russia twice cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine in 2006 and 2009 in the dead of winter amid a disagreement over prices, exposing Kyivs total dependence on its eastern neighbor for imports. The shutoffs shook the nations of Europe and forced them to accelerate their energy diversification. Ukraine has ended direct imports of natural gas from Russia, purchasing energy from its western neighbors. Several Eastern European countries, especially in the Balkans, are still heavily dependent on Russia for natural gas and oil imports. In their letter to Biden, the U.S. lawmakers highlighted the importance of using the fund to expand energy infrastructure connections to Ukraine. Global natural gas production has surged in recent years, led by the United States, opening an opportunity for Central and Eastern Europe to diversify imports away from Russia. However, a lack of infrastructure, including liquefied natural gas terminals, pipelines, and interconnectors have hampered the speed of progress. The Three Seas Initiative Infrastructure Fund seeks to address those problems. The 12 nations have contributed nearly $1.5 billion to date, with the majority coming from Poland, Daniel Kochis, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, said in a January 5 commentary. Kochis said the fund would be more effective in solving the infrastructure gap in Europe if it were permitted to invest in non-EU countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, and those in the Western Balkans. While Russias influence in those countries has always been strong, China has been making important inroads in recent years, especially in the Western Balkans. "Chinese investments have often focused on those nations that aren't fully ensconced within the transatlantic community. Broadening the scope of the Three Seas Initiative will help to steel vulnerable nations against undue influence from China," Kochis said. As Valentines Day approaches, couples across the country are preparing for this long-standing traditionand theres a very good chance they met through online dating. But while dating apps can help people find a partner (or just a fun date), they can also subject users to incredible hate and harassment. Despite the fact that dating apps have accrued significant reach and influence, these companies provide very little transparency around how they keep users safe and how they moderate content. Much of the conversation around online platform accountability focuses on companies like Facebook and Google. But dating apps face many of the same issues. Advertisement The online dating sphere has changed radically since Match.com, founded in 1995, transformed the dating landscape by moving hundreds of thousands of meet cutes from cafes to chat boxes. Then came the swipe right apps. Grindr was launched in 2009, followed by Tinder, Bumble, and many other apps that are now household names. As these apps grew in popularity, so did services that catered to individuals with specific ethnic, racial, religious, and even interest backgrounds. Looking for South Asian partners? Dil Mil is there for you. Want to find a partner whose resume matches your expectations? Theres even an app for that. Advertisement Advertisement But these apps can also put users in harms way. Stories of hate, harassment, sexual assault, and downright weird encounters both on apps and during app-facilitated dates have gained notoriety. Many of these anecdotes underscore the opaque process users have to go through when trying to report an offending account and platforms lackluster responses to user reports. Despite this, dating apps provide very little transparency and accountability around how they handle safety and content issues on their services. For example, very few of these platforms currently publicly publish clear and easily accessible copies of their community guidelines. These policies are essential for understanding what kinds of content are permitted on a service. Advertisement Some dating apps have made some progress in this regard. Tinders high-level guidelines prohibit nudity and sexual content, hate speech, and users under 18 from using the app, among other things. Coffee Meets Bagels guidelines include specific restrictions around photographs involving guns, drugs, and other things. Others fall short. Some major services (heres looking at you, Hinge) have nested their community guidelines in their Terms of Service, which is full of legal jargon and not accessible to the average user. This lack of clarity around content policies is also especially visible the more niche the dating app is. A simple search for Dil Mils community guidelines leads you to a 15-page terms of use .docx file. Muslim Mingles high-level guidance on prohibited content is nested under the companys privacy policy. The only clear exception to this is Grindr. This is likely because the smaller a platform is, the more resource-constrained it is. However, providing at least a basic level transparency and accountability around content policies should be a priority for all platforms, regardless of size. Without this information, a user in harms way has no point of reference to understand if the harmful behavior is permitted and a user who has been flagged has nowhere to turn to confirm that they are actually in the wrong. In addition, without these policies, its difficult to hold a platform accountable for keeping its users safe. Employees at Bumble have noted that although the company claims its policies make the platform less misogynistic, it has done little follow-up to map out if and how its enforcement has changed behavior. Advertisement Uber, another platform that brings people together in the offline world, publishes transparency reports outlining the volume and nature of safety incidents, such as sexual assaults, that occur during app-facilitated interactions in the offline world. (Its the only tech platform that currently does something like this.) Social media companies also publish transparency reports that outline the scope and scale of their content policy enforcement efforts, including the removal of content that has been determined to contain hate speech, bullying and harassment, and graphic nudity. Despite calls for dating apps to follow suit, no major dating app publishes a transparency report. Today, approximately one-third of young people in the United States say they use dating apps. These services are especially popular among certain marginalized groups, such as lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. A failure to provide transparency and accountability around how a dating app moderates content can therefore create barriers to access and establish a system that fails to adequately protect the safety of its users. As research indicates, when vulnerable groups feel threatened online, they often begin to self-censor and may even leave an online platform altogether. Given that dating apps are prominent methods for building community and finding partners, friends, and even business connections, these companies must ensure that their services are welcoming and inclusive for all users. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. The terms of the withdrawal agreement will see Chinese troops pulling back from Finger 4 all the back to Finger 8. Earlier, they had advanced around 8 km West of the Pangong Tso lake. Meanwhile, Indian forces will be pulling back to the Dhan Singh Thapa Post at Finger 3. Sources suggest that the parliamentary standing committee on defence is scheduled to visit the Galwan Valley and Pangong lake in the eastern Ladakh region. The 13 member committee is co-chaired by senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Jual Oram and also includes Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. Indian and Chinese forces are pulling back their heavy forces from the Pangong Tso lake on the Ladakh front. The standoff by the armed forces of both countries on the border had lasted nine months now and the situation had been tense along the Line of Actual Control. Recently, Indias Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha that disengagement along LaC had been decided by both India and China. The terms of the withdrawal agreement will see Chinese troops pulling back from Finger 4 all the back to Finger 8. Earlier, they had advanced around 8 km West of the Pangong Tso lake. Meanwhile, Indian forces will be pulling back to the Dhan Singh Thapa Post at Finger 3. The disputed landmarking the boundary between the two has been designated as a non-patrolling zone. Also read: Atmanirbhar Bharat: ISRO and MapmyIndia partner to bring India made alternative to Google Maps Also read: China tightens grip on Myanmar, might debt trap as it sees Myanmar as a land bridge to Indian Ocean To look forward from here, Defence Ministry of India stated that there were still some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some points along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. It said that they would be discussed during future India-China talks at the military and diplomatic level. Also, in the year 2021, India is the Chair of BRICS grouping and is likely to conduct the annual BRICS summit. If the summit happens physically, Chinese President Xi Jinping will be coming to India. Additionally, the Chinese defence ministry said on Wednesday that the border standoff that lasted for about 9 months between India and China saw the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers. Also read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday launched a scathing attack against Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party over farmers' protest and 'hum do humare do' remark in the ongoing Budget session at the parliament. Talking about Rahul's recent 'hum do humare do' remark alleging PM Modi's bonhomie with "crony capitalists", FM Sitharaman responded,"Hum 2 hamare 2' is that - we're 2 people taking care of party & there are 2 other people who I've to take care, daughter & damad will take care of that. We don't do that." The finance minister accused the Congress leader of creating fake narratives on various issues. She also called him 'Doomsday man of India'. Amping up her attacker further, FM Sitharaman said, "Where are the cronies? They're hiding probably in the shadow of that party which has been rejected by the people. The shadows who were invited to even develop a port. They invited, no open tenders, no global tenders". "Rs 10,000 is given to 50 lakh street traders as working capital for one year. They aren't anyone's cronies". Sitharaman said her party's cronies are the common 'janta' of India," she added. "PM SVANidhi Yojana doesn't go to cronies. Damads get land in states which are governed by some parties - Rajasthan, Haryana once upon a time," FM Sitharaman stated. With regards to increasing allocation for the rural job guarantee scheme, the finance minister said the government will allocate more funds for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme for 2021-22, if needed, as against a Budget estimate of Rs 73,000 crore. On no mention of defence in her budget speech on February 1, the FM clarified, "We allocated Rs 1,16,931 crore Defence expenditure in 2013-14, this being so huge, unless we pair it down into 3 compartments, you aren't going to get a true picture-Revenue, Capital, Pension." She further informed that "Under revenue Rs 1,16,931 crore in 2013-14, Rs 86,741 crore capital in 2013-14, under pensions Rs 44,500 in 2013-14...What is it now? Rs 2,09,319 crore under revenue, Rs 1,13,734 crore under capital and Rs 1,33,825 crore under pension.". With regard to Atmanirbhar Bharat Yojana, FM Sitharaman said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has consistently believed in India. "Respecting Indian entrepreneurial skills, Indian managerial skills, Indian trade skills, Indian business skills, Indian youth, Jana Sangh onwards, BJP has consistently believed in India. We didn't borrow something from somewhere and gave a hybrid," she said in Lok Sabha. The union minister also said the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic did not deter the government from undertaking reforms for maintaining the long-term goals of the country. The reforms undertaken will lay the path for India to become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, FM Sitharaman noted. On February 1, the finance minister presented a Rs 34.5 lakh crore Budget for 2021-22 in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contributed /Ellington Volunteer Fire Department ELLINGTON Firefighters have closed an area around the Post Office and are urging people to avoid the area after a suspicious package was found there. In a Facebook post around 7:42 p.m. Friday, the Ellington Volunteer Fire Department said state police are on scene and investigating. Lucy Mirigian, who enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, good wine, good friends and confounding the U.S. government, has died. She wasnt really sick, her daughter, Sonia Mirigian-Koujakian, said. She died of being 114. Mirigian, who lived with her daughter and son-in-law in the same Balboa Park house she bought in 1950, died Friday morning surrounded by her family. She was believed to be the oldest person in San Francisco. She lived a full life, her family said, but didnt really make news until the U.S. government decided in 2017, without any apparent proof, that she was already dead and no longer entitled to receive her $377-a-month government pension. The government said she had not responded to letters; Mirigian said she never got them. It took the efforts of Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, to set things right, just in time for a vacation to Calistoga that the family had already booked and needed the money to pay for. Her health was generally robust until very recently, her family said. Her blood pressure this week was 110 over 55, her son-in-law, Jack Koujakian, said. Thats better than mine. Failing eyesight meant that Mirigian could best enjoy Giants games if her daughter put the TV very close to her face and then provided a running play-by-play. Her primary concession to age was switching not long ago from 500-piece jigsaw puzzles to 60-piece jigsaw puzzles, which she worked at the kitchen table, often with a glass of wine alongside. A jigsaw puzzle figured prominently in a 2018 visit from Mayor London Breed, who brought as a gift a puzzle map of the U.S. The two women chatted about the various epidemics and pandemics Mirigian had survived there was a polio one and a typhoid one, in addition to the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. But she never got around to getting the COVID-19 vaccination she was certainly qualified to receive, having exceeded the minimum age requirement of 65 by no less than 49 years. We just didnt want to risk the side effects, Mirigian-Koujakian said. The pandemic, which restricted her visits from family and friends, was especially frustrating. She was a person who liked to visit people and chat with them, Mirigian-Koujakian said. She got bored. In 1910, as a 4-year-old, Mirigian left her home in Armenia on the back of a donkey. She crossed the Atlantic on a boat, made her way to Fresno and attended Fresno State University. In San Francisco, she raised a family, taught Sunday school, served as a PTA president, and had a second career making elegant, elaborate sculptures from beads and wire. Her husband of 40 years, Ashod, died in 1998. For many years she worked as an assistant at the U.S Mint in San Francisco. She retired about 60 years ago. Thats the job that the federal pension was based on. Later on she no longer remembered exactly what her duties involved. I did what the person in charge told me to do, she said in a 2018 interview. Thats what you do when you work in an office. In later years, she enjoyed ocean cruises so much that she took 43 of them. I like ships and I like to go places, she said. Its a big world. Surviving are her daughter, Sonia Mirigian-Koujakian; her son-in-law, Jack Koujakian, of San Francisco: and her son, Garo Mirigian, of Fremont. She will be buried in the Ararat Armenian Cemetery of Fresno. A memorial celebration will be held when the pandemic permits. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF Dr Kenneth Monaghan, a lecturer in Science at IT Sligo was recently awarded funding from Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation Fund Scheme for a novel mechatronic remote physiotherapy system (MRPS). A remote physiotherapy system project has just begun in IT Sligo. Funded by Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation fund for 3rd level researchers, the MRPS project will design, build and trial a novel remote rehabilitation system that allows neurology e.g. stroke and orthopaedic e.g. post fracture patients, to complete rehabilitation programmes at home under the supervision of an Allied Health Professional. Working as a community and rehabilitation physiotherapist for over 30 years, Dr Monaghan knows that keeping patients working remotely can have tremendous benefits. Traditionally, patients lack the opportunity to undertake the required hours of rehabilitation necessary to improve recovery/mobility post stroke. Without supervision, they lack the confidence and motivation to keep their recovery on track. The MRPS will address this issue with a system that allows remote supervision by a therapist. This alleviates psychological limitations to recovery by providing patients with a suite of established strengthening and mirror therapy interventions while providing objective real-time feedback to patients. Dr Monaghan, the Director of the Clinical Health & Nutrition Centre (CHANCE) and the Head of the Neuroplasticity Research Group in IT Sligo has been developing remote innovative technologies for the past 6 years. Ken has a team of five PhD researchers dedicated to developing innovative new treatments for different clinical conditions including stroke, stuttering/stammering, lymphoedema post breast cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease and he sees huge potential in this new system. Ken's research was given a boost last week when his group was awarded an Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Grant of 320,000 towards development of such systems over the coming 2 years. "During earlier research it was difficult to get patients to come to visit the exercise laboratory for clinical trials because they required a family member to transport them over the six weeks of the therapy," says Dr Monaghan. "We needed to work with patients remotely, allow patients undertake therapy for much longer, and install a concept of control and this was the seed of what is being developed over the last 6 years. In fact, our systems will certainly make an ideal solution to allow patients rehabilitate without having to travel to distant outpatient centres. This project is coming at a time when adaptations due to COVID are required and this system will remove the requirement of patients to attend outpatient and rehabilitation hospital appointments. We think there's great potential in all of this but ultimately it's seeing the quality of life improvements in our patients that gives us the greatest motivation," says Ken. Industrial Designer David Roberts from the Faculty of Engineering & Design is tasked with developing the new systems and technology and is currently developing sensory substitution devices and co-ordinating a team of electromechanical, electronic and software engineers towards the development of remote systems. In fact, Dr Monaghan is very fortunate to work in an environment that contains the majority of expertise required for these developments. "There will be a new Mobile App and algorithms developed by our UX Designers, gamification-coding and cloud services by our computer scientists, wearable sensors by our Artificial Intelligence, while the development of clinical and educational psychological modules will benefit from the expertise within our Health Science programmes." Enterprise Ireland initially funded a Commercial Case Feasibility Grant of 15,000 to assess the market potential for this device and their Commercial Specialist Dr. Paul Butler has worked hard with Ken's team over the past 2 years to develop this idea. Ken and his team are in touch with the five or six experts in the world that see huge potential in this kind of remote therapy systems. It's the only research of its kind going on in Ireland at the moment. They have high hopes for the future of both the innovative therapies and remote devices. "When a person sees even a small improvement in their mobility, that's a great motivator; it encourages people to do more. Physiotherapy supervision is available online and is completely safe. Imagine giving patients access to the 4-6 hours daily therapy recommended post stroke? How different the recovery could be with the availability of home therapy?'' he says. Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help Five days after the attacks on the Capitol, where some rioters chanted that they wanted to kill Mike Pence, the then-president and vice-president had long a meeting in the Oval Office to patch things over. Insiders told the Washington Post that meeting was stilted and uncomfortable, and Jared Kushner, who had helped arrange the conversation along with Ivanka Trump, compared it to brokering peace in the Middle East. Mr Trump had privately and publicly pressured Mr Pence to overturn the election results, even though he was told repeatedly he didnt have the power to do so in his ceremonial role certifying the votes in Congress. In his speech before his supporters attacked the Capitol, Mr Trump urged the vice-president to do so anyway. However, Mr Pence reportedly is still loyal to the president. Mike Pence, I hope youre going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country, Mr Trump said prior to the riot. And if youre not, Im going to be very disappointed in you. I will tell you right now. Im not hearing good stories. As the crowd descended on the Capitol, some chanted Hang Mike Pence!, impeachment prosecutor Stacey Plaskett said during the Senate trial this week. Read more: Follow all the latest Trump impeachment news live The mob was looking for Mr Pence because of his patriotism, because the vice president had refused to do what the president demanded and overturn the election result, she added. The president may have known the vice president was in danger but reportedly didnt call him to check on his well-being. During the attack, the president spoke with Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville, who reportedly told him, Mr. President, they just took the vice president out, Ive got to go. Eleven minutes later, the former president reiterated his attacks on Mr Pence, tweeting,Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution. Despite the slights, Mr Pence has thus far avoided condemning the president in public. In private, he also reportedly blames those surrounding Mr Trump, who fed him false information about a stolen election, for escalating the situation, according to Pence allies who spoke with the Post. While Mr Trump has dismissed efforts to get him to testify under oath during the Senate impeachment trial, prosecutors could still call on Mr Pence to do so. Until then, the former Indiana governor has been keeping a low profile as he mulls his political future, which some have speculated could include a 2024 president run. After the attacks on the Capitol, he and Mr Trump spoke a few times, and after their term ended, Mr Pence vacationed in the US Virgin Islands and announced plans to launch a podcast. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2021) A US citizen has been charged for allegedly killing his mother who worked as a Defense Department employee in Bahrain, the Justice Department said in a press release. "Giovonni Pope, 27, was charged with murder by way of criminal complaint in the District of Maryland Tuesday," the release said on Friday. "US military authorities in Bahrain arrested Pope and his initial appearance was held via video teleconference, at which time he was ordered detained and removed to the United States pursuant to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act." A new testing clinic has been scheduled in Cayuga County for people experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. The Cayuga County Health Department and Auburn Community Hospital are hosting a no-cost drive-thru clinic for symptomatic residents from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the hospital's main campus on Lansing Street. Visitors should use the helipad entrance. Instructions for receiving test results will be provided at the time of the test. The county previously announced that it also will be holding a COVID-19 testing clinic next week for people who are not experiencing symptoms of the virus. The no-cost, rapid-result clinic will run from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at Emerson Park Pavilion, 6843 E. Lake Road, Owasco. Cayuga County residency is not required but an appointment is necessary. People should be prepared to wait on site for up to 30 minutes for results. Masks and social distancing will be enforced. Attendees are asked to park in lot, not in the circle in front of the pavilion, and follow posted signs. An appointment is required to be tested at any of the county's clinics, and registration will be closed if/when a clinic becomes fully booked. Days after a 25-year-old man was stabbed to death in Mangolpuri area in Delhi, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday attacked the Delhi Police, alleging it had failed to control law and order in the national capital. AAP also alleged BJP was creating communal discord in Delhi. AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, addressing a press conference at the party office said, "Mangolpuri murder is shocking for all people in Delhi. We have noticed that Delhi Police and Union Home Ministry have failed to ensure the safety of people in Delhi. Now, even Hindus are not safe under BJP government." He continued, "Ever since the BJP came to power, people of a particular community (Muslims) were already worried and now BJP has started creating fear among the people of Sikh community among those who are protesting against the Centre's farm laws." Bhardwaj who is an MLA from Greater Kailash further stated that AAP-led Delhi government will provide legal aid to the family. "AAP Government will provide best legal support to deceased family and financial help to be provided after official inquiry is done in the case," he said. Rinku Sharma, a resident of Mangolpuri was reportedly stabbed to death in front of his family on Wednesday. Ashleigh Barty pulled out of her doubles match on Friday after sporting strapping on her left thigh in her second-round win over Daria Gavrilova the day before. Team Barty insisted the doubles cancellation was just a precaution so the 24-year-old could focus on singles and, as a local, winning a drought-breaking Australian Open. Ashleigh Barty plays a shot against Ekaterina Alexandrova in an empty Margaret Court Arena. Credit:Eddie Jim On Saturday night, in Bartys third-round match against Russias Ekaterina Alexandrova, the Australian sported the same strapping and was broken by her opponent in the first game of the match. Alexandrova hit a couple of commanding winners and Barty double-faulted to hand over the break. MAIDENCREEK TWP., Pa. - His heart on his sleeve and pride around his neck, the leader of a local business made an "unofficial" attempt Friday to break an official world record held by late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel's co-host, Guillermo Rodriguez. "We thought to ourselves, 'Well, we're lanyards.com. We manufacture lanyards and credentials,' so we thought why shouldn't we have the record?'" said David Gehris, The IRIS Companies' chief operating officer. Guillermo Rodriguez set the Guinness World Record for most lanyards and credentials worn at one time in 2015 at SXSW in Austin, Texas. His record stands at 300, but Gehris didn't want to just break the record. "We wanted 350," said Gehris. Do not try this at home; the lanyards have a breakaway safety feature and he's being closely supervised. While trying to set world records is fun, the company in Maidencreek Township continues to innovate during the pandemic. +1 Berks lanyard company creates mask-protecting innovation "In extraordinary times, sometimes simple measures can have lasting impressions and lifesaving results." 69 News first showed you in July the company developed lanyards for masks. Now, it's moving to the next stage: lanyards and ID badge-backers for schools and companies that want to show which employees have received the COVID-19 vaccine. "We've incorporated our product line to promote vaccination," said Gehris. "You have to pivot and try to ultimately come up with a product that will help others." Pivoting back to the record attempt, Gehris managed to tough it out to unofficially unseat Guillermo as world lanyard king. They don't need to officially own the World Record, but around here, they're identified as world record holders. The New York Times Dalee Sullivan looked straight ahead into her computers camera and started making her case to the judge. She referred to transcripts, emails and policies she had pulled from the student handbook at Alpine High School. The school, she contended, had made errors in tabulating grade-point averages: Classes and exams that should have been included were left out, and vice versa. Sullivan had won Lincoln-Douglas debate tournaments and, in her freshman year, was a member of the mock trial team. But she is not a lawyer. She is 18, and she graduated from the lone public high school in the small West Texas town of Alpine just a week ago, which was the reason she was in court to begin with. This serves to prove that no matter the outcome of the GPA contest, and no matter how many times we had the school recalculate the GPA, Sullivan told the judge during a hearing on Friday, the Alpine Independent School District was going to make certain I could never be valedictorian, even if I earned it. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times School officials said she ranked third in her class. Sullivan disagreed. She could not find a local lawyer who would agree to take on her case. A firm in Dallas told her it would, she said, but estimated the case could cost her $75,000 far more than she could afford. Instead, she figured out how to write a request for an injunction and represented herself in the 394th District Court of Texas. She believed that her GPA could, in fact, have been higher than one or both of the students ahead of her, making her worthy of the title salutatorian or even valedictorian. She and her parents had protested her rank for the past month, and she claimed that the school intentionally did not invite her to an awards event where top students were honored. The school district has said that it calculated her grades repeatedly, and that each time Sullivan still ranked third. In a statement on Friday, school officials declined to discuss the allegations raised by Sullivan, saying the district was not at liberty to discuss the individual student. Although we respectfully disagree with the allegations in the lawsuit, the statement said, we take student and parent concerns very seriously and will continue to address the students concerns. It is not entirely unheard-of for disputes over top spots in high school graduating classes to escalate to litigation. The competition over such accolades can be an intense, even ruthless, zero-sum game. And in the fight to be valedictorian, there is more at stake than just bragging rights. In Texas, the highest-ranking high school graduates can receive free tuition for their first year at in-state public institutions. Sullivan and her parents were inspired by a case last year in Pecos, Texas, about 100 miles from Alpine, where two students claimed to be valedictorian amid confusion over a glitch in the schools tabulations. One of the students with professional legal representation filed for a restraining order and sought an injunction to block Pecos High School from naming its valedictorian. After Sullivan could not get a lawyer, her parents were disappointed but willing to drop the matter. But she refused. She got advice and records from the family in the case in Pecos, using the petition in that case as a guide to start writing her own. Her parents her father, a rancher; her mother, a forensic interviewer read it over and helped her tidy up the language. We arent even close to being lawyers, Sullivan said. In Alpine, a town of roughly 6,000 people in Texas Big Bend Country, some who know Sullivan said they were surprised she would take this on. There are other ways to spend ones last summer before college. (She plans to attend the College of Charleston in South Carolina and major in biophysics with the aim of going into medicine.) But she had always been serious about school and a bit steely in her resolve. Shes already going to college, she already has scholarships, said Teresa Todd, a local government lawyer who is a longtime friend of Sullivans mother and whose sons are close in age to Sullivan. She worked really hard for this, and I think all kids deserve to know where they fall in the pecking order. Kids have to show their work, Todd added. Why doesnt the school have to show their work? She said she offered some advice to Sullivan ahead of her hearing: Be herself. Be respectful. Dont let the other side get you off your game. Sullivan conceded some nervousness before the hearing, especially after filings from the school districts lawyers cited a slew of legal precedents and were peppered with terminology she did not know. But overall, she was confident. I have all the evidence, she said. I have all the facts. And no one knows it as well as I know it. All sorts of cases land in the 394th District Court, whose jurisdiction covers five counties roughly equivalent in size to the country's nine smallest states combined. The court hears criminal cases, divorce proceedings, and now a fight over high school grading. Judge Roy B. Ferguson has a reputation for taking the judicial medley in stride. His courtroom had a flash of viral fame in February when a video clip of a lawyer trapped behind a filter that made him appear to be a fuzzy white kitten in a Zoom hearing boomeranged around the internet. (Im not a cat, the lawyer said.) Ferguson found the humor in it. He added a reference to the unlikely episode to the courts website and accepted an invitation to discuss it at a symposium on remote judicial hearings in Poland. In a recent criminal proceeding, when a lawyer apologized for audio complications, Ferguson replied, Youre not a cat, so youre one step ahead! With Sullivan, he was patient and explained procedure in a way he would not have to with a professional. When she asked a question that was too broad, he encouraged her to narrow the scope. (He often presides over high school mock trials, among them, the State of Texas v. Luke Skywalker.) Kelley Kalchthaler, a lawyer representing the school district, argued that Sullivan had not exhausted the districts grievance process. We dont think the court has jurisdiction over this case, she said, and all parties should be dismissed. She also raised objections to much of the evidence Sullivan wanted to include, contending that it was hearsay or questioning the relevance to the case. In several instances, Ferguson agreed. All right, Ms. Sullivan, are you ready to present evidence in support of your request? Ferguson said. You bear the burden here for this temporary injunction. Sullivan laid out her case. Its not an accurate reflection of my high school career, she said of her final transcript, so its already done irreparable damage. She wanted an independent audit of honor graduates grades. She did not get that on Friday. Ferguson ruled that the dispute needed to go through the school districts grievance process. Still, the case was not closed. If she was not pleased with the outcome, the judge told her, she could come back to court. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 2021 The New York Times Company We needed to bring together cross-sections of people irrespective of where they sat in the hierarchy or what type of role they did, whether they were in the office or in the field or in a factory to come together to solve some of the problems we have. An example of innovative solutions found during this time included a group of factory staff quickly transforming the production of deodorant to hand sanitiser. It wasnt the intervention of senior management that made that happen. It was the will of a coalition in the business who were hands on about what needed to be done very practically, Ms Sparshott says. Unilever has also introduced programs designed to boost the self-esteem and job preparation skills of school students. In an interview with this masthead, Exley said that growing segregation of students from different socio-economic backgrounds in Australia and the UK was a recipe for disaster and part of the reason for lower levels of social mobility. He says there is a danger that people, including those who go on to become policymakers and company executives, would not get to know and understand others from a different social strata if they did not mix with them at school and in the workplace. He says OECD data has shown that children of blue-collar workers who attended schools in which they mixed with the children of white-collar workers were twice as likely to get a university degree or enter a professional management occupation as similar children who did not have the opportunity to mix. The potential of schools to widen childrens opportunities appears to depend largely on whether they create social integration, he says. Just as the most skilled teachers are concentrated in schools where the children least need them, so are the children who could otherwise act as friends and mentors to non-privileged children. The most obvious way in which privileged parents can buy their child a place at an exclusive but non-fee paying school is by buying their way into the right catchment area, which inflates local housing costs and thereby drives less affluent families out. Victoria University education research chair Professor Stephen Lamb has studied the effects of segregation in schooling on education outcomes. There are independent effects which suggest that segregation has an impact independently of everything else on the progress of kids in schools and what happens to them, he says. It is also likely to have an impact on shaping career aspirations because it is related to the peers that you connect with in schools that these things are partly shaped as well as the neighbourhoods and communities you engage in. Emeritus professor from the University of Western Sydney Centre for Educational Research, Margaret Vickers, is among Australian academics who have warned that increasing segregation in schooling is making it difficult for teachers to achieve good educational outcomes for students attending non-selective schools. Loading The NSW government has opened 21 fully selective high schools and provides gifted and talented streams in other schools to compete with independent schools for enrolments and top HSC results. Increases over the past three decades in the proportion of students attending private schools has contributed to greater segregation. More and more the classes that are being taught in ordinary non-selective schools have fewer and fewer talented students in them and it is becoming harder and harder to pull them up, Professor Vickers says. If you end up being in one of the lower-ranked ordinary comprehensive schools, you have got far less opportunity than youve had in the past and you are much more likely to end up with a less advantaged life. We are seeing a larger proportion of our population having fewer opportunities and having lower career aspirations. A growing lack of opportunity is also felt by young people seeking their first employment opportunities. It can take several years to get a secure job after leaving school. That is so different from two decades ago, Professor Vickers says. Research released by former school principal and education researcher Chris Bonnor for the Centre for Policy Development, an Australian think tank, found high achievers were increasingly concentrated in the most advantaged schools. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. She can be reached at jmaschino@berkshireeagle.com. Senators laughed out loud at a video played in defense of Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial, according to reports. The former presidents lawyers played the selectively-edited clips on Friday in the Senate, in an attempt to equate the language that Mr Trump used in his speech on 6 January before the Capitol riot to that of Democrats. Mr Trumps lawyers, who have faced criticism throughout the trial for their rambling arguments, played a tape of around a dozen Democrats using the word fight. The video contained clips of lawmakers such as Rep Maxine Waters, Rep Al Green, Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen Elizabeth Warren calling for Mr Trumps impeachment. According to reports, some senators had a hard time keeping a straight face as the video played, with certain members even laughing at the long video. Both Democratic and Republican senators were louder than I have ever heard them -- talking and at times openly laughing during the video, a PBS reporter tweeted. Read more: Follow all the latest Trump impeachment news live During the spliced video featuring Sen Warren for a long while, Senator Tom Cotton, in particular, was laughing and shaking his head, PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor wrote. According to Ms Alcindor, many Democrats were exchanging troubled looks and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer looked particularly troubled during the video but also laughed and shook his head at times. In contrast, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sat stone-faced, legs crossed as the video was played. No laughing, no whispering, no looking around. The efforts of Mr Trumps lawyers were quickly condemned by Democrats and commentators. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters that Mr Trumps team was trying to draw a false, dangerous and distorted equivalence. I think that the case is even more powerful after this very distorted and false argument,he said, according to The Washington Post. Delaware Senator Christopher Coons said: Show me any time that the result was our supporters pulled someone out of the crowd, beat the living crap out of them and then we said, Thats great, good for you, youre a patriot. He did nothing to stop it, nothing to check on the safety of his own vice president, nothing to dispatch aid or help. He added: Simply saying once you should march peacefully and patriotically doesnt allow you to then overlook the entire context of his history as a candidate and president, of the context and his role in summoning that crowd and who was in it and what their intent was and then failing to do anything to stop the breach of the Capitol. Vox journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted: What is this never-ending video of Democrats saying fight meant to prove? Is it supposed to be a form of torture? Will Itchy and Scratchy be featured in the next fight video montage? asked film director Adam Rifkin, referring to the warring cartoon cat and mouse featured in The Simpsons. This speech is not the defense trumps lawyers think it is, Daily Beast editor-at-large Molly Jong-Fast wrote. During the Save America rally on 6 January, Mr Trump told supporters to show strength and fight like hell. Five people died as a result of the violence, including one Capitol Police officer who was beaten as he tried to ward off the rioters. A pro-Trump mob, who were demanding that the election result be overturned, vandalized Capitol property and looted the building, smashing windows and ransacking offices. Following the attack, the House voted to impeach Mr Trump, accusing him of incitement to insurrection for his actions in the run-up to and during the riot. A man who stole four German Shepherd puppies from a farm and buried or burned them on a Howell property was sentenced Friday to five years in state prison, authorities said. Daniel McDonald, 26, of Freehold, pleaded guilty in November to four counts of third degree animal cruelty and also agreed to never to own, reside with, or take into his care or custody any living animal, according to a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office. He was also ordered to perform 30 hours of community service on each of the four animal cruelty counts and to pay $800 in restitution to the owner of the puppies. In handing down the sentence Judge Vincent N. Falcetano told McDonald, he cant conceive of any more depraved act. A joint investigation by the Howell Police and Monmouth County SPCA revealed that the puppies were stolen on or about May 12 from a farm in Somerset County where McDonald was staying when the animals were only three weeks old, the office said. The remains of two of the dogs were found six days later in a fire pit on a property in Howell where McDonald was temporarily staying, authorities said. Investigators then searched the area and ultimately found the remains of two more dead puppies which had been buried on the property, the office said. The puppies were sick, in distress and were struggling to breathe before they died and a necropsy performed on the two buried puppies showed that they suffered from parasites and were severely emaciated and malnourished with no indications of recent nutritional ingestion, according to the statement. Tricia Jaccoma, 24, of Howell, was also charged with animal cruelty in the case and was arrested last September, but because McDonald took full responsibility for not getting the puppies the proper care, her charges were dismissed Friday, authorities said. McDonald also pleaded to guilty one charge of third degree receiving stolen property for being in possession of a stolen tractor out of Monroe Township, the office said. The judge ordered him not to return to the scene from where the tractor was stolen. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Mr Trump was acquitted in his second impeachment trial (AP) The US senate has acquitted former president Donald Trump of inciting the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. The vote gave Mr Trump a historic second acquittal in an impeachment trial. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Mr Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two thirds of the senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. The vote was 57-43, short of the two-thirds needed for conviction. Seven Republicans broke party ranks to find Mr Trump guilty. Expand Close The final vote total was 57-43, short of the two thirds required to secure conviction (Senate Television/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The final vote total was 57-43, short of the two thirds required to secure conviction (Senate Television/AP) Mr Trump later welcomed his acquittal, saying that his Make America Great Again movement has only just begun. In a lengthy statement, the former president thanked his lawyers and defenders in US congress, who he said stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country. Mr Trump slammed his trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country. Expand Close Mitch McConnell said Mr Trump was practically and morally responsible for the January 6 riot (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mitch McConnell said Mr Trump was practically and morally responsible for the January 6 riot (AP) And he told his supporters that our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun, and that he will have more to share with them in the months ahead. Despite voting to acquit, Republican senate minority leader Mitch McConnell condemned Mr Trump, calling him practically and morally responsible for the riot. Mr McConnell said he could not vote to convict Mr Trump because he is constitutionally not eligible for conviction, because he is no longer president. He added that a conviction would have created a dangerous precedent that would give the senate power to convict private political rivals and bar them from holding future office. Mr McConnell added that impeachment is a narrow tool for a narrow purpose. Though Mr Trump was acquitted, it was easily the largest number of senators to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty of an impeachment charge. Voting to find the former president guilty were Republican senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. The senates top Democrat said January 6 will live as a day of infamy in American history and that the vote to acquit will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States senate. Expand Close Senate majority Leader Chuck Schumer said January 6 would live on as a day of infamy (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Senate majority Leader Chuck Schumer said January 6 would live on as a day of infamy (AP) Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, took to the senate floor to decry the acquittal. He applauded the seven Republicans who joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Mr Trump. Mr Schumer called the day of the riot the final, terrible legacy of Mr Trump, and said the stain of his actions will never be washed away. The Democrats had argued in the short trial that Mr Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the November 2020 election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat by Joe Biden. Five people died after a mob laid siege to the Capitol. Mr Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that the former president was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Mr Trump. The US government has appealed against a UK judges ruling blocking the extradition of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange over the publication of thousands of classified documents, a US official has said. A judge blocked the request to send Assange to the US in January, citing fears over his mental health and risk of suicide if he was made to stand trial in America. In the ruling, district judge Vanessa Baraitser said it would be oppressive to extradite Mr Assange to the US due to his mental condition and gave the Biden administration until 12 February to appeal the decision. There was a filing today appealing it. Our intention is to continue to seek extradition of Julian Assange, Marc Raimondi, a Justice Department spokesperson, said on Friday. Press freedom groups and supporters of Mr Assange have called on the Biden administration to drop its campaign for extradition, warning that prosecuting him could set a dangerous precedent. The indictment of Mr Assange threatens press freedom because much of the conduct described in the indictment is conduct that journalists engage in routinely and that they must engage in in order to do the work the public needs them to do, a letter, signed by groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said earlier this week. WikiLeaks drew fury from the US government after publishing thousands of pages of reports and documents generated by American military and intelligence agencies, including detailed descriptions of CIA hacking capabilities. The organisation also published emails hacked from then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign a move which some of her supporters have argued helped Donald Trump to win the subsequent election. Barack Obama's Justice Department decided not to seek Assange's extradition on the grounds that what he and WikiLeaks did was too similar to journalistic activities protected by the first amendment of the US constitution. However, the Trump administration stepped up public criticism of WikiLeaks and subsequently filed a series of harsh criminal charges accusing Mr Assange of participating in a hacking conspiracy. Additional reporting by Reuters NORTH VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Canada's economic recovery depends on young people being able to get good, well-paying jobs in the future. That is why the Government of Canada is continuing to take strong action to ensure that young Canadians have the supports they need to move forward from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and successfully plan for their careers. Today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, met virtually with representatives from the Hollyburn Family Services Society to highlight their innovative Wired 4 Success project, funded through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS). Minister Qualtrough announced that, since September 2020, the Hollyburn Family Services Society will have received nearly $460,000 in additional funding, and that the duration of their project will be extended until June 2021. This will allow the organization to continue providing job supports to young people in North Vancouver. In particular, the funding will benefit youth who are facing additional barriers to employment due to the pandemic, and the total number of participants will increase from 146 to 185. For more than four years, the Hollyburn Family Services Society, through its Wired 4 Success project, has provided targeted skills training and work opportunities for young people who face barriers to employment. Participants have included Indigenous youth, homeless youth, early-leavers from high school, recent immigrants and young people with disabilities. Through case management, group-based employability training and individual enhancement sessions, young people participating in this project have benefited from a wide range of skills, knowledge and work experience in the hospitality, arts, technology and media sectors. Today's announcement builds on the commitments made in both the Fall Economic Statement and the Speech from the Throne, which included creating more job opportunities for young Canadians through YESS in response to the pandemic. Taken together, these measures are not only helping to ensure that young people get the financial support they need now, but that they continue to have access to the tools and opportunities that will help them build long and successful careers. Quotes "Every young person deserves a chance to succeed and move forward in their career. The Hollyburn Family Services Society's project is helping to make sure that no one is left behind due to the pandemic. Through this initiative, young people, from all backgrounds and all walks of life, will have access to the tools and resources they need to find meaningful work. I'm really looking forward to the development of this project and the tremendous impact it will have on the young people in North Vancouver." Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough "Through a variety of programs that it offers, the Hollyburn Family Services Society has changed for the better the lives of many North Shore youth. The Wired 4 Success program in particular is helping young people who face barriers to employment embark on pathways to jobs and careers. Given that the employment impacts of COVID19 have fallen disproportionately on Canada's youth, it is even more important now that we are investing in their future. I salute the work of Hollyburn in helping our community to address these critically important needs." Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson "For some youth on Vancouver's North Shore, finding and retaining employment is challenging. They lack the skills that today's employers need. Hollyburn Family Services Society's Wired 4 Success program works with youth with barriers to employment. This hands-on program with wraparound services not only turns youth into desirable employees, it helps local businesses who struggle with labour shortages. Offering this life-changing program in the North Shore community, where youth can access services without crossing over a bridge, is likely why so many youths successfully graduate from Wired 4 Success employed." Hollyburn Family Services Society Quick Facts In April 2020 , the Government of Canada invested $492 million over three years through Employment and Social Development Canada's YESS program for more than 270 projects across Canada to help young people facing barriers to employment. , the Government of invested over three years through Employment and Social Development Canada's YESS program for more than 270 projects across to help young people facing barriers to employment. In addition, the Government of Canada announced COVID-19 measures to support young Canadians and students impacted by the pandemic, including an additional investment of $187.7 million to the YESS program to help support an additional 9,500 work opportunities for young Canadians, particularly those facing barriers to employment. announced COVID-19 measures to support young Canadians and students impacted by the pandemic, including an additional investment of to the YESS program to help support an additional 9,500 work opportunities for young Canadians, particularly those facing barriers to employment. The Wired 4 Success project is one of more than 30 YESS projects underway across British Columbia which are helping to ensure that young people have access to job experiences they need for their future careers. The Government of Canada is investing approximately $60 million to support YESS projects across British Columbia over three years. which are helping to ensure that young people have access to job experiences they need for their future careers. The Government of is investing approximately to support YESS projects across over three years. YESS is a horizontal Government of Canada initiative delivered in collaboration with 11 federal departments and agencies, including Employment and Social Development Canada. Launched in the summer of 2019, the modernized YESS integrates the three streams of the former YESS (Skills Link, Career Focus and Summer Work Experience) into a more integrated and flexible service delivery network. initiative delivered in collaboration with 11 federal departments and agencies, including Employment and Social Development Canada. Launched in the summer of 2019, the modernized YESS integrates the three streams of the former YESS (Skills Link, Career Focus and Summer Work Experience) into a more integrated and flexible service delivery network. Since its launch in 2017, this Hollyburn Family Services Society project, Wired 4 Success, will have received up to $2.1 million through YESS to continue to help young people in North Vancouver . In particular, the Wired 4 Success project supports youth who are facing barriers to employment by helping them gain the skills, the work experience and the abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market. Associated Links Youth Employment and Skills Strategy - Funding programs Backgrounder: COVID-19 measures for youth and students Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan Follow us on Twitter SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Marielle Hossack, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected] Related Links www.hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca SPRINGFIELD A suspect was arrested by Springfield authorities Thursday in connection with a fire that damaged a derelict downtown building the day before. John Patrick Doherty, 35, whose last known address was in Darmouth, was arrested and charged with arson of a building after fire investigators and Springfield police detectives identified him from video surveillance footage and eyewitness statements. The four-story building at 24 Park St. has been vacant for 40 years. Deemed a public safety hazard by city officials, it was slated for demolition within the month to make way for a hotel. The property is adjacent to the Caring Health Center and across from the MGM Springfield casino. Capt. Drew Piemonte, executive assistant to Fire Commissioner Bernard Calvi, said investigators allege that Doherty was squatting in the building and lit a fire to stay warm. That fire spread to the structure. Fire personnel were called to the Park Street building at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to find a fire on the second floor. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and investigators with the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad and troopers attached to the state fire marshals office began their investigation. Piemonte said eyewitnesses identified Doherty after he fled the burning building. Investigators secured surveillance video showing him at the site as well. Doherty was taken into custody Thursday and arraigned in Springfield District Court Friday. Related Content: In the midst of all of it I believe theyre doing well, Dahlman said of her residents. Were doing our best to keep them in contact with the outside world via video visits with family and probably theres a little bit more attention on individual activity to keep them engaged and active. Even though Republican lawmakers only hold one-third of the seats in the state Legislature, theyre hoping to oust Gov. Andrew Cuomo over withholding information regarding nursing home deaths. On Thursday, the New York Post reported that Cuomos top aide Melissa DeRosa admitted to state legislators that the state had delayed revealing the total death count of nursing home residents from COVID-19. During a video conference with Democratic lawmakers, DeRosa confessed that basically, we froze over the summer after the state Senate called for a full tally of nursing home deaths, while the state was facing scrutiny from the Department of Justice. A number of Republican lawmakers, including state Republican Chair Nick Langworthy, are calling upon Cuomo to resign or be impeached over this latest development in the states ongoing saga over its handling of nursing homes in the COVID-19 pandemic. For most New Yorkers, this is probably the first time theyve even considered the fact that impeaching a governor is possible. But what is the actual likelihood of Cuomo facing impeachment and how exactly does this rarely-used political tool work in the Empire State? The states impeachment process is much like that of impeaching a president, beginning with the introduction of articles of impeachment which must then be voted upon by the state Assembly. If impeachment is passed by a majority of Assembly members, then a court impeachment trial may commence with the lieutenant governor, members of the state Senate, and judges from the court of appeals who preside. A conviction requires two-thirds of the Senate to vote for impeachment, similar to the U.S. Senate. If a governor be impeached, convicted and removed from office then the lieutenant governor would be charged with carrying out the governors duties for the remainder of the term. In New Yorks history, only one governor, William Sulzer, has been impeached. Sulzer was impeached in 1913, after serving fewer than 10 months in office, for embezzling his own campaign funds for personal use. Historians, familiar with Sulzers impeachment, however, have come to understand that the states impetus for ousting the governor was more of a fight for political power than anything else. Despite being elected with the help of Tammany Hall, a powerful political machine at the time, Sulzer angered the organization when he refused to appoint Tammany boss Charles F. Murphys business partner as a state highway superintendent. "He was really impeached because he got into a battle, a political battle, a battle for supremacy with Tammany Hall," Jack O'Donnell, an author who has studied Sulzers impeachment, told NY1 in January, 2020. Interestingly, the states constitution provides little guidance on what constitutes an impeachable offense. An article published by Fordham Urban Law Journal in 1987, which reviews Sulzers impeachment, points out that the state has failed to flesh out its impeachment procedures since 1913. The articles authors, John Dunne and Michael Balboni, suggest amending the constitution with descriptions of what acts may be considered impeachable to prevent impeachment from being used as a political tool in the future The only other governor who has come close to being impeached in recent history is former Gov. Elliot Spitzer, who became entangled in a prostitution scandal in 2008. Spitzer resigned after serving 15 months in office, right as state lawmakers began drafting articles of impeachment. Far worse behavior (than Cuomos) by public officers in recent years did not result in impeachment, Gerald Benjamin, an expert on the states government, told City & State in an email. I don't think impeachment of the governor is in the offing, nor from what I now know, should it be. At the time, then-President Donald Trump was still in office and Cuomos team feared any negative information about the states response could be used as a cudgel by Trumps politicized DOJ, or lead to greater penalties because of Trumps animosity toward New York. While its unlikely that Democrats would move articles of impeachment, a bipartisan effort to strip Cuomo of his emergency executive powers has begun to gain some traction. WASHINGTON -- Enough senators have cast 'not guilty' votes to acquit Donald Trump. Trump was acquitted by a 43-57 vote. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with incitement of insurrection, needed two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. Seven Republicans voted 'guilty.' After a delay of several hours, the trial resumed with closing arguments on Saturday, bypassing an initial vote to allow witnesses, in lieu of submitting a witness statement from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler regarding a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol. Trumps lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that he was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats hatred of Trump. One Howle audit, without naming her, put the onus for one of the worst decisions on Julie Su, who headed the state labor agency and thus oversaw EDD. Su directed EDD to drop the verification standards to speed up claims processing. That opened the door to fraud and generated the rebuke from the U.S. Department of Labor that may require some legitimate recipients to repay benefits if their eligibility cannot be retroactively established. Will Su face accountability? Not in California since President Joe Biden has nominated Su for the No. 2 position in the Department of Labor. She may, however, face some rough questioning during Senate confirmation hearings about her role in the massive fraud. What about Sharon Hilliard, who was EDDs director during the meltdown? After 37 years with EDD, Hilliard suddenly retired at the end of the year whether voluntarily or otherwise is uncertain. Sharon is a dedicated public servant and we owe her our gratitude for leading the department through the pandemic, Newsom said. Newsom bears some responsibility since he was governor when the debacle occurred, but former Gov. Jerry Brown, who ignored the 2011 audit of EDDs shortcomings, should also be included on an accountability list, if there is one. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A FATHER-of-three was caught growing cannabis plants in his bedroom in a "unique" case where he had never before been given "so much as a penalty point". Mark Anderson (39) had "zero previous convictions" and his cannabis habit had never affected his ability to do his job, a court was told. Blanchardstown District Court heard gardai found two plants and loose cannabis worth a combined 1,728 in a search at Anderson's Dublin home. Judge David McHugh ordered a restorative justice report and adjourned the case. The accused, with an address at Ardmeen Park, Blackrock, Dublin, pleaded guilty to cultivation of cannabis at his former home at Brownsbarn Wood, Kingswood, Naas Road, Dublin on February 25, 2020. Garda Ciaran O'Neill said the two cannabis plants were located in an upstairs room when the search was carried out, along with a quantity of loose cannabis. Gda O'Neill said the accused had not come to garda attention before or since the incident and had "zero previous convictions." Sandra Frayne BL, defending, described the circumstances in which the drugs were found as "quite unique". "In fairness to Mr Anderson, he's never so much as picked up a penalty point in his life," she told the judge. The court heard the accused had a cannabis habit since he was 16 but this "never affected him in his ability to do his job properly". While he did not excel in school, he had done very well in his industry afterwards, Ms Frayne said. Anderson had had to sell his previous home and was now looking after his three children on his own "in very difficult circumstances". The accused had not touched cannabis since and would never abuse it again, Ms Frayne said. She said Anderson's life had changed completely as a result of other circumstances beyond his control. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New Delhi: The US on Wednesday listed Pakistan among the nations and regions which offer "safe havens" to terrorists. Further, it also claimed that terror groups such as the LeT and JeM continued their operations, training, and organised fundraising inside the country in 2016. In its annual 'Country Report on Terrorism', as mandated by the Congress, the State Department said that Pakistani military and security forces undertook operations againstgroups that conducted attacks within Pakistan such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. "Pakistan did not take substantial action against the Afghan Taliban or Haqqani, or substantially limit theirability to threaten US interests in Afghanistan, although Pakistan supported efforts to bring both groups into an Afghan-led peace process," the State Department said. "Pakistan did not take sufficient action against otherexternally focused groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in 2016, which continued to operate,train, organise, and fundraise in Pakistan," the report said. India, it said continued to experience attacks, "including by Maoist insurgents and Pakistan-based terrorists". Indian authorities continued to blame Pakistan for cross-border attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, it said. "In January, India experienced a terrorist attack against an Indian military facility in Pathankot, Punjab, which was blamed by authorities on JeM. Over the course of 2016, the Government of India sought to deepen counterterrorism cooperation and information sharing with the United States," the State Department said. The Indian government continued to closely monitor the domestic threat from transnational terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which made threats against India in their terrorist propaganda. A number of individuals were arrested for ISIS-affiliated recruitment and attack plotting within India, the report said. In a separate chapter, the State Department listed Pakistan as one of the safe havens of terrorism. The State Department said that numerous terrorist groups, including the Haqqani Network (HQN), the LeT and JeM continued to operate from Pakistani soil in 2016. "Although LeT is banned in Pakistan, LeT's wings Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FiF) were able to openly engage in fundraising, including in the capital," itsaid. "LeT's chief Hafiz Saeed (a UN-designated terrorist)continued to address large rallies, although in February 2017,Pakistan proscribed him under relevant provisions of Schedule Four of the Anti-Terrorism Act, thus severely restricting hisfreedom of movement," it noted. The 2015 ban on media coverage of Saeed, JuD, and FiF continued and was generally followed by broadcast and print media, it said. According to the State Department, the Pakistani government did not publicly reverse its December 2015 declaration that neither JuD nor FiF is banned in Pakistan, despite their listing under UN sanctions regimes, although inJanuary 2017, Pakistan placed both organisations "under observation" pursuant to Schedule Two of the Anti-TerrorismAct. While not a ban, keeping the outfits under observation allows the government to closely scrutinise the activities of both organisations. On November 11, Pakistan's National Counter terrorism Authority published its own list of banned organisations that placed JuD in a separate section for groups that are "under observation" but not banned. Pakistan continued military operations to eradicateterrorist safe havens in the Federally Administered TribalAreas, although their impact on all terrorist groups wasuneven, it said. In its report to the Congress, the State Department said in 2016, India and the United States pledged to strengthencooperation against terrorist threats from groups including al-Qaeda, the ISIS, JeM, LeT and D-Company (Dawood Ibrahim'sgroup), including through greater collaboration ondesignations at the UN. Indian and US leaders directed officials to identify new areas of collaboration through the July US-India Counter terrorism Joint Working Group, applauded finalisation of a bilateral arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorism screening information, and called upon Pakistan tobring the perpetrators of terrorist attacks against India to justice, the report said. The United States and India worked together to designate JeM leader Maulana Masood Azhar, although the listing was blocked in the UN 1267 Committee, the State Department said. Other areas mentioned in the report as safe havens are Afghanistan, Somalia, the Trans-Sahara, Sulu/Sulawesi Seas Littoral, Southern Philippines, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya,Yemen, Columbia and Venezuela. With PTI inputs For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is replying to the discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha today. Saturday also marks the end of the first part of the Budget session of the Parliament. Parineeti Chopra, who is gearing up for the release of The Girl On The Train has also lent her voice for a song titled 'Matlabi Yariyan'. The actress previously has charmed everyone with her singing skills in films like Meri Pyaari Bindu as well as Kesari. Excited for the song, she said, "I hope third time's lucky for me as well, and this song is accepted." Talking about why she chose to lend her voice, Parineeti said, "I love singing and sing at whatever opportunity I get. Today, as an actress, I am just privileged that I can sing, I have the opportunity and I get a chance to sing behind a mike and have the world to hear it. So, when I had heard this song back in London one and half years ago when we were shooting it, is when Ribhu and I had discussed that we would do a version in my voice." 'Matlabi Yariyan' has been composed by Vipin Patwa and is written by Kumaar. Sharing that she had high hopes for the release, she added, "I am so glad that I got to do it and people have given so much love to Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin (Meri Pyaari Bindu) as well as my song from Kesari - 'Teri Mitti'. So, I hope third time's lucky for me as well, and this song is accepted." Parineeti's previous releases like 'Teri Mitti' have been highly appreciated by the fans. While 'Teri Mitti' has over 100 million views, 'Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin' has registered about 90 million views on YouTube. Coming back to The Girl On The Train, the film is an Hindi adaptation of the thriller book of the same name. In 2016, a Hollywood book adaptation was also released which starred Emily Blunt. Chopra earlier, had talked about her performance being compared to Blunt, and said, "She is a towering actress and I relished the challenge to deliver this role at par with the earlier film." The film is helmed by Ribhu Dasgupta and also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Kirti Kulhari, Avinash Tiwary, Tota Roy Chowdhury and others. The film follows a recent divorcee who fantasizes about a perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes daily, until the girl from the house goes missing. The thriller is all set to release on Netflix on February 26. ALSO READ: Parineeti Chopra Believes Rivalry Between Actresses Is Industry-Created; 'Why Don't We Talk About The Boys?' ALSO READ: The Girl On The Train: Parineeti Chopra Opens Up About Comparisons With Emily Blunt Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. State regulators are gearing up for potential power outages early next week as a winter storm and bitter cold strain electricity and natural gas supplies. Both wholesale power and natural gas prices are soaring as frigid weather moves into Texas and the states grid manager projects record power consumption during the cold snap. Wholesale electricity prices were surging to $1,000 per megawatt hour for Monday and Tuesday, according to S&P Global Platts, while spot prices for natural gas hit $100 per millon British thermal units in Texas markets. Wholesale power prices averaged $22 per megawatt hour last year, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Natural gas spot prices were less than $3.50 per million British thermal units at the Henry Hub delivery location in Louisiana early this week. Tomlinson: Coal plants present dilemma for power producers as they confront climate change The Texas Railroad Commission on Friday night issued an emergency order to manage the potential shortages of natural gas as residents crank up the heat to stay warm and power plants crank up generation to meet electricity demand. The commissions order requires that gas is first delivered to residences, hospitals, schools, churches and other locations that meet human needs, then to power plants and then to industrial users. Temperatures Monday night could dip to near single digits after a weekend with highs barely breaking 40 degrees. Western and northern areas of Texas have already been coated by ice that has taken out large swaths of power generating wind turbines as power demand soars. The grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, projects that demand will peak at around 72,000 megawatt hours during periods Monday and Tuesday, according to S&P Global Platts, well above the previous winter record of 65,915 MW set on Jan. 17, 2018 It is going to be a really tight weekend. It is going to be particularly tight on Monday and Tuesday, Public Utility Commission Chairman DeAnn Walker said at a Friday meeting. My understanding is, the wind turbines are all frozen. I encourage everyone to keep all that in mind. We are working already to try and ensure we have enough power but its taken a lot of coordination. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state power grid and the flow of power to more than 26 million Texas customers, is working with generators to make sure they can supply power during the coldest periods, said communications manager Leslie Sopko. Weve had a significant number of wind facilities that had to be taken out of service due to icing. That is certainly something that we are having to work around during this time, she said. The wind turbines that have been coated in ice will need time and warmer temperatures before they can function again, says Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer at the University of Houston. When ice forms on a turbine, it weighs it down and can break it, Krishnamoorti said. There is significant load on the electricity and gas markets, and we could lose a big source of electricity generation from the wind turbines. That is the conundrum we are facing. Wind generates about 20 percent of electricity in Texas. But the rest of the states power system isnt immune to the extended cold period and precipitation. The sustained period of colder than normal temperatures will put pressure on demand as people try to keep their homes warm. With a cold snap, which Texans are fairly accustomed to, the temperature drops below freezing for about a day, said Andrew Barlow, director of external affairs at the Public Utilities Commission. But what we are looking at is sustained temperatures below freezing for a couple of days. Krishnamoorti is not ruling out the possibility of blackouts with the incoming storm. It could very well happen, absolutely, because of the two factor effect, he said. If it just gets cold, it might not be so bad. It it gets cold and it is wet, that really causes a problem. Downed power lines caused by icing could keep some customers in the cold and dark for an extended time. That kind of restoration isnt a matter of simply flipping a switch. You have to send out a crew, Barlow said. Sopko said ERCOT, which manages the flow of power to more than 26 million Texas customers, is working with generators to make sure they can supply power during the coldest periods. CenterPoint Energy, the regulated utility that delivers electricity to Houston-area homes and that provides natural gas service, is preparing for the storm and monitoring weather conditions, spokeswoman Alejandra Diaz said. We have completed a readiness assessment for inclement weather operations, Diaz said. We are also planning to pause planned outages scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, unless needed for emergency purposes. CenterPoints crews are ready to work long hours throughout the storm in an effort to restore power when necessary, she said, adding that the companys natural gas system is ready for the added demand. "Our natural gas systems and equipment are tested regularly and are prepared to function properly during lower temperatures and increased energy usage," Diaz said. Houston last saw a storm of this magnitude in February 2011, when rolling blackouts left residents in the cold and dark. The outages left thousands of area children in dark, cold classrooms as about 30 of the 300 HISD schools lost power for as long as a couple of hours. At Hobby Airport, four partial blackouts temporarily dimmed some terminals but didnt interfere with security or prevent flights from taking off or landing. Plavchan conducting modeling of telluric absorption features Peter Plavchan, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy, and his collaborators received $11,250 from NASA for the project: "Precision modeling of telluric absorption features through the retrieval of atmospheric trace gases and spectroscopy update toward Extreme Precision Radial Velocity (EPRV) measurements." For this project, the researchers will provide a set of iSHELL stellar spectra, without a gas cell and a corresponding set of line-spread functions (ILS) from iSHELL. For these items, the researchers will provide the information in units of wavenumber. They will also visit NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to work on the associated analysis. Observations of a gas cell at Mauna Kea combined with the JPL Bruker FT-IR gas cell spectrum enable the researchers to derive the iSHELL line spread function (LSF). The iSHELL LSF is variable, but for Palomar Habitable Zone Planet Finder (PARVI) and NN-EXPLORE Exoplanet Investigations with Doppler spectroscopy (NEID), it will be much more stable. Funding for this project began in December 2020 and will end in late September 2021. ### About George Mason University George Mason University is Virginia's largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 38,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at http://www. gmu. edu . This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. All You Need Is Love artwork by Damien Hirst (PA) Gardai have warned the public to be wary of romance fraud which costs the average victim more than 2000 euro. Almost 200 cases were reported to Gardai in 2020, and they have called on the public to be vigilant ahead of Valentines Day on Sunday. They say the reduced number of social gatherings due to Covid-19 restrictions has resulted in more opportunities for fraudsters to target lonely hearts online. Online dating apps and social media are the primary tools used by the criminal Casanovas, who typically come with well-prepared stories designed to deceive. Both men and women have fallen victim and they come from all age groups. Fraudsters use fake identities, photographs and life stories to develop online relationships with their victims. Gardai say that inevitably, the fraudster will ask the person for money. This will continue until the victim realises they are being deceived, or has no more money to give. Such crimes often leave vulnerable people with a feeling of hurt and mistrust in addition to their financial loss. Gardai say that in some recent cases they have seen criminals targeting people with learning difficulties. Love is in the air as St Valentine's Day approaches. But not everyone online wants to win your heart! Some want to win your money or personal data. Watch out for romance scammers & if you are a victim report to your local GardaA. #BeSafeOnline #GardaNationalEconomicCrimeBureau pic.twitter.com/E4krHVZ38V Garda Info (@gardainfo) February 13, 2021 Reasons for borrowing money can include paying for travel to meet their victim, paying for medical expenses, investing in business opportunities or paying tax bills. Typically, no meetings will ever take place, with the fraudster finding excuses, or arranging to meet and then cancelling. They will ask for money to be transferred to bank accounts abroad or via money transfer agencies to locations outside of Ireland. Gardai have also warned that phone calls from Irish numbers or lodgements to Irish bank accounts should not be considered as evidence that the person is genuine. In one recent case an Irish victim developed a relationship with a woman from the United States on a dating website. If you are asked for money by a person with whom you are in an online relationship, stop and think. Ask yourself, is this person real? Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Lordan Over a period of months, for spurious reasons, she asked him for money and the victim lost more than 21,000 euro over five separate transactions. Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Lordan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau urged the public to be careful. If you are asked for money by a person with whom you are in an online relationship, stop and think. Ask yourself, is this person real? he warned. He said the public should never share personal or banking details with unknown persons online. He also warned people to think twice about using webcams because intimate images can sometimes be used for blackmail. Supt Lordan said people should trust their instincts. If it sounds like it is too good to be true, it is probably not true, he said. And if there is any doubt, talk to a family member or friend. If you have been the victim of this type of crime, please report it in confidence to your local Garda station. If you are a guardian or friend to someone with intellectual difficulties, be alert to the dangers of romance fraud. Japan is stepping up its battle against the coronavirus, with revised legislation taking effect Saturday allowing for fines against violators of safety measures, including restaurants that refuse to shorten hours. This marks a reversal from earlier measures relying on voluntary compliance. Japan is struggling to keep COVID-19 infections under control despite the state of emergency in place since January for such prefectures as Tokyo and Osaka. The emergency declaration has been extended to March 7. Governors in designated prefectures -- generally those one tier below the threshold for a state of emergency -- will now be able to impose fines in specific cities and towns. Restaurants and other businesses that ignore requests from the authorities to reduce hours face a fine of up to 300,000 yen ($2,860) in a state of emergency, or up to 200,000 yen where the broadened gubernatorial authority applies. Restaurants and bars in these areas have been asked to close by 8 p.m. and to stop serving alcoholic beverages at 7 p.m. "We'll first ask for cooperation," said Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, who explained that the metropolitan government will "take all the necessary steps" before imposing fines. Establishments that disregard the request will be asked individually to comply. If a problem persists, an order will be issued. A fine will be levied only if the violator still fails to close early. Congress on Friday suggested veteran party leader Mallikarjun Kharge's name as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha following the exit of another veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad . The party has written to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu in this regard, sources told news agency PTI. The post will fall vacant with the upcoming retirement of MP Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is a member of the Upper House from Jammu and Kashmir. Currently, J&K does not have an Assembly after it was made a Union Territory with the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. Azad's term is ending on 15 February. However, the Congress party is keen to bring Azad back to the Upper House, according to reports. Kharge, a Dalit leader from Karnataka, was the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019. The grand old party could not get the leader of the opposition's post in the previous and the current Lok Sabha as its numbers were less than the mandated 10% of the total number of seats in the Lower House for claiming the post. Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tearful farewell to the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, had said, "The person who will replace Ghulam Nabi ji (as Leader of Opposition) will have difficulty matching his work because he was not only concerned about his party but also about the country and the House." "Posts come, high office comes, power comes and how to handle these, one must learn from Ghulam Nabi Azad Ji. I would consider him a true friend," the PM said. Watch: Modi gets emotional while reminiscing an incident involving Azad #WATCH: PM Modi gets emotional while reminiscing an incident involving Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, during farewell to retiring members in Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/vXqzqAVXFT ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2021 "I would not let you retire, will continue taking your advice. My doors are always open for you," the Prime Minister said in a teary farewell to Ghulam Nabi Azad in RS. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged the continuing and development of programs to qualify Muslim male imams and female preachers, as he met with Endowment Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa on Saturday. Gomaa reviewed with the president, the ministrys plan on continuously providing training to imams and teachers through the International Awkaf Academy, said Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi. He also presented the ministrys latest updates in the fields of writing, translation and publishing as well as the publications that the ministry provided for Islamic libraries abroad. El-Sisi urged for the developing of qualifying programs for imams and preachers and for the strengthening of communication skills through securing postgraduate chances for the endowment ministry staff, especially in psychology and sociology. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Aty, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait and Agriculture Minister El-Sayed El-Quseir attended the meeting with El-Sisi. The presidential spokesman also said that the meeting addressed a number of activities carried out by both the agriculture ministry and the endowment ministry. The meeting reviewed the status regarding organising the overlap between the general authority for agrarian reform and the endowments authority in terms of the agricultural plots, Radi noted. The meeting also discussed the national project for horizontal expansion of the agricultural areas nationwide, especially in central and north Sinai, Toshka, Al-Hamam and west Minya. The president urged for intensifying efforts to apply the modern technology methods of agriculture and to expand the use of the modern irrigation system nationwide. El-Sisi also urged coordination between the ministries of agriculture and irrigation to secure irrigation water. He highlighted the importance of raising the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plants and the canal networks as well as lining these canals nationwide. Short link: .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The attorney defending a man arrested during an October demonstration that saw a monument in the center of Santa Fes historic Plaza toppled is accusing the Santa Fe Police Department of forum shopping by moving the case to municipal court. Santa Fe Police dismissed the charges originally filed in magistrate court after getting an unfavorable ruling that prevented it from calling witnesses. Deputy Chief Paul Joye said police will now refile the charges in municipal court against 24-year-old Sean Sunderland, who was originally arrested on charges of criminal trespass and resisting an officer during the Oct. 12 Indigenous Peoples Day event. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ But Sunderlands defense attorney, Kitren Fischer, said any refiled complaint would circumvent the magistrate courts ruling prohibiting police from calling witnesses due to missed discovery deadlines. Its blatant forum shopping and its prohibited by law, Fischer said in an email to the Journal. Parties who forum shop may be subject to sanctions and could be held in contempt of court. Joye said the refiling is being done in compliance with established rules in both municipal and magistrate court. He said the case is being refiled to allow for compliance with evidence production timelines and is not forum shopping. City Attorney Erin McSherry said the city prosecutor will review the case for prosecution, as is done with all cases. Sunderland was one of the first people arrested in the obelisk protest that saw the 33-foot Soldiers Monument torn down. The obelisk honored Union soldiers who fought in Civil War battles in New Mexico, but many people viewed it as a symbol of oppression against Native Americans. An inscription on one side of the monuments base once referred to savage Indians, though someone chiseled away the word in the 1970s. Since his arrest, Sunderlands case has been in the limelight due to missed deadlines and court hearings, and now two case dismissals. His case was first dismissed Dec. 28 after prosecuting officer Jesse Campbell failed to appear at a court hearing. But Campbell hadnt received notice of the hearing and the case was reinstated. The judge subsequently ruled in favor of defenses motion to exclude witness testimony, because Campbell didnt follow court-ordered evidence deadlines. After that ruling, 1st Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said her office wouldnt be pursuing the case because theres no case left. SFPD did not like the ruling from magistrate court, so now SFPD wants to start over with a new judge in municipal court, Fischer said. NYPD officer Baimadajie Angwang speaks at a press conference in New York on Feb. 7, 2019. (The Epoch Times) Cop Accused of Spying for Chinese Government to Be Released on $2 Million Bond A federal judge ruled on Friday that a former NYPD officer accused of spying for the Chinese regime will be released on bail immediately, according to the New York Post. The officer in question, Baimadajie Angwang, was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 while awaiting trial in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to the Post. Angwang is accused of delivering information on Tibetan immigrants to the Chinese consulate over a six-year period while serving as an NYPD officer. He was charged with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign country, wire fraud, false statements, and obstruction of an official proceeding last September. Angwangs attorney John Carman put forward a bail motion, arguing that his client was experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, sweats, chills, body aches, and cough, according to the Post. He also cited 100 new COVID-19 cases and recent deaths of two of Angwangs fellow inmates as evidence of the danger posed to his client. U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee ruled in favor of the defenses $2 million bail motion, agreeing that the jails sudden spike in COVID-19 cases posed a threat to Angwangs life, the Post reported. You have [now] what looks like a significant spike in the rate and severity of COVID cases, Judge Komitee said. By Bradley Stein From The Daily Caller News Foundation You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close WASHINGTON Watching the surveillance footage of themselves taking cover in a conference room Jan. 6 minutes before pro-Donald Trump rioters flooded a hallway in the U.S. Capitol, what struck staffers for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the weirdness of the silence. For those who had experienced the events in real time, barricading themselves with colleagues in a small room as insurrectionists ransacked offices looking for their boss, the din had been indelible. The thing that amazed me and sticks with me is the sound, said Henry Connelly, communications director for the San Francisco Democrat, who fled his office to join colleagues in that conference room as the insurrectionists approached. Hearing the sound of the mob and how loud it was ... it felt like they were much, much closer than I had appreciated. Connelly, 33, is one of hundreds of congressional staffers who were in the Capitol complex Jan. 6. Their accounts of the day have gotten less attention than those of lawmakers who were evacuated from the Senate and House chambers, in part because their job is making their bosses, not themselves, the focus of attention. But the plight of staffers, especially Pelosis aides, was thrust into the spotlight this week during the Senate impeachment trial of Trump, when House Democratic prosecutors rolled security footage showing staffers running down a hallway and closing themselves inside the conference room less than 10 minutes before rioters filled that same hallway. The fleeing aides were quickly replaced on screen by insurrectionists banging on doors, including one who broke through the outer door of the conference room but gave up at an inner door, behind which eight Pelosi staffers were hiding. The staffers sheltered with the lights off, texting with the outside world and scrolling Twitter to find out what was happening around them. One whispered into a phone about needing Capitol Police in the hallway, a message that was played during the trial. And they listened to the din around them. You could hear everything, Connelly said. We could hear them going down that hallway, screaming for the speaker, knocking down doors. At some point there was breaking glass, and we could also hear some from the rotunda, too. House prosecutors said some of the insurrectionists would have tried to kill Pelosi, who had been taken out of the Capitol as the building was breached. Videos shown during the trial captured them tauntingly calling her name as they searched for her. A 23-year-old Pelosi staffer, who requested anonymity because she continues to fear for her safety, likened her experience that day to training she underwent in high school and college for active-shooter situations. Once we were settled in the dark, what was running through my mind was to be ready to run and fight, she said. Thank goodness that didnt have to happen. Connelly began the day alone in his office on a different floor of Pelosis office suite. Staffers began getting alerts about security concerns as the crowd from a rally Trump held outside the White House streamed to the Capitol. Soon, Connelly saw an officer run past his window with a long gun. He used secluded hallways and a back elevator to join colleagues in the main offices, and soon was hiding in the conference room with them. They huddled there for upward of two hours, listening as waves of rioters came and went, before the hallway was fully cleared and they were evacuated to a safe room with other staffers and lawmakers. One of the incredible things looking back on it is that it feels like we spent several lifetimes in that room, and then you add up the time and its not that long, Connelly said. On any given day, that amount of time would just fly by, but it felt like forever. Being reunited with colleagues in the safe room didnt mean the trauma was over for the staff far from it. In the days and weeks since then, as more information and images have come out about the rioters, their level of planning and their intentions, fresh waves of emotion have washed over those who were in hiding. Even during his interview with The Chronicle, there were pieces of the day and the psychological experience that Connelly was not ready to discuss. Pelosi herself told the Washington Post that it was the look on her staffers faces that got to her on Jan. 6. The trauma that I saw in their eyes, Pelosi said, taking what the Post described as a three-second pause. It was just overwhelming, just overwhelming. You know, our staffs are largely young. They come here with the sense of idealism and just love that theyre working in the Capitol. Connelly and other Pelosi staffers are helping to manage House Democrats presentation in the impeachment trial. But theyre also watching proceedings as witnesses and reliving their own experiences of that day. Its hard, Connelly said. Its painful. Although theyve largely been watching separately, staffers gathered to view the part of the trial when they were shown on security footage, to be together as they took it in. One 32-year-old staffer who also requested anonymity called the experience surreal. It was like reliving that day all over again, she said. It finally gave me an image to pair with the yelling, taunting and banging I can still hear echoing in my mind. I knew how close we were to being face to face with the insurrectionists, but to see it for the first time is a vulnerability I cant find the right words to describe. Connelly said the events have also been unifying in their own way. The work that we try to do to help people at this most extraordinary time that has so much tragedy and so much suffering baked into it ... thats why were here, he said. Thats why we keep showing up. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Midland Memorial Hospital released an update to the allegations involving the care received by a patient at the hospital: The Texas Department of State Health Services has concluded its on-site investigation related to a patients social media allegations of inappropriate treatment at Midland Memorial Hospital. The formal report of the surveyors findings will be released within 10 business days. A document created by the Pentagon to justify its decision to strip Colorado Springs of U.S. Space Command and send its 1,400 troops to Alabama has caused even more consternation among local leaders who say it proves the process was flawed and politics may have played a role. The Air Force found Colorado lacking in expected areas like housing prices, but also contended its utilities, hospital systems, schools, airport and ability to fight off terrorists were subpar compared to the other finalists, the document obtained by The Gazette shows. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said the findings are so flawed that he was wondering if the Air Force team of evaluators got their cities mixed up. It's comical, Suthers said. It is absolutely comical. The document, dated Feb. 3, was issued three weeks after a controversial decision in the final days of the Trump administration to award the command to Huntsville, Ala. Several sources familiar with the decision say the military picked Colorado Springs as its top choice to house the command, but was overruled by then President Donald Trump, who picked Alabama. Colorado Springs last year was named the provisional home through 2026 for the command, which oversees all military missions in orbit. That decision came amid a process to pick a city to house the command that was stopped and restarted amid political intrigue and a pledge by Trump that he would personally decide the matter. After the Pentagon named Huntsville as the commands new home, lawmakers from Colorado and across the country have called for the Biden administration to investigate how that decision was reached. The loudest criticism has come from Colorado where all nine members of the states congressional delegation have asked President Joe Biden to reverse the decision, and Gov. Jared Polis and state lawmakers last week asked new Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to investigate the process. Last week, Pentagon leaders attempted to quell the Colorado rebellion with a PowerPoint presentation that slammed Colorado Springs as subpar instead of showing why Huntsville won. One of the findings that most irked Suthers and others was the military's claim that Peterson Air Force base was in the bottom third of the six finalist cities for access to a commercial airfield. Peterson Air Force Base abuts the runway it shares with the Colorado Springs Airport. One of Americas longest runways capable of landing the militarys heaviest planes, Peterson was an alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle. The measure that found Colorado Springs airport infrastructure at the bottom also considered its ability to handle distinguished visitors. Peterson is the Pentagons second busiest air terminal for distinguished visitors, coming in only behind Andrews Air Force Base in Washington. Reggie Ash, who oversees military issues for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and EDC slammed the analysis in an email. In addition to overlooking significant strengths in many areas, including our great medical systems, our first-rate airport and a utilities company in the top 1% in the country for reliability, they fail to properly explain that the secretary of the Air Force recommended Colorado, and President Trump overruled the strong advice of his senior military leaders in both 2019 and three weeks ago when he selected Alabama, Ash wrote. Another claim by the military that drew criticism found that Colorado Springs is in the middle of the pack for a relative measure of physical, electronic and site security to support all requirements. Colorado Springs faced Huntsville, Albuquerque, N.M., Omaha, Neb., San Antonio and Melbourne, Fla., as finalists for the command. Of those, only Colorado Springs has a combination of ground troops, airpower and a Cold War bunker in Cheyenne Mountain that was designed to survive a nuclear attack. The command was reestablished in 2019 to counter rising threats in orbit from rivals including Russia and China. Because of the commands key role in securing Americas constellation of military satellites, its headquarters could be a key target if war beaks out, Suthers pointed to Fort Carson, with the 4th Infantry Division and the 10th Special Forces Group, the underground Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center that was offered for the commands use and the 140th Fighter Wing at Buckley Air force Base in Aurora that could have its F-16s overhead in minutes as reasons the militarys analysis didnt make sense. Anti-terrorism and force protection security requirements? Suthers said. What do you think we are doing now for Space Command?" Another irksome finding for local leaders was the militarys claim that Colorado Springs was at the bottom of the finalists when it comes to infrastructure to provide robust and resilient prime power. Colorado Springs Utilities, owned by the city, regularly tops national reliability ratings, Suthers said, and Peterson is wired into the grid at several points so no single failure can turn the lights off. Every study I have ever seen about energy resilience rates Colorado Springs Utilities at the very top, Suthers said. The militarys findings baffled Vicky Lea, director of aerospace and aviation for Metro Denver EDC. Its difficult if not impossible to analyze the information in these slides, since this summary lacks context for how other states ranked, she said in an email. This report is dated Feb. 3, after the announcement was made, and given the lack of information on how data was weighted, it seems to raise more questions than answers. Despite a boom in new hospitals in the Pikes Peak region and the military health care available at the seven military installations along the Front Range, the military found Colorado Springs at the bottom of the finalists for medical capabilities. I just find it amazing, Suthers said. The Pikes Peak regions schools, which include the Air Force Academy, which last year graduated the first lieutenants for the new Space Force, came in below the leaders, too. Colorado Springs registered at the bottom for costs to accommodate the command, even though the command is already housed in Colorado Springs, most of the facilities to support it have already been built and the city offered 1,500 acres of free land for any new facilities as part of a $130 million incentives package. The only areas where the Pikes Peak region fared well were in support to troops, employment of military spouses and the availability of on-base housing. It is disappointing that in many cases the rankings dont appear to reflect many of the known existing strengths in the Colorado Springs region, and really underscores the need for the administration to suspend any further action on the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command and conduct a thorough investigation of the metrics and standards utilized in the decision-making process, Lea said. Suthers said he will continue his fight to have Biden reverse the decision until a fair analysis has been made. He said the militarys Feb. 3 document isnt worth the paper it was printed on. It's either a document that was meant to achieve a political end or its a very flawed analysis, he said. The U.S. State Department condemned China in support of the U.K. after Beijing banned British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World News from airing in China. "We absolutely condemn the PRC's decision to ban BBC World News," announced State Department Spokesman Ned Price during a press briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC, on February 9, as per One America News Network. BBC World News recently reported China's COVID-19 propaganda and allegations of forced labor and sexual assaults in the Xinjiang region which is the home to the Uyghur minorities and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. The "systematic rape, sexual abuse, and torture of Uighur women in Chinese internment camps" is the most recent expose BBC News reported. BBC News reported, "more than a million men and women have been detained in the sprawling network of camps, which China says exist for the 're-education' of the Uighurs and other minorities." Christianity Daily previously reported that China's National Radio and Television Administration have ironically banned BBC World News from airing in their country because of what the station dubbed as "fake news" -- reports exposing China's human rights violations. BBC World News was said to "undermined China's national interests and ethnic solidarity" by going against the news reporting requirement of being "true and impartial," as per Xinhua News. "As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory. The NRTA will not accept the channel's broadcast application for the new year," China's National Radio and Television Administration said in a statement. U.S. diplomats said on Thursday that Beijing is still one of the most oppressive and restrictive information spaces in the world. The banning of BBC World News to air in China is just another example of Beijing's further restrictions towards freedom of speech in the communist country, according to One America News Network. "The PRC maintains one of the most controlled, most oppressive, least free information spaces in the world," Price said. The U.S. State Department also mentioned that Beijing is spreading its own unrestricted propaganda in other parts of the world. "It's troubling that as the PRC restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China, Beijing's leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation," Ned Price continued. "We call on the PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the Internet and media." Dr. Bob Fu, founder of China Aid, an organization that helps persecuted Christians in the CCP-led country, said the Chinese Communist government has allotted a huge budget to fund its propaganda, and is paying mainstream news sites such as the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters and the Associated Press. BBC News is generally unavailable in China outside of some hotels, businesses, and residential compounds for foreigners, according to PBS. The Blaze said that the banning of BBC News by China came a week later after the U.K. media regulator Ofcom canceled the broadcast license of CGTN for violating its license agreements and having discovered that CGTN is controlled by the Communist Party of China. CGTN is China's broadcaster CCTV English language service. Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary of the U.K., called China's decision to ban BBC "an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom" that would "only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world." White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a news briefing at the the White House on on Feb. 12, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Biden Administration Reviewing Whether Israel, Saudi Arabia Are Important Allies The Biden administration is looking into whether Israel and Saudi Arabia are important allies for the United States, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Psaki said on Feb. 12 that the White House is involved in ongoing processes and internal interagency processes to discuss Middle Eastern issues, when asked whether the administration considers them important allies. Weve only been here three and a half weeks, and I think Im going to let those policy processes see themselves through before we give, kind of, a complete laydown of what our national security approaches will be to a range of issues, Psaki said. Biden also hadnt called his Israeli counterpart, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as of Feb. 12, and the White House isnt sure when he will do so. Some analysts feel the lack of a call signals a shift in foreign policy priorities with the new administration, as Israels former ambassador to the United Nations wrote on Twitter directly to Biden asking when a call was coming. Israels ambassador to the United States said recently that Netanyahu is not worried about the timing of the conversation. He hasnt reached the Middle East yet, Netanyahu told reporters on Feb. 8, news outlets reported. Biden has called a number of foreign leaders since entering office, including the leaders of China, Mexico, and Russia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement next to the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) after their meeting in the prime ministers office in Jerusalem on Feb. 8, 2021. (Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images) Biden has signaled that Middle Eastern leaders arent in tier one but Netanyahu would be the Democrats first call when he does turn to the regions leaders, David Makovsky, a fellow at the Washington Institute, said on Twitter. Psaki said Biden not calling his Israeli counterpart, who was close with former President Donald Trump, is not an intentional diss. Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone the President has known for some time. Obviously, we have a long and important relationship with Israel, and the President has known him and has been working on a range of issues that theres a mutual commitment to for some time, Psaki said. It is just a reflection of the fact that we have been here for three and a half weeks, hes not called every single global leader yet, and he is eager to do that in the weeks ahead. Ben Rhodes, former President Barack Obamas deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, suggested Biden and Netanyahu not talking stemmed from the latters undermining the ObamaBiden Administration. Biden and Netanyahu spoke last in November 2020, when Netanyahu congratulated Biden on winning the presidential election. While U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan recently spoke by phone with Israels national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, the White House declined to share details of the discussion. Psaki added that theres no planned call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabias leader. Philadelphia attorney Michael T. van der Veen has taken a starring role in Donald Trumps impeachment defense over the last two days but hes also incurred backlash. Vandals smashed windows and spray-painted TRAITOR on the driveway of his suburban Philadelphia home Friday night, after he spent hours on the Senate floor hurling partisan invective and testily condemning the former presidents second impeachment trial as constitutional cancel culture. A group of demonstrators with the group Refuse Fascism gathered outside his Center City law office chanting, When van der Veen lies, what do you do? Convict. Convict. READ MORE: Trumps Philly lawyers won the impeachment trial. But theyre facing a backlash at home. And when he returned to the Senate podium Saturday for a debate over whether witnesses would be called to testify about Trumps mindset during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, his suggestion that he would seek to depose at least 100 people at his office drew audible, bipartisan guffaws from the room and set the internet ablaze. None of these depositions should be done by Zoom, he said. These depositions should be done in person, in my office in Philly-delphia. Van der Veen appeared confused by the response that followed his pronunciation of the city and his threat to drag people to his office there. I dont know how many civil lawyers are here, but thats the way it works folks, he shouted over the chuckling. I dont know why youre laughing. It is civil process. That is the way lawyers do it. It was unclear whether the senators were chuckling over his suggestion of having House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris schlep up I-95 to sit for hours-long interviews at his law office or at his singular pronunciation of the city where he works. But his comments once again turned Philadelphia the place where Trump famously declared that bad things happen and the city whose votes proved crucial to President Joe Bidens victory into an internet meme. I think that was probably exaggeration, Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) said of van der Veens call for 100 witnesses. But he added of the biggest city in his state: For the record, I want people to come to Philly anytime. Even after the Senate voted Saturday to acquit Trump, van der Veen bristled at how he felt hed been mistreated throughout the trial. The thing is, you guys dont know me, he told reporters. Im not a controversial guy. Im not politically minded so to speak. Im a trial lawyer and I represent peoples interests in court. ... And Im disappointed that this is the result of just me doing my job. Staff writer Julie Shaw and photojournalist Tyger Williams contributed to this article. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. 1. Roads. The citys roads are a mess. Significant resources are needed to fix them. 2. Public safety. The crime rate is too high. Police pay and resources come first. 3. More city programs. The city must invest more in city programs and services. 4. Comprehensive plan. The city needs to focus on rebuilding and rebranding. 5. Cut city spending. City officials must get serious about trimming the budget. Vote View Results Influencer Louise Cooney helped to raise 1,700 for the homeless in Galway on Thursday when she made an appearance at a virtual student fundraiser. The fashion and lifestyle guru hopped on Zoom to speak to students of NUI Galway. Students from the MSc Human Resources Programme and the Human Resources stream of the Bachelor of Commerce Programme organised an online quiz on Thursday 11th February in aid of the Galway Simon Community. As well as raising funds for the Galway Simon Community and its services, the Not Another Zoom Quiz event also promoted positive mental health and well-being through a positive lifestyle. Read More Prizes were also up for grabs, with 1000 worth of well-being themed goodies raffled off to participants. Member of event committee Niamh Hickey shared that she was so proud of her team and thanked Louise Cooney for her great talk. In these challenging times for students and young people, it is so refreshing to see them turn their attention to others in need. I could not be prouder of our excellent team of student representatives, said Dr Deirdre Curran from the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway. The Galway Simon Community pledges to help struggling individuals leave homelessness behind for good. They provide housing and support services for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 100% of the proceeds from the event will go to the Galway Simon Community and it is still possible to donate. Cancel culture isnt a singular thing. Its a collection of strategies and tactics, each designed to use the power of the collective against the individual. Typically, the cancel mob starts with some attacks on Twitter or Facebook. This could escalate into dramatic and accusatory videos on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, and then goes on from there. Sooner or later, and this is the goal, the news media gets involved, validating those attacks by taking them as legitimate. The end result is someone gets fired, loses a contract, or a company has its products removed from shelves. People get deplatformed from social media or lose their mass media platforms. Its a 2021 village shunning with real consequences. The medieval village mob is now a virtual mob but the hysteria is the same. In todays cancel culture, the triggers for the cancel mob are often unpopular statements, actions, or decisions, but it doesnt stop there. The cancel mob can put a target on your back for not speaking up. For doing business with their primary target. Any unsuspecting individual, organization, or company can be faced at any time with the cancel mob. The kneejerk response, typically, is to practice realpolitik. That is, to avoid taking a stand thats based on values, but rather to pragmatically do whatever is necessary to make the mob go away. Find out what they want, do it, hope they leave. This is akin to paying off extortionists or paying ransom to kidnappers without reporting it to authorities. If history is any teacher, such practices usually embolden societal bullying, allowing it to spread, or become even stronger. In that atmosphere, the likelihood of a return visit by the cancel mob only increases. And the notion that you operate an organization based on certain values rings hollow. Your First Mistake The first mistake you can make when the cancel mob comes knocking is to presume it is indeed a mob of actual people with genuine concerns. That it represents a significant share of the population, or even your constituents. Chances are good it doesnt. Its more likely that the people involved arent even those you would normally deal with under any scenario except for this one. Even more hideous, there is a strong possibility that those social media posts attacking your company arent from individual people at all. Millions of fake accounts across all social media platforms are used to spread disinformation in keeping with an agenda. The easiest way to spot many of these bots is simply to click on the accounts profile and look at its number of followers. If its a bot, youre likely to see that it follows a lot of accounts, posts somewhat regularly, but it may only have 50 or fewer followers. Often as not, it may even have less than 10. Bots are fake or automated social media accounts. A single person or a small group can operate many thousands of bot accounts simultaneously, generating the same hashtags, the same sort of messages and content, all designed to give the impression that there is a grassroots groundswell of sentiment against you or someone you do business with. A variation of this is the hired troll who may manage multiple social media accounts under different user names who creates provocative posts designed to get you or others to react. And then of course, there is the Twitter storm, which is when an organization orchestrates a coordinated attack on a specific target via Twitter, but its designed to look like spontaneous Twitter backlash. If you know that most of this activity is contrived, wouldnt it make sense to resist the urge to cave to the pressure, at least immediately? Wouldnt it make sense to stay true to your organizations values, systems, and processes by addressing any concerns on your own timetable, and not the theirs? Doesnt it make sense not to overreact in haste? One caveat involves the news media. Its not uncommon for the news media to take the bait and presume that a lot of Twitter or Facebook backlash against your organization is organic and genuine. In fact, no matter how hard you may try to prove that the social media activity is fake, it may get you nowhere with the news media. The news media tends to follow narratives, and the cancel mobs narrative -- real or perceived -- can fit nicely with that. Once the cancel mob identifies a target, the news media tends to follow, not lead. One thing the news media and others will likely want from you is a response. What you must do is remember that you dont have to accept the premise. You dont have to reinforce the narrative. Youre not obligated to follow their timetable or their processes. You can put water on the fire simply be being the only cool-headed adult in the room. Follow Standing Processes The best way to do this is to follow existing policies and standing processes. Do not deviate from the systems you have in place for dealing with any sort of adversity. The cancel mob wants to pressure you to fire someone or terminate your relationship with a major customer, supplier, or vendor. Change has to happen, and it has to happen in this news cycle. If it doesnt happen now, the public may start to see the mob as less powerful and scary. Thats why the urgency. Chances are you have contracts in place, procedures and due process. In other words, follow the steps you normally take before a contract is terminated, like a review period, a notification period, and dialogue between the parties to try to avoid unnecessary termination of an agreement. And while some of your people may be employed on an at-will basis, this does not preclude adherence to due process. If the issue involves human resources, employees are often placed on probation prior to a termination decision, and even then, some employees can be suspended while a full review of their employment status is conducted thoroughly and fairly. Your job is to be deliberate in your decision-making by simply following the systems created for just this purpose. The presence of a cancel mob is no excuse to deviate from the way you do things in the time it takes to do them right. Just because the cancel culture wants you to fire someone or stop working with a business partner now, you dont have to comply. Their urgency does not have to be yours. Its quite sufficient to issue a statement that your organization has been alerted to the concerns and that you plan to follow existing review processes prior to any final decision. Then follow those processes with a commitment to fairness. You can do the right things for the right reasons without compromising your organizations values. Keep in mind that your people and your partners, those who you rely on the most, are watching closely to see if you would have their backs if they were the ones targeted. Know the Difference Between a Primary Target and a Secondary Target Lets say you advertise on a highly visible television or radio program, or podcast. The host of the program gets mired in controversy that may not even be of his or her making. The cancel mob is usually agenda driven. When it attacks, its more likely to be preemptive, but made to look like a response to something. With this in mind, organizations that deploy cancel strategies are constantly monitoring potential targets for anything that can be manipulated into justification for an attack. Sometimes popularity alone is enough to make the media personality a target for cancel culture. The cancel mob may disagree with the personality, and therefore that personality must be vilified and smeared and pay the price. By attacking a high-profile personality, that increases the profile of the cancellation attempt. Thats where you come in. But the key thing to remember is that the media personality is the primary target. Thats who the cancel mob actually wants to hurt. If you are an advertiser on that program, the cancel mob may threaten you with the wrath of the mob if you dont cancel your advertising. What you need to know is that you are a secondary target. Yes, the cancel mob may try to make life uncomfortable for you, but if you have systems in place to stand strong and maintain your own neutrality on the issue at hand without playing into the strategy of the cancel mob, chances are youll weather the storm effectively without fundamentally changing the way you do things. What Are the Risks of Not Giving In? Sometimes, sticking to a set of organizational values may seem like more hassle than its worth. Just this one time, you tell yourself, lets just give the cancel mob what it wants and then we can focus on what we do best. The media buy for that radio program can be adjusted in a few clicks on a computer. That at-will employee can be quickly fired. That contract can be cancelled, and it may even be worth it to pay the penalties involved. All to make the problem go away. Fine. But remember this. People are watching. And they are not bots. Customers are watching. If you tout yourself as nonpartisan, you should continue to keep your business commitments without appearing to endorse the primary target of the cancel mob. Everyone likes loyalty and they cant stand disloyalty. Thats a character flaw not easily overcome. When organizations exhibit character flaws, it can become a significant reputation problem. Most people readily understand that you may have acceptable business reasons for the relationship in the first place. But once you react to the cancel mob in haste, you will kill any notion that your organization is nonpartisan. Customers will not see you as a victim. They will see you as complicit in, if not endorsing, the cancel culture movement. Youre taking a side, very likely against the kinds of people and organizations you need most. That is a major factor in why you were targeted by the mob. They have to separate you from the people most important to you. The mob has to make you turn your back on those who matter to you. Complicity with the cancel mob equals endorsement. Your employees are watching. Fire one of your people as part of what could be perceived as an unfair overreaction and the loyalty of your other people will drop considerably and quickly. Your best performers are the ones likely to notice first, and they will head for the exits. The dirty little secret behind cancel culture is that it derives its power from your lack of commitment to your own values and standards. It derives its power from lack of resolve and lack of loyalty. The more weakly you adhere to your own cultural values, the stronger the cancel cultures influence over your organization will become. And once the cancel culture mob gets a taste of that, it cant resist the urge to come back for more. Image: Robert Couse-Baker Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The 2021 Hyundai Venue is an entry-level subcompact crossover currently available at Coastal Hyundai. Shoppers in the area can research the SUV on the dealership's website. In Melbourne, Florida, one car dealership is dedicated to removing all of the hassle from the car-buying experience. Not only can shoppers enjoy the many benefits of Hyundai Shopper Assurance by shopping at Coastal Hyundai, but the dealerships website is also packed full of helpful and informative model research pages dedicated to all of the new Hyundai vehicles available in its showroom. For example, the 2021 Hyundai Venue is a mini crossover thats currently available at the dealership. A recently added page gives a quick rundown on the history of the vehicle, before diving into details on some of the most important specifications and features available in the model. Shoppers can find many of the details they need to make an informed decision on which vehicle might be the right one for them on pages like this one. Another page focuses on the slightly larger 2021 Hyundai Kona, once again going through the history of the vehicle, before highlighting details like its powertrain, its available trim levels and more. These informative model research pages are joined by many other types of pages, like competitive comparisons, used model pages and more. Residents of the area that might be interested in a new 2021 Hyundai Venue or some other model from the automaker are encouraged to check out the dealerships website at http://www.coastalhyundai.com. They can find these two pages and many others there. Specific questions can instead be directed to the sales team at 321-499-2999. Coastal Hyundai is located at 915 New Haven Avenue in Melbourne. With a capacity of 25 to 30 students at a time and 275 to 325 per day, the Ag Lab will serve as one of the four educational stops in the Agricultural Interpretive Center, which will showcase Napervilles rich agricultural history and connect it to the farming story of the region and the nation. The determination of so many Republican lawmakers to discard the mountain of evidence against Mr. Trump including the revelation that he had sided with the rioters in a heated conversation with the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy reflects how thoroughly the party has come to be defined by one man, and how divorced it now appears to be from any deeper set of policy aspirations and ethical or social principles. After campaigning last year on a message of law and order, most Republican lawmakers decided not to apply those standards to a former commander in chief who made common cause with an organized mob. A party that often proclaimed that Blue lives matter balked at punishing a politician whose enraged supporters had assaulted the Capitol Police. A generations worth of rhetoric about personal responsibility appeared to founder against the perceived imperative of accommodating Mr. Trump. Lanhee Chen, a Hoover Institution scholar and policy adviser to a number of prominent Republican officials, said the G.O.P. would need to redefine itself as a governing party with ambitions beyond fealty to a single leader. When the conservative movement, when the Republican Party, have been successful, its been as a party of ideas, Mr. Chen said, lamenting that much of the party was still taking a Trump-first approach. Many Republicans are more focused on talking about him than about whats next, he said. And thats a very dangerous place to be. In recent weeks, the party has been so submerged in internal conflict, and so captive to its fear of Mr. Trump, that it has delivered only a halting and partial critique of Mr. Bidens signature initiatives, including his request that Congress spend $1.9 trillion to fight the coronavirus pandemic and revive the economy. Mr. Trumps tenure as an agent of political chaos is almost certainly not over. The former president and his advisers have already made it plain that they intend to use the 2022 midterm elections as an opportunity to reward allies and mete out revenge to those who crossed Mr. Trump. And hanging over the party is the possibility of another run for the White House in three years.